RSS Feed

BATON ROUGE Dealing with the aftermath of flooding can be overwhelming for families and businesses, but Attorney General Jeff Landry is encouraging Louisiana residents to keep their guards up and be proactive against scams in the wake of recent storms across the State.
“After a natural disaster, it is important for consumers to be aware of con artists lurking during this vulnerable time,” said Attorney General Landry. “I encourage those impacted by the recent flooding to educate themselves on fake charities, sham rental properties, and contractor fraud.”
In addition to downloading a copy of Consumer Tips for Natural Disasters, Attorney General Landry is urging residents to follow these tips in guarding themselves against flood scammers:
Protect Your Information. If you get a phone call about an insurance claim or policy, do not give out any personal information or agree to any payment until you can independently verify that the call is legitimate.
Beware Of Imposters. Remember that officials with government disaster assistance agencies do not call or text asking for financial account information and that there is no fee required to apply for or get disaster assistance from the federal government. Anyone claiming to be a federal official who asks for money is an imposter.
Donate With Diligence. Only donate to trusted, well-known charities. Beware of scammers who create fake charities during natural disasters. Always verify a charity’s legitimacy through its official website.
Attorney General Landry also urges everyone who believes they or someone they know has fallen victim to a natural disaster scam to please report it to the National Center for Disaster Fraud at 866-720-5721 or https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.

Everyone travels along some path. There are many roads to choose from. Roads can lead to success, failure, or nowhere. The road you are now on is up to you. If you are not happy where you are headed, select a different road.
Your road to success is based on your definition of success. Traveling along someone else’s road takes you to their destination instead of yours. So, pick a route which leads you in a meaningful direction.
Recognize the warning signs that you have deviated from your road. Intuition, negative results, and bad feelings all indicate that you are running off your chosen path. Paying attention to these signals prevents getting into trouble by veering off on an undesirable detour.
Your road to success leads towards the objective which motivates you most. Your objective should be something you are passionate about, something you are driven to accomplish. This is your mission.
Identify the one thing which motivates you more than anything else. This is your passion. If you are not currently pursuing your passion, today is a great time to start. You will never be as young as you are today, so it’s never too late to start.
The greater your motivation, the greater your progress will be. A burning desire to reach your destination keeps you moving forward in spite of obstacles. Determination is an unstoppable force utilized by all successful people.
Positive action moves you along. Taking action should be an automatic habit. Purge all excuses for not moving forward by replacing them with reasons to succeed. Since your thoughts program your mind, what you think about makes all the difference.
Make things happen, instead of waiting for them to happen. All roads are travelled by consistently taking one step after another. It’s normal that the road to success takes you away from your comfort zone.
Don’t act like a victim by blaming other people or circumstances for your problems. Always take responsibility for yourself. You are capable of finding the solution which exists for each problem. Maintain a positive expectation that you will discover the answers you need.
Identify problems and face them directly. Don’t procrastinate, rather respond to problems quickly. Addressing problems early is much easier than having to deal with them after they have worsened.
Don’t follow the conventional wisdom herd mentality. Ignore any naysayers predicting that you can’t or won’t succeed. There are many critics who will offer you advice. Instead, connect with other positive, success oriented people. Blaze your own path which takes you exactly where you want to go.
Exercise your mind by constantly learning. Keep your thoughts positive by maintaining an attitude of gratitude for all of the blessings in your life. View every obstacle as an opportunity to improve your problem solving skills.
Keep your body in shape through regular physical activity. A sound body is essential for a sound mind and vice versa. Physical exercise keeps your mind sharp, while boosting your health and immune system.
Be productive, rather than just efficient. What you accomplish is more important than how busy you are. That’s why productivity is more significant than activity. Each achievement drives you forward. How much time you spend is irrelevant if nothing is accomplished.
Be honest and ethical in all you do. Taking unethical shortcuts is a dead-end road which leads off a cliff. Treat everyone with courtesy and respect. Every action you take must be positive. Avoid any behavior which takes advantage of others.
Appreciate your journey along your road to success. Enjoy the view. Acknowledge your accomplishments. Monitor your progress to ensue you are staying on course. Make adjustments as needed to accommodate any new or changed goals. Your road to success will be an amazing journey.

