Submitted Photo/Morgan City Junior High
A group of art students completed a mural of a tiger as one of their big projects this year at Morgan City Junior High School. Pictured from left are young artists Fernando Magana Perez, Silas Hastings, Sophia Hastings, Ja'Layiah Smith, Aimi Lam, and art teacher April Leonard.
The city of Franklin has been selected for recognition of two historic properties under the “Louisiana’s Most Endangered Places” by the Louisiana Trust for Historic Preservation.
Franklin Lodge No. 57 F&AM, at 719 Main St., and Frank Young House, 906 Willow St., have both been selected.
The Franklin Lodge was built in 1895, chartered by the Grand Lodge of the State of Louisiana in 1848. The building was dedicated on Jan. 8, 1895, with 500 Masonic members present. Since then the lodge has hosted well-known members, including two former governors, Murphy J. Foster and J.Y. Sanders, two United States senators, three grand masters of the state of Louisiana and other officials of the state, parish and city.
The building features a unique crenelated parapet, inset panels with basket-weave brick patter, corbelling and prominent keystone and Masonic symbol of square and compass. The first floor storefront has been modified but retains a bank of transom windows.
Lodge members have repointed masonry and completed architectural plans to renovate and restore the building in recent years.
Concern has been growing over the worsening condition of the building and the need for a fundraising effort to see the lodge rehabilitated before it is lost or abandoned.
Frank Young House was built in c.1900, a Queen Anne cottage that sits a few blocks from Franklin’s picturesque Main Street and was built at a time when the town was growing rapidly from commerce on Bayou Teche and nearby sugar cane production. It was once owned by Frank Young, the grandfather of civil rights leader Andrew Young. Frank Young was born shortly after the Civil War and was a life-long resident of Franklin until his death in the 1940s. He was a leader in the Black community and advocate for improvements in education, health care and sustainable food production.
In 1922, he acquired land for the construction of St. Mary Parish Training School with a staff of five teachers, constructed with a challenge grant from the Julius Rosenwald Fund. An addition in 1924 increased the teachers to seven. Total cost of the facility was $9,900 with contributions from African Americans, $2,700, the school board, $5,790, and the Julius Rosenwald Fund, $1,500. Rosenwald also funded an elementary library, high school library and electric radio for the campus.
Frank’s grandson, Andrew Young Jr., was an American politician, diplomat and civil rights advocate who grew up in New Orleans but spent many summers with his grandfather in Franklin. In the mid-1960s, Young served as a negotiator during the civil rights campaigns in Birmingham, St. Augustine, Selma and Atlanta. He served two terms as mayor of Atlanta, and one term as a U.S. representative from Georgia. He also served as United States ambassador to the United Nations for two years during the Carter administration. He was friends with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and was his side at the Lorraine Hotel in Memphis when King was assassinated in 1968.
Ambassador Young donated the property to the local Boys and Girls Club of the Bayou Teche Region in 1998 in honor of his grandfather, to be renovated as community and activity space for the organization. Several nearby properties have been identified for blight demolition and concern is growing that this property could be also be targeted.
The city will provide information if anyone is interested in getting involved with the Historic Preservation of these two properties.
Residents of Lake Charles, Louisiana, are now picking up the pieces from a fourth significant weather event in less than a year.
Blue tarps still cover a handful of damaged roofs in the area after hurricanes Laura and Delta, which were followed by a deep freeze in February that froze pipes and caused drinking water concerns. Then on May 17, a slow-moving storm passing over Louisiana dumped over a foot of rain in just a few hours.
About 12 to 15 inches of rainfall fell over south Lake Charles within a 12-hour period with other areas of the parish seeing 10 inches, according to the National Weather Service.
The Lake Charles Regional Airport recorded 12.49 inches of rainfall on Monday, surpassing the last daily record of 3 inches, set back in 1914. The average amount of rainfall for the airport during the month of May is only 5.2 inches.
At least five fatalities have been attributed to this storm as of Wednesday, according to the Louisiana Department of Health after the intense storm flooded roadways and knocked out power. Four of these deaths were associated with a flooded vehicle or a crash into a flooded area, and the fifth was a man who died as a result of oxygen failure due to a power outage caused by the storm.
A “nightmare” is how Lake Charles resident Alexis Wilson described the scene from her front door Monday after floodwaters from the overwhelmed Contraband Bayou rose to the front steps of her home and breached her garage. Her two cars were both damaged and marked as “a total loss.”
“I’ve never seen anything like this, and I watched (Hurricane) Ike from that bridge over there,” Wilson told AccuWeather National Weather Reporter Kim Leoffler.
At the Contraband Bayou, rainfall totals measured higher than the airport reports, totaling 15.07 inches in the area.
