Around Town for June 2
Wed, 06/02/2021 - 11:33am
Happy 24th birthday wishes Nicholas Mayon, from Paw-Paw and Granny Netterville and Paw-Paw Joe Mayon.
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Ribbon-cutting for Star Hydraulics
Wed, 06/02/2021 - 11:30am
Submitted Photo/St. Mary Chamber
The St. Mary Parish Chamber of Commerce held a ribbon-cutting Friday for Star Hydraulics and Supply LLC, 3447 La. 182 in Berwick. Star Hydraulics serves St. Mary Parish for all hydraulic equipment supply needs. Shown are owners Kenny Gaspard and Jarrod Wiggins along with Berwick Mayor Duval Arthur, Councilwoman Colleen Askew, Assessor Jarrod Longman and Chamber representatives.
Nicholls culinary institute will bear Hamers' name
Wed, 06/02/2021 - 11:28am
The Chef John Folse Culinary Institute will rename its student lounge and culinary library in honor of Morgan City restaurateurs Brenda and Gregory Hamer Sr.
The Hamers donated $50,000 to the institute, which will be used to buy and maintain state-of-the-art kitchen and cooking equipment for students.
The lounge will be named the Gregory and Brenda Hamer Family/Taco Bell Student Lounge and Research Center.
Brenda and Gregory Hamer Sr. created B&G Food Enterprises in 1982 when they opened their first Taco Bell in Morgan City.
Today, B&G operates more than 150 Taco Bell restaurants across Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas. They are the largest Taco Bell franchisee in Louisiana.
“By supplying our students with the latest in culinary technology, they will be better prepared to enter the workforce when they graduate,” said Chef John Kozar, department head and assistant culinary professor.
“The Hamer Family has long supported the culinary institute, and I cannot thank them enough for everything they have done for our students.”
Hamer Sr. is the emeritus director of the National Restaurant Association and past chairman of the National Restaurant Association Education Foundation.
He also served as the president of the Louisiana Restaurant Association and was elected to the association's Hall of Fame in 2002.
Their son, Gregory Hamer Jr., was in the first Chef John Folse Culinary Institute graduating class.
For more information on the Chef John Folse Culinary Institute, visit https://www.nicholls.edu/culinary.
Bayou Vista Word Millionaires
Wed, 06/02/2021 - 11:24am
Submitted Photo/Bayou Vista Elementary
These young people are Bayou Vista Elementary’s most recent word millionaires. From left: PE teacher Cindy Chaisson, fourth-grader Sai Burise, librarian Jamie Guidry, fourth-grader Lynkon Kitchen, third-grade teacher Celeste Pipes, fourth-grader Brileigh LaCoste and SPED teacher Colleen Hammonds.
100 Black Men will host 5K, Health Village
Wed, 06/02/2021 - 11:23am
The 100 Black Men of St. Mary Parish are holding a 5K June 19 at 8 a.m., to open a Health Village the same day. Five Teche-area providers will be offering five basic medical tests free.
The providers will also perform on site EKG's for free, and they will also be read for free.
The events are part of their first Soul Food Festival. The 5K will be held infront of the St Mary Parish Courthouse, 500 Main St., Franklin, and the Health Village in the Blevins Building, on the corner of Main and Willow Streets, across from the courthouse.
The first male and female to cross the finish line after the 5K, will each win $15. The 5K is also welcoming walkers.
To enter the 5K, which begins at 8 a.m., click this link: https://runsignup.com/Race/Register/?raceId=110465.
The Health Village will feature providers offering free body mass index, glucose, cholesterol, and blood pressure tests, as well as free EKG tests which will be read on site.
Storms gather over saturated ground in La., Texas
Wed, 06/02/2021 - 11:22am
ALEX SOSNOWSKI, AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist
Robust thunderstorms could introduce flash flood risks and delay travel as the series of disturbances continues to move east.
A relentless pattern of persistent showers and thunderstorms is not showing signs of easing across parts of waterlogged Texas and Louisiana as the calendar flips to June. And to make matters more concerning, AccuWeather meteorologists say there are early but troubling signs that a tropical system could brew and add to the flooding woes in the coming weeks.
The initial flooding concern will be the result of a storm in the middle levels of the atmosphere that is forecast to form over Texas later this week and crawl eastward through next week, according to AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Brett Anderson.
"That mid-level storm will trigger drenching showers and locally severe thunderstorms and incidents of flash flooding over a several-day period mainly from Friday to Sunday," Anderson said.
The slow-moving storm and its circulation will pump Gulf of Mexico moisture northward over much of Texas and Louisiana as well as neighboring portions of Oklahoma, Arkansas and Mississippi.
