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Funeral services will be held for Mrs. Gail Poche Lippman on Saturday, March 12, 2022 at 11:00 AM in Martin & Castille’s La Fleur de Lis Chapel in Lafayette. Gail was 84 when she went to heaven to join her husband on Tuesday, March 8, 2022 at her residence in Lafayette.
The family requests that visitation be observed in Martin & Castille’s SOUTHSIDE location, 600 E. Farrel Rd., Lafayette, LA 70508, on Saturday, March 12, 2022 from 9:00 AM until time of services at 11:00.
A Rosary will be prayed on Saturday, March 12, 2022 at 10:30 AM in Martin & Castille Funeral Home.
Entombment will be held in Lafayette Memorial Park Cemetery Mausoleum.
Reverend Monsignor Richard Greene will conduct the funeral services.
Survivors include her three children, Beth Lippman Busbice and her husband, Bill, David Lippman and his wife, Angie, and Karen Lippman Schneider; her nine grandchildren, Ryan Busbice and his wife, Laura, Matthew Busbice, Sarah Busbice Dickerson and her husband, Jesse, Michelle Lippman Boudreaux and her husband, Josh, Andree Lippman Sonnier and her husband, Jeremy, Kelli Lippman Schwartz and her husband, Jordan, Michael Lippman, Ashleigh Schneider Darnall and her husband, Michael, and William Schneider and his fiancé, Alexis Partridge; ten great-grandchildren; brother, Richard Poche; sister Ellen Poche Rea; brother-in-law, Darryl Lippman and his wife, Lynn; her sister-in-law, Tanya Lippman Murray and numerous nieces and nephews.
She was preceded in death by her beloved husband of 60 years, Alfred Sol Lippman; her grandson, Jason Busbice; her parents, Joseph and Emmadel Dumesnil Poche, brother-in-law, Don M. Rea and her sister-in-law, Charlene Poche.
A loyal and devoted wife, mother, grandmother, sister, aunt, and friend, Gail found strength in the love of her family and friends. Her journey began in her beloved City of New Orleans. Her days spent riding her bike to City Park and riding the streetcar as a young girl were recounted fondly and often. She graduated from Lafayette High School after moving to Lafayette in her senior year. Wearing a yellow sweater, she caught the eye of Al in the student Union at SLI (UL Lafayette). They married and lived in Berwick, Louisiana for 40 years. Gail cherished those years raising her family and being an active member of the community. With a fierce love, she devoted herself to the love of her life, Al.
Gail and Al received the 2017 Leaders in Philanthropy Award for their leadership and devotion throughout St. Mary Parish and Acadiana. She served on the St. Mary Parish Arts and Humanities Council and was co-chair on the executive board of the Everett Berry Lighthouse Parks and Museum.
To her grandchildren, Mimi’s kitchen was a place that nourished the body and the soul. Snapping beans and learning to cook her delicious recipes and the importance of the southern cooking trinity being the key to a good meal. Cooking together meant great conversations about life with words of wisdom for young minds. She shared her love of politics but did not let politics get in the way of family.
Her children and grandchildren were her pride and joy. Gail could be found sitting on the floor playing with little ones, and bath times were special as she bundled them up in a cozy towel, squeezed them tight exclaiming “warm, warm, warm, Mimi!”
A gifted needle pointer, she spent years sewing love into heirloom Christmas stockings for her grandchildren.
Travels to destinations near and far, created lasting memories of adventures filled with fun and love. Cocodrie fishing trips were a favorite pastime, and her great appreciation for nature inspired her heart as she peered into the mountains of Wyoming calling it God’s Cathedral.
Her battle with cancer inspired hope and faith as her unending strength, courage and wisdom shined bright. She beautifully accepted God’s journey and handled it with grace. In the midst of her suffering, she cared for her family and shared the depth of her gratitude for her beautiful life and those she loved. Surrounded by family, she was lifted to heaven in the palm of His hand.
Pallbearers will be Ryan Busbice, Matthew Busbice, William Schneider, Michael Lippman, Jesse Dickerson, Josh Boudreaux and Michael Darnall.
Honorary Pallbearers will be Richard Poche, Bill Busbice, Duaine Demny and Darryl Lippman.
In lieu of flowers memorial contributions can be made to the Alfred S. Lippman Scholarship Fund at St. Stanislaus, 304 South Beach Blvd., Bay St. Louis, MS. 39520.
View the obituary and guestbook online at www.mourning.com
Martin & Castille-SOUTHSIDE-600 E. Farrel Rd., Lafayette, LA 70508, 337-984-2811

