Around Town for June 25
Happy birthday Sunday to Samuel Blair from family, friends and Ira.
Happy birthday Sunday to Samuel Blair from family, friends and Ira.
KIDS’ BASKETBALL
Jimmie Johnson Memorial 23rd annual Free Basketball Clinic is 8 a.m. to noon Saturday, July 17, at Siracusa Recreation Building gym. Biddy and AAU basketball coaches assisting. Each player must have permission slip signed by parent or guardian, and bring own lunch. Some drinks provided. Permission slips available at Morgan City Recreation Department, M C Bank and Skipper’s Sporting Goods, or call Deloris Johnson, 985-518-5005. Awards at end of clinic. Donations accepted to help pay for drinks, snacks and school supplies. Call Johnson about donations or donate to the memorial account at M C Bank.
(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.)
Franklin police have arrested the man wanted in the Jan. 6 shooting at Anderson and Joseph streets. The suspect, Michael Morris Jr. of Franklin, was also wanted on an armed robbery charge.
Franklin
Police Chief Morris Beverly said the Franklin Police Department responded to 13 complaints over the past 24 hours and made this arrest:
—Michael Morris Jr., 22, Talbot Street, Franklin, was arrested at 5:40 a.m. Wednesday on a warrant dated Jan. 7 for terrorizing and three counts of attempted first-degree murder.
Morris was additionally arrested on a warrant for 16th Judicial District Court alleging failure to appear on the charges of armed robbery and armed robbery with the use of a firearm. Morris was booked, processed and transported to the St. Mary Parish Law Enforcement Center.
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:
—Jason Jermaine Matthews, 39, Amelia, was arrested at 10:49 p.m. Wednesday on a warrant for failure to appear on the charges of unauthorized entry of an inhabited dwelling and operating a vehicle without a driver’s license. Matthews was released on a $10,000 bond.
—Joell Thiel Bourg, 38, Houma, was arrested at 12:42 p.m. Wednesday on charges of possession with intent to distribute Schedule II drugs and on a warrant alleging failure to appear on charges of possession of methamphetamine and possession of drug paraphernalia.
—Trecia Adams Luke, 49, Franklin, was arrested at 2:13 p.m. Wednesday on a warrant alleging driving while intoxicated with accident. Luke was released on a $2,500 bond.
—Frankie Clarke, 37, Amelia, was arrested at 10:32 p.m. Wednesday on a warrant alleging failure to appear on the charges of direct contempt, operating a vehicle without a driver’s license and failing to honor a written promise to appear. Clarke was released on a $365 bond.
—Destiny James Landry, 46, Lafayette, was arrested at 1:23 a.m. Thursday on a warrant alleging failure to appear on the charges of direct contempt, operating a vehicle without a driver’s license and failing to honor a written promise to appear. No bail has been set.
—Michael Q. Lewis, 23, Vicksburg, Mississippi, was arrested at 5:43 a.m. Thursday on charges of driving on roadway laned for traffic, possession of marijuana and possession of drug paraphernalia. 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 49 calls for service and made these arrests beginning Wednesday:
—Quijakius Johnson, 39, Apple Street, Morgan City, was arrested at 4:39 p.m. Wednesday on a warrant alleging aggravated assault.
—Joseph Burton, 46, Railroad Avenue, Morgan City, was arrested at 8:28 p.m. Wednesday on a charge of disturbing the peace (drunkenness).
—Shade Michael Suire, 28, Chestnut Drive, Morgan City, was arrested at 10:48 p.m. Wednesday on a warrant alleging failure to appear on a charge of possession of heroin.
Berwick
Police Chief David Leonard reported this arrest:
—Kane Peruit, 33 Bayou Black Road, Houma, was arrested at 1:33 a.m. Thursday on charges of driving under suspension and license plate light required, and on a Lafourche Parish Sheriff’s Office warrant alleging domestic abuse with child endangerment.
About 12:54 a.m. Thursday, officers in the area of La. 182 observed a vehicle without a light illuminating the license plate area.
A traffic stop was conducted on the vehicle, and contact was made with Peruit.
During the course of the stop, it was learned that Peruit’s driver’s license was suspended. It was also learned that Peruit had an active warrant through the Lafourche Parish Sheriff’s Office.
Peruit was placed under arrest and transported to the Berwick Police Department where he was booked.
Assumption
Sheriff Leland Falcon reported this arrest:
—Shawn Christopher Ramagos, 31, Ciro Street, Morgan City, was arrested Thursday on charges of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, two counts of carrying a firearm in the presence of controlled dangerous substances, possession of drug paraphernalia, possession with intent to distribute heroin, possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and resisting an officer.
