Abbeville Meridional www.vermiliontoday.com Wednesday, April 7, 2021 Voice of Vermilion Parish - “The Most Cajun Place on Earth” - since 1856 • Vol. 165, No. 68, .75 cents , 1 section, • 10 pages Fusilier sworn in as new Erath alderman He won’t have to wait long for his first meeting By Chris Rosa Managing Editor On the Vermilion Parish Courthouse’s steps, Clarence Fusilier was sworn in as the new alderman for the Erath City Council. What makes Fusilier’s swearing-in so special is because it was historic. He is Photo above: Clarence Fusilier now the first Erath black alderman. holds up his right hand and puts his His first meeting with the aldermen left hand on his own Bible for the and Mayor Taylor Mencacci is April 12. swearig in. Swearing him in is Ver- The swearing-in took place on the court- milion Parish Clerk of Court Diane house’s steps, with Vermilion Parish Clerk Meaux Broussard. The swearing in of Court Diane Meaux Broussard swearing took place on the steps of the Vermil- him in. ion Parish Courthouse in Abbeville. Also, there was Fusilier’s family, in- Holding the Bible is Kendra Fusili- cluding his brother Pastor Walter August. er, Fusilier’s daughter. Pastor Walter Fusilier won a special election last August, Clarence’s brother, also at- month. Fusilier beat opponent Chris He- tended. bert by only 11 votes. This was Fusilier’s second go-around with running for an alderman seat. He Photo on the left is Clarence Fusilier threw his name in the hat two years ago signing the official swearing in docu- and finished in sixth place when only five ments with Vermilion Parish Clerk could win. of Court Diane Meaux Broussard. The This election, Fusilier knocked on doors signing took place on a TV tray out- and went house to house in Erath and met side of the courthouse. everyone he could meet. “I ran because I wanted to help people,” said Fusilier. “I wanted to be a voice. A lot (See SWORN, Page 2) Whooping crane population slowly making comeback 2014, the LDWF spotted two nests. The nests found by the Once there were only 21, today there are 800 LDWF increased each year from two to five (2015) to 27 By Chris Rosa date on the comeback of the she said. nests in 2019. Managing Editor whooping crane Out of the 800 birds, 506 This LDWF recently In 1940 there were only were born in captivity. Others counted and learned 38 birds 21 whooping cranes left in were born in captivity. in south Louisiana began in The whooping crane popu- the United States. Six of the Vermilion Parish has played lation is making a comeback White Lake as a juvenile. 21 lived in Louisiana, and 15 a big part in the increase of the The biggest challenge Zi- in Louisiana and the United lived in Texas. whooping crane population. States, but it is a slow come- miriski said is getting an egg With humanity’s help over In 2011, the Louisiana Wild- to hatch in the wild. In seven back. the last 80 years, the whoop- life and Fisheries (LDWF) be- Sara Zimoriski, a biologist years, whooping cranes laid ing crane population has gan a reintroduction program 158 eggs but only 19 hatched. for the Louisiana Wildlife and slowly risen and continues to with the release of 10 juvenile Fisheries, is considered an ex- If battling Mother Nature increase. cranes in the White Lake area was not enough of a challenge pert in saving the whooping Today, according to Zimiris- near Gueydan. Each year, the crane on a national level. for the whooping crane, the ki, there are 800 whooping LDWF introduces more juve- whooping crane also has to A whooping crane is Zimiriski spoke to the Ab- cranes in the United States. nile cranes to the wild. 5 feet tall. beville Rotary to give an up- “That is better than 21,” The program is working. In (See CRANE, Page 2) Should university officials be fired for not reporting sexual assault? ty’s failure to adequately Because of LSU’s handling of Les Miles, one house representative says yes fund an office that inves- tigates such complaints BATON ROUGE— push LSU hard to im- take some better steps islators are comfortable across the campus. The second-ranking Re- prove its handling of the internally to address the with,” Magee said. An outside law firm publican in the House complaints as it seeks problem,” Magee said in Magee, who is from hired by LSU document- said lawmakers may con- more funding from the an interview. Houma, made his com- ed the failures, and its sider requiring university state and from COVID-19 “I’m deeply concerned, ments in advance of a report prompted other officials to be