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(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 two arrests related to sex crimes, including one in Morgan City for alleged failure to register as a sex offender and one in Assumption in a case of internet solicitation of a juvenile.
Morgan City
Police Chief James F. Blair reports that over the reporting period, the Morgan City Police Department responded to 31 calls for service and made this arrest:
—Jamarcus J. Clark, 30, Fifth Street, Morgan City, was arrested at 2:28 p.m. Monday on warrants for failure to register or notify as a sex offender, failure to obtain a flagged sex offender ID card, failure to pay sex offender registration fee and two counts of failure to appear in 16th Judicial District Court.
Clark was located at a residence on Fifth Street in Morgan City and taken into custody on active warrants held by the St. Mary Parish Sheriff’s Office and 16th District Court. He was transported and booked into the Morgan City Police Department.
Assumption
Sheriff Leland Falcon reported these arrests:
—Arnold C. McCann, 22, West 20th Street, Cleveland, Ohio, was returned to Louisiana on Monday to face charges of cyberstalking, computer fraud, computer-aided solicitation for sexual purposes (sex offender registration required), identify theft and pornography involving juveniles (sex offender registration required).
The arrest resulted from felony computer-aided sex crimes and pornography involving juveniles that occurred between November 2017 and March 2020.
In November 2017, deputies responded to a complaint in which a juvenile’s social media account had been compromised and the unknown violator was now attempting to extort the victim into sending him lewd and lascivious photos. At the time, the victim left the social media account dormant, but the account was still active.
In March 2020, the victim returned to the Snap Chat account and discovered that the account had been converted to use and appeared to contain lewd images of underage females.
Detectives continued their investigation and executed a series of investigative maneuvers in an effort to identify the suspect or suspects involved.
Through that process, detectives recovered evidence linking the alleged crimes to the suspect identified as McCann. This individual was determined to be a convicted sex offender in the Cleveland area, the same locations where these crimes originated.
Warrants were issued for McCann’s arrest and the Ohio Division of Probation and Parole arrested him Oct. 1.
McCann refused voluntary return to Louisiana, but he was extradited through a governor’s warrant.
McCann was booked Monday into the parish detention center pending a bond hearing
—George William Davis Jr., 61, La. 1 South, Donaldsonville, was arrested Monday on charges of driving under suspension, leaving the scene of an accident. and false swearing for the purpose of violating public health and safety.
The arrest was related to a complaint in which the alleged victim said that he was forced to stop for a low tire. When he did so, an unidentified suspect struck him in the face and stole his vehicle. This allegedly occurred Nov. 23 near Plattenville.
At some point after Davis provided conflicting statements as to what had occurred, deputies became suspicious of Davis’ version of events.
Deputies then interviewed a female acquaintance of Davis who indicated that the car was hers and that Davis requested to use it and she obliged. The witness said Davis was gone for about an hour but returned without the car.
Through this period, Davis appeared intoxicated and was driving on a suspended license.
Deputies obtained video surveillance placing Davis in the vehicle.
Warrants were requested and granted for Davis’ arrest Nov. 25.
On Monday, Davis was arrested and booked into the Assumption Parish Detention Center pending a bond hearing.
—Dusty Raphael Allemand, 36, North Holly Road, Labadieville, was arrested Saturday on two counts of disarming a police officer, resisting arrest by force or violence, no vehicle registration, no liability insurance, expired motor vehicle inspection tag and reckless operation of a motor vehicle.
—Danielle Marie Cavalier, 31, North Holly Road, Labadieville, was arrested Monday on a charge of interfering with the lawful duties of a peace officer.
The charges arise out of a traffic stop complaint in Labadieville on Saturday afternoon.
Deputies were dispatched to the area near North and South Holly Roads in Labadieville in connection to a reckless driver complaint.
Investigating deputies located the vehicle and subject driver of the complaint.
The deputy observed numerous equipment violations on the vehicle as well as evidence linking the vehicle to the original complaint.
At some point, deputies requested that the suspect, Allemand, exit the vehicle and he repeatedly refused.
As the deputy attempted to remove him from the vehicle, he resisted and became very aggressive.
