Hometown hero: Morgan City Council honors Norwood

It wasn’t the average City Council meeting.
Lots of people attended. Some of them were kids. There was cake.
Tuesday’s Morgan City Council meeting was, in fact, a celebration, and a time to honor a favorite son.
Mayor Pro Tem Tim Hymel, also the Morgan City High principal, and Mayor Lee Dragna presented a key to the city to Vernon Norwood, an MCHS grad and winner of gold and bronze medals at the Tokyo Olympics.
“Today’s the day I can finally say I’m from Morgan City,” said Norwood, who moved to the city with his family from New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina.
Morgan City had ample reason to be proud of Norwood even before the Olympics.
A late-comer to track, who took up the sport as a Morgan City High junior, he went on to win National Junior College Athletic Association titles at South Plains College before transferring to LSU.
There, he became only the seventh athlete to win both NCAA indoor and outdoor titles in the 400 meters.
In his introduction of Norwood, Hymel said a hamstring injury kept Norwood out of the 2016 Olympics, and then COVID-19 forced the postponement of the 2020 games.
But the Olympics returned this summer. And Norwood anchored the 4x400 mixed relay team that won a bronze medal.
And he was a key component of the men’s 4x400 relay team, helping the team qualify for the finals. There, the 4x400 men’s quartet won the gold.
Norwood became “our gold medalist from Morgan City, Louisiana,” Hymel said.
Dragna described him as “a very humble young man, and very talented.”
“I just want to thank the entire city of Morgan City,” Norwood said. “Your support for me has been very, very strong.”
He talked about one aspect of his newfound fame: frequent requests to sign pictures.
“I’ve never seen some of these pictures,” Norwood said. “Where did they get them?”
But he remains thankful.
“Thank you all for supporting me,” Norwood said. “God is good.”
“He represented Morgan City, Louisiana, St. Mary Parish and, of course, the United States of America,” Hymel said. “And you can see how humble he is.”
Also at Tuesday’s meeting:
—The proposed 2022 general fund and capital budgets were introduced.
The budget anticipates revenue of $42.9 million, up slightly from the current year, and about $42.9 million in spending.
A budget workshop for council members is scheduled for 4 p.m. Oct. 13.
—Gerald A. Thibodeaux Jr. of Kolder, Slaven & Co. presented the audit of city finances for 2020.
The audit report was positive. It identified only a technical departure from accounting rules resulting from the separate budgets for the city court and city marshal.
“I’d say the city, as far as financial strength, is steady,” Thibodeaux said.
—Dragna praised city department heads and employees for their work during and after Hurricane Ida. Look for more in a story Thursday.
—Positive Image awards went to Clarion Inn, which took in utility linemen and offered extra food and laundry services during Ida’s aftermath, and Grace Eisenmann of The Market. Eisenmann turned an old supermarket building into a place for craftspeople to display and sell their products.