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Burney “Cane Hauler” Carter, Jr., 61, a native of Charenton, La. and resident of Lake Charles, La. passed away peacefully on Friday, August 13, 2021 at 6:20 p.m. at Landmark of Lake Charles Retirement Home in Lake Charles, La.
Visitation will be observed on Saturday, August 21, 2021 from 9 a.m. until funeral services at 11 a.m. at Jones Funeral Home, 1101 Main Street Franklin, La. (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 on Saturday, August 21, 2021 at 11 a.m.
Burney “Cane Hauler” is survived by six sons; Joseph Richardson of Bunkie, La., Burney Carter III of Bunkie, La., Courtney Richardson, Justin Richardson, Jeremy Richardson all of Franklin, La. and Terrance Payton of Patterson, La., seven daughters; Lisa Richardson Phillips of Lafayette, La, Aleida Payton of Patterson, La., Erica Richardson, Angelina Mack, Brittany Mack Bastin, Joniquia Gunner, all of Franklin, La., and Ashley Richardson of Bunkie, La.; two brothers, Robert Carter of Spring, TX and Kevin Carter of Charenton, La.; and two sisters, Judy Carter Cuffee of Durham, NC and Alida A. Carter of Charenton, La., along with 19 grandchildren and host of nieces, nephews, family and friends.
Mr. Carter was preceded in death by his father, his mother, a brother, and two sisters.
Arrangement entrusted to Jones Funeral Home of Morgan City-Franklin-Jeanerette and Houma.
Visit www.jones-funeral-home.com to send condolences to family.

DEAR ABBY: A year ago I was working at a small wholesale bakery with maybe 15 employees. While I was there, the place was overrun with food-safety issues, including mice, allergen cross-contact issues and poor employee hygiene practices. At the time, the owner was working on fixing some of the problems, but not fast enough for my taste. Although he was never my favorite person, he was clearly overwhelmed with running a business and didn’t have the resources to fix the problems.
Now that I have been gone for some time, I’m on the fence about whether I should leave an online review or comment detailing some of the problems. I don’t want to hurt a struggling business, and it’s possible these problems have been fixed, but there is no way for me to know for sure because I am no longer there. Personally, I think customers should know about these issues before purchasing their products, but I don’t want to stick my nose where it shouldn’t go. Even if I leave a review anonymously, there is always a chance they will find out. Advice?
POSSIBLE WHISTLEBLOWER

DEAR WHISTLEBLOWER: I agree customers of that bakery should know there are possible problems. Rather than leave an anonymous review, contact the health department in your city and report the conditions you observed. It should trigger an inspection of the place. Your personal feelings about the owner have nothing to do with this. The cross-contamination you described could trigger a possibly fatal allergic reaction. And the vermin infestation and poor hygiene practices of the employees could cause someone to become seriously ill.

DEAR ABBY: My 53rd high school class reunion is coming up. Former classmates have been emailing me about participating. I do not want to go. I went to my 50th and that was enough catching up for me. I like hearing about the lives of my former classmates from our class correspondent, but 50 years ago I moved more than 1,000 miles away and began a new life. So did my parents and siblings.
Today, my parents are gone, and my siblings and I are spread around the country. There’s nothing left in my hometown for me other than the graves of my father’s family, our old family home and memories. Is there something wrong with me because I’d rather spend time with my friends in my present city and travel to the remaining places on my bucket list? Should I be ashamed of my attitude, or am I “normal”?
FEELING GUILTY IN TEXAS

DEAR FEELING: It is normal and healthy to want to concentrate on the present rather than keep revisiting the past. I see nothing shameful about it and nothing to feel guilty for. You attended your 50th and touched base with your old classmates. It was a blessing to be able to do that. If, however, the trip down memory lane and the number of classmates no longer on this side of the sod depressed you, skip future reunions, concentrate on the future, and do it without beating yourself up.
***
For everything you need to know about wedding planning, order “How to Have a Lovely Wedding.” Send your name and mailing address, plus check or money order for $8 to: Dear Abby, Wedding Booklet, P.O. Box 447, Mount Morris, IL 61054-0447.

Tropical Storm Grace Discussion Number 8
NWS National Hurricane Center Miami FL AL072021
500 AM AST Sun Aug 15 2021

Radar data from the Leeward Islands and Puerto Rico, as well as
satellite images, indicate that Grace is still not a well-organized
tropical cyclone, although over the past few hours banding features
have become more evident and the outflow has improved. An earlier
ASCAT-C overpass showed peak winds of 30 kt associated with Grace,
and the latest Dvorak intensity estimate from TAFB was 35 kt.
Assuming some undersampling from the ASCAT instrument, the initial
intensity estimate remains 35 kt for this advisory.

Grace continues to move fairly quickly to the west-northwest, or
285/18 kt to the south of a strong mid-level ridge. Aside from the
HWRF, which is a northern outlier and has not performed particularly
well for Fred or Grace, and also the Canadian model, which is a
southern outlier, the track guidance has come into better agreement
on the future path of Grace. The cyclone is expected to slow its
forward speed today, and maintain a west-northwestward motion to the
south of the ridge for the next several days. The NHC track forecast
is little changed from the previous one through 72 h, and then was
adjusted a little to the south of the previous one thereafter. On
this path, Grace would pass just south of Puerto Rico later today,
cross Hispaniola tonight through Monday night, then move along the
northern coast of Cuba Tuesday and Wednesday.

