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MAURICE – On Tuesday, June 24, 2025, shortly after 3:00 p.m., Troopers with Louisiana State Police
Troop I began investigating a two-vehicle fatality crash on Louisiana Highway 92 at its intersection with Louisiana Highway 343. The crash claimed the life of 19-year-old Noah Ducote of Port Barre.
The preliminary investigation revealed that a 2003 Suzuki Motorcycle, driven by Ducote, was traveling east on LA Hwy 92 approaching its intersection with LA Hwy 343. At the same time, a 2021 Dodge Ram pulling a utility trailer was traveling west on LA Hwy 92. For reasons still under investigation, as the Ram attempted to turn left onto LA Hwy 343, the Suziki failed to stop at a stop sign, entered the intersection, and struck the pickup.
Ducote, who was wearing a DOT-approved helmet, sustained fatal injuries and was pronounced deceased at the scene. At the time of the crash, the driver of the Ram was properly restrained and uninjured.
Impairment is not suspected to be a factor in the crash; however, a voluntary breath sample by the driver of the Ram, showed no alcohol detected. Routine toxicology samples were collected from Ducote and will be submitted for analysis. This crash remains under investigation.
Troopers wish to remind motorists to always make good decisions while traveling. Never drive impaired, fatigued, or distracted, follow all traffic laws, and always ensure every occupant is properly restrained. With the warmer weather, more motorcyclists are on Louisiana roads. Drivers are highly encouraged to take an extra second to look for motorcycles before turning, changing lanes, or pulling out. This is crucial as motorcycles are smaller and can be harder to see. While not all crashes are survivable, taking simple precautions such as these can often mean the difference between life and death.

Miss Jada Lynn Poché of Erath, Louisiana and Mr. Hunter Michael Bertrand of Broussard, Louisiana were united in the sacrament of Holy Matrimony at St. Mary Magdalen Catholic Church on Saturday, June 7th. Father Clinton Sensat, pastor of Our Lady of Lourdes in Erath, officiated the Nuptial Mass.
Jada is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Paul Poché of Erath. Grandparents of the bride are Mrs. Lucille Doré and the late Mr. M.C. Doré and the late Mr. & Mrs. James Lynn Poché. Hunter is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Shannon Bertrand of Abbeville. Grandparents of the groom and Mr. and Mrs. Christopher Dupuy and Ms. Delores Begley.
Escorted by her father, the bride wore an ivory mikado Justin Alexander fit and flare bridal gown with a scoop neckline and thin straps. The gown was adorned with lightly sequined lace appliqué that cascaded down the bodice and skirt completed with mikado buttons down the back bodice. She wore a cathedral length overskirt also adorned with matching lightly sequined lace appliqué down the sides and around the hemline. The bride wore an ivory fingertip length veil with a lightly sequined edge.
She carried a bouquet of ivory playa blanca roses. Accenting her bouquet was a crystal rosary and white handkerchief both gifted to her from her late paternal grandmother. She also wore an oval shaped Sapphire birthstone ring on her right hand as her something blue.
Caroline Poché served as Maid of Honor and Kasey Landry Menard served as Matron of Honor, both cousins of the bride. Bridesmaids were Olivia Leblanc, Gabrielle Capdepon Lormand, and Brooklyn Mayon, all friends of the bride. The ladies wore a floral sage green fit and flare maxi dress which had a classic square neckline framed with wide straps. They carried a bouquet of ivory playa Blanca roses accented with a satin ribbon with each their name embroidered in sage green. Camille Duplantis, cousin of the bride, served as flower girl. She wore a handmade heirloom white smocked gown that was once worn by the bride.
Thomas Juneau, friend of the groom, served as the best man. Groomsmen were Peyton Lege, William Kreamer, Nicholas Padgett, and Jackson Russo, all friends of the groom. Ushers were André Bertrand, brother of the groom, and Brennan Poché, brother of the bride. Ring Bearers were Elliot Bertrand, godchild of the groom and Gunner Menard, godchild of the bride.
The mother of the bride, Wendy, was escorted by her son, Brennan, and her husband, Paul. She wore a lovely mint green sleeveless gown with a fluttery sheer shoulder cape overlay that both featured intricate all over beading mesh.
The mother of the groom was escorted by her two sons, Hunter and André. She wore a silver peony off the shoulder gown with a sculptural fold-over neckline that draped over the arms.
Scriptures were read by Tessie Gary, Godmother of the groom, and Coco Broussard, Godfather of the bride. Serving as gift bearers were Dana Duplantis, Godmother of the bride, and Alaina Andry, cousin of the bride.
Following the nuptial mass, guests walked over to Magdalen Place where an elegant reception was held with Jet Seven band providing entertainment. The bride’s cake was a 4 tier white-almond cake with detailed vintage piping buttercream frosting. The cake was topped with a porcelain bride and groom silhouette that was used on the bride’s parent’s cake 35 years ago. The groom’s cake was a red velvet golf themed green and white golf bag with Bertrand monogrammed down the side with golf ball cake balls surrounding the bag.
A rehearsal dinner, hosted by the groom’s parents took place at L’eglise to honor their son and the bride-to-be along with the wedding party on June 5th.
Upon returning from their honeymoon to Playa Mujeres, Mexico, the couple will reside in Broussard, Louisiana.

