Parish Council hears about broadband, calls for election, praises Mustang Mike

The St. Mary Parish Council, which recently began livestreaming its meetings, heard July 13 that a state-federal program could soon may broadband internet available to people who can’t get it now.

Also at the July 13 meeting at the Parish Courthouse in Franklin, the council passed a resolution calling for a charter amendment election and praised Mustang Mike, who has linked his promotion of wrestling to a variety of civic causes.

The parish government, working with private company Cajun Broadband, has applied for two grants under the state’s Granting Un-served Municipalities Broad-band Opportunities program, known as GUMBO.

The program, established by the Legislature, sets aside $180 million in federal funds to extend broadband internet service to 400,000 Louisiana households in areas where that service isn’t available now.

The parish has applied for a GUMBO grant to help pay for an $800,000 project to provide broadband availabil-ity to 478 people in the Sorrell area. The grant would require an $80,000 match by the parish government, to which the Parish Council has already committed, and of and $160,000 from Cajun Broadband.

The parish has also applied for a GUMBO grant for a project providing broadband availability to 175 people in Irish Bend. The council hasn’t yet committed to a match for that project.

Chief Administrative Officer Henry C. “Bo” La-Grange reported that although final approval hasn’t occurred yet, the indications are positive for approval of the St. Mary broadband work.

Also at the meeting, the council passed the resolution calling for the Dec. 10 election on an amendment opening Parish Council leadership positions to any council member.

The council elects eight of its 11 members from geo-graphic districts. The other three members are elected at large.

The charter currently says only at-large members are eligible to be elected chair or vice chair. The council votes on the leadership posts at the beginning of each year.

Councilman J Ina has argued in favor of opening the leadership posts to any council members. After a pair of one-vote losses, Ina’s ordinance calling for the charter amendment election passed last month.

Another resolution honored Mike Beadle, better known locally as Mustang Mike, for 30 years of turning his commitment to professional wrestling into a commitment to local schools.

As an example, Beadle’s Gulf Coast Wrestling staged a card Saturday at the Morgan City Municipal Auditorium, and the con-cession sales went to the Morgan City High Band Department.

“I want to thank you for all you do,” Councilman Rodney Olander said, “and say I wouldn’t want to get in the ring with you.”