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Helen Leger Hanks

A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 1:00 p.m. Saturday, September 23, 2017 at St. Joseph Catholic Church in Iota, LA for Helen Leger Hanks, 93, who died September 15, 2017 in Covington, LA.
Fr. Jude Thierry, pastor of St. Joseph Catholic Church will be officiating for the services. The family is requesting visiting hours to be held Saturday from 9:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at Geesey-Ferguson Funeral Home in Iota. A rosary will be recited at 11:00 a.m. Saturday. Interment will be in St. Joseph Cemetery.
She is survived by two sons, James Hanks of Covington, LA, and Warren Hanks of Vincennes, IN; one brother, Garland Leger of Crowley, LA; nine grandchildren; and fifteen great-grandchildren.
Mrs. Hanks is preceded in death by her husband, Clarence Hanks; three sons, Clarence David “C.D.” Hanks, Rufus J. Hanks, and Ronald L. Hanks; her parents, Rufus and Stella Guidry Leger; and two grandchildren, Durwood R. Hanks, and Anjanette Hanks Harris.
Condolences may be sent to the family by www.geesey-ferguson.com
Arrangements have been entrusted to Geesey-Ferguson Funeral Home of Iota. 509 Duson Ave. Iota, LA 70543 337-779-2669.

Tyler ‘Ty’ J. Leger

Funeral Services will be held on Saturday, September 23, 2017 at 2:00 P.M. in the Duhon Funeral Home Chapel in Crowley for Tyler “Ty” J. Leger, 16, who passed away on Monday, September 18, 2017 at 12:02 P.M. at Lafayette General Hospital in Lafayette.
Pastor Kerry Doucet, Pastor of Crossway Fellowship Church of Crowley will be officiating for the services. Burial will be in Woodlawn Cemetery in Crowley.
The family has requested the visitation to be held on Friday, September 22, 2017 at 3:00 P.M. until time of services in the Funeral Home Chapel in Crowley.
Survivors include his mother, Kristal Leger Hampton of Egan; his father Thomas Dean, Jr. and “mom” Ashley Weaver, of Long Beach, MS.; his step father, David P. Hampton, Jr. and Faye Hampton of Lake Charles; two brothers, Trey and Maxon Weaver both of Long Beach, MS.; one sister, Sadie Brooke Hampton of Egan; several grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousin and friends.
Tyler was preceded in death by his maternal grandmother, Brenda Joyce Dronet Leger; one uncle, Atlas Dean Leger; maternal great-grandmother, Willie Mae Dronet; maternal great-grandfather, Atlas “Chubbie” James Dronet; paternal great-grandmother, Linda Kay Armes; paternal great-grandmother, Patricia Weaver; paternal great-grandfather, Fred Weaver; paternal great uncle, Woodland Weaver.
You may view the obituary, sign the guest registry and express condolences online to Tyler’s family online at www.duhonfuneralhome.com.
Duhon Funeral Home, LLC- Crowley, (337)783-1395, 1529 Crowley-Rayne Hwy., Crowley, LA 70526 is in charge of all of the arrangements.

Rayne Council denies land owner’s zoning appeal

McGown Street lots will remain zoned residential

RAYNE - Under threat of possible court action, the Rayne City Council voted 4-1 Monday night to uphold the rezoning of two lots on North McGown Street.
The council voted 3-2 in August to approve the Planning and Zoning Board’s recommendation that the lots, 400 and 402 N. McGown St., be rezoned from C-2 (commercial) to R-3 (residential), despite protests from the property owner, Nathan Jaubert.
Marcus A. Allen, a former city prosecutor in Lafayette currently representing Jaubert, told council members that he was prepared to take the issue “to my home court,” meaning the courtroom.
The rezoning controversy dates back to April, when the Planning and Zoning Board first voted to recommend the change that had been requested by Sylvia Mouton, who lives in the neighborhood.
The council approved that recommendation and Jaubert appealed. Allen then alleged procedural errors in the filing of the request to rezone so the council tabled the appeal and the process was begun again.
The P&Z board again recommended changing the zoning designation from commercial to residential.
The council again okayed the recommendation.
Jaubert again appealed the council’s decision.
Allen again argued procedural errors, asking if the council was voting on the original appeal (which had earlier been removed from the table) or the new appeal.
He also claimed that new signage announcing the second zoning hearing had not been placed on the property.
Mark J. Daigle, director of Zoning, Planning, and Codes, addressed the latter issue by pointing out that the signage had never been removed from the property dating back to the initial hearing, although “one of the signs had been destroyed.”
In addressing the council, Daigle said the issue actually dates back much farther than April of this year.
“This goes back to 2011 when Mr. Jaubert was denied a bar at that location,” Daigle said. “He met the requirements to open a reception hall and that’s what he has.”
Daigle went on to say that police had been called to the reception hall on a number of occasions and that “video from police body cameras shows excessive noise” there.
He insinuated that, even if the property was zoned commercial and Jaubert was able to apply for a liquor license, the “detrimental to the neighborhood” clause in the city zoning ordinance would probably preclude the granting of that license.
“There have been numerous complaints regarding illegal operation of a bar or nightclub there or of free alcohol being given away with a cover charged or all-night parties,” Daigle continued.
Noting that Jaubert’s two lots were the only lots in that area zoned commercial, Daigle said, “That property probably never should have been rezoned (in 1993). He should have sought a variance.
“We can only imagine if a full-blown nightclub were allowed to operate there what it would do to other people’s property values.”
Mayor Charles “Chuck” Robichaux asked Daigle what affect the rezoning from C-2 to R-3 would have on Jaubert’s businesses.
“If it stays R-3, he can still operate what he has,” Daigle responded.
Also speaking in favor of Jaubert’s appeal was Lillian Senegal, who leases the restaurant and store and had planned to lease the event center as a nightclub.
Senegal, who lives on Third Street, reiterated Allen’s claims that the “start-over” process was mishandled by the city.
Dexter Harmon warned that “several Supreme Court cases will have taxpayers of Rayne held liable for changing” the zoning of Jaubert’s property without his consent.
Mouton, who spearheaded the rezoning, challenged Jaubert and Senegal to “open a bar in your neighborhood.”
She ticked off the names of businesses selling alcohol all within two blocks of each other going all the way from North Eastern Avenue to The Boulevard.
“How much liquor do we need in Rayne?” she asked.
Prior to the vote, Alderman James “Jimmy” Fontenot asked Larry Richard, city attorney, if the procedure followed to date had been legal.
Richard said it had.
Curtrese Minix moved to accept Jaubert’s appeal but her motion died for lack of a second.
Voting to deny the appeal were Fontenot, Kenneth Guidry, Lendell “Pete” Babineaux and Calise Michael Docuet.
Minix cast the lone “nay” vote.
In a related matter, Senegal’s request for a liquor license for Jaubert’s Palace was denied since the R-3 zon ing does not allow for the operation of a bar/nightclub.

