Abbeville Meridional du lieu suivant : Abbeville, Louisiana • 1

POOM l23088 NEWS M1CP0 P0U6E LA 70S03, on Area teams prepare for 2nd week of action Incinerator, chemical spill cause concern See Page 2 Tropical Storm Flo slowly drifting north See Page 3 Meridional forecasters throw caution to winds See Page 7 See Page 6 Since 1856 the oldest continuous business in Vermilion Porish. Published five days weeK. Tucsdov thru Friday ond Sunday, Ons Section 10 Pages 132nd YEAR NO. 181 FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 9, 1988 25 CENTS Road crews may resume work today $381 ,000 added for repairs By BEN REED managing editor EM BAT W. TRIPLETS ARE SIX The Simon triplets (L-R), Michelle, Mandy and Mitchell, are ready for the fall football season.

The children celebrated their sixth birthday with their 11-year-old brother, Ryan, on Friday, Sept. 2 at the home of their parents, Ramo- na and Dwayne Simon of Abbeville. They are also enjoying the 1 st grade in Mrs. Karen Perkins' class at Meaux Elementary School, as part of the graduating class of the year 2000. (Meridional Photo by Vana J.

Plaisance) Summer rain ready to set all-time mark If you feel like it has been raining just about every other day for the past two you're right. Rainfall figures released this week indicate that this past July and August were the wettest ever for a two-month summer period in Vermilion Parish since records starting being kept 11 years ago. An average of 18.26 inches of rain fell across during those two months, nearly six inches more than the 11-year average of 12.59 inches. And despite the so-called spring drought, 1988 is on the verge of becoming the wettest year of the past 11. Vermilion is already 8.75 inches wetter than the normal eight-month total of 39.81 inches.

And this year-to-date total docs not include the more than three and a half inch parish average which fell this past weekend. Those Friday-Sunday rains totaled as much as 7.1 inches in Kaplan. The average rainfall for September is 4.44 inches. In August alone, at least two weeks worth of measurable rain delivered an average of 9.82 inches second greatest for that month since the 11 inch average in 1979 on Vermilion. However, Vermilion gave a new meaning to the word scattered thunderstorms in August And don't bother to ask Pecan Island residents how the weather has been.

Fifteen days of rain on the west end of Pecan Island delivered an incredible 1 9.67 inches in August alone an average of 1.3 inches per day of rai n. Tack on to this 8.7 inches in July and another 5.6 inches this past week and youll find the Islanders wallowing in 34 inches of rain since July. Meanwhile the Riceville community, located north of Gueydan, was relatively dry with only 5.4 inches. Thirteen days of rain soaked Abbeville with 10.98 inches. Tha following comparative figures were provided by Bonnie Broussard of the Vermilion Parish Mosquito Control District They reflect parlshwlde averages over the past 11 years vs.

actual 1988 rainfall averages. Month Norm '88 actual JAN 5.43 2.98 FEB 3.80 9.05 MAR 3.43 7.60 APR 3.24 3.58 Jurors clear Intracoastal woman killed husband in self-defense remedy will require the asphalt on the shoulders be torn up, the embankment stabilized with Portland cement, and then re-paved with a thinner asphalt layer. "The delay should not be too long. We need a weather break and if we get it, these repairs could be completed before the winter weather sets in," Vincent said. Colvin has estimated the work could be done in 30 working days.

Vincent added that once the new section is ready, two-way traffic will be diverted on to it from the existing U.S. 167 roadway. The old roadway will then undergo an extensive renovation process including the replacement of at least a dozen ditch crossovers and the removal of an old irrigation canal bridge just south of Maurice. The work order for the new road was signed on June 17, 1 985 with an estimated construction cost of $7,982,000. The latest repairs will bring the total to $8,363,000.

was given 500 working days (weather permitting) to complete construction, a time Vincent says is more than adequate for this type of project. Considering the weather over the past three years, however, Vincent estimates that while the project may not be on schedule, it is still within the allotted contract time. Annual soybean field tour slated at Lounsberry's The Sixth Annual Vermilion Parish Soybean Field Tour will be held Tuesday, Sept. 13, in Lake Arthur. Set to begin at 4 p.m.

on the Errol Lounsberry Farm near the Lake Arthur Bridge, the tour will entail a tour of field plots, followed by a meal and refreshments at the Farm. LSU Economist Dr. Danny Robertson will present a Soybean Market Outlook at 4 p.m. before the tour begins. For directions to the Farm or any other information, contact Terril Faul at the County Agent's 1 Office in Abbeville.

Construction work on the U.S. 167 four-laning project between Abbeville and Maurice could resume as early as today but no later than Monday morning, Walter Vincent said Thursday. The chief engineer of the state highway department Thursday approved, according to Vincent, a $381,000 change order on the now $8.3 million project. The contractor, Construction Co. of Broussard, has been ordered back on the job "immediately." "We're like everyone else, we're anxious to get something going again and you can be assured we will be pushing them (contractor) to get the work completed as soon as possible, and stay on it until its finished," said Vincent, the Lafayette District administrator for the state highway department.

While he would not venture an estimate as to how long it would be before the new road and existing road would be available for four-lane traffic, Vincent said late spring of 1 989 would be "very optimistic No work has been done on the project since at least mid July when serious faults were found with the shoulders of the nine-mile stretch. halted work and studies were immediately begun. When halted, the new road was within a few of weeks of being opened to two-way traffic. Tommy Colvin of said earlier this week his company was awaiting from the state the results of the shoulder studies as well as the change order contract. Vincent claimed the delay was in receiving an acceptable estimate from The change order will be paid from state highway funds.

