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Erath Mayor John Earl LeBlanc is informing the people of Erath that the town will be without power Saturday morning from 7 a.m. until noon.
Mayor LeBlanc said the town is upgrading its substation and the electricity must be turned off.
He apologizes for the inconvenience it will cause residents and the businesses.

Lauren Tisdale is an Abbeville native, currently residing in New Iberia.
She is a wife and a full-time working mom. In her spare time, she enjoys writing books. She previously published her first book, Circle of Secrets, with Sweet Cravings Publishing, but shares that she decided to self publish just recently.
“My fans may notice that the cover of my book may look a bit different, very different, actually,” Tisdale said. “My decision to not only self publish the rest of my books but to also re-release Circle of Secrets as a self published book is the result of wanting to experience all aspects of publishing and releasing.”
Tisdale credits Sweet Cravings Publishing as rewarding and a wonderful experience.
“I owe so much to this publishing company,” Tisdale said. “They have helped me tremendously in my short writing career, but at this time, I am confident enough in myself and in my work to be able to self publish.”
Tisdale recently hired a cover artist to give the book Circle of Secrets a facelift. She says the story will not change, but the cover will be different. It is all included in her decision to publish the book on her own. Once the cover design is complete, she will alert her fans via her facebook page, Lauren Tisdale-Author.
Tisdale said that the
reason she decided to start writing came from being a stay-at-home mom.
“Sometimes, with a newborn, life could get pretty crazy, except when you had a sleeper on your hands,” Tisdale said. “I had gotten bored and stumbled upon this online group called Fan Fiction. I had no idea what it was at first, but quickly became intrigued.”
Fan Fiction is the world’s largest fanfiction archive and forum where fanfic writers and readers around the globe gather to share their passion. The experience made Tisdale learn different things about herself as a writer and jokes about not really knowing how bad of a writer she was until she got better.
“My grammar and word usage was not horrible, but was not correct, this particular experience helped me see that,” Tisdale said.
Writing has always had a way of sneaking into Tisdale’s life, especially when her late mother was alive.
“My mom wanted to do a project one day,” Tisdale said. “She wanted to write a screenplay for a movie, based on an idea that came out of nowhere. In my book Circle of Secrets, some of those idea’s came from her, the book was sort of a dedication to her, that if by some miracle, it became huge, maybe has the structure of a movie, it could become a dream come true for her, and for myself.”
Tisdale said that it brings her comfort knowing that her and her mother collaborated, in part, on a screenplay that was never finished, but had the foundation to become a story.
“I have quite a few books that will be published,” Tisdale said, “some I am still carving out and writing, some that are being polished. Some of which just may become a three-part series.”
Teasing some of the details, she said fans could look for crime, history, and romance in her upcoming books.
“The three are completely unrelated, but they will definitely keep you interested. You will have cliff hangers, so be ready for that.”
Tisdale laughs about how writing a crime-related book could possibly get you on the fast train to the FBI’s watch list.
“I have to try and get most of my information from library books,” she said, “because who wants to be known as the girl who is searching online for ‘murder tactics’ or ‘odd ways to die’.”
To better describe her first book, Circle of Secrets, she promises to give her readers enough information to get you hooked. As a reader, you base your interest on the first thing you read. With that said, comes the synopsis.
“As the Circle of Secrets continue to shape each woman’s life, the ghosts and heartaches of the past plague Helen. While Marissa’s health deteriorates, she soon finds herself racing a clock to find out the truth. Will time run out before Marissa finds what she’s looking for and will Helen’s past come back to shock her with more hurt.”

