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Acadian keeps rolling in the cold

Tue, 02/23/2021 - 12:15pm

The severe winter storm that recently gripped Acadian Ambulance operational areas in Texas, Louisiana and Tennessee presented unique challenges of its own, the company siad.
Road closures, power outages, fuel shortages, water supply issues and dangerously low temperatures hampered operations for all first responders, including Acadian Ambulance.
“During the winter storm," said Acadian Chairman and CEO Richard Zuschlag, "sub-freezing temperatures and snow and ice accumulation caused delays in transporting our non-critical, non-emergency patients. Our dispatch team worked very closely with our facilities and hospitals to coordinate non-critical transports when road conditions allowed for safe travel.
"In more critical cases, we worked with local fire and police departments to help us safely access patients.
"During the storm, several of Acadian’s stations were without water or electricity and they had some ambulances out of service due to medics not being able to get to work or empty ambulances being stranded in snow or ice. Acadian has spare ambulances in each of its operating regions for such contingencies to ensure their communities remain properly covered."
Since 1971, Acadian Ambulance is one of the largest ambulance services in the nation, providing transportation and medical service to areas in Louisiana, Texas, Mississippi and Tennessee. They are employee-owned and accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Ambulance Services.

19 new COVID cases, no deaths locally

Tue, 02/23/2021 - 12:11pm

Nineteen confirmed COVID-19 cases and no deaths were reported for three local parishes for the 24 hours ending at midday Tuesday, the Louisiana Office of Public Health said.

St. Mary has nine new confirmed COVID-19 cases for a pandemic total of 3,310 confirmed and 786 probable.

St. Martin has seven new cases for a total of 4,406 confirmed with 407 probable.

Assumption has three new cases for a total of 1,527 confirmed with 552 probable.

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

Statewide:

--1,393 new cases raise the toll to 367,040 confirmed with 59,008 probable.

--26 new fatalities raise the toll to 8,834 confirmed with 669 probable.

--25 fewer COVID-positive people are in Louisiana hospitals for a total of 715.

--2 fewer people are on ventilators for a total of 111.

LILLIE M. TABOR

Tue, 02/23/2021 - 11:58am

Lillie M. Tabor, 93, died Sunday, Feb. 21, 2021.
She is survived by four children, Glenda Harper, Sheila Daigle, Theodore Bailey and Floyd Bailey; two brothers, Charles Morrison Jr. and Ira Morrison; a sister, Wanzie Richard; 12 grandchildren; and a host of great-grandchildren and great-great-grandchildren.
She was preceded in death by her husband, parents, a brother and five sisters.
Due to Cvoid-19, services will be held privately by the family.

HOMER CHARLES DUDLEY

Tue, 02/23/2021 - 11:51am

September 8, 1931 — February 21, 2021
Homer Charles Dudley, 89, a resident of Stephensville, passed away Sunday, February 21, 2021 at his home.
Homer was born September 8, 1931, the son of Eugene Dudley and Margie “Lemoine” Shaw Walker.
Homer served his country as a Marine in the Korean War. He enjoyed taking his daughters hunting and fishing with him, where he taught them to shoot. He was a family man, and was always ready for the next family gathering. Homer enjoyed cooking, and was known for his brisket. He also loved flying model planes; he was in a group, where he would share this hobby with others. Homer would also build the planes he would fly, and he took great pride in them.
He will be sadly missed and lovingly remembered by four daughters, Linda King and husband Earl Jr. of Stephensville, Karen Legendre and husband Kerry of Stephensville, Mica Gibson and husband Eddie of Cardiff, Wales, and Nancy MacDonald and Tulio A. Pineda Jr. of Dickinson, TX; eight grandchildren, Julie Theriot, Jacob Legendre, Matthew Legendre, Andrew Legendre, Angela Martin, Jefferey Eaton, Katy MacDonald and John Michael MacDonald; 17 great-grandchildren; and two great-great-grandchildren.
Homer was preceded in death by his parents, Eugene Dudley and Lemoine Walker; wife, Barbara Pettit Dudley; grandson, Christopher Grow; and one sister, Sally Stringer.
Funeral services will be held at 11:00 a.m. Wednesday, February 24, 2021 at Twin City Funeral Home with Pastor Ann Sutton officiating. Visitation will be held Wednesday, February 24, 2021 at Twin City Funeral Home from 9:00 a.m. until the time of services. Masks are required upon entry to the funeral home. After services, Homer will be laid to rest in the Morgan City Cemetery.

