After a two year absence due to Covid-19 concerns, the annual Swamp Pop Reunion came roaring back today. It began with the stars and family members assembling at the Louisiana Swamp Pop museum this afternoon with KVPI 92.5 doing a live remote broadcast with Swabby, Ray and Mark. The private event at the museum was packed. Dave McNamera from WVUE TV in New Orleans was there filming a documentary on Swamp Pop music. It was announced that the following Swamp Pop stars had died since the last reunion dance and will be honored at the event tonight: Doug Ardoin, Van and Henry Broussard, Wayne Foret, Warren Storm, Rod Bernard, Kenny Janise, Phil Phillips, and Jerry Raines. The dance is now going at the Ville Platte Civic Center and reports are there are a lot of people on the dance floor, Happy Mardi Gras.,

Flag raising at Swamp Pop Museum February 24, 2022 A group of public officials, veterans and the general public were in attendance Thursday morning for the "Flag Raising" at the Louisiana Swamp Pop Museum. The event was sponsored by the Evangeline Chamber of Commerce. It was noted that Chamber volunteers last week cleaned up the parking, steps and ramp in front of the museum in advance of the planned Swamp Pop reunion dance next Monday night. The flag was donated by the Woodman of the World and members of the Viet Nam Veterans of America, Ville Platte Chapter were in attendance to raise the new flag. Among those who spoke include Chamber President Dr. Gwen Fontenot, J.D. Soileau with the VVA Chapter and Sharon Fontenot, director of the Swamp pop Museum. The museum first opened in 2010 as a showcase for fans of Swamp Pop fans to support and promote the artists and music.

Evangeline Parish Sheriff; Department arrest suspects in Beaver Theft February 23, 2022 Evangeline Parish authorities arrested two Oakdale area men in connection with a theft that occurred in the Beaver road area in December. Evangeline Parish Sheriff Charles Guillory reported to KVPI News that Anthony Potts age 40 and Donavan Soileau age 27 both of Oakdale were arrested and charged with simple burglary and criminal trespassing. On December 30, investigators with the Evangeline Parish Sheriff's Office were assigned a burglary case where a tractor, a side by side ATV and lawn equipment were stolen from a home on Beaver Road. During the investigation, information was gathered by prisoners at a local jail facility that the two were involved in the theft. During the investigation, the stolen side by side ATV was recovered which led to further identification of both subjects where one of the two confessed to the burglary. The two suspects are currently in another jail facility awaiting other charges and will later be extradited to the Evangeline Parish jail once a bond is met for the unrelated charges.

Ville Platte Rotary Club Meeting February 22, 2022 The Ville Platte Rotary Club today (Tuesday) heard from Evangeline Parish Police Jury President Bryan Vidrine discuss various projects the jury is working on. Vidrine told club members that the jury is working with Sheriff Charles Guillory in planning for the construction of a new parish prison. Current plans , he said calls for a new facility with 150-200 beds to be located at the Industrial Park on land owned by the jury and utilities owned by the jury. The sheriff will fund ten million dollars of the 16 million dollar project. The parish will use 5 million from federal dollars coming from the "American Rescue" funds. The additional one million dollars will come from surplus funds in the parish Health Unit fund. Also, the police jury is looking at getting additional funding for the new jail in operating funds from .62 mills from the Parish Library tax. The voters of Evangeline parish will have to approve rededicating the Health Unit funds and Library funds before the police jury can proceed. There will be a special election called by the police jury in March for voters to decide on the issue. Club member Brent Coreil was concerned about the location of the proposed new jail facility which is proposed to be near the Coreil Campus. Vidrine said the current parish jail in the courthouse is near a school, Ville Platte High. Vidrine said it was the consensus of the police jury to look at rededicating unused tax funds rather than calling for a new tax. In another matter, Vidrine said the police jury is expected to receive good news on Friday from federal sources on broadband funding in Evangeline Parish. He said if the parish receives full funding, Evangeline could receive up to 20 million dollars to improve broadband service. Vidrine and Secretary Treasurer Donald Bergeron were the special guests of Rotarian Bill Brunet.

Drug Arrests February 17, 2022 Evangeline Parish Sheriff Charles Guillory reported to KVPI News the following drug arrests: Last Sunday, Feb 13, the sheriff's department narcotics unit conducted a traffic stop for a traffic violation. Agents conducted an interview with the occupants and located narcotics. The subjects were: Remi Clayton Brown age 25 of Ville Platte charged with possession of methamphetamine and Elliot Cade Robinson age 25 of the Upper Pine Prairie area charged with possession of methamphetamine and possession of schedule 4 pills. Last Saturday Feb 12, the sheriff's office narcotics unit stopped a vehicle on Highway 29 for a traffic violation. Agents detected the scent of narcotics coming from the vehicle. Agents then conducted a search and located illegal narcotics. The suspects were identified as Holly Hundley age 46 of Lafayette arrested on a bench warrant and given three citations and Racquel Cherie Meyers age 33 of Mamou cited for possession of marijuana and released. On Tuesday Feb 15 the narcotics unit conducted a traffic stop on Tate Cove road. After a search of the vehicle, authorities located illegal narcotics and a stolen gun from the Port Barre area. Arrested were Justice Bergeron age 23 of Ville Platte charged with possession of synthetic marijuana with intent to distribute; She was also cited for possession of marijuana; Also arrested was Vindezz Terrell Thibodeaux age 21 of Mamou charged with possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, possession of a stolen firearm and possession of a firearm in the presence of controlled dangerous substances.