The new batch of flooding rain is coming to an area that had more than its fair share in May.
Both Victoria, Texas, and Lake Charles, Louisiana, received more than 20 inches of rain during May, which was nearly four times the normal rainfall for the month for each city, and much of that rain fell in a mere 10 days.
The tremendous rainfall was not just isolated to these two cities. Rainfall totals in the double digits were reported from parts of the lower Rio Grande Valley to central Texas and much of southern Louisiana.
Houston, Port Arthur and Austin, Texas, as well as New Orleans and Lafayette, Louisiana, have all received double-digit rainfall during May.
The May rainfall has left the ground saturated in many locations from central Texas to southern Louisiana. Area streams, rivers and bayous are swollen to the point where flooding from prior rainfall has continued into the start of June.
"Regardless of what weather systems happen to be in the neighborhood, this is a pattern that is ripe for multiple rounds of showers and thunderstorms that focus on areas of central and east Texas and Louisiana that have been inundated in recent weeks with frequent heavy rain events and flooding," AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Joe Lundberg said.
Morgan City police radio logs for May 28-June 1
Wed, 06/02/2021 - 11:18am
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.
Friday, May 28
7:20 a.m. 900 block of Second Street; Assistance.
7:25 a.m. 1700 block of Youngs Road; 911 hang up.
9:14 a.m. 700 block of Duke Street; Welfare check.
11:15 a.m. 1800 block of Maple Street; Frequent patrols.
11:33 a.m. 3200 block of Roselawn Drive; Civil matter.
12:14 p.m. 1100 block of Marguerite Street; 911 hang up.
12:34 p.m. 7500 block of La. 182; Suspicious person.
1:16 p.m. Sixth and Marguerite streets; Disturbance.
1:37 p.m. 300 block of Egle Street; Complaint.
2:14 p.m. 7200 block of La. 182; Disturbance.
2:29 p.m. 400 block of Fourth Street; Disturbance.
3:01 p.m. 7700 block of La. 182; Disturbance.
3:59 p.m. 6300 block of La. 182; Accident.
4:25 p.m. 800 block of Brashear Avenue; Accident.
5:31 p.m. 7400 block of La. 182; Theft.
6:18 p.m. 500 block of Brashear Avenue; Assistance.
6:43 p.m. 200 block of Patton Street; Animal complaint.
7:05 p.m. 2900 block of Railroad Avenue; Complaint.
8:21 p.m. 8000 block of La. 182; Assistance.
8:36 p.m. 700 block of Myrtle Street; Complaint.
8:45 p.m. Sixth and Egle streets; Welfare concern.
8:46 p.m. 1400 block of Federal Avenue; Medical.
9:07 p.m. Ninth Street and La. 70; Reckless operation.
9:11 p.m. 100 block of Railroad Avenue; Assistance.
9:12 p.m. 300 block of Second Street; Disturbance.
9:29 p.m. 900 block of Willard Street; Telephone harassment.
10:32 p.m. 6500 block of La. 182; Alarm.
10:39 p.m. 7700 block of La. 182; Disturbance.
11:22 p.m. 500 block of Brashear Avenue; Assistance.
Saturday, May 29
12:06 a.m. 700 block of Freret Street; Loud music.
12:44 a.m. 800 block of Youngs Road; Complaint.
12:49 a.m. 7400 block of La. 182; Disturbance.
1:09 a.m. 1200 block of Victor II Boulevard; Suspicious subject.
1:18 a.m. Front Street and Brashear Avenue; Suspicious vehicle.
2:48 a.m. Maple Street; Suspicious subject.
2:54 a.m. Front Street; Assistance.
7:31 a.m. Veterans Boulevard; Speeders.
8:33 a.m. Westbound U.S. 90 leaving Amelia; Speeders.
9:44 a.m. 1200 block of Railroad Avenue; Animal complaint.
10:06 a.m. 300 block of Bush Street; 911 hang up call.
10:23 a.m. 400 block of Garber Street; Juvenile problem.
11:13 a.m. U.S. 90 Bridge; Reckless operation.
11:40 a.m. 300 block of Franklin Street; Traffic incident.
12:43 p.m. Ninth Street under the bridge; Accident.
1:03 p.m. 1500 block of Aucoin Street; Animal complaint.
1:33 p.m. 1200 block of Victor II Boulevard; Complaint.
1:58 p.m. 1500 block of Bernice Street; Complaint.
1:58 p.m. 300 block of Egle Street; Complaint.
3:32 p.m. 700 block of Federal Avenue; Alarm.
