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Grady Wise, a recent North Vermilion graduate, stands behind the three flag retirement boxes that he built for his Eagle Scout Project.

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Old flags can be dropped off in a box for the Boy Scouts to dispose of them.

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Grady Wise stands by Abbeville Mayor Mark Piazza after placing a flag retirement box in Abbeville City Hall.

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Scouts of Troop 85 helped paint the three boxes.

Vermilion Parish Boy Scout completes Eagle project by building 3 flag retirement boxes

They are located at Abbeville City Hall, Abbeville library and American Legion Hall

A Vermilion Parish Boy Scout built three flag retirement boxes for his project to become an Eagle Scout.
Boy Scouts must complete their Eagle Scout project before their 18th birthday. Grady Wise, a recent North Vermilion High School graduate, decided he would make three drop-off boxes for flags since many people don’t know how to properly dispose of them after they become worn down.
His idea to build the disposal boxes was born when people gave Boy Scout Troop 85 old flags because they did not know what to do with them.
“Abbeville needed this,” said Wise. “The community did not know what to do with old flags.”
On the Internet, He researched flag retirement boxes and their building plans. Then, he changed the blueprint plans to give them his personal touch. He also got help from Troop 85 members, who helped build and paint the boxes.
The retirement boxes are located at the American Legion Hall near the National Guard Armory, and the others are located inside Abbeville City Hall and the Abbeville Library.
The box is simple —just drop off the flag in the box, and members of Troop 85 will retire it properly.
Wise said the Boy Scouts cut the stripes out of the American flag and keep the portion with 50 stars as its piece, which is then burnt ceremoniously.
Wise will go in front of a Scouting Board on June 13 to see if he is awarded his Eagle Scout rank.
He starts UL this fall and will major in Marketing.

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The land behind Frankie White’s house (left) has been plowed and cleaned. White is worried that the land will be elevated, pushing more water onto his property.

Residents do not want charter school in their backyard on Hwy. 338

A group of residents who live on Revelation Drive, which is off of La. 338, are concerned about the possibility of Williams Scholar Academy temporarily moving portable buildings behind their homes.
On Wednesday, a handful of residents on Revelation Drive attended a police jury committee meeting to voice their worries to the police jury about the new school possibly rellocating behind their homes.
The residents told the police jurors that land on La. 338 is low and holds water.
Police Juror Mark Poché agrees with the residents.
“The property is a bowl,” Poché said. “If they elevate it, they could flood.”
The residents wanted to know if there was a way to stop the school from elevating the property, resulting in possible flooding to their homes.
The charter school is located south of Abbeville on the old Lighthouse Christian Academy campus. In addition, Williams Academy is in the early process of building a permanent school on Martin Luther King Drive in Abbeville.
Trieva Campbell is one of the homeowners who attended the police jury meeting. She has been living in her home for three years.
“Why don’t they move the temporary buildings where they will build the new school in Abbeville? That seems like a logical location,” said Campbell. “I do not want the land behind my house to build up because the water will flow on my property. My yard already holds water. It does not need more water.”
Campbell said if her house floods because of the school, she will not be happy.
“We do not want temporary buildings behind our homes,” she said. “I do not want to sound mean, but we moved to the country to avoid lots of traffic. A school is going to mean more traffic on La. 338. I do not want that.”
Police Jury attorney Paul Moresi III informed the homeowners that if the charter school completes all the permit paperwork to create a school, then there is nothing the police jury can do to stop them.
Frankie White owns the first house on the right on Revelation Drive. He poured a cement slab for a patio in the back of his house. The cement slab is about 15 feet from the property line, so he could be staring at a portable building when he walks outside to drink his coffee in the morning.
White also worries about flooding.
“If our house floods, then it will be the school’s fault,” said White. “Look what happened in Youngsville with the building of the school. Homes flooded. I do not want that to happen to our neighborhood.”
Ironically, Revelation Drive was developed north of Erath because of Hurricane Rita, which flooded all of Erath. As a result, many residents migrated north to escape flooding. Now, many of those residents fear the rise of water.
“Behind my house is a low area,” added White. “I have been building up my land over the years. I have invested a lot of money in dirt. Now, I am worried it won’t be enough.”
While flooding is largely why they do not want a school behind their house, the neighbors are also worried about the modular trailers being an “eyesore.”
“What happens if they leave the trailers?” White asked. “It is going to be an eyesore, but it will bring down the value of our property. The school will have to spend a lot of money to locate here on a temporary base.”
Williams Scholar Academy is scheduled to have a board meeting on Monday at the Vermilion Commerce Chamber Building on the La. 14 Bypass in Abbeville. The meeting begins at 6:30 p.m., and residents from the neighborhood plan to attend the meeting.

