Fmr. trooper hired as training officer for VPPD

Retired Louisiana State Trooper Willie Williams has been hired to train Ville Platte police as was reported by Mayor Jennifer Vidrine. “He will be a tremendous asset,” said Vidrine, welcoming him to the city. “I am very, very excited about having retired State Trooper Willie Williams on our staff. I think that’s just great. Merry Christmas, City of Ville Platte PD and residents.”
It was also announced the police will be receiving their new tasers soon, and Williams is developing a Taser policy all officers will have to sign and abide by.
Councilwoman Faye Lemoine was also named Mayor Pro Tempore at Tuesday’s Ville Platte City Council meeting. When a mayor is absent due to travel or illness, the mayor pro tempore assumes the responsibilities of the mayor.
Vidrine reminded everyone of the free COVID-19 testing performed every Tuesday and Thursday at Evangeline Family Medicine at 505 East Lincoln Road from 8:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. “COVID-19 is running rampant through the city and through the parish. Our numbers are up. They’re way up.” She asked for prayers for those who have passed from COVID and those hospitalized with it. “It’s still killing people. We’re going into flu season. December and January is anticipated to be very bad as far as the virus is concerned.” She asked for businesses to enforce the mask mandate with employees and customers because she is getting calls with complaints about businesses not following the state mandate. “As bad as this thing is, people are taking it lightly. You may recover from the virus, but a lot of the people you infect may not recover. Please keep that in mind.”
It was also announced the city has acquired two new dump trailers, and street department employees are up to 21, just four short of the goal of 25. On January 1, the city will be divided into four zones and each zone will have its own cleaning crew. Vidrine said there were 12 street department employees who were out with COVID and are just now returning. Currently, there are four employees out with COVID, and that has slowed the city down somewhat. The streetsweeper has been repaired and the operator is reading the manual and practicing, then the sweeper will be back in action.
Councilman Bryant Riggs asked about the low interest rate on bonds the city took out to fix the water lines and asked to see if they can refinance the bonds to save some interest. Vidrine said that would be a question for city attorney Eric LaFleur, who was not present at the meeting. Riggs also stressed there is an upsurge in COVID cases, saying, “We have to be diligent and do what we have to do to try to stop this thing.” He asked everyone to be patient. “I’m trying to get back to a normal life, and I’m willing to sacrifice what I’ve got to sacrifice to get back to that.” He asked people to help each other in order to have a better life next year.
New Fire Chief Chris Soileau asked residents to remember to ensure they have working smoke detectors near their sleeping areas and use safety with space heaters. He said to keep heaters at least three feet away from anything that is flammable or combustible, including pets. He also said electric heaters are not designed to be used with extension cords or power strips. He stressed smoke detectors are key, and carbon monoxide detectors are invaluable if you have a gas heater. Also, batteries should be changed twice a year; Soileau recommends changing detector batteries when the time changes. If anyone needs help installing their detectors, they can call the fire department at 337-363-7478. They will send someone to handle it.
Riggs said with the holidays approaching, fireworks are popular this time of year. He asked Soileau for safety advice. Soileau said fireworks should be used by adults only, make sure children are in a safe place, do not light them near your home or a neighbor’s residence. He also said fireworks and alcohol consumption do not mix well, and suggested wetting down fireworks with a garden hose before disposing of them.
Also at the meeting, Juneteenth Day was officially added as a holiday to be observed by the city. The holiday, which is observed on June 19, marks the remembrance of when slaves were emancipated in 1865. Juneteenth is currently recognized by 47 states and the District of Columbia as a state holiday or observance.
Vidrine congratulated Nicole Latour Snoddy for winning the runoff race for City Marshal. Her office will take effect January 1. Vidrine further announced the city just cut the ribbon for the new AT&T cell tower, located behind Walmart, which is providing high-speed internet. She thanked AT&T for their commitment and investment into the community and also announced Universal Communications is another company working to provide internet services.
Mayor Vidrine wished everyone a safe and Merry Christmas. The Christmas lights are up around town, and the park and City Hall are decorated. “We know with COVID everything is limited this year, but we did want to have some semblance of Christmas and the Christmas spirit,” she said. “Hopefully 2020 is coming to an end and we can go into 2021 with a more positive outlook. In 2021 you will see things happening. We have to remember we’ve been in COVID for nine months and that slowed some things down. Come 2021 we’re going to hit it with a bang. People will start seeing progress. They will see things move, and they will see tangible things happen.”