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Teen arrested in accidental shooting with stolen gun

(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.)

A juvenile has been arrested in an accidental shooting in Bayou L’Ourse with a weapon reported stolen in Morgan City, the Assumption Parish Sheriff’s Office said.

Assumption
Sheriff Leland Falcon reported these arrests:
—Juvenile, 14, was arrested March 31 on charges of illegal possession of a stolen firearm and illegal use of weapons or dangerous instrumentalities.
On Feb. 13, deputies responded to a residence in Bayou L’Ourse after a call about a juvenile who sustained a non-life-threatening wound from a firearm.
Detectives initiated a follow up investigation and determined that a firearm involved in the incident had been reported stolen in Morgan City.
At the conclusion of the investigation, detectives filed a verified complaint against a 14-year-old.
The verified complaint was filed March 31.
The juvenile was released to the custody of a parent.
—Tyrone Fair Jr., 31, La. 400, Napoleonville, was arrested Monday on charges of possession with intent to distribute cocaine, possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, possession of alprazolam (Xanax), possession of Vyvanse, possession of drug paraphernalia, Schedule IV drugs, illegal possession of a stolen firearm, illegal carrying of a weapon in the presence of controlled dangerous substances, illegal possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and tail lamps required, and an a parole hold for the Department of Corrections.
The arrest followed a traffic stop near Labadieville late Monday.
A uniformed patrol officer, assigned to the I.C.E. detail, observed a northbound vehicle with an equipment violation and initiated a stop of that vehicle.
The deputy made contact with the driver and proceeded to conduct an interview.
While doing so, the deputy noted a strong odor of suspected marijuana emitting from the vehicle.
As a result of that interview, a search was conducted of the suspect vehicle.
That process led to the seizure of several illegal controlled dangerous substances as well as a firearm.
Fair was arrested and booked into the Assumption Parish Detention Center and remains incarcerated pending a bond proceeding.

Morgan City
Police Chief James F. Blair reported that over the last 24-hour period, the Morgan City Police Department responded to 50 calls for service and made these arrests:
—Bryan Racicot, 55, Shady Grove, Patterson, was arrested at 8:08 a.m. Monday on a charge of criminal trespass.
—Jessica Brown Burgess, 39, Keith Street, Morgan City, was arrested at 10:31 a.m. Monday on warrants for possession of heroin and violation of the uniform controlled dangerous substance law (drug-free zone).
—Troy A. Landry, 43, Federal Avenue, Morgan City, was arrested at 5:27 p.m. Monday on charges of domestic abuse battery and domestic abuse (child endangerment law).
—John Hinton, 48, Old Highway 49, Saucier, Mississippi., was arrested at 9:34 p.m. Monday on a charge of entry on or remaining in places or on land after forbidden. Hinton was also wanted as a fugitive from the Mississippi Department of Corrections.

Berwick
Police Chief David Leonard reported these arrests:
—Brittany Bullock, 19 years old, Knight Street, Berwick, was arrested at 7:19 p.m. Monday on a Morgan City Police Department warrant for possession of marijuana over 14 grams and possession of drug paraphernalia.
 —Moses Charlot, 19, Versen Street, Berwick, was arrested at 7:19 p.m. Monday on charges of possession marijuana, possession of drug paraphernalia, violation of the uniform controlled dangerous substance law (drug-free zone), illegal use of a controlled dangerous substance in the presence of minors and obstruction of justice (tampering with evidence).
At 6:19 p.m. Monday, officers responded to a residence in the 600 block of Knight Street in reference to a complaint of drug use at the apartment.
Officers arrived on scene and made contact with Bullock and Charlot.
Through investigation, consent to search the apartment was given and officers located marijuana and drug paraphernalia.
It was also determined that Charlot attempted to discard some marijuana by flushing it when officers first arrived. Charlot admitted that the marijuana and paraphernalia belonged to him.
The apartment is located within the Berwick Housing Authority, which is a posted drug free zone, and there was an 8-month-old child present during this investigation.
Bullock was found to have an active warrant through the Morgan City Police Department. Charlot and Bullock were both placed under arrest and booked into the Berwick Jail.
Charlot remains with no bond set, and Bullock was transferred to the Morgan City Police Department. 

