UL BASEBALL Cajuns turn attention to Sun Belt tournament 1C THE
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LSU president heading to Rutgers Interim leader set before national search begins
BY PATRICK WALL
Staff writer
PHOTOS By ROBIN MAy
Sally Richard, left, and Eva Darbonne, a longtime employee of Savoie’s Foods, open Savoie’s products on Thursday in the original kitchen used by Eula Savoie when she started the company in 1955.
‘It’s always been family’
Savoie’s Foods marks milestone with celebration
LSU President William Tate IV is departing for Rutgers University in New Jersey, officials said Monday, a major shake-up that comes as Louisiana’s flagship public university celebrates record enrollment and research growth but also threats to its federal funding. Tate took the helm of LSU in 2021, becoming the first Black president of that university or Tate any in the Southeastern Conference. Last year, Tate received a three-year contract extension and a raise. He would have earned a $500,000 bonus if he stayed on until his contract ended. After he steps down on June 30, LSU’s Vice President for Agriculture Matt Lee will serve as interim president while the university conducts a
ä See LSU, page 4A
BY JOANNA BROWN
Staff writer
At Savoie’s Foods in Opelousas, not much has changed over 70 years of making their famous Cajun sausage and local food products, “one pound at a time.” That’s how Eula Savoie started out in her home kitchen, behind a little country grocery store that still houses the original sausage maker she used in 1955. Each pound of sausage sold represented a lifeline as Tom and Eula Savoie struggled to keep their grocery and hog farming business afloat through the lean years. Decades later, Savoie’s is a Cajun byword when it comes to smoked and seasoned meats, rice dressing mixes and jars of ready-made roux. And family is still at the heart of the operation, with Eula Savoie’s daughter, Donna Savoie Messner, now head of a company recognized by the Louisiana Legislature as a “Living Cultural Institution.” This month, Savoie’s celebrated its 70th anniversary with an employee appreciation day, serving food, prizes and honors to workers at the company’s St. Landry Parish headquarters. Employees like Sandra Simmons and Shirley Robinson received the biggest rounds of applause as they were celebrated for their years of service. Robinson has
Himbola Manor faces more fines for code violations Owner Donna Savoie Messner enjoys the camaraderie and food served during the Savoie’s Foods 70th anniversary employee celebration on Thursday in Opelousas. been with the Savoie’s packing department for 48 years, and Simmons has worked in the stuffing room for 47 years — and now, her grandson works there with her. “We’re first cousins,” Simmons said, gesturing to Robinson. “Our auntie worked here, and we’ve been here ever since. It’s always been family.” Savoie’s marketing manager, Michelle Bergeron, said loyalty is at
the heart of the brand’s legacy. As the company grew in the 1960s and ‘70s, Eula Savoie was known for investing in better machinery and more efficient processes, while insisting that they would never grow by replacing the people at the heart of the business. “We have employees that have been here for 20, 30 and 40 years,”
ä See FAMILY, page 4A
BY CLAIRE TAYLOR
Staff writer
The owners of Himbola Manor apartments in Lafayette had accrued nearly $42,000 in fines as of Thursday in addition to more than $32,000 in fines they paid previously for various code violations. For years, residents of the low-income apartments on Martin Luther King Jr. Drive complained of health and safety problems at the 136unit government-subsidized complex that they say were not addressed. City inspectors in 2024 found 132 city code violations, including mold and leaking plumbing. An adjudication judge assessed $32,296 in fines against American Agape Foundation, the nonprofit foundation based in San Antonio that owns the apartment complex, which is managed
ä See HIMBOLA, page 4A
From nursing school to doctorates, couple graduates together BY ASHLEY WHITE
Staff writer
Higher education weaves tightly through Marti and Jake Andries’ relationship. The couple met at Louisiana College while studying biology and then together enrolled in the University of Louisiana at Monroe’s accelerated nursing school program. After separately receiving their nurse practitioner degrees and working in their careers, the couple decided
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to return to school together in 2022 to earn their doctor of nursing practice degrees from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette. They walked across the stage together Saturday as Dr. Marti Andries and Dr. Jake Andries. “Jake is a great teammate,” Marti Andries said. “I just love doing life with him, so doing school is just an extension of that.” Taking care of people is in Marti Andries’ DNA. Her father worked at a hospital in Mamou, where she grew
up, and everything fell into place when she started nursing school. Jake Andries, who grew up in Lecompte, was first interested in hospital administration. He earned a master’s degree in business administration and was a nursing manager but realized he preferred providing care and being with patients. He returned to school to be a nurse practitioner, continuing to work in the emergency department.
Marti and Jake Andries last week earned their doctor of nursing practice degrees from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette. PROVIDED PHOTO
ä See COUPLE, page 4A
Business ...................10C Commentary ................3B Nation-World ................2A Classified .....................4B Deaths .........................4B Opinion ........................2B Comics-Puzzles .....7C-9C Living............................5C Sports ..........................1C
100TH yEAR, NO. 324