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On Thursday, the Abbeville Police Department received calls about a South Bailey Street resident shooting guns in his backyard.
Officers arrived at 5:39 p.m. to the call and cleared the neighbors' homes in case of any trouble arresting the suspect.
Officers surrounded the home at 719 South Bailey and requested the person exit the home, but he did not respond.
Family members showed up at the scene and made pleas over the police loudspeaker to no avail.
Officers and family members made numerous calls to the suspect but again he did not respond. Abbeville Police Officers obtained an arrest warrant for the suspect and a search warrant for the 719 South Bailey Street residence.
The Vermilion Parish Sheriff’s Special Response Team was called out, did a quick assessment of the area, and put a plan to work.
They drove up to the front door of the residence in an armored vehicle and demanded that the suspect exit the home and said that they would not leave until the suspect came out.
Approximately 10 minutes later the suspect walked out peacefully and was arrested.
The suspect was turned over to Abbeville police officers and Sheriff’s deputies made entry and cleared the residence. Once the residence was cleared Abbeville Police executed the search warrant and located several weapons inside the home.
The suspect is Jason Germaine Williams, (born Jan. 30, 1984) of 719 South Bailey Street.
He is charged with multiple counts of Illegal Use of Weapons or Dangerous Instrumentalities. He was booked and transported to the Vermilion Parish Correction Facility. His bond is set for $5,000.
The case is still actively under investigation and Chief Mike Hardy urges the public to provide any further information regarding this crime or any other crime by calling the Abbeville Police Department at (337) 893-2511. People may also contact the “Tips” line at (337) 892-6777. All callers may remain anonymous. Citizens may also send anonymous tips through Crime Stoppers of Vermilion by calling (337) 740-TIPS or the P3 app, which can be downloaded through the Apple App Store or at Google Play Store.

The Vermilion Parish School Board has approved a job description for a new school safety officer who will be responsible for the safety and security of the entire school district.
Superintendent Tommy Byler explained the job description to the school board members and clarified that they are not currently hiring for the position.
The main responsibility of the job is to coordinate, educate and facilitate school safety plans with school administrators and resource officers. The school safety officer should have experience in school safety and will report to the assistant superintendent.
The superintendent also mentioned that hiring this person would not be a new position with a new salary. The school board will absorb the salary through attrition.
There was no talk about the salary the person would make.
The school board did say a college degree is preferred but not a deal breaker.
Here is a list of performance responsibilities for a school safety officer:
• Work collaboratively with school administration on safety plan enforcement and ensure the safety and security of personnel, students and visitors on school property and at school safety.
• Routinely monitor and assess student activities, safety inspections, traffic control, visitor activities and exterior perimeter security measures.
• Coordinate school safety committee meetings.
• Coordinate with local enforcement agencies as to protocol for school safety measures outlined in policy by the district.
• Review school crisis plans.
• Define, coordinate and educate school personnel on the most up-to-date best practices in managing crises.
• Conduct routine school walks with administration or designee to assess safety issues, not limited to crises, that are dangerous to the school environment.
• Inspect and monitor alarm systems, security cameras, doors, and gates for proper operation as necessary.
• Conduct an annual hazard vulnerability assessment on all campuses to determine mitigation procedures and corrective action planning.

