Firefighters were called to the Bayou Vista Walmart late Wednesday afternoon for a report of an odor that smelled like something burning. The store was evacuated while firefighters investigated.
The Daily Review/Diane Miller Fears
The Coast Guard on Wednesday reopened waterways in and around the Port of Morgan City, including the Atchafalaya and the Bayou Chene, from Amelia to the west.
Waterways east of Amelia remain closed because of Hurricane Ida, port Executive Director Raymond "Mac" Wade said Wednesday.
The U.S. Corps of Engineers also gave the OK for dredging to resume once crew members have been rounded up after operations
were suspended.
Now officials will survey the local waterways to see if Ida's unexpectedly meek impact here might have undone some of the dredging work done so far, at a cost to the Corps in the millions.
Wade said a survey boat from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration will provide that information.
He remembers Hurricane Harvey in 2017. Harvey was a Category 4 storm that came ashore Aug. 27 near Port Aransas, Texas, 180 miles southeast of San Antonio, according to the National Hurricane Center.
But "I lost 5 feet of depth" due to the storm's impact, Wade's said.
Ida's damage in St. Mary fell far short of the catastrophic tidal surge in the forecast before Saturday afternoon's shift in the hurricane's predicted track. The Atchafalaya River at Morgan City rose only as high as 3.43 feet after Ida came ashore Sunday near Port Fourchon, according to the National Weather Service. The forecast had been for 6.5 feet, half a foot above the minor flood stage.
But "that doesn't mean it wasn't working the tides and moving the sand around," Wade said.
A series of events since 2015, including Harvey and Mississippi River floods diverted into the Atchafalaya, have clogged portions of commercially important waterways with sediment The use of the Port of Morgan City's facilities by large cargo vessels virtually stopped six years ago.
Port officials have been working to restore the channel to its authorized dimensions of 400 feet wide and 20 feet deep.
That work moved ahead in fits and starts as funding became unavailable until last month, when it became clear that four dredges will be in operation on the port's waterways for the first time ever.
The dredges are expected to resume work this week are the Brice Civil Constructors dredge, which has been removing fluff mud from the bar channel between Eugene Island and the sea buoy. A Manson Construction dredge will also begin work again in the bar channel.
Closer to Eugene Island, a Great Lakes Dredge & Dock dredge is set to return to work.
In two to three weeks, those efforts will be joined by a Weeks Marine dredge to clear sediment from Berwick Harbor, Wade said.
That raises hopes that the Port of Morgan City will again be able to serve as a transshipment point for cargo carried by large vessels.
In a visit to the port this summer, U.S. Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La., pointed to a recent appropriation for dredging in the bar channel and said he's confident the port can attract business from exporters of Louisiana rice.
St. Mary Parish Schools will be extending the closure of schools through this week as necessitated by post-storm conditions in our community regarding transportation and communication services, the school system said in a news release.
Students and staff will now return to school on Tuesday, Sept. 7.
At 6:07 p.m. Wednesday, the Roman Catholic Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux announced that Central Catholic will remain closed Thursday and Friday.
"Our thoughts and prayers continue to be with all those impacted by Hurricane Ida," the Diocesan Office of Public Schools said in a press release. "At this time, in light of the current communications challenges in the area, Central Catholic School in Morgan City remains closed this week."
The diocese's press release didn't set a day for reopening.
The first Louisiana Office of Public Health COVID-19 report of September shows more signs that the fourth wave of coronavirus cases may have peaked.
But St. Mary will look back at August as the deadliest month of the pandemic so far.
The number of St. Mary COVID-related deaths rose to 187 as of Wednesday, the first OPH report since Friday. In all, 40 St. Mary people died during the month.
The month opened with six COVID deaths among parish residents in 72 hours beginning Aug. 1.
More than 800 new COVID cases have been reported since Aug. 12. But in the five days before the midday Wednesday report, only 83 new cases were reported, although the approach of Hurricane Ida interrupted testing and reporting. The pandemic case count is 7,865.
The St. Mary positivity rate, the percentage of tests returning positive results, was at 14.6% in the week ending Aug. 18. The incidence rate, an average daily count of new cases per 100,000 residents, was down by nearly 19% that week.
After the highly infectious Delta COVID variant was confirmed in Louisiana in early July, St. Mary was one of the first two parishes to be characterized as being at "highest risk" based on the positivity and incidence rates.
Despite six weeks of unrelenting bad news about COVD in the parish, St. Mary's vaccination rate has grown by less than 5 percentage points to 33.88%.
Statewide, 12,380 new COVID cases and 223 deaths were reported for the five days leading to midday Wednesday.
