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This past Tuesday, the Louisiana Department of Education (LDOE) recommended to approve the Type 2 charter application submitted by Williams Scholar Academy (WSA) to commence operation of one Type 2 charter school in Vermilion Parish beginning with the 2021-2022 school year.
The recommendation was brought before the BESE School Innovation Committee resulting in an uncontested vote for approval to recommend to the full BESE Board.
On the following Wednesday, December 16, the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education (BESE) accepted the recommendation with a unanimous vote for a final approval.
WSA leaders stated that they wish to thank State Superintendent, Dr. Cade Brumley, Assistant State Superintendent-Office of Equity, Inclusion & Opportunities, Dr. Kelli Peterson, and the BESE Board members for the supportive and transparent environment allotted for this process.
Williams Scholar Academy is a free, public charter school serving 6th – 12th grades with a focus on academics, social-cultural awareness, and community connectedness.
The school will be spearheaded by experienced co-leaders: Dr. Twyla Williams-Damond, who holds a doctorate in Educational Foundations & Leadership and Tiffany Williams-Spraggins, MEd, who has over 17 years of experience as a school administrator and teacher. School operations will be led by Dr. George Williams, who has overseen several corporations across Louisiana and Mississippi.
WSA Board President, Dr. Dedrick Sims, said, “We are excited and grateful to serve the families of Vermilion parish. We look forward to our specific model being an option for families and scholars who desire something different. We also look forward to partnering with the community to help us turn abstract concepts into concrete experiences for our scholars.”
WSA Board Vice President Jason Jones is also excited at the opportunity to collaborate with community partners in order to align with the charter’s goals of uniting all educational stakeholders and promoting increased academic outcomes for a diversity of students.
WSA is immediately available for letters of interest from prospective students via their website at wsascholar.com or by email at office@wsascholar.com.
They are also seeking to fill positions on their “Friends of the Board” Committee. Please email office@wsascholar.com for application and requirements to be a part of this historical movement in Vermilion.
“Challenge the Mind. Develop the Character. Change the World.”

February 7, 1962 ~ December 15, 2020

ABBEVILLE — Funeral services will be held at 2:00 PM on Friday, December 18, 2020 at Vincent Funeral Home - Abbeville honoring the life of Gregory Joseph Richard, 58, who died Tuesday, December 15, 2020 at his residence. He will be laid to rest at Nunez Baptist Cemetery with Deacon William "Billy" Vincent officiating the services.
He is survived by his two daughters, Shantell Richard and Alana Richard; mother, Marjorie T. Richard; grandchildren, Jordan Vice, Hunter Vice, Sage Vice, Cameron Richard, Keaton Ganus and Ashton Ganus; brothers, Darell Richard (Mona), Brian Richard (Tammy), and Nathan Richard; and sisters, Cynthia Dartez and Belinda Landry (Brian).
He was preceded in death by his father, Lawrence Richard.
The family requests that visiting hours be observed at Vincent Funeral Home - Abbeville, 209 S. St. Charles St., on Friday, December 18, 2020 from 9:00 AM until time of services. A rosary being prayed at 10:30 AM.
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.

Each week, the Vermilion Parish School District is having to adapt and adjust to virtual school.
This week, superintendent Tommy Byler has all public middle school and high school students attend virtual school.
Byler said it is a “pilot” program if the parish has to one day go virtual 100%.
If students do not have access to the internet at their home, they are taken to their school and learn in the computer lab.
“I feel like we made great strides in moving our distance learning program forward,” Byler said. “We continue to work on logistics and are working on getting relevant instruction in nontraditional ways.”
Abbeville High has been 100% virtual since students returned from the Thanksgiving break. A handful of AHS teachers tested positive before the Thanksgiving break, so the AHS administration and Byler decided to keep AHS students and staff on a 100% virtual schedule.
“I guess you can say we have been the pilot program of the parish,” said AHS principal Brett Darby.
The way it works is that students from their home log into, say, their English I class. The teacher can then see all of the students on a computer screen.
Enrollment is taken each morning, and the teacher begins teaching, and the students are watching on a computer screen.
While the students may not be at school, school administrators can monitor each classroom from a computer.
The Christmas and New Year’s break begins on Dec. 21 and students and staff will be off for two weeks.

Abbeville General was awarded an “A” in the fall 2020 Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade, a national distinction recognizing Abbeville General’s achievements, protecting patients from harm and providing safer health care.
The Leapfrog Group is an independent national watchdog organization committed to health care quality and safety. The Safety Grade assigns an ‘A’, ‘B’, ‘C’, ‘D’ or ‘F’ grade to all general hospitals across the country and is updated every six months. It is based on a hospital’s performance in preventing medical errors, injuries, accidents, infections and other harms to patients in their care.
“We work hard to prevent infections, double check medications and keep patients free from harm,” commented Brittany Thibodeaux, RN, BSN, CPSO, Chief Quality Officer/Patient Safety Officer at Abbeville General.
“Safety is a big concern in hospitals across the country, and this is why we are so proud that Abbeville General earned an “A” from the Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade for being one of the safest hospitals in America. We provide access to SAFE Quality Care Close to Home!”
“We are extremely grateful to hospital leadership and health care workers who have remained steadfast in prioritizing patient safety as our nation battles COVID-19,” said Leah Binder, president and CEO of The Leapfrog Group. “This ‘A’ is a testament to the care and commitment of those who work for Abbeville General. With the current pandemic exposing existing flaws within the U.S. health care system, we appreciate you putting patient safety first. Lives depend on it.”
Developed under the guidance of a national Expert Panel, the Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade uses up to 27 measures of publicly available hospital safety data to assign grades to more than 2,600 U.S. acute-care hospitals twice per year.
The Hospital Safety Grade’s methodology is peer-reviewed and fully transparent, and the results are free to the public.
Abbeville General was awarded an ‘A’ grade today when Leapfrog updated grades for fall 2020. To see [Abbeville General’s full grade details and access patient tips for staying safe in the hospital, visit hospitalsafetygrade.org and follow The Leapfrog Group on Twitter and Facebook.
About The Leapfrog Group
Founded in 2000 by large employers and other purchasers, The Leapfrog Group is a national nonprofit organization driving a movement for giant leaps forward in the quality and safety of American health care. The flagship Leapfrog Hospital Survey and new Leapfrog Ambulatory Surgery Center (ASC) Survey collect and transparently report hospital and ASC performance, empowering purchasers to find the highest-value care and giving consumers the lifesaving information, they need to make informed decisions.
The Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade, Leapfrog’s other main initiative, assigns letter grades to hospitals based on their record of
patient safety, helping consumers protect themselves and their families from errors, injuries, accidents and infections.

About Abbeville General

Abbeville General Hospital opened its doors to the citizens of Vermilion Parish and surrounding areas in February 1966 as a community based, non-profit healthcare provider. After numerous expansions, renovations, and modernization projects, Abbeville General continues to provide quality healthcare services on the same site that was dedicated to the purpose in 1966. Today, Abbeville General is a 60-bed acute care hospital committed to providing quality healthcare to the community and surrounding areas. The facility is modern, completely equipped and staffed to provide their patients with a full spectrum of modern technology, procedures and treatments, as well as comprehensive specialized care. Abbeville General is fully licensed and accredited and meets all requirements of the State of Louisiana and the Joint Commission. The mission of Abbeville General is to provide Access to Quality Care Close to Home!