Changes

Three ''Town Talk'' staffers, Larry Collins, Betty Luman, and Chet Hilburn, moved on to the larger ''[[Houston Chronicle]]''. Jack Harp came from [Ruston, Louisiana|Ruston]] to ''The Town Talk'' at the age of twenty-two to work on the "wire desk." The technology changed so much over the following three decades that the term "wire desk" was replaced by "Metro desk." Rebecca Jo Tubb Mulkey (1949–1999), originally from Magnolia, [[Arkansas]], wrote feature stories before moving to the ''Torrance Daily Breeze'' in Torrance, [[California]]. William Chaze went on to become an [[Associated Press]] editor, foreign news editor for ''[[U.S. News & World Report]]'' and editor-in-chief of ''The Journal of Defense and Diplomacy''.<ref name=bio/>​

Three ''Town Talk'' staffers, Larry Collins, Betty Luman, and Chet Hilburn, moved on to the larger ''[[Houston Chronicle]]''. Jack Harp came from [Ruston, Louisiana|Ruston]] to ''The Town Talk'' at the age of twenty-two to work on the "wire desk." The technology changed so much over the following three decades that the term "wire desk" was replaced by "Metro desk." Rebecca Jo Tubb Mulkey (1949–1999), originally from Magnolia, [[Arkansas]], wrote feature stories before moving to the ''Torrance Daily Breeze'' in Torrance, [[California]]. William Chaze went on to become an [[Associated Press]] editor, foreign news editor for ''[[U.S. News & World Report]]'' and editor-in-chief of ''The Journal of Defense and Diplomacy''.<ref name=bio/>​

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LaBorde's tenure at the newspaper coincided with the management of publisher Joe D. Smith, Jr., a native of [[Grant Parish, Louisiana|Grant Parish]], and his first wife, Jane Wilson Smith. Her father had owned ''The Town Talk''. The Smiths sold the paper to Central Newspapers, Inc., of [[Indianapolis, Indiana|Indianapolis]], which later sold it to the Virginia-based [[Gannett]].<ref name=bio/>​

LaBorde's tenure at the newspaper coincided with the management of publisher Joe D. Smith, Jr., a native of [[Grant Parish, Louisiana|Grant Parish]], and his first wife, Jane Wilson Smith. Her father had owned ''The Town Talk''. The Smiths sold the paper to Central Newspapers, Inc., of [[Indianapolis, Indiana|Indianapolis]], which later sold it to the [[Virginia]]-based Gannett Newspapers.<ref name=bio/>​

 

Active professionally, LaBorde was the charter president of the Central Louisiana Press Club and held membership in the United Press Newspaper Association of Louisiana. Fluent in French, LaBorde promoted his cultural heritage through the Council for the Development of French in Louisian], better known by the acronym CODOFIL.<ref name=bio/>​

Active professionally, LaBorde was the charter president of the Central Louisiana Press Club and held membership in the United Press Newspaper Association of Louisiana. Fluent in French, LaBorde promoted his cultural heritage through the Council for the Development of French in Louisiana, better known by the acronym CODOFIL.<ref name=bio/>​

 

===Environmental issues===​

==Environmental issues==

 

LaBorde was a staunch conservationist. He worked to publicize issues and advance conservation in the region. He urged Governor Edwards to promote the state purchase of the Saline-Spring Bayou Wildlife Management Area in Avoyelles Parish.  He urged Edwards to acquire the land encompassing Spring Bayou He lobbied in his columns for removal of oilfield pollution from the Little River.

LaBorde was a staunch conservationist. He worked to publicize issues and advance conservation in the region. He urged Governor Edwards to promote the state purchase of the Saline-Spring Bayou Wildlife Management Area in Avoyelles Parish.  He urged Edwards to acquire the land encompassing Spring Bayou He lobbied in his columns for removal of oilfield pollution from the Little River.

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Bishop Greco hosted an annual party for ''The Town Talk'' staffers. The first native of [[Mississippi]] selected as a bishop in the Catholic Church, Greco wrote ''With God's Help'', memoirs published posthumously by the [[Knights of Columbus]]. LaBorde worked on the [[Catholic]] newspaper for the bishop. When the United States Supreme Court ruled in ''[[Roe v. Wade]]'' on January 22, 1973, LaBorde strongly objected. He continued to oppose [[abortion]] for the remainder of his life.<ref name=bio/>​

Bishop Greco hosted an annual party for ''The Town Talk'' staffers. The first native of [[Mississippi]] selected as a bishop in the Catholic Church, Greco wrote ''With God's Help'', memoirs published posthumously by the [[Knights of Columbus]]. LaBorde worked on the [[Catholic]] newspaper for the bishop. When the United States Supreme Court ruled in ''[[Roe v. Wade]]'' on January 22, 1973, LaBorde strongly objected. He continued to oppose [[abortion]] for the remainder of his life.<ref name=bio/>​

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==Death and family==

==Death and family==

He died of stomach cancer at the age of eighty.  He had been able to fulfill his desire to be active until the end of his life. Adras and Blanche LaBorde are interred at Alexandria Memorial Gardens.<ref name=bio/>​

He died of stomach cancer at the age of eighty.  He had been able to fulfill his desire to be active until the end of his life. Adras and Blanche LaBorde are interred at Alexandria Memorial Gardens.<ref name=bio/>​