The number of people in Louisiana hospitals fell by more than 100 a day over that span, falling to 2,447.
Fourth-surge hospitalizations peaked at more than 3,000 last month, leading hospital and public health officials to warn that overcrowding threatened care for patients with other health conditions or injuries as well as those infected with COVID.
In response to the Delta-fueled rise in cases and hospitalization, Gov. John Bel Edwards imposed a mask mandate for those indoors in public spaces, including schools.
Anti-mask protests broke up meetings of a legislative committee and the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education, and more protests followed moves by private enterprises, including Ochsner Health System, to require employees to be vaccinated or undergo frequent testing.
Obituary for Reverend André Rex Broussard, Jr.
Funeral services will be held on Friday, September 3, 2021 at 10:00 am in the Cathedral of Saint John the Evangelist for the Reverend André Rex Broussard, Jr., 80, who died on Sunday, August 29, 2021.
The Most Reverend J. Douglas Deshotel, Bishop of Lafayette, will celebrate the funeral Mass, and the Reverend Michael Russo will serve as homilist. Lectors will be Angie Drobnic Holan and Mark Holan. Gift bearers will be Father Broussard’s sister and brother-in-law, Rita and Russell Thibodeaux, and pall bearers will be members of the Knights of Columbus from Saint Basil the Great Council 10721 from Judice.
Visitation will be in the Cathedral of Saint John the Evangelist on the morning of the funeral from 8:30 am until the time of the Mass. Interment will be in the Cathedral cemetery.
Father Rex Broussard served as a Roman Catholic priest for 54 years in the Diocese of Lafayette. He was also the former Brigade Chaplain of the National Guard 256th Brigade.
Father Broussard was born in 1941 in Abbeville and baptized at Saint Mary Magdalene Catholic Church. In 1946 his family moved to Youngsville, where they became parishioners of Saint Anne Catholic Church. He discerned his vocation to the priesthood in the 5th grade and entered Immaculata Minor Seminary High School in 1955 at the age of 14. He completed his seminary studies at Notre Dame Seminary in New Orleans and was ordained to the priesthood at the Cathedral of Saint John the Evangelist in Lafayette by Bishop Maurice Schexnayder in December 1966.
His first assignment in 1967 was Associate Pastor at Saint Peter the Apostle Catholic Church in Gueydan. In 1971 he moved to Saint Genevieve in Lafayette, where he served first as Associate Pastor and then as Co-Pastor. From 1977 to 1990, Father Broussard served as Pastor at Saint Joseph Church in Patterson, followed by pastorships at Our Lady of the Sacred Heart in Church Point (1990-1997); Our Lady of Perpetual Help in Leroy (1997-2004); and Saint Basil in Judice (2004 to 2018). He retired in 2018 at the age of 77.
Father Rex was devoted to his parishes. He loved liturgy and music, and he spent hours weekly in homily preparation. He mastered the art of a short, effective homily. He also developed and taught sacramental preparation programs for First Communion and Confirmation. He touched the lives of many individuals with his counsel in spiritual direction and in the confessional, as well as his frequent sick calls. He was an astute financial manager, and he managed the resources of his parishes well. On a diocesan level, Father Rex served briefly as a Tribunal advocate from 2000 to 2003.
Along with his service to his parishes in the Diocese of Lafayette, Father Broussard also served his country as a National Guard Chaplain for over 30 years. In 1969, as a young priest, he joined the National Guard 256th Infantry Brigade in Lafayette. He attended officer training school and entered the Guard as a 1st Lieutenant. Over the years, he periodically attended chaplains’ schools and completed military coursework, ultimately retiring with the rank of Colonel in 1999. After retirement, he served with the Louisiana State Guard until 2004. As the Brigade Chaplain of the 256th Brigade in Lafayette, he served as advocate for the troops and as a direct link between the troops and the commanding officer of the Brigade. He loved the time he spent with the troops during their annual three-week summer training and their monthly weekend drills. In November 1990 he was activated with the brigade and served during Desert Storm.
Along with his activities in his parishes and the National Guard, Father Rex painted icons. For over 20 years he regularly attended icon painting workshops with the Prosopon School of Iconology in Chatawa, MS and Grand Coteau, LA. Locally he painted under the direction of Faye Drobnic at St. Elizabeth Icon Studio in Lafayette. He was chaplain in residence at the icon studio after his retirement in 2018. His large icon of Saint Basil the Great is in Saint Basil Catholic Church in Judice.
