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The Abbeville Police Department is increasing its crime-fighting arsenal with a new app to help residents connect with the department to find information, view alerts, and submit anonymous tips from their smartphone.
Developed by tip411, the Abbeville PD app puts a powerful new crime-fighting tool into the hands of community members of all ages. The Abbeville PD app is available for download for free via the Google Play Store, iTunes App Store, by visiting the Abbeville Police Department website at www.abbevillepd.com, or the official Abbeville PD Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/AbbevillePoliceDepartment/.
“Only together, can we keep Abbeville safe,” said Chief of Police William Spearman of the Abbeville Police Department. “Working together, we are more likely to make lasting improvements in the safety of our community, I believe the new Abbeville PD app from tip411 will help better connect our department to our residents.”
The new Abbeville PD app enables the public to share an anonymous tip with police and lets officers respond back to create an anonymous two-way conversation.
“We’ve listened to feedback from partners like Abbeville Police and have built a more advanced and innovative product to help departments better engage their communities,” said tip411 President Terry Halsch. “The Abbeville PD app powered by tip411 will greatly improve the public’s access to agency alerts, social media channels, important information, and more to help fight crime.”
The Abbeville PD app and tip411 anonymous text a tip system are 100% anonymous, as the technology removes all identifying information before police see the tips and there is no way to identify the sender.
Residents in Abbeville without a smartphone can share information with police by sending an anonymous text tip via their cell phone to police by texting keyword APDTIPS and their message/tip to 847411 (tip411). Anonymous web tips can also be submitted through the department’s website at www.abbevillepd.com or the official Abbeville PD Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/AbbevillePoliceDepartment/.
In order to help the public, Lt. Jonathan Touchet will also be holding two community meetings, which will review the new tip system as well as covering Neighborhood Watch programs and some basic safety neighborhood tips. These meetings are scheduled for the following times and places:
• Tuesday, September 24, 2019 at 6:00 P.M. at the meeting room next to the Vermilion Parish Chamber of Commerce (1907 Veterans Memorial Drive)
• Thursday, September 26, 2019 at 6:00 P.M. at the Vermilion Parish Library in Abbeville (405 E. St. Victor Street)

“Un, deux, trois! C’est bon pour moi,” says Madame Forêt as each student gets a drink of water.
The French Immersion class at LeBlanc Elementary in Vermilion Parish is starting its fifth week.
Most of these kindergarten students have gotten over the hump. They don’t cry for mom anymore and they know the routine. At nap time, every student opens a mat and gets under a blanket. The difference here is that their teacher gives instructions only in French.
Just minutes before, students were sitting in front of the Smartboard, fully engaged with a lesson about the family. The next minute, the teacher had them on their feet swaying and dancing, repeating the vocabulary. All attention was on the flash cards. The lesson continued with desk work. Madame Forêt went to each table to help her 24 students stay on task.
Magali Forêt is from a village near Liège, Belgium, where she is a teacher of immersion in English.
“I’m so happy to teach immersion in French,” says Madame Forêt. “The French here is amazing. Some of the words are just like in our Belgian countryside. It’s a wonderful experience for me and my husband.”
Principal Rachelle Brown echoes that sentiment. “We are so happy to have Madame Forêt. French immersion at LeBlanc Elementary is a wonderful experience for all of our students. Our entire school community is excited about it. We have an awesome team of educators making it happen.”
The librarian, Kim Langlinais, is creating a special place for the donation of French books by the Rotary Club of Abbeville and the French Acadian Music Festival, Inc. Lauren Schexnayder, the music teacher, is working to incorporate folksongs in French. Last May, she taught the third graders how to waltz and two-step. The English teacher in Immersion, Kelly Such Stewart, is all in.
“We call ourselves the most Cajun place on earth, so we need to live up to our name,” says Stewart. “I have been volunteering for Festivals Acadiens et Créoles for years and have witnessed the positive effects of French immersion.”
“I provide 90 minutes of Language Arts and enrichment in English every day,” adds Stewart.
The principal is also excited about the newest group at LeBlanc Elementary, the LeBlanc Roaring Fiddlers. Roaring because their mascot is the lion.
