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Happy birthday March 12 to Alicia Johnson, and happy birthday March 14 to Nickie Welsh and Demetra Latigue from family, friends and Ira.

(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.)

Morgan City and St. Mary authorities made a series of drug-related arrests late last week, including five for possession of marijuana, police reports say.

Morgan City
Police Chief James F. Blair reports that over the last 24-hour period, the Morgan City Police Department responded to 40 calls for service. These people were arrested beginning Thursday:
—Jarmal Sims, 39, La. 20, Schriever, was arrested at 4:06 a.m. Thursday on charge of tail lamps, operation a vehicle with a suspended license, no motor vehicle insurance and possession of marijuana.
—Lacey Singleton, 27, Harvey, was arrested at 4:06 a.m. Thursday on a charge of possession of marijuana and possession of drug paraphernalia.
—Joey Francois, 40, Mallard Street, Morgan City, was arrested at 12:26 p.m. Thursday on a warrant for cruelty to animals and four counts of failure to appear.

St. Mary
Sheriff Blaise Smith advised that over the last 48-hour reporting period, the Sheriff’s Office responded to 66 complaints and made these arrests:
—-Jace Paul Lodrigue, 22, Berwick, was arrested at 10:55 a.m. Wednesday on charges of driving under suspension and improper lane usage, and on a warrant for failure to appear on the charges of failure to honor a written promise to appear and general speed law.
Lodrigue also held a Lafourche Parish warrant for failure to appear on the charges of operating a vehicle while intoxicated, improper lane usage, failure to pay fines and court costs.  No bail has been set.
—Melissa Ann Adams, 42, New Orleans, was arrested at 4:08 p.m. Thursday on a warrant for failure to appear on the charges of possession of methamphetamine and possession of drug paraphernalia. No bail has been set.
—Louis Parker Jr., 40, Patterson, was arrested on at 10:10 a.m. Thursday on a warrant for failure to appear on the charge of criminal neglect of family.  No bail has been set.
 —Lashawn Kerlegon, 24, New Iberia, was arrested at 10:17 p.m. Thursday on a charge of possession of marijuana. Kerlegon was released on a summons to appear June 28.
—Walter Lewis, 25, New Iberia, was at 10:17 p.m. Thursday on charges of possession of marijuana and possession of drug paraphernalia. Lewis was released on a summons to appear June 28.
—Brie Hollins, 29, Morgan City, was arrested at 7:36 p.m. Thursday on a charge of simple battery. Hollins was released on a summons to appear June 28.
—Darrius Lucas, 20, Patterson, was arrested at 2:49 a.m. Friday by the Narcotics Section on charges of failure to dim headlights, no turn signal, possession with intent to distribute marijuana, possession of drug paraphernalia, transactions involving drug proceeds and possession of THC oil.
No bail has been set.

Berwick
Police Chief David Leonard reported the following arrests:
—Juvenile, 15, Berwick,  was arrested at 4:45 p.m. Wednesday on a charge of domestic abuse battery.
—Juvenile, 17, Berwick, was arrested at 4:45 p.m. Wednesday on a charge of domestic abuse battery.
—Shawn C. Lovell, 43, River Road, Berwick, was arrested at 5:18 p.m. Wednesday on a charge of domestic abuse battery.
At 4:21 p.m. Wednesday, officers responded to a residence on River Road in reference to a large domestic disturbance. Through investigation, officers learned that a verbal altercation turned into a physical altercation, which led Lovell and the two juveniles to engage in several fistic encounters at the residence.
At the conclusion of the investigation, all subjects were placed under arrest and booked into the Berwick Jail. The two juveniles were released to a guardian pending juvenile court proceedings, and Lovell remains in the Berwick Jail with no bond set. 