KASSEL JOSEPH LAMBERT JR

Tue, 02/23/2021 - 8:30am

Kassel Joseph Lambert Jr. passed on 2-20-2021 at the age of 90. He was born on 2-21-1930 in Weeks Island, La. to Nettie Louise Caulking Lambert and Kassel Joseph Lambert Sr. Kassel took on responsibility and challenges at an early age. His father died when Kassel was 12, and he helped raise his three little sisters, Nettie, Pat, and Emma Laura while his mom studied to become a teacher to support the family. They always thought of him as a dad. He attended and graduated from Franklin High School in Franklin, La. He always instilled in his daughters the importance of God, country, and family and friends.
He proudly served his country in the Army Air Corp in 1948 which later became the US Air Force. He served 4 years and was discharged from the USAF in 1952, serving during the Korean War and attaining the rank of staff sergeant. He attended Stephen F. Austin State University in Nacogdoches, TX after his military service, receiving a Bachelor’s degree. While in college he was a member of the Alpha Chi Honor Society. He went to work for the Quaker Oats Company upon completion of his degree in agri-business. He worked for the Quaker Oats Company in their animal feed division, then known as Ful-O-Pep, and remained employed by that company and its successors for 36.5 years before retiring in 1992.
Kassel was preceded in death by both parents Nettie Louise Caulking Lambert and Kassel Joseph Lambert Sr. and his sister, Patricia Lambert Anderson of New Iberia, La. and one grandchild, Andrea Wallace of Euless, TX. He is survived by his wife of 70 years, Jonell Allen Lambert, and three daughters, Sharon Lambert Wallace (Larry, deceased) of Euless, TX, Lori Lambert McBride (Shannon) of Victoria, TX and Deborah Lambert Wallis (Jack Wesley) of San Marcos, TX, 7 grandchildren, and 11 great grandchildren whom he adored. His grandchildren are James Wallis (Jennifer) of Houston, Jennifer Dickson (Matthew) of Houston, Tiffany Wallis of New Braunfels, Bill Wallace of Euless, Michelle Castillo of Bedford, Patrick McBride (Jody) of Victoria, and Heather McBride of Victoria. He is also survived by two sisters, Nettie Reynolds (Jack) of Garland, TX and Emma Laura Reynolds (Allen, deceased) of Seminole, FL and numerous nieces, nephews, great nieces, and great nephews. He loved them all.
Kassel loved being around people and animals alike. He loved to be outdoors, to fish, garden, and spend time with his children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren. He always had a smile on his face and never met a stranger. Kassel was also a good cook and loved seafood.
Kassel was transferred with his various job duties many times and learned to make lifelong friends along the way. He lived in Cuero, TX for 22 years before retiring. While there he served as the Treasurer and Elder of the First Presbyterian Church. He was active member in the American Legion for 70 years. Upon retiring from the Ful-O-Pep feed mill in Cuero, he and Jonell moved back to her family land in East Texas that had been in her family since 1882 and raised cattle. They relocated to Seguin, TX in 1998 to be closer to two of their children and their families.
The family would like to extend their gratitude to Legend Oaks Nursing Home. A memorial service will be held at a later date due to Covid social distancing restrictions. Memorial contributions may be made to the First Presbyterian Church in Cuero, 302 N McLeod St, Cuero, TX 77954. You are invited to sign the guest book at www.treshewell.com.
Arrangements are under the direction of Tres Hewell Mortuary, 165 Tor Dr., Seguin, Texas, 78155, 830-549-5912.

