RSS Feed

Gulf Coast Bank served once again as the Title Sponsor for UL Signing Day.
The event was held Wednesday evening February 1 at UL’s indoor athletic facility.
In addition to being sponsor, GCB employees proudly volunteered at the event handing out event t-shirts, beverages, and jambalaya to attendees. The event t-shirts were sponsored by Gulf Coast Bank and Coca-Cola.
Gulf Coast Bank presented a check to the UL Lafayette Foundation to support their recruiting efforts during the 2017 Signing Day celebration.
Gulf Coast Bank Vice President Jason Patout presented the check to UL Lafayette’s head football coach Mark Hudspeth.
GCB is a proud sponsor of the University of Louisiana at Lafayette and wishes them a wonderful 2017-18 season. Geaux Cajuns!
Gulf Coast Bank is a locally-owned and operated full-service banking institution with fourteen locations throughout Acadiana, including branches inside four area Walmarts.

Earless Joseph Comeaux

DELCAMBRE – A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated for Earless Joseph Comeaux, age 83, at 11:00 Monday, February 13, 2017 at Our Lady of the Lake Catholic Church. Fr. Nathan Comeaux will be the celebrant. Readers for the Mass will be Drucie Boudreaux and Starr Price. Mr. Comeaux will be laid to rest at Our Lady of the Lake Cemetery with his beloved wife Elaine, who just recently passed away January 16, 2017.
A gathering of family and friends will be held at Evangeline Funeral Home of Delcambre on Sunday from 9:00 am until 10:00 pm, with the Rosary being prayed at 7:00 pm. Visiting hours will resume on Monday from 8:00 am until 10:30 am.
Earless was born March 23, 1933 in Iberia Parish to the late Aladin Comeaux and the late Winnie Legnon, and passed away peacefully Thursday, February 9, 2017 at Abbeville General Hospital, surrounded by his loving family.
Mr. Earless was a proud veteran of the United States Army and served during the Korean War.
He was a hardworking man from an early age, but most will remember him for his work with Odeco (now Diamond M), a career that would span over 3 decades.
Outside of his work, Mr. Comeaux enjoyed Hunting and fishing. Some of his favorite hunts were in Texas. Other pastimes included vegetable gardening, and raising many animals, quail especially. Earless would spend many hours harvesting the quail eggs and pickling them, sometimes selling them and also giving some to family and friends. He will also be remembered for his kind and generous ways. He would lend a hand to anyone in need no matter the circumstances.
He leaves behind many fond memories that will be cherished by all who knew and loved him.
Survivors include his children Todd Comeaux and wife Edi “Missy” of Carencro, Marty Comeaux and wife Haroldlyn of Abbeville, Darla LeBlanc and husband Kenneth of Maurice, Faron Comeaux and wife Tina of Erath, Wendy Comeaux of Delcambre, Owen Comeaux and wife Meera of Canton, GA and Blake Comeaux and wife Christy of Delcambre; 14 grandchildren, Eric, Cassie, Marta, Marcus, Jamie, Linzy, Trey, Kaylyn, Patience, Dharshan, Maya, Brock, Gage, and Alena; 2 great grandchildren, Aiden and Jace; and his sisters and brother, Emily Jean Renard and husband Raymond of Delcambre, Sally Broussard of Abbeville, and Glen Comeaux and wife Joyce of Delcambre.
Along with his parents, he was preceded in death by his wife of 63 years, Elaine Segura Comeaux; and his brother, Pearley Comeaux.
Serving as pallbearers are Jason Campbell, Freddie Aucoin, Jermaine Comeaux, Steven Duplantis, Nick Ryder, Eric LeBlanc, Brock Comeaux and Junius Renard.
To view the online obituary, video tribute and to share memories of Earless, please visit HYPERLINK "http://www.evangelinefuneralhome.com" www.evangelinefuneralhome.com

Evangeline Funeral Home of Delcambre is in charge of arrangements.

