State

Pauline Toussaint, of the Evangeline Parish Media Center, was honored as a state finalist for outstanding school support employee of the year. (Photo courtesy of Louisiana Department of Education)

Pauline Toussaint, of the Evangeline Parish Media Center, was honored as a state finalist for outstanding school support employee of the year. (Photo courtesy of Louisiana Department of Education)

Well centered

By: TONY MARKS Editor The Louisiana Department of Education (LDOE), on Tuesday, June 3, recognized outstanding education professionals from across the state who help create the conditions for student success.
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Jobless rates are up, workforce steady in April

Tri-Parish unemployment rates in April were up and the workforce was nearly unchanged compared to a year ago, according to the Louisiana Workforce Commission. The total workforce count in April was 68,046, up 210 or 0.3% from the April 2024 total for St. Landry, Acadia and Evangeline parishes.
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Louisiana’s Annual Free Fishing Weekend to be held June 7-8

By: RENE LEBRETON LDWF The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF) invites you to take part in its annual Free Fishing Weekend on Saturday, June 7, and Sunday, June 8.
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LSUA celebrates its largest class ever with 628 Spring graduates

ALEXANDRIA - Louisiana State University of Alexandria (LSUA) celebrated its largest graduating class to date, conferring degrees to 628 graduates at the spring commencement ceremony held Thursday at the Laborde Earles Coliseum.
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The 2025 hurricane season is here

By: V. TODD MILLER LSU AgCenter BATON ROUGE — Hurricane season is once again upon us, and the LSU AgCenter has recommendations to mitigate potential danger and losses to yards, homes and animals as well as tips for keeping food and cleaning supplies on hand.
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Governor signs insurance premium package

By: ANNA PULEO LSU Manship School News Service (Editor’s Note: The comments from State Senator Heather Cloud were added by Ville Platte Gazette editor Tony Marks.) BATON ROUGE–Gov.
PPHS GRADUATE SHARES FUTURE PLANS - During the May 27. meeting of the Ville Platte Rotary Club, Grace Holsomback, a 2025 graduate of Pine Prairie High School, discussed her hobbies and future plans with the club. Shown, from left, are Rotarian Jimmy LeBlanc, Grace Holsomback, Grace’s mother Lori Holsomback and Rotary President Bob Manuel. (Gazette photo by Heather Bogard)

PPHS GRADUATE SHARES FUTURE PLANS - During the May 27. meeting of the Ville Platte Rotary Club, Grace Holsomback, a 2025 graduate of Pine Prairie High School, discussed her hobbies and future plans with the club. Shown, from left, are Rotarian Jimmy LeBlanc, Grace Holsomback, Grace’s mother Lori Holsomback and Rotary President Bob Manuel. (Gazette photo by Heather Bogard)

Ville Platte Rotary: Holsomback shares future goals as she prepares for conventions

By: HEATHER BOGARD Associate Editor Rotarian Jimmy LeBlanc invited recent Pine Prairie High School graduate Grace Holsomback to share her future plans during the May 27, meeting of the Ville Platte Rotary Club.
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McNeese names President’s Honor List, honor roll for spring semester

LAKE CHARLES - The President’s Honor List for the spring 2025 semester at McNeese State University has been announced. To be on the President’s Honor List, an undergraduate student must earn at least a 3.5 GPA or better while carrying at least 15 semester hours.
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Pine Prairie Energy Center taps enormous energy resource

Eunice native and petroleum engineer Andre Aguillard is working at the Pine Prairie Energy Center where natural gas formed over millions of years is mined from a salt dome. The Williams Company site is an underground storage facility for gas. “They do all these processes. They drill for it.