W hen-from the Teche News files
50 Years Ago August 20, 1975
The last of the holdouts in the doomed Bayou Benoit community agreed to move their homes and camps after Judge Robert Johnson handed down an eviction order in 16th Judicial District Court in St. Martinville Mondav.
Lawrence Melancon of St. Martinville was selected Grand Duke and represented St. Martin Parish at the annual Sugar Cane Festival in New Iberia.
Mike Comb of Breaux Bridge Sr. High received the 4-H Sugar Cane Production Trophy for 1974 from Dr. Denver Loupe, Plant Science Division Leader at LSU during the annual Sugar Cane Field Day held at St. John.
The Breaux Bridge City Council, at their regular monthly meeting, accepted an application from Acadian Ambulance Service, Inc. for a permit to operate an ambulance service within the city.
St. Martinville Police Chief O’Neil Tyler and Judy Resweber of St. Martinville won first place trophies at the First Jerry Lewis Celebrity Bowling Tournament in New Iberia. Approximately 20 other celebrities from St. Martin and surrounding parishes competed.
Plain Box winners of the annual Chariot Parade held in St. Martinville were Dru Duplantis, first; Becky Landry, second; Tricia Latiolais, third; and Bridget and Stephanie Blanchard, fourth.
40 Years Ago August 21, 1985
Light crop damage, mauled trees and extensive power outages were the main problems experienced in St. Martin Parish when Hurricane Danny swept in from the Gulf through central Louisiana.
Cheryl Trahan of Breaux Bridge was crowned Miss St. Martin. Lori Watkins of St. Martinville was first maid; and Dawn Hulin of St. Martinville was second maid.
Breaux Bridge Officials received word that the city had been selected as a site for a “model town study”.
A cutback in funds forced the closure of the Breaux Bride campus of the Evangeline Vocational- Technical School.
St. Martinville Mayor Earl Willis and the Rev. Jean-Marie Jammes, pastor of St. Martin de Tours Church cut the ribbon at the grand opening of le Petit Paris Musee Saturday.
25 Years Ago August 23, 2000
Work was under way on the construction of a front gallery for the Old Opera House on St. Martinville’s Main Street, part of a $544,350 restoration project on the historic structure. The building originally had a gallery along both the front and north side, but it was removed in the early 1900s.
The City of St. Martinville received an “Honorable Mention” from the Louisiana Municipal Association for its work during the Congrés Mondial, which centered on the family reunions of dozens of families of Acadian descent.
The St. Bernard cheerleading squad attended the Southwestern Cheerleading Association Camp at ULL where they competed in several cheer and spirit events and brought home three superior ribbons, three spirit sticks and each girl received an individual superior ribbon. The squad also received a trophy for the most improved squad in the junior division. Members were Leah Domingues, Michelyn Bernard, Maggie Durio, Hannah Blanchard, Lail deLaunay and Amanda Landry.
10 Years Ago August 19, 2015
Sections of 20-inch pipe lay strung out the parish along a neatly manicured right-of-way, awaiting a crew from WHC Energy Services, Lafayette, to construct the 270-mile Aegis pipeline from Texas to the Mississippi River. The pipeline would carry 425,000 barrels a day of ethane, a natural gas liquid widely used in plasics and pharmaceuticals.
Local band Nik-L-Beer was inducted into the St. Martinville Pepper Festival Hall of Fame. Accepting the award were band members Terry Guidry, Teddy Hebert, George Thomas, Kim Leleux, Jody Castille, Jimmy Higginbotham and Mike MaGee.
