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(Editor’s note: The charges listed here and the narratives that go with them are provided by the police agencies that made the arrests. Guilt or innocence has not been determined in court.)

Traffic violations account for most of the local arrests and citations reported Thursday, including drunk driving and driving under suspension.

St. Mary
Sheriff Blaise Smith advised that over the last 24-hour reporting period, the Sheriff’s Office responded to 47 complaints and made these arrests:
—Treylon Javon Jenkins, 27, Patterson, was arrested at 10:06 a.m. Wednesday on a warrant alleging failure to appear on the charges of operating a vehicle while intoxicated and careless operation. Jenkins was released on a summons to appear Oct. 7.
—Shanquelyn Ladel Druilhet, 44, Franklin, was arrested at 10:51 a.m. Wednesday on a warrant alleging failure to appear on the charges of disturbing the peace by fighting and simple criminal damage to property. Druilhet was released on a summons to appear Oct. 7.
—Melissa Katherine Dupre, 31, Jeanerette, was arrested at 5:05 p.m. Wednesday on two warrants alleging failure to appear on the charges of speeding, driving under suspension (two counts) and improper lane usage. Dupre was released on a summons to appear Oct. 7.
—David Charles Browder, 54, Franklin, was arrested at 3:09 a.m. Thursday on charges of failure to dim headlights and no insurance. Browder was released on a summons to appear Oct. 7.
—Kyjuan Biggles, 20, Jeanerette, was arrested at 4:04 p.m. Wednesday by the Narcotics Section on charges of outward and inward window, possession of marijuana and possession of drug paraphernalia.
Biggles was released on a summons to appear Oct. 7.

Assumption
Sheriff Leland Falcon reported this arrest:
— Jamon Deondre Herbert, 27, Violet Street, Labadieville, was arrested Monday on charges of aggravated flight from an officer, resisting an officer, possession of drug paraphernalia, careless operation of a motor vehicle and driving under a suspended license.
The charges followed an attempted traffic stop July 13 near Daggs Street in Paincourtville.
On July 13, a uniformed patrol deputy attempted to stop a vehicle for a traffic violation in the La. 308-Daggs Street area. The suspect jumped from the vehicle and fled on foot.
As a result of this investigation, deputies obtained arrest warrants for Herbert.
On Monday, Herbert turned himself in and was booked into the Assumption Parish Detention Center pending a bond hearing.

St. Martin
Sheriff Becket Breaux reported these arrests:
—Carla Gordon, 44, Wade Street, Breaux Bridge, was arrested Wednesday by the Breaux Bridge Police Department on a charge of simple domestic abuse battery.
—Jyle Hypolite, 25, Laning Avenue Drive, Breaux Bridge, was arrested Wednesday by the Breaux Bridge Police Department on charges of firearm-free zone, illegal use of a weapon, aggravated criminal damage to property and attempted second-degree murder/non-negligent manslaughter.
—Muhamma Khan, 39, Parkmeadow Avenue, Baton Rouge, was arrested Wednesday by the Henderson Police Department on charges of false imprisonment, monetary instrument abuse, simple possession of marijuana and possession of drug paraphernalia.
—Broderick Sylvester, 33, Castille Street, Breaux Bridge, was arrested Wednesday on charges of improper lane usage; reckless operation of a vehicle; resisting an officer; obstruction of justice (tampering with evidence); manufacture, distribution, or possession with intent to distribute Schedule II drugs; transactions involving proceeds for drug offenses; proof of insurance; and illegal use of controlled dangerous substances in the presence of a minor.
—Angel Varnado, 32, was arrested Wednesday by the Henderson Police Department on an extradition warrant.

