RSS Feed

(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.)

The St. Mary Parish Sheriff’s Office, working with local and state agencies to investigation online solicitation of young people, have arrested a Morgan City man on an indecent behavior charge.
Micah Devonte Young, 20, Morgan City, was arrested at 10:49 p.m. Thursday and booked on counts of computer-aided solicitation of a minor and indecent behavior with a juvenile.
On Thursday, detectives with the SMPSO Investigations Section conducted a joint operation targeting individuals looking to solicit children for sexual acts.
As part of the Louisiana Bureau of Investigation's Internet Crimes Against Children Taskforce, detectives worked with the Berwick Police Department, the Morgan City Police Department and the Chitimacha Tribal Police Department in the operation, which resulted in the arrest.
Young was arrested and transported to the St. Mary Parish Law Enforcement Center for booking. No bail has been set.
Sheriff Blaise Smith thanked all the agencies for their cooperation in this effort to protect our children.

St. Mary
Smith reported that over the last 24-hour reporting period, the Sheriff’s Office responded to 35 complaints and made these arrests:
—Jermaine Lavone Spain, 36, Franklin, was arrested at 1:30 p.m. Thursday on a warrant alleging failure to appear on the charges of possession of marijuana and no seat belt. Spain was released on a $1,000 bond.
—Kobe K. Holly, 20, Amelia, was arrested at 4:30 p.m. Thursday on charges of off-road vehicles/authorization of use and on a warrant alleging simple battery. Holly was released on a $2,750 bond.
—Kevin Glen Davis, 53, Houston, was arrested at 10:17 p.m. Thursday on charges of improper lane usage and driver must be licensed, and on a warrant alleging failure to appear on the charges of speeding and failing to honor a written promise to appear. Bail was set at $1,000.
—Kori Ann Terrebonne, 28, Lafayette, was arrested at 12:42 a.m. Friday on charges of no license plate light, possession of drug paraphernalia, possession of Schedule II drugs and possession of Schedule IV drugs.
No bail has been set.
—Matthew Taylor Rollins, 27, Patterson, was arrested at 2:53 a.m. Friday on Morgan City Police Department warrants alleging failure to appear on charges of possession of drug paraphernalia (two counts), driver must be license, disturbing the peace (intoxicated), two counts of contempt of court (terms of probation) and theft under $1,000.
Rollins was transferred to another agency.
—Wayne A. Lewis, 50, Belle Rose, was arrested at 3:46 a.m. Friday on charges of driving under suspension and license plate lights required. Lewis was released on a summons to appear Sept. 1.

Morgan City
Police Chief James F. Blair reported that over the last 24-hour period the Morgan City Police Department responded to 45 calls for service and made these arrests beginning Thursday:
—Demetris Owens, 28, Orange Street, Morgan City, 10:36 a.m. Thursday on charges of disturbing the peace (language) and remaining after forbidden).
—Timothy Ross, 52, Old Schriever Highway, Schriever, was arrested at 2:26 p.m. Thursday on charges of driving under suspension and proper equipment required on vehicle.

Assumption
Sheriff Leland Falcon reported these arrests:
—Edward Larkin Beeson, 61, La. 1, Belle Rose, was arrested Thursday on a charge of possession of methamphetamine.
The charge resulted from a Thursday evening traffic stop on La. 70 in Pierre Part.
A uniformed patrol deputy observed a vehicle commit a traffic violation and initiated a stop of the vehicle.
The deputy made contact with the driver and one passenger, identified as Beeson.
The deputy made observations consistent with illegal drug activity and thought that additional investigation was warranted.
Consent to search the vehicle was secured by the deputy. During the search process, a quantity of methamphetamine was seized and attributed to Beeson.
The suspect was arrested and booked into the Assumption Parish Detention Center pending a bond hearing.
—Acquindus A. Levy, 49, Pleasant Lane, Belle Rose, was arrested Wednesday on a charge of domestic abuse battery involving strangulation and on warrants alleging failure to appear on charges of non-support, domestic abuse battery, resisting an officer, possession of alcoholic beverages in a motor vehicle and possession of marijuana or synthetic cannabinoids (second-offense).
The charges resulted from a September 2019 incident.
Deputies responded to a disturbance call and made contact with the complainant, who was the domestic partner of Levy. The deputies noted that the complainant, now victim had blood-stained clothing.
The couple had been to an outing and later went home.
At that time, a disagreement occurred. The argument escalated to the point that Levy became physical and caused noticeable injury to the victim.
Levy was gone from the scene when deputies arrived.
Deputies secured arrest warrants for Levy, but he remained at large. Deputies further discovered that Levy was wanted on multiple failure to appear warrants.
Levy was arrested by the Ascension Parish Sheriff’s Office.
He was transported and booked into the Assumption Parish Detention Center pending a bond hearing.

