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Two local men face first-degree murder charges from Terrebonne

Two men from Morgan City and Berwick were arrested in the Tri-City area Wednesday on Terrebonne Parish warrants alleging first-degree murder.
Alvin Fitch, 34, Morgan City, was arrested at 6:50 p.m. Wednesday on the Terrebonne Parish Sheriff’s Office warrant for first-degree murder. He was also booked on a St. Mary Parish Sheriff's Office warrant for failure to appear on charges of possessing or carrying a concealed weapon, possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, possession of clonazepam, possession of cocaine, illegal use, possession or control of weapons, monetary instrument abuse and possession of marijuana.
Christopher Martin, 34, Berwick, was arrested at 11:35 p.m. Wednesday on the Terrebonne Parish Sheriff’s Office warrant for first-degree murder.
Martin was also charged with possession of heroin, possession of methamphetamine and possession of drug paraphernalia. No bail has been set.
Sheriff Blaise Smith said detectives with the SMPSO Narcotics Section along with detectives with the Morgan City Police Department conducted an investigation to ascertain the location of Fitch, who held active warrants with the Terrebonne Parish Sheriff’s Office and the St. Mary Parish Sheriff’s Office. Through the investigation, the detectives observed Fitch get into a vehicle.
Detectives conducted a traffic stop on the vehicle in Bayou Vista at the intersection of Delmar and Venus streets and apprehended Fitch. He was placed under arrest for both warrants and transported to the St. Mary Parish Law Enforcement Center for booking.
Fitch was later transferred to another agency.
As the investigation continued, detectives, along with officers from the Berwick Police Department, traveled to a residence on Oregon street in Berwick in order to locate Christopher Martin, who also held a warrant with Terrebonne Sheriff’s Office. Upon arrival, contact was made with Martin. Through the investigation, drugs and drug paraphernalia belonging to Martin were found. Martin was arrested and taken to the St. Mary Parish Law Enforcement Center for booking.
Smith acknowledged the multi-agency cooperation among detectives with the Morgan City Police Department, Terrebonne Sheriff’s Office, Berwick Police Department, and the SMPSO Narcotics Section that led to the arrest of Fitch and Martin.

Jeanerette men arrested after hitting spike strip near Amelia

(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.)

Two Jeanerette men were jailed Tuesday after their attempt to outrun police was stopped by a spike strip near Amelia, the Assumption Parish Sheriff’s Office said.
Assumption
Sheriff Leland Falcon reported these arrests:
—Jade M. LeBlanc, 27, Georgia Street, Jeanerette, was arrested Tuesday on charges of aggravated flight from an officer, possession with intent to distribute marijuana, illegal carrying of a firearm in the presence of a con-trolled dangerous substance, resisting an officer and driving under suspension, and on an Assumption Parish charge of failure to appear on charges of speeding and driving under suspension.
— Cordel Jamal Robinson, 23, Wattigny Street, Jeanerette, was arrested Tuesday on charges of possession with intent to distribute marijuana, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, illegal possession of firearms in the presence of a controlled dangerous substance and resisting an officer.
Felony gun and drug charges stemmed from an attempted traffic stop turned high speed pursuit originating on La. 398 Tuesday afternoon.
A deputy working patrol observed a vehicle westbound on La. 398 commit a traffic violation and attempted to conduct a stop of that vehicle. The driver continued on at a high rate of speed prompting a pursuit.
Additional units were called in to assist and the suspect vehicle struck a spike strip near the U.S. 90 area, caus-ing the tires to deflate. The suspects bailed from the vehicle and entered the swamp.
The driver was captured about an hour later and was identified as LeBlanc.
A search of the suspect vehicle resulted in the seizure of several large-caliber firearms as well as suspected ma-rijuana.
A warrant check revealed that LeBlanc was wanted for failure to appear in court in Assumption Parish for pre-vious traffic violations.
Robinson was arrested on Tuesday night near the scene.
Both suspects were booked into the Assumption Parish Detention Center pending bond proceedings.
Falcon thanked the St. Mary Parish Sheriff’s Office for assistance.
–Sheena Marie Berthelot Bodin, 33, Lee Drive, Pierre Part, was arrested Monday on a charge of domestic abuse (aggravated assault).
Deputies were dispatched to a Lee Drive address and made contact with the parties involved, including Bodin.
After interviewing Bodin and her spouse, it was determined that an altercation had occurred, and Bodin had brandished a knife.
At the conclusion of the investigation, Bodin was arrested and booked into the Assumption Parish Detention Facility pending a bond hearing.
—Chad M. Hebert, 43, was booked on a charge of domestic abuse battery (strangulation).
The Communications Division received a welfare concern from a medical facility, which advised they had been in communication with the spouse of the accused, and she indicated she had been physically abused and re-quested assistance.
Deputies responded and conducted an investigation, which determined that Hebert had committed a battery on his spouse as well as other domestic law violations.
Based on the totality of the evidence, Hebert was arrested and booked pending a bond hearing.

