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There’s plenty to be learned through working in a garden.
Several local youth will have the opportunity to gain some of that knowledge this summer.
Keep Abbeville Beautiful is partnering with the Boys & Girls Club of Acadiana on a program that will allow members of the local club to help at Harmony Park, a community garden located at the corner of Lamar Street and Martin Luther King Drive in Abbeville.
Claire Broussard, a member of the KAB committee, spoke to the Kiwanis Club of Abbeville on Tuesday about some details of the program.
“We are going to do a six-to-eight-week program this summer,” Broussard said. “Once a week, we will bring students to Harmony Park. We can teach the kids how to work in the garden.”
Broussard said a bus will be rented from the Vermilion Parish School System to transport club members from the Boys & Girls Club’s Rodney Unit at A.A. Comeaux Park to Harmony Park. She said lunch will be provided, along with T-shirts for the kids to wear that day.
“Those things do come with a cost,” Broussard said. “We are reaching out to organizations.”
The Kiwanis Club made a $100 donation on Tuesday. Any organization or individual interested in helping can contact Broussard at the Vermilion Chamber of Commerce, 337-893-2491.
“Maybe we’ll get some future farmers out of this,” one Kiwanian said.
Whether a new career sprouts for any of the participants, experts say there are benefits to young people taking part in gardening. According to KidsGardening.org, gardening “offers youth significant physical, educational, and emotional benefits by encouraging healthy eating habits, providing moderate exercise, and reducing stress. It fosters responsibility, patience, and environmental awareness while enhancing academic skills in science and math through hands-on learning.”
As for the gardening, Broussard said she will be learning, too.
“I don’t know about gardening,” Broussard said. “We will have other people out there to help us with the teaching. I plan to know by the end of the summer how to grow tomatoes and other things. I will be out there learning with them.
“I’m excited about it, and I think it will be fun.”

The Vermilion Parish Sheriff’s Office will participate in a statewide seat belt enforcement campaign aimed at educating pickup truck drivers and their passengers about the importance of buckling up. The campaign will run from April 18 through April 25 and is being conducted in conjunction with a grant received from the Louisiana Highway Safety Commission (LHSC).
According to LHSC, pickup trucks are twice as likely to roll over in a crash, and drivers and passengers in pickups are less likely to wear their seat belts. A Louisiana Seat Belt Observation Survey has shown that pickup occupants wear their seat belts less frequently than occupants of other types of vehicles.
With the goal of reducing injuries and unrestrained fatalities on our roadways, Vermilion Parish Sheriff’s deputies will conduct high-visibility enforcement to raise awareness about the importance of seat belt usage and compliance with Louisiana law. Deputies will join law enforcement agencies across the state in focusing enforcement efforts on unrestrained drivers and passengers, particularly those traveling in pickup trucks.
“Wearing your seat belt is one of the simplest and most effective ways to protect yourself in a crash,” said Eddie Langlinais, Sheriff of Vermilion Parish. “We want to remind everyone in our parish that buckling up every trip, every time, can make the difference between life and death.”
Sheriff Eddie Langlinais and the Vermilion Parish Sheriff’s Office encourages all motorists and passengers to wear their seat belts at all times to help keep Vermilion Parish roadways safe for all who travel our roadways.
For any questions regarding this campaign or other Sheriff’s Office programs and services, citizens are encouraged to contact Public Information Officer Ashley Adams by email at ashleya@vermilionsheriff.gov.