The charges arose from an early morning traffic stop on Thursday by the sheriff’s I.C.E. Unit.
An I.C.E.-assigned deputy observed a vehicle commit a traffic violation and initiated a stop of the vehicle. The deputy made contact with the driver and conducted an interview.
At some point, the deputy determined that the driver had provided a now identified as Ramagos.
As the investigation developed, deputies requested the presence of a K-9 unit.
The K-9 did an open-air sniff of the suspect vehicle and alerted to the presence of controlled dangerous substances.
A search of the vehicle yielded quantities of heroin and methamphetamine. Two large-caliber handguns were seized as well.
It was also determined that Ramagos was convicted of prior felony offenses, an armed robbery in 2013 and resisting arrest by force or violence in 2019.
Ramagos was arrested and booked into the Assumption Parish Detention Facility with bond set at $150,000.
St. Martin
Sheriff Becket Breaux reported these arrests:
—Carlton Boudreaux, 52, Elus Drive, Breaux Bridge, was arrested Wednesday on charges of aggravated assault with a firearm and aggravated criminal damage to property.
—Jeremiah Miller, 24, Estate Avenue, St. Martinville, was arrested on warrants alleging failure to appear on charges of home invasion and aggravated domestic abuse with child endangerment.
—Kevin Walker, 40, Edison Street, Lafayette, was arrested Wednesday on warrants alleging failure to appear on charges of domestic abuse with child endangerment and disturbing the peace (drunkenness).
The Rotary Club of Morgan City banquet was June 17 at the Petroleum Club.
The following are the radio dispatch logs from the Morgan City Police Department. To report unlawful or suspicious activity, call the Police Department at 985-380-4605.
Wednesday, June 23
5:52 a.m. 1100 block of Marguerite Street; Complaint.
8:02 a.m. 7200 block of La. 182; Medical.
8:29 a.m. 700 block of Martin Luther King Boulevard; Complaint.
9:59 a.m. U.S. 90 West; Reckless driving.
11:22 a.m. 1100 block of Brashear Avenue; Hit and run.
12:09 p.m. 600 block of Martin Luther King Boulevard; Complaint.
12:30 p.m. 1700 block of Youngs Road; Animal.
12:37 p.m. 300 block of Greenwood Street; Alarm.
1:02 p.m. Fifth and Everett streets; Accident.
1:31 p.m. 1500 block of Chestnut Drive; Assistance.
1:43 p.m. La. 182/U.S. 90 junction; Reckless driving.
2:10 p.m. 1200 block of Victor II Boulevard; Alarm.
2:24 p.m. 7400 block of La. 182; Welfare check.
3:17 p.m. 7700 block of La. 182; Disturbance.
3:29 p.m. 1700 block of Federal Avenue; Forgery.
3:34 p.m. U.S. 90 West; Assistance.
3:46 p.m. 1000 block of Hickory Street; Forgery.
4:23 p.m. Seventh and Greenwood streets; Medical.
4:25 p.m. 1600 block of Chestnut Drive; Medical.
4:26 p.m. 6300 block of La. 182; Disturbance.
4:47 p.m. 900 block of Youngs Road; Medical.
5:26 p.m. 300 block of Egle Street; Medical emergency.
6:11 p.m. Lake End Park area; Disturbance.
7:07 p.m. 1200 block of North Prescott Street; Medical emergency.
7:29 p.m. 600 block of General Patton Street; Complaint.
8:07 p.m. 1200 block of Railroad Avenue; Disturbance/arrest.
8:43 p.m. 1000 block of Shaw Drive; Alarm.
9 p.m. 100 block of Brashear Avenue; Remove subject.
10:23 p.m. 1200 block of Front Street; Suspicious vehicle.
10:39 p.m. 900 block of Cottonwood Street; Disturbance/warrant/arrest.
11:52 p.m. 3100 block of Karen Drive; Complaint.
Thursday, June 24
1:12 a.m. U.S. 90 Berwick ; Assist Berwick Police Department.
2:14 a.m. 800 block of Youngs Road; Complaint.
2:53 a.m. Marquis Manor ; Alarm.
2:57 a.m. 1100 block of Marguerite Street; Disturbance.
The Jimmie Johnson Memorial 23rd annual Free Basketball Clinic is set for 8 a.m.-noon Saturday, July 17, at the Siracusa Recreation Building gym.
Biddy and AAU basketball coaches will be on hand to assist children in the fine points of the game.
