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Christopher Richard is this year’s winner of the Rotary Club of Abbeville’s “What I Want to Be and Why” contest.
Since the contest’s inception in 1949, there have been myriad scientific breakthroughs. Richard, a 2022 Abbeville High graduate, wants to be part of furthering advancements that help others, as he has seen those advancements help someone special to him.
“My sister was born with a cleft palate,” Richard said, “which led to her hearing loss.”
She wore traditional hearing aids for years, which Richard said complicated her medical issues.
“Due to the nature of traditional hearing aids,” Richard said, “her middle ear was unable to receive airflow, causing continued ear infections and repetitive surgeries to insert tubes.”
Richard’s sister eventually became eligible for a surgery that would significantly impact her hearing. She received bilateral Cochlear Baha titanium implants situated behind her ear, allowing the implant to snap on and off.
“This was when I learned that sound is heard better through bone conduction rather than air conduction,” Richard said. “My curiosity grew and led me to do further research.”
Richard learned that a group of biomedical engineers and neuroscientists created the implant.
“From that point on,” Richard said, “my heart has been set on biomedical engineering. I want the opportunity to do exactly what those engineers do, change people’s lives.”
Richard will take the next step in his path to helping others later this year when he attends Northwestern State University in Natchitoches. He will study biology with a biomedical concentration.
“Over the course of my undergraduate college education,” Richard explained, “I will get the opportunity to explore many fields of biology, including cellular and molecular biology, anatomy and microbiology.”
Richard also plans to seek a minor degree in electronics engineering technology. After earning his bachelor’s degree, Richard plans to attend graduate school.
“I will continue my education in the medical field,” he said. “I plan to become a biomedical researcher, and grad school will bring me even closer to this opportunity.”
Richard, the 17-year-old son of Nadine and Chris Richard, made the most of his opportunities in high school. Richard served as an officer in both the Beta Club and the AHS student council. In addition, he played on the baseball team and joined the marching band, for which he earned the opportunity to become a drum major.
Outside of school, Richard volunteered at St. Theresa Catholic Church in Abbeville.
“In my spare time,” he said, “I enjoy photography, exploring new things and spending time with my nieces.”
Richard joined the Rotary’s Interact Club three years ago. During Wednesday’s meeting, Rotary Club President Annette Mudd, the district Interact chair, presented Richard with this award for the Rotary District Level “Interactor of the Year.” That award includes a $500 Scholarship to go with his $2,000 scholarship for “What I Want to Be and Why.”
“His parents have to be extremely proud,” Mudd said. “I know that I am.”
Richard is grateful.
“I would like to extend sincerest thanks to the Rotary Club of Abbeville,” Richard said, “for giving me this opportunity to share my journey.”
Richard intends to help as many people as he can while on that journey.
“I believe that my career path will set me up to make a difference in the world,” Richard said. “I have always enjoyed helping others. This pathway will be the stepping stone I need to do so. Biomedical research is extremely important as it is the only way to create new treatments and solutions for a wide variety of diseases and health conditions.
“It will be my task to work not only to improve healthcare systems, but to minimize the cost of services for people around the world.”