“Our fourth grade participants will receive the use of a fiddle and instruction two days a week starting in October,” says Rachelle Brown. “French Supervisor, Madeline DeHart, has helped us to obtain this grant from the Acadiana Center for the Arts with additional support from the Vermilion Arts Council and the Al Berard Foundation. Our students will get to meet Cajun fiddler, Michael Doucet. That’s awesome!”
“We have also been approached by the sports club, Pétanque Lafayette. They would like to introduce our whole school to this French pastime. They have visited our playground to scout out the best place to play,” adds Brown.
“Plus, our immersion students have been invited to participate in the Omelette Festival.”
“These are all wonderful opportunities for our students. We are so proud that it’s all happening here at LeBlanc Elementary,” Brown says with a big smile.

Erath High is proud to announce that Martial Broussard has been named the 2019 Erath High Homecoming Grand Marshal. Martial Broussard without a doubt, is one of the most dedicated supporters of the Erath community and has been the past 50+ years. He was born as the second child to David and Tessie Broussard, on January 18, 1947, He was welcomed by his older sister Gayle Broussard (Duck). Later, another sister Katherine came along on July 22, 1952.
In 1964, at just 17 years old and beginning his second month as a senior at Erath High, he was involved in a life-altering accident that not only affected the course of his life but the town’s, as well. On October 3, 1964, Hurricane Hilda hit the gulf coast and spawned a tornado that collapsed the water tower, crushing the Erath City Hall just below it.
At that time, Funeral Home and Ambulance Service owner Dave Broussard was on hand with the Civil Defense team for Hurricane Hilda. His son Martial often assisted his dad with both the CB radio and the ambulance service. On the afternoon of October 3, 1964, the young 17 year old Martial, headed to the City Hall to assist with the CB radio at the (old) City Hall. Martial had just arrived to help, when the water tower suddenly collapsed killing eight Erath men in the City Hall the afternoon of October 3, 1964. Broussard was the only survivor in the city hall on the town’s darkest day in history.
Broussard shared during the 50th Anniversary of the water tower fall in 2014, “that he entered the building, talked to Scotty Bernard, (who he was replacing as the CB operator), then walked back to the front, hung up his raincoat and that is when it happened.” Thinking it was a tidal wave hitting, he was pinned with thousands of gallons of water gushing over him from the town’s fallen water tower. He shared in the interview, hearing “a roar” and said, “the last thing I remember is just water and drowning.”
Miraculously, he was saved from the ordeal and since then has made a commitment to serve the Erath community. He has been involved in countless projects and events involving the schools, church, town events, and more, the past five and a half decades.
During the 2014 “In the Wake of Tragedy” documentary, he questions his survival. With his voice cracking, taking a deep breath, and with tears in his eyes, he pushes out a whisper saying, “why me?” Meaning why was did he survive, and the others didn’t. Obviously, no one can answer that question here on earth, however, one thing is certain, he took the time he was graced with by offering and serving his family and his community through the years.
After this tragic event, the 1965 senior graduated from Erath High in May 1965. Not surprisingly as a leader, he served as class president in his years at EHS.
In the fall of 1965, he moved to Natchitoches to attend Northwestern State University (NSU). While at college, on January 6, 1966, another tragedy hit the family, when his thirteen-year-old baby sister, Katherine died suddenly of an aneurysm. Despite surviving two tragic events in 14 months, Marital went on to graduate from NSU in 1969 and returned home to Erath to raise a family.
He married the former Jeneal Waggoner and together they had three children, Katherine, David, and Teilla. He is the grandfather of Scott Backstrom, Braxton, McKaylen, and Chloe Rose Broussard. All three of his children, as well as his four grandchildren attended, or are currently attending Erath schools, just as he did a few decades ago.
In his 72 years, Martial has always been known as a hard worker and strong leader. He was a teacher in Vermilion Parish, has owned two businesses, and in his retirement years, is now driving a school bus. In his spare time, he is still assisting with EHS sporting events, works as the Chairman of the Hall of Fame committee and is a staunch advocate for his community.
All of his adult years after returning from NSU in 1969, he has been involved in our school system and is a die-hard Erath Bobcat. His mantra is “A Bobcat now, a Bobcat then, a Bobcat FOREVER!” He says it often and proudly, but more importantly, fortunately for the town, he lives it! He lives it every single day! Erath High is proud to have Martial Broussard represent the schools and Erath Community as their 2019 Erath High Homecoming Grand Marshal.