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Charity Street runs through a key part of the city of Abbeville.
However, the roadway does not belong to the city, as it is state-owned. 
That will change when the city eventually takes over Charity as part of the state’s Road Transfer Program. It’s the program that brought the streets in the downtown area under the city’s umbrella in 2023.
“We are taking Charity from the state,” Mayor Roslyn White said during last Tuesday’s Abbeville City Council meeting, “and it will become a local road.”
Part of that process is looking at enhancing safety measures on Charity Street. Grant funding will help with that planning. The city council took a step on Tuesday to accept grant funding for planning and demonstrations. The council voted 4-1 to adopt a resolution authorizing White to execute and submit all necessary documents relative to the 2024 Safe Streets and Roads for All grant program.
“Part of the advanced planning before we take the road,” White said, “is looking at safety. How can we enhance some of the pedestrian, bicycle and vehicular safety along Charity? Especially knowing that we have over 80 children who go to J.H. Williams (Middle School), who bicycle and walk to school, and don’t really have a safe way to get there.”
White said being selected for the Safe Streets and Roads for All grant allows the city to plan appropriately. The grant is for $160,000, federal highway dollars, through the U.S. Department of Transportation.
“This will allow us to do some demonstration and design,” White said, “similar to what we did with downtown. We can test some concepts and figure out if there are some changes we want to make ahead of the road work that will be done on Charity Street when the state comes in to overlay the road.”
“The goal is to have a really good plan in place so that we know what we want, based on public input and feedback.”
No specific plans or timetables have been announced. 
Councilman Francis Plaisance, who rejoined the city council after winning a special election in March after previously serving from ‘06 to ‘22, represented the lone vote against the move on Tuesday. He said he is not opposed to enhancing safety but feels that the cost of taking over and then maintaining Charity Street well into the future may be too costly. 
“That concerns me about our kids and grandkids,” Plaisance said of who would be inheriting the costs.
The city council approved the Road Transfer Program, which includes Charity Street, in November 2023. 
“We don’t accept it until they (state) come in and fix the road,” White said. “At some point in the future, we will accept the road once they fix it. What we are doing is setting a standard in which we want the local road to be so that when they come in to fix it, on their dollar, they build it to the standard we require, which is a standard that holds personal safety above everything else.”

BATON ROUGE, La. — The Louisiana Department of Health (LDH) has confirmed Louisiana’s first human case of West Nile virus (WNV) of the 2025 mosquito season and urges all Louisianans to protect themselves from mosquito bites. This case was confirmed in an individual from Livingston Parish who was hospitalized due to complications from the infection. To protect patient confidentiality, no further information about the patient will be released.
About 1 in 150 people who are infected with WNV develop a severe illness that can affect the brain, spinal cord, and nerves, which may even cause paralysis or death.
West Nile virus has been actively spreading throughout Louisiana since its first detection in the state in 2002. To date in 2025, WNV activity has been confirmed in 14 parishes. In 2024, there were 57 confirmed human cases of WNV in Louisiana, including three deaths.

West Nile virus

West Nile virus is spread to people by mosquitoes and can cause mild to severe illnesses. While most people infected with West Nile virus develop no symptoms, about 20% of infected people develop West Nile fever. West Nile fever is a flu-like illness with symptoms that can include fever, headaches, body aches, nausea, and rashes.
A small percentage of infected people develop West Nile neuroinvasive disease, a severe illness that affects the central nervous system and can result in hospitalization or even death. Symptoms can include high fever, stiff neck, disorientation, muscle weakness, numbness, coma, and paralysis. These symptoms may last several weeks and carry the risk of death or permanent damage.
It is important to protect yourself from mosquito bites to prevent illness. People 55 years of age and older and people with certain medical conditions are at a greater risk for severe disease if they are infected.

Tips to protect yourself against mosquitoes

Wear EPA-registered mosquito repellent outdoors and always follow label instructions.
Apply repellent on exposed skin only. Do not apply under clothing or on broken skin.
Carry a travel-size repellent if you will be outdoors for an extended period.
Apply sunscreen first, insect repellent second, if you are also wearing sunscreen.
Make sure windows are tight-fitting and screens are free of holes to keep mosquitoes out.

Tips to protect your home from mosquitoes

Eliminate standing water around your home, which is where mosquitoes breed.
Turn over wheelbarrows, plastic wading pools, buckets, trash cans, children’s toys, and anything that can collect standing water.
Quickly discard or store any containers around your home to avoid accumulating water. Drill holes in standing containers to drain water quickly.
Clean roof gutters routinely. Clogged gutters can produce millions of mosquitoes annually.
Take steps to prevent water gardens and ornamental pools from stagnating (and becoming major mosquito producers), such as adding fish or aeration.
Clean bird baths weekly, as changing the water keeps it from stagnating and becoming a breeding area for mosquitoes.
Clean and chlorinate swimming pools, especially if they go unused. Be aware that mosquitoes also breed in water accumulated on pool covers.
Install or repair window screens.