MAURICE - Family and friends of 45-year-old Cleveland Duhon received word that a body had been found in a drainage canal about four football fields away from where Cleveland Duhon’s car plunged into a coulee off Etienne Street in Maurice.
They got word about 9:30 Thursday morning and it did not take them long to gather in the neighborhood of Prairie Cove Subdivision, located south of where Duhon’s car wrecked.
According to Maurice Chief of Police Guy Nerren, a body was removed from the canal. His brother, Marcus Duhon, identified the body as Cleveland Duhon by looking at a photo.
The search began Thursday morning again for Cleveland Duhon. Nerren said law enforcement walked the banks of the drainage canal from Maurice to La. 699 and the La. 167 intersection.
A friend said he did not think Cleveland had a chance to survive when he escaped from his vehicle due to the strong current.
“I don’t think he would have survived even if he knew how to swim,” said the friend who did not want to be identified. “It just pulled him under.”
Nerren said the window was down on the driver’s sideof his vehicle, and he believes Cleveland Duhon was able to get out through that window.
On Monday at around 9:10 p.m., a surveillance camera near the coulee captured Cleveland Duhon’s car turning into the waterway and plunging below the surface into the coulee.
Nerren said Cleveland Duhon’s vehicle was discovered by a law enforcement patrol around 2:30 a.m. Tuesday after the vehicle began to protrude from the water. The vehicle was recovered, but Duhon was nowhere to be found, he said.
Cleveland Duhon had just left his mother’s house, which was five minutes away from the crash.

ABBEVILLE — A Mass of Christian Burial for Mrs. Debbie Connor Viator, 63, will be held at 1:00PM on Friday, May 21, 2021 at St. Thresa Catholic Church with Fr. Francois Sainte-Marie officiating. Interment will follow at Our Lady of the Lake Cemetery.
Visitation will be at David Funeral Home of Abbeville on Wednesday, May 19, 2021 beginning at 3:00PM until 9:00PM and on Thursday, May 20, 2021 from 8:00AM until 9:00PM with a recitation of the rosary at 7:00PM. Visitation will resume on Friday, May 21, 2021 from 8:00AM until the time of the service.
A native of Abbeville and resident of Erath, Mrs. Debbie died at 8:17PM on Monday, May 17, 2021 at Abbeville General Hospital. She enjoyed Bingo, sewing, and watching TV. She also enjoyed being with family and friends.
She is survived by a son, Ray Prejean, Jr. of Abbeville; a daughter, Crystal Prejean and her wife Stephanie Prejean of Abbeville; her father, Wilsie Connor, Sr.; four brothers, Eddie Connor, Johnny Connor, Wilsie Connor, Jr. and his wife Sue Ellen, and Elray Dumond, Jr.; four sisters, Marilyn Stelly and her husband Daniel, Rachel Dumond and her fiance Elliot Broussard, Hope Hartly and her husband Billy, and Lisa White; five grandchildren, Shawn Byron, Taylor Byron, Logan Byron, Dazie Faulconer, and Anthony Faulconer, Jr.; and two great grandchildren, Abriella Byron, and Hazel LaSalle.
She is preceded in death by her husband, John A. Viator; and her mother, Rosa Belle Sonnier Dumond.
Serving as pallbearers will be Eddie Connor, Johnny Connor, Wilsie Connor, Jr., Ray Prejean, Jr., Shawn Byron, and Logan Byron.
You may sign the guest register book and express condolences online at www.davidfuneralhome.org
“In order to help keep the community safe we will honor the July 13, 2020 Louisiana Mandates.  All families and their guests are required to wear a face covering while at the funeral home. Thank you for your understanding during this unprecedented time.” 
David Funeral Home of Abbeville at 2600 Charity St. (337893-3777 will be handling the arrangements.