RSS Feed

An ordinance to raise sewer rates in Baldwin was passed Thursday at the regular board meeting of town aldermen and the mayor.
Before the vote several concerned citizens said they didn’t believe that now was a good time to be raising any utility rates on the citizenry of Baldwin.
An attendee in the audience said, “I don’t think anyone can afford that. Baldwin is taxing us a lot for these water bills; and I do understand that we are getting water from Charenton, and that costs, but you have to take into consideration single parents that you have in these areas, and you have to take into consideration the elderly people with one income, like Ms. Idela who as soon as she receives her check sees it gone because she has bills to pay. You have to take into consideration that we are in a pandemic. A lot of people lost their jobs and are still looking for jobs. People are going through things.”
Baldwin Mayor Abel “Phil” Prejean entertained the argument for a while, then said, “Look, this doesn’t make me happy, to come and tell you that rates have to be raised. It’s not like that.
“If they don’t do it, the (town’s) situation just gets worse.
“It’s not fair to just kick the can down the road, and you’ll have to face it at another time with a bigger increase. We just can’t keep going with this deficit.
“We’ve come very far in fixing that deficit, but look, the turnip has been squeezed, and I’ve gotten everything out of it.
“We don’t have a town that has a lot of taxpayers, and we don’t have new businesses coming into town. There is nobody to help shoulder that load. The load falls on the residents.
“And if there is something I could do to spread that load around, I’d be more than happy to do it. I mean, my God, that would be the greatest thing I could do. But, we are where we are; and if it doesn’t happen here and now, it’ll happen later and somewhere else, maybe your property rates. And I don’t think you want that either, so it’ll have to be addressed at some point.”
The motion passed with three votes in favor, and two votes against.
Alderman Clarence Vappie remarked that the average sewer rate increase would amount to around $2.45 per month. Reaction in the gallery receded then.
St. Mary Parish Councilman Reverend Craig Mathews called it putting a Band-Aid on a surgery site, but agreed that it was necessary, and reassured residents, as well as did Town Attorney Joseph Tabb, that all state and federal avenues of assistance were being pursued to rectify Baldwin’s financial straits.
Mathews recommended inviting State Representative Vincent St. Blanc and State Senator Bret Allain to the town hall meetings in order to engage with them directly.
In other business, the winning bid announced for House in the Park (on Resweber Lane) at $55,111, as well as, proclamations were approved that March is Development Disability Awareness Month, and April will be Fair Housing Month in Baldwin.

