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April 19, 1947 — October 23, 2024
Dr. Peter Michael Abel, M.D., 77, of Patterson, Louisiana, passed away on October 23, 2024.
Dr. Abel was born in Utica, New York, on April 19, 1947. He served in the United States Air Force at Eglin Air Force Base, Ft. Walton Beach, Florida. He received his undergraduate degree in exercised physiology from Florida State University. He earned his Masters and internal medical degrees from Virginia Commonwealth University/Medical College of Virginia. He performed his residency and a cardiology fellowship at the Ochsner Foundation Hospital in New Orleans.
He is survived by his wife of 32 years, Honorine Russo Abel; daughter Leah Wells (Johnny); sons William Abel (Marla) and Ashton Abel (Trisha and grandchildren Rivers and Luca Abel); step-daughter Victoria Guarisco Boagni (Tony and step grandchildren John Luke, Austin, and Mathew); step-sons Luke Guarisco (Lisa and step grandchildren Caitlin and Connor) and Jonathan Guarisco (and step grandchildren Jack and Joseph); and his siblings William “Bill” Abel (Joan), Suzanne Abel, Dorene Langston, and Lilly Duda.
He is preceded in death by his parents William and Doris Breton Abel.
Dr. Abel leaves a legacy of family and medicine. He loved his family, his work family at Prevention Plus clinics, and his patients. Beyond that, he enjoyed meaningful friendships and golf.
A memorial mass will be held at St. Stephen Catholic Church, Berwick, Louisiana on November 4, 2024 with visitation from 12:00 to 2:00 p.m. and mass at 2:00 p.m. Reception to follow at the Petroleum Club.
The family would like to give a special thanks to the VAD team at Ochsner Hospital for their wonderful care and friendship.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the American Society for Preventative Cardiology.

(Editor's note: The St. Mary Excel citizens group submitted this report on its activities from July through September.)
St. Mary Excel continues to implement recommendations of the Urban Land Institute (ULI) panel, “Morgan City and Berwick Louisiana: Building the Foundation for a New Economy Along the Atchafalaya River.” Download the report through a link on this story at StMaryNow.com.
St Mary Excel :
—Hosted a Local Interest Group meeting on Sept. 20. At the meeting, we used questions to process the recent hurricane but focused on the ULI recommendation of a resilience lab for our area. “Resilience” is a way that communities anticipate, prepare, and from storm, water, and economic events. Hurricane Francine presented a current reminder to focus on this need. The Water Institute will lead a panel of stakeholders and experts in setting the lab’s mission, objectives, and activities.
See https://youtu.be/U5ABaTFDLPU?si=n6II5-jYrAkkAA8y for the resilience lab planning discussion. A federal grant appeal has been submitted to fund the lab.
See also the second half of the Local Interest Group meeting. The second part focused on making state level funding appeals for area infrastructure and projects. It will be posted on the St. Mary Excel YouTube page.
—Awaited a grant appeal for funding activities of a resilience lab.
—Received notice that the Friends of the Atchafalaya National Estuarine Research Reserve (ANERR) nonprofit is established. The organization will work with ANERR staff to sustain activities of the ANERR. The ANERR remains part of CPRA’s coastal master plan. NOAA and CPRA continue to work on the draft environmental impact statement and management plan with LUMCON as the lead state agency for ANERR management.
—Submitted a grant application to a private foundation to fund a neighborhood culture display for highlighting revitalization in one of the subdivision areas, the Coal Chute.
—Met with CPRA board chairman Gordy Dove and executive director Glenn Ledet to share the work that has been done to detail a coastal studies residential high school similar to theschool in Natchitoches.
—Continue inquiries to the LADOTD in a town hall meeting with state Rep. Beryl Amedee into current awarded bike/hiking trail grants:
1) placing pedestrian head crossings on three intersections identified as dangerous; 2) and placing trails from downtown Morgan City to South Louisiana Community College.

An agriculture expert says this year’s Louisiana sugar cane crop had great growing conditions although Hurricane Francine’s strong winds damaged some crops, the American Sugar Cane League said.
An estimated 2 million tons of sugar is expected to be produced from this year’s crops. “Acreage increased again in 2024 and was reported at just over 536,000 acres by the USDA Farm Service Agency,” said LSU AgCenter Sugar cane Production Specialist Kenneth Gravois.
Gravois said crops had “nearly ideal growing conditions” despite the northern part of the state having dryness over the summer. He said the crop had more rainfall compared to 2023 when the state experienced an extreme drought.
Sugar cane crops didn’t go without having some challenges from the weather. Gravois said Hurricane Francine affected sugar cane growing in southeastern-most parishes. Damage to crops included crops falling over and some root breakage causing some leaves to die, which Gravois said negatively affects sucrose accumulation in the stalks.
“Sugar recovery in these areas is below normal. Cane tonnage per acre of production is good, which can offset some sugar recovery losses,” said Gravois.
Jim Simon, the general manager of the American Sugar Cane League, said sugar producers and processors still expect to have a good harvest season with strong production while some parts of the state are feeling the effects of Francine.
The sugar cane harvest season started on Sept. 16 and should end by early to mid-January. Gravois said crops are harvested and processed seven days a week during this time because of the threat of freezes in the colder part of the year.
He explained that freezes can cause juice from the stalk to deteriorate and once that happens, raw sugar factories can no longer produce sugar.
Gravois said the state’s sugar cane crop will be worth around $1.5 billion at the farm and raw sugar factory level.
According to the American Sugar Cane League, Louisiana is the oldest and most historic sugar-producing place in the U.S.

U.S. Rep. Clay Higgins, who represents St. Mary Parish in Congress, introduced legislation that would redirect funding earmarked for Ukraine to Federal Emergency Management Agency assistance to Americans affected by natural disasters.
A press release from the office of Higgins, R-Lafayette, said his legislation would direct unobligated dollars from the Economic Support Fund, a part of the April 2024 Ukraine supplemental funding package, to FEMA’s Disaster Relief Fund and “offer critical recovery help for Americans impacted by natural disasters,” he said in a press release.
In April 2024, the Economic Support Fund was appropriated for an additional $8 billion for budget support. According to the Government Accountability Office, most of this funding was used to reimburse the government of Ukraine for expenses such as salaries for teachers, civil servants and health care workers.
“I work for the American citizenry, not Ukraine,” Higgins said. “The federal government has appropriated more than $174 billion to Ukraine while American citizens are struggling. Our nation is crippled with debt, and yet the Biden-Harris administration continues to prioritize spending for foreign interests.
"My legislation ensures that we are meeting disaster recovery needs and putting America and American citizens first.”
FEMA and Ukraine aid have been linked since former President Donald Trump that the Biden administration had raided FEMA disaster aid funds to support Ukraine in its fight against the Russian invasion.
The Biden administration denied the charge. On Tuesday, FEMA said it has distributed $1.2 billion in assistance to people who sustained damage from hurricanes Helene and Milton.