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Matt Joseph Landry graduated from Abbeville High in 2005. He went on to graduate in 2013 from the University of Lafayette and now resides in Maurice with his wife Brooke and sons, Alex (7), and Abel (3). While working 24-hour shifts three days a week as a paramedic, he is also the Snap Fitness Maurice club manager and one of their personal trainers.
In addition to the three jobs, Landry created the 5k race, Snap to a Cure that is held at North Vermilion High School every October.
"Juggling all of these jobs can be challenging, but living through a tough childhood prepared me." While my mother worked multiple jobs and with a father on drugs, I always had a fear of ending up with a dead-end career and not being able to support my family,” Landry said. “Seeing things as a young boy through my teenage years, I've been through more than a boy should have.”
As a young adult, Landry had to make the decision to either continue living the same path or strive to achieve better. “My mother tried her best with what she was given, but with an amazing grandmother and two strong-headed siblings, we all made it through for the better,” he said.
Brooke Landry, Matt’s wife, is proud of her husband and who he is. “For as long as I can remember, Matt has always strived to become a better version of himself. Whether it was challenging himself in college or gaining new certifications as a trainer, Matt enjoys learning and spreading his knowledge to others.
After working as a paramedic both on and offshore since 2006, many emergency situations have occurred. Without getting into details, a recent call has made it to the top of his list.
“My partner and I were dispatched to an ATV accident of a 15-year-old with a trauma center nearly 45 minutes away. The patient was obviously in critical condition and we were able to secure an airway via rapid sequence intubation and get the patient stable for AirMed to intercept,” Landry recalled. “I’m happy to say, that after speaking with the patient's mother, all is well.”
The occupations of being both medic and trainer/manager has its similarities. Tending to take the roll of a therapist, mostly, regardless if it's a client trying to better themselves at Snap or a family member that just lost a loved one, both situations need kind words of empathy and encouragement. Landry credits his biggest accomplishment, and the single thing he is most proud of is creating the event "Snap to a Cure."
“This community event began with just an idea to advertise for a new business in Maurice, Snap Fitness. Five years later, the event has grown tremendously and I truly believe it changes lives. Every year, we have picked a nonprofit group to donate the funds to.”
Groups that were chosen include Links des Pink, The Ross Granger Memorial Fund, Alana Duhon Scholarship Fund, Kalix James Broussard Memorial Fund, and The Kaylee Abigail McLain Memorial Fund. It may seem like just another 5k race, however, the emotions in each and every event, especially for the families, say otherwise.
“I knew he was destined to truly make a change in our community when he had the idea of holding Maurice's first 5k,” Brooke Landry said. “After lots of sleepless nights, creating the Snap to a Cure 5k from the ground up has truly been a huge accomplishment that the entire community is proud of.
“Each year, I tell myself that I want to stop doing Snap to a Cure since it is emotionally draining and heart breaking knowing the suffering that each family has gone through,” said Landry. He recalls last year's event for Kalix Broussard as being especially difficult.
“I used to be Kalix's Personal Trainer and knew how good of a person he was, so I arrange the event knowing he was looking down on us, giving it a true meaning and I don't know how long we will continue to do the race, but I plan on having it this year on October 17th, with Kaylee being our special honoree.”
The man of God, husband, father, trainer, manager, and paramedic is what he lives and breathes.
“I sometimes ask why or what am I doing, but to my community, family, and friends, I hope I'm doing a good job. Please come support Snap to a Cure in any way you can.” All runners, walkers, strollers and volunteers need the community to come together, once again.
Proud of her husband and father of her boys, seeing him become a role model for his sons makes her heart smile. “Not only is he a hard worker but he is a wonderful and loving father and husband,” Brooke added. “I am truly blessed to have our two little boys guided by Matt to mold them into men that serve God, their family, and their community.”
Whether you see him at community events, as a trainer, or an emergency situation, Landry’s determination always shines through in everything he does, his will to provide everyone with the best he can offer them makes him not only memorable, but a literal life saver. Unhindered by failure, Landry learns from his peers, his experiences and his family, and the will to discover his strengths.

LAFAYETTE – Longtime Lafayette resident, Mrs. Plauche Joseph St. Romain, Jr., the former Madeline Gay Dupuis, passed away peacefully on Sunday May 2, 2021, at the Casa Coloma Health Care Center in Rancho Cordova, CA after a lengthy illness.
Survivors include her son Plauche St. Romain, III, his wife Jill and their children: Bailey, Jack, Jean Paul, and Luke, his wife Kalee and their children: Paislee, Braden, Daxton, Jacob, and Cooper; daughter Madeline Lawson, her husband Larry and their child Nicolas Yuri; son Jean-Pierre St. Romain; daughter Monique Sacco her husband David and their children: Natalie, Elizabeth, and Camille; and daughter Jeanne Cormier her husband Philip and their children: Jarrod M.J. Motty, Lydia Rose, and Philip Joseph. Siblings include: her sister Amelie "Mellie" Dugas and her husband Roland; brother Easten "Skip" Dupuis and his wife Lauren; brother Richard "Dickey" Dupuis; sister Denise Woolf and her husband David; and many nieces, nephews and cousins. 
She was preceded in death by her husband, Plauche “PJ” St. Romain, Jr, parents Easten and Jeanne (Guidry) Dupuis, and brother Joel Dupuis. She was joined in heaven by her great-niece Kirby Aura Woolf. 
A native of Lafayette and graduate of Mount Carmel High School, she was a resident of Lafayette for most of her life. Her heart was full with joie de vivre that her family - her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren brought to her through laughter, togetherness, pictures, adventures and love. Gay will be dearly missed by her family, friends, and all who knew and loved her. 
Per her wish, there will not be a service or interment, but a Celebration of Life to be announced at a later time.  Her other wish was to help others by donating her body to the University of California, Davis, for Parkinson’s research. To learn more about this research program visit https://health.ucdavis.edu/bodydonation. The family requests those who wish to express sympathy to consider donating to the University of California, Davis, Body Donation Program or The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research.