On January 25, 2022, Deputies with the Evangeline Parish Sheriff's Office were dispatched to the 1000 Blk. of Peach Tree Ln in Grand Prairie area. in reference to a residence that was hit by gunfire, nearly hitting one of the victims inside of the residence. There were approximately five house hold members inside of the residence at the time that the shooting occurred. During the investigation, two suspects were identified. Their names are Jimmy Guillory age 39 of Ville Platte and Remi Brown age 26 of Ville Platte. When questioning one of the suspects, he admitted to driving the other suspect to the victim's residence. When traveling in front of the residence heading west on Peach Tree Ln. ,o the passenger opened fire with a medium caliber firearm hitting the residence multiple times. At the time of the shooting, there were five subjects inside sleeping one being a juvenile almost being hit. Both subjects were booked into the Evangeline Parish Jail for 5 counts of aggravated assault by drive by shooting, 5 counts of attempted 2nd degree murder, and 1 count of aggravated criminal damage to property. Both are being held with no bond.

Sheriff Charles R. Guillory, of the Evangeline Parish Sheriff's Office releases the following: On February 15, 2022, Deputies with the Evangeline Parish Sheriff's Office responded to the scene of a shooting that occurred at the intersection of Woodstone Rd. and St. Julien in the Chataignier area. Upon arrival, deputies observed a large amount of pooled blood and several spent cartridges within the intersection. Further investigation revealed one victim (Tjuan August) was transported to a local hospital in Eunice by a privately owned vehicle. He was later pronounced deceased at the hospital as a result of a fatal gunshot wound. The investigation is ongoing and anyone with information in regards to this incident is urged to contact the Evangeline Parish Sheriff's Office Criminal Investigation Division.

Ville Platte Rotary Club Meeting February 8, 2022 Mercy Regional Medical Center's new cardiologist, Dr. Raghotham Patlola was the featured speaker at today's (Tuesday) at the Ville Platte Rotary Club meeting at Café Evangeline. Dr. Patlola has been a board certified cardiologist working in the Lafayette area for the past 21 years. He is now providing advanced cardiac care through Mercy Regional Medical Center's Cath Lab. He is accepting new patients at his office at 504 Jack Miller Road, Suite 2 in Ville Platte. Mercy Regional's CEO Chris Aguillard told Rotary club members that the hospital is working hard to expand in providing additional services and personnel. The hospital has just completed a $700,000 upgrade to open a geriatric unit for those 50 and older. Also, the hospital has purchased the former Aaron's Rentals building near Walmart to provide office space for medical specialists and surgical services. He also reported that the hospital is recruiting new specialty physicians including orthopedics, radiologist and dermatology. The guest speakers were the guests of Rotarian Darren Bordelon.

Evangeline Parish Police Jury Meeting Feb 7, 2022 The Evangeline Parish Police Jury Monday voted to continue meeting and negotiating with Sheriff Charles Guillory on a plan to construct a new parish jail. Sheriff Charles Guillory showed a proposed sketch of the new jail complex. The sheriff had been meeting with the president and vice president of the jury along with the secretary treasurer. He proposes to build a 32,000 square foot, 200 bed jail that will cost $14 million dollars to be constructed at the Ward One Industrial Park. The plan calls for the parish to contribute 6 million dollars and the sheriff will come up with the rest of the funding. The sheriff said "We need to build a new jail. Let's not put a band aid on an old building". The police jury is looking at coming up with their share of the money from federal funds from the A.R.P. program and from funds from the re-dedication of taxes from the Health Unit and the Parish Library. The re-dedication will be decided by parish voters in March. It will take about two years to construct. In the meantime, the sheriff offered to help pay the costs for inmates that are housed in out of parish facilities that has been an extreme burden to the police jury. The sheriff stated the industrial park is the perfect location because it has all of the utilities and the land is owned by the police jury. In other business, the police jury received a report on operations at Crooked Creek Park. During 2021, the park grossed $460,000 and had a total of 4200 campers. Among the upcoming events planned at the park are: On Feb. 12, the Acosta Foundation will have a 5K Color Run for the Heart Association, Memorial Day weekend, Horace Trahan will perform and July 4, Ashton Dupre will be the featured performer. The police jury, in other action, --approved a plan offered by Sheriff Guillory to maintain the courthouse grounds, the police jury office grounds, health unit as well as five parish cemeteries using inmate labor at a cost of $800 a month with the parish providing the necessary equipment. --received a hint from Jury Secretary Treasurer Donald Bergeron that he will soon have exciting news in connection with the parish broadband application for the parish; --will be calling a public hearing soon to get public comment on a proposal to merge the Lone Pine Fire District and the Ward Five Fire District; --received news from Jury President Bryan Vidrine that there is a number of investors that are starting Solar Panel Farms in the parish. He said one person is leasing 1000 acres for their project; --referred to their legal advisor a proposal to enter into a lease agreement with E.P.A.R (Every Paw Animal Rescue) to lease property for the construction of an animal control shelter east of Ville Platte; --received news from Section 8 Director, Anna Frank that her agency has 176 families in the program with 81 applicants on the waiting list;