St. Martin
Sheriff Becket Breaux reported these arrests:
—Hayven Auguillard, 34, Begnaud Street, Breaux Bridge, was arrested Monday on charges with manufacture, distribution or possession with intent to distribute Schedule II drugs; taking contraband to or from a penal institution; Schedule I drugs; racketeering activity; and transactions involving proceeds from drug offenses.
—Brandon Horton, 27, Bayou Portage Road, St. Martinville, was arrested Monday and held for court.
—Robert Wheaton, 47, B LeBlanc Drive, Henderson, was reported Monday by the Henderson Police Department on a charge of aggravated criminal damage to property.

St. Mary
Sheriff Blaise Smith advised that over the last 24-hour reporting period, the Sheriff’s Office responded to 41 complaints and made these arrests:
—Shundren Keon Johnson, 25, Patterson, was arrested at 7:08 a.m. Mondya on a charge of violation of protective orders. Johnson was released on a $2,500 bond.
—Sharron D. Allen, 32, New Orleans, was arrested at 11:13 a.m. Monday on charges of driving under suspension, no child restraint, and following too close. Allen was released on a summons to appear on July 22..
—Melissa Ann Evans, 51, Baton Rouge, was arrested at 6:42 p.m. Monday on a charge of motor vehicles-rented or leased. Evans was released on a $5,000 bond.
—Chad Ross Jr., 27, Morgan City, was arrested at 5:13 p.m. Monday on two warrants for failure to appear on charges of simple criminal damage to properyt, unauthorized use of a movable, domestic abuse battery, and license plate required, and on a warrant for possession of Schedule IV drugs.
No bail has been set.
—Deven Wayne Vining, 27, Galliano, was arrested at 1:45 a.m. Tuesday on charges of possession of methamphetamine, possession of drug paraphernalia, no driver's license, no insurance, no license plates and expired or no inspection sticker.
Vining also held a warrant for failure to appear on the charges of possession of Schedule II drigs and possession of drug paraphernalia.
No bail has been set.
—Joshua A. Singleton, 43, Franklin, was arrested at 2:23 p.m. Monday by the K9 Section pm charges of proper equipment required on vehicles and possession of marijuana.
A K9 deputy was patrolling the area of Franklin when he observed a vehicle with a dark cover over the license plate, which obstructed the view of the plate.
The deputy conducted a traffic stop on the vehicle and made contact with the driver, identified as Singleton.
During the stop, the deputy smelled an odor of marijuana emitting from the vehicle.
K9 Jace was deployed to conduct an open-air sniff around the vehicle and showed a positive odor response.
The K9 deputy subsequently located marijuana inside the vehicle.
Singleton was released on a summons to appear July 22.

Chitimacha
Police Chief Hal Hutchinson reported these arrests:
—Tayla Bernauer, tribal residence, was arrested Monday on charges of violation of the uniform controlled dangerous substances law (drug-free zone) (two counts) and possession of drug paraphernalia.
—Courtland Phillips was arrested Monday on charges of unlawful production or sale of drugs , possession of drugs in a drug-free zone and posssession of drug paraphernalia.
Tribal Police Department officers concluded a month-long narcotics Monday by executing a search warrant at a tribal residence owned by Bernauer.
Marijuana and legend drugs were found throughout the residence
The Chitimacha Tribal Police Department officers were assisted by the St Mary Parish Sheriff’s Office.

