2017’s top local stories

Published 5:00 am Sunday, December 31, 2017

There were more than a few big decisions Iberia Parish public officials and residents had to make in 2017, and the effects of those decisions will affect how the parish works for years to come. 

New Iberia voters made their voices heard in the desire to bring back a New Iberia Police Department, and Iberia Parish residents also made it crystal clear they are not interested in establishing a levee system. 

The Iberia Parish Council decided not to bring a proposition to reduce council size to the voters, and in Jeanerette town officials made a surprise move to fire their police chief. 

There was tragedy, such as the death of a cultural luminary who affected Cajun culture at large.  There also was the thrill of victory as one of our own schools captured a state championship, and even a local bass angler nabbed a national prize. 

New Iberia saw an increase in local business, something the city hasn’t been able to say for years. In December, the parish was enchanted by the rare sight of snow. 

It’s been quite a year for the Teche Area, and The Daily Iberian was there to cover it all. Here are our Top 10 stories. 

10. D.L. Menard’s death

The death of one of the most prolific and prominent Cajun musicians, D.L. Menard, reverberated throughout the Teche Area and even made national headlines. 

Doris Leon “D.L.” Menard died July 27 at age 85, less than a month after a celebration was held in his hometown celebrating the 55th anniversary of his most famous song “La Porte En Arrière” (“The Back Door”) — an event where Menard sang five of his songs to hundreds in attendance.

Known affectionately as the “Cajun Hank Williams,” Menard was known as a fierce proponent for Cajun music and culture, and become popular worldwide for his rendition of “The Back Door,” which he performed in countries throughout the world. 

9. Snow Day

Teche Area residents most likely will remember Dec. 8, 2017, as the day this part of the state became a winter wonderland. 

The holiday spirit filled the area in an unprecedented way while 2.5 inches of recorded snow hit Iberia Parish. Local residents who haven’t seen snow hit Iberia Parish in years were overjoyed, and used the vacation day to build snowmen, sled down hills and, of course, start a few snowball fights. 

Of course, temperatures in the Teche Area were back up in the 60s only a few days afterwards but Iberians will remember that snowy day for a long time. 

8. Angler qualifies for Classic

“You’re in the Classic. You’re in the Classic.”

Those reassuring and electrifying words Oct. 21 from B.A.S.S. Nation director Jon Stewart were directed at 30-year-old New Iberia bass angler Caleb Sumrall, who was on a national stage, literally, on the final day of the B.A.S.S. Nation Championship on Lake Hartwell in South Carolina.

Sumrall, who climbed the ladder on the state team to eventually qualify for the prestigious tournament, finished the three-day tournament with 36 pounds, 12 ounces to win a fully rigged bass boat, motor and trailer and, most importantly, qualify for the 2018 Bassmaster Classic in March and earn free entry into all Bassmaster Elite series tournaments in 2018.

Sumrall, the first Teche Area basser to qualify for the Classic, said a few days after the momentous occasion, “It’s, ummmmm, unbelievable. It hasn’t really sunk in yet. I’m trying to grasp on the whole deal. It’s still unbelievable.”

Those who saw him fish in local bass tournaments, like the popular Hawg Fights, weren’t surprised.

7. Business  developments

New Iberia residents have bemoaned the lack of new business in town for years, but a wave of excitement swept over the city in 2017 as rumors abounded of new businesses coming to the city.

There were some that had been in the works before 2017, like the CC’s Coffee House and Domino’s Pizza on Lewis Street. Although the pizza shop was an upgrade for an existing business, which previously was located a few miles away, a new coffee shop generated much local buzz. 

There also was plenty of excitement with the revival of the former Pelican’s building on Jefferson Street. Now dubbed Pelican’s on the Bayou, the restaurant is family-owned and has pleased residents looking for a place to eat and dance. 

Major infrastructure projects were completed throughout the Port of Iberia this year, paving the way for new businesses to take up residence there. Houma-based Crosby Energy Services signed a contract this fall to relocate there, in a move that could bring up to 70 jobs in the next six months and potentially more than 100 jobs in all. 

But announcements for the biggest new businesses must wait until 2018. There has been much talk about the site of the old K-Mart building at Admiral Doyle Drive and South Lewis Street, which is suspected to be the location of a grocery chain. 

6. Ackal, IPSO lawsuit

The controversial case of Victor White, a New Iberia man who died in the back of an Iberia Parish Sheriff’s Office vehicle in 2014, resurfaced briefly in the fall of 2017. 

