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BATON ROUGE – Nancee Sorenson has been selected as the next chancellor of LSU Eunice, LSU President F. King Alexander announced. Sorenson is currently the president at Hillsborough Community College, Brandon Campus.
“We are pleased to welcome Dr. Nancee Sorenson to LSU Eunice and the LSU leadership team,” Alexander said. “There are a lot of great things happening at LSUE, and we are excited to have Dr. Sorenson build on that momentum.”
LSUE is a comprehensive, open admissions institution of higher education offering associate degrees, certificates and continuing education programs as well as transfer curricula. LSUE has a population of approximately 3,200 students and 230 faculty and staff.
“It’s a true honor to be selected as the new leader of LSU Eunice and work under the direction of such a tremendous president as Dr. King Alexander,” Sorenson said. “I am filled with excitement to be a part of the beautiful Eunice campus, community and the internationally renowned Louisiana State University. I look forward to enhancing the work of former Chancellor Kimberly Russell and Interim Chancellor Bill Crow to move the needle upward in student success, campus growth and public and private partnerships.”
LSU conducted a national search for the new LSUE chancellor, led by a committee composed of LSUE faculty, staff and leaders from the community. The committee was chaired by Bill Richardson, LSU vice president of agriculture and dean of the LSU College of Agriculture.
The chancellor is the chief executive officer of the university and exercises complete executive authority therein, subject to the direction of the Board of Supervisors through Alexander. As the administrative head of LSUE, the chancellor implements educational and administrative policies for the campus.
Sorenson earned a doctorate in educational administration from the University of Texas at Austin, and a master’s degree in agency counseling and a bachelor’s degree in psychology, both from Indiana State University.
During her career, Sorenson has worked in a variety of roles in higher education, including as an adjunct faculty member; career counselor; consultant for gender and equity; manager of special projects; enrollment manager; director of admissions; and director, enrollment services and registrar and acting vice chancellor for enrollment services and external relations.
From 2002-2008, she served as the dean of student development at Pima Community College, West Campus. From 2008-2009, she was vice president for student development at Pima Community College, West Campus. She moved to Pima College, East Campus, in 2009 to serve as vice president for student development there, and following a brief stint as acting president at Pima College, she served as president of Hillsborough Community College, Brandon Campus, from January 2015 to the present.
Sorenson has received multiple honors during her career, including the League of United Latin American Citizens’ Community Service Award in 2012 and 2014; the Phi Theta Kappa Distinguished Administrator Hallmark Award in 2009; and Pima County Community College District Board of Governors’ Community Excellence Award in both 2009 and 2015.
The appointment is contingent upon the approval of the Board of Supervisors in accordance with their Bylaws and internal procedures.

November 25, 1928 ~ May 14, 2019

ABBEVILLE — Funeral services will be held at 10:00 AM on Friday, May 17, 2019 at Vincent Funeral Home - Abbeville honoring the life of John Albie Peré, 90, who died Tuesday, May 14, 2019 at his residence. He will be laid to rest at St. Paul Cemetery. Pallbearers will be Brandon Père, Joey Russo, Butch Hebert, Brock Vigorie, Dale Bourque, and Doug Peré.
He was a self-taught musician with his instrument of choice being the steel guitar. He has played the steel guitar most of his life and is recognized for his unique style of playing the instrument. His music career began in December 1948. In 1949, he started is own band “The Louisiana Frifters”. He played music with many bands in southwest Louisiana and Texas. He continued to play music into his 80’s. He played steel guitar with many other bands for over 60 years. He was especially dedicated and donated his time to play for benefits and local nursing homes. In 2003, he was honored by Governor Mike Foster for his contribution to the Louisiana music business. On August 2009 he was inducted into the Order of Living Legends with The Acadian Museum.
John is survived by his son, Douglas Peré and his wife Lynn; three daughters, Sarah Yant and her husband David, Debbie Noble, and Sonya Delvecchio and her husband Joe; step daughters, Claire Vigurie, and Valerie Luney and her husband Ricky; seventeen grandchildren; eighteen great grandchildren; two great-great grandchildren; and one brother, J.B. Peré.
He was preceded in death by his parents, Marion Peré and the former Noemie Guidry; two brothers; two sisters; and wife, Marie Gros Peré.
The family requests that visiting hours be observed at Vincent Funeral Home - Abbeville, 209 S. St. Charles St., on Friday, May 17, 2019 from 9:00 AM until time of services.
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.

Almost to the date that 16-year-old Chazton Guidry of Abbeville was killed, an arrest has been made for his murder.
Guidry was murdered on May 11, 2018, in Abbeville. Someone was arrested and charged on May 13, 2019.
After a lengthy investigation, detectives with the Abbeville Police Department were able to obtain a warrant charging Aaron Carter with Second Degree Murder. The warrant was entered into the National Crime Information Center (N.C.I.C.).
In the past Carter was arrested for being a Gremlin gang member and also has a history of arrests.
Officers received information that Carter was in the Lafayette area. On Monday, Lafayette Police Department officers were able to locate and arrest Carter on the warrant obtained by Abbeville Police Department detectives. Carter was transported to the Lafayette Parish Correctional Center, where he was also booked on several bench warrants out of Lafayette.
Carter is currently being held at the Lafayette Parish Correctional Center on the Bench Warrants. A hold has also been placed on Carter by the Abbeville Police Department.
Carter is being charged with Second Degree Murder for a homicide which took place on May 11, 2018, within the city limits of Abbeville. Carter’s bond has been set at $750,000.
Abbeville Police Chief Bill Spearman would like to commend his officers for a job well done. Chief Spearman would also like to thank the Lafayette Police Department for their assistance and the citizens of Abbeville for their support and help they provide to the Abbeville Police Department.
Anyone with any information regarding any crime is encouraged to contact the Abbeville Police Department. You may also contact our “Tips” line at 892-6777. All callers may remain anonymous.

1936-2019

Thomas Lee Vidallier, a resident of Abbeville (Perry) was born in Kaplan on May 15, 1936. He passed away just shy of his 83rd birthday on the early evening of May 10, 2019 at Maison du Monde in Abbeville with his family by his side.
He is survived by his beloved wife of 64 years, Gloria Davidson Vidallier; one child, Susan Marie Vidallier-Istre (husband, W. Brent Istre); brother, Gerald Vidallier (wife, Judy); and three grandchildren: Jaron John Vidallier (fiancé,’ Liz), Jenna Marie Vidallier Istre (fiancé’, Peyton) and Jaida Laurin Vidallier Istre.
He was preceded in death by his Father, Avnaire Vidallier (Vidialhet); mother, Nora Meaux Sonnier (Harry Sonnier); brothers, John Mahlan, Ray Allen, Larry James and one sister, Brenda Eve Vidallier.
Thomas was an AHS graduate of the class of 1954 and a veteran of the ARMY National Guard of Louisiana with the HHC 2d Bn 156th Infantry out of Abbeville (1958-1964).
Shortly after, Tom went to work with United Gas/ENTEX (now CenterPoint Energy) and retired after 42 years of service. He was not a man of many words, but loved his family, friends, pets and enjoyed mowing his yard and daily drives around the countryside.
In accordance with Thomas’ wishes, he is being cremated and a memorial will be scheduled at a later date.
The family would like to extend their deepest gratitude to AGH, OLOL, Maison du Monde and Hospice of Acadiana for their care and compassion while Thomas and his family were faced with the sudden knowledge of his late stage of cancer.