Lake Charles resident Don Dixon told The Associated Press that on Lake Street, the scene was like a raging river.
“Water came up about 6 inches from going into my house,” he told the AP. “It got pretty close. I was very, very lucky.”
Highwater rescue crews responded to more than 300 calls in East Baton Rouge overnight, and more than 250 people were brought to higher ground, according to the Baton Rouge Fire Department, The Advocate reported. Fire spokesman Curt Monte told the news outlet that the calls were from a mix of people who had been trapped in cars and people who needed to be rescued from homes and apartments that were taking on water.
Giovanna Rocha and her husband spent the day Tuesday ripping up parts of their walls and floors after several inches of floodwaters had seeped in, damaging their home.
Rocha had been at work when the water began to rise, so her husband braved the floodwaters to rescue their dogs from the flooded home.
“They were just like lying in the water, cold and shivering and he had to grab them and walk out,” Rocha told Leoffler. “He had to park at Best Buy and walk in water up to his bellybutton to get to the house.”
Lake Charles Mayor Nic Hunter estimated that 400 to 500 structures flooded during Monday’s downpours during a news conference on Tuesday, also noting that the event was the third-heaviest rainfall in one day in the city’s history.
The single wettest day on record for Lake Charles was June 19, 1947, which saw 15.79 inches of rainfall, followed by May 16, 1980, which saw 15.67 inches.
“Monday’s rainfall alone would make the top five list for wettest May ever,” AccuWeather Meteorologist Courtney Travis said. “When you include the rest of the month, this May through Tuesday is the third-wettest ever.”
Looking ahead to the rest of the week, periods of heavy rain and thunderstorms are expected to continue across southwestern Louisiana through Thursday. Travis noted that it’s not out of the question for Lake Charles to pick up another couple of inches of rain before the weather pattern changes, and warned that flooding may outlast the rainfall.
“Even though the waves of heavy rain and downpours are forecast to come to an end by late Thursday, river flooding in the region is likely to persist even into next week,” Travis said. “The Calcasieu River at White Oak Park in the Lake Charles area is currently forecast to be at major flood stage until at least early Monday.”
(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.)
Area police agencies made two unrelated arrests on domestic violence charges late last week, including one in Morgan City involving child endangerment, arrest reports said.
Morgan City
Police Chief James F. Blair reported over a 24-hour period, the Morgan City Police Department responded to 51 calls for service and made these arrests beginning Thursday:
—Timothy Gary Francis, 34, Federal Avenue, Morgan City, was arrested at 11:39 a.m. Thursday on charges of domestic abuse child endangerment law, domestic abuse battery, resisting an officer by flight, littering public places and operating a vehicle with a suspended license.
—Nikki Rene Mayon, 39, La. 182, Morgan City, was arrested at 1:42 a.m. Thursday on a 6th Ward Court warrant for four counts of failure to pay fine.
—Kenneth J. McQuiston, 61, Franklin Street, Morgan City, was arrested at 6:19 a.m. Thursday on charges of disturbing the peace (intoxication), resisting an officer, simple assault, and entry or remaining in places after forbidden.
—Kimberly Bonnette, 34, Brashear Avenue, Morgan City, was arrested at 2:10 p.m. Thursday on a 16th Judicial District Court warrant for failure to appear for trial, a 6th Ward Court warrant for three counts of failure to pay fine and a 6th Ward Court warrant for contempt of court.
—Jaye Bliss, 32, Levee Road, Morgan City, was arrested at 2:30 p.m. Thursday a charge of direct contempt of court from 6th Ward Court.
—Kytrell Grogan, 19, Roderick Street, Morgan City, was arrested at 9:20 p.m. Thursday on a warrant for driver must be licensed.
St. Martin
Sheriff Becket Breaux reported this arrest:
—Rose Fontenette, 53, Pratt Drive, St. Martinville, was arrested Thursday by the St. Martinville Police Department on charges of aggravated second-degree battery and simple domestic abuse battery.
St. Mary
Sheriff Blaise Smith advised that over the last 24-hour reporting period, the Sheriff’s Office responded to 35 complaints and made these arrests:
—Daniel Smith, 35, Gibson, was arrested Thursday on charges of speeding, driving under suspension and no insurance. Smith was released on a summons to appear Aug. 25.
—Walter J. Williams, 63, Patterson, was arrested at 7:15 p.m. Thursday on charges of improper lane usage and driving under suspension. Williams was released on a summons Aug. 25.
—Jawaylin Francis, 20, Jeanerette, was arrested at 8:37 a.m. Thursday by the Narcotics Section on charges of brake light out, possession of marijuana, possession of drug paraphernalia and possession of a controlled dangerous substance in the presence of a minor.