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Mrs. Connor Joseph Dubois

Miss Logan McKay Goutierrez & Connor Joseph Dubois United in Holy Matrimony

Miss Logan McKay Goutierrez of Erath, Louisiana and Mr. Connor Joseph Dubois of Delcambre, Louisiana were united in holy matrimony at 7:00 p.m. on Friday, June 3, 2022, at Our Lady of the Lake Catholic Church in Delcambre, Louisiana.
Officiating the Nuptial Mass was Father Buddy Breaux. The bride is the daughter of Benny and Dana Goutierrez of Erath, Louisiana. She is the granddaughter of Lenward and Judy Landry of Erath, Louisiana, and the late Ned Sr. and Ledie Goutierrez of Erath Louisiana.
The groom is the son of Vince and Jenny Dubois of Delcambre, Louisiana. The grandparents of the groom are Sandra Viator and the late Haywood Viator of Delcambre, Louisiana, Trois and Janet Dubois of Delcambre, Louisiana.
Escorted by her father, the bride wore an elegant high neckline, fit-and-flare ivory wedding gown by Essence of Australia. Romantic French lace adorned the slightly sheer bodice with a striking center front plunge. The beaded shoestring straps extended into a geometric, multi - banded back detail. Laces then trickled over strong, angular side cutouts for a stunning figure with the dress transitioning once again from the crepe skirt to the lace and tulle train, with scalloping and an out-of-this-world finish. She wore a beautiful 1 - tier fingertip length veil glitters with a frosted beaded edge designed by Bel Aire Bridal.
The bride carried an organically designed bouquet of greenery and blooms such as roses, scabiosa, ranunculus, spray roses, astilbe and eucalyptus with stems wrapped in ivory satin ribbon. Intertwined in her bouquet was a rosary from her paternal grandmother, Mrs. Ledie Goutierrez along with a handkerchief from her maternal great grandmother, Mrs. Rosie Primeaux.
Serving as her Maid of Honor was Kelsi Dubois sister in law of the bride. Bridesmaids were Cameron Broussard, Lena Pham and Tori Bayard all friends of the bride, Brynli Duhon cousin of the groom served as junior bridesmaid. They wore a variety of sage evening gowns of different styles. They carried a simple bouquet of greenery and blooms of roses similar to the bride’s bouquet. Chloe Broussard Godchild of the bride, Hollin Duhon Godchild of the groom and Ebbie Hulin cousin of the bride served as flower girls. They wore peony laced open V-back, A-lined tiered tutu soft white dresses. The three girls carried a vintage flower basket with baby’s breath and a single porcelina rose.
The groom’s best men were Tyler Mitchell and Zach Frederick childhood friends of the groom. Groomsmen were Pate Broussard and John Campbell both friends of the groom and Everette Hulin cousin of the bride served as junior groomsman.
For the ceremony readings were given by Godmother of the bride Shanna Broussard and Brittany Duhon cousin of the groom.
The ushers for the wedding were Taylor Viator and Logan Viator, cousins of the groom and Landon Toups friend of the groom.
A reception was held at the Delcambre Shrimp Festival Building in Delcambre.
After a wedding trip to the Bahamas the couple will reside in Erath, Louisiana.

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Carl “C.J.” Chargois was named postmaster for the Kaplan Post Office in late March.