A scuffle ensued at which time Allemand is accused of attempting to disarm the deputy.
During the confrontation, Cavalier arrived on the scene and refused to leave.
Allemand was arrested and booked into the Assumption Parish Detention Center, where he remains with bond set at $500,000.
Cavalier was released on bond Sunday.
Berwick
Police Chief David Leonard reported the following arrests:
—Trevor Landry, 21, Franklin, was arrested at 10:38 a.m. Monday on charges of improper lane usage, possession of marijuana (THC wax) and possession of drug paraphernalia.
—Blake Dinger, 21, Patterson was arrested 10:38 a.m. Monday on charges of possession of marijuana (THC wax) and possession of drug paraphernalia, and on a 16th Judicial District Court warrant for failure to appear for speeding.
About 10:05 a.m. Monday, a Berwick officer was on regular patrol in the area of Sixth Street at La. 182, when it was observed that a vehicle left on the roadway and went onto the shoulder of the road while turning on to Sixth Street.
A traffic stop was conducted, and the driver was identified as Landry. During the course of the traffic stop, Landry admitted to having marijuana in his vehicle. His passenger in the vehicle, who  was identified as Dinger, was removed and later found to be in possession of marijuana (THC wax) and placed under arrest. A search of the vehicle revealed a small amount of marijuana as well as THC wax.
Landry was also placed under arrest. Both were later transported to Berwick jail, where they were booked and later released on bond.
Franklin
Police Chief Morris Beverly reported that his responded to 18 complaints in a 24-hour period and made the following arrests:
—Mitchell Guilbeaux, 26, Pecot Street, Franklin, was arrested at 9:18 p.m. Monday on charges of simple battery and resisting an officer. Guilbeaux was booked, processed and held on a $5,000 bond.
—Ronald Lumpkin, 44, Railroad Avenue, Franklin,was arrested at 9:58 p.m. Sunday on a charge of disturbing the peace. Lumpkin was booked, processed and released on a $1,000 bond.
—Genevia Dauphine, 35, Easy Street, Franklin, was arrested at 9:58 p.m. Sunday on a charge of disturbing the peace. Dauphine was booked, processed, and released on a $1,000 bond.
—Charles Brown Jr., 48, Fifth Street, Franklin, was arrested at 6:29 a.m. Monday on a warrant dated Nov. 15 for domestic abuse battery. Brown was booked, processed and released on a $2,500 bond.
St. Martin
Sheriff Becket Breaux reported these arrests:
—Michael Bihm, 48, Midway Lane, Opelousas, was arrested Monday on a charge of theft valued at $1-$999.
—Tamara Jackson, 32, Cecile Boulevard, Breaux Bridge, was arrested on a charge of theft of $1-$999.
—Beau Latiolais, 36, Grand Anse Highways, Breaux Bridge, was arrested Monday by the Breaux Bridge Police Department on a charge of child endangerment domestic abuse.
—Deitra Morgan, 28, Blanchard Street, Breaux Bridge, was arrested Monday by the Breaux Bridge Police Department on charges of illegal possession of stolen things $300-$500 and unauthorized use of a motor vehicle.

The South Louisiana Economic Council announces Laci P. Melancon as program coordinator for the Coastal Technical Assistance Center.
The center was established in 2019 to assist Louisiana-based companies prepare and obtain contracts related to coastal restoration and protection projects. The program is funded by Louisiana Economic Development and the Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority and is currently housed and managed at SLEC.
“CPRA is bringing billions of dollars to the fight to restore our land and protect our people. And that investment translates into major opportunities for local businesses and jobs for Louisiana’s residents,” said CPRA Board Chairman Chip Kline. “We welcome Laci Melancon to this opportunity to lead CTAC in leveraging our coastal investment into more jobs, more investment, and more opportunities for a greater future for South Louisiana and its people.”
“The Coastal Technical Assistance Center will connect the great project opportunities available for Louisiana companies and Louisiana workers so they can get involved in our water management and coastal restoration projects,” Louisiana Economic Development Secretary Don Pierson said. “LED wants Louisiana to benefit not only from the project improvement outcomes, but also as an important economic development initiative for Louisiana’s coastal region. Going forward, Laci P. Melancon will bring full-time focus to supporting this effort as CTAC’s program coordinator."