As they reflect on the 2026 Vermilion Parish Track and Field meet, which has been held for over 60 years, one thing will certainly stand out: 2026 is the year when six parish track and field records were broken.
The records can only be broken at the Vermilion Parish Track and Field Meet held once a year.
Two 24-year-old parish records were broken this past Wednesday at Erath High School. Those records were broken by an Erath freshman long distance runner.
Erath’s Cheyenne Earnest broke the 1600-meter and 3200-meter records.
In 1600, Earnest ran a 5:32.02, breaking the parish record by six seconds. The record belonged to Megan Broussard of Pecan Island. Broussard ran a 5:38.65.
Maybe 45 minutes later, Earnest closed out the night by easily winning the 3200 race in a record time of 12:22.41. She broke Erath’s Lauren Lange’s record of 12:29.38, set in 2008.
Earnest was aware of the parish record, and she came into the meet wanting to run her race.
“I was not coming into the meet with the idea of breaking the record,” said Earnest. “I came in with the idea of knowing I could run a good time, and if I broke it, then good.”
Something unique happened at the parish meet that never happens. A first and second-place finisher broke the parish meet record.
Heading into the parish meet, Kaplan’s Liberty Greene had a chance to break the record in the 800-meter race. Former VC distance runner Leah Legere held that record * for 24 years. She ran a 2:23.96 in 2002.
For Liberty to get close to breaking the record, she would have to run her best time in the 800, and she needed help to accomplish that goal. She turned to her teammate and friend Isabella Hargrave, who also runs the 800. The two trained all year together, and for Liberty to run her best time, she needed to be pushed by Hargrave.
Well, Hargrave kept pushing her right up to the finish. When the 800-meter race concluded, Liberty set a new parish record in the 800, but Hargrave did as well.
Liberty crossed the finish line with a personal best of 2:23.15, surpassing the record by .80 of a second. Additionally, Hargrave’s personal best time of 2:23.56 also exceeded the parish record by .40 of a second.
“She (Hargrave) helped me break the parish record,” said Liberty. “At practice, she pushes me every day. We run all of our workouts together. So, having her push me to break the parish record means a lot to me.”
“My goal was to stick with Liberty and then kick,” said Hargrave. “I know that if she was going to push me, I had to push her.”
Liberty and Hargrave were also a part of another parish that was set. The two are members of the 4x400 relay team that broke the old record by two seconds. Kaplan’s relay team of Hargrave, Liberty, Lexi Greene, and Isabel Mendez ran a time of 4:09.73.
The old record was 4:11.88, set by Abbeville High in 2012.
Early in the track meet, all eyes were on the high jump pit. Delcambre’s Emma Smith is the second-best female high school high jumper in the nation.
The parish record in the high jump was 5-4, and it stood for 14 years. Smith cleared an amazing 6 feet to win easily. When she cleared 6-0, most of the fans in the stadium and competitors stopped to watch. She attempted 6-1 but could not clear the bar.
With all eyes on Smith, things got quiet in the stadium.
“The quieter it gets, the more I think,” said Smith. “I find I jump better whenever I do not think . I just go jump and not think about everything I have to do.”
Her goal is clear: 6-1 or higher, if not this track season, then next year. “I always put the mark an inch higher, and just see how high I can push myself,” she said.
The only parish meet to fall on the boys’ side was in the 300-meter hurdles.
Sean Herrrington of Erath broke the 300-meter hurdles record that had stood for 15 years. Christian Humphries of Delcambre ran a 40.47 in the 300-meter hurdles in 2011. A couple of years ago, Umpheries was a track coach at Erath when Herrington was a freshman and a sophomore. Back then, they talked about Herrington breaking the parish record one day.
In his final year at Erath, Herrington ran a 39.44, beating Umphries’ record by a full second. It was also Herrington’s career best time.
Not long after the race, Herrington sent Umphries a video letting him know he broke his record.
“Coach Umphries always told me it would mean a lot to him if I were the one who broke his record,” said Herrington. “He coached me half of my track career, so it also meant a lot to me.”
While six parish records were broken, Kaplan sprinter Kodi Clement just missed breaking his brother, Gabe Clement II’s, record in the 400-meter dash. Kodi ran a 48.52 to win the race, and the parish record is 48.45, set by Gabe in 2023.