Jurors split on new ground, aerial ambulance services for parish; solid waste contract OK’d

CROWLEY - A new, five-year contract for solid waste collection was approved by the Acadia Parish Police Jury here Tuesday night.
But that wasn’t the issue that dominated discussion during the two-hour session. That distinction went to whether or not to permit a second ambulance service in the parish.
Ultimately, the jury voted 4-3 not to grant St. Landry EMS a permit to operate grand ambulances in Acadia Parish.
The Opelousas-based ambulance service had been trying for months to obtain a permit to operate in the parish, arguing that “more is better” when it comes to the number of ambulances servicing a population.
But John DuBose, operations manager for Acadian Ambulance, shot holes in that theory, explaining that, if St. Landry EMS were to be put on the 911 “rotation” for ambulance calls, the closest ambulance to a particular incident may not be the one called out.
According to DuBose, 911 operators have but to push a button to call out Acadian, whose dispatchers, through GPS, know exactly where each unit is at all times.
“In the snap of a finger we know which truck is closest,” he said.
DuBose acknowledge that, while Acadian does not have sta — for example, the northwest area around Iota — “we have ambulances nearby because we’re already in all the surrounding parishes” that can be dispatched.
Robert Guidry’s motion to approve a permit for St. Landry EMS failed by a 4-3 vote.
Voting against were Kerry Kilgore, Jimmie Pellerin, Richard Faul and David Savoy.
Voting for were Guidry, Ronald Fabacher and Chuck Broussard.
Danny Guidry was absent.
In a somewhat related matter, jurors voted 4-3 to grant a permit to AirEvac Lifeteam, also of Opelousas, to operate helicopter ambulance service in the parish even though Brad Andrus, counsel, explained that the jury could not stop the company from flying into the parish because of the 1978 Air Deregulation Act.
But Kirk Coussan of AirEvac said his company was asking for a permit because “fire departments are asking for us when Acadian is busy but they want us to have a permit.”
Coussan said the company does not want to be put on a 911 “rotation” with Acadian because air ambulances typically are called out by the responding ambulance service or by fire departments.
Voting to approve AirEvac’s permit were Fabacher, Broussard, Pellerin and Guidry.
Voting against were Kilgore, Faul and Savoy.
Concerning the solid waste contract, Progressive Waste Solutions of Louisiana, Inc., doing business as Waste Connections, Inc. — the current contractor — had the best of four proposals opened on Aug. 22.
Tim Mader of Mader Engineering, the parish solid waste engineering firm, recommended that the jury approve the contract, pointing out that the parish will realize a savings of over $1 million dollars over five years under the new contract compared to what it is now paying.
He said the savings under the second-lowest proposal was $365,000 less.
The new contract begins in March.
In other action, the police jury:
• Introduced James Simon as the new Acadia Parish Director of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness. Simon replaces Lee Hebert, who resigned earlier. Simon also replaces Hebert on the parish Communications District Board.
• Reappointed Dolores Venable to the Acadia Parish Convention and Visitors Commission.
• Authorized Mader Engineering to submit Capital Outlay requests for fiscal year 2018-2019.
• Approved the recommendation of the Airport Committee awarding a construction contract to Elliott Construction in the amount of $314,132.50 for the Terminal Apron Pavement Rehabilitation, contingent on the awarding of a grant from the Federal Aviation Administration.
• Approved the recommendation of the Buildings and Grounds Committee authorizing the president to sign a right-of-way agreement with Entergy to install an electrical pole on Industrial Drive.
• Approved Sheriff K.P. Gibson’s request for the use of parish land adjacent to the Acadia Parish Jail to construct a new mechanic shop and shooting range at no cost to the jury.
• Accepted the Legislative Committee’s recommendation authorizing the president to sign an Evacuation Transportation Agreement with STS and the Acadia Parish School Board for the use of school buses during times of emergency needs.
• Authorized the president to sign a Private/Public Partnership Intergovernmental Agreement with the City of Crowley and Phoenix Forge, dba Capitol Manufacturing Co., for the repair of the bridge on Northern Avenue at a cost of $138,500.
• Accepted the Solid Waste Committee’s recommendation to award the contract for the Subtitle D Liner for
Phase IV of the Acadia Parish Landfill to Patriot Construction and Industrial, LLC, in the amount of $1,433,000.