BOURSIN CHICKEN AND PASTA

Crock pot cooking.
No oven heat.
No stove top flames.

INGREDIENTS

-1 1/2 lb skinless, boneless chicken
-Seasoning to taste
-1 can Italian-style diced tomatoes
-2 cups chicken broth, water would suffice although not as rich as broth
-1 cup orzo pasta
-2 (5.2 oz) packages garlic and herb Boursin cheese, found in deli
-5 oz baby spinach
-1 tsp lemon juice, optional

INSTRUCTIONS

-Place chicken in slow cooker.
-Season with salt and pepper.
-Top with tomatoes.
-Pour in chicken broth or water.
-Cook on High for 2 hours or on low for 4 hours.
-Remove chicken from slow cooker.
-Cut it into 1-inch pieces.
-Return chicken to slow cooker.
-Stir in orzo and Boursin cheese.
-Cook on High until pasta is tender and liquid has been absorbed, about 35 to 40 minutes.
-Stir in spinach until wilted. I like mine well wilted.
-Check for seasoning.
-Stir in lemon juice if using.
-Serve immediately.

-Orzo’s rice-like shape makes it perfect ingredient in casseroles such as this.
-With only 15 carbs and 29 fat grams, this recipe provides 40 grams of protein per serving with 448 satisfying calories making it a winner.
Boursin cheese is a staple in our refrigerator with the garlic herb our favorite. It has a good shelf life and is delicious as a dip right out of the box. Put the unwrapped round on an attractive saucer or dip plate surrounded by Frito scoops or Lay’s Ruffles. Good to go!

For a similar recipe in less time, the following instructions will get you there.

MORE BOURSIN

Need a meal in a hurry? Try this. With the ingredients and cooked chicken on hand (which I always have), this meal can be ready in less than an hour.

INGREDIENTS

-1 (16 oz) package angel hair pasta
-1 (5.2 oz) package Boursin Garlic and Herb spread
-3/4 cup grape tomatoes, sliced (Optional)
-1/2 cup reserved pasta water, or as needed
-Cooked chicken (Optional)

INSTRUCTIONS

-Mise en place.
-Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil.
-Cook whole package pasta in the boiling water, stirring occasionally, until tender, firm to the bite, 5 or 6 minutes.
-Drain pasta reserving 3/4 cup of water. You may not need it all.
-Pour 1/2 cup reserved water into sauce pan.
-Add Boursin cheese whisking to combine until smooth.
-Add grape tomatoes
-Cook no longer than 2 minutes. Although optional, these tomatoes add a big punch to the finished meal.
-Add cooked chicken now to make this a perfect main dish. Leftovers of a rotisserie chicken would be perfect.
-Add pasta back into sauce.
-Check for seasoning.
-Add pasta stirring until all ingredients are completely coated.
-Pour in more of reserved water if pasta seems dry.
-Serve meatless pasta as a flavorful side dish or light lunch.
-With the chicken you have a tasty main meal. Add a salad, and you are ready for company.

ICE CREAM SANDWICH CAKE

Cold treat for hot weather.