Morgan City
Police Chief James F. Blair reports that over the last 24-hour period, the Morgan City Police Department responded to 39 calls for service and made these arrests beginning Tuesday:
—Tiffany Lynn Remedies, 31 Canary Street, Morgan City, was arrested at 2:06 p.m. Tuesday on a warrant for a probation violation from 6th Ward Court.
—Megan Falgout Archilla, 36, Bowen Lane, Morgan City, was arrested at 2:45 p.m. Tuesday on a warrant for a probation violation from 6th Ward Court.

St. Mary
Sheriff Blaise Smith advises that over the last 48-hour reporting period, the Sheriff's Office responded to 66 complaints and reports the following arrests:
—Juvenile female, 15, Centerville, was arrested at 2:48 p.m. Tuesday on a charge of sexting. The juvenile was released into the custody of a guardian pending juvenile court proceedings.
—Wesley Michael Aucoin, 19, Bayou Vista, was arrested at 4:46 p.m. Tuesday on a charge of aggravated assault. No bail has been set.
—Brionna Long, 20, Morgan City, was arrested at 4:49 p.m. Tuesday on a charge of theft. Long was released on a summons to appear May 24.
Traci Ann Burke, 33, Franklin, was arrested at 9:45 a.m. Tuesday on a charge of violation of protective orders. Burke was released on a $2,500 bond.
—Cheddrick Domond Roberson, 41, Franklin, was arrested at 1:57 a.m. Wednesday on a warrant for failure to appear on the charge of possession of synthetic cannabinoids. No bail has been set.
—Bernard Davis Jr., 23, Franklin, was arrested at 9:33 p.m. Tuesday by the Narcotics Section on charges of possession of marijuana, driving under suspension, careless operation and possession of drug paraphernalia.
—Brandon Jacoby Rudolph, 35, Baldwin, was arrested at 10:59 a.m. Sunday on a charge of driving under suspension. Rudolph was released on a summons to appear May 24.
—Logan Michael Parker, 23, Franklin, was arrested at 10:34 p.m. Monday on charges of no signal, no driver’s license on person and possession of marijuana. Parker was released on a summons to appear May 24.
—Isis Imani Dapremont, 24, Franklin, was arrested Monday on two counts of resisting arrest or officer. Dapremont was released on a $5,000 bond.
—Timothy Jones, 32, Patterson, was arrested at 7:15 p.m. Monday by the Narcotics Section on charges of posses-sion with intent to distribute marijuana, possession with intent to distribute MDMA (ecstasy), possession of drug paraphernalia, transactions involving drug proceeds and possession of a controlled dangerous substance in the presence of a juvenile.
Jones also held a warrant for failure to appear on the charges of possession of marijuana, possession of drug para-phernalia and possession of a firearm or carrying a concealed weapon by a convicted felon. No bail has been set.
—Shannon Nash, 37, Patterson, was arrested by the Narcotics Section at 7:15 p.m. Monday on charges of posses-sion with intent to distribute marijuana, possession with intent to distribute MDMA (ecstasy), possession of drug paraphernalia, transactions involving drug proceeds, possession of a controlled dangerous substance in the presence of a minor distribution of marijuana and distribution of MDMA.
Nash also held a warrant for failure to appear on the charges of theft. No bail has been set.St. Martin
Sheriff Becket Breaux reported these arrests:
—Davontae Gardner, 21, Washington Street, St. Martinville, was arrested by the St. Martinville Police Depart-ment on Tuesday on charges of aggravated criminal damage to property, firearm-free zone, illegal carrying of a weapon, negligent injuring, illegall use of weapons or dangerous instrumentalities, and aggravated assault with a firearm.
—Jaida Weatherford, 20, Tower Tank Road, Stephensville, was arrested Tuesday on charges of possession of Schedule II and Schedule III narcotics, illegal use of controlled dangerous substances in the presence of a minor and possession of drug paraphernalia.

