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Is it possible that the Vermilion Parish Sheriff’s Detective Unit will relocate to the cultural and historical center in the old library in downtown Abbeville? Not if a group of concerned Vermilion Parish residents has anything to say about it.
For the past few years, tenants in the former Hibernia Bank building on Charity Street have housed the Sheriff’s detective unit, located on the second and third floors of the old bank building.
The Vermilion Parish Police Jury owns the building and allocates approximately $20,000 each month for its upkeep, although it does not receive any rental income from the tenants.
Consequently, over the past year, the police jury has directed the tenants residing in the building to seek alternative accommodations, as it intends to sell the old Hibernia building.
The sole remaining tenant is the detective unit, but locating a new building in Abbeville for them has proven to be quite challenging.
For the past decade, the cultural center has been leased by the city of Abbeville, and in February, the lease expired. The police jury reached out to Sheriff Eddie Langlinais regarding the potential relocation of the detective unit to the two-story cultural center.
Last week, two deputies from the Sheriff’s office measured the Cultural Center building to assess its square footage and evaluate whether it would be a suitable location for relocation.
It was during this time that members of the cultural center, along with the tourism department, became aware of the ongoing discussions between the Sheriff’s Office and the Police Jury.
At Wednesday’s police jury meeting, the cultural and historical center was a topic on the agenda. Members from the Giant Omelette Celebration, along with other organizations that use the cultural and historical center, attended the police jury meeting to object to the closure of the cultural and historical center and the relocation of the Sheriff’s office into the building.
For the last 20 years, the Giant Omelette Celebration has used the cultural and historical center as its headquarters for meetings.
 “It would be devastating to the Giant Omelette celebration,” said Meg Hebert, treasurer of the organization.
“Moving out of this building would truly destroy everything that hundreds of us civic people, civic citizens of the city of Abbeville and parish, have worked towards,” said  Elray Schexnaider, who has been with the Giant Omelette Celebration since Day 1. “It is beyond my comprehension why y’all would make us move out of the building.”
Bonnie Broussard, a high-ranking member of the Omelette Celebration, added, “I do not like the Sheriff’s Office being downtown.”
The police jury has decided to allow Abbeville Mayor Roslyn White six months to explore alternative options for finding a building for the Sheriff’s Detective Unit. In the meantime, the cultural and historical center will continue to operate.
Neither Mayor White nor any members of the city council attended the meeting of the police jury.

While the most recent blooming fields of yellow that make up Sunflowers For St. Jude have faded, the future for the local fundraising effort certainly remains bright.
This marks year eight of the Romaine family using their fields to raise funds to go to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis, Tenn. The fields are located on Romaine Road in Kaplan.
“It’s busier and busier every year,” Ashlyn Romaine said. “There tends to be a steady stream of people all day, from those who come to photograph sunrises to those who come to photograph sunsets and ALL day in between. My husband, Durel, is near and around there and sees a steady stream all day!”
The field is open 24 hours per day, seven days a week, only limited by daylight and weather. Updates on blooms are made on the Sunflowers for St. Jude Facebook page. Romaine said guests often share their photos on the social media page.
“It’s amazing to see the field through the eyes of our visitors,” Romaine said. “They share photos to Facebook in our group and we love seeing them! Whole photography clubs have come out. We’ve had visitors from as far as Texas and Houma and Mandeville.”
Visitors can make donations for use of the fields.
“We are 100% donation based,” Romaine said. “We do ask professional photographers who wish to come with clients to contact us first. Bring clippers, a bucket and water for the blooms for the way home. Furry friends are welcome on a leash. We can never guarantee how long the blooms will last, so we always encourage people to come sooner as opposed to later!
“We’re sad when we have to reply to messages with ‘the field is done.’”
When it comes to those donations, 100% goes to St. Jude. During the past eight years, the Romaines have sent approximately $50,000 to St. Jude.
“Seed, labor and any improvements that we make are our donations,” Romaine said. Over the years, we’ve added benches, a welcome stand, a guest book, (two red wagons, a tricycle,) and a picnic table (this was donated by my in-laws).”
Yes, there is plenty of work that goes into this project, which began when the Romaine’s daughter, Catherine, wanted to take her senior photos in a sunflower field. They found a local one and after showing her dad one of the photos, he planted a four-acre field of sunflowers for her.
“Honestly, Durel and the Lord have the hard part,” Romaine said of her husband, who is a rice farmer. “Durel preps the field, plants the seed and does his magic to keep the weeds out. He and his guys maintain the parking area for us. I get to yap with visitors! It does not feel like work, but it’s hot and humid and enjoyable.
“I go home each evening feeling very thankful for our amazing community that makes this happen.”
Meeting the visitors, both locally and from out of state, resonates most strongly with Romaine.
“My favorite part of this whole thing is meeting our community,” Romaine said. “We’ve met St. Jude patients and families. We’ve met parents who have lost children to cancer, many, many years ago, who never made it to St. Jude for treatment, but still come to support our efforts.
“We meet people in all seasons of life — celebrating anniversaries, celebrating heavenly birthdays of loved ones, pregnancy photos, gender reveals, marriage proposals (our own son proposed in our field!), engagement photos. I’ve had people tell me that they just sat in the field and had a talk with God about their grief and sadness. We’ve had people come for family photos and hearing the giggles and laughter is heartwarming.”
“People tell us thank you, but again it’s the community that makes it happen!”