"The study indicated that the design called for four inches of hot mix asphalt be laid on top of compacted earthen embankment. But it turned out that the earthen material was of a type that absorbed water fairly easily and this created an unstable condition," Vincent said. Both Vincent and Colvin have said the roadbase itself is sound and was poured over a soil-cement base. The problem deals solely with both shoulders. Vincent explained that the stabbed her husband, Howard White twice in the chest with a kitchen knife.

The 68-year old victim was found dead in the bedroom of the couple's mobile home at Rt. 3, Box 976 just off La. 333 in Intracoastal City early on the morning of June 23. Deputies at the time said the stabbing was apparently the result of a domestic quarrel in which Mrs. White also suffered unspecified injuries.

Mrs. White had been free on $15,000 bond pending the finding of the gTand jury. In the only other case heard Thursday, the jury returned a true bill on Denvey Ebanks of 2000 W. Summers Lot 52 in Abbeville for the 2nd degree battery of Roger Ennis. The grand jury is tentatively scheduled to hold another session September 15.

By BERNARD CHAILLOT staff writer The Fall Term of the Vermilion Parish Grand Jury, chosen Wednesday, returned a no true bill during their initial session Thursday on an Intracoastal City woman who had been charged with manslaughter for the June death of her husband. Ruby White, 49, was found to be acti ng i self-defense when she Roemer says state could be 'next Hawaii' for tourists economies. In meetings with Prime Minister Noboru Takeshi-ta, Trade Minister Hajime Tamu-ra and officials of chambers of commerce, the influential Federation of Economic Organizations and the Kansai Economic Federation, they stressed their states' low taxes, easy credit, Mississippi River distribution system and eager workforces. The mid-South is a key supplier of U.S. petroleum, natural gas and seafood, but also suffers some of the highest jobless rates in the nation.

that has not been overdeveloped or overexposed," Roemer said at a press conference at a hotel in Osaka, the industrial metropolis that is Japan's second-largest city. "In terms of private and public third-role cooperation, I think you will begin to see a number of study groups come to the region and help us develop," Roemer said. The governors arrived in Tokyo Saturday on their first joint visit to lure Japanese investment and capital to their flagging OSAKA, Japan (AP) Louisiana could be the next Hawaii, attracting Japanese development for Asian tourists in search of Cajun cooking and New Orleans music. Gov. Buddy Roemer said Thursday.

Roemer, Arkansas Gov. Bill Clinton and Mississippi Gov. Ray Mabus have been in Japan for a week, hoping to increase awareness of and drum up interest for investments in the American South. "There is some excitement about a part of the United States MAY 5.77 3.16 JUN 5.55 3.93 JUL 6.21 8.44 AUG 6.38 9.82 SEP 4.44 3.80 OCT 5.89 NOV 4.62 DEC 5.11 Total 59.87 52.36 Avg. as of Sept.

4 Rice test honors Gueydan's Lounsberry 4 PL i ''I I i r'l 11 Willi in 1 1 I ir ut 1 I if- i Sim return. He plants about 65 of his rice acreage in Lemont and the remaining 35 in Tebonnet. Both can be second cropped. In addition, he is planting 47 acres of the new medium grain release, Mercury. Using a rice-soybean rotation, he bases his fertilizer application on soil test recommendations of the Louisiana Cooperative Extension Service.

He has soil tested 1475 acres. His herbicide and fungicide applications have been very timely. This year he used Bolero preplant, Basagran and Consequently, he has done a Buperb job on weed control and disease suppression. This year he has applied the new fungicide Tilth for sheath blight control. He applies all his basic fertilizer and 23 of the nitrogen fertilizer preplant on a dry seedbed using a CROWLEY The 52nd International Rice Festival will recognize Errol Lounsberry, a 48-year-old Vermilion Parish farmer, as its Rice Farmer of the Year, announced Mayor Robert Istre, president.

After graduating from Gueydan High School in 1959, Lounsberry began farming with his father. He planted 30 acres of rice that year. Lounsberry is a very progressive, innovative, cooperative individual, using the latest in management techniques. Last year he purchased an additional lazer leveler and lazer leveled over 600 acres. This has enabled him to pinpoint flood, thereby increasing his water management efficiency and improving his weed control techniques; therefore, reducing his unit cost of production and increasing his roller to reduce drift which can be a tremendous problem in the water seeded system.

He uses Furadan for water weevil control. In 1987, Lounsberry averaged 39.1 bbls. dry weight on 352 acres of rice. His planted acreage consisted of 244 acres Lemont and 108 acres Tebonnet. In 1988, he is planting 460 acres.

In 1984, he volunteered his farm for outfield experimental tests conducted by Extension personnel and researchers from the Rice Research Station. These plots have been part of the Annual Vermilion Parish Rice Producers Tour. This year, 145 producers and ag professionals viewed these demonstration plots. Much of the off-station research on the new broadleaf herbicide Londax by Dupont has been conducted on his farm. Nearly 700 producers (Sac LOUNSBERRY Pag 3) GOING UP FOR FLAMES Construction progress continues at the corner of Maude Avenue and Bailey Street where Abbeville's fourth fire substation will be located.

When completed, it is expected to better service the southern and eastern portions of the city. It is being built by Minvielle Lumber Co. at an estimated cost of $154,800. (Meridional Photo by Angie M. Hebert) Errol Lounsberry.