LABI goes hunting for tax reform in 2021

Encouraged by business-friendly legislation passed before the pandemic took hold last year, the chief of Louisiana’s largest business advocacy group has a list of priorities for the 2021 legislative session. And tax reform is at the top of the list.
“This is big game hunting,” said Louisiana Association of Business and Industry President Stephen Waguespack at a St. Mary Chamber luncheon Wednesday. “You probably can’t get it all done in one year, but the fact that they’re hunting is a big, big deal.”
In the audience at the Petroleum Club of Morgan City was one of the top hunters: state Sen. Bret Allain, R-Franklin, who told the Chamber earlier this year that he hopes to cut the state income tax rate in half while eliminating some deductions to make the system flatter and fairer. Allain chairs the Senate Revenue and Fiscal Affairs Committee.
“He’s whacking that piñata hard right now,” Waguespack said.
The Legislature hit a home run last year with pro-business legislation, Waguespack told the Chamber, especially in tort reform. Republicans were able to pass a series of changes, chiefly a lower threshold for requiring jury trial in auto crash cases.
At the top of LABI’s list of tax measures for this year is centralized sales tax collection. The current system of individual parish sales tax authorities complicates matters for businesses that do business in more than one parish, Waguespack said.
LABI would also like to see the franchise and inventory taxes eliminated. And an income tax rate reduction could be coupled with elimination of the federal income tax exemption.
Infrastructure is also a likely focus for the 2021 legislative session, he said, which raises questions about how to pay for better roads and bridges. The possibilities include a gas tax hike, repurposing an expiring 0.45% sales tax, using money raised by cutting tax exemptions, and dedicating some portion of that revenue from newly legalized sports betting toward the transportation system.
At the Louisiana Budget Project, an organization that generally follows the Democratic rather than the Republican line, Executive Director Jan Moller found little to argue with Waguespack about on sales tax centralization or even eliminating the federal income tax exemption for state income tax filers.
“The difference is what you do with that revenue,” Moller said in a phone interview Wednesday.
Tax reform shouldn’t be just a way to shift the tax burden to working people, Moller said.
“The Legislature should not use the pandemic as an excuse to cut taxes, especially on the wealthy. … The pandemic has hit low-income workers the hardest, both from a health perspective and from a job perspective.”
Waguespack believes conservatives in the Legislature are under pressure to create a better climate this year, when lawmakers will convene in April for a revenue-only session. Revenue measures will be out of bounds in 2022, and 2023 will be an election year.
“Lord knows what will happen in four or five years,” Waguespack said.
COVID-19 has drained what had been a $1.3 billion state unemployment trust fund, leaving the state government to find a solution.
Meanwhile, the generally conservative Tax Foundation ranks Louisiana 42nd among the state for business climate, and state income taxes are the highest in the South, he said.
Texas has no state income tax — but high property taxes, as Allain pointed out — and has neither the franchise tax nor the inventory tax that Louisiana imposes on businesses.
Waguespack called Texas Louisiana’s big brother. The little brother is Mississippi, which is moving to phase out its own state income tax.
“Little Brother is kicking our butt,” Waguespack said.
Federal COVID relief is uncertain and expensive, and the Biden administration’s policies seem likely to include higher taxes. The new president has already suspended Gulf lease sales.
“If they halt leasing for a number of years, that’s obviously bad for us,” Waguespack said.

