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The Vermilion and Iberia Parish Railroad Development District Board and Commissioners illegally voted Tuesday afternoon after hearing objections from parish residents about Rails to Trails’ proposed location in the parish.
There were 60 people, around 56 were against Rails To Trails, at the railroad meeting to voice their objections to turning nine miles of railroad tracks from Abbeville to Delcambre into a walking and biking trail.  When the meeting was almost over, someone from the crowd asked the board members if they favored removing the tracks to create a Rails To Trails pathway.
Board Members Elbert Dawson, Joseph Hebert, and chairman Homer Stelly told the crowd they were against the railroad company removing the rails from Abbeville to Delcambre.
Dawson and Hebert said removing the rails would kill the chance of any new business opening next to the rails.
But Stelly, who lives in Delcambre across the street from the railroad,  said removing the rails would cause more flooding on the north side of Erath and Delcambre. 
“I am against it because I live on the north side of the tracks in Delcambre,” said Stelly in front of the crowd. “The rails serve as a little dam.”
After each board member spoke, they voted, and it was a 3-0 vote against the railroad company removing the rails to create Rails To Trails.
However, the vote does not mean anything because the board members did not put “voting for or against Rails to Trails” on the meeting’s agenda and did not amend the agenda before voting.

Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF) enforcement agents cited an Abbeville man for alleged fishing violations on July 20th in Vermilion Parish.

Agents cited Viet Nguyen, 63, for possessing over the limit of Red Snapper, possessing undersized Red Snapper, intentional concealment of fish, and failing to keep fish intact.

Agents received an anonymous tip about an offshore vessel coming into Vermilion Pass dropping off several bags of Red Snapper on the bank and leaving. Agents responded to where the Red Snapper were dropped off and setup surveillance on the area.

Agents then observed Nguyen get out of a vehicle and went straight for the Red Snapper on the bank. Agents made contact with Nguyen after he retrieved the Red Snapper and was walking back to the vehicle.

Agents found Nguyen in possession of 24 gutted Red Snapper and nine sets of Red Snapper fillets, which put him 29 over the legal limit. Of the 33 Red Snapper, 29 of them were under the 16-inch minimum size limit.

Agents seized the Red Snapper and donated them to a local charity.

Possessing undersized Red Snapper and over the limit of Red Snapper brings up to a $350 fine for each offense. Intentional concealment of fish carries a $900 to $950 fine and up to 120 days in jail. Failing to keep fish intact brings a $250 to $500 fine and up to 90 days in jail.

Nguyen may also face civil restitution totaling $768 for the replacement value of the illegally possessed Red Snapper.

Agents participating in the case are Corporal Michael Treadway and Lt. Beau Robertson.

For the first time, the Vermilion Parish Sheriff’s Office is inviting the public to take a firsthand look at Sheriff’s Office operations with a 4-week Citizen’s Academy this fall.
The Citizen’s Academy will meet weekly on Wednesdays from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. beginning on September 4th and will culminate with one final session and participant graduation on Saturday, Sept. 28.
The program consists of five sessions that will take participants through the process of becoming a Deputy Sheriff and explore many facets of VPSO operations. In the four Wednesday sessions, participants can expect to learn about such things as law enforcement training, crime scene analysis, patrol and criminal investigations, K-9 and narcotics operations, and SWAT responses.
In the fifth and final session, participants will learn firearms safety at the shooting range and take part in a virtual training simulation before receiving a certificate of completion from Sheriff Eddie Langlinais and Chief Deputy Blair Dore, signifying their graduation from the Vermilion Parish Citizen’s Academy.
The Citizen’s Academy is the first of its kind in Vermilion Parish. Regarding the program Sheriff Langlinais says, “Working together, we can overcome challenges and create a better and safer community."
Sheriff Eddie Langlinais views the program as a way to bridge the gap between citizens and law enforcement. He believes the Citizen’s Academy has two goals: to help the public understand why and how law enforcement officers do what they do, and to create an avenue for law enforcement officers to hear concerns from the people of Vermilion Parish firsthand.
The program is free and open to community members 18 and older, and prospective members must pass a basic background check prior to enrollment. Of applicants who pass the background check, 20 will be chosen to participate in order of when applications are received.

Many people are expected to attend the Vermilion and Iberia Railroad Development District Board of Commissioners meeting on Tuesday, July 24.
The meeting is from 2 p.m. to 3 p.m. inside the LSU Ag Center Building in Abbeville.
The meeting is expected to be well attended because of what is expected to be discussed.
A group of parish citizens is expected to speak out against the Rails to Trails plan to convert the old railroad tracks into a bike and walking trail.
The trail would be built from Abbeville to Delcambre.
Larry Campisi, the former mayor of Abbeville, is one of a handful of citizens leading the charge to prevent the Rails to Trails from happening in the parish. He said he has been requesting this meeting since June, and it has been canceled three times.
Campisi said he plans to ask the commissioners if they support or are against the Rails To Trails.
“I also plan to inform them that the rails are not abandoned, as reported,” said Campisi. 
The Iberia and Vermilion parishes railroad commissioners look to be familiar with Rails To Trails based on the minutes of its meetings, dating back to October of 2023.
The minutes of the  Vermilion and Iberia Railroad Development District Board of Commissioners are located on the state’s Board and Commissioners website.
The minutes of its Oct. 15, 2023 meeting show that a “group from Vermilion Parish is asking for the plans of a walking/bicycle trail.”
The minutes of another meeting, held on Dec. 11, 2023, the minutes state, “The trail group came back for any updates.”
The railroad commissioners had its first and only meeting of 2024 on March 24. 
The minutes of the March 24 meeting state, “The Trail Group, along with the Mayor of Abbeville, w asking about setting up a meeting with the R/R Company.”
That was the last time the railroad commissioners met.
Commissioners on the railroad board are Homer Stelly, David Broussard, Elbert Dawson, and Joseph Hebert.
Stelly is the chairman of the board, which has existed since 2010.
Stelly went on record as saying the board is not for or against the rails to trails.