Gregory John Credeur

RAYNE - Funeral services were held on Saturday, Sept. 16, at 10 a.m. at a Christian Burial at Gossen Funeral Home Chapel in Rayne for Gregory John Credeur, 45, who died Wednesday, Sept. 13, 2017, at his residence in Rayne.
Interment was in the St. Joseph Cemetery #2 in Rayne.
Rev. Michael Arnaud, pastor of Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary Catholic Church in Mire, was be the celebrant of the Funeral Mass and conducted the funeral services.
Survivors include his daughter, Mariette Credeur of Rayne; nephew, Evan Credeur of Rayne; uncle, Murphy Lee Soileaux and wife Retta of Zachary; two aunts, Linda Credeur Faul and husband Alvin of Rayne, and Connie Credeur Anderson and husband David of Church Point; mother-in-law, Debbie Hebert Hanks of Rayne; and father-in-law, Patrick Hanks of Rayne.
He was preceded in death by his parents, Willis James Credeur and Myrna Sue Soileaux Credeur; brother, Sean Phillip Credeur; sister, still-born baby girl Credeur; maternal grandparents, Delton Soileaux and Helen Aucoin Soileaux; paternal grandparents, Bennett Credeur and Bernice Owens Credeur; aunt, Sally Credeur Sonnier; and two uncles, Harry Credeur and Daniel Soileaux.
Pallbearers were Hunter Ahlers, Sam Leon, Chane Leger, David Faul, David Anderson and Alvin Faul.
Honorary pallbearers were Donald Sonnier, Buck Soileaux, Lee Soileaux, Sammy Hernandez, Aleke Kanonu, Steven Hines, and Evan Credeur.
A Rosary was prayed Friday, Sept. 15, at 7 p.m. in Gossen Funeral Home.
The family requested that visitation be observed in Gossen Funeral Home on Friday Sept. 15, from 1 p.m. to 10 p.m. and on Saturday, Sept. 16, from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m.
The family would like to give a special” Thank You” to Sam Leon, Hunter Ahlers, and Chane Leger for all of the help they gave to Greg.
Friends may view the obituary and guestbook online at www.gossenfuneralhome.net.
Arrangements were entrusted to Gossen Funeral Home, Inc. of Rayne, LA, 334-3141.

Iota’s Guillory earns Grid Stars’ top honor

The Iota Bulldogs have been pretty impressive in their first three games of the 2017 prep football season. The Dogs have ...

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Lincoln John Guillory

Funeral services will be held at 3 p.m., Tuesday, September 19, 2017 in the Geesey-Ferguson Funeral Home Chapel for Lincoln John Guillory, infant, who died Saturday, September 16, 2017 in Lafayette.
Rev. Jimmy Broussard, pastor of First Presbyterian Church will be officiating for the services. The family is requesting visiting hours be held Tuesday from 11 a.m. until the time of service. Interment will be in Woodlawn Cemetery.
He is survived by his parents, Heather Suire and John Guillory Jr. both of Crowley; two sisters, Nevaeh Guillory and Ava Phelps both of Crowley; three brothers, Gavin Guillory, Bayle Phelps, and Levi Guillory of Crowley; his maternal grandparents, Curnis and Helen Suire of Crowley; and his paternal grandfather, John Guillory Sr. of Crowley.
He is preceded in death by his paternal grandmother, Jackie Trumps.
In lieu of flower the family is requesting that any donations be made to Maddie’s Footprints, P.O. Box 404 Youngsville, LA 70592.
Condolences may be sent to the family by www.geesey-ferguson.com

Thibodeaux discusses upcoming events

The next two weeks will bring two events for the citizens of Crowley to enjoy a gathering in a ...

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Acadia Parish Today

Crowley Post-Signal
602 N. Parkerson Ave, Crowley, LA 70526
Phone: 337-783-3450
Fax: 337-788-0949

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Phone: 337-334-3186
Fax: 337-334-8474

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Phone: 337-457-3061