St. Martin
Sheriff Beckett Breaux reported these arrests:
—Joshua Batiste, 24, Martin Street, St. Martinville, was arrested Wednesday on an extradition warrant.
—Heidi Louviere, 31, Coteau Holmes Lane, St. Martinville, was arrested on a warrant for failure to appear on charges of theft ($1-$999) and simple burglary of an inhabited dwelling.
—Roddy Magnon, 46, Moss Street, Lafayette, was arrested Wednesday by the Henderson Police Department on a charge of violation of a protective order.
—Jamie Skipper, 37, La. 14, New Iberia, was arrested Wednesday by the St. Martinville Police Department on charges of home invasion, child endangerment-domestic abuse, misrepresentation during booking, battery of a police officer and resisting an officer.
—Hubert Wiltz, 60, Steven Wiltz Road, was arrested Wednesday on charges of possession with intent to distribute Schedule II narcotics; manufacture, distribution or possession with intent to distribute Schedule II narcotics; possession of Schedule II narcotics; possession of Schedule IV narcotics; manufacture or distribution of Schedule V narcotics; sale, distribution, or possession of a legend drug; transactions involving proceeds from drug offenses; improper lane usage; and creation or operation of a clandestine laboratory.
—Dwayne Calais, 43, Armond Joseph Road, Breaux Bridge, was arrested Thursday on charges of manufacture or distribution of Schedule V narcotics; transactions involving proceeds from drug offenses; sale, distribution, or possession of a legend drug; prohibited acts; distribution of paraphernalia; and criminal mischief.
—Hebert Calais, 41, Armond Joseph, Breaux Bridge, was arrested Thursday on charges of criminal conspiracy; manufacture or distribution of Schedule V narcotics; transactions involving proceeds from drug offenses; and distribution of drug paraphernalia.
—Kasha Leon, 33, St. Ann Street, St. Martinville, was arrested Thursday on a warrant for failure to appear.
—Mary Sam, 40, Cemetery Street, St. Martinville, was arrested Thursday by the St. Martinville Police Department on charges of contributing to the delinquency of juveniles, resisting an officer, and entry or remaining in places after begin forbidden.
—Darius Turner, 30, Forest Oak Street, Prairieville, was arrest on a warrant for failure to appear.

Franklin
Police Chief Morris Beverly said his department responded to 13 complaints over a 24-hour period and made this arrest:
—Roxanna Davis, 72, o Percy Street, Franklin, was arrested at 3:01 p.m. Thursday on a charge of domestic abuse aggravated assault. Davis was booked, processed and transported to the St. Mary Parish Law Enforcement Center.

