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Gibson man arrested on sex crime charges

Fri, 04/09/2021 - 9:49am

Staff Report

(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 Gibson man faces two sex crime charges after an investigation by the Morgan City Police Department.

Morgan City
Police Chief James F. Blair reported that over the last 24-hour period, the Morgan City Police Department responded to 39 calls for service and made these arrests:
—Brandon Pierce, 36, Gibson, was arrested at 2:47 p.m. Wednesday on warrants for aggravated crime against nature and sexual battery.
Pierce was arrested after an investigation was conducted by Morgan City Police detectives.
After the investigation, a warrant was obtained for the arrest of Pierce. Pierce was placed under arrest and transported to the Morgan City Police Department Jail for booking.
—Joshua Dehart, 27, Katie Court, Morgan City, was arrested at 5:08 p.m. Wednesday on a charge of theft under $1,000.
—Raymond Miller, 31, Vivian Street, Morgan City, was arrested at 7:45 p.m. Wednesday on Morgan City Court warrants for failure to appears on the charges of no driver’s license, improper turning and driving under suspension.
—Krista Voisin, 24, Columbus Street, Morgan City, was arrested at 10:46 p.m. Wednesday on charges of possession of marijuana (first offense) and possession of drug paraphernalia.
—Jeremy Davis, 39, Patton Street, Morgan City, was arrested at 10:46 p.m. Wednesday on charges of possession of marijuana and possession of drug paraphernalia.

St. Mary
Sheriff Blaise Smith advised that over the last 24-hour reporting period, the Sheriff’s Office responded to 28 complaints and made these arrests:
—Candice Lee Ross, 35, Morgan City, was arrested at 11 a.m. Wednesday on a warrant for failure to appear on the charges of operating a vehicle with improper tail lights and possession of marijuana. No bail has been set.
—Devante S. Myles, 27, Berwick, was arrested at 12:58 a.m. Thursday on charges of driving on roadway laned for traffic, possession of marijuana, second or subsequent offenses and possession of drug paraphernalia.
Myles was released on a summons to appear July 22.

Franklin
Police Chief Morris Beverly said the Franklin Police Department responded to nine complaints over the past 24 hours and made this arrest:
—Deazhone Baker, 26, of Ninth Street, Franklin, was arrested at 11:31 a.m. Wednesday on a warrant dated March 7 for simple criminal damage to property and on a warrant dated March 18 for cyberstalking and improper telecommunications.
Baker was booked, processed, and released on a $2,500 bond.

Assumption
Sheriff Leland Falcon reported these arrests:
—Craig Jerome Herbert Jr., 30, Lucky Street, Plattenville, was arrested Wednesday on charges of possession with intent to distribute alprazolam (Xanax), possession of marijuana, possession of drug paraphernalia, illegal carrying of a firearm by a convicted felon and illegal carrying of a firearm in the presence of controlled dangerous substances.
—Preston Morris Lewis Jr., 27, Jacob Street, Plattenville, was arrested Wednesday on charges of possession of drug paraphernalia, possession of marijuana, illegal carrying of a firearm in the presence of a controlled dangerous substance, and on an Assumption Parish warrant for failure to appear on charges of domestic abuse battery and cruelty.
The arrests followed a fugitive stop on Wednesday near Plattenville.
A narcotics agent on assignment observed an individual who was a passenger in a passing vehicle and recognized that person as the same individual who was wanted on warrants for failure to appear in Assumption Parish.
The agent made contact with the person, now identified as Lewis.
Before the stop, the agent identified significant movement within the vehicle between the driver and passenger.
The agent immediately detained Lewis.
The agent then made contact with the driver, now identified as Herbert Jr. and proceeded to interview that individual.
The agent noted a strong odor of marijuana emitting from the involved vehicle.
After interviewing Herbert, the agent requested and was granted consent to search the vehicle. Agents located several doses of alprazolam (Xanax), quantities of suspected marijuana, drug paraphernalia and a firearm.
Herbert was arrested.
Both suspects were transported to the Assumption Parish Detention Facility. Both suspects remain incarcerated pending bond proceedings.