5:10 p.m. 2400 block of Cypress Street; Complaint.
5:46 p.m. 1500 block of Federal Avenue; Complaint.
5:48 p.m. 2400 block of Cypress Street; Complaint.
6:09 p.m. 1400 block of Federal Avenue; Medical.
7:08 p.m. Fifth and Maine streets; Disturbance.
7:49 p.m. 2300 block of La. 70; Medical.
8:25 p.m. Second and Ash streets; Disturbance.
9:59 p.m. Front Street; Suspicious subjects.
10:35 p.m. 300 block of Second Street; Disturbance.
10:36 p.m. 600 block of Martin Luther King Boulevard; Juvenile problem.
Sunday, May 30
12:32 a.m. 2300 block of Federal Avenue; Complaint.
12:34 a.m. 600 block of Brashear Avenue; Disturbance.
1:44 a.m. 300 block of Second Street; Complaint.
2:14 a.m. 700 block of Fifth Street; Loud music.
8:33 a.m. 700 block of Louisiana Street; Complaint.
9:05 a.m. 1000 block of Greenwood Street; Accident.
9:46 a.m. Fourth Street area; Warrant/arrest.
12:07 p.m. U.S. 90 bridge near the crest Morgan City side; Complaint.
2:02 p.m. 7400 block of La. 182; Medical emergency.
2:17 p.m. 500 block of Orange Street; Complaint/arrest.
2:25 p.m. U.S. 90 bridge Eastbound before Federal Avenue exit; Complaint.
2:55 p.m. 800 block of Youngs Road; Disturbance.
3:15 p.m. 7200 block of La. 182; Welfare concern.
4:12 p.m. 700 block of Federal Avenue; Alarm.
4:41 p.m. 7500 block of La. 182; Suspicious subject/arrest.
5:19 p.m. 1000 block of Brashear Avenue; Alarm.
5:55 p.m. 300 block of Fifth Street; Complaint.
5:55 p.m. 100 block of Eleventh Street; Animal complaint.
6:12 p.m. 300 block of Chennault Street; Reckless operation.
6:39 p.m. 700 block of Florence Street; Complaint.
8:02 p.m. 7900 block of La. 182; Crash.
8:06 p.m. Aycock Street; Juvenile problem.
8:30 p.m. 7500 block of La. 182; Shoplifter.
8:48 p.m. Aycock and Glenwood streets; Loud music.
8:53 p.m. 1200 block of Railroad Avenue; Removal of subject.
8:57 p.m. 7400 block of La. 182; Complaint.
9:39 p.m. 700 block of Myrtle Street; Assistance.
10:18 p.m. 2300 block of La. 70; Patrol.
Monday, May 31
1:18 a.m. Federal and Brashear avenues; Medical.
8:25 a.m. 1700 block of Youngs Road; 911 hang up call.
8:26 a.m. 700 block of Ditch Avenue; Complaint.
9:57 a.m. 7600 block of La. 182; Alarm.
10:42 a.m. 1000 block of La. 70; Accident.
10:44 a.m. 1600 block of Chatsworth Drive; Animal complaint.
10:52 a.m. 2300 block of La. 70; Complaint.
11:54 a.m. 300 block of Patton Street; Welfare concern.
12:13 p.m. 600 block of Arenz Street; Juvenile problem.
12:55 p.m. 1100 block of Second Street; Remove subject.
1:28 p.m. 6400 block of La. 182; Complaint.
2:02 p.m. 100 block of Chennault Street; Suspicious person.
2:03 p.m. 1100 block of Fourth Street; Complaint.
2:38 p.m. 700 block of Federal Avenue; Alarm.
2:43 p.m. Fifth and Main streets; Warrant/arrest.
4:42 p.m. Eastbound U.S. 90 between Morgan City and Amelia; Drunk.
5:09 p.m. Westbound before Brashear Avenue exit; Debris in roadway.
6:19 p.m. Fifth and Greenwood streets; Accident.
7:47 p.m. 300 block of Egle Street; Complaint.
7:47 p.m. 3200 block of Jennie Drive; Juvenile problems.
7:52 p.m. 300 block of Aucoin Street; Complaint.
8:35 p.m. 600 block of Third Street; Complaint.
9:02 p.m. 500 block of Marshall Street; Medical.
9:20 p.m. 800 block of Leona Street; Welfare check.
10:05 p.m. 500 block of Duke Street; Disturbance.
11:38 p.m. 1500 block of Federal Avenue; Disturbance.
11:49 p.m. U.S. 90 West; Assistance.
Tuesday, June 1
12:07 a.m. 2300 block of La. 70; Assistance.