Louisiana has $13.3 billion in total bonded obligations, according to a new report.
While ranking somewhat average among states, the figure represents $2,865 in debt for every man, woman and child in the Pelican State — debt that must be repaid with interest.
The finding comes from the American Legislative Exchange Council’s latest effort to identify the costs of government borrowing. The group says the borrow-now-pay-later practice adversely affects future generations.
“Taxes levied on future income earners and consumers are how states fund debt service,” ALEC explains in “State Bonded Obligations, 2020.” Report authors say it’s similar to chopping down apple trees for firewood, thereby “reducing the yield of the orchard.”
Debt also has a crowding-out effect, they said.
“Furthermore, government debt represents an ‘opportunity cost’ for taxpayer money that states could use elsewhere,” the authors explained.
Using each state’s financial reports, researchers analyzed the types of bonds issued, debt payment schedules, total liabilities and liabilities per capita. Nationwide, total bonded liabilities exceed $1.25 trillion, or roughly $3,800 per person. Louisiana ranks 28th overall for its bond debt.
Louisiana’s bond debt is mostly composed of general obligation bonds and general activity bonds.
General obligation bonds are backed by the “full faith and credit” of the state, meaning it cannot default. According to the report, Louisiana has more than $5.3 billion in general obligation bonds, which comes at an interest rate of 27%.
California ranks last with $123 billion in general obligation bonded debt and an interest rate of 39%. Notably, 11 states do not issue general obligation bonds.
“The greater the interest rate … the less likely a project funded by a general obligation bond will generate positive value,” the report said.
Government activity bonds pay for roads, bridges and other capital projects. They are often paid from government general revenue funds and “dedicated taxes,” such as gas taxes. Louisiana has $7.6 billion in government activity bonded debt, which is greater than 41 other states.
The report concludes that state debt problems are a function of overspending.
“Many states use bonds to increase spending today while passing the costs onto future generations,” the report said, while warning, “States that do not get spending and debt under control will see taxpayers leave for states with less burdensome tax and fiscal policies.”

August has always been my least favorite month, and I suspect I am not alone.
The experts tell us that its hot, humid weather makes this the most physically stressful month of the year in south Louisiana. August temperatures get as warm as the body’s temperature, or warmer.
That means people who work or play outside can’t depend on the air around them to cool them. That makes our bodies work harder to cool themselves — and I can testify that the older the body, the harder the work.
But even as a kid I didn’t like August because, (1) it was almost time to go back to school after a carefree summer vacation, (2) it was so hot that I was required by the Grown-Ups to give up a good part of the last days of vacation to stay out of the sun, (3) that meant many afternoons sitting on a screened porch listening to the powerful WGN radio station giving the play-by-play of the Chicago Cubs blowing another season.
Even with their almost guaranteed disappointment, I have been a Cubs fan for more than a half-century, probably because of those broadcasts, and that’s why I was one of the first people on the planet to order the T-shirt when they finally won their first World Series since 1908.
That pennant race made August 2016 almost acceptable, but it was still August, and the Cubs have since begun to return to their old form.
They’ve made a couple of runs at the championship since then, but at this writing are near the bottom of their division, 10 games out of first place, and talking about trading star players.
So, now I wonder again, “What’s to like about August?”
To begin with, August is the thief that cut February short. Before the Roman Emperor Caesar Augustus decided he wanted a month named for himself, August was called Sextilis, the sixth month of the Roman year.
It had only 29 days back then, which I think was still too many.
But emperors being emperors, Augustus had to have a month named for himself, and it had to be just as long as anybody else’s month.
He monkeyed around with the calendar, renaming Sextilis, adding days here and subtracting days there, stealing a day from February and giving it to long, hot August.
I would say that he should have done it the other way around, except that February can be the second most miserable month of the year and the quicker we get past it, the better.
Why didn’t he choose a nice month like April to add days to? I’ll take April showers over August hurricanes any day.
Or he might have picked October and given the songwriters a headache as they tried to wax poetic about when the Augustus leaves come tumbling down.
Back in the 1700s, a poet named Robert Combe Miller called August, “Fairest of months! Ripe Summer’s Queen, the hey-day of the year with robes that gleam with sunny sheen.”
Either old Rob was hitting the mead pretty hard or there’s been a heckuva lot of climate change since then. The “hey-day of the year?” Indeed.
I guess over the years somebody else might have said something nice about August when they were in the throes of heat stroke or under some other influence, and I meant to look it up. But I had to go outside for half an hour in the afternoon heat to deal with a carpentry problem, and never got around to it when I came back inside.
The shaded thermometer on the back porch registered 99 degrees, the humidity was close to 100, I was hot and sweaty, and when I checked the baseball scores the Cubs were losing.
A collection of Jim Bradshaw’s columns, "Cajuns and Other Characters," is now available from Pelican Publishing. You can contact him at jimbradshaw4321@gmail.com or P.O. Box 1121, Washington LA 70589.