Morgan City police radio logs for April 7-8

Fri, 04/09/2021 - 9:46am

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, April 7
6:34 a.m. 500 block of Brashear Avenue; Abandoned vehicle.
7:05 a.m. 1200 block of Brashear Avenue; Alarm.
7:11 a.m. 200 block of Wren Street; Juvenile problem.
7:51 a.m. 200 block of Amelia Street; Removal of subject.
7:55 a.m. 800 block of Freret Street; Animal.
10:11 a.m. U.S. 90 West; Stalled vehicle.
10:13 a.m. 300 block of Fifth Street; Removal of subject.
10:59 a.m. 7700 block of La. 182; Disturbance.
11:02 a.m. 1100 block of Victor II Boulevard; Alarm.
11:32 a.m. 1000 block of Marguerite Street; Accident.
11:48 a.m. 6400 block of La. 182; Medical.
12:02 p.m. Victor II Boulevard; Theft.
2:05 p.m. Kidd Street; Fight.
2:06 p.m. 800 block of Youngs Road; Frequent patrols.
2:26 p.m. 300 block of Egle Street; Hit and run.
2:46 p.m. 1200 block of David Drive; Arrest.
2:49 p.m. 900 block of Marguerite Street; Fight.
3:56 p.m. 700 block of Fifth Street; Burglary.
4:41 p.m. 6400 block of La. 182; Complaint.
4:48 p.m. Morgan City Police Department; Lost/found property.
4:51 p.m. 1600 block of Filmore Street; Lost/found property.
5:02 p.m. 1000 block of Brashear Avenue; Search warrant.
5:04 p.m. Martin Luther King Boulevard and La. 182; Arrest.
6:18 p.m. 700 block of Myrtle Street; Animal complaint.
7:38 p.m. 500 block of Franklin Street; Theft.
7:45 p.m. 700 block of Myrtle Street; Arrest.
9:24 p.m. 700 block of Duke Street; Complaint.
9:50 p.m. 300 block of Patton Street; Arrest.
10:25 p.m. 6300 block of La. 182; Complaint.
11:08 p.m. 1100 block of Marguerite Street; Complaint.
Thursday, April 8
1:37 a.m. Federal Avenue; Assistance.
2:36 a.m. Martin Luther King and Victor II boulevards; Crash.

K9 Kassie joins Chitimacha department

Fri, 04/09/2021 - 9:43am

The Chitimacha Tribal Police Department would welcomed its newest K9 officer, Kassie.
Kassie is a 1-year-old female Belgian malinois. She, as well as her handler, K9 Sgt. Nick Picard were both nationally certified by Louisiana K9 trainer and owner Paul LeBlanc.
K9 Kassie is certified in detecting explosives, including black powder, firearms, arson accelerant detection, article searching and tracking.
Kassie will work alongside Chitimacha Police Department’s Narcotic Detection K9 Dozer, who continues to be a huge asset in the detection of narcotics, as well as his tracking ability, the Police Department saidl
Kassie began her service with the Chitimacha Tribal Police April 1.
department said.

Jim Bradshaw: Piracy and romance on the Mermentau

Fri, 04/09/2021 - 9:40am

JIM BRADSHAW

I was looking for something else when I ran across a romantic “tale of the Mermentau” in an old edition of the New Orleans Crescent. It is the story of young, aristocratic Leon de Solis, one of a group of young men who, after an attack on a passenger ship, sailed from New Orleans in the early 1800s “with the avowed determination of extirpating the horde of villains who had made the Calcasieu and Mermentau the scene of their exploits.”
The villains, a band of pirates, are never found, but Leon does find and is smitten with the lovely peasant girl, Nina l’Estrange. The story is one of the romantic pieces of serialized fiction that newspapers once used to fill their columns, and is reminiscent of the tale of Evangeline. They marry, he goes to sea again and is reportedly killed, she refuses to believe it and waits for his return, sitting each day at the base of an oak gazing out to sea, until “one bright spring morning” she is found, “one hand grasping a bunch of wild flowers which grew near, and her head turned toward the Gulf.”
There is just enough fact to give the tale a ring of authenticity, or at least believability, and make it hard to figure what parts are romance and what parts are real, or nearly real. Especially the part about the pirates.
The story is set at just about the time that the notorious Lafitte gang was scattered from its stronghold at Barataria, and some of them may have come to l’Isle des Pecaniers where the story is set. This was not the Pecan Island we know today. It was somewhere in the marsh near the Mermentau, but, according to the story, its exact location was no longer known.
“Through this marsh … the numerous pirates who infested the Mermentau and Calcasieu constructed a canal by opening a communication with the various little bayous which intersect the low marsh land,” according to the tale. “They so skillfully concealed the outlet which opened on the Gulf, by thick clumps of muskeet bushes, as to render it impossible for even those most familiar with every brake and briar on that unfrequented coast to detect their lurking places.”
The anonymous writer admits that “the legendary lore which ascribes to the pirates a rendezvous at every marked spot on the Gulf shore has probably been exaggerated far beyond the bounds of truth,” but claims that “the ghastly relics of their crimes are sufficiently numerous to prove that tradition has added little to the actual horrors which have been enacted on the peaceful and lovely coast of the Mermentau.”
It is fact that the Mermentau area was once known as a refuge for smugglers. John Landreth, a government surveyor, visited the area in 1818 and wrote in his journal that “these places, particularly the Mermentau and Calcasieu are the harbours and Dens of the most abandoned wretches of the human race ... smugglers and Pirates who go about the coast of the Gulph (sic) in vessels of a small draught of water and rob and plunder without distinction every vessel of every nation they meet and are able to conquer and put to death every soul they find on board without respect of persons age or sex and then their unlawful plunder they carry all through the country and sell at a very low rate and find plenty of purchasers.”
There is also a persistent tale that Captain James Campbell, purportedly one of Lafitte’s most trusted lieutenants, is supposed to have stashed a horde of gold coins somewhere near the Mermentau. That legend has been kept alive by discovery from time to time of old gold coins in the area.
But I can find nothing other than this account about the hero and heroine, Leon and Nina. Did such a pair of lovers really exist? Is the story based at least partly on a real and tragic romance?
It could have been, but to paraphrase the story told in the old newspaper, it is a mystery that will likely remain forever unraveled.
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.

