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A state education hearing ended early Wednesday as public attendees refused to wear masks in defiance of Gov. John Bel Edwards’ indoor mask mandate and after multiple requests from board members to comply or leave.

The Louisiana State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education (BESE) was considering a list of agenda items, but the hearing was flooded with parents and concerned residents who are at odds with state and local COVID-19 mask mandates for K-12 children.

Many appeared in support of Attorney General Jeff Landry’s opposition to the COVID-19 precautions, which Landry outlined in a recent legal opinion.

In a letter to Sen. Patrick McMath, R-Covington, Landry concluded on behalf of the Louisiana Department of Justice that the BESE could promulgate its own mask rules separate from the governor or local school districts.

“In the absence of any specific legislative intent to the contrary, BESE may, if it chooses, adopt rules governing COVID-19 safety protocols, such as temperature checks, the option of mask mandates or exceptions to mask mandates, and other protocols that schools may seem fit,” he said.

“We also recommend that BESE take into consideration constitutional rights of students that parents may raise,” Landry wrote.

Board members made mask wearing announcements throughout the meeting, which prompted frequent outbursts such as, “I have a choice,” “You are virtue signaling” and “None of you are wearing N-95 masks.”

Attendees repeatedly complained they couldn’t hear panel discussions because board members’ masks were muffling their comments.

“We request that you take down your mask while speaking! We can’t understand you,” someone shouted from the crowded sitting area. “Blah blah blah,” another person shouted in frustration.

The hearing edged in and out of control. State health officials were supposed to testify but said they would not enter the building unless everyone was wearing a mask. That announcement also was met with jeers.

“We already know what they think. We hear from them every day. It’s time to get the other side of the story,” a man yelled from the back of the meeting room.

Upon its return from a recess, the issued an ultimatum: “If the board is not able to continue in an orderly fashion, then the meeting is going to be adjourned.”

The hearing proceeded with public comments regarding school performance grades and new social studies education standards that could implement Critical Race Theory. But when the board opted for lunch instead of addressing the K-12 mandatory mask controversy, the hearing erupted into unsurmountable fits of outrage.

“Some of us have to go back to work,” a male attendee shouted. “I’ll buy y’alls lunch if we can continue,” someone yelled amid the uproar.

State Superintendent of Education Cade Brumley attempted to reason with the crowd.

“We don’t have the authority to override the governor in relation to what goes on in this building at this time,” Brumley said. “In order to have that discussion, in order to hear the voice of the people, we have to ask that that order is complied with.

“Please, if you want us to be able to have this discussion, please put on a mask. If you cannot do that, there is an option to go to another room,” Brumley said.

Less than 90 seconds later, the board voted to adjourn.

The COVID incidence and positivity rates in St. Mary are showing declines, but the daily Office of Public Health case and death numbers continue to go up.

The office reported 67 new COVID-19 cases and three more deaths in the parish between midday Wednesday and midday Thursday.

St. Mary's COVID death toll is now at 170. Twenty-three COVID-positive St. Mary people have died since Aug. 1.

The parish's COVID case count reached 7,418.

St. Mary's positivity rate, the percentage of COVID tests returning positive results, fell about 2 points to 16% during the week ending Aug. 11, and the seven-day average of new cases per 100,000 people was down 5%. But both rates are high enough to keep St. Mary, along with all other parishes, in the "highest risk" category.

Statewide, another 5,550 cases in 24 hours were reported by the office Thursday. Another 58 deaths were also reported.

Hospitals

Statewide, hospitalizations were down by nine Thursday to 3,013, a rare daily decline.

Ochsner Health System reported 17 COVID-positive patients at Ochsner St. Mary in Morgan City on Wednesday, 16 of them unvaccinated.

Ochsner's hospitals across the Louisiana and Mississippi were treating 1,028 COVID patients Wednesday, down six from Tuesday.

In Ochsner's Bayou Region, which includes Ochsner St. Mary, three other hospitals and partner Terrebonne General, the number of COVID patients was up four Wednesday to 112.

But hospitals remain jammed with COVID patients, a situation that public health officials say hinders care not only for COVID patients but for others who need hospital procedures.

Ochsner said it canceled 1,163 surgeries last week alone. The system's hospitals turned down transfer requires from 90 facilities in several states.

A team of 20 military health care professionals sent by the Federal Emergency Management Agency arrived at one of Ochsner's hospitals, the former Lafayette General, on Wednesday. But on his monthly radio show Wednesday, Gov. John Bel Edwards said the state lacks the resources to provide more than a fraction of the staffing help that hospitals have requested.