Get It Growing: Hold off on pruning freeze-damaged plants

Tue, 02/23/2021 - 8:22am

By HEATHER KIRK-BALLARD, LSU AgCenter Horticulturist

The entire state of Louisiana, along with many others, just got an unusual dose of ice, sleet and snow. Despite our valiant efforts to cover and protect plants, some will still be lost to the recent hard freezes.
As the temperatures warm up, it will take several days — maybe weeks — to fully understand the damage this cold weather event has caused. So hold off on the pruning for now.
When plants begin their new spring growth, you will be better able to see what damage occurred in the freezes, and pruning will be much more efficient.
Don’t go pulling anything out of the ground yet, either. Many of our cool-season annuals will probably be OK. They are much more cold hardy than other annuals. Violas, pansies, dianthus, foxglove and clematis are alive and will likely bloom again in the spring.
Roots of most hardy plants will be OK, too. With all of the rain that followed the cold snap, our soil is wet, providing protection against freezing temperatures. Even though many of the plants are frozen up top, they are still alive beneath the soil. Rest assured that these plants will return from their roots.
Tender tropical plants melted like the Wicked Witch of the West from Oz. Still, do not be too hasty to get out there and prune. If you are fortunate enough that your tropical plants survived, it’s best to leave the mushy foliage to help protect the crown of the plant.
You may be wondering how to protect your landscape from freeze damage in the future. First, it helps to understand some terminology:
—Tender plants are those that die in freezing winter temperatures. These include herbaceous, tropical and sub-tropical plants.
—Hardy plants can survive our typical winter temperatures. These include most woody trees and shrubs. They are reliably hardy in freezing temperatures and do not typically die.
—Many perennial plants are root hardy, meaning they will return from their roots, crown or other underground parts such as bulbs or tubers.
It is good to know what plants can hold up to before adding them to your landscape. Selections should be hardy enough to survive freezing temperatures below what is normal for your area and tough enough to stand up to our severe summer heat.
The USDA hardiness zone map can help you decide which plants to choose. This map divides the United States and southern Canada into 13 planting zones, with a 10-degree F difference in the average annual minimum temperature between each zone.
The higher the zone number, the warmer those temperatures.
For better accuracy, the zones are further broken down into A and B levels, both representing a 5-degree difference, with A being colder than B.
The spectrum ranges from zone 1 in Alaska to zones 12 and 13 in Hawaii and Puerto Rico. Most of the United States lies in planting zones 4 to 8.
Louisiana falls into zones 8 and 9. The north is zone 8a, where average minimum temperatures are 10 to 15 degrees. Central and southern Louisiana are in zone 8b, and average minimum temperatures are 15 to 20 degrees.
Coastal areas in zone 9a have average minimum temperatures of 20 to 25 degrees, and the southernmost part of the state is in zone 9b, with average minimum temperatures of 25 to 30 degrees.
The packaging of seeds and plants sold at nurseries and garden centers often indicates the hardiness zones in which they can be grown. For example, a plant marked for zones 5 to 9 means the farthest north it can be grown is in zone 5. It would suffer or die in a colder zone.
A plant is considered hardy if it can tolerate lower temperatures than your area typically receives. Our local nurseries carry many plants that tolerate our low temperatures.
If possible, choose plants that are hardy at least one zone north of where you live. For example, if you live in zone 8, choose plants hardy to zone 7. This gives you a leg up in the event of an unseasonably cold winter.

Sunny personality turns dark in the wake of a miscarriage

Tue, 02/23/2021 - 8:20am

By Jeanne Phillips, ©United Features Syndicate

DEAR ABBY: My husband and I suffered a miscarriage five months ago, in the 12th week. I’m still not doing well. I have put on a facade to get by, but I’m just starting to realize how deeply this is affecting my life.
I used to be a happy, friendly person. Always a smile on my face and laughter to be shared and hugs for my loved ones. Since the miscarriage, I put on a fake smile and try to be who I once was, but I can’t keep doing it. Every day there is a moment from that day or the aftermath that floods my mind. I’m angry, bitter, mad at the unfairness, and I no longer have compassion or sympathy for others.
This isn’t me. I don’t want to be this way. My happiness has been replaced with tears and sadness. The hopefulness is replaced by emptiness. I’m very lost, and I don’t know how to get out of this funk.
I no longer want to try to get pregnant again because the fear of the physical and emotional pain of another miscarriage has me paralyzed.
Any advice you might give would be greatly appreciated.
BROKEN IN MISSOURI

DEAR BROKEN: Please accept my sympathy for the loss of your child. Your depression and the fear you have about another pregnancy are not unusual after a tragedy like the one you have experienced. You are grieving, and the emotions you are feeling are to be expected.
Please schedule an appointment with your OB/GYN and tell your doctor about all of these feelings, because the doctor can refer you to someone who can help you work through this. It will take time, but I assure you it is doable.

DEAR ABBY: My boyfriend and I have been together for close to a year now. In the beginning, we were crazy about each other and everything was great.
Our hometowns are two hours apart so, to make it work, he bought us a house right in between. It was an hour each way to our parents’ houses. I thought it was the perfect compromise. But now he’s telling me he isn’t happy here in our new town, and he needs to sell the house and move back home.
He says he still wants to be with me and that we are going to make it work, but I can’t help but be scared that this is gonna be the end of our relationship. Should I tough it out and see if we can actually make it work? Or do I call it quits and let go because maybe it is just not meant to be?
MIXED UP IN MASSACHUSETTS

DEAR MIXED UP: You left out one important fact in your letter to me. WHY does your boyfriend need to sell the house you share and move back home? Is he so closely tied to his parents that being an hour away is too far? Is it work-related? Is he dissatisfied with your relationship? Ask him these questions because the answers will tell you what you can expect. My advice is to let things play out a bit more before making any decision other than to put the house on the market.
***
Abby shares more than 100 of her favorite recipes in two booklets: “Abby’s Favorite Recipes” and “More Favorite Recipes by Dear Abby.” Send your name and mailing address, plus check or money order for $16 to: Dear Abby, Cookbooklet Set, P.O. Box 447, Mount Morris, IL 61054-0447.

