–THIS WEEK– SM cagers 4-0 in 6-3A BB K of C scholarships, grants SLCC scholarships BBHS softball Amber Alert honorees A-7 Page A-3 Page A-6 Page A-7 Page A-2 TECHE NEWS Justice To All Dedicated To The Progress Of St. Martin Parish Established 1886 Vol. 135, No. 45 Wednesday, February 17, 2021 2 Sections, 14 Pages - $1.00 BBCC wants Grant Street site cleaned Karl D. Jeter home on the property. [email protected] “This house is in Breaux Bridge – In deplorable condition,” another “Rules to said contract inspector Show Cause” hearing, Rodney “Cooney” Rich- the city council here ard. “It has serious took another step in plumbing and electri- the city’s battle against cal system damage blighted properties. and much of the struc- Code Enforcement ture itself is rotten.” Officer Biance Faulk City attorney Bart told the council that Hebert questioned more than 30 com- Richard as to whether plaints have been re- he considers the state ceived against the legal requirements for owner of a property condemnation, that it at 1115 Grant Street. is unsound and un- Faulk said complaints safe, to be met. When have included re- Richard answered that ports of drug activity he does, Hebert ap- and people sleeping proved submitting an in what remains of a (See BBCC, Pg. A-8) MARDI GRAS SPIRIT – Residents of Bin Rogers Road Area braces for near Cecilia braved chilly weather Saturday, decorated their golf carts and paraded down their dead end street tossing beads and stuffed animals to children and adults along the short parade route. (Sally Angelle) frigid weather Henri C. Bienvenu [email protected] St. Martinville – St. Parks mayor sees need for Martin Parish residents were preparing for the coldest weather of the winter Sunday with another water well, pump forecasters saying tem- peratures could fall into Karl D. Jeter $250,000 grant to be alarms to operators’ the teens over the early part of the week. Bradshaw [email protected] applied toward a new cell phones with infor- In a message to resi- Parks – Mayor Kev- well and elevated tank mation about the type dents on Sunday, Par- in Kately says he is on the east side of and location of devel- ish President Ches- not going to consider the Bayou Teche has oping problems. This ter Cedars said Public The the Village’s expansive been approved, but will speed responses Works crews began with temperatures ex- water system truly se- will have to stay on and reduce repair placing sand on parish pected to remain be- telegraph cure until a third tank hold until more fund- times and costs. roads and bridges at low freezing until mid- pump is on site and ing can be accumu- A state Capital Out- daybreak in prepara- morning Wednesday,” ready for emergencies. lated. The total cost of lay grant has also tion for the imminent Cedars said. Frozen precipitation and climate While generally a well/tank system is been secured to add severe freezing condi- expected to be about needed upgrades at tions. Once this is com- was forecast to begin pleased with progress Sunday evening and not change his administration has $5 million. the new city hall. pleted, they will remain Soon, an updated Kately said he received on standby to respond end until around noon made with the system, Monday. Jim Bradshaw water system control notice that $150,000 to any emergencies un- Kately worries that With ice accumula- [email protected] a failure of the main panel will be installed. has been approved, til the conditions abate. “The entire parish is tion on roads and bridg- We’ve blamed un- pump would leave the The old one is “out which he favors using es likely, Cedars said system at risk. If the of another era,” the for the purchase of an in for a cold and treach- seasonable weather on erous several days ... (See WEATHER, Pg. A-8) all sorts of things over pump were to fail and mayor said. The newer emergency generator. the years. When I was the backup pump was high-tech panels be- City engineer Adam growing up in the Cold activated, a protracted ing evaluated greatly Thibodeaux is working War years of the 1950s water outage would by improve efficiency.on his recommenda- there was a persistent just a second unlucky The automated pan- tions for the purchase. Stray bullet nearly rumor that the Soviets failure away. els provide much more Wiring for a generator were manipulating the An additional back- information on system system was installed weather. Before and up, he said, is the only conditions and send during construction. hits preschooler since then we’ve point- real assurance that the ed fingers at all sorts water will keep flow - of other things, some- ing even in a worst- Karl