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ABBEVILLE — A Home-going Celebration will be held for Mrs. Gladys F. Coleman, 90, the former Gladys Francis at 11:00 AM Saturday, August 25, 2018 at Greater Pleasant Green Baptist Church with Rev. Mediate Derouen, officiating.
He will await the resurrection in Greater Pleasant Green Baptist Church Cemetery in Abbeville, LA
Sis Gladys F. Coleman was born on November 28, 1927 in Abbeville, LA to the late, Cornelius Francis and Evanna Davenport Francis. At an early age she accepted Christ as her Savior and is a member of Greater Pleasant Green Baptist Church under the leadership of Rev. Michael C. Wright. 
A resident of Abbeville LA Sis Gladys answered the call to be with the Lord  at 3:05 PM on Sunday, August 19,  2018 at her home surrounded by her family.  
Sis Gladys leaves in God's care to cherish her fond memory, five daughters, Gladys C. Briggs, Eva C. Bessard, Hattie Coleman, Carolyn Coleman and Audrey Coleman; 12 grandchildren, 30 great-grandchildren, 5 great-great grandchildren, 5 adopted grandsons, Hubert Bessard, Felix Small, Dwight Brown, Jacolby Dozier and Garrian Dozier; one adopted daughter, Deniese Harris;  a special niece, Myrtle Sneed of Ann Arbor, MI and a host of nieces, nephews, relatives and friends.
She is preceded in death by her husband, Harry Coleman, Sr; her parents, Cornelius  Francis and Evanna  Davenport Francis; two sons, Harry Coleman, Jr. and Charles Coleman and a granddaughter, Kim Shelvin.
Condolences may be expressed at www.fletcherfuneralhomes.org
Funeral arrangements are entrusted to Fletcher Funeral Home 1116 Green Street - Abbeville, LA  70510. 

ABBEVILLE — Funeral services for Sherwin James Fruge is scheduled for 11:00 A.M. on Saturday, August 25, 2018 at Faith Hope Baptist Church. Burial will be in the Pleasant Green Cemetery on Green St. in Abbeville, LA.
“The Lord is my Shepard, I shall not want, He maketh me to lie in green pastures, He leadeth me beside still waters.” ~ Psalm 23: 1-2
Sherwin James Fruge was born in Lafayette, LA on October 16, 1957 to Ethel Harris & Eddie Fruge, as well as his Stepfather Roy Jay Harris. Sherwin was a native of Abbeville, LA.
Sherwin leaves to cherish his memories, his mother and stepfather, Ethel and Roy Jay Harris; his two sisters, Dyna Cole and Stephanie Roberts; one brother, Cecil Fruge; one uncle, Herman Rankin of Gulf Port Miss.; four nephews, Trent Guidry, Christopher Cole, Tracy Harris Jr., and Brent Fruge; four nieces, Trisca Decuir, Devin Stewart, Rashanda Baudoin, and Latoya Baudoin,; his favorite cousins, Janet Plowden and Wille Jones Jr.; a really special best friend, Aurris Wiltz; and a host of relatives and friends and all of Abbeville, LA.
He was preceded in death by his father, Eddie Fruge; his sisters, Elaine Turner, Vera Stewart, and Sherlyn Fruge; one brother, Tracy Roy Harris Sr.; one nephew Lashawn Fruge; four aunts, Gracie Lessin, Willie Mae Sinegal, Lorraine Dyson, and Ella Mae Lee; two uncles, Leroy B. Rankins and Elton E. Rankin; and maternal grandparents Jenkin and Annie Mae Rankin.
Visitation is scheduled for Saturday, August 25, 2018 at Faith Hope Baptist Church from 8:30 A.M. until the time of service.
Kinchen Funeral Home – 218 N. St. Valerie Street – Abbeville, LA (337) 898-9595 is in charge of final arrangements. Additionally, condolences to the family may be expressed on our website at: www.kinchenfuneralhome.com.

LAFAYETTE — The University of Louisiana at Lafayette welcomed roughly 3,000 first-time freshmen during its Fall 2018 Convocation ceremony.
Dr. Joseph Savoie, University president, told the Class of 2022 gathered on Tuesday at the Cajundome that they “are here to pursue knowledge and we want you to accept every opportunity to do just that.”
Savoie cited textbooks and laboratories, lectures and service learning activities as several ways new students can learn during their time at UL Lafayette. Yet he challenged students to tap a resource they may not have considered yet: themselves.
Savoie encouraged new students to begin their college careers “with optimism, hard work, and determination.”
“We’ll encourage you to think bigger and challenge you to reach higher. Because when you do, good things will happen,” he said.
Dr. Jaimie Hebert, UL Lafayette’s provost, affirmed Savoie’s message.
Hebert, a native of Abbeville, La., returned home in July to became the University’s provost.
He earned three degrees in statistics from UL Lafayette – a bachelor’s degree in 1986, a master’s degree in 1988, and a doctorate degree in 1990.
“When I stepped onto this campus as a freshman, I knew that within the walls of its buildings, in the shade of its oaks, beneath the arches of its Quadrangle, in its labs and in its library, were extraordinary opportunities,” Hebert said.
“High school taught me to learn. UL Lafayette taught me to think.”
Jaida Abshire, a freshman from Kaplan, La., is already thinking beyond her undergraduate years.
She plans to apply to medical school in about four years.
First, she’ll pursue a biology degree at the University because “I always heard it’s a great program and I’m confident it will prepare me to achieve my goals,” she said.
Convocation is hosted by the University’s Office of First-Year Experience.
Alum Hollis Conway, assistant director for diversity, leadership and education for the University's Department of Athletics, was master of ceremonies for the event.