November 17, 1920 ~ April 20, 2018

ABBEVILLE — Memorial services will be held at 11:00 AM on Saturday, April 28, 2018 at Vincent Funeral Home - Abbeville honoring the life of Otha Herndon Morgan, 97, who died Friday, April 20, 2018 at his residence. Inurnment will follow at Graceland Cemetery with Pastor, Rev. Dr. Mollie McGee officiating the services.
Mr. Morgan was a United States Navy veteran who served our country during World War II as a Chief Machinist Mate.
He is survived by one daughter, Marilyn Mercure and her husband, Ovide N. Mercure Jr. of Abbeville; three grandchildren; and five great grandchildren.
He was preceded in death by his parents, Isham Morgan and the former Etha Winch; his wife, Mary McCaul Morgan; daughter, Patricia Morgan; and brothers, Burt and Marvin Morgan.
The family would like to extend their heartfelt appreciation to Lamm Family Care, Concepts of Care, and Mr. Morgan’s caring and dedicated sitters, Claire Hulin, Betty Wilson, Lisa Knight, and Mary Comeaux.
The family requests visiting hour be observed at Vincent Funeral Home-Abbeville at 209 S. St Charles St., on Saturday, April 28, 2018 from 9:00 AM until time of services.
In lieu of flowers, memorial donations can be made in Mr. Morgan’s name to the Shriners Hospitals for Children—Shreveport, Attn: Development Office, 3100 Samford Avenue, Shreveport, LA 71103 or online at https://donate.lovetotherescue.org or by telephone (318) 226-3304.
Condolences may be sent to the family at www.vincentfuneralhome.net.
All arrangements are being conducted by Vincent Funeral Home of Abbeville, (337) 893-4661.

By Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Theodore Quintana, Navy Office of Community Outreach

YOKOSUKA, Japan — An Abbeville, Louisiana, native and 2011 Erath High School graduate is serving in the U.S. Navy aboard the aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan.
Airman Arattakhan Khammany is an aviation machinist’s mate aboard the aircraft carrier operating out of Yokosuka, Japan.
A Navy aviation machinist’s mate is responsible for maintaining aircraft engines and their related systems, including the induction, cooling, exhaust, and propeller systems.
Khammany is proud to serve in the Pacific and fondly recalls memories of Abbeville.
“I’m a people person and I give it all to the people back home and my shipmates,” said Khammany.
Moments like that makes it worth serving around the world ready at all times to defend America’s interests. With more than 50 percent of the world's shipping tonnage and a third of the world's crude oil passing through the region, the United States has historic and enduring interests in this part of the world. The Navy's presence in Yokosuka is part of that long-standing commitment, explained Navy officials.
Named in honor of former President Ronald Reagan, the carrier is longer than three football fields, measuring nearly 1,100 feet. The ship, a true floating city, weighs more than 100,000 tons and has a flight deck that is 252 feet wide. Two nuclear reactors can push the ship through the water at more than 35 mph.
Powerful catapults slingshot the aircraft off the bow of the ship. The planes land aboard the carrier by snagging a steel cable with an arresting hook that protrudes from the rear of the aircraft.
“I’m excited being forward-deployed," said Khammany. "I’m waiting for deployment like it's a countdown.”
Sailors’ jobs are highly varied aboard the carrier. Approximately 3,200 men and women make up the ship's crew, which keeps all parts of the aircraft carrier running smoothly -- this includes everything from washing dishes and preparing meals to handling weaponry and maintaining the nuclear reactors. Another 2,500 men and women form the air wing responsible for flying and maintaining more than 70 aircraft aboard the ship.
Ronald Reagan, like each of the Navy’s aircraft carriers, is designed for a 50-year service life. When the air wing is embarked, the ship carries more than 70 attack jets, helicopters and other aircraft, all of which take off from and land aboard the carrier at sea.
As a member of one of the U.S. Navy’s most relied-upon assets, Khammany and other sailors know they are part of a legacy that will last beyond their lifetimes providing the Navy the nation needs.
"The Navy has made me more considerate of others, open minded, and interested in people’s backgrounds,” said Khammany. “Serving my country and bettering myself as a person is why I joined the Navy.”
Seventh Fleet, which is celebrating its 75th year in 2018, spans more than 124 million square kilometers, stretching from the International Date Line to the India/Pakistan border; and from the Kuril Islands in the North to the Antarctic in the South. Seventh Fleet's area of operation encompasses 36 maritime countries and 50 percent of the world’s population with between 50-70 U.S. ships and submarines, 140 aircraft, and approximately 20,000 Sailors in the 7th Fleet.