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VINCENT 'VINCE' ANTHONY LISTI

Tue, 01/11/2022 - 12:26pm

October 27, 1938 ~ January 6, 2022
Abbeville — A Mass of Christian Burial was held at 11:00 AM on Monday, January 10, 2022 at St. Mary Magdalen Catholic Church honoring the life of Vincent Anthony Listi, 83, who died Thursday, January 6, 2022 at his residence. He was laid to rest at St. Mary Magdalen Cemetery with Reverend Louis J. Richard officiating the services. Pallbearers were John Listi, Billy Noegel, Dominic Listi, William Noegel, Jacob Noegel, Seth Noegel, Joshua Listi and Austin Macicek.
Vince was a faithful servant of God. Born and raised in Morgan City, LA, along with his three siblings. Vince attended Sacred Heart School, then continued his undergraduate studies at LSU, and later earned his Master’s of Education from USL. Among other careers, Vince taught and coached at Sacred Heart in Morgan City and Vermilion Catholic here in Abbeville where he met and fell in love with his wife of 52 years, Kay Piazza. Later he would found and operate the Christian Service Center. He adored and attentively cared for his 5 children and 18 grandchildren. He loved Vermilion Catholic athletics and LSU football, and of course, his beloved Family Life Community. Vince had intense passion for the Lord. His life’s mission was to love his family, lead them to Jesus and spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ. The ripples of his impact will be felt in the Kingdom of God for generations.
He is survived by his wife of 52 years, Kathryn “Kay” Piazza Listi; two sons, John Listi and wife, Carrie of Abbeville, and Dominic Listi and wife, Shilpa of Abbeville; three daughters, Andrea Noegel and husband, Billy of Abbeville, Kathryn Macicek and husband, Eric of Lafayette, and Elizabeth “Lizzi” Prather and husband, Scott of Lafayette; eighteen grandchildren, William, Maria, Jacob and Seth Noegel, Joshua, Abigail, Olivia, Emily-Claire and John-David Listi, Katelyn, Dominic Vincent “Nico” Listi, Austin, Ava, Jack and Cruz Macicek, Calloway, Lucy and Marian Prather; and sister, Annie Keton of Morgan City.
He was preceded in death by his parents, Vincent “Charlie” Listi and the former Lucy Dimicelli; brother, Gerry Listi; and sister, Rose Lipari.
The family requested that visiting hours be observed at Vincent Funeral Home - Abbeville, 209 S. St. Charles St., on Sunday, January 9, 2022 from 4:00 PM until 9:00 PM with a rosary being prayed at 7:00 PM; Monday, January 10, 2022 from 8:30 AM until 10:45 AM when the procession departed for the church.
Condolences may be sent to the family at www.vincentfuneralhome.net.
All funeral arrangements were conducted by Vincent Funeral Home of Abbeville, (337) 893-4661.

Manuel named to general counsel, human resources post at M C Bank

Tue, 01/11/2022 - 12:20pm

Christopher LeBato, M C Bank CEO, said “I am thrilled to announce that Maria Manuel is officially part of our leadership team and will serve as our General Counsel and Chief Human Resources Officer. Her unique blend of legal and human resources experience along with her passion for helping others will play a key role in growing our community bank.”

Manuel comes to M C BANK from IBERIABANK/First Horizon, where she served for seven years, first as Regional Director of Human Resources and then as Director of Associate Relations. Manuel graduated from the University of Southwestern Louisiana (now the University of Louisiana), and she then furthered her education at LSU, Paul M. Hebert Law Center where she received her Juris Doctorate and graduated with honors.

Prior to entering the banking industry, she practiced law for 18 years at the Onebane Law Firm in Lafayette. Manuel is a member of the Louisiana State Bar Association (LSBA). Manuel is also a member of the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) and is a SHRM - Senior Certified Professional. She has held leadership positions in community and professional organizations, including as Past State Director of the Louisiana Society for Human Resource Management, Past President of the Acadiana Society for Human Resource Management, Past Chair of the Labor and Employment Law Section of the LSBA, and as a current member of the Women’s Leadership Council of the United Way.

Manuel said, “I am excited to work with a team that truly values each other and the communities we serve. I trust that our organization is built on a strong foundation of integrity and commitment to our communities, clients, and each other. I look forward to working with a team that will maintain its focus on both integrity and community as M C Bank evolves and grows at this critical time in the banking industry.”

Election dates for upcoming ballot

Tue, 01/11/2022 - 10:10am

Election dates for the 2022 spring elections will be March 26 for the primary and April 30 for the general.
On the ballot are City of Franklin Mayor and Council, Patterson Council member, special election for an unexpired term, and School Board Member, Dist. 2, for an unexpired term.
Qualifying dates are Jan. 26, 27 and 28, at the Clerk of Courts office, second floor of the St. Mary Parish Courthouse, from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., including the noon hour.
Fees for “no party” candidates are $75 except for school board, which is $115. Registered Democrats’ fees are $150 for Franklin and Patterson and $230 for school board. For registered Republicans, fees are $150 for Franklin and Patterson, and $230 for school board.
Candidate must provide proof of identity in the form of a valid Louisiana driver’s license or identification card issued by the Louisiana Office of Motor Vehicles.
All qualifiers must pay fees in cash, certified check, cashier’s check, or money orders. Person checks are not accepted.