2:10 a.m. 500 block of First Street; Disturbance.
2:13 a.m. 2500 block of Elm Street; Suspicious person.
4:56 a.m. 1400 block of Second Street; Disturbance.
Jeremy Alford: Sales tax becomes a snag as session nears end
Wed, 06/02/2021 - 11:08am
JEREMY ALFORD
With roughly a week to go until the regular session can be adjourned, lawmakers are tying up loose ends.
The state operating budget has been sent to the governor and there are enough tax bills in play for conservatives to eventually claim reforms were passed.
The House Education Committee chairman has likewise been removed over his controversial remarks regarding slavery, as requested by the Black Caucus, capping off a long-running political drama at the Capitol.
But lawmakers are also creating new, last-minute issues, like what to do with the temporary 0.45% state sales tax that expires in 2025.
As originally introduced, HB 514 by Speaker Pro Tem Tanner Magee, R-Houma, would have applied the full 4.45 percent state sales tax to marijuana flower, which is expected to be added to Louisiana’s medicinal program this year.
When the Senate passed the bill last week, however, it included an amendment from Sen. Rick Ward, R-Maringouin, that would phase out the state sales tax on business utilities by 2031 and make permanent the temporary 0.45% to be used on roads and bridges.
(It’s worth noting here that the Ward amendment was supported by Senate President Page Cortez, R-Lafayette.)
Recent legislative history has taught us two things. For starters, if lawmakers need money in a quick and dirty way, the state sales tax structure will always be a target. Secondly, if lawmakers can wait on making a decision, they’re going to wait.
That’s all to say the Legislature is flush with cash right now, and lawmakers don’t have to make a final decision on the temporary sales tax structure for another three or four years.
As for Magee, he said Friday that he hadn’t had enough time to review the Ward amendment carefully, but will possibly decide on a stance over the weekend. “
I’m keeping an open mind about it,” Magee said.
Opponents, meanwhile, are ready for a fight. James Lee, the state director of Americans for Prosperity, said his organization has already launched a “full-scale accountability effort on lawmakers who vote for it, with mail, digital ads and phone calls into their districts.”
The sample mailers provided for this column claims supporting lawmakers “broke his/her promise not to raise taxes” by $400 million.
“Tacking a permanent extension of the ‘temporary’ sales tax onto HB 514 is government at its worst,” said Lee. “Louisiana lawmakers wonder why Louisiana voters don’t trust them — what we saw this week is exactly why.”
A couple of lawmakers
made a hard push this session to increase the gas tax and to pass other measures related to transportation funding, but momentum couldn’t be found.
For those who take the issue seriously, Ward’s amendment represents one final bite at the policy apple.
AFP may get a little help from across the proverbial aisle in opposing the Ward amendment.
The left-leaning Louisiana Budget Project has expressed concern as well, noting that the “the gas tax hasn’t been raised in more than 30 years, but the Senate voted to shift $500 million per year that supports health care, education and other services into transportation projects, while also reducing the sales taxes paid by large industrial corporations.”
LBP Executive Director Jan Moller added, “I don’t question the motives, and those guys on the Westside need a bridge, so this is not a personal criticism of Sen. Ward, but this is terrible policy and creates investments that are badly needed on the backs of poor people.”
The legislation has been redirected to the Senate Finance Committee for further debate and, if passed there, will return to the Senate for another floor vote.
From there, the proposal moves back to the House, where representatives have been hesitant to take any positions on the temporary sales tax structure.
Maybe that’s because the sales tax matter is a last-minute issue in a session that’s quickly coming to a close.
Either way, the clock is ticking.
For more Louisiana political news, visit www. LaPolitics. com or follow Alford on Twitter @LaPoliticsNow.
LSU Health New Orleans explores cancer-obesity link
Wed, 06/02/2021 - 8:57am
NEW ORLEANS — A review study led by Maria D. Sanchez-Pino, PhD, an assistant research professor in the departments of Inter-disciplinary Oncology and Genetics at LSU Health New Orleans’ School of Medicine and Stanley S. Scott Cancer Center, advances knowledge about the connection between obesity-associated inflammation and cancer.
The researchers suggest that inflammatory cells with immunosuppressive properties may act as a critical biological link between obesity and cancer risk, progression and metastasis. The paper is published in the June 2021 issue of Obesity, available at onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/oby.23108.
Despite evidence showing that obesity increases the risk of cancer progression, efforts are needed to identify the causal relationship between immunosuppressive cells and the response of immunotherapy in patients with obesity, the LSU Health news release states..