LAFAYETTE – Long before the days to the start of the 2017 season began to dwindle down, the No. 11-ranked Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns softball team was well-versed with the task laid before them.
A heralded group of sluggers – namely Sara Corbello, Lexie Elkins, Shellie Landry and Kelsey Vincent – was departing after the 2016 season’s final out was recorded. That group powered the nation’s leading home run club two years running.
“This team has worked hard and prepared thoroughly,” Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns Softball head coach Michael Lotief said. “But now the season will challenge us to establish our own identity and chart a brand new course.”
The Ragin’ Cajuns are figured to transition to a different style of producing results in 2017.
“We may be able to replace the home run production of two of them, but not all four,” Lotief mentioned. “Maybe have a speed kid and a few more slappers in the lineup this year.”
The mission gets underway this weekend as No. 11 Louisiana begins the season with the 31st Annual Louisiana Classics at Lamson Park. Opening Day is set for Friday, Feb. 10 with the Ragin’ Cajuns facing DePaul at 3 p.m. and Iowa State at 5:30 p.m.
On paper the transition may appear daunting. However, several pieces from the 2016 team, which advanced to the program’s fifth consecutive NCAA Super Regional, return – a total of 26 players to be exact.
The core group of returnees in the lineup include career .360-hitter Haley Hayden, home run threats Aleah Craighton and DJ Sanders, who both clubbed 18 home runs last season, and Kara Gremillion, who finished the 2016 season as one of the team’s hottest hitters (hit .457 in May).
There’s also Kelli Martinez, who started the entire 2015 campaign as a freshman and finished last year as the starter in right field, plus Kassidy Zeringue who has proved to be a vital asset defensively and last year worked her way into a starter’s role.
“This core group has been together for three years now,” Lotief remarked. “It’s been fun to watch them grow and develop. Now it’s their turn to lead and pass it on to the next group of youngsters.”
Others who have worked their way through the system and waited for their opportunity will provide added experience. Those include Lexie Comeaux, Jaime Landry and Beth Ashley, who each redshirted their freshman season, as well as Corin Voinché and Taylor Terrio.
“This team has a good mix of experienced players and ‘newbies’,” Lotief mentioned. “There will be new starters who were redshirt players and players who have come up through the system who may have been role players but are now being called on to contribute as starters.”
In the pitching circle, the Ragin’ Cajuns bring back the entire group from last season. 2016 All-American and Sun Belt Conference Pitcher of the Year Alex Stewart (29-6, 1.94 ERA) returns as the team’s lead pitcher for a staff that ranked Top 10 nationally with a 2.06 ERA.
“I think this team will be more suited toward pitching and defense,” Lotief said. “I do not anticipate us scoring all the runs or hitting all the home runs like we’ve done the past couple of seasons.
“We have a deep pitching staff with a lot of experience,” Lotief noted. “We have moved a lot of people around on defense to give us more speed and coverage. It will take us time to gel, but I think this team can be good defensively – and it all starts in the circle.”
Preseason predictions, including a No. 11 national rankings and unanimous choice to claim the Sun Belt Conference crown, might appear to put added pressure in the transition time. Lotief, though, believes his team’s preparation will allow them to rise to the challenge.
“This team has worked as hard as any team I’ve ever been around,” Lotief said. “There’s nothing more this group of kids could have done to get ready. And it’s not just their skill set, they’ve worked hard on team bonding and the mental game.
“We’re going to inspire each other to fight every day,” Lotief stressed. “We’re going to find a way to win, find a way to compete every day. The greater the adversity, or struggle, the more we fight – that’s our pledge to each other and to our fan base.”

JENNINGS – The effects of the Trump administration’s policies pose a mixed bag of possibilities for American rice, a USA Rice official said at the recent (Feb. 7) annual joint meeting of the Louisiana Rice Council and Louisiana Rice Growers.
About 250 people attended the event. Gov. John Bel Edwards was scheduled to speak at the meeting, but he canceled to inspect tornado damage in southeast Louisiana.
Betsy Ward, USA Rice president, said President Trump’s nomination of former Georgia Gov. Sonny Perdue is a plus for Southern agriculture, and he favors a strong U.S. export market.
“I think this is a good appointment for us,” she said.
But she said Trump is opposed to NAFTA, which has been favorable to strengthening the Mexican market for U.S. rice. “It’s been a huge success story for us,” Ward said
Mexico, where 88 percent of the rice is from the U.S., is the No. 1 market for American rice. But with Trump’s cancellation of the Trans Pacific Partnership, Mexico is looking at pursuing individual trade agreements with Pacific Rim countries, she said.
Currently, Mexico imposes a 20 percent tariff on Vietnamese rice, but Mexico’s attitude toward the U.S. has chilled. “They could turn around and drop the tariffs tomorrow in retaliation,” she said.
Progress made with Cuba by the previous administration could be at risk now. “I think we’re taking a big pause,” Ward said.
The appointment of Scott Pruitt to head the Environmental Protection Agency is a plus for agriculture, with the expectation that he will roll back harmful regulations, she said.
Mike Strain, Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry commissioner, said Cuba will buy $180 million of Vietnamese rice this year. “We could have rice there in two days,” he said.
Strain praised rice farmers for investing their check-off money for research and promotion, and he said the entire state benefits when the rice industry is doing well.
Michael Klein, USA Rice vice president for marketing and communications, said rice has been receiving positive publicity with a video by the restaurant chain P.F. Chang, and a Cooking Channel program by Chef Sara Moulton, who featured rice farmer Randy Thibodeaux. “Rice has a great story to tell about sustainability,” he said.
Bill Richardson, LSU vice president for agriculture, said negotiations are progressing well with BASF for an agreement on the new rice technology, Provisia, being developed at the LSU AgCenter H. Rouse Caffey Rice Research Station. “I think we’re going to see things move in that area to help your industry,” he said.