Practically every south Louisiana community had a store in the middle 1800s like D. R. January’s Crescent Drug Store in Crowley that offered “chemicals, perfumery, fancy stationery, toilet articles, soap, garden seeds, pipes, tobacco, cigars, paints, oil, glass, and everything usually found in a first-class drug store.”
But, most importantly, it sold patent medicines that worked so magically it’s a wonder they are no longer with us. If the old advertising claims were true, we would have no need for today’s expensive prescriptions .
For example, Bryan’s Pulmonic Wafers were all that anyone needed to cure a cold in the 1850s. It was guaranteed to be “the most certain and speedy new discovery for all Diseases of the Chest and Lungs, Coughs, Colds, Asthma, Consumption, Bronchitis, Influenza, Hoarseness, Difficult Breathing, Sore Throat,” and all sorts of other things.
Advertisements in newspapers across south Louisiana for the wafers promised “ the most instantaneous and perfect relief” from its laundry list of ailments.
“Thousands have been restored to perfect health who have tried other means in vain,” the ads claimed. “To all classes and all constitutions, they are equally a blessing and a cure — none need despair, no matter how long the disease may have existed, or however severe it may be …. Everyone affected should give them an impartial trial.”
If that didn’t work, there was always Ayer’s Cherry Pectoral, good not only for coughs, colds and hoarseness. But also whooping cough, asthma and consumption.
“While many inferior remedies thrust upon the community have failed and been discarded, this has … conferred benefits on the afflicted they can never forget, and produced cures too numerous and too remarkable to be forgotten.”
The testimonials came from around the globe, according to the Cherry Pectoral ad: “In Great Britain, France and Germany, where the medical sciences have reached their highest perfection, Cherry Pectoral is introduced, and in constant use in the Armies, Hospitals, Alms Houses, Public Institutions, and in domestic practice, as the surest remedy their attending physicians can employ for the more dangerous affections of the lungs. Also in milder cases, and for children, it is a safe, pleasant, and effectual cure. In fact, some of the most flattering testimonial we receive have been from parents who have found it efficacious in cases particularly incidental to childhood.”
Swain’s Panacea, was indeed a panacea if it did what was claimed for it — curing “all blood diseases,” as well as rheumatism, ulcers, old sores, boils, diseases of the spine, catarrh, and wasting.
Holloway’s Pills were the answer for everything else. This “extraordinary cure of loss of health” was “wonderfully effective” for ague, asthma, bilious complaints, blotches on the skin, bowel complaints, colic, consumption, debility, dropsy, fevers of all kinds, fits, gout, headache, indigestion, inflammation, jaundice, liver complaints, lumbago, rheumatism, sore throats, tumors, ulcers and “weakness from whatever cause.”
Obviously, the medicines and their advertising were entirely unregulated in those days. Makers could claim anything they could imagine. Nor were they required to list their ingredients. For a time, a good number claimed their medicine contained “snake oil,” whatever that was, and that’s why we still sometimes label folks who tend to make things up as “snake oil salesmen.” Lots of the medicines contained so much alcohol, opium, morphine, or other narcotics that, after just a swallow or two, nobody cared whether they were cured or not.
All of that changed on June 30, 1906, when President Theodore Roosevelt signed the first Food and Drug Act. The law put an end to the wildest claims, put some makers out of business, and caused others to change their formulas, quit making any medical claims, and market their products as simple refreshments. Coca-Cola is probably the one we know best. Pepsi, Dr. Pepper and 7-Up also began as patent medicines
They’re still with us because they are refreshing, and that’s nice — but what can they cure these days?
You can contact Jim Bradshaw at jimbradshaw4321@gmail.com or P.O. Box 1121, Washington LA 70589.

January 21, 1932 - October 20, 2023

ABBEVILLE — A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 11 a.m. on Tuesday, October 24, 2023, at St. Mary Magdalen Catholic Church honoring the life of Dayton Joseph Simon, 91, who died Friday, October 20, 2023, at Abbeville General after a brief illness.  He will be laid to rest at St. Paul Cemetery with Reverend Danny Picard officiating the services.  Serving as pallbearers will be Erik Taylor Reutling, Evan Taylor Reutling, Samuel Christopher Reutling, Mitchel Landry, David Landry and Rick Melebeck. Honorary pallbearer will be Christopher Simon II.  
Dayton was an all-around family man who loved spending time with his family and friends, especially his grandkids. He also wore the title of “favorite uncle” with honor. Dayton proudly served in the United States Army National Guard. He was a devout catholic and served as an usher in St. Mary Magdalen Catholic Church for many years. Dayton was also a member of the Knights of Columbus. Known as a jack of all trades, he would lend a helping hand to anyone that needed something repaired. Dayton retired from BellSouth/AT&T after 40 years of service as a communication specialist. He was very humble about his accomplishments and if there were an award to win, he was willing to put in extra work to achieve it. In his spare time, he enjoyed hunting, fishing, playing tennis, playing bourree’ and going on family vacations. He will be dearly missed by all who knew him. 
He is survived by his loving wife of 11 years, Audrey Simon, the former Audrey Broussard; son, Chris Simon and wife, Tracie; daughter, Lorie Reutling and husband, Erik Taylor; grandchildren, Christopher Simon II, Lensey Parker, Evan Taylor Reutling and fiancé’, Grace Fornea and Samuel Christopher Reutling; and sister, Pearl Simon. 
He was preceded in death by his first wife and mother of his children, Marie-Helen “Teta” Melebeck Simon; and parents, Philip Simon and the former Velma Luquette.
The family requests that visiting hours be observed at Vincent Funeral Home - Abbeville, 209 S. St. Charles St., on Tuesday, October 24, 2023, from 8:30 a.m. until 10:45 a.m. when the precession will depart for church. A rosary is being prayed by the Knights of Columbus at 10:15 a.m. in the funeral home. 
The family would like to thank the Abbeville General Hospital physicians, nurses, support staff and as well as the SLCC nursing students for all of their outstanding care in Dayton’s time of need.