Seven new COVID-19 cases, no deaths in local parishes

Assumption Parish has seven new confirmed COVID19 cases for the 24 hours ending at midday Wednesday, and the case counts in St. Mary and St. Martin were both adjusted downward. No new local fatalities were reported by the Louisiana Office of Public Health.

Assumption's new cases raise its pandemic total to 1,534 confirmed with 407 probable.

St. Mary's case count was reduced by three to 3,307 confirmed with 789 probable.

St. Martin's case count was adjusted downward by two to 4,404 confirmed with 47 probable.

The parish death tolls remain at 108 confirmed with 12 probable in St. Mary, 102 confirmed with nine probable in St. Martin and 29 with four confirmed in Assumption.

Statewide:

--879 new cases raise the case count to 367,582 confirmed with 59,343 probable.

--25 new fatalities raise the toll to 8,860 confirmed with 668 probable.

--28 fewer COVID-positive people are in Louisiana hospitals, lowering that total to 687.

--9 fewer people are on ventilators for a total of 102.

Morgan City will get small hike in trash pick-up charge

Morgan City citizens can expect a 40 cent increase in their sanitation charge tied to the parish landfill’s tipping fee increase.
Their current landfill adjustment charge is $5.20, but it will jump to $5.60, or an 8.33% increase.
Per ton, the price of garbage will increase from $48 to $52.
On average, 1.2 tons of garbage are collected from a house per year, Mayor Lee Dragna said.
The increases will be included on citizens’ next bill.
Also, Dragna said he has been informed that natural gas prices will increase for Morgan City citizens, but he is not sure how much that will be yet.
Dragna said due to the many water breaks and higher usage of gas and electricity, citizens should anticipate above average bills during the winter.
In another matter, Finance Director Deborah Garber reported on the city’s annual statement on its Public Pension and Relief Fund.
While the city’s police department joined the state Municipal Employees Retirement System in 1977, the city was funding benefits for those who retired prior to the city joining the state system.
“We’ve been paying that for years,” Garber said. “As of January 2021, we no longer have any beneficiaries to pay.”
She said those payments were funded in the city’s General Fund.
In her monthly financial statement for January, Garber reported that the city’s general and ancillary funds had a favorable variance of $93,884.
She noted that sales taxes are over budget by $33,784 in the first month of the fiscal year. These revenues are included in the general and ancillary funds.
However, in the utility fund, she said that revenues are under budget by $356,000. Of that amount, $310,000 is electrical revenues. While not as much, operational expenses are under budget, too, by $203,200. The account has an unfavorable variance of $154,275 for the month from what was budgeted.
“So hopefully those two will begin to level out,” Garber said. “I don’t mind being under budget in revenues if we’re under budget in those purchase power costs.”
The city’s sanitation and sewer fund has a favorable variance of $36,587.
In another economic matter, the first reading was held for the creation of an economic development commission for the city.
It will be composed of five members from the public appointed by the mayor with council approval and two ad hoc councilmen. The members shall hold four-year terms.
Morgan City Coun-cilman Tim Hymel suggested making the council appointments on a rotating basis so all councilmen can participate.