One in six men being treated for advanced prostate cancer experiences a reduced sense of smell and taste, a symptom that could cause increased anxiety among patients because it is also a side effect of COVID-19, according to Tulane researchers.
A study published in the journal Supportive Care in Cancer says a reduced sense of smell and taste among some prostate cancer patients is largely associated with poor appetite and weight loss, according to the Tulane University news release.
Although the data collection for the study predated the COVID-19 pandemic, the results pose important implications for cancer patients undergoing hormone therapy, chemotherapy and/or bone antiresorptive during the coronavirus crisis.
“We wanted to make sure the article mentioned the significance of advanced prostate cancer patients experiencing losses in taste/smell as a side effect of their cancer treatment during the pandemic,” said Laura Perry, a Tulane doctoral student in psychology and one of the study’s authors. “Since it is a commonly known symptom of COVID-19, the experience may be appraised by patients as especially stressful at this time.”
Perry said most symptom assessments in cancer patients do not ask patients about their senses of taste or smell. “Our findings suggest these could be a valuable addition to routine assessments in prostate cancer,” she said.
The study surveyed 75 men with advanced prostate cancer, asking them about their appetite, nausea while eating, and taste and smell of food over a 15-month period. Of the patients questioned, 17% experienced poor taste of food and 8% poor sense of smell. Participants were more likely to experience reduced sense of taste if they were being treated with the drugs denosumab or docetaxel, and they were more likely to experience weight loss if experiencing poor taste of food or poor appetite. Nausea was associated with an increased likelihood of experiencing poor taste and smell.
The study incorporated demographics, treatments and weight data from electronic health records.
Participants of the study were from the greater New Orleans area, where food and eating are central to the city’s culture. If cancer patients can no longer enjoy the pleasure associated with food, that, too, can affect them emotionally, researchers said.
“For advanced cancer patients, losing their sense of taste and smell can have profound impacts on their emotional wellbeing and ability to engage with others socially,” Perry said.
Lead author Sarah Alonzi, a lab manager in the Tulane Department of Psychology, agreed. “I hope that communicating these findings improve patients’ awareness that treatment-related reduction in taste and smell can occur, providing some reassurance for those experiencing these symptoms,” she said.
Based on the findings of this study, the authors suggest that clinicians should regularly query patients for changes in sense of taste and smell, especially patients who are experiencing weight loss. During the pandemic, they said, it is especially important that clinicians make patients aware of the potential for treatment-related reduction in taste and smell to reduce COVID-19 anxiety.
The research team included authors from Tulane’s uptown and downtown campuses, a collaboration cultivated by the Louisiana Clinical and Translational Science Center and the Louisiana Cancer Research Center.
In addition to Alonzi and Perry, the Tulane team included Michael Hoerger, assistant professor of psychology at Tulane School of Science and Engineering and an assistant professor of psychology and psychiatry at the Tulane Cancer Center. Also part of the Tulane team was a group from the Tulane Cancer Center, including Dr. Oliver Sartor, Charlotte Manogue, Patrick Cotogno and Elisa Ledet.
Lydia Chow of the Department of Internal Medicine at Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California and Emma Ernst of Tufts University School of Medicine also contributed to the study.

A commercial fisherman reported missing Monday evening was found deceased Tuesday morning near Adams Landing in Lower St. Martin Parish.
U.S. Coast Guard Spokesman Lt. j.g. Cody Baggett said the fisherman’s body was found by a local fisherman around 9 a.m. Tuesday. The deceased fisherman had been reported missing Monday around 10 p.m., according to Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries Spokesman Adam Einck.
Baggett didn’t know the identity of the fisherman, where he lived or if next of kin had been notified. He said autopsy results are pending.

(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.)

Local law enforcement agencies made four arrests related to theft or fraud this week, including one of a Centerville man accused of possessing stolen things worth at least $5,000.
Assumption deputies also arrested a man already facing charges of bank fraud and exploitation of the infirm.

St. Mary
Sheriff Blaise Smith advised that over the last 24-hour reporting period, the Sheriff's Office responded to 40 complaints made these arrests:
—Alvin Durapau Jr., 32, Centerville, was arrested at 9 a.m. Monday on charges of possession of stolen things ($5,000-$25,000), recovered property, resisting arrest or officer, disturbing the peace by language and operating a vehicle with a suspended license.
Durapau also held a Berwick Police Department warrant for kidnapping and home invasion. No bail has been set.
—Lionell Granger III, 55, Amelia, was arrested at 9:24 a.m. Monday on a charge of driving under suspension. Granger was released on a summons to appear June 28.
—Eddie Joseph Strickland, 31, New Sarpy, was arrested at 11:13 a.m. Monday on a St. Charles Parish warrant for failure to appear on a child support charge. Strickland is being held for another agency.
—Dylan Michael Boling, 25, Ricohoc, was arrested at 2:36 p.m. Monday on a charge of no insurance and on a warrant for failure to appear on the charges of possession of alprazolam, speeding and operating a vehicle while license is suspended, revoked or canceled. Boling was released on a $3,500 bond.
—Michael David Landry, 32, Franklin, was arrested, at 3:20 p.m. Monday on charges of turning movements and required signals, possession of marijuana, and possession of drug paraphernalia. Landry was released on a summons to appear June 28.
—John Franklin Vandercook, 50, Amelia, was arrested at 9:04 a.m. Monday on a warrant for pornography involving juveniles and video voyeurism.
Vandercook was arrested March 1 on a charge of molestation of a juvenile, third-degree rape and sexual bat-tery. As the investigation progressed, detectives made contact with Vandercook at the St. Mary Parish Law Enforcement Center and charged him with the additional charges. No bail has been set.
—Travis James Morin, 37, Patterson, was arrested at 11:26 p.m. Monday on charges of battery of a dating partner and violation of protective orders. Bail was set at $5,000.