Francis was released on a summons to appear Aug. 25.
Franklin
Police Chief Morris Beverly responded to 11 complaints in a 24-hour period and made this arrest:
—Sarah Spain, 34, South Lewis Street, New Iberia, was arrested at 2:41 p.m. Thursday on the charge of disturbing the peace (language). Spain was booked, processed and released to appear in 3rd Ward City Court.
—Beth Polidore, 31, Myra Street, Franklin, was arrested at 2:41 p.m. Thursday on the charges of disturbing the peace (language) and resisting an officer. Polidore was booked, processed and release to appear in 3rd Ward City Court.
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.
Thursday, May 27
5:23 a.m. 6400 block of La. 182; Alarm.
5:48 a.m. 200 block of Franklin Street; Suspicious person.
7:08 a.m. 600 block of General Patton Street; Frequent patrols.
8:09 a.m. 1000 block of Third Street; Welfare check.
9:35 a.m. 1300 block of Front Street; Forgery.
9:43 a.m. U.S. 90 West; Traffic incident.
9:52 a.m. 1000 block of Brashear Avenue; Found item.
11:24 a.m. 2900 block of Railroad Avenue; Disturbance.
12:06 p.m. Ninth Street And Brashear Avenue; Stalled vehicle.
12:39 p.m. U.S. 90 West; Accident.
12:51 p.m. 3000 block of Lizabeth Drive; Complaint.
1:40 p.m. Marguerite and Sixth streets; Accident.
1:49 p.m. 1000 block of Brashear Avenue; Disturbance.
2:05 p.m. 300 block of Bowman Street; Disturbance.
2:56 p.m. 1500 block of North First Street; Criminal damage to property.
3:29 p.m. 700 block of Fifth Street; Theft.
3:55 p.m. 2300 block of La. 70; Traffic incident.
4:34 p.m. 700 block of Ditch Avenue; Assistance.
4:55 p.m. 500 block of Franklin Street; Complaint.
6:33 p.m. La. 70 and La. 182; Accident.
7:36 p.m. 200 block of Second Street; Animal complaint.
7:47 p.m. 700 block of Ditch Avenue; Suspicious subject.
8:29 p.m. 7200 block of La. 182; Fight/arrest.
8:47 p.m. 7200 block of La. 182; Complaint.
8:53 p.m. 7200 block of La. 182; Accident.
8:56 p.m. 6400 block of La. 182; Fight.
9:22 p.m. 600 block of Arenz Street; Complaint.
Friday, May 28
12:03 a.m. Fifth and Louisiana streets area; Loud music.
12:16 a.m. 7200 block of La. 182; Complaint.
Gov. John Bel Edwards asked President Joe Biden on Friday to declare a federal disaster after severe weather and flooding earlier this month killed five people and damaged at least 2,000 homes.
Edwards requested FEMA Individual Assistance for Ascension, Calcasieu, East Baton Rouge, Iberville and Lafayette parishes. Individual Assistance includes aid from FEMA related to housing and other needs.
He also requested Small Business Administration assistance and Hazard Mitigation Grant Program funding statewide.
Edwards declared a state of emergency for this disaster May 17.
A Baton Rouge woman was arrested Friday in a Baldwin homicide a year after the crime.
Adreniki Franklin, 29, was arrested at 2 p.m. Friday by state police and East Baton Rouge authorities in Baton Rouge on charges of second-degree murder and obstruction of justice (tampering), St. Mary Sheriff Blaise Smith said.
Deputies were called about a possible shooting at 12:31 a.m. May 30, 2020. Karlinita Marks, 25, Baldwin, had been shot and was transported to a hospital. Marks died as a result of the incident, Smith said.
During the investigation, Franklin was developed as the suspect. In April 2021, the case went to the grand jury and an indictment was handed down.
On Friday, the Louisiana State Police Fugitive Apprehension Unit and East Baton Rouge Sheriff's Office Warrants Division made contact with Franklin at the Mallard Crossing Apartments in Baton Rouge. Franklin was arrested on a warrant for the charges of second-degree murder and obstruction of justice (tampering.)
Smith thanked the Louisiana State Police and the East Baton Rouge Sheriff’s Office for their assistance in the investigation and apprehension of Franklin.
Morgan City Main Street and its sponsors paid for more than 2,000 flags to be placed on the graves of veterans Saturday at Morgan City Cemetery. The flags were placed by members of Cub Scout Pack 438, Boy Scouts of Troop 49, the local Veterans of Foreign Wars and Morgan City High's Junior ROTC and their families.
Franklin police have arrested a suspect in Sunday's shooting at Magnolica and Maple streets, the Police Department said.