Gov. John Bel Edwards scoffed at lawmaker’s efforts to reign in his spending powers and killed a handful of pet projects in conservative legislators’ districts in a dozen vetoes to Louisiana’s budget blueprint Wednesday night.
The Democratic governor nixed nearly $1.8 million in local projects. That included a $400,000 appropriation for a utility substation in Erath, home of Rep. Blake Miguez, the House Republican majority leader. Edwards earlier this week vetoed legislation from Miguez that would have forbidden private contributions from defraying election costs.
Miguez was not too happy with the veto considering the Governor approved the same item in a different parish. Miguez released a statement directed to the people of Erath explaining the veto.
“Citizens of Erath, Governor John Bel Edwards has line-item vetoed a project out of the budget which would have worked towards lowering your electricity rates. It would have meant a permanent utility sub-station in Erath, allowing the city to get the most competitive pricing on electricity that is provided to you. Again, he has chosen politics over people.
“In his veto letter, he called the project unnecessary while approving a similar project in another region of the state much closer to his home as well as other projects funding parks, recreation and other non-infrastructure items. The fact of the matter is he doesn’t like our conservative beliefs and values that I fight to protect every day in my job as a legislative leader. I will continue to stand strong in my fight to protect innocent life, our constitutional rights and AGAINST government waste, fraud, abuse, and higher taxes.”
Erath was hoping to use the money to build a new utility substation to replace old substation Erath uses today.
The governor also did away with three projects in Republican Rep. Danny McCormick’s district. That included $75,000 for street improvements in Plain Dealing, $26,000 for signage in Greenwood and $50,000 for recreational improvements in Bossier Parish.
Otherwise, the governor left most of $70 million in pork-barrel projects built into House Bill 1 and House Bill 516 intact.

“My proudest moment as a student was receiving both the Vermilion Parish School Board Scholarship for Education majors and the Louisiana Governor’s Scholarship for Education Majors,” said now-retired teacher Jessica Riebel as she recalled one of her proudest moments as a student.
As it cannot be narrowed down to one singular event, Reibel said what makes her proudest as a teacher is that she felt privileged to have taught in her hometown of Kaplan. “It was an enormous responsibility that I never took lightly,” she said.
Having taught for over 30 years, Riebel has taught all subject areas, but the majority of her teaching career was focused on 7th and 8th grade Literature and English.
The 1987 graduate of Kaplan High School, Riebel is also a graduate of USL (UL Lafayette) graduating in 1990. Although you could hear her Pirate Pride, you could also hear her cheering on the Ragin Cajuns.
Growing up, Riebel’s parents insisted that their children achieve college degrees. “It was non-negotiable,” Riebel said. “This was their way of insuring that we could and would indeed be independent in our lives, as my parents were not afforded the opportunity of high education.
Riebel and her siblings understood that their parents worked tremendously hard, sacrificing much in order for their children to achieve higher standards of living. “Both my parents lived long enough to proudly see their dream come to fruition,” she said. “It will always be their greatest legacy.”
Knowing that teachers are undervalued, underpaid and overworked, Riebel had only one dream and that was to become a teacher. “I’ve always wanted to be one, it’s an honorable profession that affects every person on the planet,” Riebel said. “I remained in this profession because of the intrinsic award and long after I’m gone, the effects of my work will live on in the successes of my students.”
For over 30 years, Riebel has walked into her classroom, Monday through Friday, to greet her students on their very first and last days of school. From lesson plans, early mornings and late-night grading, Riebel’s first plan is to allow the clock to silently tell time. “I will not be setting my alarm clock,” she said. “I plan to relax and travel, but mostly and lastly, I will enjoy watching the lives of my own children unfold.”
The now-retired teacher has been married to her husband Duane for 27 years. “Together, we have two children, Blake, who is 25 and Scott, who is 18.” Having a generation of successful heirs, not to mention hard working, Blake works in the field of Physical Therapy and Scott is a Criminal Justice student at UL Lafayette.
For Riebel, retiring is bittersweet. The friendships forged over her years of teaching are cherishable. “I will miss the students and all of the possibilities that come with learning who they are as individuals and celebrating their daily victories with them,” she said.
With that, Riebel leaves advice for any young teacher just beginning his or her teaching career. “Be humble and be patient because you are changing the world one child at a time.”