March 29, 1934 ~ June 25, 2025

ABBEVILLE - A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 2 p.m., on Friday, June 27, 2025, at St. Mary Magdalen Catholic Church honoring the life of Donald Joseph Simon, 91, who passed away on June 25, 2025, at his residence. Reverend Daniel Picard will officiate at the funeral mass. Readers will be Lindsay Watson, and Belinda Simon. Gift bearers will be Leah Simon, Hillary Faber, and Ashley Broussard. Burial will follow at St. Paul Cemetery. Pallbearers will be Donny Simon, Aaron Watson, Derek Broussard, Justin Simon, Jacob Eichfeld, and David Faber. Honorary pallbearers will be Lynn Simon and Dean Simon.
A visitation will take place at Vincent Funeral Home of Abbeville, 209 S. Saint Charles St., Abbeville on Friday, June 27, 2025, from 9:00 AM until 1:30 p.m. when the procession will depart for the church. A rosary will be prayed at 12:30 p.m.
Donald was born on March 29, 1934 in Leroy, LA. He was called “Duck” by his teachers and classmates at Indian Bayou High School as well as his three boys, but after the grandchildren arrived, his nickname changed to “Paw”. No one could ever be described as a better husband, father, grandfather, great grandfather, or friend. He had the most beautiful blue eyes that just shined with his frequent happy smiles and laughs. He was a devoted husband for 69 years, and an attentive father who guided his three sons into becoming good men. In 1974, Paw was awarded “Outstanding Craftsman” by the South Louisiana Chapter of the American Institute of Architects for his creative and talented work. He excelled in construction and especially his main field of masonry. His ‘measure twice, cut once’ attitude was visible in everything he built or worked on. There was no such thing as ‘close enough’. He worked for perfection. As foreman for mason construction on big commercial projects (like Lafayette General Hospital, Abbeville General Hospital, and several local schools) as well as many private homes, his friends and family would joke that he built most of the brick buildings south of I-10. He was honest and hard working. He never sat still for long and was always thinking about how to fix or improve or create his next project. He still found time to celebrate with friends and family with weekend BBQs or crawfish boils. He and his family took vacations with friends to places as close as Six Flags in Houston, or as distant as California, Nashville, or Disney World. His favorite destination was Branson for the shows and entertainment.
He is survived by three sons, Lynn F. Simon and his wife, Belinda, Donny L. Simon and his wife, Janet, and Dean P. Simon and his wife, Min; grandchildren, Lindsay Watson (Aaron), Ashley Broussard (Derek), Justin Simon (Leah), Hillary Faber (David), Tiffany Rudolph (Garrett), and Jacob Eichfeld; and fourteen great grandchildren.
He is preceded in death by the love of his life, wife Wanda Sherman Simon; parents, Hazard Simon and the former Claudia Breaux; sister, Betty Simon Baudoin; granddaughter, Shannon Simon Duhon;
The family would like to thank the Oncology Department at Abbeville General Hospital for the care and treatment Paw received from everyone. The family would like to extend a special thanks to Hospice of Acadiana for their care, understanding, and services at the most difficult times. Natalie and Dona were so attentive to Paw’s needs. With their help Paw was able to stay in the comfort of his home. Very special thanks go to the angel sent from God to our family, Brandy. Brandy gave the most loving emotional and physical support to not only Paw, but to the entire family. She was not only his caregiver, she was his friend. Brandy is now considered a cherished family member.
All funeral arrangements are being conducted by Vincent Funeral Home - Abbeville (337) 893-4661.

MAURICE – On Tuesday, June 24, 2025, shortly after 3:00 p.m., Troopers with Louisiana State Police
Troop I began investigating a two-vehicle fatality crash on Louisiana Highway 92 at its intersection with Louisiana Highway 343. The crash claimed the life of 19-year-old Noah Ducote of Port Barre.
The preliminary investigation revealed that a 2003 Suzuki Motorcycle, driven by Ducote, was traveling east on LA Hwy 92 approaching its intersection with LA Hwy 343. At the same time, a 2021 Dodge Ram pulling a utility trailer was traveling west on LA Hwy 92. For reasons still under investigation, as the Ram attempted to turn left onto LA Hwy 343, the Suziki failed to stop at a stop sign, entered the intersection, and struck the pickup.
Ducote, who was wearing a DOT-approved helmet, sustained fatal injuries and was pronounced deceased at the scene. At the time of the crash, the driver of the Ram was properly restrained and uninjured.
Impairment is not suspected to be a factor in the crash; however, a voluntary breath sample by the driver of the Ram, showed no alcohol detected. Routine toxicology samples were collected from Ducote and will be submitted for analysis. This crash remains under investigation.
Troopers wish to remind motorists to always make good decisions while traveling. Never drive impaired, fatigued, or distracted, follow all traffic laws, and always ensure every occupant is properly restrained. With the warmer weather, more motorcyclists are on Louisiana roads. Drivers are highly encouraged to take an extra second to look for motorcycles before turning, changing lanes, or pulling out. This is crucial as motorcycles are smaller and can be harder to see. While not all crashes are survivable, taking simple precautions such as these can often mean the difference between life and death.