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Irby Joseph Leger

Funeral services will be held Saturday, March 30, at 10 a.m. in the Chapel of Geesey-Ferguson Funeral Home for Irby Joseph Leger, 76, who died Saturday, March 23, 2019, at 3:40 a.m. surrounded by his loving family.
Irby was raised in Rayne and lived his adult life in Crowley. He had a lifelong love of music, mostly known for his guitar playing and singing.
He married Florence Hoffpauir and they raised three boys of their own. Irby worked offshore in the oil and gas industry for over 26 years, at which time he took an early retirement to care for Florence in her time of sickness. After her death in 2001, Irby picked up the guitar again and started playing in bands and jam sessions all around south Louisiana and south Texas, as well as began riding motorcycles once again.
He met Stephanie Domingue Bertrand in 2006 and they have been happily married since July of 2007. Stephanie cared for Irby at home since his diagnosis of Alzheimer’s in 2015.
He will be missed by his friends and family.
Deacon Tom Sommers will officiate for the services.
The family requests visiting hours Friday from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. and Saturday from 8 a.m. to service time.
Burial will be in Woodlawn Cemetery.
Mr. Leger is survived by his wife of 11 years, Stephanie Domingue Leger of Crowley; three sons, Troy Leger and Grace of Lafayette, Michael Leger of Miami, Florida, and Daniel Leger and wife Cynthia of Crowley; one brother, Lawrence Leger of Lafayette; one step-daughter, Jesi Broussard of Murrieta, California; two step sons, Craig Bertrand and wife Tammy of Crowley, and Michael Bertrand and wife Stephanie of Fayetteville, Arkansas; three grandchildren, Brittany Paquette of Milton, Florida, Phillip Leger of Broussard and Rebecca Leger of Crowley; three great-grandchildren and eight step-grandchildren.
He was preceded in death by his first wife, Florence Hoffpauir Leger; his parents, Harold and Sadie Guidry Leger; and one brother, Shelton Leger.
Pallbearers will be Troy Leger, Daniel Leger, Lawrence Leger, Phillip Leger, Craig Bertrand and Michael Bertrand.
Honorary pallbearers will be Pat Leger, Harry Young and Ray Aucoin.
The family wishes to thank Hope Hospice for their compassion and care of Mr. Irby this past year.
Words of comfort may be sent to the family at www.geesey-ferguson.com
Arrangements have been entrusted to Geesey-Ferguson Funeral Home, 301 N. Avenue F, Crowley, 337-783-3313.

Morrish among LWF conservation effort honorees

Katherine Gividen, current president and a founding member of the Louisiana Master Naturalists of Greater Baton Rouge (LMNGBR), has been ...

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UPDATE: Crowley police investigating shooting with injuries

Occurred W. 5th St.

UPDATE: The victim has succumbed to his injuries.

The Crowley Police Dept. is investigating a shooting that resulted in injury to one victim.
According to Chief Jimmy Broussard, a CPD officer on patrol happened to be in the immediate vicinity of the shooting - on W. Fifth St. - at the time it occurred, approximately 7:24 p.m.
Reports from witnesses indicate that the male victim was outdoors when a vehicle came upon the scene and that more than one shooter emerged from the vehicle and began firing.
Multiple rifle casings were found on West Fifth between Avenues A and B.
The victim was transported via helicopter to a regional hospital.
Police have possible suspects and are searching for them at this time but would ask for anyone with any information to call 783-1234 or CrimeStoppers at 337-789-TIPS.

City welcomes Cleanest City district judges; awaiting results

RAYNE - Another Cleanest City district title was sought on Tuesday as the city of Rayne welcomed district judges during the 2019 Cleanest City Contest held by the Louisiana Garden Club Federation.
Judges and District Chairman Edith Hayes of Sulphur were welcomed at City Hall by Mayor Charles “Chuck” Robichaux and Rayne Garden Club Chairman Lisa Soileaux, sponsors of the annual event.
Judges for the district judging were Germaine Daigle, Bridget Schlamp and Joanne Dugas, all of Sulphur, who were entertained by members of the Rayne Garden Club, city hall employees and a number of city officials following their tour of the city.
Following a tour of the city for the anticipated judging, the judges and guests enjoyed a light lunch; after which, Robichaux presented each judge and chairman a special goody bag from the city.
Following his introduction of guests and city officials, Robichaux thanked everyone “for their help for the contest, in addition to the public’s year-round help in keeping our city clean and well-kept.”
District judging was scheduled to conclude Wednesday, with results to be received later in the week.