UL Lafayette-LHC Group partnership beneficial

Fri, 04/09/2021 - 8:14am

The University of Louisiana at Lafayette and LHC Group announced what the university calls an historic and transformational partnership designed to further each of their respective missions of recruiting and equipping more nurses and other health care professionals.
UL Lafayette announced through a news release that LHC Group is committing a $20 million investment over the next 10 years in the university’s nursing program, which is the largest private investment an academic unit at the university has ever received.
The funds received by the nursing program will help empower the future of health care and meet the ever growing demand for nurses and other health care professionals in Acadiana, throughout Louisiana and in combination with LHC Group’s footprint across the country.
LHC Group’s investment into this partnership will enable UL Lafayette’s College of Nursing and Allied Health Professions to:
—Endow support for the internationally accredited simulation lab program;
—Establish the University’s first endowed deanship to provide discretionary funds for professional development activities for students and faculty;
—Increase scholarship funding available to students;
—Create an endowed faculty research and development fund;
—Support new endowed professorships in nursing and health sciences, and additional faculty positions;
—Provide scholarships for students who are pursuing post-acute care certification at the graduate level; and
—Assign LHC Group representatives in adjunct roles within the college of nursing.
LHC Group’s “investment in the future of this community and in the equipping of nurses with a nationwide reach is transformational and more than a milestone for the University,” Dr. Joseph Savoie, UL Lafayette president, said while making the announcement on Thur-sday.
“We are very thankful,” Savoie said. “This support from LHC Group reflects where we are as a University and ensures that greater possibilities remain ahead for us and the region we are proud to serve.”
Lafayette-based LHC Group is a national provider of in-home health care services and innovations for communities around the nation and the joint venture partner for approximately 400 leading U.S. hospitals and health systems. The company operates in 35 states and the District of Columbia and employs approximately 30,000 people.
Keith Myers, LHC Group’s chairman and CEO, noted the company’s long and mutually beneficial relationship with the university and the College of Nursing and Allied Health Professions.
“The presence of UL Lafayette — and the well-educated, highly skilled health care professionals it produces —enables companies like ours to grow within the region and expand well beyond,” Myers said. “This historic partnership is a win-win — since both of our organizations share a commitment to excellence in all that we do — especially continuous growth and improvement. The benefits to LHC Group are multi-faceted.”
UL Lafayette is planning to honor the partnership by renaming the college’s current Department of Nursing. The name change is pending approval from the University of Louisiana System Board of Supervisors.
“We have deep ties with LHC Group, and we have common missions built on service and providing compassionate care,” said Dr. Melinda Oberleitner, the college’s dean. “The company knows firsthand who we are and the quality of education we provide. This partnership will enable us to accelerate and enhance this important work.”
Some $9 million will go toward assisting the college in addressing space limitations. Its current home, Wharton Hall, was built in the 1950s, when the college was much smaller. It now shares the building with other academic colleges as well.
Last year, the Louisiana Legislature approved state capital outlay funds for the planning of a new health sciences building at UL Lafayette. The project is estimated to cost at least $65 million to complete.
Additional funds are needed for the new building to become a reality, but the LHC Group partnership makes “our dream of expansion viable,” Oberleitner said. By expanding its physical space, the college can turn its attention to increasing its enrollment and graduation rates.
“We can’t enroll all the qualified applicants we receive each year,” said Oberleitner. “We know there are jobs out there, but we can’t meet that demand in our current physical location. This moves us closer to answering this critical need.”
Dr. Benjamin Doga, LHC Group’s chief medical officer, said the support from the company “benefits the college and the University. But ultimately, it’s the patients who depend on our health care providers who are the beneficiaries.”
The partnership comes shortly after the University completes its 2020 observance of the Year of the Nurse and at the beginning of the College of Nursing and Allied Health Professions’ observance of the 70th anniversary of its founding in 1951.
The timing isn’t lost on Oberleitner.
“It’s because of the work of the faculty, staff and our students — both current and those who came before — that LHC Group is willing to make a historic investment in our future. They know that it will significantly improve the region’s health care landscape and the care people in our community receive,” she said.
In remarks announcing the agreement on Thursday, Savoie noted accolades the College of Nursing and Allied Health Professions recently received. U.S. News & World Report cited the college’s online Master of Nursing program among the Top 12% in the nation in January.
“Transformational futures are built on solid ground and through strong partnerships,” Savoie said. “Our faculty, students and staff members provide the first, while partners such as LHC Group provide the other. And I am very grateful for both.”