To attend, each player must have a permission slip signed by a parent or guardian. Permission slips available at Morgan City Recreation Department, M C Bank and Skipper’s Sporting Goods, or by calling Deloris Johnson, 985-518-5005.
Players must bring their own lunch. Some drinks will be provided.
Awards will be presented at the end of the clinic.
Anyone wishing to help pay for drinks, snacks and school sup-plies may donate by calling Johnson or by donating to the memorial account at M C Bank.
You may have surmised, one of my favorite things to do is to poke around in old newspapers, looking for little items that reflect the character of a place or of the times, or that just catch my fancy.
One of those last kinds, was an item about the formation of a band in Franklin in 1849, apparently with a bit of wincing at first.
The Planters’ Banner reported, “The Brass Band in this place is making fine progress, and will, in a few weeks, make up for some of the hideous noises produced by their first efforts. A thousand bullocks smelling of blood and roaring, bellowing and bleating, aided by owls, donkies, and all the noisy bipeds and quadrupeds in creation could barely have given a concert equal to those of the first two evenings after the trumpets, trombones, &c, arrived from the city.”
The editors of the Opelousas Courier were intrigued in 1853 by what appears to be an early periscope.
“A new kind of mirror has been introduced. which may be considered a kind of labor-saving machine,” the newspaper reported.
“With one of these looking glasses a person need not look out of the window to see what is going on up or down the street. Two mirrors are set at right angles on the window, and in these every individual passing up or down, on either side, is visible to the person sitting inside the window. It is a neat and convenient little affair.”
But the one that recently caught my memory’s eye, and that I found almost poetic, was just one line in the Abbeville Meridional in the early summer of 1899: “Mulberries are ripe and the trees are full of small boys.”
I don’t think I’ve tasted a mulberry, or even seen a tree full of them, since I was a small boy climbing the tree that grew behind our garage.
It had to be climbed to get to the fruit because it was just a few tantalizing feet too far away for a boy to climb onto the garage roof and jump onto a limb.
Adding to the peril of any such attempt, my mother had a bed of prized flowers at the base of the tree.
You didn’t want to think about your fate if you should miss the tree and land in the flowers.
I climbed the tree mountain-climber style, throwing a rope over one of the lower limbs and holding onto it while I “walked” up the tree trunk.
I may be confusing it with another tree, but I think I did it that way because the mulberry had scales on the trunk that poked out pretty far and made it uncomfortable for a kid in summer shorts to just shinny up to the fruit.
And, of course, getting to the fruit was the object of the exercise. It resembled an oversized blackberry and was just as sweet. Sometimes I’d be sent up the tree on purpose, to gather enough for Mom to make jelly. But most of the time it was just to pick and eat the berries myself.
That’s the memory the little item conjured up when I first read it: Sitting in a shady fork of the tree and stuffing myself with sweet berries.
I still can’t think of many better ways to spend part of a warm summer day.
If I were still as nimble as I was then, I might be tempted to try it.
That’s not going to happen, of course. Even if I could do it, the neighbors would surely come out to gawk at an old man sitting in a tree.
But if I had been a small boy in Abbeville in 1899, there’s an almost-sure chance that I would have been one of the those who caught the writer’s eye and elicited the near poetic comment.
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.
Celebrations are common in July. American Independence Day is celebrated each July 4, and that momentous occasion lays the foundation for a month-long celebration of Americana.
Since the United States first gained its independence from Great Britain, many things have been described as representing the best of American culture. Rock-n-roll music and baseball have long been deemed “as American as apple pie,” but how did apple pie come to be synonymous with America?
Few fruits have been associated more with America than the apple, due in large part to John Chapman, affectionately known as Johnny Appleseed.
Chapman was born in Massachusetts during the Revolutionary War. Chapman’s father fought in the war, then survived to return home to farm and teach his son the family business. The younger Chapman is said to have spent 40 years clearing land and planting apple seeds in Midwestern states.
Apples thrived and became important foods for early settlers. Apples were easy to grow and store for use throughout the year, plus they were — and still are — versatile fruits that can be used in many different recipes.
Apple pie is a popular dish made from apples, but a close cousin to pie — turnovers — can be just as delicious. Turn-overs are handheld desserts made with many of the same ingredients as pie. They are small pastries made by covering one half of a piece of dough with filling, folding the other half over on top, and then sealing the edges.
Apple turnovers can be a sweet treat for July 4 barbecues or other events this summer. Enjoy this recipe, courtesy of Pillsbury.