Levee upgrades totaling $14.5 million to protect Morgan City are among the local projects the area’s state legislative delegation worked to get for local municipalities.
State Sen. Bret Allain, R-Franklin, said during Wednesday’s St. Mary Parish Chamber of Commerce Legislative Wrap-up luncheon that the money was secured via the state’s Coastal Protection and Rest-oration Authority.
St. Mary Parish Levee District Executive Director Tim Matte said that the funding is “a significant down payment” on what is needed for the project to close the gap between the Justa Street and Siracusa levees.
The protection will be located behind the homes backing Lake Palourde Drive in Lakeside Subdivision.
“We’re continuing to fine-tune the plans for that,” Matte said.
He said the levee district is looking for other funding sources to go along with that $14.5 million.
“The purpose of it is to close the system so that the entire city is protected to the 100-year storm standard,” Matte said of the project.
Gov. John Bel Edwards still must sign off on the funding allocation and the state bond commission must approve it.
“We were very appreciative of the senator being able to do that for us,” Matte said of Allain. “It’s a request we’ve been working on with the legislature and with CPRA, and it took his position to really make it happen. He was in the right place at the right time to be able to help us with that.”
Also, funding for water system improvements is coming to Morgan City and the town of Berwick.
Berwick is scheduled to receive about $2.4 million for water line upgrades, water meter replacements and sewer rehabilitation.
Berwick Mayor Duval Arthur said currently, about 30% of the town’s water meters are electric. With the funding the town receives, all will be electric. They will be read wirelessly from the meter truck.
He also said the waterline project funded in Country Club Estates will improve water pressure there.
“These are really good projects, and I think that’s the reason why they were all funded,” Arthur said. “We did a lot of work on our presentation, and I think that in the long run, that’s the reason why it was approved.”
Morgan City will get another $1.75 million for its water system for a new water clarifier.
“Our clarifier is like 50 years old, and it’s on its last leg,” Mayor Lee Dragna said.
Of that money, Dragna said, $500,000 has been pegged in priority 1 funding, meaning it will be received this year.
An additional $1 million will be given to the city from the federal Recovery Fund money the state receives because it is a water project, the mayor said.
The last $250,000 will be in Priority 2 funding, which the city will receive next year. However, the city will use its own money in the meantime to fund the project.
Other area projects Allain listed that will receive funding include emergency power upgrades at the St. Mary Parish Cour-thouse, a welding center at the Port of West St. Mary, $900,000 in water improvements in Baldwin and money in Franklin for street repairs and renovation of City Hall, and $750,000 for reconstruction of Martin Luther King Road in Charenton.
“I’m very proud of what we’ve been able to deliver for the area along with the support from the people on my right,” he said, referring to state Reps. Beryl Amedée, R-Gray, and Vincent St. Blanc, R-Franklin.
St. Blanc also discussed House Bill No. 224, which has been signed into law as Act 375. It names U.S. 90 in St. Mary Parish as Mike Foster Memorial Parkway after the parish’s former governor, who passed away last year.
“That was another thing that I was proud of that we had done,” St. Blanc said.
Also in House Bill No. 224, Bayou Ramos Bridge on U.S. 90 will be renamed as the Jeffrey Paul Curry Jr. Memorial Bridge.