D. Jeter by the police and will times with science to case scenario. “You [email protected] likely be charged with back the claim, some- never want to be down St. Martinville – In seven counts of aggra- times not. It’s been that to only one pump,” another senseless shoot- vated assault with a fire- way for a long time. he commented, “The ing incident on Wednes- arm, aggravated crimi- nal damage to property, When a rare snow thought of that keeps day, Feb. 10, a stray possession of a firearm storm struck in St. me up at night.” bullet nearly hit a young Mary Parish in 1852 at preschool student. in a firearm-free zone Village accounts are and other charges. least one senior citizen healthy and able to fi- Gunfire incidents who had seen much have been increasingly Police Chief Ricky nance that purchase Martin said it appears weather blamed the frequent in St. Martin- as soon as the engi- that an exchange of gun- telegraph wires that ville in recent months neers complete their fire between two vehicles were beginning to span and this time a young research into the best occurred near the Head the continent. Cold child came just inches options. Start Center in the 600 weather latched onto from being the latest vic- As for the more tim. block of Theater Street the wires in the frigid costly needs, the Vil- just before 11:30 a.m. A North and followed St. Martinville Police lage’s grant writer has have identified the sus- stray bullet tore through them to the balmy helped secure fund- the wall of the school, South, according to pect as Davontae “Black- ing under a number ie” Gardner. Gardner is shattering a plate in the (See BRADSHAW, Pg. A-8) of grant programs. A currently being sought (See BULLET, Pg. A-8) INDEX Join the millions who Obituaries Bulletin ...................A-9 protect their cars with us. Bowen, William J., 88, Cecilia Churches ..............A-14 Courville, Glynn J., 57, Cecilia Drive It’s one more way we’re Demouchet, Alma D., 86, Breaux Bridge Classifieds ............A-13 TM Dugas, Babette B., 69, St. Martinville here to help life go right. Garcia, Bill J. Jr., 70, Breaux Bridge Court News .....A-11, 12 Louviere, Sharon B., 60, Catahoula Deaths ................A-3, 5 Savoy, Jacqueline C., 52, Coteau Holmes happier. CALL US TODAY Wiltz, Cramin, I, 70, St. Martinville Editorials ................A-4 FOR A QUOTE. Letters To Editor .....A-5 Bruce Montesano, Agent Ross Bernard, Agent Public Notices ...A-10, 11 445 E Mills Ave 400 S Main Street Suite A Breaux Bridge, LA 70517 St Martinville, LA 70582 Sports .....................A-7 Bus: 337-332-1139 Bus: 337-342-2949 [email protected] [email protected] A-2 - Teche News, St. Martinville, La. - Wednesday, February 17, 2021 Sugarcane farmers hold virtual meeting New Iberia – After ter plant pathologist, Simon said there are completing a successful said freezing weather in uncertainties with the harvest, sugarcane farm- the spring could hamper Biden administration, ers in the Bayou Teche the development of rust including an increased area met online Feb. 9 disease, but he said good minimum wage. But he rust control can be ob- said Biden and Vilsack with LSU AgCenter ex- tained with fungicides. are aware of the issues perts to find out what Jim Simon, general surrounding the H2A they should be doing to manager of the Ameri- and H2B labor programs. prepare for next year’s can Sugar Cane League, Video presentations crop. said the new secretary also were made available Kenneth Gravois, LSU of agriculture, Tom Vil- to farmers on YouTube, AgCenter sugarcane spe- CITED FOR BRAVERY, DILIGENCE — Participating in the award presentation for ac- sack, worked well with and they can be found by cialist, said clipping, fol- the sugar industry under searching under the title tions that led to the successful return of an abducted 10-year-old girl were (from left) lowed by burning the President Obama. “So we “Louisiana Sugarcane representatives from Pelican Waste (first two), Dion Merrick, New Iberia Police Chief residue could impair welcome him in that po- Winter Meetings.” Todd D’Albor, Sheriff Becket Breaux, Tina Pierre, St. Martin School Board, Robert and growth, especially with sition.” Ashley Thibodeaux, and Chief Deputy Harold JeanBatiste. (Submitted) the possibility of a freeze in the next few days. Gravois said some farmers who clipped seed Rees Street cane fields in 2019 of the Residents honored by SM Sheriff variety L01-299 had to replant after clipping. “It never came back Market for part in abducted girl’s return from that,” he said. Gravois also said many farmers who bought hur- FINE MEATS • FRESH PRODUCE • GREAT SERVICE St.