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Leah Katherine LeBouef, of Abbeville, Louisiana and Ryan David Servat, of Rayne, Louisiana were united in a nuptial mass on Friday, July 31, 2020, at Saint Mary Magdalen Catholic Church in Abbeville, Louisiana with Father Louis J. Richard officiating the 6:30 p.m. ceremony.
The bride is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Corbett J. “Cobb” LeBouef III of Abbeville, Louisiana, and the maternal granddaughter of Dr. and Mrs. Fred W. Thomas of Abbeville, Louisiana and the late James W. Herpin of Kaplan, Louisiana and the paternal granddaughter of Mrs. Kathleen B. LeBouef and the late Dr. Corbett J. LeBouef and the late Nancy L. LeBouef, all of Abbeville.
She is a 2014 graduate of Vermilion Catholic High School in Abbeville and a 2017 graduate of Aveda Institute. She is currently employed at Downtown Salon in Abbeville.
The groom is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Sidney G. Servat, Jr. and the maternal grandson of the late Mr. and Mrs. L.C. David of Kaplan, Louisiana and the paternal grandson of the late Mr. and Mrs. Sidney G. Servat of Rayne, Louisiana.
He is a 2008 graduate of Notre Dame High School in Crowley. He is currently employed by Island Operators and has a ULL degree in Industrial Technology.
Escorted by her father, the bride wore a custom wedding gown designed by Amsale. The strapless bodice with a curved neckline gave the gown a modern touch while still remaining classic. Leah paired her bodice with a fuller skirt and elegant cathedral length train fully adorned with covered buttons. A beautiful couture bow positioned on the back of the gown finished the brides ensemble with dramatic flair. As a final touch, Leah wore a clean and classic cathedral length veil that framed her dress and train.
The bride carried a clutch of white O’Hara, white playa roses and white hydrangea, with a touch of seeded eucalyptus and white ranunculus. The bouquet was hand wrapped in antique white satin ribbon and included a special locket containing a picture of her late grandfather and the Rosary of her late great grandmother.
Serving as Maid of Honor was AnaLeah Tribaldos and Matron of Honor was Jena L. Menard. Bridesmaids included Elizabeth M. LeBouef, Kate H. Trahan, Nicole Romero, Katie Frith, Caroline Landry, Caroline D. Broussard and Camille Claire LaPorte who served as junior bridesmaid.
The bridesmaids dresses, also by Amsale, were made of faille in a beautiful shade of blush called “ballet”. The gowns were designed with a wide scoop neckline and finished with a formal length fit-to-flare trailing skirt. They carried a clutch similar to the bride’s bouquet containing white O’Hara, pink ranunculus, light peach versillia, white hydrangea, playa roses and seeded eucalyptus, with wax flowers and green hypericum tucked in. Each bouquet was finished off with a hand-wrapped pale blush ribbon.
Kaylee Abigail McLain, daughter of Erin and Allen McLain, Jr. and Emerson Drue Baker, daughter of Mallory E. Castro and Jalen J. Baker attended as flower girls. They wore white custom made heirloom dresses with antique ecru lace and wore wreaths of fresh flowers in their hair carrying a pomander ball made of white hydrangea, soft pink roses and a touch of greenery.
Corbett J. “Chip” LeBouef IV, attended as Best Man. Groomsmen included Ross Servat, Ross Herpin, Alex Lalande, Brandon Stutes, Alex Meaux and Bronson Yeager.
Corbett Joseph LeBouef V, son of Chip and Elizabeth LeBouef and godchild of the bride, served as ring bearer. He wore a custom made heirloom set in white with antique ecru lace and baby blue button on shorts.
Attending as ushers were Trae Trahan and Wes Meaux.
Music for the ceremony was provided by Tommy Guidry, organist, Will Green and Brett Babineaux on the trumpet, Ray Theaux on timpani, and Emil Ivanov on the violin. Musical selections included Fanfare and Rigaudon by Purcell and Campra, Processional, La Rejoissance by Handel, Recessional, Laura C. Humble as Vocalist who performed Gift of Love, Panis Angelicus, How Beautiful, Where there is love, and Ave Maria.
The church was decorated with pew markers made of roses, hydrangea, white wax flowers and a variety of greenery lined the center aisle of the church while large coordinating swags hung on the front doors.
Prior to the ceremony, a rehearsal dinner, hosted by the groom’s parents, took place on Thursday, July 30, 2020 at Black’s Seafood and Oyster Bar.
After the ceremony, a formal sit-down dinner was held with the couples families and the wedding party in attendance at Magdalen Place in Abbeville. Decorations included beautiful floral centerpieces that sat upon the candlelit tables, each draped in floor length, off-white linens and surrounded by gold Chiavari chairs throughout the room. Elegant gold-rimmed china, with complimenting chargers and flatware beautifully configured each place setting. Hanging at the center of the room, above where the couple shared a first dance, was a very large custom designed wreath adorned with various flowers, branches and greenery. Clusters of illuminated pillar candles were also placed around the suspended wreath, providing a beautiful, romantic ambiance.
The brides’s cake was a three-tier, traditional almond flavor wedding cake with butter cream icing. Fresh flowers and greenery were added to each tier and a classic porcelain bride and groom on top was the finishing touch. The groom’s cake was a clever, reinvented design of a classic chocolate cookie cake, consisting of three five-cookie tiers, with chocolate filling between each, and topped off with chocolate covered strawberries.
The couple plan to take a week-long beach getaway until their original honeymoon plans can be rescheduled. They will reside in Abbeville, Louisiana.