INGREDIENTS

-24 vanilla ice cream sandwiches, unwrapped
-2 (8 oz) containers whipped topping, thawed
-1 (12 oz) jar hot fudge ice cream topping, warmed
-1 (12 ounce) jar caramel topping (Optional)
-1/4 cup chopped pecans, to taste (Optional)

INSTRUCTIONS

-Mise en place.
-Arrange a layer of ice cream sandwiches in the bottom of a 9x13” glass dish.
-Top with a layer of whipped topping.
-Cover with hot fudge topping.
-Now add caramel topping if using.
-Continue layers with remaining ice cream sandwiches, whipped topping, chocolate, caramel, ending with whipped topping last to be the top of cake.
-Sprinkle with pecans if using.
-Cover tightly with aluminum foil.
-Freeze until set. Allow several hours in the freezer. It’s a mess if not completely frozen.
I learned the hard way. The recipe I used then advised “about 30 minutes.” My cake was not frozen after an hour when I brought it to an afternoon get together. The recipe came out of the Sweet Potato Queens Big A Cookbook, and the full name of the cookbook, which can be funny, cannot be printed here. That bit of comedy helped lessen my embarrassment.
-Slice and serve with your favorite toppings.
I don’t use the caramel topping in the cake, because of my personal preference. I do make it available when serving.

A week in Pass Christian, mostly watching the rain from the glass porch, gave me time to make banana loaves. Tasters decided flour and sugar make a better banana loaf than cake mix.
Boo tested his new outdoor burner Saturday night, the first time we have fried food at home in 30 years, not even French fries. I don’t remember fried food while growing up - except French fries. Moma did fry chicken outdoors on Sundays and special occasions.
Our neighbors, especially Steve, gave Boo instructions for frying, and son Vance provided a recipe for the batter. Dip the seasoned shrimp in butter milk, then dredge in flour. Appetizing fried shrimp and frozen fries were the main course. Heavy appetizers of smoked tuna dip, mango salsa, and chicken wings were prepared in case the fried shrimp did not score well. No worries, Boo scored an A+. Lemon cobbler was the dessert. So simple: 2 cans lemon pie filling in 9x13” dish, a box of cake mix sprinkled across, and melted butter poured over, baked and
enjoyed by all.

NEW TOY FOR BOO

With the ham bone left from my trip to the beach with my friends, I made, well Boo made, white bean soup. After soaking the beans overnight, he added a ham steak, carrots, celery, onions, and a can of stewed tomatoes. Without Ro-Tel tomatoes in the pantry, stewed tomatoes turned the soup pink. Quite delicious, but PINK!

With Sunday being our 57th anniversary AND Fathers Day, I suggested one of Boo’s favorite things. We crossed St. Louis Bay in the boat, docked at Bay St. Louis, and enjoyed a delicious meal on the deck at The Thorny Oyster. Only glitch on the whole day was losing my prescription sun glasses when climbing out of the boat onto the dock. They are lost forever to the depths of Bay St. Louis. Two hours without glasses, which has not occurred since I was in third grade, was not the catastrophe I thought it would be. Everything, everybody looked heavenly hazy. The amazing breeze protected us from a hot sun, and the Bay was totally calm furnishing a pleasant ride home to and from The Pass. Homemade peach ice cream with friends topped off the day.

Jusqu’a la semaine prochaine!

billielandry@iosinces.com

North Vermilion High School Principal Denise Lotief has spent more than three decades working in education.
Lotief announced that time is now coming to an end.
“After 32 incredible years in education, I’m stepping into a new chapter of my life — retirement,” Loteif said in a post on social media. “This decision has not been easy, as this has truly been my second home for so long.”
Lotief became principal at North Vermilion in 2020, first on an interim basis and then permanently, following Tommy Byler being named the superintendent of the Vermilion Parish School System. Lotief served as an assistant principal at the school prior to being named to the top spot.
“I’m so proud of everything that we accomplished together,” Lotief said. “I can’t wait to watch the next generation of Patriots continue to shine.”
More than 120 from the NV community and beyond shared their appreciation on Lotief’s post. Representatives of the school shared their collective thanks for what Lotief has meant to the school.
“Join us in congratulating NVHS principal, Mrs. Denise Lotief, on her well-deserved retirement!” a post on the school’s page exclaimed. “We thank her for her unwavering commitment to our students, staff, and community. Help us celebrate her incredible career and wish her the very best in this exciting new chapter ahead.”
Assistant Superintendent Marc Turner said Monday morning the job had not been officially opened.
Lotief said she will be in the office and working right up until orientation to help prepare things for the upcoming school year. She shared a message for every student who will continue to move North Vermilion forward.
“While I won’t be here next year in an administrative role,” Lotief said, “you will still see me around in my new role as your number-one fan. I’ll be cheering you in all you do.