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At the Acadian Companies virtual annual meeting in November, Executive Aircraft Charter Service Director of Maintenance Kent Sibille was recognized as the Air Services 2021 employee of the year.
He was presented with his award by Vice President of Air Services Michael Sonnier.
Sibille has been with Acadian since 2007 and has provided exceptional leadership to Executive Aircraft Charter Service. He brought 21 years of experience when he joined the company, and he provides a level of expertise that is unrivaled in the industry.
Sibille comes to work every day with a can-do attitude and is always looking to make the maintenance processes better.
Sibille goes the extra mile to make sure the company’s aircraft are as safe and efficient as possible. He is known to go above and beyond his duties. It’s not uncommon for him to come in post-flight and troubleshoot a problem to keep the aircraft ready for its next flight, or answer his phone in the middle of night and come in to facilitate a medical flight request.
“Working with Kent for as long as I have, he makes you want to work harder,” Sonnier said. “Everyone who has been around Kent knows that there isn’t a more deserving candidate.”
Acadian Air Med was founded in 1981 and currently operates a fleet of 12 medically configured helicopters and four fixed-wing aircraft from bases strategically located throughout Louisiana. They are accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Medical Transport Systems, the gold standard for air ambulance services in the United States.

Funeral services will be held at 2 p.m. Friday, Dec. 10, at Geesey-Ferguson Funeral Home Chapel for Drusilla Ann Chaisson Gauthreaux, 58, who passed away Tuesday, Dec. 7, 2021, in Crowley.
Rev. Gerard Morgan of Northside Assembly of God Church will be officiating for the services.
The family is requesting visiting hours to be held from 10 a.m. to the time of service at 2 p.m.
Interment will be in Old Crowley Cemetery.
She is survived by two children, Waylon Chaisson of Crowley, and Randy Chaisson and wife Candice of Morse; six siblings, Connie Simon of Crowley, JoJo Chaisson of Florida, Delilah Cormier and husband Elwood, Troy Chaisson and wife Alesha, Harold Breaux and wife Sue of Crowley, and Carolyn Istre and husband Robert of Crowley; eight grandchildren, Michael, Allen, Harley, Cameron, Jordan, Daylon, Saige and Annalia; and her former husband, Paul Gauthreaux of Estherwood.
Drusilla is preceded in death by an infant son; her parents, Enes “Bill” Chaisson and Elsie “Poochie” Welch; and two brothers, DaDa Welch, and Shane Chaisson.
Condolences may be sent to the family by www.geesey-ferguson.com.
Arrangements have been entrusted to Geesey-Ferguson Funeral Home of Crowley.

THE POST-SIGNAL / Saja Hoffpauir
Members of Crowley’s Citizens Against Blight (CAB) organization were on hand to address the Rotary Club of Crowley at its Tuesday, Dec. 7, meeting. The trio told the Rotarians of the organization’s efforts to eradicate blighted housing in the city of Crowley. Rotary President Melinda Malmay, far left, welcomed, from left, Tim Mader, Emily Stoma and Katie Alleman. Introducing the speakers was Rotarian Troy Breaux, far right.

Acadia Parish currently has about $1.6 million in “credit” through the state’s “right-sizing” program.
That money can be used to upgrade a parish-maintained road to state highway standards at no expense to the parish.
The catch, however, is that most parish roads are so far “below” state highway standards that the cost to upgrade severely limits the amount of roadway that can be considered.
Acadia Parish is considering asking the state Department of Transportation and Development to revert the right-sizing credit to cash and allow the police jury to decide what roads to repair.
The state currently owns over 27% of the public road mileage in Louisiana; the national average is approximately 19%. Only nine states own a higher percentage of public road miles than Louisiana and only 10 states have larger state highway systems.
The Road Transfer Program was established some years ago as a means to right-size the State Highway System to achieve the national average of 19% state ownership of public road mileage.
DOTD has identified about 5,000 miles of state roads that do not fit the state’s role in the highway network. The program involves transferring these roads, with the money to local governments.
Participation in the program is voluntary. Roads are repaired prior to transfer and the receiving local government is credited for 40 years of routine and capital maintenance which can be applied to any roadway capital projects.
Acadia Parish took advantage of the program early on and accepted Louisiana Highway 1112 into the parish system after repairs were completed by LDOTD.
“We have $1.6 million in credits, but they’re not real simple to use,” Karl Aucoin, parish road engineer, told the Road and Bridges Committee Tuesday night. “It’s going to take a lot of money to upgrade some of our parish roads to state highway standards.”
He added that a number of regulations are attached to the use of the credits.
Aucoin went on to say that some local entities have petitioned LDOTD to convert the credit to actual cash and allow them to decide where to use the funding and to what standard the road is to be upgraded.
On the recommendation of committee Chairman A.J. “Jay” Credeur, the police jury will consider similar action when it meets at 6 p.m. Tuesday