Local

VVA president passes away

By: TONY MARKS Editor Joseph Durel “JD” Soileau, vice president of the Vietnam Veterans of America Louisiana State Chapter and as president of the Ville Platte Chapter 632, passed away on Friday, June 19, 2026, at the age of 76. Funeral services were held at 1:30 p.m.

Fontenot enters a plea of guilty in death of wife

By: TONY MARKS Editor Ray Charles Fontenot, on Monday, June 22, entered a plea of guilty to manslaughter in connection with the death of his wife, Brittany Guillory Fontenot in 2023.

Victim dies in two-vehicle crash

By: TONY MARKS Editor VILLE PLATTE – A two-vehicle crash on Louisiana Highway 167 near Ceeway Lane, in Bayou Chicot, claimed the life of 19-year-old Kyle Basco, of St. Landry. According to a press release from Louisiana State Police, troopers responded to the scene at approximately 2 p.m.

Fontenot is elected to third term as president

NEW ORLEANS--Richard Fontenot, a fourth-generation rice, soybean and crawfish farmer from Ville Platte, was reelected to serve his third term as president of Louisiana Farm Bureau at the 104th Annual Convention of the organization on June 21, 2026.

Ville Platte fugitive is arrested

CALCASIEU PARISH – On June 22, troopers with Louisiana State Police Troop D attempted to conduct a traffic stop on a silver Ram TRX traveling westbound on Interstate 10 just east of Lake Charles in Calcasieu Parish.

Early voting ends for runoff election

By: TONY MARKS Editor VILLE PLATTE – Early voting for the runoff election ended with 522 parish voters casting their ballots. Of the total, 387 were White, 128 were Black, 250 were male, 272 were female, 177 were Democrats, 293 were Republicans, 395 were in-person, and 127 were absentee.

EPSB selects Fontenot as superintendent

By a 7-5 vote, the Evangeline Parish School Board selected elementary supervisor Cherie Fontenot as the new superintendent. Full coverage will be in the Thursday, June 25, edition of the Ville Platte Gazette.

St. Landry Man Killed in Evangeline Parish Two-Vehicle Crash

Ville Platte – On June 22, 2026, at approximately 2:00 p.m., Troopers from Louisiana State Police Troop I responded to a two-vehicle fatal crash on Louisiana Highway 167 near Ceeway Lane in Evangeline Parish. The crash claimed the life of 19-year-old Kyle Basco of St Landry.

Moment found the man

By: JOHN MARCASE Written for the LSWA Thirty years after hitting the biggest home run in college baseball history, Warren Morris is still amazed at the impact.

Richard is charged with first degree rape

By: TONY MARKS Editor Bond is set at $1 million for a suspect charged with first-degree rape, according to a press release from the Evangeline Parish Sheriff’s Office.