December 11, 1968 - September 12, 2025

Funeral services are set for Saturday, September 20, 2025, for Mr. Kerry Briggs, 56, a resident of Abbeville, LA. He departed this life on Friday, September 12, 2025, in Galveston, TX.
Services will be held at 11 a.m. at Greater Pleasant Green Baptist Church located at 822 I.J. Joiner St. in Abbeville. Viewing will take place at the church from 9 a.m. until time of service
He leaves to Cherish his memory two sons, Quintylan Richard and Tyrus Porter, His Mother Gladys Coleman Briggs, two brothers Kevin Briggs and Kurt Mouton, four aunts, Audrey Coleman, Hattie Coleman, Carolyn Coleman, Shirley Briggs, and uncle Leroy Briggs.
He was proceeded in death by his daughter Quintygi Richard, Grandfather Joseph Briggs, Paternal Grandparent Harry Coleman Sr., Maternal Grandmother Gladys Francis Coleman, Paternal Grandfather Irvin Briggs
Maternal Grandmother Maggie Plowden Briggs, Uncle Harry Coleman Jr., Uncle Charles Coleman, Uncle Albert Collins, Aunt Eva Bessard, Aunt Eula Green and Aunt Dora Byer
Condolences may be expressed at www.fletcherfuneralhomes.org.
Most sacred services are entrusted to Fletcher Funeral Home, 1116 Green Street, Abbeville, LA 70510

KAPLAN – The Kaplan Pirates dismantled the Berwick Panthers 49-0 at Ed Douglas Memorial Stadium Friday night, giving head coach John Thompson his first career win.
When asked about win number one, Thomspon gave credit to his team. He said they had a great week of practice, and it showed.
“These kids played their butts off tonight,” Thompson said. “We pushed them in practice this week. We corrected the mistakes, and they got it done. I’m proud of them.”
He did admit the gravity of win number one hadn’t quite sunk in.
“It hasn’t really hit me yet,” Thompson continued. “When I’m at the house petting my dog, Luna, that’s when it’ll hit me.”
Senior quarterback Sabe David was happy to be on the team that got Thompson his first victory as a head coach.
“It feels good to get Coach Thompson his first win,” David said. “He’s a really good coach.”
The Pirates (1-1) dominated on defense, pitching the complete-game shutout. Berwick only managed 94 yards of offense in the game, including negative-eight rushing. Kaplan also intercepted three passes and forced two fumbles.
Meanwhile, the Kaplan offense put up 418 yards, including 321 on the ground. They threw for 97 yards and a score and converted all seven of their extra point attempts.
“They’re starting to understand what we want,” Thompson said. “It’s tricky at first, but they’re starting to see how easy it is to get it done.”
Kaplan opened the scoring at the 6:21 mark of the first period when freshman wide receiver Jeremy Roy took the handoff on the sweep and raced 49 yards for the score. Gannon Smith made the extra point for the 7-0 lead.
On their next possession, the Pirates drove 49 yards in 2:26 seconds. Sophomore Jayden Hargrave scored the first of his two touchdowns on the night from 10 yards out. The Smith extra point put the Pirates ahead 14-0.
Hargrave struck again in the second quarter. He took the handoff and raced 50 yards down the left sideline for a 21-0 Kaplan-lead with 7:09 to play in the first half. He finished the night with 113 yards and two touchdowns on only nine carries.
Following a good Berwick punt that pinned the Pirates at their own 11-yard-line with 1:14 to play in the half, Kaplan went to the air. David connected with receiver Matthiew Breaux over the middle. Breaux got a block, made a move, and darted down the sideline for the 89-yard score. Smith’s extra point made it 28-0 at the break.
David is excited he’s getting to throw the ball more.
“It’s fun,” he said. “If the run’s not there, we can open it up with the pass.”
Kaplan scored two more times in the third quarter. David punched it in from two yards out to make it 35-0. De’Maurion Cormier made it 42-0 with a 14-yard touchdown run with 22 seconds left in the frame.
Van Guidry scored the Pirates final touchdown with 3:35 left in the game. Breaux booted the extra point to provide the final margin.
Hargrave’s 113 yards on the ground led all rushers while Roy finished with 65 yards and a score on three carries and Cormier added 64 yards and a score on nine carries. Van Guidry also added 28 yards and a touchdown on three carries.
David completed one pass for 89 yards and a touchdown while also scoring a touchdown on the ground. Breaux had one catch for 89 yards and a score. Hargrave also completed one pass to Javonte Mouton for eight yards.
Next up, the Pirates have 0-2 North Vermilion Patriots. The game has been moved to Kaplan because North Vermilion’s field is under construction and is not ready.
Thompson expects them to be a typical Roderick Moy football team.
They’re a physical, hard-nosed football team,” Thompson said. “Moy’s going to want to run the ball to control the clock and keep it a low scoring affair.”