Morgan City police radio logs for April 12-13

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.
Monday, April 12
7:53 a.m. 500 block of Terrebonne Street; Arrest.
8:30 a.m. 100 block of First Street; 911 hang up.
8:52 a.m. 1000 block of Seventh Street; Alarm.
9:05 a.m. 500 block of Terrebonne Street; Medical.
9:56 a.m. 100 block of First Street; 911 hang up.
10:10 a.m. 2000 block of Keith Street; Arrest.
10:12 a.m. 1100 block of Marguerite Street; Theft.
10:50 a.m. 600 block of Belanger Street; Complaint.
11:41 a.m. U.S. 90 West; Assistance.
11:45 a.m. Freret Street; Complaint.
12:07 p.m. 300 block of Oriole Street; Complaint.
12:15 p.m. 700 block of Fifth Street; Theft.
12:34 p.m. 1100 block of Fourth Street; Stalled vehicle.
12:47 p.m. La. 70 and Marguerite Street; Crash.
1:15 p.m. 500 block of Sixth Street; Medical.
2:48 p.m. 6300 block of La. 182; Animal complaint.
3:43 p.m. Sacred Heart Drive; Animal complaint.
4:04 p.m. U.S. 90 East; Complaint.
4:06 p.m. Sixth and Terrebonne streets; Stalled vehicle.
4:57 p.m. 1400 block of Federal Avenue; Complaint.
5:03 p.m. 300 block of Garber Street; Complaint.
5:03 p.m. 1700 block of Victor II Boulevard; Patrol.
5:35 p.m. 500 block of Franklin Street; Complaint.
6:10 p.m. Arenz and Fourth streets; Reckless driver.
6:50 p.m. Railroad and Federal avenues; Complaint.
8:40 p.m. Berwick; Arrest.
8:48 p.m. Lake End Park; Medical.
8:56 p.m. 100 block of Railroad Avenue; Removal of subject.
9:24 p.m. Morgan City Police Department; Complaint.
9:41 p.m. 300 block of Egle Street; Harassment.
11:20 p.m. Morgan City Police Department; Complaint.
Tuesday, April 13
3:27 a.m. 1100 block of Brashear Avenue; Arrest.

Jeremy Alford: Fiscal-only session has something for everyone

The first day of the Legislature’s regular session this past Monday kicked off a with a few reminders that politics never sleep. There were three early morning breakfast fundraisers benefitting seven different lawmakers beginning around 8 a.m., just four hours before the Legislature was to convene its regular session — and before a fundraising ban for legislators took hold for the next 60 days.
When the session finally started, and after the fundraising stopped, citizens who made the trek to the Capitol were greeted with many of the same COVID-19 safeguards they encountered last year. Masks and temperature checks were required for entrance, seating was distanced and groups were limited to 30 people. (If you’re planning to attend the session this year and want a view that’s better than the House and Senate floors, you’re out of luck. The Capitol’s observation deck is still closed.)
The opening of the regular session this week was much quieter than usual. Aside from the smaller crowds, Gov. John Bel Edwards opted to forgo his traditional speech to a joint meeting of the Legislature that typically takes place after lunch. Instead, Edwards gave a dinner-time speech on the football field at Southern University in Baton Rouge, to accommodate social distancing.
The speech sought to offer hope to those still troubled by coronavirus trends. “Like you, I want Mardi Gras parades to roll again. I want festivals to resume,” Edwards said, adding, “But I don’t want post-pandemic Louisiana to look completely like pre-pandemic Louisiana.”
While many Republican lawmakers watched the speech from an evening reception at the headquarters of the Louisiana Association of Business and Industry, House Speaker Clay Schexnayder and Senate President Page Cortez attended Edwards’ gridiron oration.
Still, the decision to move the governor’s speech outside of the Capitol building underscores the growing divide between the Executive and Legislative branches.
Not to be outdone by Edwards, activists took to the Capitol steps before the session was convened to advocate for a new state Office on Women’s Health. When you want to get the shared attention of lawmakers, nothing does it better than bodies at the Capitol. Such events will probably be rare in the coming weeks. In fact, this session will be a true test for the sway (or lack thereof) of digital engagement.
Together Louisiana, for example, hosted a Zoom event Monday evening that several hundred people were expected to attend online. The group said its goal was to fight “corporate lobbyists and special interests.” You don’t hear that line a lot around the Capitol from engaged citizens and activist groups. Usually politicians and policies are the targets.
As for the session’s policy profile, just follow the money. The $36.6 billion state budget is in good shape in the short term and the Revenue Estimating Conference may even find more money for the state to spend over the next few weeks or so. The governor’s own legislative agenda leads off with budget priorities for education-related pay increases, boosting Go Grants, stabilizing education spending and fully funding senior centers. Should the REC recognize more money for the budget, the governor will also push for increased early childhood education funding and additional education-related pay.
The Legislature must also carve up $3.2 billion in federal stimulus funding, but lawmakers do not have to allocate the total amount in the regular session. They have until 2024 to assign the bucks.
If all of that wasn’t enough, lawmakers will debate income tax rates, sales tax issues, the franchise tax, inventory tax program, the fuel tax, severance taxes and a host of other revenue-enhancing proposals.       
That said, there’s much more to this session than money. Last year’s regular session was a wash due to COVID-19, so the 2021 regular session finds many lawmakers playing catchup while trying to keep up. With nearly 900 bills filed, there’s plenty on the agenda. 
Lawmakers will debate marijuana usage, changing the official state motto, police practices, sexual harassment reporting and non-compete agreements for physicians. They will also be charged with developing the state’s annual construction budget, devising a collection system for a massive oil-related settlement and voting on a bill that would basically allow everyone (minus the usual characters, like felons) to carry a gun.
There are proposals that would lay the groundwork for moving a casino to Slidell and establishing sports betting in Louisiana. Our classrooms, election structure, fishing license fees, water access, criminal justice system, and much, much more will be under the legislative microscope.
Right now this session has a little something for everyone. Let’s hope we can say the same thing when the session ends on June 10..
For more Louisiana political news, visit www.LaPolitics.com or follow Alford on Twitter @LaPoliticsNow.