The function of myeloid cells is shaped by the metabolic microenvironment. Along with macrophages, myeloid cells with immunosuppressive properties called Myeloid-derived suppressor cells are generated in obesity. One of the major factors associated with the metabolic inflammation of obesity is the expansion of MDSCs. In cancer patients, MDSCs are associated with poor survival and resistance to immunotherapy.
Although there is tremendous cross-talk between inflammation and metabolic/endocrine disturbances that promote tumor growth in obesity, the biological and molecular mechanisms are not completely understood. Researchers reviewed the literature and explain that altered metabolic factors such as lipids, insulin, and leptin in obesity contribute to the activation of immunosuppressive and cancer developing capabilities of myeloid cells.
“Deciphering the molecular mechanisms by which obesity-associated metabolic factors activate or enhance the function of Myeloid-derived Suppressor Cells and immunosuppressive macrophages will allow us to identify biomarkers for prognosis and therapeutic responses,” said Dr. Sanchez-Pino. “It will also lead to the discovery of potential targets for pharmacological therapies that may disrupt the pathophysiologic inflammatory link between obesity and cancer.”
Co-authors include Dr. Augusto Ochoa, director of the LSU Health New Orleans Stanley S. Scott Cancer Center, Dr. Justin Brown of the Pennington Biomedical Research Center and member of the LSU Health New Orleans Stanley S. Scott Cancer Center, and Dr. Linda Anne Gilmore of the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas.
This work was supported by the National Institutes of Health — National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, National Institute of General Medicine Sciences, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Cancer Institute — Nutrition Obesity Research Center at Pennington Bio-medical Research Center, LSU Health New Orleans, and Susan G. Komen Foundation.
Sexual assault victim seeks distance from perpetrator
Wed, 06/02/2021 - 8:37am
By Jeanne Phillips, ©United Features Syndicate
DEAR ABBY: I was sexually assaulted by my cousin’s boyfriend a short while ago, and it was hard for me to process. When I told my cousin about it, she acknowledged that it wasn’t OK, but made it all about her. Although we are extremely close, I didn’t get the type of support I was hoping for. In the end, she got back with him, and casually contacts me trying to sweep things under the rug.
I have been sitting on a message for a couple of weeks that I want to send to her, telling her I don’t want to be in contact with her for a while. It’s hard for me, because we’re family. Because nobody knows the whole story, everyone is quick to think I’m the one “isolating” her from my life. What do I do, Abby?
STUCK AND LOST IN NEW YORK
DEAR STUCK AND LOST: The person who assaulted you is a predator, and your cousin appears to be clueless. Inform her that, under the circumstances, as long as her boyfriend is in the picture, you will be keeping your distance because you no longer feel safe around him.
And please, rather than stay silent about what her boyfriend did to you, TELL your friends and family what happened. Contact the Rape, Abuse and Incest National Network for support and guidance. (It’s the largest anti-sexual violence organization in the U.S.) The toll-free number to call is 1-800-656-HOPE, or if you prefer, chat online at rainn.org. Whether you were assaulted or raped, file a police report so it will be on record in case he does it to someone else, which he may.
DEAR ABBY: My son and daughter-in-law are divorcing after almost 10 years. We love them both, and the divorce is amicable. They own a home, and my DIL is staying there.
My son is very easygoing and doesn’t need the “finer” things in life. He has a truck. He built a small camper in the back, and there is a camper shell. We have asked him to move back in with us. He’s going to school with about two years to go, and also works a full-time job. They had a fair amount of savings, but he doesn’t want to buy a house right now. He thinks that since he is happy living in his truck, he should do that rather than waste money on an apartment. Rent is very high in our area so I understand, but we have a finished basement that he could live in.
I worry about him sleeping in his truck every night, so I text him every night with a quick note. Am I being too much of a “helicopter mom”? I realize he has lived on his own since he was 19. (He is now 34.)
LOVING PARENT IN UTAH
DEAR PARENT: You have extended the offer. I assume that when the weather turns cold or he needs to take a shower or do a load of laundry, you have let him know that he is welcome to avail himself of your hospitality — and have a nice dinner — anytime he wishes. There are “helicopter” moms and “hell-i-copter” moms. You are neither. You are a loving, caring mom.
DEAR ABBY: I need advice on hot tub etiquette. If I were to invite a nudist lady to soak with me in a hot tub, would it be impolite for me to ask her to wear a mask?
RAY IN NEW YORK
DEAR RAY (OF SUNSHINE ON A CLOUDY DAY): Thank you for writing. If you are unaware of someone’s antibody status, do not invite ANY stranger to get naked with you unless you are wearing a full-body condom, regardless of how tempted you are.
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