Morgan City Council targets abandoned houses for demolition

Two Morgan City homes were condemned for demolition by the City Council, while any action on a third home was tabled for 30 days.
A home at 107 Oak St. and another at 514 Federal Ave. will be demolished, while owners of property at 1330 Oil Tank Alley will be given 30 days to present plans of action for repair work.
The Oak Street home is in violation of city ordinances and city Compliance Officer Peter Lawton said in a letter to owner Diedra G. Charles of Morgan City last month that the structure is “unsecure and is deemed unsafe due to the deteriorating exterior façade.”
He said it has been in its bad condition since 2016. Lawton said he has talked to the owners, who have said they are fixing it up, but no progress ever has been made.
Councilman Ron Bias said complaints have come in from that area about the property.
The Federal Avenue property is in violation of the city code of ordinances because it is “unsecure and is deemed unsafe due to the deteriorating exterior façade.” deteriorating exterior façade,” Lawton wrote to owner Rosalie B. Ratcliff of Morgan City earlier this month.
“The condition of the house is horrendous,” Lawton told the council Tuesday. “The chimney and fireplace have all caved in on the house.”
He said he has been unable to reach Ratcliff as all letters he has sent have been returned.
“The house has been in this condition for several years,” Lawton said.
The Oil Tank Alley structures already had been declared in violation of the city’s building code and targeted for condemnation. In a letter to owner Dana Trae Dangerfield of Carrolton, Texas, last month, Lawton wrote the structure has been “declared unsafe, unsanitary, a fire hazard and a public safety concern due to the deteriorated condition you have allowed it to remain in. The integrity of the structure is jeopardized by the damage and weatherization it has endured.”
Lawton told the council Tuesday that the property concern “has been kicked down the road many times also.”
However, he recommended tabling any action on the property until the next meeting, because he has heard from the Dangerfield family, which has notified him they will have a plan of action early next month.
“If nothing happens, then we’ll address it,” Lawton said.
No one representing any of the properties spoke at the meeting.
In other action, the council:
—Declared the Joseph J. Cefalu Sr. Municipal Steam Plant and its contents as surplus.
—Learned from Mayor Lee Dragna that a Chief Administrative Officer Charlie Solar is looking at estimates for repair work at the Carillon Tower’s in the organ room due to humidity and termites. A request for quotes for a new city website with possible addition of apps is also being sought. Dragna also reported that bids will be received and ready to be awarded at the next council meeting for the Maple Street Pump Station Rehabilitation project.
—Had the first reading of an ordinance for the authorizing the city to issue $2 million in revenue anticipation notes.
—Appointed Matthew Glover to the Morgan City Harbor and Terminal District board.
—Approved a request by Edie Skiles of Pharr Chapel United Methodist Church in Morgan City to hold their annual Lenten Good Friday Fish Fry at Lawrence Park. This year, it will be a drive-through event.
—Heard Bias recognize several achievements by African Americans to observe Black History Month. He said Phillip Dural Sr. was the first African American assistant fire chief. Palmer Cox Sr. was the first African American police officer hired by city, with Buddy Coleman and Dennis Williams following as the second and third African American police officers.
“These three officers were hired during the segregation time,” Bias said. “They were not allowed to arrest white people. If they had a problem with a white citizen or whatever the case may be, they had to call for a white officer to make the arrest.”
Bias also recognized Leon Hartman Sr., the fourth African American officer hired by the city, who was hired during segregation and served until integration. Bias noted that Roland Broussard, a St. Mary Parish councilman, was the first African American politician to be elected from the city of Morgan City.
—Approved updates of Morgan City Archives account signatures.