National Weather Service forecast for Morgan City for Wednesday

Morgan City will experience thunderstorms and showers, mostly after 3 p.m., with rainfall estimated between 0.5 inches to 0.75 inches, according to the National Weather Service.
There is the potential for small size hail.
Wednesday’s high will be around 75 degrees, and the area will experience a southeast wind reaching 5 to 10 mph.
The rain chance is 50% Wednesday evening, with mainly cloudy weather. The low Wednesday evening is about 66, with about a 5 mph south wind.
Meanwhile, the Atchafalaya River in Morgan City jumped almost a foot in the last 24 hours from 6.27 Tuesday at 8 a.m. to 6.99 feet as of 8 a.m. Wednesday morning, according to the National Weather Service’s Advanced Hydrologic Prediction Service. However, the river is forecast to drop until 6.2 feet by 1 p.m. Wednesday and then fall again later in the week to 6.2 feet by Saturday evening.

LSU Health studies HPV infection cause

NEW ORLEANS — A study led by Hui-Yi Lin, Ph.D., professor of biostatistics, and a team of researchers at LSU Health New Orleans Schools of Public Health and Medicine has found that adequate levels of four antioxidants may reduce infection with the strains of the human papillomavirus associated with cervical cancer development, according to an LSU Health news release. Findings are published in the Journal of Infectious Diseases.
Although previous studies have suggested that the onset of HPV-related cancer development may be activated by oxidative stress, the association had not been clearly understood.
This study evaluated associations between 15 antioxidants and vaginal HPV infection status — no, low-risk and oncogenic/high-risk HPV — in 11,070 women aged 18-59 who participated in the 2003-16 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey.
Study results showed that lower levels of serum albumin and four dietary antioxidants — vitamins A, B2, E and folate — were associated with a higher risk of HR-HPV infection. Albumin is the most bountiful circulating protein in plasma, and decreased serum albumin was found to be associated with increased systemic inflammation and impaired immune response. Based on the four dietary antioxidants, the researchers developed a nutritional antioxidant score.
“Our results showed that the women with the lowest quartile of the nutritional antioxidant score had a higher chance of both high-risk and low-risk HPV infection compared with the women with the highest quartile score after adjusting for other factors such as age, race, smoking, alcohol and the number of sexual partners in past 12 months,” notes the paper’s lead author Lin.
Human Papillomavirus is a well-known risk factor for cervical cancer, which is the fourth most common female cancer and contributed to 7.5% of cancer deaths for women worldwide in 2018. Certain HPV strains are more likely to trigger precursor events leading to cancer development.
These strains are called oncogenic or high-risk HPV strains. Almost all cervical cancers are directly linked to previous infection with one or more HR-HPV infections.
“Currently, there is no effective antiviral therapy to clear genital HPV infection,” adds Lin. “It is important to identify modifiable factors, such as antioxidants, associated with oncogenic HPV infection in order to prevent HPV carcinogenesis onset.”
Other members of the research team included Qiufan Fu, and Drs. Yu-Hsiang Kao, Tung-sung Tseng, Krzysztof Reiss, Jennifer E. Cameron, Martin J. Ronis, Navya Nair, and Michael E. Hagensee from LSU Health New Orleans, along with Dr. Joseph Su from the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences and Hsiao-Man Chang from Emory University.
This study was supported by the National Institutes of Health’s National Institute of General Medical Sciences.
The finding from the study are available at https://academic.oup.com/jid/advance-article/doi/10.1093/infdis/jiab148/....
—LSU Health Sciences Center New Orleans educates Louisiana’s health care professionals. LSU Health New Orleans includes a School of Medicine with branch campuses in Baton Rouge and Lafayette, the state’s only School of Dentistry, Louisiana’s only public School of Public Health, and Schools of Allied Health Professions, Nursing and Graduate Studies. LSU Health New Orleans faculty take care of patients in public and private hospitals and clinics throughout the region. In the vanguard of biosciences research in a number of areas in a worldwide arena, the LSU Health New Orleans research enterprise generates jobs and enormous economic impact.

