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Tim Moore and his wife, LaShonda Moore, are establishing the Bay City Boxing Gym in Abbeville to support youth in Abbeville and Vermilion Parish.
The Bay City Boxing Gym recently hosted a camp at the Moore residence, introducing boxing to approximately 20 local youths. Activities included walking, jumping jacks, and practicing jabbing, including hitting a punching bag for the first time.
“I want to help the kids,” said Tim. “It is my calling. We are losing a lot of kids to violence.”
Moore aims to provide a facility that helps children avoid trouble and develop life skills through boxing.
Years ago, Tim Moore operated a boxing club in a converted building on Donald Frederick’s Boulevard, across from J.H. Williams Middle School.
He closed the previous club because it lacked 501(c)(3) status, which limited fundraising. After addressing this, the Moores secured nonprofit status for the Bay City Boxing Gym.
While the Bay City Boxing Gym does not yet have a dedicated building, it continues to operate from the Moore home.
Moore has consulted with Abbeville City Judge Rick Putnam and Councilman Brady Broussard to help locate a suitable facility.
“They are on board and willing to help,” said Tim.
Once a building is secured, it will be equipped with a boxing ring, punching bags, gloves, and other essential training equipment.
He knows that getting a boxing gym off the ground will require a step-by-step approach, beginning with securing a facility. Once that is established, the next step will be to raise funds to buy a boxing ring for the new building.
“Boxing also builds up their confidence,” said Tim. “It helps them get off the street. We feel we can do a lot of great things with the boxing gym.”
If you know of an available building or wish to make a donation, please contact LaShonda Moore at (337-224-2319).
“We are trying to make a difference in Abbeville,’ said Tim. “We see the Bay Boxing Gym as a way to do that.”

October 12, 1941 – April 19, 2026

David “Dave” Pierce, age 84, passed away peacefully on April 19, 2026, at 5 p.m., leaving behind a legacy of creativity, storytelling, and deep love for family, community, and the arts.
A celebration of Dave’s life will be held on Saturday, May 23, 2026 at 11 a.m. at The Woodlawn Chapel, 8001 Woodlawn Road Maurice, LA 70555 Dave’s family will receive friends at 10:00 AM where family and friends will gather to honor a life that touched so many across Acadiana and beyond.
Born on October 12, 1941, to Casey Pierce and Nellie Marceaux Pierce, Dave was raised along the bayous of South Louisiana, growing up in Intracoastal City during the 1940s and early 1950s. From an early age, he distinguished himself as a student, athlete, and performer. He graduated at the top of his class from Abbeville High School, earning a 4.0 GPA, and was recognized as an All-State running back.
At just 17, Dave began his broadcasting journey as a disc jockey at KROF, later working at KVOL in Lafayette while attending the University of Southwestern Louisiana. At 19, he moved to Los Angeles to pursue his passion for the arts, earning a scholarship to the Pasadena Playhouse, where he graduated cum laude with a degree in theatre arts.
During his years in California, Dave became a pioneer in both theater and radio. A member of the Screen Actors Guild, he built the Cellar Theatre and Actors Video Workshop in Hollywood and staged one of the first live video/stage productions in 1968. In radio, he helped shape the emerging “free-form underground” FM format, contributing to the rise of stations like KPPC-FM, which became a leader in Los Angeles rock radio and nationwide.
In 1971, seeking a return to a quieter life, Dave and his family moved back to South Louisiana. There, he began a second, equally impactful career in broadcasting and media. For nearly five decades, his voice became a familiar and trusted presence across radio and television in Acadiana. He played a key role in the early development of KADN-TV (FOX 15), helping guide it from its beginnings into a major regional media outlet, and later contributed to the launch of KLAF-UPN 17.
Dave’s love for the arts never wavered. In 1976, he co-founded the Abbey Players, helping build one of the most successful community theater groups in the south. As a writer, actor, director, and producer, he brought countless productions to life and made theater accessible and beloved throughout the region. In 2002, he founded the Woodlawn Players, where he continued to create, direct, and co-write original works, including the widely celebrated “Boudreaux & Thibodeaux’s Wedding", “This Magic Moment", “Jukebox Jack” and other productions. His contributions earned him recognition as Acadiana’s Favorite Actor in 2004.
Beyond his professional career, Dave was preceded in death by his father, Casey Pierce; his mother, Nellie Marceaux Pierce; and his sister, Russi Pierce Tiller.
He is survived by his son, J.D. Pierce; his daughter, Michelle Pierce Campisi and her husband Kevin Campisi; and his longtime partner, Sarah Fox. He also leaves behind countless grandchildren, great grandchildren, friends, colleagues, and admirers whose lives were enriched by his voice, vision, and storytelling.
For nearly 50 years, Dave Pierce’s voice could be heard across the airwaves—but his true legacy lives on in the stories he told, the stages he built, the lives he touched, and the community he helped shape. He will be deeply missed and forever remembered.
In lieu of flowers Dave’s Family has asked that donations be made to The Abbey Players Community Theatre 200 S. State St. Abbeville, LA 70510 (337) 893-2442.
Arrangements have been entrusted to Vincent Funeral Home of Abbeville, LA (337) 893-4661.