Five whooping crane chicks have hatched and fledged this summer in southwest Louisiana, marking a major milestone in the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries whooping crane reintroduction project. The five chicks are the most to hatch in one year in the nascent project, which launched in 2011.
The first chicks hatched in 2016 with one chick fledging, followed by three chicks hatching in 2017, also with a single fledgling surviving.
“This year was a big step forward and we’re excited and pleased,’’ said Sara Zimorski, an LDWF biologist with the whooping crane reintroduction project. “To see young birds producing their own fertile eggs and to be successful in raising a chick is a sure sign of progress. To have five chicks this year only two years after we had the first chick hatching, it’s a pretty significant jump. We hope we’ll continue to see improvement as we have more pairs that mature and start to breed.’’
Louisiana’s whooping crane reintroduction project began in 2011 when 10 whooping cranes from the Patuxent Wildlife Research Center were released at the White Lake Wetlands Conservations Area in Vermilion Parish to develop the non-migratory flock. This marked a significant conservation milestone with the first wild whooping cranes in Louisiana since 1950. Each year since, more whooping cranes have been added to the initial flock and the current population is 66 (61 adults plus the five chicks hatched earlier this spring).
Support of partners including Chevron, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Audubon Nature Institute, U.S. Geological Survey, Louisiana Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, Patuxent Wildlife Research Center, Coypu Foundation, Entergy, Cameron LNG, International Crane Foundation and Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries Foundation have allowed LDWF to expand its effort in Louisiana.
Whooping cranes are slow to mature and only lay one to two eggs during the spring. So reproduction can be a slow process. The cranes normally don’t reach sexual maturity until 3-5 years old and the cranes when introduced into Louisiana have been less than 1 year-old.
“A 3-year-old laying eggs or hatching a chick isn’t always successful the first time,’’ Zimorski said. “Sometimes it takes several years. This year, some pairs were successful the first go-around. That was great to see. Additionally, we had some younger members of pairs that were successful in raising these chicks. Of these pairs that successfully raised chicks two of the males were only 2 years old, which is on the young side. It’s really encouraging to see young birds starting to reproduce actually being successful.’’
The cranes were hatched in late April and early May. They grow fast, about an inch a day and by the time they’re three months old, they stand from 4.5 to 5 feet tall.
“The reason they grow so fast is so they can evade predators,’’ Zimorski said. “They’re vulnerable until they’ve fledged so the parents care for them and protect them. Typically, whooping crane chicks will remain with their parents for around 10 months.’’
All five chicks were hatched on private lands in southwest Louisiana, in crawfish fields. Zimorski said the cooperation of private landowners and farmers is vital to the success of the project.
“The birds really like this habitat and they’ll continue to use it,’’ Zimorski said. “So our ongoing partnership with these landowners and farmers is very important and we thank them for their support.’’
Anyone encountering a whooping crane is advised to observe the bird from a distance and to report the sighting to LDWF ( http://www.wlf.louisiana.gov/webform/whooping-crane-reporting-form ). Whooping cranes are large-bodied, white birds with a red head and black facial markings. Birds measure a height of five feet and have a wingspan of seven to eight feet that makes them very distinctive. In flight, whooping cranes display black wing tips, a fully extended neck and legs which extend well beyond the tail.
Anyone witnessing suspicious activity involving whooping cranes is advised to call the LDWF’s Enforcement Division at 1-800-442-2511 or use the tip411 program, which may offer a cash reward for information leading to arrests or convictions. To use the tip411 program, citizens can text LADWF and their tip to 847411 or download the "LADWF Tips" iPhone app from the Apple iTunes store free of charge. Citizen Observer, the tip411 provider, uses technology that removes all identifying information before LDWF receives the text so that LDWF cannot identify the sender.
The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries is charged with managing and protecting Louisiana’s abundant natural resources. For more information, visit us at www.wlf.la.gov. To receive recreational or commercial fishing email and text alerts, signup at http://www.wlf.la.gov/signup.