Crunchy, savory pizza is a comfort food that is beloved across the globe. Everyone should have a go-to pizza recipe in his or her culinary repertoire.
This recipe for “Crispy Cheesy Pan Pizza,” courtesy of King Arthur’s Flour, was chosen as their 2020 Recipe of the Year, and with good reason. It has crispy golden edges with a thick layer of melted cheese to go with a delicate crust.
With minimal kneading, the dough doesn’t require fancy equipment — just the typical home kitchen.
CRISPY CHEESY
PAN PIZZA
Crust
2 cups King Arthur unbleached all-purpose flour
¾ tsp. salt
½ tsp. instant yeast or active dry yeast
¾ cup lukewarm water
1 Tbsp. olive oil plus 1½ Tbsp. for the pan
Topping
6 ounces mozzarella, grated (about 1¼ cups, loosely packed)
1/3 to ½ cup tomato sauce or pizza sauce, homemade or store-bought
Freshly grated hard cheese (e.g. Parmesan, Asiago, Romano) and fresh herbs (oregano, basil, thyme) for sprinkling on top after baking, (optional)
1. Weigh the flour; or measure it by gently spooning it into a cup, then sweeping off any excess.
2. Place flour, salt, yeast, water and 1 tablespoon olive oil in the bowl of a stand mixer or other medium-large mixing bowl.
3. Stir everything together to make a shaggy, sticky mass of dough with no dry patches of flour. This should take 30 to 45 seconds in a mixer using the beater paddle; or about 1 minute by hand, using a spoon or spatula. Scrape down the sides of the bowl to gather the dough into a rough ball; cover the bowl.
4. After 5 minutes, uncover the bowl and reach a bowl scraper or your wet hand down between the side of the bowl and the dough, as though you were going to lift the dough out. Instead of lifting, stretch the bottom of the dough up and over its top. Repeat three more times, turning the bowl 90 degrees each time. This process of four stretches, which takes the place of kneading, is called a fold.
5. Re-cover the bowl, and after 5 minutes do another fold. Wait 5 minutes and repeat; then another 5 minutes, and do a fourth and final fold. Cover the bowl and let the dough rest, undisturbed, for 40 minutes. Then refrigerate it for a minimum of 12 hours, or up to 72 hours. It will rise slowly as it chills, developing flavor.
6. About 3 hours before serving, prepare the pan. Pour 1½ tablespoons olive oil into a well-seasoned cast iron skillet that’s 10 inches to 11 inches in diameter across the top, and about 9 inches across the bottom. Heavy, dark cast iron will make a superb crust; but if one isn’t available, use another oven-safe heavy-bottomed skillet of similar size, or a 10-inch round cake pan or 9-inch square pan. Tilt the pan to spread the oil across the bottom, and use your fingers or a paper towel to spread some oil up the edges, as well.
7. Transfer dough to the pan and turn it once to coat both side with oil. After coating the dough in oil, press the dough to the edges of the pan, dimpling it using the tips of your fingers in the process. The dough may start to resist and shrink back; that’s okay, just cover it and let it rest for about 15 minutes, then repeat the dimpling/pressing. At this point the dough should reach the edges of the pan; if it doesn’t, give it one more 15-minute rest before dimpling/pressing a third and final time.
8. Cover the crust and let it rise for 2 hours at room temperature. The fully risen dough will look soft and pillowy and will jiggle when you gently shake the pan.
9. About 30 minutes before baking, place one rack at the bottom of the oven and one toward the top. Preheat the oven to 450 F.
10. When ready to bake the pizza, sprinkle about three-quarters of the mozzarella (a scant 1 cup) evenly over the crust. Cover the entire crust, no bare dough showing; this will yield caramelized edges. Dollop small spoonfuls of the sauce over the cheese; laying the cheese down first like this will prevent the sauce from seeping into the crust and making it soggy. Sprinkle on the remaining mozzarella.
11. Bake the pizza on the bottom rack of the oven for 18 to 20 minutes, until the cheese is bubbling and the bottom and edges of the crust are a rich golden brown (use a spatula to check the bottom). If the bottom is brown but the top still seems pale, transfer the pizza to the top rack and bake for 2 to 4 minutes longer. On the other hand, if the top seems fine but the bottom’s not browned to your liking, leave the pizza on the bottom rack for another 2 to 4 minutes. Home ovens can vary a lot, so use the visual cues and your own preferences to gauge when you’ve achieved the perfect bake.
12. Remove the pizza from the oven and place the pan on a heatproof surface. Carefully run a table knife or spatula between the edge of the pizza and side of the pan to prevent the cheese from sticking as it cools. Let the pizza cool very briefly; as soon as you feel comfortable doing so, carefully transfer it from the pan to a cooling rack or cutting surface. This will prevent the crust from becoming soggy.
13. Serve the pizza anywhere from medium-hot to warm. Kitchen shears or a large pair of household scissors are both good tools for cutting this thick pizza into wedges.
Yield: One 9- to 10-inch pan pizza.