Chargois happy to be ‘home’ as Postmaster in Kaplan

KAPLAN — Carl “C.J.” Chargois feels at home as the postmaster for the Kaplan Post Office.
Chargois, a Vermilion Parish native, was named postmaster in late March after serving in various posts in the U.S. Postal Service for nearly a quarter-century. Chargois was appointed to the position after John Sergi Jr. retired from the post in December of 2021.
“I’m just glad to be back in Kaplan, working in Kaplan and having a first-hand role in the community,” said Chargois, whose wife, Dr. Tina Chargois is from Kaplan.
Chargois, 52, said he joined the U.S. Army and began serving after graduating from North Vermilion High School in 1989. His military career took him to such places as Germany, Fort Lewis, Washington, and Fort Hood, Texas, until he left the service in 1999 and began working for the Postal Service.
He began as a carrier for the Crowley Post Office, working his way up to supervisor, then was named postmaster in Lake Arthur. He served as postmaster at several other locations, most recently in Duson, before moving to Kaplan as Officer-in-Charge and then postmaster.
As postmaster, Chargois oversees 15 employees, with one opening on the staff he’s looking to fill and works to ensure the 4,650 residents of Kaplan with mailboxes get their deliveries on time. There also are more than 400 P.O. Boxes at the Kaplan Post office.
“The employees of the Kaplan Post Office have made the transition into my new position as Postmaster very pleasant,” Chargois said. “They’re a hard-working group of coworkers.”
The U.S. Post Office in 2021 began its Delivering for America 10-year plan to achieve financial sustainability and service excellence, and Chargois said he’s working to make sure Kaplan residents have their needs met by the local post office.
There are other projects he’s also in charge of locally, including repairs to the parking lot and The National Association of Letter Carriers’ annual Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive, which was held this past Saturday.
“I want to thank the residents of Kaplan for their continued support of the Postal Service,” Chargois said.
Chargois and his wife, who retired from the Vermilion Parish School Board and now works for a national organization, have two children, one in college and one in middle school. He also has two older kids, one married to an Air Force service member and one who lives in San Antonio, Texas.

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Gulf Coast Bank has served as sponsor of the Daylily Festival and Garden Show since the event’s inception. Showing off the festival sign are (L-R) Paul Patout, Gulf Coast Bank President & CEO; Charlene Beckett, Abbeville Main Street; Lynn Guillory, Vermilion Chamber of Commerce and Jason Patout, Gulf Coast Bank Senior Vice President.

Daylily Festival & Garden Show set for Saturday in Abbeville

Abbeville’s Daylily and Garden Show is always known for having select flower and plant vendors.
This year is no exception.
There are around 50 vendors, including food vendors, that will be in attendance this Saturday, June 4. The event will begin at 8:30 a.m. in Magdalen Square in downtown Abbeville.
There will be two educational presentations held in the Vermilion Cultural Center adjacent to Magdalen Square. In addition, at 12:15 p.m. the annual 4-H Garden Contest winners will be announced
The show will have all the usual vendors selling daylilies, bromeliads, honey, assorted plants and gardening items. Organizations like the Abbeville Garden Club and the Bonsai Society will be there. They will both be willing to answer any questions you may have.
One talk that may be of interest is “Basic Vegetable Gardening” by Dan Devenport of the LSU AgCenter. Devenport has many years experience with plants and gardening. He has been with the LSU AgCenter since 2014 with responsibilities for adult horticulture and school gardens both in Lafayette and Vermilion parishes. He and his wife owned Dan’s Nursery in Abbeville for over 20 years.
The 11 a.m. “Native Plants” session is presented by L.J. Delcambre, owner of Cajun Native Plants in Abbeville. Delcambre is a Master Gardener and a Master Naturalist.
Abbeville Main Street and the Vermilion Chamber of Commerce are proud to present this year’s Daylily Festival and Garden Show held on Saturday, June 4 from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. The festival is sponsored by the City of Abbeville, Gulf Coast Bank and the Abbeville Garden Club. Many volunteers help make this such a successful show. For further information contact Charlene Beckett at 337-652-2239