Firefighters will meet to talk about Morgan City plan

A meeting between the St. Mary Parish Fire Association and government leaders will be held Thursday at 7 p.m. at the Emergency Operations Center to discuss Morgan City’s desire to opt out of its current mutual aid pact with all parish fire departments and write individual pacts with fire agencies.
While the 7 p.m. meeting originally was scheduled for Feb. 17, Gov. John Bel Edwards’ closing of all state office buildings that day due to inclement weather forced its postponement.
The meeting comes after Morgan City Mayor Lee Dragna, in a Jan. 28 letter set to the parish government and fire departments, said the city was giving its 90-day notice before opting out, as per the stipulation outlined in the agreement.
He noted finances as the reasoning for the move, specifically pointing to Berwick and Amelia as examples of where the city is providing more aid than it receives. Dragna said the city should be compensated for its work.
Even after the city’s 90-day opt out period ended, however, Dragna said the city still would help its neighbors fight fires.
After pushback at the city council meeting, Dragna agreed to rescind the letter and attend the fire department association meeting to state the city’s stance.
Amelia and Berwick officials defended their communities in response to Dragna’s allegations.
The Amelia Volunteer Fire Department, in a letter signed by President Joseph Foret, outlined the levels of certification of department members through LSU.
Foret also wrote that from Jan. 1, 2018 to Dec. 31, 2020, the department responded to four calls in Morgan City and has requested the Morgan City Fire Department’s assistance five times.
Meanwhile, Berwick Mayor Duval Arthur said the town of Berwick would not be paying Morgan City for its fire service.
Arthur said in the last two years, the Berwick Volunteer Fire Department has requested mutual aid from Morgan City once, in 2019, and he said that call was canceled before Morgan City arrived.

Community clean-up, Stuff the Truck for Texas this weekend

After last week’s cold-related cabin fever, Saturday will offer a couple of opportunities to get out and about and do some good at the same time.
The Operation Beautification clean-up event in Morgan City, originally scheduled for Feb. 13, has been rescheduled for Saturday. Also Saturday across the river in Patterson, the city government is sponsoring a Stuff the Truck event to help Texans affected by the winter weather.
The Operation Beautification Phase 1 event will begin by gathering volunteers at 8 a.m. Saturday at Morgan City Municipal Auditorium.
The clean-up is scheduled to run until noon.
The Patterson event will collect water for people in Texas, where millions of people are without water service after last week’s sub-freezing weather.
The collection will be 7:30-11:30 a.m. Saturday at Cypress Point Market in Place Norman Shopping Center in Patterson.
The truck loaded with water will leave for Texas at noon.

From the Editor: St. Mary has role in new military technology

The U.S. Navy is moving into unmanned vessels in a big way, and St. Mary Parish companies and workers are playing a role in the transition.
A month ago, Metal Shark of Jeanerette announced that it has been chosen to develop the long range unmanned surface vessel system for the Marine Corps.
That followed July’s announcement that L3Harris Technologies was awarded a $35 million contract from the U.S. Navy to develop a medium unmanned surface vehicle prototype. The majority of that work will be done by Swiftships in Morgan City.
The projects were awarded during a national security debate over how fast the Navy should move into unmanned vessels to reinforce or replace aging warships, and how much Congress is willing to spend for the transition. Even the role that unmanned vessels will play in naval operations is being hashed out in government and think tanks.
Medium unmanned vessels, in the Navy’s classification systems, are vessels 45 to 190 feet long.
Metal Shark described the vessel it will develop for the Marines as “a tiered, scalable weapons system [that] will provide the ability to accurately track and destroy targets at range throughout the battle space. While fully autonomous, the vessels may be optionally manned and they will carry multiple payloads, which they will be capable of autonomously launching and retrieving.”
Metal Shark turned to Spatial Integrated Systems to provide the autonomy solution for the LRUSV system. Metal Shark will also develop support craft based on its existing 40 Defiant military patrol vessels.
“The LRUSV program represents a significant milestone for autonomous technology, for the defense world, and for the entire shipbuilding industry,” said Metal Shark CEO Chris Allard in a press release. “We are thrilled to be integrating advanced autonomy and Command and Control capability into these highly specialized surface vessels to provide the Marine Corps with a next-generation system.”
Metal Shark has already built and delivered 400 autonomous vessels for commercial and government customers, the company said.
Like the craft being developed for the Marines, the Navy vessel prototype in which Swiftships is involved is designed to be operated with automation or with an assist from humans.
“L3Harris will integrate the company’s ASView autonomy technology into a purpose-built 195-foot commercially derived vehicle from a facility along the Gulf Coast of Louisiana,” according to a press release from New Jersey-based L3Harris. “The MUSV will provide intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance to the fleet while maneuvering autonomously and complying with international collision regulations, even in operational environments.”
The USNI News website reported that in 2019, the Navy envisioned the MUSV as a craft that would “function as a sensor and communications relay as part of a family of unmanned surface systems being developed by the service. The craft will be able to carry a payload equivalent to a 40-foot shipping container, will operate on its own for at least 60 days before needing to return to port, and be capable of refueling at sea.”
Some key members of Congress have been skeptical of the Navy’s plans, saying the role unmanned vessels will play is too vague.
The 2021 appropriations process knocked more than $370 million off the Pentagon’s request of $464 million for large unmanned surface vessel development. Large USVs are 190 feet or longer.
One thing seems clear: Unmanned weapon systems are playing a larger and larger role in warfare.
In one recent example from land warfare, Azerbaijan deployed drones in a long-standing border dispute with Armenia last fall. The inexpensive, Turkish-built drones hammered Armenia’s tanks and helped Azerbaijan win the short war.
Bill Decker is managing editor of The Daily Review.