There’s plenty to be learned through working in a garden.
Several local youth will have the opportunity to gain some of that knowledge this summer.
Keep Abbeville Beautiful is partnering with the Boys & Girls Club of Acadiana on a program that will allow members of the local club to help at Harmony Park, a community garden located at the corner of Lamar Street and Martin Luther King Drive in Abbeville.
Claire Broussard, a member of the KAB committee, spoke to the Kiwanis Club of Abbeville on Tuesday about some details of the program.
“We are going to do a six-to-eight-week program this summer,” Broussard said. “Once a week, we will bring students to Harmony Park. We can teach the kids how to work in the garden.”
Broussard said a bus will be rented from the Vermilion Parish School System to transport club members from the Boys & Girls Club’s Rodney Unit at A.A. Comeaux Park to Harmony Park. She said lunch will be provided, along with T-shirts for the kids to wear that day.
“Those things do come with a cost,” Broussard said. “We are reaching out to organizations.”
The Kiwanis Club made a $100 donation on Tuesday. Any organization or individual interested in helping can contact Broussard at the Vermilion Chamber of Commerce, 337-893-2491.
“Maybe we’ll get some future farmers out of this,” one Kiwanian said.
Whether a new career sprouts for any of the participants, experts say there are benefits to young people taking part in gardening. According to KidsGardening.org, gardening “offers youth significant physical, educational, and emotional benefits by encouraging healthy eating habits, providing moderate exercise, and reducing stress. It fosters responsibility, patience, and environmental awareness while enhancing academic skills in science and math through hands-on learning.”
As for the gardening, Broussard said she will be learning, too.
“I don’t know about gardening,” Broussard said. “We will have other people out there to help us with the teaching. I plan to know by the end of the summer how to grow tomatoes and other things. I will be out there learning with them.
“I’m excited about it, and I think it will be fun.”

The Vermilion Parish Sheriff’s Office will participate in a statewide seat belt enforcement campaign aimed at educating pickup truck drivers and their passengers about the importance of buckling up. The campaign will run from April 18 through April 25 and is being conducted in conjunction with a grant received from the Louisiana Highway Safety Commission (LHSC).
According to LHSC, pickup trucks are twice as likely to roll over in a crash, and drivers and passengers in pickups are less likely to wear their seat belts. A Louisiana Seat Belt Observation Survey has shown that pickup occupants wear their seat belts less frequently than occupants of other types of vehicles.
With the goal of reducing injuries and unrestrained fatalities on our roadways, Vermilion Parish Sheriff’s deputies will conduct high-visibility enforcement to raise awareness about the importance of seat belt usage and compliance with Louisiana law. Deputies will join law enforcement agencies across the state in focusing enforcement efforts on unrestrained drivers and passengers, particularly those traveling in pickup trucks.
“Wearing your seat belt is one of the simplest and most effective ways to protect yourself in a crash,” said Eddie Langlinais, Sheriff of Vermilion Parish. “We want to remind everyone in our parish that buckling up every trip, every time, can make the difference between life and death.”
Sheriff Eddie Langlinais and the Vermilion Parish Sheriff’s Office encourages all motorists and passengers to wear their seat belts at all times to help keep Vermilion Parish roadways safe for all who travel our roadways.
For any questions regarding this campaign or other Sheriff’s Office programs and services, citizens are encouraged to contact Public Information Officer Ashley Adams by email at ashleya@vermilionsheriff.gov.