Assumption
Sheriff Leland Falcon reported these arrests:
—George Thomas Boutwell, 39, Elaine Street, Bayou L’Ourse, was arrested Tuesday on charge of domestic abuse battery involving strangulation, interfering with emergency communications, false imprisonment, domestic abuse aggravated assault and aggravated battery with a dangerous weapon.
The arrest followed an incident on Vivian Street in Bayou L’Ourse.
Deputies met with the reported victim at the Sheriff’s Main Office. The victim advised that her husband was complicit in causing a disturbance at the Vivian Street address that resulted in the victim receiving physical injuries.
The victim further alleged that Boutwell was threatening her with a knife and cut her. Boutwell also is accused of attempting to strangle his wife.
Based on all available evidence, Boutwell was determined to be the predominant aggressor. He was arrested and booked into the Assumption Parish Detention Center on charges of:
Boutwell remains incarcerated pending a bond hearing.
—Shelby McCarty Barrilleaux, 29, La. 662, Bayou L’Ourse, was arrested Wednesday on charges of possession of MDMA (ecstasy), possession of marijuana and possession of drug paraphernalia.
Deputies were dispatched at which time the complainant advised that his wife had just left, and she had drugs in her possession as well as in her home.
An I.C.E. unit on assignment made contact with the subject, now identified as Barrilleaux. After interviewing Barrilleaux, deputies obtained consent to search the vehicle and seized quantities of suspected marijuana and MDMA .
Deputies then returned to Barrilleaux’s home, at which time consent to search was obtained. A search of the home yielded a significant amount of marijuana along with drug paraphernalia.
Barrilleaux was arrested and booked into the Assumption Parish Detention Center pending a bond hearing.
—Christopher H Walker, 22, La. 1, Napoleonville, was arrested Thursday on 25 counts of simple burglary and one count of contributing to the delinquency.
—Kevin D. Walker, 18, West Fourth Street, Donaldsonville, was arrested on 25 counts of simple burglary and one count of contributing to the delinquency of a juvenile.
—Juvenile male, 16, was arrested Thursday on 25 counts of simple burglary.
In the early morning hours of Thursday, deputies responded to a vehicle burglary in the 5600 block of La. 308 in Plattenville in connection with a burglary in progress.
Deputies observed three individuals in the area who fled on foot. Two of those suspects were immediately taken into custody.
Property stolen from the burglaries was located in the possession of these two suspects as well as property stolen in other burglaries the same morning.
Detectives responded and began to process each individual crime scene. Detectives identified 25 separate burglaries of unlocked vehicles in the Bertrandville and Plattenville areas.
The third suspect, Christopher Walker, was identified and subsequently taken into custody.
The investigation is continuing.
As a public service courtesy, the sheriff advises all residents to lock your vehicles when not in use.
—Haikeem Thomas, 20, of La. 401, Napoleonville, was arrested Thursday on charges of aggravated flight from an officer, resisting an officer, speeding, failure to dim headlights and no driver’s license.
A southbound deputy observed a northbound vehicle commit traffic violations and initiated a stop of the vehicle. The suspect fled at a high rate of speed.
The suspect eventually crashed the vehicle. The suspect then attempted to flee again but crashed. Two subjects exited the vehicle and began to run to the rear of a residence.
Deputies were able to arrest two subjects, one of which was the driver, Thomas.
Thomas was arrested and booked into the Assumption Parish Detention Center pending a bond hearing.
—Tyrone Q. Wilson, 35, Raymond Street, Houma, was arrested Thursday on charges of felony theft and monetary instrument abuse and on a hold for Calcasieu Parish.
The arrest resulted from unlawful transactions negotiated at a video poker outlet near Napoleonville.
Those alleged transactions involved fraudulent video poker cash-out vouchers, which were cashed at the business on or about Jan. 6 with a net loss to the business totaling $1,082.10.
With the assistance of video surveillance, detectives were able to identify Wilson as a suspect in the theft of the funds through means of creating fraudulent winning tickets and cashing them in.
Wilson was arrested and booked into the Assumption Parish Detention Center and remains incarcerated.
Detectives indicate that additional arrest are possible.