BATON ROUGE – Gov. John Bel Edwards on Wednesday vetoed maps that did little to change the boundaries of Louisiana’s congressional districts, citing the failure to add a second majority Black district.
The map passed by the Legislature also divided St. Mary between the 3rd Congressional District in the west and the 6th District in the east.
“I have vetoed the proposed congressional map drawn by Louisiana’s Legislature because it does not include a second majority African American district, despite Black voters making up almost a third of Louisianans per the latest U.S. Census data,” Edwards said.
“This map is simply not fair to the people of Louisiana and does not meet the standards set forth in the federal Voting Rights Act,” he added.
Louisiana has six congressional districts, but they are drawn in such a way that a Black candidate could win in only one of them.
Edwards, a Democrat, asked the Republican-led Legislature to immediately begin work on a new map that includes a second majority Black district.
The governor signed off on new maps for the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education and the Public Service Commission, saying he believes they provide fairer representation.
Despite the lack of additional majority minority districts in maps for the state House and Senate, Edwards said that he will allow the maps to become law without his approval.
Sen. Sharon Hewitt, R-Slidell and chair of the Senate committee that oversees re-districting, disagreed with the governor’s assessment.
She indicated that Republican lawmakers will see if they can muster the two-thirds votes in each chamber needed to override his veto.
“I am disappointed in the Governor’s decision to veto the congressional map & am confident that the map the legislature passed meets the requirements of the Voting Rights Act,” Hewitt tweeted. “I look forward to the debate on a veto override.”
Rep. Tanner Magee, R-Houma, the second-ranking legislator in the House, said that House leadership had not yet made a plan for addressing the veto. Magee said lead-ership would likely discuss the matter Thursday.

Louisiana Attorney General Jeff Landry is calling out President Joe Biden over domestic energy policy after the president’s decision to ban Russian oil and gas imports in opposition to the war in Ukraine.

Landry is leading several legal challenges to Biden administration policies, including moving liquefied natural gas, the social cost of greenhouse gas emissions and offshore oil and gas leases, and now he is urging the president to reconsider what the attorney general describes as “Joe Biden’s war on American energy.”

“While Vladimir Putin’s war in Ukraine presses on, so does Joe Biden’s war on American energy; and the American people are footing the bill with a crippled economy, destroyed livelihoods, and threatened national security,” Landry said Tuesday in a statement. “Now more than ever before, we must fully open up domestic energy production – especially in the Gulf of Mexico.”

Landry said Biden administration policies have increased energy costs for Americans since he took office, and he warned the situation only will get worse without an abrupt change.

Landry led a coalition of 25 attorneys general who sent a letter to Tristan Brown, the acting administrator of the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA), last month outlining opposition to a proposed rule by the Biden administration to suspend authorization to transport liquefied natural gas by rail tank cars.

The letter came about two weeks after a federal court granted Landry’s request for a preliminary injunction to halt Biden Executive Order 13990, which tasked federal agencies with factoring in the social cost of carbon for virtually all federal actions.

Landry argued on behalf of 10 attorneys general that the executive order is a backdoor attempt to take over numerous industries, and Louisiana is particularly impacted because of the state’s leadership in domestic energy production.

Landry also led a successful challenge to overturn Biden’s attempt to suspend sales of oil-and-gas leases when he took office, though a federal judge invalidated the largest offshore oil-and-gas lease sale in the nation’s history in late January. The sale, which started under the Trump administration, would have opened nearly 2,700 square miles to drilling.

“For too long, Joe Biden has recklessly abused his power to sabotage American energy independence – increasing the cost of living and making it harder for Americans to support their families,” Landry said Tuesday. "The pain at the pump has now reached all-time record highs, and cutting off Russian oil without increasing American energy will not reduce gas prices.”

“Within days of taking office, Joe Biden used his pen to halt federal lease-sales and obstruct permitting authority; illegally cancel the Keystone XL pipeline, a crucial piece to breaking our dependence on overseas oil, over the express direction of Congress; and revive the job-killing social cost of carbon scheme,” he said.

“I have matched Joe Biden’s egregious violations of the rule of law with an even greater force in support of the Constitution. I have led successful multi-state lawsuits against Biden and will continue to vigorously defend American families and businesses from further unconstitutional overreach.”

Landry is urging Biden to take action now to reduce the burden on Americans from the Russian oil-and-gas ban by increasing energy production at home, echoing similar sentiments from conservative lawmakers across the country.

“I call on the president to immediately choose reliable, affordable, and secure American fossil fuels,” he said.

(Editor’s note: The charges listed here and the narratives that go with them are provided by the police agencies that made the arrests. Guilt or innocence has not been determined in court.)

Morgan City police arrested a 19-year-old wanted in Berwick on cyberstalking and cyberbullying charges.