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Dolores Ledet Meaux

April 12, 1934 ~ May 31, 2022

ABBEVILLE — A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 1 p.m. on Friday, June 3, 2022 at St. Mary Magdalen Catholic Church honoring the life of Dolores Ledet Meaux, 88, who died Tuesday, May 31, 2022, surrounded by her family.
She will be laid to rest at St. Paul Cemetery. Her grandson, Father Seth Lemaire will celebrate the funeral Mass and conduct the funeral services. Lectors will be her granddaughters, Alaina Dupuis and Lily Noel. Granddaughters, April Hebert and Madison Meaux will serve as giftbearers. Pallbearers will be her grandsons, Jeremy Meaux, Brody Meaux, Barret Lemaire, Grant Lemaire, Jacob Duhon, Ross Duhon, and Corey Meaux.
Dolores was a member of the Lay Carmelites, Ladies Altar Society, Come Lord Jesus, and her weekly rosary group. She was a faithful member of St. Mary Magdalen Catholic Church, where she taught catechism, served as Eucharist Minister and would bring communion to fellow parishioners who were sick and homebound.
Dolores kept God at the very center of her life, her heart, and her family. She was affectionately known by her family as “Monee” and her love for each of them was fierce and never-ending. Her faith-filled home and goodness, shown by her constant smile, reflected the unending love that she and her husband, Jeffery had for God and family. She was a woman of great joy, great laughs, and a heart filled with the Lord. She always was and will always be a blessing to anyone who knew her and her love will be with us “now and forever.”
She is survived by her five children, Benjie Meaux and his wife, Debra, Jodie Sellers and her husband, Patrick, Annette Duhon and her husband, Darren, Donna Noel and her husband, James, and Nancy Meaux and her husband, Michael; 12 grandchildren; 13 great grandchildren; and numerous nieces and nephews.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Jeffery J. Meaux; grandson, Brock Huval; parents, Eugene and Anny Ledet; son in law, Kevin W. Lemaire; and eight siblings.
The family requests that visiting hours be observed at Vincent Funeral Home - Abbeville, 209 S. St. Charles St., on Friday, June 3, 2022 from 9:30 a.m. until 12:45 p.m. when the procession will depart for the church. A rosary is being prayed at 11 a.m.
Condolences may be sent to the family at www.vincentfuneralhome.net.
All funeral arrangements are being conducted by Vincent Funeral Home of Abbeville, (337) 893-4661.

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Kay DeHart holds up the sign a former student made for her. It shows where she taught, along with how many hours and days she spent in the classroom.