NEW ORLEANS — To honor the 109th birthday of Girl Scouts, Gov. John Bel Edwards issued a proclamation recognizing and commending Girl Scouts for 109 years of service to the community.
The proclamation is as follows:
“March 12, 2021 marks the 109th anniversary of Girl Scouts of the USA, the largest and most successful leadership program for girls in the world; and as the world’s premier leadership development organization for girls, Girl Scouts has emphasized public service, civic engagement, and fostering a sense of community in girls for over a century; and Girl Scouts works to champion the ambitious, cultivate the talents, and develop the skills of girls to be leaders in their own world, and in ours; and in these incredibly challenging times, Girl Scouts provides community, consistency, and connection for girls, and is a safe haven in all the uncertainty; and in the time of COVID-19, Girl Scouts offers skill-building digital programming and virtual leadership experiences girls can participate in safely from home as they continue their Girl Scout journeys; and at a time when civics education is missing from many schools, Girl Scouts has introduced new K-12 Civics badges to bring girls more experiences that deepen their understanding of democracy and government, prepare them for a lifetime of civic engagement, and motivate them to be catalysts for change; and Girl Scouts offers 21st century programming in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM), the outdoors; entrepreneurship and beyond, helping girls to develop invaluable life skills and take the lead early and often; and Gold Award Girl Scouts already take on projects that have a measurable and sustainable impact on a community by first assessing a need, designing a solution, creating a project, and inspiring others to sustain it; and today, more than 50 million women are Girl Scout alums, making our world a safer, more connected, more vibrant place to live.
“NOW, THEREFORE, I, JOHN BEL EDWA-RDS, do hereby give special commendation and recognition to Girl Scouts of the USA in acknowledgment of celebrating 109 years exemplary service to the community, State of Louisiana and the United States of America.”
“We are so proud to receive this official recognition from Governor Edwards for all of the hard work our girls and volunteers tirelessly dedicate to making the world a better place each and every day,” said Girl Scouts Louisiana East CEO Rebecca Penn-ington.
For information on how to join or volunteer with Girl Scouts Louisiana East, visit www.gsle.org/join.
—Girl Scouts Louisiana East provides leadership development of girls, grades K to 12, in 23 parishes of southeast Louisiana, including St. Mary. Chartered by Girl Scouts of the USA, GSLE serves over 10,200 girls, with 3,400 adult members. Girl Scouts offers every girl a chance to practice a lifetime of leadership, adventure, and success. To volunteer, reconnect, donate, or join, visit www.gsle.org.

DEAR ABBY: My daughter is in her early 20s. When she was younger, she was happy. She socialized, had friends and had fun. She has had several boyfriends, but unfortunately, nothing that panned out.
She feels the only way to be comfortable or worth anything is to have a guy by her side. I think she goes about it in the wrong way. She has few friends now and rarely goes anywhere other than work. She experiences periods of depression and says she is afraid of being rejected, which holds her back from socializing.
I try to encourage her to step out of her comfort zone and experience life, but she gets defensive and thinks I am saying it to be mean, when I am offering her something of value.
Abby, I do it out of care and love. I don’t know how else to help her. I’m very worried about her. I’m afraid if she doesn’t change her lifestyle, the situation will become worse, and she will regret it. These should be some of the best years of her life.
Can you offer any suggestions to help her through these dark times?
MOM WHO’S WORRIED IN PENNSYLVANIA

DEAR MOM: I do have one. The most important step a person can take to solve a problem is to admit there is one. Pointing out that someone seems depressed and isolated isn’t mean; it’s what caring parents (or friends) do when they see someone they care about is in trouble.
When advising your daughter, make sure your tone is perceived as loving and not judgmental. Then point out that the quickest way for her to get her life back on track would be to talk to a licensed mental health professional.

DEAR ABBY: I got married while stationed in Korea. Over the years, I put drugs and alcohol and friends before my family. I regret it to this day.
I have four children and two of them are from the same woman. My oldest son and I chat almost daily through Messenger. This is the first time since retirement that I have been this far away from them.
My daughter and youngest son don’t communicate with me in any fashion. I have sent text messages to both of them but received no reply. I learned a couple of days ago that my daughter has been married almost three years.
I miss my family dearly and wish to talk to both of them. Is it hatred and unforgiveness that I am feeling from them? It tears me up inside. I would feel better with any type of reply. What else can I do?
REACHING OUT IN ILLINOIS

DEAR REACHING OUT: There is nothing more you can do to get a response from your daughter and youngest son. You placed drugs, alcohol and friends before them when they were young, and this is the predictable response to emotional neglect.
Not knowing them, I can’t say for certain that they “hate” you. They do, however, appear to be indifferent and unforgiving, and have moved on with their lives. You don’t have much choice but to accept it and move on with your own while appreciating the relationship you have with your oldest son.
***
To order “How to Write Letters for All Occasions,” send your name and mailing address, plus check or money order for $8 to: Dear Abby — Letter Booklet, P.O. Box 447, Mount Morris, IL 61054-0447.