The Louisiana Military Museum will host its annual Memorial Day Commemoration on Monday, in honor of those service members who are no longer with us. This all-day event is free and open to the public.
The Museum will be open for self-guided tours from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The inaugural Anything Over Rice or Pasta Cook-Off will take place from 12:30-2:30 p.m.
Registration is now open for teams who wish to compete. Wristbands will be sold at the museum for those who would like to sample the food. All proceeds from the cook-off will benefit the Louisiana Military Museum. Cook-Off awards will be presented at 2:45 p.m.
Thanks to the generosity of many donors and volunteers, this year’s Memorial Day ceremony will take place inside the museum’s newest addition, the Hall of Honor.
The ceremony will begin at 3 p.m. and will include the posting and retiring of the colors by the Acadiana Veterans Honor Guard and an explanation of the MIA/POW Table by the American Legion Vermilion Post No. 29. The Abbeville Garden Club will lay a wreath at the replica Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. Andrew Ward, Founder and President of the
Acadiana Veteran Alliance and a veteran and infantryman of the United States Army with commendations and decorations from Operation Iraqi Freedom, will provide the keynote address.
Following the indoor ceremony, guests will be invited to step outside for a 21-gun salute and live performance of taps. World War II and Vietnam-era planes will provide a Missing Man Aerial Salute. Guests are invited to come in uniform or wear patriotic attire in support of the museum’s mission to “honor our veterans and remember their stories.”
The museum is located in the green hangar of the Chris Crusta Memorial Airport at 911 Revis Sirmon Loop, Abbeville, LA 70510. For more information, follow the Louisiana Military Museum on Facebook, visit www.LaMilitaryMuseum.org or call 337-898-9645.

It is that time of the school year when the hiring begins for the Vermilion Parish Public School system.
While teachers and students are counting down the days before the school year ends, there are those in the central office who kicked into the hiring mode.
Assistant Superintendent Paul Hebert, who is retiring in January, and his staff is busy trying to find people to fill 160 open positions. The positions range from teachers, secretaries, principals, assistant principals, lunchroom operators, and janitors.
The good news is that as of Thursday, Hebert had 75 out of the 150 positions filled.
“That is a lot of positions open,” said Hebert. “It is more than we have had in the past.”
A majority of the empty positions were one-year-only employees, so their jobs had to be reopened at the end of the school year. Also, for those who filled in teaching slots that were not certified, those teaching positions are opened back up.
Over the next month, the hiring will continue, added Hebert.
Hebert said in other school districts, the district has the choice to reopen the position or not if the district was satisfied with the person who filled the job this past school year.
Also, other school districts have job fairs to try and recruit teachers. However, vermilion Parish never has job fairs, and Hebert said there is a reason.
Vermilion Parish is one of the few parishes with a union for educators. The union known as the Vermilion Association of Educators (VAE) has guidelines the school district must follow when hiring personnel.
Because of the VAE guidelines, Hebert said Vermilion could not hire teachers at a job fair like other school districts. Instead, the VAE guidelines state that Vermilion has to advertise the job opening for a week and then interview those who applied.
“It hurts us because it delays the process,” Hebert said. “We can not hire them on the spot.”
He gave the example of trying to recruit new UL graduates who recently graduated in education. A school district other than Vermilion can promise recent college graduates a job on the spot, but Vermilion can not. Hebert said all they can do is do their best to try and encourage the new graduate to apply to Vermilion Parish.
Hebert is confident that by the start of school in August, most of the jobs will be filled.

IBERIA PARISH – At approximately 1:10 a.m. on May 22, 2022, Troopers from Louisiana State Police Troop I were notified of a single-vehicle crash on Darnall Road just north of US Highway 90 in Iberia Parish. The crash claimed the life of 48-year-old Donavar Yancy of Abbeville.

The initial investigation by State Police revealed that the crash occurred as Yancy was driving a 2016 Mercedes 350 west on US 90 West Frontage Road. For reasons still under investigation, Yancy failed to negotiate a curve and ran off the roadway. Upon doing so the vehicle overturned several times, coming to rest on its roof near the center of Darnall Road.

Yancy was unrestrained at the time of the crash and was ejected from the vehicle. He was pronounced dead at the scene by the Iberia Parish Coroner’s Office. A toxicology sample was obtained for analysis and this crash remains under investigation.

Louisiana State Troopers wish to remind motorists that, while not all crashes are survivable, statistics show that the chances of surviving a crash rise significantly when properly restrained. Making good choices while in motor vehicles such as never driving while impaired and always ensuring every occupant is properly restrained can often mean the difference between life and death.

Troop I has investigated 15 fatal crashes resulting in 17 deaths in 2022.