Rayne Frog Festival committee releases 2019 schedule of events

Mark calendar for fun and "froggy" events

RAYNE - As the weeks turn into days, the Is have been dotted and the Ts crossed for the official schedule for the 2019 Rayne Frog Festival as announced by Frog Festival Chairman Jeremy Lavergne.
Following this weekend’s Frog Festival queen’s pageants and Tadpole Contest, the following events have been finalized for Frog Festival Week:
Monday, May 6 - Frog Festival Blood Drive at 2:30 p.m. at the Rayne Chamber of Commerce.
Wednesday, May 8 - gates open at 5 p.m. for Carnival Family Night with free admission ($20 POP).
Thursday, May 9 - Paint the Town Green judging at 9 a.m. of businesses, schools and residents; at 5 p.m. gates open along with carnival and vendors; 6:30 p.m. kick off Frog Festival Parade downtown; 7:30 p.m. opening ceremony on main stage, Paint the Town Green winners, Kids Coloring Contest and Parade Contests; 8 p.m. entertainment by Nik-L-Beer Band on main stage.
Friday, May 10 - at 5 p.m. gates open along with carnival and vendors; 5:30 p.m. National Anthem by Dylan Broussard; 6 p.m. entertainment by Geno Delafose & French Rockin’ Boogie on main stage; 6:30 p.m. Waltz Dance Contest on main stage; 8:30 p.m. entertainment by national recording artist T. Graham Brown on main stage; 10:30 p.m. entertainment by Krossfyre on main stage;
Saturday, May 11 - Gates open at 8:30 a.m.; set up for Frog Cook-Off; vendors open at 9 a.m. when the Diaper Derby will be held on Stage 2 by the Rayne Jaycees; 9:30 a.m. introduction of Frog Festival royalty and visiting queens on Stage 2; 10 a.m. Frog Derby Queens Contest on Stage 2 by Rayne Lions Club; 10 a.m. Frog Festival Golf Tournament by Cajun Pines in Branch; 11 a.m. carnival opens while the “Froggie Fashion” Dress Contest will be held on Stage 2 and the Petting Zoo in the Kids Area; 11:30 a.m. will see the Frog Leg Etiquette Eating Contest on Stage 2 by the City of Rayne.
The afternoon events will begin at noon as young talent will be presented by the Acadiana School of Arts and Mouton’s Music on the main stage while Frog Cook-Off sampling begins.
The traditional and much anticipated Frog Racing and Jumping Contest will be held at noon on Stage 2 by the Rayne Jaycees and Rayne Acadian-Tribune, followed by the awarding of winners of the Frog Cook-Off and Beer Purchasing Contest on the main stage at 2:30 p.m.
Keith Frank & the Zydeco Band will perform on the main stage at 3 p.m. for the Zydeco Dance Contest, while the annual Frog Leg Eating Contest will be held on stage 2 at 4:30 p.m.
At 4:15 p.m. prior to the musical finale of the festival, introductions of the new Frog Festival royalty will be held on the main stage.
Musical entertainment concluding the 2019 Frog Festival will be Swamp Pop featuring Warren Storm, Willie T and T.K. Hulin at 4:30 p.m. on the main stage, Country Roundup featuring Kip Sonnier, Jeff Dugan and Tony Bruce at 6:30 p.m. on the main stage, Grammy Award Winner Wayne Toups and Zydecajun on the main stage at 8:30 p.m., and Category 6 will wrap things up with a 10:30 p.m. performance on the main stage.
The annual Arts and Crafts Show at the Rayne Civic Center will again be hosted by the Rayne Beautification Board on Friday, May 10 (5 - 9 p.m.) and Saturday, May 11 (8 a.m. - 9 p.m.).
Gate admission to the festival will be as follows: Wednesday, May 8, free admission; Thursday, May 9, adults $1, children (12 years and under) free; Friday, May 10, adult $10, children (12 years and under) free; Saturday, May 11, adults $10, children (12 years and under) free.