In her new role as program coordinator, Melancon will be tasked with assisting Louisiana small businesses in being contract ready for opportunities related to projects in the water management sector. Laci will work with prime contractors, through CTAC, to align them with qualified subcontractors. CTAC’s main goal is to increase the amount of coastal dollars awarded to in-state businesses.
The organization will work in collaboration with key stakeholders throughout the state to ensure the implementation and success of CTAC. Local community colleges and universities will be engaged to ensure that educational and training opportunities align with the state’s coastal employment needs.
Before her role with CTAC, Melancon held executive level positions in higher education, technical operations, and the nonprofit sector.
“We are excited to welcome Laci and CTAC to the SLEC offices. With a successful history of incubating initiative driven non-profit organizations, we are eager to assist CTAC in its development and deployment, and to witness the many benefits the organization will provide to our state,” said Vic Lafont, president and CEO of SLEC.

While bills related to the gas tax and our income tax rates will share a sizable portion of the regular session’s center stage this spring, many lawmakers are endeavoring to place sales tax issues in the spotlight as well.
So far, however, Republicans and Democrats haven’t shown a willingness to galvanize around a particular topic — aside from a centralized sales tax collection system proposal. Plus, no other sales tax issue has been included in a tax package yet that will be co-sponsored by Revenue and Fiscal Affairs Chairman Bret Allain and Ways and Means Chairman Stuart Bishop.
Instead, when it comes to sales tax issues, several lawmakers are working individually or in small teams on a number of different bills. The elephant in the room is the state’s 4.45 percent sales tax rate, of which the .45 portion is set to expire in 2025. Lawmakers approved that increase as part of a deficit deal a couple years ago — and with economic outlooks shaky at best, state officials aren’t eager to lose that revenue.
The Legislature has four more years until it reaches the end of that sales tax cliff, and history has proven that if lawmakers can put off a decision, they will. But not everyone is willing to wait. Rep. Mark Wright, among others, is said to be working on a package to address not only the expiring portion of the state sales tax structure, but also the related exemptions.
In regard to the latter, pro-business legislators are looking tays to make the exemption on utilities more enticing to industry, but as of Tuesday morning there was only SB 6 by Senate Ag Chair Stewart Cathey, which would exempt the utility purchases of commercial farmers.
There is another side to that argument. For example, Senate Transportation Chairman Rick Ward said 40 percent of the sales and transactions in Louisiana are exempt from state sales tax. "We have more than 100 different exemptions on the books for everything from Mardi Gras beads to gold bullion," Ward said. "We could lower that 4.45 percent sales tax rate if we cleaned up our exemptions."
Other sales tax-related bills introduced as of Tuesday morning included:
SB 1 by Sen. Barrow Peacock phases in the dedication of the temporary state sales tax levy to the Transportation Trust Fund
HB 5 by Sen. Neil Riser provides for the effectiveness of thennual Louisiana Sales Tax Holidays
HB 6 by Riser provides for the effectiveness of the annual state sales tax holiday for hurricane-preparedness items or supplies
HB 7 by Rep. Aimee Adatto Freeman provides for a sales and use tax exemption for feminine hygiene products and diapers
HB 9 by Rep. Chris Turner provides for the Annual Louisiana Second Amendment Weekend Holiday
A legislatively-created study group, meanwhile, is calling for a single constitutional amendment to create a framework for a new centralized sales and use tax collection system. The issue will be the top regular session priority of Speaker Clay Schexnayder, who formed the Centralized Sales and Use Tax Administration Study Group. Schexnayder will also carry the constitutional amendment, which has the full support of the House leadership.
CSUTA Chairman Jason DeCuir of Advantous Consulting said the constitutional amendment establishes a single sales and use tax collection board that would be permitted to collect state and local sales and use tax; function as a statewide political subdivision; and be funded with state and local sources of revenue.
