largest selection & lowest prices on wine, spirits & beer Very best selection
NEW!
of wine and o spirits
LB
— ONLY —
24
$ 24 PACK 12 OZ
Miller Lite, Coors Light, Bud Light, Budweiser or Yuengling
— ONLY —
— ONLY —
49
LB
THC
16
$ 750 ML SELECTED
1.75 LITER
Decoy Red Wine
23
$
99
LB
Fireball Cinnamon Whisky
visit rouses.com for more weekly ad specials!
— ONLY —
99
10
200 ML
Buzzballz Cocktails
LIMIT 3
30 PACK 12 OZ
Busch or Busch Light
— ONLY —
— ONLY —
22
$
3/$
1399
$
99 4 PACK 12 OZ
Cheech & Chong’s THC Seltzer
Prices good at all Lafayette, New Iberia and Youngsville stores May 21st - 28th, 2025.
MEMORIAL DAY
REMEMBER & HONOR HONORING THE FALLEN: WHAT IS MEMORIAL DAy AND HOW HAS IT EVOLVED? 5C THE
ACADIANA
ADVOCATE
T H E A C A D I A N A A D V O C AT E.C O M
|
M o n d ay, M ay 26, 2025
Lafayette trauma center inspired former patient
$2.00X
La. officials concerned about future of FEMA Major changes to federal aid, agency itself possible
BY CLAIRE TAYLOR, SOPHIE KASAKOVE and JOSIE ABUGOV | Staff writers
STAFF PHOTOS By LESLIE WESTBROOK
Kallen LeBlanc, a car crash survivor who was treated in the Ochsner Lafayette General Trauma Center, stands with Dr. Willard Mosier, the trauma ICU director at Ochsner Lafayette General Medical Center who treated her at the hospital in Lafayette on Tuesday.
Kallen LeBlanc pursuing a career in nursing BY ASHLEY WHITE | Staff writer Kallen LeBlanc was on her way to get a sno-ball in Meaux, a town between Maurice and Abbeville, just minutes from her house on July 8, 2023, when she was T-boned and severely injured in a crash. She was airlifted to Ochsner Lafayette General Medical Center with fractured ribs, a bruised lung, dangerously low oxygen levels and multiple broken bones, including a broken hip. The meticulous care she received from the health care professionals — particularly her nurses — in the
municate to their patients and build rapport.” LeBlanc, now 19, and the trauma team at Lafayette General celebrated her recovery last week in conjunction with National Trauma Survivors Day, which is dedicated to those who have survived lifethreatening injuries. Lafayette General is the only Level II Trauma Center in southwest Registered nurses Morgan Aucoin, Louisiana, serving patients from left, and Megan Wilkes speak to Baton Rouge to Beaumont, Texas. journalists in the Ochsner Lafayette Trauma centers receive level desGeneral Trauma Center in Lafayette ignations and verifications from the American College of Surgeons deon Tuesday. pending on the resources available. center’s trauma intensive care unit, At Lafayette General, someone or TICU, inspired LeBlanc to enroll is available or on-call for whatever in nursing school. specialty a trauma patient needs, “I didn’t know how nurses and whether that’s neurosurgery, ordoctors and therapists all work to- thopedic surgery or anything else, gether. Their focus is patient cen- said Trauma Medical Director and tered,” she said. “(The nurses) listen ä See INSPIRED, page 5A to what you have to say. They com-
An interim director has been appointed to lead the public defender’s office that oversees Lafayette, Acadia and Vermilion parishes. Maggie Simon LeBlanc will temporarily lead the 15th Judicial District Office of the Public Defender, according to a
WEATHER HIGH 85 LOW 76 PAGE 10C
letter sent Wednesday and shared with The Acadiana Advocate. The public defender’s office provides legal services and representation for people who cannot afford an attorney. The office was led by Amanda Martin, who was the first woman and Black attorney to be the 15th Judicial District defender. It is unclear why Martin left
ä See FEMA, page 4A
Bill to speed up execution process Legislation would set stricter deadlines for courts BY MEGHAN FRIEDMANN | Staff writer
the position. A call was not returned in time for publication. LeBlanc has served as the district defender for the neighboring 16th Judicial District for seven years and worked as a public defender for 15 years. The 16th JDC covers Iberia, St. Martin and
The state House passed a bill that would shorten how much time prisoners have to try to get their sentences changed in a process known as postconviction relief, but changed some of the new rules to assuage some concerns from public defense advocates. House Bill 675 by state Rep. Brian Glorioso, R-Slidell, also sets stricter deadlines for courts handling those prisoners’ applications. Though the new deadlines would apply to all prisoners, the bill marks an attempt by Attorney General Liz Murrill to speed up executions. That attempt comes after the state resumed executions for the first time in 15 years: Louisiana executed Jessie Hoffman Jr. in March by nitrogen gas.
ä See INTERIM, page 5A
ä See EXECUTION, page 5A
Interim director named for public defender’s office BY ASHLEY WHITE | Staff writer
Local officials and emergency management experts say Louisiana could face a disaster on top of a disaster in the event of a major storm this summer as the Trump administration moves to overhaul the Federal Emergency Management Agency. On the campaign trail and since his election, President Donald Trump has called for major changes to the agency, and even floated eliminating it entirely. Specific plans have not been announced, but leadership changes and denials of disaster assistance in recent months suggest that state and lo- Trump cal officials could face an uphill battle for federal aid this hurricane season. The proposals pose a unique risk to Louisiana, which has relied more heavily on FEMA in recent years than any other state in the country. The state has received nearly $47 billion for 28 disasters since 2003, assisting 3.5 million households and 43,000 grants to state and local governments. Nearly half a million Louisiana households have applied for FEMA funds since 2021 alone. In the past, FEMA has shared the cost of disaster assistance, taking on about 75% of the cost
Classified .....................4B Living............................5C Nation-World................2A Comics-Puzzles .....7C-9C Lottery..........................4B Opinion ........................2B Commentary ................3B Metro ...........................1B Sports ..........................1C
100TH yEAR, NO. 330