Mother-daughter fight leads to threats of leaving home

DEAR ABBY: My best friend (since we were babies) and I are having a disagreement. She had two kids when she was 16 and 17 who are now in their early 20s. One of them still lives rent-free under her roof.
My friend struggled her whole life but got a college degree, bought a house five years ago and owns two cars all on her own. She has recently started having friends over on the weekends and drinking. While I don’t do that, I understand she had kids early and wants to have a little fun now in her 40s. She’s very responsible and pays her bills.
The other day I walked in and her daughter started screaming at me that I need to tell her mom to stop and saying that she was moving out. I was shocked that she spoke to me that way.
My friend started crying because she loves her daughter and doesn’t want her to move. I say, let her go. She needs to learn to respect her elders, and she’ll soon realize living on her own isn’t easy.
My friend didn’t agree and hasn’t said anything to her daughter about how she spoke to both of us. I want to help my friend because she comes to me for advice, but I don’t know how.
DISAPPROVING FRIEND

DEAR FRIEND: People often say things in the heat of anger. You walked in on a fight between your friend and her daughter. You have no idea what started it, and you shouldn’t have inserted yourself. When you tried to “help,” your input was rejected.
You have already said enough. Now, resist the impulse to stir the pot and step back so your friend can handle this herself.

DEAR ABBY: I come from a family with incest and physical and psychological abuse. I need to talk with my little sister about it. How do I get through it without breaking down before I can help her? My little brother died by suicide six months ago. I have been having nightmares over it. How do I go about getting through to her about it all?
BAD HISTORY IN IDAHO

DEAR BAD HISTORY: Before attempting to do that, it’s important that you talk with a licensed therapist about what happened to you in that unhealthy environment. Once that is done, ask if you can bring your little sister to some sessions.
It is tragic that your brother was so damaged by the abuse he received that he could not go on, and I respect you for wanting to prevent something similar from happening to your sister. Groups such as the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (afsp.org) offer counseling referrals after a family member takes his own life. You may be able to find a qualified referral there.

DEAR ABBY: I usually send special occasion flowers to my wife at work. I was wondering if it could make some co-workers who do not receive flowers from their partner or husband feel neglected, and worse, cause friction between them and my wife. If you feel this could be a potential problem, I can have the flowers delivered to our home.
EXCLUDED IN FLORIDA

DEAR EXCLUDED: If receiving flowers at her job has caused any tension in the past, you probably would have heard about it. However, you should ask your wife what she would prefer because she may enjoy the public gesture of husbandly love.
***
Abby shares more than 100 of her favorite recipes in two booklets: “Abby’s Favorite Recipes” and “More Favorite Recipes by Dear Abby.” Send your name and mailing address, plus check or money order for $16 to: Dear Abby, Cookbooklet Set, P.O. Box 447, Mount Morris, IL 61054-0447.

More heavy rain falls on east St. Mary

A Tuesday afternoon downpour left standing water at Morgan City Junior High. A severe storm warning is in effect for St. Mary Parish until 6 p.m. Tuesday. The gauge at Harry P. Williams Memorial Airport near Patterson showed that just less than an inch of rain fell between noon and 3 p.m. East winds of 36 mph with gusts to 39 mph were reported 2-3 p.m.

The Daily Review/Diane Miller Fears

Vaccination event Saturday at Bayou L'Ourse

A public health special event will be open this week at the Bayou L’ourse Community Center on Saturday.

Anyone age 18 and older can get a free COVID-19 vaccination.

Appointments can be scheduled by calling the new Vaccine HOTLINE at 855-45-0774 or you can schedule online any time at CovidVaccine.LA.GOV.

The Louisiana Office of Public Health and National Guard healthcare teams will be giving the vaccinations.

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ST. MARY NOW

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