Grace is in an environment favorable for intensification, and the
NHC intensity forecast calls for modest strengthening to 45 kt
before it reaches the Dominican Republic Monday morning. This
portion of the forecast is in good agreement with the various
consensus models. The intensity forecast becomes highly uncertain
thereafter, and is dependent on how much of the Greater Antilles the
cyclone interacts with. Based on the current track forecast, Grace
would cross a large portion of the rugged terrain of Hispaniola,
then interact with the landmass of Cuba for a couple of days. There
is a decent chance that the low-level center of Grace could
dissipate over Hispaniola as the system opens back into a tropical
wave. However, due to the possibility of the center remaining intact
after crossing that landmass, the NHC forecast calls for weakening
followed by little change in strength thereafter as it moves along
the Cuban coastline. The latest NHC intensity forecast beyond 24 h
is little changed from the previous one, and is close to the FSU
Superensemble.

Key Messages:

1. Tropical storm conditions are expected over portions of the
Leewards Islands this morning and the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico
today. Tropical storm conditions are expected over eastern parts of
the Dominican Republic tonight and Monday. Tropical storm conditions
are possible over western portions of the Dominican Republic and
Haiti Monday and Monday night.

2. Heavy rainfall could lead to flash and urban flooding over the
Leeward and Virgin Islands, Haiti and the Dominican Republic. Across
Puerto Rico, heavy rainfall may lead to flash, urban and small
stream flooding, along with the potential for mudslides.

3. There is a risk of wind and rainfall impacts across the rest of
the Dominican Republic, Haiti, the Turks and Caicos Islands, the
Bahamas, Cuba, and Florida, but forecast uncertainty remains higher
than usual. Interests in those areas should monitor the progress of
Grace and updates to the forecast.

FORECAST POSITIONS AND MAX WINDS

INIT 15/0900Z 16.9N 64.4W 35 KT 40 MPH
12H 15/1800Z 17.5N 66.6W 40 KT 45 MPH
24H 16/0600Z 18.3N 68.9W 45 KT 50 MPH
36H 16/1800Z 18.9N 70.6W 35 KT 40 MPH...INLAND OVER HISPANIOLA
48H 17/0600Z 19.8N 72.6W 35 KT 40 MPH...INLAND OVER HISPANIOLA
60H 17/1800Z 20.9N 75.3W 35 KT 40 MPH...OVER WATER
72H 18/0600Z 22.0N 78.0W 35 KT 40 MPH...NEAR CUBA COAST
96H 19/0600Z 23.9N 82.5W 40 KT 45 MPH
120H 20/0600Z 25.6N 86.2W 45 KT 50 MPH

Karen Duhon, accused of being part of a fraud scheme that bilked more than $3 million from Morgan City's Capital Management Consultants Inc., entered a guilty plea Thursday to one count of a five-count federal indictment as part of a plea agreement.

Duhon pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in Lafayette to the single count of mail fraud. She could be sentenced to up to 20 years in prison, and will be required to repay nearly $3.2 million. Sentencing is set for Dec. 27 before U.S. District Judge Maurice Hicks in Lafayette.

A federal grand jury indicted Duhon in December 2018 on one count of conspiracy to commit wire and mail fraud, three counts of wire fraud, and one count of mail fraud.

Duhon worked as a bookkeeper for Capital Management from October 1973 to August 2014. Peter Guarisco had a controlling interest in the company until his death in 2005, when control passed to his five children.

According to the indictment, in January 1999 Duhon began writing checks to herself for more than her salary and had them signed by another employee who was a named signatory for Capital Management. Earlier court cases identified the signatory as James Scott Tucker.

Duhon also falsified the company's books to conceal the fact that she wrote the checks, the indictment said.

Duhon deposited the money into accounts owned by her and her husband. In all, the checks totaled about $3.2 million.

Also, the indictment said, Tucker and Duhon sometimes helped the Guarisco heirs with their personal finances. Between November 2012 and January 2014, Duhon had access to checks from the account belonging to one of the heirs.

Duhon used the account to pay $127,920 on her American Express cards, the indictment said, and in December 2013, she mailed a check for about $8,700 to American Express. That was allegation on which the mail fraud count was based.

Duhon's husband, Armond Duhon, was sentenced to 20 years in prison after his conviction in 16th Judicial District Court on more than 200 theft counts in relation to the Capital Management fraud case.

Donnasue Peveto, Scott Tucker's assistant, pleaded guilty in the 16th JDC in 2015 to 123 theft counts in cases alleging more than $9 million illegally taken from Capital Management.

Tucker died in 2014. Peveto died in 2016.

Peter Guarisco's heirs took Tucker's estate to court to recover the missing money in a lawsuit that was settled in 2017.

"The wheels of justice turn very slowly," Capital Management spokesman Marwan Mohey-El-Dien said Friday. "But in the end, justice is served."

Karen Duhon has expressed no remorse, Mohey-El-Dien said, and the family will ask for a strict sentence.

"Had Mrs. Duhon come forward immediately and admitted what she had done and helped us find the assets, we would not have taken an adverse position," Mohey-El-Dien said. "We would have helped her."