It was one of those evenings down at the camp where everyone sipped their favorite libation and listened to the old men talk. The talk came to fishing alligators and that’s when my somewhat glossy-eyed father-in-law, began to tell us a story.
Part of being a good storyteller is the ability to use facial and sometimes physical expressions that help the listener to get a sense of the tale. My father-in-law was a master at this.
He raised his arms and hands and pretended to be gently rowing a pirogue. He referred to it as “pulling” a pirogue.
He mentioned how he loved to hunt alligators and would start out at sunset and pull all night just to shoot a four-footer. This was back in the 1950s and early 1960s.
We were mesmerized by the story, but it ended on a serious note when he said, “We’d of killed the last one, if they hadn’t closed the season.”
Essentially, wild alligator harvest basically went unregulated throughout much of the 1900s until the season was closed in 1962. Several years later, the reptile was eventually placed on the Endangered Species List in 1967, while wildlife managers worked to save and restore the species.
By 1987 the American alligator population had recovered, and it was removed from the Endangered Species List. The population went from fewer than 100,000 animals across the southeastern United States to a population today that is well over 2 million. Moreover, nine southeastern states now hold some sort of controlled season.
It’s success stories like this that quite often biologists and study leaders with the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries, the United States Fish and Wildlife Service, and other agencies get little credit for.
Louisiana’s state bird is the brown pelican, but by 1963 they were literally extirpated from the state. Brown pelicans were severely impacted by the use of DDT, an insecticide that wasn’t banned until 1972. The chemical bioaccumulated into the pelican population, leading to nest failure.
In 1966 a group of biologists from the LDWF teamed up with some biologists from Florida and came up with the idea that chicks from Florida could be relocated and raised in Louisiana.
The first release took place in 1968 on Queen Bess Island near Grand Isle and between 1968 and 1975, 705 pelicans were released on the island. By 1989 there were 600 nests that fledged approximately 800 young on the island.
Eventually, other relocations took place along the Louisiana coast like Wine, Whiskey and Racoon Islands south of Houma. And, in 2009 the brown pelican was delisted and removed from the Endangered Species List.
In 1963 there were just 417 breeding pairs of bald eagles in the United States. Like the brown pelican, their numbers were also decimated by the use of DDT in addition to illegal hunting and habitat loss. In 1978 the American bald eagle was placed on the Endangered Species List.
Here in Louisiana, the number of breeding pairs had dwindled to single digits. With DDT being banned, wildlife officials took on the task of protecting the few remaining nests and letting nature take its course. In 2007 the USF&WS delisted the bald eagle and the rest is as they say history. Today, Bald Eagle numbers are increasing and have soared to 316,700 with 71,400 breeding pairs.
By 1980 it is estimated that 80% of the Louisiana black bear’s habitat had been modified or destroyed which ultimately led to a decline in population. In 1992 the Louisiana black bear was placed on the List of Threatened and Endangered Wildlife.
Through a number of partnerships with private landowners, state, federal, university, and non-governmental organizations the road to recovery began. From 2001 through 2009 reintroduction projects took place, along with establishing some 100,000 acres of habitat.
Populations of black bears now can be found in Point Coupee, Concordia, Tensas, Avoyelles, Madison, West Carroll, and St. Mary Parishes. And, though black bears know no boundaries, many reside on Tensas NWR, Bayou Teche NWR, Richard K. Yancey WMA, and Big Lake WMA.
In 2015, the Louisiana black bear was delisted, a short 23 years after being threatened. The estimated population is now considered to be between 500 and 750 bruins across the state.
In 1939, John J. Lynch flew over the southwest Louisiana marshes, very near to where White Lake Conservation Area is today. The U.S. Bureau of Biological Survey biologist counted thirteen Whooping Cranes. By 1949, one crane remained on the landscape.
It was captured in 1950 and the lone bird was transported to Aransas National Wildlife Refuge near the Texas Gulf Coast. Aransas NWR held the last migrating Whooping Crane population in the U.S.
Sixty years later, in 2010, as a result of a joint effort between the LDWF and USF&WS the decision was made to reintroduce whooping cranes in southwest Louisiana. Quite often the job of biologists is an arduous and slow process. Success is often measured in very small increments.
Since the start of the project, there have been 162 cranes released, hatched, and fledged, or transferred from Florida to the Louisiana population. Currently 71 survive and are monitored daily.
Whoopers are not the best nesters and are finicky when it comes to habitat they prefer. They also struggle as parents, where they quite often have difficulty fledging two chicks.
Whooping cranes have also been indiscriminately shot.
Nonetheless, biologists persevere. With time and patience hopefully one day like the bald eagle, brown pelican, American alligator, and Louisiana black Bbear maybe the whooping crane will be so well established it to will be a success story. And, while sipping a libation down at the camp the younger ones will be listening to our stories about how it all happened.

Burney Carter Jr., 61, a native of Charenton, Louisiana, and resident of Lake Charles, Louisiana,doed at 6:20 p.m. Friday, Aug. 13, 2021, at Landmark of Lake Charles Retirement Home in Lake Charles.
Visitation will be observed from 9 a.m. until funeral services at 11 a.m. Saturday at Jones Funeral Home, 1101 Main St., Franklin. (All visitors are asked to adhere to the CDC/local regulations by wearing masks and practicing social distancing).
Funeral services will be accessible by viewing the Jones Funeral Home Facebook page at 11 a.m. Saturday.
Burney is survived by six sons, Joseph Richardson of Bunkie, Burney Carter III of Bunkie, Courtney Richardson, Justin Richardson, Jeremy Richardson, all of Franklin, and Terrance Payton of Patterson; seven daughters, Lisa Richardson Phillips of Lafayette, Aleida Payton of Patterson, Erica Richardson, Angelina Mack, Brittany Mack Bastin, Joniquia Gunner, all of Franklin, and Ashley Richardson of Bunkie; two brothers, Robert Carter of Spring, Texas, and Kevin Carter of Charenton, and two sisters, Judy Carter Cuffee of Durham, North Carolina and Alida A. Carter of Charenton; 19 grandchildren; and a host of nieces, nephews, family and friends.
Carter was preceded in death by his father, his mother, a brother and two sisters.