Father Rex was preceded in death by his parents André Rex Broussard, Sr. and Cecile Bourque Broussard, his sister Annette Broussard, his brother Ned Paul Broussard, and his nephew Andre Shannon Thibodeaux. He is survived by his sister and brother-in-law Rita and Russell Thibodeaux, his sister-in-law Brenda Trahan Broussard, and three nephews: Brian, Damian, and Travis Broussard. He is also survived by all of those whose lives he touched-his parishioners, his National Guard troops, and his fellow iconographers.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Catholic Charities of Acadiana, P.O. Box 3177, Lafayette, LA 70502 or Hospice of Acadiana, 2600 Johnston St., Lafayette, LA 70503.
View the obituary and guestbook online at www.mourning.com
Martin & Castille-DOWNTOWN-330 St. Landry St., Lafayette, LA 70506, 337-234-2311
Few people envision a
day when they begin to lose their hair.
However, the hair
transplant and restoration
experts at Bosley
note that the majority
of men who experience
male pattern baldness
will begin to notice hair
loss in their mid to late
twenties. By age 60,
roughly two-thirds of
men are either bald or
have a balding pattern.
Male pattern baldness
may be the first thing
people think of in regard
to hair loss, but
people of all ages, including
women, can lose
their hair.
Hair loss that cannot
be traced to male pattern
baldness may be indicative
of a serious health
issue, which only underscores
how important it
is that people discuss abnormal
hair loss with
their physicians as soon
as they notice it.
Isn’t it normal to shed
hair?
Shedding hair is normal.
According to the
American Academy of
Dermatology, it’s normal
to shed between 50 and
100 hairs a day. In addition,
male pattern baldness,
also known as androgenic
alopecia, is not
indicative of a larger
health issue. But the
American Academy of
Dermatology notes
there’s a difference between
shedding a relatively
small amount of
hair each day and hair
loss.
What is hair loss?
Hair loss occurs when
something is stopping
hair from growing. The
medical term for hair
loss is anagen effluvium,
and it will continue until
its cause is addressed
and stops.
What causes hair loss?
T h e Am e r i c a n
Academy of Dermatology
notes that the most common
causes of hair loss
include:
—Hereditary hair
loss: The most common
cause of hair loss across
the globe, hereditary
hair loss affects both
men and women. The
medical term for hereditary
hair loss is androgenic
alopecia, which is
the same term for male
pattern baldness. But
that’s somewhat misleading,
as females also
can have androgenic alopecia.
This occurs
when people inherit
genes that cause their
hair follicles to shrink
and eventually stop
growing hair.
—Overreaction of the
immune system: The
American Academy of
Dermatology notes that
alopecia areata causes
hair loss when the body’s
immune system attacks
hair follicles, which hold
hair in place. Hair loss
resulting from this overreaction
can occur on the
scalp, inside the nose and
in the ears. Some people
with alopecia areata may
lose their eyelashes and
eyebrows.
—Drugs/treatments:
Some cancer treatments
can cause hair loss.
Chemotherapy and radiation
treatment to the
head or neck can cause
people to lose most, if not
all, of their hair within
weeks of beginning treatment.
—Products/personal
choices: The American
Academy of Dermatology
notes that harsh hair
care products may contribute
to hair loss, as
can certain hairstyles.
Over time, coloring hair
or styling it in certain
ways, such as in a perm
or pulling it tightly back,
can damage the hair and
lead to hair loss.
Is regrowth possible?
Whether or not hair
grows back depends on
what caused the hair
loss. For example,
treatment for certain
conditions, including
hereditary hair loss and
alopecia areata, can
help to stimulate regrowth.
In addition, the
American Academy of
Dermatology notes that
hair usually starts to
regrow within months
of finishing chemotherapy
or radiation treatments
to the head and
neck. However, hair
loss that results from
hairstyles that pull on
the scalp is permanent.
Hair loss is often associated
with balding men.
But anyone can experience
hair loss, and recognizing
its causes may
help some people prevent
it from occurring.
DEAR ABBY: My soul mate, “Ted,” is
marrying another woman. When we
met 10 years ago, we fell madly in love.
We had absolutely everything in common
but couldn’t take our relationship
to the next level because we were both
married at the time.
Ted’s wife eventually left him for
another man, but we still couldn’t be
together as I was still married.
During that time, he met a woman
named “Shelley.” I eventually got divorced
because my husband left me
for another woman, but I still couldn’t
be with Ted because he was now with
Shelley.
We are perfect for each other in every
way, but our paths could never come together.
Ted has admitted they have
nothing in common and he’s not in love
with her, but he feels he has an obligation
since she has been there for so
long. I’m devastated at the thought of
losing my soul mate again. I don’t want
him to marry her.
Help!