‘It is time’: DeHart retires from teaching after 55 years in the classroom

She has taught at J.H. Williams in Abbeville for 34 of the 55 years

When Kay Landry DeHart began teaching, the year was 1967, and Lyndon B. Johnson was the president of the United States, the Vietnam War was taking place, and the price of gas was 33 cents a gallon. This year, 2022, DeHart has decided to retire from teaching, which brings an end to 55 years in education.
Her career in education stretched over 10 presidents, along with the creation of color TV, computers, BitCoins, the Internet and many other historical events that are too numerous to name.
Over the last 55 years, she has taught at only three schools in Vermilion Parish. She began teaching at Mt. Carmel and then moved to Maltrait Elementary. She spent her final 33 years at J.H. Williams Middle School.
At JHW, she taught ELA (English, Literature and the Arts) to seventh- and eighth-graders. She spent the final 20 years in the same classroom at J.H. Williams Middle School.
At the age of 77, DeHart slowly began seeing that education was taking a different path, and she did not enjoy it as much as she did 20 or 30 years ago. Technology moved into the classroom, and DeHart adjusted and adapted. Then came two years of teaching with COVID, and that would be the turning point that made it easy for her to walk away from her passion.
Walking away from her passion also means walking away from the people she loves, who keep her going each day. Her students are what got her out of bed each morning.
“I love my students,” she said. “They were my kids. So I felt I had to be there for them.”
Her students helped her get through a callous time in her life. In 2006, she lost her husband, Richard. She thought about retiring back then, but she knew it would be a rough situation to deal with if she did. So instead, she continued to teach and walked into her classroom, knowing her students needed her. But what she did not realize at the time was that she needed her students more.
“Sixteen years ago, my students helped me get through the loss of my husband,” DeHart said. “They did not understand at the time, and they thought I was helping them. But they were helping me. They needed love, and I needed love. These teens were getting me through grief.”
Now she is at a good place in her life, and she is ready to move on and begin a new chapter. She is not exactly sure what that chapter will be. She would love to travel. She has traveled to Washington D.C. for 18 years with students from J.H. Williams Middle School. She and the students also traveled to New York City for five years.
Last week, after two surprise retirement parties, DeHart said it was time to walk away from a career that has brought fulfillment to her for more than five decades. Unfortunately, few believed her when she told her assistant principal, Ryan Abshire, that she would retire. He responded, “You’ve been saying that for years. You are not going to retire.”
But this time, it was for real.
“I need to rest at a point in my life,” DeHart said. “I am not sure what I will do, but I have a lot of catching up to do around the house. I want to travel.”
DeHart graduated from Mt. Carmel in 1962 and later graduated with a degree in education from what was then USL. She raised three sons and lived in Abbeville most of her life except for when she lived in Hawaii and Georgia when her husband was in the military.
A former student of hers made her a sign that sums up DeHart’s career statistics. She presented it to her at one of her retirement parties.
On the sign, it read:
• Three schools: Mt Carmel, Matrait and J.H. Wiliams Middle School
• 9,900 days spent making a difference
• 79,200 hours helping shape young minds
• So many lives touched. One unforgettable teacher.
• Kay DeHart 1967 to 2022.
“I am going to miss it, but it is time. I am 77 years old,” DeHart said.

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The Acadiana Honor Guard gets ready to do the 21-gun salute at the ceremony.

Abbeville honors fallen on Memorial Day

Close to 200 fallen Vermilion military personnel were remembered in two Memorial Day ceremonies at the Louisiana Military Museum and the War Memorial in Abbeville.
The first ceremony on Memorial Day was held at the War Memorial, located in downtown Abbeville.
The War Memorial has the names of Vermilion Parish soldiers who were killed in the line of duty.
A wreath was placed in front of the War Memorial by Charles Dill, who is the commander of the American Legion Vermilion Post 29 and Glenn Suire, also a member of Post 29.
The ceremony was put on the by the Abbeville Garden Club.
Odile Segrest of the Abbeville Garden Club thanked the veterans for their service.
“For countless families across the nation, Memorial Day is a dark and painful reminder for those who never had the opportunity to be honored as a veteran. Their sacrifice is a truth expression of selfless service. They represent the best America has to offer.”
The second ceremony of the day took place at the Louisiana Miltary Museum located at the Chris Crusta Memorial Airport in Abbeville.
The ceremony only lasted an hour, but it was loaded with memorial moments.
It began with the Acadiana Veterans Honor Guard presenting the Colors.
Monseignor Jefferson DeBlanc recognized the Gold Star Families who were on hand.
Then, a wreath was placed in front of the replica Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.
Tom Tompson of the American Legion Post 29 explained what the “Missing Man Table” represents.
The keynote speaker was Andrew Ward, president and founder of the Acadiana Veterans Alliance.
“This day is not about us,” Ward said. “It is not about you. It is not about any person who wears a uniform. This is about those who were wearing that uniform when they gave their life for their country and the freedom we have.
“That freedom allows us to spend the day doing what we want. We are grateful for those who gave their lives for us.
“The greatest way we can honor those who fought for our freedom is to show them that what they died for matters and support all living veterans. To me, that is the true difinition of rememberance and honor.”
The ceremony closed with a 21-gun saltute by the Acadiana Veterans Honor Guard, along with a Missing Man Aerial Salute flyover.