terminated relief bills. and I think part of the Senate hearing on Thurs- universities to replace if they fail to report alle- “There are a whole lot problem is that there day on LSU’s mishan- gations of sexual assault. of things that are going to seems to be a hesitancy dling of sexual assault Tanner Magee, the make it difficult for LSU within LSU’s adminis- and rape allegations Rep. Tanner speaker pro tempore, also to get what they want tration to fully address against former football Magee said the Legislature will this year if they don’t it in a way that most leg- players and the universi- (See FIRED, Page 2) Cloudy Hi 80 Lo 63 For Convenient Home Delivery Please Call 893-4223 W ed n es d ay , Ap ril 7, 2 02 1Page 2 Obituaries Wednesday, April 7, 2021Page Priscilla Broussard April 1, 2021 at Leon- Angela Marceaux and Richard Broussard, Gus til time of services. A ro- Marceaux ard J. Chabert Medical Lurcy Marceaux, Jr.; Clostio, Edwina Brous- sary is being prayed at Center. She will be laid five grandchildren; onesard Hebert, Edwin 1:30 PM. November 24, 1949 to rest at St. Paul Cem- great grandchild; sib- Broussard, Percy Brous- Condolences may ~ April 1, 2021 etery. lings, Audrey Duhon sard, Adam "J B" Brous- be sent to the family at In her spare time she and her husband How- sard, Jane Henderson, www.vincentfuneral- ABBEVILLE — Me- loved to travel, cook and ard, Marie Martin, and Rosamae Abshire, Mar- home.net. morial services will read. She also enjoyed Leroy Broussard; and dia Mallett. All funeral ar- be held at 2:00 PM on music and musicals, numerous nieces and The family requests rangements are being Thursday, April 8, 2021 along with watching nephews. that visiting hours be conducted by Vincent at Vincent Funeral Westerns. She was preceded observed at Vincent Fu- Funeral Home of Abbev- Home - Abbeville honor- She is survived in death by her par- neral Home - Abbeville, ille, (337) 893-4661. ing the life of Priscilla by her husband of ents, Dewey Broussard 209 S. St. Charles St., Broussard Marceaux, 55 years, Lurcy J. and the former Adele on Thursday, April 8, 71, who died Thursday,Marceaux; two children, Touchet; and siblings. 2021 from 9:00 AM un- Fusilier One of his first Sworn priorities is lifting the hous- ing authority homes in Erath off the La. 14 Bypass. The From Page 1 town received money to ele- vate the homes because they of times, people do not know flood for heavy rains. who they can talk to about an Whether to accept the issue. Now, they can come to grant money to elevate the me for help.” homes is in the hands of the A special election had to aldermen. be held because of the death “We need to raise the of Alderman Robert Vincent. homes because it has been Vincent and Fusilier were flooding since I lived there in good friends and he will fillthe 1970s,” Fusilier added. out Vincent’s two final years. Killing a whooping crane Crane could be costly, she said. One judge a man from Acadian Parish to pay a From Page 1 $10,000 and $75,000 in - res titution to the Louisiana battle humankind, the same Department of Wildlife and species trying to save the Fisheries. He was also sen- bird from extinction. tenced to five years of proba- We are all advised to get yearly check-ups. Well, that holds true for our trees and tion and 360 hours of com- green spaces. It is important to maintain a good healthy oak tree with pruning Zimiriski gave a break- down of how each whooping munity service. and fertilizing. The Magdalen Square Oak trees received their shot of health Lane Thomas Thibodeaux today. Jim’s Tree Service spent the day in the Square fertilizing and removing crane has died in Louisiana since 2011. was ordered to pay a $500 several diseased Camellia bushes. Also removed were the Ligustrum trees on the fine and spend 45 days in jail North side of Magdalen Square. The Ligustrum trees were struggling to flourish The LDWF 16 have died by some trauma, while an- for killing one in 2014. due to their age and the bad weather we’ve have had recently. There will be new Whooping cranes are rare trees planted in the near future other 12 have run into elec- trical lines. But what is more because of how slow they re- troubling is that 14 have produce. been shot and killed, with They don’t reach sexual the possibility of another fivematurity until they’re about possibly dying due to a gun- four years old, she said. shot. To increase the popula- “These birds are not being tion, conservationists hatch mistaken for another bird,” eggs and raise chicks in cap- she explained.