The spanking-new Catahoula Multipurpose Building in the Clayton Boudreaux Memorial Park was used for the first time this past weekend when the community held its annual St. Rita’s Church Fair. The 3,700 sq.ft. facility was built by Bienvenu Construction of Duson at a cost of $450,000.(Karl Jeter)
The state Department of Transportation and Development announced last week that LA 92-1/Smede Hwy between La. 31/Main Hwy and LA 347/Cemetery Hwy south of St. Martinville will be closed to traffic on Monday, May 7 at 6 a.m. until Sunday, Sept. 2, weather permitting. DOTD officials say the closure is necessary to construct the eastern portion of the new roundabout intersection project on LA 31.(background).(Sally Angelle)
NEW SYSTEM – Making use of the new plasma display screens that are part of recent upgrades to the Carroll J. Fuselier meeting room, Todd Vincent, engineer for Sellers and Associates, updates the St. Martin Parish Council about the firm’s study of a planned deepening project at Catahoula Lake. Silting has made the lake a choke point, limiting storm water drainage. (Karl Jeter)
If all goes as planned, dredging of the badly-silted Catahoula Lake could begin as soon as September 2019.
The silting, caused by sluggish water flow, has reduced portions of Catahoula Lake to little more than a narrow channel between sand bars. That is causing a choke point that is limiting the ability of the lake to accommodate high volumes of storm water.
A proposal introduced at the April 17 St. Martin Parish Council meeting would allow the Henderson/Nina water system to provide water to the Butte LaRose community.
The move would involve abolishing Water District 5, which was set up in 1998 to provide safe water to families in the Butte LaRose area. Deposits to help finance a water system were collected but nearly 20 years later there is still no system. Residents rely on well water that has been determined to be contaminated.
Construction of the controversial 153-mile Bayou Bridge pipeline between Lake Charles and St. James is underway across the southern part of Upper St. Martin Parish. Crews have installed board roads (above) along the route that stretches east toward the Atchafalaya Basin. The pipeline passes just south of St. Martinville and north of Coteau Holmes before reaching the levee.
(Karl Jeter)
P.O. Box 69
St. Martinville, LA 70582
Phone: 337-394-6232
Fax: 337-394-7511