While there would be several moving pieces left to hammer out, such as board control and audit functions, successful passage would mean that business owners would have just a single source of contact for paying sales taxes in Louisiana, rather than a disorderly system that changes from one parish to another.
As far as what comes next, it's expected that local collectors will file legislation to create the operational structure of the new system that would be outlined in the Constitution.
"It should also be noted that the local stakeholders presented a power point presentation, endorsed by each of their associations, related to a statutory proposal for specific items that they would like to see included in the new collection system, if the agreed upon constitutional amendment were to become law," Decuir wrote in his report to legislators. "The primary disagreement was between the local collectors and the LDR over the control and makeup of the new board.”
The CSUTA study group met seven times over a four month period and was knocked slightly off course by last year's hurricane season. Several big players were at the table, including the Police Jury Association of Louisiana, the Louisiana Municipal Association, the Louisiana School Boards Association, the Louisiana Sheriffs' Association and the Louisiana Department of Revenue.
So, yes, sales taxes will most certainly be on the table during the upcoming regular session that convenes on April 12. And if lawmakers don’t tackle the topic substantively this year, don’t fret — because the issue will indeed be back. After all, at some point over the next couple years lawmakers will have to address the issue in a real and meaningful way.
For more Louisiana political news, visit www.LaPolitics. com or follow Alford on Twitter @LaPoliticsNow.

Franklin Mayor Eugene Foulcard addressed Franklin citizens and councilmembers Thursday night at the regular monthly city council meeting at City Hall.
He presented the proposed 2021-2022 fiscal year budget for Franklin, which he said reflected the changes that have occurred in the city’s revenue stream as a result of the current economy and the impact of COVID-19.
Foulcard reported, “As a backdrop for the currently proposed budget, a review of the 2020-2021 amended budget reveals that the sales tax and other tax revenues are expected to decrease by nine percent.
“Accordingly, the expenditures in the proposed budget are reduced by approximately eight percent to compensate for the loss of revenue.
“The budget proposes to apply our limited resources to the most important needs of the community.”
He went on to say that in response to losses in the Utilities Department, the council has approved an increase in water rates, to result in a profit for that department so it may meet its bond payments.
Conversely, Foulcard reported that the city’s liquid and solid waste facility has completed its plant rehabilitation, which will likely result in a reduction in overall costs for plant operation, “mostly in electrical and water requirements needed to operate the newly designed plant.”
At the public hearing earlier that evening, Ed “Tiger” Verdin, director of marketing for the city, announced the administration’s intention to submit an application for funding under the State of Louisiana Community Development Block Grant HVAC Program. Through which, Broussard Harris and McKerall-O’Niell Community Centers would receive two COVID-19 mitigation/filtration HVAC units per center, as well as ductwork.
The amount of the grant would be $999,379 and would hopefully be available to have the units installed before summer.
The city has not yet begun the application process, but will likely do so within the next month.
Foulcard said at the hearing, “We are just excited to have this opportunity to apply for these funds for the two community centers which are in dire need of brand new air conditioning and ventilation systems, especially in light of the fact that we are dealing with a pandemic.”
Mayor Pro Tempore Lester Levine added, “We are looking to get this grant and get it secured so we can have everything in place for when it really begins to get hot, which is in May. That would be a blessing for both community centers.”
In other news, ordinances were introduced at the council meeting that:
–Amended the operating budget for fiscal year 2020-2021
–Amended the Capital Outlay budget for fiscal year 2020-2021
–Adopted the Operating Budget of Revenues and Expenditures for fiscal year 2021-2022
–Adopted the Capital Outlay Budget for fiscal years 2021-2026.
Ordinances that were adopted declared movable property no longer in use, be made available for sale by the city and utilization by others; and authorizing the city to enter into a cooperative endeavor agreement granting a right of use for driveway purposes over portions of two tracts of land.
Resolutions included:
–Support of an application for the creation of the Franklin Cultural District
–Authorization of signature cards at Patterson State Bank, for Water Revenue Bonds 2021 Sinking Fund
–Adoption of a citizen participation plan relative to the LCDBG Program
–Authorization of submission of application to the state CDBGHVAC Program.