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Jim Bradshaw

Hilary’s long journey home

The solemn bugle tones of “Taps” and the 21-gun salute from a military honor guard were long overdue when Army Pvt. Hillary Soileau was finally laid to rest in Cedar Hill cemetery in Washington on May 21.
Nearly 80 years overdue.
He was listed as missing after a World War II battle on Guadalcanal in the Solomon Islands in the Pacific and only identified last December.
He was the son of Odey and Leona Soileau, who were farming near the St. Landry community of Whiteville when he entered the Army in July 1942 and was assigned to the 27th Regiment, 25th Infantry Division.
One of the division’s first combat operations was as part of an Allied effort that began in December 1942 to clear the enemy from Guadalcanal.
Hilary could not be found after a battle in a group of hills nicknamed Galloping Horse on January 14, 1943. He was declared missing in action on February 3, and was officially declared killed in action on Dec. 13, 1945. He was 23 years old.
Two unidentified men from the 27th Infantry were found near the Galloping Horse battlefield a month after the fighting and were buried at the Army, Navy, and Marine Cemetery on Guadalcanal. Americans buried there were later exhumed and taken to Hawaii.
One of the two unknown soldiers was identified at that time, but Soileau was not. His remains, identified as Unknown-52, were buried again at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific in Honolulu. His name was recorded on a wall of the at the Manila American Cemetery and Memorial in the Philippines, along with others missing from World War II.
He remained there for more than three-quarters of a century, until finally, on Dec. 8, 2021, the Defense Department’s POW/MIA Accounting Agency said scientists using DNA, dental records, and other evidence were finally able to positively identify him.
It took a while to make the arrangements and get him from Hawaii to Louisiana, but he was buried for the last time with military honors on Armed Forces Day near the graves of his parents in the historic old cemetery.
His last surviving sibling, Mary Lee Soileau, was presented the flag from his coffin by his great-nephew, Marine Capt. Joseph Soileau, who offered a eulogy for his great-uncle.
The 17-year Marine veteran said one of a soldier’s biggest fears is being killed and not being returned to his family. He said Hilary’s long delayed return to his native St. Landry Parish was a celebration of “all that it took to get him back home.”
Hilary’s journey is also a reminder this Memorial Day weekend of the thoughts of another eulogist who spoke at a remembrance after World War I: “As we in reverence think of our mighty dead, let us not forget that great blessings have a great price.”
Enjoy your barbecue and beer on this holiday that has come to represent the beginning of summer. But also take a moment to reflect on Hilary’s journey and those of men and women who served in his war and in those before and since,
You can contact Jim Bradshaw at jimbradshaw4321@gmail.com or P.O. Box 1121, Washington LA 70589.

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Ruby Nolia Borel Westerbuhr

December 20, 1945 ~ May 31, 2022

A memorial will be held at Saint Paul's Episcopal Church, 101 E. Vermilion St. Abbeville, LA. on Saturday, June 4, 2022 at 12:00 P.M. honoring the life of Ruby Nolia Borel Westerbuhr, 76, who died Tuesday, May 31, 2022 at her residence.
She is survived by her two sons, Mike Puckett and his wife, Michelle of New Orleans, and Scott Puckett and his wife, Amy of Baton Rouge; twelve grandchildren; numerous great grandchildren; and siblings, Shirley Allen and her husband, Ed of Houston, TX, Hermon Borel and his wife, Sharon of Shreveport, Nolan Borel and his wife, Carolyn of Erath, Rosemary Lacale and her husband, Carve, Lucille Hebert of Abbeville, and Vickie Borel of Erath.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Gerry Westerbuhr; parents, Lawrence and Laura Borel; and siblings, Curtis Borel, Lawrence Borel, Jr., Rodolphe Borel, Roland Borel, and Marion Borel.
In lieu of flowers donations may be made in Ruby Westerbuhr’s memory to Christian Service Center, 701 Chevis St. Abbeville LA  70510.
Condolences may be sent to the family at www.vincentfuneralhome.net.
All funeral arrangements are being conducted by Vincent Funeral Home of Abbeville, (337) 893-4661.

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Vermilion Today

Abbeville Meridional

318 N. Main St.
Abbeville, LA 70510
Phone: 337-893-4223
Fax: 337-898-9022

The Kaplan Herald

219 North Cushing Avenue
Kaplan, LA 70548