Middle-aged man has bone to pick with middle-aged women

Fri, 04/09/2021 - 8:12am

By Jeanne Phillips, ©United Features Syndicate

DEAR ABBY: I have something to say about “Still Fun in the South” (Jan. 4) and her complaint that single middle-aged men only look for younger women, instead of women their age. I am a 53-year-old widower. I have a six-figure income. I’m smart, healthy, easygoing and have a good life with many hobbies and interests.
On multiple dating apps, I have swiped right on dozens of women my age. My main criteria were that they weren’t fanatically religious or rabidly political. Would you like to know how many swipe rights I received in return? Not one! I feel middle-aged women are far more picky than their younger counterparts, which is why I’m currently in a relationship with a woman in her mid-30s. I don’t pursue younger women — they pursue me while the women around my age couldn’t be bothered.
I realize my dating experience is anecdotal, and there are extenuating circumstances (COVID), but I don’t like being lumped into a category and complained about as if middle-aged women share none of the responsibility.
I want to tell “Still Fun” that if she wants a relationship with someone her age, she needs to be a little less judgmental and picky and give those middle-aged men who actually show an interest a chance. She might find there’s more to them than appears in a dating profile.
SEASONED IN SALT LAKE CITY

DEAR SEASONED: The responders to “Still Fun’s” letter pointed out the advantages AND disadvantages of dating people younger, older and the same age. But the common denominator for successful dating, according to those readers, is to emphasize what you are happy about in your life and describe your passions and interests.
Someone who exudes confidence, a love of life and who doesn’t come across as desperate for a permanent move-in partner can do very well.

DEAR ABBY: Our daughter is engaged to the most wonderful young man. We all got along very well, including his parents with us. After one discussion about politics, they realized we’re on opposite sides of the spectrum and everything changed. They no longer call, or they hesitate to answer our calls.
We want to make things better because our daughter is deeply in love with their son, and she loves his parents.
Could you please provide some suggestions?
OOPS! IN VIRGINIA

DEAR OOPS!: I can try, but there are no guarantees.
While you and the other set of parents may disagree about solutions to the problems in this country, on one subject you should all be unified. That subject is wanting the happiness of your children and grandchildren when you are blessed with them.
For this reason, make an agreement to put aside political differences, never again discuss them and work cooperatively together toward your mutual goal. However, if they cannot agree, you and your husband must accept that there may be a strain in your relationship until time can heal the breach.
***
To receive a collection of Abby’s most memorable — and most frequently requested — poems and essays, send your name and mailing address, plus check or money order for $8 to: Dear Abby — Keepers Booklet, P.O. Box 447, Mount Morris, IL 61054-0447.

Two men named in warrants in Patterson homicide investigation

Fri, 04/09/2021 - 5:04am

Two Thibodaux-area men are named in warrants for manslaughter and possession of a stolen firearm in the investigation of a March 25 shooting death in the Zenor Road area of Patterson, Sheriff Blaise Smith said Thursday.