Franklin Area Convocation of Pastors made a donation

Tue, 01/11/2022 - 10:08am

The Franklin Area Convocation of Pastors made a donation to the City of Franklin Crime Stoppers Fund recently.
In the wake of the murder of Rock Jones, the Franklin Area Convocation of Pastors began meeting every first Thursday in the Council Chambers in City Hall to discuss and address the senseless gun violence that the city was seeing at the time.
These Pastors along with others mentioned in the video, have joined together to make a donation to the City of Franklin Crime Stoppers Fund in an effort to help offer more reward money to help bring in leads to secure an arrest and conviction to those that commit crimes in our area. These Pastors locked arm in arm are committed along with their congregations to help keep the community a safe and peaceful one.
The effort is to not add anymore victim names to the Historic Downtown Franklin Pocket Park Fountain Memorial for Victims of Gun Violence.

“Historic Preservation Toolkit Meeting Series” Traveling Louisiana Communities in 2022 January 13

Tue, 01/11/2022 - 10:07am

If you are interested in fixing up or restoring a historic building in your community, an upcoming meeting will provide you with many of the answers you need to get started.
The Louisiana Trust for Historic Preservation (LTHP) is hitting the road to meet with Louisianans to share resources and tools to help educate the public on how to best save historic places in their backyard.
LTHP staff and partners from the LA Division of Historic Preservation have organized 9 in-person meetings (plus one virtual) in various regions of the state to connect with fellow preservationists and community leaders to attend. Topics will include establishing historic landmark designations, tax credits, funding programs, easement protection process, and other advocacy programs that are available in Louisiana.
The meetings will also have open discussion to learn about the challenges and successes related to historic preservation in each of the regions.
All meetings are open to the public and run from 5:30 to 7:00. Registration is appreciated and can be completed at www.lthp.org/events. Those located in south-central coastal parishes are encouraged to attend the meeting in Franklin on Thursday Jan. 13 at the Teche Theater.

St. Mary Parish Fair and Livestock Show

Tue, 01/11/2022 - 10:05am

The 2022 St. Mary Parish Livestock Show will be held Friday, Jan. 14 through Saturday, Jan. 15.
All animals may arrive after 3 p.m.
Show times are:
—Rabbits 10 a.m.
—Poultry 10 a.m.
—Cattle 10 a.m. (Cattle Showmanship will follow)
—Goats 11:30 a.m. or immediately after the cattle show.
—Goat Showmanship
—Swine 1 p.m. or immediately following the conclusion of the goat and sheep show.
—Swine Showmanship
Sale of animals will follow after completion of the show if anyone is interested in selling. All animals are to be taken out of the barn after the show.

Parish Council will look at drainage district expansion, change in leadership rules

Mon, 01/10/2022 - 5:20pm

Staff Report

A controversial ordinance expanding the drainage district serving Morgan City and Amelia is back on the St. Mary Parish Council agenda for its first meeting of 2022. Two public hearings will precede the regular meeting, including one on a proposed charter amendment that would open the council leadership to any of the 11 members.
The council will meet at 6 p.m. Wednesday at the Parish Courthouse in Franklin. The two public hearings are set for 5:45 p.m. and 5:50 pm.
A 2020 consolidation merged the drainage districts serving Morgan City and Amelia into Consolidated Gravity Drainage District 2A. An ordinance proposed by Councilman Patrick Hebert would expand the district to include Avoca Island and Bateman Island, more notable for commercial property holdings and swampy land than for residential development.
At the Dec. 17 council meeting, Morgan City Mayor Lee Dragna said it would be “absurd” to tax swampland for drainage. Hebert said the two islands are in other special-purpose districts and that taxing that property would lead to a lower property tax rate for people who live in the district’s current boundaries.
If the proposal is introduced, it would be the subject of a public hearing and a passage vote at least 20 days after introduction.
An accompanying resolution proposed by Hebert would express the council’s intention to expand the district. Voter approval of the expansion would be required if the amendment passes.
Also Thursday, the 5:50 p.m. public hearing will offer a chance to comment on a proposed charter amendment by Councilman Craig Mathews, which if passed by the council and voters would allow any member of the Parish Council to be chairman or vice chairman.
The council is composed of 11 members, eight elected from geographic districts and three elected at large by voters parishwide. The charter limits the chairmanship, currently held by Dean Adams of Morgan City, and vice chairmanship, held now by Gwendolyn Hidalgo of Bayou Vista, to members elected at large.
Matthews, of Jeanerette, and Councilman J Ina of Franklin have spoken against limiting the leadership to at-large members.
Also on Wednesday’s agenda:
—A 5:45 p.m. public hearing, that will be followed at the regular meeting by passage votes on ordinances that authorize Parish President David Hanagriff to execute an agreement with the St. Mary Parish Levee District for a drainage servitude in connection with the Yokely Levee project; remove stop signs from Jupiter Street at the Jupiter-Columbus intersection in Bayou Vista; establish a four-way stop sign at the intersection of Saturn Road and Universe Road and establish stop signs only on Saturn Road at its intersection with Universe Street, also in Bayou Vista; establishing a three-way stop at Barrow and Tommie streets in Amelia; and establishing a three-way stop sign at the intersection of Barrow and Arnold streets in Amelia.
Hidalgo also hopes to introduce an ordinance that would prevent an ordinance from coming back before the council for at least 120 days after the ordinance fails.