One new confirmed COVID case, one death in local parishes

Mon, 02/22/2021 - 12:18pm

One new confirmed COVID-19 case was reported in St. Mary, and the St. Martin and Assumption case counts were adjusted downward in the 24 hours ending at midday Monday. One new COVID-related fatality was reported for St. Mary.

The new case raises the pandemic total in St. Mary to 3,301 confirmed and 767 probable. The COVID-related fatality raises the parish's death toll to 108 confirmed and 12 probable.

St. Martin's case count was adjusted down by four to 4,399 confirmed and 405 probable.

Assumption's count was reduced by one to 1,524 confirmed and 550 probable.

The number of fatalities in those parishes: 102 confirmed with nine probable in St. Martin and 29 confirmed with four probable in Assumption.

Statewide:

--468 new cases raise the total to 366,302 confirmed and 58,342 probable.

---11 fatalities raise the toll to 8,808 confirmed with 669 probable.

--16 fewer COVID positive people are in hospitals for a total of 740.

--7 fewer people are on ventilators for a total of 113.

Test samples being taken for Stephensville area water

Mon, 02/22/2021 - 11:45am

Staff Report

Test samples were being taken Monday, and the water boil advisory in St. Martin Parish Water and Sewer Commission District No. 1 in the Stephensville area could be over by Tuesday or Wednesday, depending on when the district receives approval from the state Department of Health.
While Stephensville receives its water from Morgan City, when it passes the booster pump station at the Carillion Towers, it is considered under the water and sewer district’s jurisdiction, office manager Shelia Landry said.
The district owns its own lines, and they are treated by the state as a separate entity than Morgan City, Landry said. Therefore, like Morgan City, they have to receive a separate approval before their boil advisory can be lifted.
Morgan City’s advisory was lifted Friday morning.
Any questions about Stephensville area water can be directed to the water and sewer commission office at 384-7721.

Superintendent: Water problems didn't make for long lines at schools

Mon, 02/22/2021 - 11:25am

GEOFF STOUTE

gstoute@daily-review.com

There were no reports of elementary students waiting in long lines to use the bathroom during the Thursday school day, which ended early due to a water service disruption, St. Mary Parish Schools Superintendent Teresa Bagwell said Friday in response to a Lafayette TV station’s report.
A report Thursday by KLFY said students in the elementary level had to wait in lengthy lines to use the bathroom after multiple buildings had “little to no running water or low water pressure.”
Bagwell said B. Edward Boudreaux Middle School and West St. Mary High School, which are located on the same Baldwin campus, and Lagrange Elementary in Franklin and Raintree Elementary in Baldwin had “intermittent” water pressure. She said this was discovered Thursday morning.
She said the same water district services the four schools.
“The school system was informed that the water pressure would likely recover,” Bagwell said.
“Yet, in an effort to stabilize bathroom usage at Raintree Elementary, additional water supplies were delivered and utilized by custodial and maintenance staff. Students in elementary schools typically line up to use restroom facilities as teachers escort their classes for such breaks. There were no reports by school staff of any long lines of students waiting to use the restroom.”
Bagwell said the decision to open school Thursday came after school administrators and maintenance staff assessed their facilities Wednesday for any impacts from the bitter cold. The district also was in “constant contact” with local government leaders, water district personnel and the Office of Homeland Security to determine utility service, weather and road conditions for Thursday, the superintendent said.
“The information fully indicated that the school system could safely open schools as scheduled on Thursday,” Bagwell said.
Parent and St. Mary Parish Councilman Craig A. Mathews of Jeanerette disagreed.
“This was just totally negligent in my opinion,” Mathews told KLFY. “We knew the water pressure would not be up in time to have these children return to school today.”
Bagwell said that schools cooked meals for students, and bottled water was available, if needed. School resumed Monday as the leak in the system that furnished water to the schools was fixed, and water capacity was tested at the schools, Bagwell said Friday.