July 30, 2020

To the Congressmen and Senators of Louisiana,

I write to you today to bring awareness to an issue that I feel has been largely overlooked. While the COVID-19 pandemic has brought many different challenges to our health and economy, it has been devastating to the crawfish industry here in Louisiana. I have watched as the federal government has provided various types of assistance and stimulus money, but the traditional crawfish farmer has been largely left out.
The total value of the crawfish industry to the state of Louisiana is estimated to be more than $423 million in 2019. The industry also affects many areas of our economy outside of traditional farming such as wholesale, restaurants, and tourism. Crawfish farming is not only a significant economic driver for Southwest Louisiana, but it is also unique to Louisiana’s cultural identity. The response to limit the spread of COVID-19, both in Louisiana and throughout the United States, has caused significant disruptions to the normal operations of farmed crawfish through the various marketing channels. These events occurred at a time when production and supplies of crawfish traditionally reached its peak and when demand for crawfish was at its highest. Another impact of the COVID-19 pandemic is related to the H2A labor. H2A labor is typically contracted to work throughout the production season for a set time period. Due to the restrictions, crawfish producers were forced to pay labor hours without having the ability to generate revenue to cover the costs. Additionally these laborers were not allowed to be factored into the calculation for the Payroll Protection Program.
Simply put, the pandemic has been devastating to farmers in Louisiana. According to a study and survey conducted between the LSU AgCenter and the Louisiana Farm Bureau Federation, it is estimated that the COVID pandemic has resulted in a total economic impact to the farmed crawfish market of more than $146 million. That represents a 58 percent reduction in value for the 2019/20 production season.
It is my understanding that there could potentially be money made available to compensate the farmers for the losses they have sustained from the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP). I appreciate any work that has already been done and ask that you do everything in your power to secure these funds for our Louisiana small business owners. I also ask that you look for any other available resources to help these crawfish farmers as they struggle to stay afloat.
Farming is the lifeblood of the United States and I can think of no better cause to champion when you advocate for Louisiana. I grew up in Crowley, Louisiana, a place that has always been synonymous with rice farming and has earned the title as the Rice Capital of America. Times like this have pushed all of our farmers to the brink. Our farmers rely on the crawfish industry to survive, and now they are relying on you.
Thank you for your time and service to our country and our state. I am happy to assist in any way possible, so please do not hesitate to contact me.

Sincerely.
John M. Stefanski
State Representative
District 42

There is one school in Vermilion Parish that still has plans to open on Aug. 10.
Harvest Time Christian Academy in Abbeville will be starting school earlier than any other school in the parish.
According to Michelle Rupert, the Harvest Time principal, the first date of school is Monday, Aug. 10.
Public schools in Vermilion Parish have a start-date of Aug. 27.
Harvest Time is a private school located on 103 Robert Wells Drive near Abbeville High School. It has been in existence for more than 30 years.
It has an enrollment of 120 students, which is K to 12th grade. Because of the student numbers, social distancing will not be a problem.
“Our small school setting, along with small class sizes will allow us to safely distance students and take the necessary precautions to keep students in a close to a normal school environment,” said Rupert. “The safety of our students and staff is a top priority. We are looking forward to having our students back on campus.”
The state education department released guidelines that schools must follow.
The education department guidelines recommend limiting group sizes to 10 if it has pulled back to phase one, 25 if in phase two and 50 in phase three. Younger students should be kept in static groups, the guidelines suggest, while the makeup of groups of older students who can maintain physical distance can change.
Students’ temperatures should be checked when they arrive on campus, and an area to isolate sick students until they can return home should be established, officials say. That room should be thoroughly cleaned and disinfected after the student leaves, and any “high-touch” service should be cleaned multiple times throughout the day.
School bus capacity under the guidelines would range from 25 to 75 percent, depending on the phase. Contact sports would not be permitted in the first two phases but would be in phase three within defined groups.
Face coverings are recommended for adults and students third grade and up, especially during arrival, dismissal, and class transitions. People with breathing problems should not wear masks, officials said.
Aug 4th there will be a meeting for parents only, starting at 6 p.m.
The first quarter will be from Aug. 10 to Oct. 1.

The Abbeville Rotary Club is making Vermilion Parish public schools safer.
In 2019, Rotary Club raised funds to be able to provide public schools with a security system.
Funds raised totaled $27,000, and in collaboration with the Vermilion Parish School Board, the project began.
A year later, mission accomplished.
This week marked the completion of the Rotary’s School Security Project, which included putting security cameras in high schools of Abbeville, Gueydan, North Vermilion and Erath. Kaplan school led by example and was the first to pilot this process.
“Our Vermilion schools are now equipped with cameras, all exit door alarms, key card access, and capability of lockdown with the touch of a button,” said Rotary President Chris Duhon. “We are proud that our schools, students, and faculty will now be safer upon returning to school this year.”