Mayor speaks to St. Martinville City Council

Shares recent programs implemented in Rayne

Mayor Charles “Chuck” Robichaux was a special guest of the St. Martinville City Council for their March meeting. As a LMA/LaMats Board member, Robichaux was invited to share with the Council and citizens the programs implemented in Rayne and how those programs could benefit other cities throughout the state. Following the meeting, Council members and citizens, alike, thanked Robichaux in sharing those ideas and noted that it was uncommon to see other communities help each other in this day and age.

Rayne native propels submarine legacy into the future

KINGS BAY, Ga. – As citizens of Rayne go about their daily lives, members of the U.S. Navy’s “Silent Service” work beneath the ocean’s waves, continuing a tradition that only a small fraction of military members will ever know: strategic deterrence.
Petty Officer 1st Class Cory Arabie who hails from Rayne, Louisiana and is a 2007 graduate of Rayne High School takes on the task to execute one of the Defense Department’s most important mission of strategic deterrence.
Arabie is a missile technician stationed at the Naval Submarine Base Kings Bay, homeport to the Ohio-class ballistic-missile and guided-missile submarines. Arabie works at the Trident Training Facility.
“Naval Submarine Base Kings Bay is home to all East Coast Ohio-class submarines,” said Rear Adm. Jeff Jablon, commander, Submarine Group 10. “Team Kings Bay ensures our crews are combat ready when called upon, putting our submarine forces on scene, unseen.”
“As a missile tech I am in charge of maintenance on the trident D5 weapon system,” Arabie said.
Cory credits continued success in the Navy to many of the lessons learned in Rayne.
“I learned about a strong work ethic from my hometown,” Arabie said. “I rise early and work until the job is done.”
The Navy’s ballistic-missile submarines (SSBNs), often referred to as “boomers,” serve as a strategic deterrent by providing an undetectable platform for submarine-launched ballistic missiles, according to Jablon. They are designed specifically for stealth, extended patrols and the precise delivery of missiles if directed by the President. The Ohio-class design allows the submarines to operate for 15 or more years between major overhauls. On average, the submarines spend 77 days at sea followed by 35 days in-port for maintenance.
Guided-missile submarines (SSGNs) provide the Navy with unprecedented strike and special operation mission capabilities from a stealthy, clandestine platform, according to Jablon. Armed with tactical missiles and equipped with superior communications capabilities, SSGNs are capable of directly supporting combatant commander’s strike and Special Operations Forces (SOF) requirements. The Navy’s four guided-missile submarines, each displace 18,750 tons submerged. Each SSGN is capable of carrying 154 Tomahawk cruise missiles, plus a complement of heavyweight torpedoes to be fired through four torpedo tubes.
The first submarine was invented by Yale graduate, David Bushnell, in 1775 and provided the colonists with a secret weapon in the form of a one-man wooden craft in an experimental submarine that was nicknamed the Turtle.
Although Bushnell’s efforts were unsuccessful in attempts to blow up British vessels during the American Revolution George Washington said of the Turtle, “I then thought, and still think, that it was an effort of genius.”
U.S. submarines may not be what some have imagined. Measuring 560 feet long, 42-feet wide and weighing more than 16,500 tons, a nuclear-powered propulsion system helps push the ship through the water at more than 20 knots (23 mph).
Because of the demanding environment aboard submarines, personnel are accepted only after rigorous testing, according to Navy officials. Submariners are some of the most highly-trained and skilled people in the Navy. Regardless of their specialty, everyone has to learn how everything on the ship works and how to respond in emergencies to become “qualified in submarines” and earn the right to wear the coveted gold or silver dolphins on their uniform.
“I like this command because I am training the future Navy coming into the fleet,” Arabie said.
Serving in the Navy means Arabie is part of a world that is taking on new importance in America’s focus on rebuilding military readiness, strengthening alliances and reforming business practices in support of the National Defense Strategy.
A key element of the Navy the nation needs is tied to the fact that America is a maritime nation, and that the nation’s prosperity is tied to the ability to operate freely on the world’s oceans. More than 70 percent of the Earth’s surface is covered by water; 80 percent of the world’s population lives close to a coast; and 90 percent of all global trade by volume travels by sea.
“Our priorities center on people, capabilities and processes, and will be achieved by our focus on speed, value, results and partnerships,” said Secretary of the Navy Richard V. Spencer. “Readiness, lethality and modernization are the requirements driving these priorities.”
Though there are many ways for sailors to earn distinction in their command, community, and career, Arabie is most proud of the Navy wrestling team.
“I tried out and got to wrestled at Camp Lejeune for the Navy,” Arabie said.
As a member of one of the U.S. Navy’s most relied upon assets, Arabie and other sailors know they are part of a legacy that will last beyond their lifetimes providing the Navy the nation needs.
“Serving in the Navy is a responsibility and privilege of protecting our country,” Arabie said.