Deputies are looking for Tireke Johnson and Jordan Franklin, both from the Thibodaux area.

The new charges and subsequent warrants stem from the ongoing investigation into the shooting that claimed the life of 21-year-old Keiondre Onell Allridge of Thibodaux.
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The public is advised to contact the St. Mary Parish Sheriff’s Office at 337-828-1960 with any information regarding the location of Tireke Johnson and Jordan Franklin.

Two people, an adult and a 16-year-old from Patterson, was arrested March 26 in the case.

Cameron Jaron Schrod Hogan, 18, of Patterson was arrested on charges of first-degree murder, illegal possession of stolen firearms, cultivation of marijuana, possession of a firearm with an obliterated serial number, possession of a firearm in the presence of a controlled dangerous substance, illegal use of a controlled dangerous substance in the presence of a person under 17, possession with intent to distribute a legend drug without a prescription and possession of drug paraphernalia.

A 16-year-old male, also of Patterson, was arrested on charges of first-degree murder and illegal possession of stolen firearms.
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About 8:35 p.m. March 25, deputies responded to a call of shots fired in the Zenor Road area of Patterson and an additional call of a possible wounded man at a business in Patterson. At the business, deputies made contact with three occupants in a vehicle, the Sheriff's Office said in a press release.

One of the occupants, identified as Allridge, was later pronounced dead by the St. Mary Parish Coroner’s Office.
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It was learned through the investigation that Allridge and the occupants of the vehicle had traveled to a residence in Patterson to meet someone. While sitting in the vehicle, they were approached by two males who subsequently fired at them, the Sheriff's Office said. The driver of the vehicle drove the occupants to a truck stop at 1902 U.S. 90.
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Later, two persons were developed as suspects in the murder. Detectives obtained and executed a search warrant at the home of one of the suspects, identified as Hogan, which led to drugs and weapons being seized.
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Arrest warrants were obtained for Hogan and the 16-year-old, and they were subsequently arrested, the Sheriff's Office said.

Body found near Gibson identified

Thu, 04/08/2021 - 8:26pm

Four Tri-City men jailed in Lafayette man's death

Staff Report

Terrebonne Parish authorities on Thursday released the identity of the man whose remains were found Feb. 24 near Gibson. They say the investigation indicates he may have been taken there because of a drug debt and was killed.

Sheriff Tim Soignet identified the victim as Jake Menard, 36, of Lafayette.

Three St. Mary men have been charged with first-degree murder in the case, and a fourth is accused of being an accessory after the fact.

Menard was reported missing to Lafayette police in November 2019.

A short time later, Morgan City Police Department Detectives began receiving information that Menard was murdered in the Gibson area, the sheriff said.

"Information received was that Menard was brought from Morgan City to Gibson to settle an unpaid drug debt, where he was murdered and buried," according to Soignet.

Terrebonne Parish Sheriff's Office detectives began investigating with the Morgan City Police Department and then Lafayette Parish Sheriff’s Office detectives until Menard’s remains were located in February 2021.

Sheriff Soignet advised that this was a lengthy investigation by all three agencies that ended with the apprehension of Seth Lovett, 33, Morgan City; Alvin Fitch 34, Morgan City; and Christopher Martin, 34, Berwick, each on one count of first-degree murder.

Chance Boudreaux, 26, Morgan City was charged with being an accessory after the fact to first-degree murder. All four men were arrested within days of the discovery of Menard's body.

Soignet thanked the Morgan City Police Department, Lafayette Parish Sheriff’s Office and the LSU Faces Lab for their help in this investigation.

The river's up

Thu, 04/08/2021 - 2:32pm

A flood warning was in effect Thursday for the Atchafalaya River at Morgan City as the water rose to 6.3 feet, or 0.3 feet above the stage that causes minor flooding between the Morgan City and Berwick flood walls, at 4 a.m. Thursday. The National Weather Service forecast says the water won't rise far above 6.0 feet through Tuesday morning.

The Daily Review/Bill Decker

One final journey

Thu, 04/08/2021 - 10:31am

Coral Marine Services Photo
The Sir Douglas Morpeth deck is moved through the Bayou Chene Flood Control Structure on Tuesday on its way to Gibson for decommissioning. The Sir Douglas Morpeth is a SeaStar tension-leg platform that had been installed in 1,700 feet of water. The platform was installed in 1998. Production ceased in 2018.