There is a new, albeit familiar, face helping to lead the Vermilion Chamber of Commerce.
Claire Broussard has been named the chamber’s new executive director. She will replace Lauren Trahan, who stepped down from the role during the summer.
Broussard has been involved with the chamber as a board member and other capacities for several years.
On Thursday, the Louisiana Department of Education released the district and school performance scores for the 2024-2025 School Year and, once again, Vermilion Parish's public school system did extremely well and remained an “A” district.
This set of scores is the final of its kind as the LDOE moves to a new accountability system for this school year.
The Vermilion Parish School System district performance score is a 91.3. This signifies a one point growth for the school system. Vermilion is one of 12 school districts in the state that achieved an “A” status.
They had at least four horses in the front entrance of Walmart.
Riders had to duck down as they left the Abbeville Walmart.
This horse and rider were by Subway.
This horse waited for his rider, who was shopping for drinks.
When you walk into Walmart, you never know who you’ll see. But no one expects to see six horses with riders walking through Walmart.
On Sunday at 4:30 p.m., people who shopped in the Abbeville Walmart saw exactly that.
At least eight people on six horses entered the Abbeville Walmart through the west entrance near the grocery aisles.
A video posted on social media shows two horses, each with two riders, walking past the Subway restaurant and near the grocery aisle. Another horse stopped in front of Subway.
Eleven senior police officers from the Abbeville Police sued the city over pay. In February of 2026, a judge will rule on how much the city owes.
In February 2025, 11 senior Abbeville Police Officers won the first round of their lawsuit against the city over a pay dispute.
On Monday afternoon at the district court in Abbeville, Judge Michelle Billeaud listened to both attorneys discuss how much the city should pay in back wages to the 11 senior police officers.
James Hilburn, the attorney for Abbeville, argued that the city does not owe the 11 officers any money.
Some of the senior officers suing the city were in the courtroom.
Logan Hoke
On Sunday, just after 10:30 p.m., Louisiana State Police Troop I started investigating a fatal hit-and-run involving a pedestrian on Louisiana Highway 700 near Highway 92 in Vermilion Parish.
The crash killed 28-year-old Tony Barthe Jr. of Rayne.
The initial investigation showed that on November 2, 2025, Barthe was found dead along LA Hwy 700. Evidence suggested he had been hit by a vehicle.
Police later found the suspected driver, Logan Hoke of Duson.
Troopers learned that Hoke was driving a 2020 Ford Edge north on Hwy 700, following another vehicle.
318 N. Main St.
Abbeville, LA 70510
Phone: 337-893-4223
Fax: 337-898-9022
219 North Cushing Avenue
Kaplan, LA 70548