Patricia Anne Zaunbrecher

RAYNE - Funeral services were held Friday, March 22, 2019, at a 3 p.m. Mass of Christian Burial at St. Joseph Catholic Church in Rayne for Patricia Anne Zaunbrecher, 88, who died Tuesday, March 19, at The Ellington Nursing Home in Rayne.
Interment was in the St. Joseph Cemetery #1 in Rayne.
Rev. Kevin Bordelon, pastor of St. Joseph Catholic Church, was celebrant of the Funeral Mass and conducted the funeral services.
Survivors include three nephews, Karl Bailey of Lafayette, David Bailey of Natchitoches and Wallace Ousse of Frederick, Maryland; four nieces, Barbara Carpenter Miller of Rayne, Kathleen Bailey Burk of Pensacola, Florida, Helena Ousse Long of Kenner and Anne Ousse of Kaplan; five great-nieces, Teresa Bailey Day of Baton Rouge, Brianna Bailey Megee of Hot Springs Arkansas, Elizabeth Long Cormier of Lafayette, Stacy M. Miller of Rayne and Jennifer Ousse Seye of Baltimore, Maryland; and three great-nephews, Joseph Long of Kenner, Ryan L. Miller of Bossier City and Christopher Ousse of Frederick, Maryland.
She was preceded in death by her father, Karl Zaunbrecher Sr.; mother, Helena Frey Zaunbrecher; five sisters, Stephanie Zaunbrecher, Theresa Zaunbrecher Bailey, Eleanor Zaunbrecher Ousse, Julia Zaunbrecher and Louise Zaunbercher Carpenter; five brothers, John Zaunbrecher, Karl Zaunbrecher Jr., Hubert Zaunbrecher, Thomas Philip Zaunbrecher and Bernard Zaunbrecher; and a great nephew, David Karl Burk.
Ms. Zaunbrecher was a life long member of Rayne and was a school teacher with the Acadia Parish School Board teaching in Rayne until her retirement. She was a member of St. Joseph Catholic Church and a member of the Ladies Altar Society with St. Joseph and St. Leo Catholic Churches.
A Rosary was prayed Friday, March 22, at noon in Gossen Funeral Home in Rayne.
The family requested visitation be observed in Gossen Funeral Home in Rayne on Friday March 22, from 10 a.m. until 2:30 p.m.
The family would like to give a special thanks to Dr. D. Thomas Curtis, her long time caregivers Christine Breaux and Joella Lease for their compassion and kindness shown to her, and The Ellington Nursing Home Staff.
Friends may view the obituary and guestbook online at www.gossenfuneralhome.net.
Arrangements were entrusted to Gossen Funeral Home, Inc. of Rayne, (337) 334-3141.

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