Opelousas News

Sgt. Maj. Tommy Caillier, the Louisiana National Guard's top enlisted adviser, has been fired for alleged sexual harassment.

State Sen. Elbert Guillory of Opelousas, most recently elected in 2011, switched from the Democrat to Republican party.

A weekend accident has left an 11-year-old Opelousas girl critically injured. According to Trooper Stephen Hammons with State Police Troop I, the accident occurred at 10:22 p.m. Saturday near Kings Truck Stop on U.S. 190 between Port Barre and Opelousas.

Friday is the longest day of the year, and volunteers will use that extra daylight to take on community improvement projects throughout St. Landry Parish as part of the St. Landry-Evangeline United Way's "Make a Difference Day."

<![CDATA[American Bank & Trust Co. has announced six new appointments in executive leadership: * Elaine Diesi has been appointed assistant vice president. She also serves as a director of the bank and of the bank's holding company, and she is the manager of the bank's south branch in Opelousas. She is the secretary and treasurer of both Little Capital of Louisiana, Inc., and Diesi Development Corp. She is also a member of the board of directors of ICONS Food Bank. Diesi is a graduate of Opelousas Catholic School and attended Northwestern State University and the University of Louisiana at Lafayette. She also has participated in numerous education programs related to her banking career. * Salvador "Sal" Diesi Jr. has been appointed business development officer. Diesi's more than 29 years of banking experience began at American Bank & Trust Co. during his college years before he graduated from Louisiana State University with a degree in business finance. After earning his master's in business administration from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, he worked in health care administration before joining his family business to assist with expansion. He has operated his own business since 1993. He rejoined the American Bank & Trust Co. in April 2008 and has been charged with business development for the bank. * Stephanie A. Haynes has been appointed assistant vice president. Haynes has been employed with the bank for 22 years, and she has been head teller and security officer since 1996. Haynes is a graduate of Opelousas High School and T.H. Harris Vocational School, and she attended the University of Louisiana at Lafayette. * Cindy Allemond Pefferkorn has been promoted to assistant vice president, accounting officer and secretary. Pefferkorn has been in banking for 29 years, during which she has taken various banking courses with the American Institute of Banking and attended various human resource seminars. She serves the bank in many capacities, including human resources, various accounting duties, wire transfers and stock, and as secretary for the board. * Lindsey Howard Pitre has been named consumer-mortgage lender in Opelousas. Pitre is a native of Opelousas and has been employed with American Bank since January 2009. She received her associate degree in administrative management from Louisiana State University-Eunice. * Valerie Mouton Thibeaux has been named assistant vice president and loan department manager in Opelousas. In her new position, she will manage the loan processing functions and loan operations of the bank. A native of Carencro, Thibeaux joined the bank in February 2009. Thibeaux earned her bachelor's in mass communications and studies in finance from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette. She has more than 10 years of banking experience. Principal and architect Chad Abell of Abell + Crozier + Davis Architects announced the hiring of Kaitlin Gammill as the firm's new office manager. Gammill, a native of Alexandria who has been living in Lafayette for three years, joins the architecture firm with a bachelor's degree in business administration from the LSU Alexandria campus. Lafayette Regional Airport's Michael Burrows has been elected president of the Louisiana Airport Managers and Associates. Over the next two years, Burrows will lead the organization in providing a forum for the exchange of management ideas among airport managers, promoting aviation and airport interests, and fostering the development of education programs and scholarships for aviation students. Burrows has been deputy director of aviation at Lafayette Regional Airport since April 2008, after joining the airport as an operations specialist in 2002. He holds a bachelor's in aviation management from Louisiana Tech and is a certified member of the American Association of Airport Executives. He is also a private pilot. Acadian Ambulance recognized two medics, Nicholas Tourney and Krystal Rodriguez, for their work ethic and dedication to their jobs. Tourney was a finalist for Acadian's 2013 Paramedic of the Year, and Rodriguez was a finalist for EMT of the Year. Tourney and Rodriguez were nominated by their fellow medics to represent Acadian's Hub City operations, which include Lafayette, Vermilion, St. Martin, St. Landry and Iberia parishes. Tourney has been with Acadian Ambulance for more than a decade and obtained his paramedic certification through Acadian's National EMS Academy division. Rodriguez has been with Acadian Ambulance for five years and received her certification from NEMSA as well. She also has a bachelor's in biology from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette. Pellerin Energy Group, an integrated service provider for the oil and gas industry, has named Edward "Ed" Godeaux general manager of its water solutions business unit. Godeaux joins PEG with more than 18 years of oil and gas experience, specifically in water treatment. He was previously employed at Siemens, where he served as a project manager, technical director and, ultimately, general manager. His responsibilities include supervision of the design and execution of the produced water systems and equipment, project management, customer relations and global business development. Coast Capital Mortgage, the Lafayette-based mortgage company specializing in first-time home buyers, recently added Renee Box to its team of loan officers. Box is a Lafayette native and graduate of the University of Louisiana at Lafayette. She has previous experience in business, marketing and education. She will team with Louise Logan, an industry veteran and Coast Capital Mortgage loan officer since 2000. Lafayette based lease-acquisition and land-management software company iLandMan has promoted developer Ben Bingham to director of research and development. Raised in West Monroe, Bingham has more than 15 years of programming experience, with 10 years in enterprise-level applications. He has been with iLandMan since 2005. Previously, Bingham worked as senior software engineer for National Oilwell Varco, John Chance and MD Totco, pioneering developmental best-practices and streamlining productivity for all three companies.