EASY APPLE TURNOVERS
1½ cups thinly sliced, peeled apples (roughly 1½ medium-sized apple)
¼ cup packed brown sugar
2 Tbsp. water
1 tsp. lemon juice
1 Tbsp. all-purpose flour
1 Tbsp. granulated sugar
¼ tsp. salt
1 Tbsp. butter or margarine
½ tsp. vanilla
1 box Pillsbury refrigerated pie crusts
1 egg
In a 2-quart saucepan, mix apples, brown sugar, 1 tablespoon of water and lemon juice. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until bubbly. Reduce heat to low; cover and cook 6 to 8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until apples are tender.
In a small bowl, mix flour, granulated sugar and salt. Gradually stir into apple mixture, cooking and stirring until mixture thickens. Remove from heat; stir in butter and vanilla. Cool 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, heat oven to 350 F. Let pie crust pouch stand at room temperature for 15 minutes.
Remove pie crust from pouch; unroll crust on ungreased cookie sheet. Spoon cooled fruit mixture evenly onto half of crust to within ½ inch of edge.
In a small bowl, beat egg and 1 tablespoon water; brush over edge of crust. Fold untopped half of crust over apple mixture; firmly press edge to seal. Flute edge; cut small slits in several places in top crust. Brush top with remaining egg mixture.
Bake 25 to 35 minutes or until crust is golden brown. Serve warm or cool. Drizzle with icing, if desired.
Serves 4
Expert tips: Tart apples, such as Granny Smith or McIntosh, make flavorful pies. Braeburn or Gala apples provide good texture and a slightly sweeter flavor.
DEAR ABBY: I’ve become involved with a woman I’ve been friends with for some years. We became close over the course of 2020, and more recently have soft-launched dating (although she doesn’t yet feel comfortable labeling it).
Not long ago, she expressed great disappointment because of my messiness when I last visited her. I had left an empty coffee cup on her car floor, my shoes in the middle of her kitchen and knocked some pillows off of the couch, among other things. I know her criticisms are fair, but they were also over the top.
I believe this is a trait I can fix, and I told her I would, but now she wants some space. She said she isn’t sure she can become romantic with a messy person who “doesn’t respect her space.” While I understand where she’s coming from, I’m afraid I won’t have a chance to prove myself. We spoke a little after the incident, but I have tried to honor her request.
Do you have any advice about how to approach the situation? It would be sad if we parted ways after our first real challenge. I think it may be important to note that, in the past, she has dated men who weren’t respectful to her at all.
MR. MESSY IN PENNSYLVANIA
DEAR MR. MESSY: A serious — but nonconfrontational — conversation with this woman is in order. Does she have a touch of OCD? Or could she be reluctant to become further involved for some other reason — such as a fear of intimacy or her bad luck with prior men in her life?
You need to ask what has caused your otherwise happy relationship to go so far off track, let her know you are willing to work on your “messiness,” and ask her to lay her cards on the table about what else may be bothering her.
DEAR ABBY: My wife and I have a beautiful 8-year-old daughter. She was a donor egg baby, as we had had three miscarriages and were unable to bring a baby to term.
My question is, when is the right time to tell our daughter that her mother is not her birth mother? I was bullied extensively as a kid, and don’t want this to become a topic to haunt the rest of her school days.
DOTING DAD
DEAR DAD: I’m sorry you were bullied as a child, and I’m glad you asked this question. If your wife carried your daughter to term, she IS the child’s birthmother. She just needed a little “extra help” in the form of a donated egg.
Having reached the age of 8, your daughter is at an age when school curriculum may begin covering reproduction. After she has learned the basics, consider slowly starting to educate her about the various pathways to parenthood. Then, when she is a little older, provide more details about the miracle of her birth. It is important that your child know she can always get honest answers from both of her parents, and at some point, the donor’s medical history may be something she needs to know about.
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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.
The Franklin Police Department is asking for assistance in locating a missing juvenile. Jaheim Conley, 17, was reported missing by his guardian.
Jaheim was last seen by a family member on Tuesday leaving the residence in a dark colored vehicle driven by an unknown female and could possibly en route to Dallas, Texas.
Jaheim was last seen wearing a white shirt, yellow rubber bracelet, light colored jeans, a gray jacket and black Nike slippers. He was carrying a black duffel bag and a colorful backpack.
Jahiem Conley is described as a light skinned black male with freckles, approximately 5 feet 6 inches tall, weighing approximately 115 pounds, with short black hair and brown eyes.
If anyone has any information regarding Jaheim Conley's whereabouts, you are urged to call the Franklin Police Department at 337-828-1716.
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