Morgan City
Police Chief James F. Blair reported that over the last 24-hour period, the Morgan City Police Department responded to 37 calls for service and made these arrests:
—Nathanial Jackson, 30, Greenwood Street, Morgan City, was arrested at 1:38 p.m. Monday on a charge of theft under $1,000.
—Joel Michael Floyd, 32, Cross Road No. 2, Morgan City, was arrested at 6:44 p.m. Monday on a charge of hit and run.

Assumption
Sheriff Leland Falcon reported these arrests:
—Cohnor Christopher Gray, 21, La. 998, Belle Rose, was arrested Friday on charges of aggravated flight from an officer, simple criminal damage to property (felony), obstruction of justice, possession with intent to distribute marijuana, three counts of resisting an officer, reckless operation of a motor vehicle with accident, posses-sion of drug paraphernalia and aggravated assault with a motor vehicle upon a peace officer.
Gray was arrested following a high-speed pursuit beginning south of Belle Rose on Friday afternoon.
A uniformed patrol officer in the Belle Rose area observed a vehicle being driven by Gray. The deputy knew of existing felony warrants on Gray and attempted a fugitive stop.
Gray opted to engage in a pursuit beginning in Belle Rose to Donaldsonville and then back to Belle Rose. Dur-ing the pursuit, speeds exceeded 110 mph, and Gray crashed into an Assumption Parish Sheriff’s Office unit in Ascension Parish.
The pursuit continued back into Assumption Parish, and Gray eventually crashed his vehicle in Belle Rose and fled on foot. He was captured a short time later.
Gray is accused of throwing suspected illegal drugs from his fleeing vehicle during his pursuit.
Gray was arrested and booked into the Assumption Parish Detention Center.
The original warrants for which the Sheriff’s Office had been attempting to arrest Gray centered around a Feb. 3 complaint deputies received from an infirm individual concerning a monetary instrument that had been stolen from him and used without his authorization.
Deputies commenced an investigation and identified three suspects. A 17-year-old was arrested by verified complaint March 9 on charges of bank fraud, exploitation of the infirm and felony identity theft.
On Friday, detectives obtained warrants for Gray on charges of contributing to the delinquency of juveniles, felony identity theft, exploitation of the infirm and bank fraud.
Gray was booked on these charges following Friday’s incident.
Gray remains incarcerated with a bond set at $157,000.
Detectives are attempting to arrest a 14-year-old in connection with the bank fraud case as well.

Franklin
Police Chief Morris Beverly said the Franklin Police Department responded to 10 complaints over the past 24 hours and made the following arrests:
—Joaquima Brown, 26, of Martin Luther King Boulevard, Franklin, was arrested at 1:37 p.m. Monday on a Louisiana State Police warrant on the charges of safety belt use, stop signs and yield signs, approach of authorized emergency vehicle, and resisting an officer. Brown was booked, processed, and released on a $3,500 bond.
—Jordan Freeman, 19, St. Joseph Lane, Franklin, was arrested at 5:25 p.m. Monday on the charges of display of temporary registration license plate and flight from an officer. Freeman was booked, processed and released on a $1,750 bond.
—Derikyona Kirt, 22, A Stret, Franklin, was arrested at 8:13 p.m. Monday on a warrant dated Aug. 23 for three counts of disturbing the peace and principal to aggravated second-degree battery. Kirt was booked, processed and released on a $3,500 bond.