2024: TOP 10 PARISH STORIES
BOBBY ARDOIN
Editor/Consulting Writer
Once again St. Landry Parish did not disappoint in generating another list of compelling news and sports stories during 2024.
Stories that created readership interest at all levels of government and high school sports were evident as parish residents responded to the critical issues and breaking news stories that impacted their lives.
As the only daily printed news source parishwide, St. Landry Now.com brought these stories, photos, photo galleries and more last year to a documented 10,000 website viewers and another 6,300 who elect to read selected posts on the website’s popular Facebook page.
The following list in order of importance, are the stories that the website staff thinks most concerned parish residents in 2024.
See if you agree with our choices.
- In November St. Landry Parish School Board officials received overwhelming parental reaction as the administration announced a proposed review of 34 public school sites with the eventual intention of closing some schools and consolidating others.
- Opelousas city officials in October introduced an overall municipal water improvement plan that requires a combination of state grant funding, $27.8 million in Department of Health and Hospital loans, new metering and slight water customer usage increases to pay for the proposal.
- The Opelousas Downtown Development District and the City of Opelousas indicated there are plans to continue moving forward and significantly fund a $7.94 city administration plan to renovate Donald Gardner Stadium.
- Opelousas police chief Graig LeBlanc was indicted in October by a St.. Landry Parish Grand Jury on several felony charges that include malfeasance in office in connection with a Dec. 22, 2023 shooting incident at the home of one of his officers.
- In May Opelousas Catholic baseball and girls’ softball programs captured state championships just weekends apart. It marked the first time at least during the modern parish sports eras that one school won state titles in different sports during the same athletic year.
- St. Landry Parish president Jessie Bellard and Sheriff Bobby Guidroz are scheduled to go to court sometime in 2025 after Bellard filed a lawsuit in December against Guidroz over the costs of housing state prisoners in the parish jail.
- Funeral services were held in Opelousas for former Opleousas police officer Segus Jolivette who was killed in the line of duty in August. A service at Our Savior’s Church was attended by an overflow crowd and received media attention nationally.
- Opelousas city officials for three months addressed the condition and potential demolition of two landmark properties in the downtown area. Much discussion centered around the possibility of razing a former 19th century business building on East Grolee Street and the Bordelon Motors property across from City Hall.
- A plan for constructing a new Civic Center facility in South City Park was announced in July by the Downtown Development District. The $2.98 million project might include the demolition of the former park pool at an additional $500,000 cost.
- (tie)Groundbreaking for a new $36 million Helix state charter school was held in August. The school, whose operation will proceed with assistance from parish school officials, is scheduled to open in 2025 for grades kindergarten through fifth grade.
(tie) In April former Opelousas Catholic football player Keon Coleman was drafted in the second round by the National Football League Buffalo Bills.
