St. Mary Parish Sheriff Gives Update on Health Condition

In March, St. Mary Parish Sheriff Blaise Smith was hospitalized with an undisclosed illness. At the time, officials in the sheriff's office said Smith would provide an update about his health at the appropriate time.

That time has come.

On Monday, Smith wrote a post on the St. Mary Parish Sheriff's Office Facebook page giving the parish's residents more details about his condition. Smith says he has left the hospital and is now recovering in a rehabilitation center. However, Smith says he doesn't know much about what landed him in the hospital.

"I have received many inquiries into my illness, and unfortunately, I do not have much information to give," Sheriff Smith wrote. "The specific underlying cause of my condition is still unknown. However, there is a suspicion that my bout with COVID19 in December of 2021 may be causing some of the complications."

Smith continued by thanking the medical professionals who have treated him and to the men and women who work in the sheriff's office. He also expressed his desire to return to the sheriff's office.

"I hope to return to work soon and be surrounded by some of the most dedicated law enforcement professionals I’ve had the pleasure to work with," Smith wrote.

His full Facebook post is below.

Seven Forgotten Facts About Lafayette

The area now known as downtown Lafayette was first settled 200 years ago. While the street grid of that original settlement is the same as it was then, the rest of the city has grown and changed exponentially. Let's take a look at some of those changes by taking a look at some of the forgotten facts in Lafayette history.