Joseph Daniels Jr., 24, Samuel Street, Franklin, was arrested oat 11 a.m. Tuesday on a charge of illegal use of weapons or dangerous instrumentalities and a warrant for probation violation. Daniels was booked, processed and held with no bond set at the time of press release.
About 7:47 p.m. Sunday, the Franklin Police Department received multiple calls of shots fired in the area of Magnolia Street and Maple Street involving several individuals.
Officers arrived on scene and began investigation efforts. One caller advised that a bullet had entered their residence.
The Franklin Police Department is asking that if anyone has any information about the case to call 337-828-1716.
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A community garden in Berwick. Benches and wildflowers for a Centerville park. A Big Brothers/Big Sisters program at Franklin High. ACT tutoring in Patterson.
And a makeover, physically and in mission, for the Morgan City Public Library.
Those were the ideas for St. Mary communities dreamed up by high school students for presentation Thursday at the Morgan City Rotary Club’s annual New Generation Forum. For the 26th time, the young people had the chance to share plans for hometown improvements with local officials who can make them real.
The officials always greet the ideas with enthusiasm and, history shows, it’s more than just political happy-talk. New Generation projects have a way of becoming part of the local landscape.
“We have gumption,” said Morgan City High’s Christina Williams, “and optimistic vision.”
Five parish high schools sent two- to five-member teams to this year’s forum, the first in two years because of COVID-19. Scott Melancon served as master of ceremonies.
The student ideas are:
—Morgan City High’s team suggested improvements for the city’s library, including professional landscaping and upgraded windows.
The students also hope they can help the library, in their words, “evolve to a social phase.” Their vision for the library includes group events for story time, tutoring, community events as well as the traditional missions of reading and research. Meeting space could be made available, and coffee and water might be available for patrons.
Just as the founders advertised for “a dream and 50 dollars” to launch the library in the 1930s, the students say, they hope to use social media and the involvement of local officials to get their idea moving.
Team member Antonio Zavala said the school has students who can paint, move furniture and do other tasks. What they don’t have is money.
Morgan City Mayor Lee Dragna said he and Chief Administrative Officer Charlie Solar have been talking about “the exact same thing.”
Dragna didn’t commit city money to the project, but “we’re going to show you how to do it. We’re going to show you where to get the money.”
—Berwick High: Students from Berwick floated the idea of a community garden.
That idea drew attention after dentist Scott Sicard suggested a community garden for land he owns on Old Spanish Trail.
The students hope to create a smaller version of the garden at the school to get the project rolling.
Community gardening would involve students and older people who love gardening. The produce raised there could be sold to raise funds or provided to needy people, the students said.
Berwick Mayor Duval Arthur called the community garden project “a wonderful idea.
“There’s a lot of people out there who would love those vegetables but can’t afford them,” Arthur said.
—Patterson High: The students hope to launch an ACT tutoring program.
They were armed with statistics. Zakiyah Merritt said the statewide composite ACT score is 18.7. At Patterson High, it’s 18.1.
Louisiana’s TOPS program, which offers college tuition for good students, requires a score of 17 for the TOPS Tech award, 20 for the TOPS Opportunity Award, 23 for the Performance Award and 27 for the TOPS honor award.
Superintendent Teresa Bagwell said the school budget includes funds for ACT tutoring and teachers who have already tutored students.
“This is doable, Lumberjacks,” Bagwell said.
Patterson Mayor Rodney Grogan said some help may be available through a broadband grant to the city government.
As for the $2,100 needed to get the project started, Grogan turned to a tool often used for fundraising by Patterson civic groups. He offered to run a can shake.
—Centerville. Students hope to improve the community’s park with five benches and more wildflowers along an existing walking trail, plus a backstop for the softball field and paving for a gravel road between the park and Centerville High.
The paved road would help deal with the line of vehicles for car riders to and from the school, the students said.
They may be getting somewhere. Parish President David Hanagriff promised to look at the possibility of paving the road. Dragna offered to donate the benches, and Arthur said he would donate wildflower seeds.
—Franklin High: The New Generation idea is for an after-school and summer program to give young people something constructive to do.
“Running the streets gets old,” said Seth Archangel. “We need something to do after school.”
The Franklin students brought statistics, too. The state has 150,000 kids with one or both parents in jail, they said. And 70% will grow up to be incarcerated themselves.
“We hope to prevent that,” said Sheccid Alamo.
They want to pair upperclassmen volunteers with younger students who share interests in sports, cheerleading or other activities. They hope to make the program year-round and to include nutrition in the offerings.
“I admire you because it takes a lot of courage to stand up here for a noble cause …,” St. Mary Sheriff Blaise Smith told the Franklin team. “I got your back. I got your side. I got you all the way.”
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