195 new COVID cases, one death in St. Mary

Mon, 01/10/2022 - 4:05pm

The state Office of Public Health reported 195 new COVID-19 cases in St. Mary and one COVID-related death for the period from midday Friday to midday Monday.

The new St. Mary cases raise the pandemic total into five figures at 10,144. The fatality raised St. Mary's pandemic death toll to 234.

Statewide, 29,019 new cases were reported for the weekend, along with 19 deaths.

The number of COVID-positive people in Louisiana hospitals was at 1,794 Monday, up 273 since Friday.

Morgan City will host meeting on possible estuarine reserve

Mon, 01/10/2022 - 3:25pm

Local people can take part either online or in person in a Morgan City town hall meeting about a possible national estuarine research reserve site in St. Mary Parish, according to LSU’s SeaGrant organization.

The LaNERR Site Development Committee will host a series of town hall meetings to provide information on three possible sites: Atchafalaya Basin, Barataria Basin and Pontchartrain Basin. Three town hall meetings (virtual and hybrid) have been organized for each site. Webinar links are included on this story at StMaryNow.com

The Morgan City meeting will be 6-8 p.m. Feb. 8 at Morgan City Municipal Auditorium.

Virtual meetings are strictly online. Hybrid town hall meetings, like the one in Morgan City, can be attended either in-person or online. Registration is required for online participation.

According to SeaGrant. The National Estuarine Research Reserve System is a network of estuarine areas representative of the various biogeographic regions in the United States.

Reserves are established for long-term research, education, stewardship and interpretation to promote informed management of our nation’s estuaries and coastal habitats. A reserve represents a partnership between the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and coastal states. NOAA provides funding and national guidance, and each site is managed by a lead state agency with input from local partners.

Local supporters say the reserve can be on either private or public land, or a combination. Land use rules would continue as they are at any site selected for a reserve.

Online only virtual meetings are scheduled for: noon-2 p.m. Feb. 2 and Feb. 9 and 6-8 p.m. Feb. 9.

Virtual and in-person town halls are scheduled for:
—6-8 p.m. Feb. 1 at Southeastern Student Union Annex - Theater (2nd floor) in Hammond (parking at the corner of Ned McGehee Drive and North Oak Street)
—6-8 Feb. 3 at SUNO Auditorium of the Arts, Humanities, Social Sciences (AHSS) – 6400 Press Drive in New Orleans
—6-8 p.m. Feb. 7 at Lafitte Barataria Museum & Wetland Trace – 4917 City Park Drive in Lafitte
—6-8 p.m. Feb. 8 at Morgan City Municipal Auditorium.
—6-8 p.m. Feb. 10 at Sliman Theatre for the Performing Arts – 129 E. Main St. in New Iberia.

State has mortgage assistance program for those affected by COVID-19

Mon, 01/10/2022 - 3:04pm

Gov. John Bel Edwards has announced the launch of the Louisiana Homeowner Assistance Fund, a federally funded relief program for homeowners financially impacted by COVID-19 who are behind on their mortgages and at risk of foreclosure.

The program is funded through the American Rescue Plan Act, which provides $10 billion in federal relief for vulnerable homeowners. Louisiana is set to receive $146.7 million in funding to provide up to $25,000 per eligible homeowner.

The program is available statewide to homeowners experiencing financial hardship after Jan. 21, 2020, and earning less than 150 percent of the area median income or 100 percent of the national median income, whichever is greater, based on U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development income data. The Louisiana Office of Community Development is administering the program.

“We know that many Louisiana homeowners are struggling financially from the pandemic and, in many cases, have fallen behind on their mortgages and are facing foreclosure,” Gov. Edwards said. “This program provides an avenue for resources and assistance that has not been available before, and this is an important step to help ensure that low- and moderate-income homeowners and their families are able to stay in their homes. I encourage everyone who may be eligible to apply.”

Eligible homeowners include those who meet the following criteria:

--Own and occupy a home in Louisiana as their primary residence

--Meet income qualifications

--Experienced a financial hardship associated with the COVID-19 pandemic

The state will work closely with lenders and mortgage providers to ensure the availability of funds is communicated to homeowners who would benefit from the program.

To learn more about the program or to apply, visit https://haf.lacovidhousing.com or call 833-88-LAHAF.