Tri-City people looking for something to do this weekend have a choice: taking care of that COVID-19 shot at either of two vaccination events Saturday, catching a play Friday or Sunday, or learning about amateur radio’s preparations for emergency service.
Vaccination
Mass vaccination events are scheduled Saturday at Ochsner St. Mary in Morgan city and at Amelia Belle Casino in Amelia.
At Ochsner St. Mary, the health screenings and vaccinations will be 10 a.m.-1 p.m. Saturday in the Medical Office Building behind the hospital.
All participants must be 18 or older.
To schedule a vaccination, call 844-888-2772 or visit Myochsner.org. Those undergoing the health screening are encouraged but not required to fast.
While appointments are not required, they are suggested. To schedule one, visit ochsner.vitalogyinc.com and use code 866E49.
The Ochsner St. Mary event was originally scheduled for June 5 and was to offer a boiled crawfish incentive, but it was postponed because of a weather threat. There will be no crawfish Saturday, but otherwise the event will go on as rescheduled.
At the Amelia Belle, vaccinations will be offered 2-5 p.m. Saturday. People 12 and over can get the Pfizer two-dose vaccine, and people 18 and over can get the one-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine. Those who get the Pfizer vaccine will get appointments for their second shots.
Walk-ins are welcome, but to schedule an appointment call 1-855-453-0774 or the St. Mary Parish health unit.
Louisiana is lagging behind the rest of the country in the percentage of adults who have been vaccinated, and St. Mary is lagging the rest of the state.
On Friday, the Louisiana Office of Public Health online vaccination dashboard said 27.8% of St. Mary people have been vaccinated; 27.5% in St. Martin; and 28.4% in Assumption. Nationally, 45% of adults have completed their vaccine series.
The state government is offering four weekly series of drawings with $100,000 prizes beginning July 9 for vaccinated residents who register. One drawing with a $1 million prize is scheduled late July.
Learn more at shotatamillion.com.
Children’s Theatre
The Morgan City Children’s Theatre has scheduled two performances of “A Monster Ate My Homework” this weekend, both at Morgan City Municipal Auditorium.
Performances are scheduled for 6 p.m. Friday and 2 p.m. Sunday.
Tickets are $5 at the door.
Amateur Radio
The Bayouland Emergency Amateur Radio Service, a local organization of ham radio operators, will take part in the national Field Day event this weekend.
The public is invited to visit the on-air operations 2-5 p.m. Saturday. The BEARS radio station is located upstairs at 201 Everett St. (the old Whitney Bank Building).
In addition to the on air operation, members will be on hand to meet visitors and explain any part of the operation and to answer any questions anyone might have. A tabletop display of educational materials will be on hand as well as Morse code keys and other items of interest.
Field Day, always the last weekend in June, challenges amateur radio operators to test their transceivers, antennas and other equipment as well as their ability to be of service during emergencies.
Local amateurs can use VHF and UHF radios to communicate locally, and they often help at events such as Tour du Teche.
Field Day is mostly about high frequency communication, with which operators can talk to fellow hams across the country and around the world. They can use voice, Morse code and computer-to-computer digital modes to make Field Day contacts and score points in a national contest.

Gov. John Bel Edwards announced that he signed the following bills into law from the 2021 Regular Legislative Session on Wednesday and Thursday.
ACT 441—SB 232 Establishes and provides for the Power-Based Violence Review Panel.
ACT 442—HB 44 Provides for an additional exception when hauling construction aggregates.
ACT 443—HB 93 Exempts the Iberia Parish Airport Authority from the public lease law applicable to certain properties.
ACT 444—HB 228 Provides relative to restroom access for individuals with certain conditions.
ACT 445—HB 337 Provides relative to the applicability of certain lease terms to the Shreveport Downtown Airport.
ACT 446—HB 338 Provides relative to the applicability of certain lease terms to the Vivian Municipal Airport.
ACT 447—HB 394 Requires postsecondary education institutions to post reports relative to campus security policies and campus crime statistics on their websites.
ACT 448—HB 639 Provides relative to infrastructure funding.
ACT 449—HB 7 Provides for a sales and use tax exemption for feminine hygiene products and diapers.
ACT 450—HB 172 Provides for Medicaid coverage of dental care for certain adults with developmental and intellectual disabilities.
ACT 451—HB 430 Provides relative to the officer’s bill of rights.
ACT 452—HB 446 Creates and provides for the office of the state Americans with Disabilities Act coordinator within the division of administration.
ACT 453—HB 678 Provides for the Louisiana work opportunity tax credit.
ACT 454—HB 680 Establishes the Louisiana Youth Jobs Tax Credit Program.
ACT 455—HB 705 Provides relative to the misclassification of employees and a criteria for the classification of employees.
ACT 456—SB 86 Requires the governing authority of each public school to develop and adopt policies for the installation and operation of video cameras in certain classrooms.
ACT 457—SB 148 Establishes the M.J. Foster Promise Program.
ACT 458—SB 214 Provides relative to individual graduation plans and high school curriculum options.