Rev. Justin Arockiasamy, SVD officiated the ceremony. The bride is the daughter of the late Mr. & Mrs. Amos Gallow of Opelousas.

Father's Day is a holiday remembered by fathers across the United States, but for Brian LaCombe this year's special day is a double celebration.

As the summer heats up, air conditioner units begin to work harder to keep homes cool.

For Christine Fontenot Lynn and Patricia Fontenot, the celebration never ends. Lynn was the first baby delivered at Women's & Children's Hospital on June 6, 30 years ago; Fontenot, her mother, was the first patient and made the first delivery.

Members of Kountry Bunnies, an organization whose Memorial Day weekend trail-riding event was halted for fear of violence, on Friday prepared to host hundreds of people for a three-day party expected to include up to 400 horse riders Sunday on a five-mile jaunt.

For more information, call 212-6075. Faith House, a local women's shelter for victims of domestic violence, will host "Junk in Your Trunk," a community-wide garage sale Saturday from 6 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Cajun Field in Lafayette.

An Opelousas man has been arrested in connection with a counterfeiting ring that is alleged to have defrauded citizens across the country out of millions of dollars.

About 40 teachers from across the state learned about forestry during a three-day tour of Central Louisiana public lands and industries.

The Opelousas City Council will research which city employees are legally entitled to a cost-of-living raise before resuming discussion on suspending those raises for the next fiscal year.

The event is a one-stop shop for students, who will be able to apply for admissions, to be advised on which classes to schedule, to apply for financial aid and to meet with members of the faculty and staff.

1 loaf French bread 1 8-ounce package of Swiss cheese slices 1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened 1/4 cup finely chopped onion 1 tablespoon poppy seeds 4 slices uncooked bacon, cut into small pieces * Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

A new centralized headquarters for the sheriff's office is taking shape in Opelousas and a donation from the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Western District of Louisiana is making that move a little less costly.

Court Appointed Special Advocates of St. Landry will host its fourth annual CASA Kids Benefit Brunch Thursday with food, entertainment and education.

Lafayette's latest new restaurant is old and new at the same time. Vermilion House Bistro is the lifelong dream of two friends, Joseph Speyrer and Justin Menard.

A new name and logo are in the works for the St. Landry Economic and Industrial Development District.