A federal judge refused to dismiss a civil lawsuit in regards to the White case in October. Although the U.S. Justice Department and state prosecutors determined no criminal charges for the White case, U.S. Magistrate Judge Patrick Hanna said the manner of White’s death had not been conclusively established. 

No ruling has been made on the civil lawsuit.

5. Committee propositions fail

An ad-hoc committee designed to mull through the Iberia Parish Home Rule Charter worked through much of the summer to update the charter in compliance with legislative standards. 

When the committee presented the Iberia Parish Council with its findings, it also made three controversial propositions to bring to the ballot for residents to vote on. The first was to reduce the council size from 14 to nine, the second was to change council pay and the third was to restructure the parish president pay. 

The first two generated the most controversy, and after months of deliberations among the Parish Council, a reduction proposal was ultimately shot down with a 7-7 vote. That means Iberia residents won’t be voting on a reduction in 2018. The proposition to change council pay was shot down soon after. The third proposition passed, and will be voted on the public next year. 

4. Jeanerette Chief of Police fired

What seemed like a fairly routine meeting of the Jeanerette Board of Aldermen on Aug. 7 quickly swept up the city in confusion and anger when the board made the surprise decision to fire Chief Jeffery Matthews. 

Board members cited a failure to follow policy and procedure as the main reason for the termination, as well as a desire to go in a new direction. What resulted was a political dispute between the board, Jeanerette Mayor Aprill Foulcard and Matthews over whether the board had the authority to fire a police chief. 

The conversation quickly changed to a technical debate about whether Jeanerette is governed by a special charter or the LAWRASON Act, a debate that has been ongoing in the city for decades. 

Ultimately, the decision to fire Matthews by the board was upheld, and Jeanerette City Marshal Fernest “Pacman” Martin has stepped up as an interim police chief until a new candidate can be voted on. 

3. Levee Tax Fails

It was difficult to drive on any main corridor of Iberia Parish without seeing some sign or advertisement regarding a new tax that would have established the creation of a levee system for the parish. 

Strong opinions were shown on both sides of the issue nearly everyday leading up to the election, with debates popping up on print, radio and broadcast media. 

The proposal, pushed by the Iberia Parish Levee, Hurricane, and Conservation District, consisted of a 5-mill tax that, combined with state and federal funds, would have raised $524 million to construct and maintain a levee system across the parish for 50 years. There were 5,696 votes against the tax and 2,102 for it, or 73 and 27 percent. 

2. CHS wins state title in football

For the first time in 55 years, the Catholic High Panther football team raised a state championship trophy as CHS claimed the Louisiana High School Athletic Association Division III championship with a 33-16 win over nemesis Notre Dame High of Crowley.

The win in the title game avenged a 37-0 shutout loss to the Pioneers in week four of the season in which Catholic High was held to under 150 total yards of offense.

After that loss, the Panthers rolled through the rest of the schedule scoring an average of 59 points per game then continued the offensive onslaught in the playoffs, beating Calvary Baptist 49-28 in the quarterfinals and Isidore Newman 49-7 in the semifinals before avenging its lone loss of the season in the state championship.

Catholic High finished with a 12-1 overall record, the third time in the last four seasons that CHS won 12 games.

Senior running back JaDan Stokes was named the Most Valuable Player in the title game with 129 yards and a touchdown rushing.

It was CHS’ first state championship in football since beating Ferriday 13-0 in the 1962 Class A championship.

1. NIPD’s return

The 13-year experiment of the city of New Iberia contracting its law enforcement with the Iberia Parish Sheriff’s Office ended Oct. 14, when voters approved a half-cent sales tax to re-establish a New Iberia Police Department. 

The ballot item was a win for New Iberia Mayor Freddie DeCourt and the New Iberia City Council, most of whom were serving their first year in office. The decision came after a startling number of robberies, thefts, shootings and homicides that apparently prompted many New Iberia residents to get local law enforcement. 

The city will begin collecting revenue from the sales tax in 2018, and Todd D’Albor took office as the NIPD’s new police chief in early December to begin the preparations for resurrecting a police department. Purchasing equipment and hiring personnel are on the agenda for the first quarter of 2018 in anticipation of going live in July. 

The Daily Iberian’s Danny Fenster, Don Shoopman, Raymond Partsch III & Neal McClelland contributed to this story.