ANAISE 'TOOTSIE' RACHAL

October 31, 1938 — February 17, 2021
Anaise Annette Migues Rachal was born in Jeanerette, LA on October 31, 1938 to Mr. Robert Migues and Mrs. Nola Derise Migues. After marrying Joseph Frank Rachal on June 24th, 1956, she became a resident of Bayou Vista, LA.
Better known across the community as “Tootsie”, “Toot” and “Maw Maw Tootsie”, Anaise was an active member of St. Bernadette Catholic Church for over 50 years and a longtime member of their choir. She was also a member of the Ladies Altar Society from its establishment, serving as President for numerous years. She loved her community and was never shy to lend a hand for any occasion, such as working the Halloween Carnival at the Church Hall and assisting the Knights of Columbus. She also enjoyed spending time with her many friends and enjoying activities such as Pokeno, Bingo and an occasional trip to the casino.
After the birth of her first grandchild, she realized her love of caring for children, and began a childcare service in her home for the next 40 years. Along the way, she inherited many honorary grandchildren.
Throughout her life, Tootsie’s family was always the center of her world. She was incredibly involved attending every event possible and cooking for her family every Sunday.
She is survived by her five children, Nola Boudreaux and husband Blaine, Marcus Rachal, Robert Rachal and wife Judy, Melissa Kidder, and Edmond Rachal and wife Fran; one son-in-law, Stacy Kidder; and three sisters-in-law, Lucille Tamporello, Linda Migues and Drusilla Migues. She was blessed with and adored by fourteen grandchildren, sixteen great-grandchildren and two great-great-grandchildren.
She is joined in heaven by her parents; her husband of 34 years; one sister, Elsie Stansbury; and six brothers, Lawless (E.G.), Robert, Wilfred, Raymond, Earl and Eugene Migues.
Pallbearers are her grandsons, Justin St.Vgine, Tony Kidder, Michael Kidder, Joshua Rachal, Brennan Rachal, and nephew Terry Rachal.
Funeral services will be held Saturday, February 27, 2021, at St. Bernadette Catholic Church in Bayou Vista during a 1:00 p.m. Mass of Christian Burial. Father Angelo Cremaldi will be the Celebrant for the Mass with Father Thainese Alphonse concelebrating. Following the Mass, she will be laid to rest in Ibert’s Memorial Park Cemetery in Patterson. A gathering of family and friends will be held Saturday at the church hall beginning at 9:00 a.m. concluding with the Eulogy and recitation of the Holy Rosary.
Family and friends may view the obituary online by visiting www.iberts.com and are encouraged to share their condolences, cherished memories, love, and support for the family.
Arrangements have been entrusted to Ibert’s Mortuary, Inc., 1111 Lia Street, Patterson, LA 70392, (985) 395-7873.

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