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Town Hall Architect Dionne Sonnier told the Henderson Town Council that, after COVID and weather delays, demolition of the old bank building is complete. Rising steel prices, she said, are complicating matters but the job should proceed on schedule. (Karl Jeter)

Volatile steel prices pose problem for contractor

With the demolition work at the site of the new city hall complete, sharply rising prices for steel construction products are putting stress on the contractor.
At the March 8 Henderson Town Council meeting, architect Dione Sonnier, with Angelle Architects, said that volatile steel prices have contractor R.S. Bernard and Associates on edge about the project. With the COVID-19 pandemic, close on the heels of an unusually busy 2020 hurricane season, a price spike could come at just the wrong time.

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last meeting — After 11 years at the center of parish affairs as Clerk of the Parish Council, Laci Laperouse (with plaque) received high praise for her positive energy and knowledge from past and present parish officials. She will move to the position of director of the St. Martin Parish Tourism Bureau. Brooke Gillespie (4th from left) was approved as her replacement.(Karl Jeter)

New tourism director earns council praise

There was a distinct note of change in the air at the March 2 St. Martin Parish Council meeting. It was the last for Laci Laperouse as council clerk.
Past council members and family joined the current council, President Chester Cedars and others to say farewell but not goodbye to the popular 11-year council clerk. Laperouse will now make the move to her new position as director of a revamped Parish Tourism Office.

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JIM CANTORE and his crew from the Weather Channel were broadcasting live from downtown Breaux Bridge as Hurricane Delta stormed into Louisiana. (Sally Angelle)

Delta sideswipes St. Martin

Just as it did six weeks ago with Hurricane Laura, St. Martin Parish escaped major damage when Hurricane Delta roared into Louisiana as darkness fell last Friday, Oct. 9.
The eye of the storm hit almost exactly where Laura did, near the Cameron Parish community of Creole, about 70 miles west of St. Martinville.
Delta caused widespread power outages across the parish and SLEMCO’s Mary Laurent said the utility company still had approximately 20,700 customers in its territory, including 1,600 in St. Martin Parish, without power as of noon Tuesday.

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Mayor Mitchell

Court asked to rule on mayor’s veto

City Attorney Allan Durand has filed a Petition for Declaratory Judgement in 16th Judicial District Court, seeking a ruling on the legitimacy of Mayor Melinda Mitchell’s claimed veto power.
The question arose when Mitchell vetoed recent city council action that would reduce her position from full- to part-time. The measure passed by a 3-1 vote, with councilman Edmond Joseph the sole dissenter. Councilman Juma Johnson was absent.
The proposed change would reduce the mayor’s salary from $56,000 to $30,000 per year.

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SMSB will operate parish Head Start

The St. Martin School Board has been awarded a multi-million grant to operate the federal Head Start program in St. Martin Parish beginning in January.
Nicole Angelle, supervisor of the board’s Title I Family Involvement and Early Childhood programs, announced the grant award during last week’s monthly board meeting.
The award total for the first year of implementation is $4,568,352, which includes $831,180 for start up costs and $3,737,172 for program implementation.

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Teche Today

P.O. Box 69
St. Martinville, LA 70582
Phone: 337-394-6232
Fax: 337-394-7511