Parish Records

Girls

Field Events

Javelin

Rene Trahan, Abbeville (1996) 139-09;

Discus
Rechelle Bessard, Abbeville (2011), 136-06

Shot Put
Rechell Bessard, Abbeville (2010) 40-02.50

Long Jump
Jamila Rhodes, Abbeville (2010), 18-06

Triple Jump
Starya Levy, Abbeville (2009), 37-07

High Jump

Emma Smith, Delcambre, 6-0, 2026

Pole Vault
Bailey Broussard, VC, 12-0, 2016

Relays

4x100 Meter Relay
Abbeville (2010) 48.18; (Jamila Rhodes, Ashantae Thibodeaux, Jemsia Walker, Vonchelle Perry)

4x200 Meter Relay

Abbeville (2008), 1:44.05 (Jemsia Walker, Starya Levy, Ashantae Thibodeaux, Jamila Rhodes)

4x400 Meter Relay
Kaplan (Isabella Hargrave, Isabell Mendez, Liberty Greene, Lexi Greene) 4:09.73 (2026)

4x800 Meter Relay
Kaplan (Liberty Greene, Riley Hebert, Camille Marceaux and Isabella Hargrave) 10:27.31, (2025)

Running Events

100 Meter Dash
Dawn Broussard, (Tied) Kaplan (1984) , Tawana Simmons North Vermilion (1992), 11.50

200 Meter Dash
Caitlin Domingues, Erath, (2012) 24.82

400 Meter Run
Deannie Broussard, Kaplan, (1996) 56.47

800 Meter Run
Liberty Greene, Kaplan, 2:23.15 (2026)

1600 Meter Run
Cheyene Earnest, Erath, 5:32.02 (2026)

3200 Meter Run
Cheyenne Earnest, Erath, 12:22.41

100 Meter Hurdles
Troynae Walker, Erath, (2018), 14.90

300 Meter Hurdles
Katina Perry, Abbeville (2013) 47.56

Parish Records

Boys

Field Events

Javelin
Glen Pere, Vermilion Catholic (1970, 207-04)

Discus
Michael Baudoin, Abbeville (1975), 172-10

Shot Put
Brandon Mitchell Abbeville (1992), 58-06

Long Jump
Daniel Allen, Kaplan (2002) Tied
Marlon Brown, Abbeville (1990) 22-9

Triple Jump
O’Daylon Thibeaux Kaplan (2009), 47-08

High Jump
Neal Guidry, Kaplan (1985), 6-11;

Pole Vault
Matt Wilson, VC, (2013), 15-03

Relays

4x100 Meter Relay
Abbeville (2007), 42.73.9 (Mitchel Suire, Jhordi Henderson, Denarius Darby, Brent Landry)

4x200 Meter Relay
Kaplan (1995) 1:30.25

4 x400 Meter Relay
Kaplan (1992) 3:26.1
(Donald Richard, Brady Landry, Gabe Clement, David Rudd

4x800 Meter Relay

Erath, (2025) Mason Soirez, Cameron Soirez, Braxton Bright and Cadn Lange 8:49.87

Running Events

100 Meter Dash
Barrett Nugent North Vermilion (2007), 10.46

200 Meter Dash
Barrett Nugent, North Vermilion (2007), 21.67

400 Meter Run
Gabe Clement II Kaplan, (2022), 48.45

800 Meter Run
John Silar, Abbeville (1967), 1:57.10

1600 Meter Run
Brad Clark, Kaplan (1990), 4:28.56

3200 Meter Run
Brad Clark, Kaplan, (1990), 9:42.78

110 Meter Hurdles
Barrett Nugent, North Vermilion (2007), 13.61

300 Meter Hurdles
Sean Herrington, Erath (2026), 39.44

The Richard Sale Barn has officially reopened.
Originally built in 1937 by J. Avery Richard as the Abbeville Commission Company, the barn once served as a cattle auction house, famously accessible by water along the Vermilion River. Much of that original structure still stands today, preserving the authenticity and history of this one-of-a-kind space.
After closing in the 1980s and being listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the barn was brought back to life in 2006 as Le Bayou Légendaire, a nonprofit venue offering a live-music experience unlike anywhere else in Louisiana.
Following renovations, on Friday, April 10, many from the community gathered to celebrate the Rope Cutting & Dedication of the June and Ernest Atchetee Theater, as public officials, community members, and supporters marked a new chapter for a space deeply rooted in Vermilion Parish history.