State News
State Police continuing enforcement assistance in St. Martinville
ST. MARTINVILLE – Troopers from Louisiana State Police Troop I will continue to aid city police in patrolling St. Martinville well into next month, said Mayor Thomas Nelson. Nelson said he request...
Jan 20, 2012 | 1 1 comments | 20 20 recommendations | email to a friend
full story
Woman pleads to federal marijuana charges
BREAUX BRIDGE – A Breaux Bridge woman has pleaded guilty to drug charges in federal court in Lafayette. Francis Eaglin, 42, was charged with one count for conspiracy to possess with intent to dist...
Jan 20, 2012 | 0 0 comments | 18 18 recommendations | email to a friend
full story
Grand jury indicts three teens in robbery-murder
ABBEVILLE – On Thursday, a special grand jury in the 15th Judicial Court indicted three teenagers arrested for allegedly beating to death a Vietnamese man in Abbeville last week. Facing life in pr...
Jan 20, 2012 | 0 0 comments | 17 17 recommendations | email to a friend
full story
State put $605 million in transportation projects in 2011
BATON ROUGE –– DOTD Secretary Sherri H. LeBas said the state invested over $605 million on transportation infrastructure projects during 2011, resulting in 338 projects that helped to improve ove...
Jan 19, 2012 | 0 0 comments | 32 32 recommendations | email to a friend
full story
Trials re-set for trio of accused kidnapper-rapists
VILLE PLATTE – Trials have again been re-scheduled for a trio accused of kidnapping a woman from a Eunice nightclub, raping her and dumping her in a ditch in rural Evangeline Parish. The incident o...
Jan 19, 2012 | 0 0 comments | 27 27 recommendations | email to a friend
full story
Jindal education plan jolts establishment
BATON ROUGE – Gov. Bobby Jindal’s agenda for overhauling Louisiana public education rubs the establishment the wrong way. Jindal on Tuesday unveiled a plan that would revise teacher tenure laws, gr...
Jan 18, 2012 | 0 0 comments | 32 32 recommendations | email to a friend
full story
Teen trio allegedly beats man for less than $100, leaves him dying in street
ABBEVILLE – Three Abbeville teenagers face the death penalty for allegedly robbing and killing a Vietnamese for less than $100. The juveniles, whose names are withheld, were arrested and charged wi...
Jan 17, 2012 | 0 0 comments | 32 32 recommendations | email to a friend
full story
Privates go public, official wants to ban wearing PJ bottoms outside home
SHREVEPORT – Call them leisure wear if you like, but Caddo Parish Commissioner Michael Williams knows pajamas when he sees them, and one place he doesn’t want to see them is at Walmart or other pub...
Jan 13, 2012 | 1 1 comments | 36 36 recommendations | email to a friend
full story
<strong>By: MICHAEL BORDELON
News Editor</strong>

Rice farmers throughout the parish are busy and they are beginning to harvest their rice crop, which is good news for them since rice prices are at record levels and will help to offset the escalating costs they face.<!--break-->

The current world market price is at a very good $27-28 per barrel (one barrel is 162 pounds), according to LSU AgCenter Extension Office’s Keith Fontenot, county agent.

While $28 per barrel is as high as the price has ever been, Fontenot said farmers are facing the highest operation costs they have ever encountered. Expenses per acre are climbing ever higher, with some reaching well over $700 per acre. Fontenot said with the increase in diesel and fertilizer costs farmers are still feeling the pinch, even with record prices per barrel.

 He stated last year, $19 was a very good price, and in the last two to three years, he has seen farmers sell rice at $12, $14 and $16 per barrel. While it may not be the highest price ever, it is a welcome relief for our local rice farmers. As recent as 2002, the price was as low as $6.10 per barrel.

Fontenot said many farmers are beginning to plant hybrid rice as it has been doing pretty well in this parish. He said approximately 18-20 percent of the rice grown in Evangeline Parish last year was hybrid rice, and that number is expected to be much higher this year.

Fontenot also wanted to make motorists aware of farm equipment as farmers begin harvesting.

“Be cautious on the road,” he said. “There are big pieces of equipment that will be moving from field to field, especially as the harvest gets into full swing. Please have patience when you’re driving because these things don’t go 55 miles per hour and they are not very forgiving in a collision. Please be careful when passing.”
Rice crop sets record yield, sugar cane and sweet potato production dips
ALEXANDRIA – “Good weather conditions for the growing and harvest seasons helped rice to set a statewide record in 2011,” said Nathan Crisp, Director of the Louisiana Field Office of the USDA’s Nat...
Jan 12, 2012 | 0 0 comments | 30 30 recommendations | email to a friend
full story
From left: Dr. Mark Zappi, dean of College of Engineering; Brad Mosing, UL Lafayette President Dr. Joseph Savoie. Sitting: Donald Mosing.
Mosing donates $2.83 million to UL Lafayette College of Engineering
LAFAYETTE – A personal gift from Lafayette businessman Donald Mosing is the largest of its kind for UL Lafayette’s College of Engineering. Mosing, of Frank’s Casing Crew & Rental Tools, Inc., donat...
Jan 12, 2012 | 0 0 comments | 34 34 recommendations | email to a friend
full story
Traffic stop leads to discovery of 34 pounds of weed, arrest of three
BROUSSARD – State Police booked three persons, including a juvenile, after seizing 34 pounds of marijuana following a traffic stop Wednesday. Troopers stopped a pickup truck on U.S. 90 in early aft...
Jan 12, 2012 | 0 0 comments | 36 36 recommendations | email to a friend
full story
VP man dies in head-on crash
DURALDE – A vehicle hit a transport truck head-on Wednesday afternoon, killing the driver of the wayward vehicle. State Police said the crash happened on La. 103 west of La. 13. According to invest...
Jan 12, 2012 | 0 0 comments | 29 29 recommendations | email to a friend
full story
WEATHER



FEATURED BUSINESSES