Berwick
Berwick Police Chief David Leonard Sr. reported these arrests:
—Ja’Khyri J. Carbin, 19, Canari Street, Morgan City, was arrested at 12:41 p.m. Wednesday on a Berwick Police Department warrant on charges of cyberstalking and cyberbullying.
On Wednesday, officers made contact with Carbin at the Morgan City Jail and placed him under arrest on the outstanding warrant for Berwick.
The warrant stemmed from an investigation dated July 11, in which the victim reported being harassed via social media.
Through investigative means, the suspect was identified as Carbin, and warrants were prepared for his arrest. Carbin was released on a summons to appear in court and he remained in custody of the Morgan City Police Department on unrelated charges.
—Niketa J. Fisher, 24, Meaux, was arrested 7:08 a.m. Tuesday on a Berwick Police Department warrant alleging theft of a motor vehicle (over $25,000).
On Tuesday, officers made contact with Fisher at the St. Tammany Parish Jail and placed her under arrest on the outstanding warrant for Berwick.
The warrant stemmed from an investigation involving a car stolen Feb. 7 on Nicklaus Street.
The victim reported his vehicle stolen and through that investigation, Fisher and Frederick Huguet were identified as the suspects. Warrants were prepared for both of their arrests.
On Friday, Fisher and Huguet were stopped in the stolen vehicle in Slidell and were both booked into the St. Tammany Parish Jail. Huguet remains in custody in St. Tammany on additional charges. Fisher was booked into the Berwick Jail, where she remains with bond being set at $10,000..
—Lydia Cruz, 36, First Street, Patterson, was arrested at 11:04 a.m. Wednesday on one Berwick Police Department warrant alleging possession of marijuana and possession of drug paraphernalia, and another warrant alleging possession of marijuana, illegal use of a controlled dangerous substance in the presence of a minor and violation of uniform controlled dangerous substance laws (drug-free zone).
On Wednesday, officers made contact with Cruz at the Morgan City Jail and placed her under arrest on the two outstanding warrants for Berwick.
The first warrant stemmed from an investigation dated Oct. 17, 2019, in which Cruz was found in possession of marijuana and drug paraphernalia inside her residence.
The second warrant stemmed from an investigation dated Dec. 7, 2019, in which Cruz was found to be in possession of marijuana at her residence.
During that incident, a juvenile was present at the house, and the house is located within 2,000 feet of a posted drug-free zone area. Cruz was arrested and released on a summons to appear in court.

Morgan City
Police Chief James F. Blair reported that the Morgan City Police Department responded to 48 calls for service over the last 24-hour reporting period and made these arrests:
—Ja’khyri Carbin, 19, Duke Street, Morgan City, was arrested at 11:15 a.m. Wednesday on a warrant alleging cyberstalking and three counts of obscenity.
—Timothy Gary Francis, 34, Idaho Street, Morgan City, was arrested at 9:54 p.m. Wednesday on charges of resisting an officer, improper lighting, no turn signal and three counts of child restraint required; on a 6th Ward Morgan City Court warrant alleging failure to appear; and on a 16th Judicial District Court warrant alleging failure to appear for trial.
—Junior Roy, 36, Fifth Street, Morgan City, was arrested at 8:58 p.m. Wednesday on charges of possession of marijuana, possession of drug paraphernalia, driving under suspension and no seat belt.

St. Mary
Sheriff Blaise Smith advised that over the last 24-hour reporting period, the Sheriff’s Office responded to 35 complaints and made these arrests:
—Mark Anthony Webb, 38, Franklin, was arrested at 10:45 p.m. Wednesday on a warrant alleging failure to register as sex offender or child predator. Bail has not been set.
—Jasmiera Sade Jack, 22, Franklin, was arrested at 10:45 p.m. Wednesday on two warrants alleging failure to appear on the charges of aggravated battery and simple battery. Bail has not been set.
—Tasha Lynn Boudreaux, 40, Berwick, was arrested at 7:56 p.m. Wednesday on charges of traffic control signals and possession of marijuana. Boudreaux was released on a summons to appear June 15.
—Frederick S. Risener, 57, Houma, was arrested at 10:40 p.m. Wednesday on a charge of reckless operation (no accident). Risener was released on a summons to appear June 15.
—Kirby Obrian Batiste, 37, Jeanerette, was arrested at 2:13 a.m. Thursday on a charge of driving under suspension. Batiste was released on a summons to appear June 15.
—Kendrick Demarcus Hines, 33, Jeanerette, was arrested at 2:44 a.m. Thursday on charges of turning movements and signals required, no insurance and driver must be licensed, and on a warrant alleging failure to appear on a charge of possession of marijuana or synthetic cannabinoids.
Bail has not been set.

Patterson
Police Chief Garrett Grogan reported these arrests:
—Eddie B. Norman Jr., 43, Polaris Street, Bayou Vista, was arrested at 8:27 a.m Monday on charges of purse-snatching, battery of a dating partner, possession of marijuana and possession of drug proceeds.
No bond was set.
—Keon Carbin, 18, Marie Street, Patterson, was arrested at 11:23 p.m. Wednesday on charges of speeding 70 mph in a 55 mph zone and no driver’s lincense.
Carbin was issued a summons. Bond was set at $473.

Franklin
Police Chief Morris Beverly reported that the Franklin Police Department responded to nine complaints over the past 24-hour reporting period and made this arrest:
—Deontay Jones, 25, Taft Street, Patterson, was arrested at 11:01 p.m. Wednesday on a warrant for the Lafourche Parish Sheriff’s Office alleging failure to appear on the charges of contempt of court, careless operation of a motor vehicle and driving under suspension.
Jones was additionally charged on a Patterson Police Department warrant alleging failure to appear on the charges of failure to carry registration, suspended driver’s license and expired license plate.
Jones was booked, processed, and transported to the Patterson Police Department.