SUCH BAD TIMING IN TENNESSEE
DEAR TIMING: I am going to assume
that Ted knows you are devastated
at the thought of his marrying
someone else. If you haven’t
told him, do it now. And when you
do, point out that marriages entered
into out of a feeling of “obligation”
rather than love don’t usually
last. It’s a sad truth. If he was
being honest with you about his
feelings for Shelley, she deserves
better than what she’ll be getting.
Keep in mind that Ted has had time
to end that romance since your divorce.
My advice is to take a break.
Clear your head before trying to
find someone who is as available as
you are, since Ted is taken.
DEAR ABBY: My dad used to beat
my mother badly. Back then, it was
“don’t tell.” Well, I guess she got tired of
it because she had him shot. I was 15 at
the time. My brother and sister were 8
and 6, and they don’t remember it well.
But they were in my care until they
were in their 20s.
Now they are older, and I am treated
like the black sheep. They act like I’m
beneath them, and it hurts. My brother
ended up in prison and was out for only
two months before he put his hands on
me.
Am I petty for having nothing to do
with them? My mom was in prison for a
long time and died two years after she
was released.
What am I supposed to do? Any advice
would be appreciated.
DRIFTING IN THE EAST
DEAR DRIFTING: Abusers have
sometimes been victims themselves,
or they grew up witnessing
abuse, which is why they think it is
normal behavior.
Please accept that you can’t fix
what’s wrong with your relatives
(the younger ones included). Although
you have been through
much trauma at an early age, it is
within your power to heal.
Counseling can help you to do
that. It is available in most communities
through the Department of
Mental Health.
DEAR ABBY: I find the phrase, “Shut
up!” to be hostile, aggressive and, at
times, demoralizing.
Are there any situations where it is
OK to say it?
POLITE IN CALIFORNIA
DEAR POLITE: Although the
phrase “Shut up!” may be jarring
to hear, it has become part of the
vernacular and its meaning has
changed over the years. It isn’t
always intended to mean “be quiet.”
It is sometimes used lightheartedly
to express surprise.
***
To order “How to Write Letters for All Occasions,”
send your name and mailing address,
plus check or money order for $8 to: Dear Abby
— Letter Booklet, P.O. Box 447, Mount Morris,
IL 61054-0447.
U.S. mail service remains suspended in ZIP codes affected by Hurricane Ida, including the ZIPS beginning with 703 in St. Mary, the U.S. Postal Service said.
The affected ZIP codes begin with 700, 701, 703 and 704.
The suspension includes retail service, delivery and drop shipments.
“In an abundance of caution, and to ensure the safety of both postal customers and employees, the Postal Service is temporarily suspending operations at Post Offices within the following 3-Digit ZIP Code areas until further notice, due to Hurricane Ida,” according to a press release from the service.
John Joseph Giordano Jr., 63, a resident of Berwick, passed away Tuesday, August 10, 2021, at his home.
John was born December 31, 1957, in Lafayette, the son of Jack Giordano and Rose Mae Boudreaux Giordano.
He will be sadly missed and lovingly remembered by three siblings, Anthony Giordano, Angela Duval, and Billie Giordano; nieces, Brenda Besse.
John was preceded in death by his parents, Jack and Rose Mae Giordano.
Nine refineries shut down in Louisiana as Hurricane Ida approached, resulting in the loss of 2.3 million barrels a day in refinery capacity, the U.S. Department of Energy reported.
That represents the loss of about 13% of U.S. refinery capacity, the DOE said.
They're awaiting damage assessments and restoration of utility service to resume operations.
As of the late morning Monday, 95% of the oil production and 94% of the natural gas production in the federally administered areas of the U.S. Gulf of Mexico remained shut in, according to estimates by the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement.
The refinery and offshore platform shut-ins are not anticipated to cause any immediate supply issues, the department said. For the week ending Aug. 20, Gulf Coast stocks of gasoline and distillate were 3% and 5% above the seasonal five-year average. Gulf Coast stocks of crude oil were essentially in line with the five-year average in the Gulf Coast (not including the Strategic Petroleum Reserve).
The ports of Morgan City, New Orleans, Baton Rouge and Gramercy in Louisiana and the Port of Pascagoula, Mississippi, remain closed after the passage of Hurricane Ida. Operations remain suspended at
the Louisiana Offshore Oil Port marine terminal.
Franklin Banner-Tribune
P.O. Box 566, Franklin, LA 70538
Phone: 337-828-3706
Fax: 337-828-2874
Morgan City Review
1014 Front Street, Morgan City, LA 70380
Phone: 985-384-8370
Fax: 985-384-4255