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Terrebonne General Medical Center (TGMC) is collaborating with Fletcher Technical Community College to provide same-day results for testing for their employees.
The Louisiana Department of Health recommends COVID-19 testing for anyone who are experiencing symptoms such as fever, cough or shortness of breath.
The goal of Fletcher Technical Community College is to keep faculty and students safe by offering their employees same-day testing. There are many benefits to testing; employees who test positive or have symptoms can get care earlier. Those exposed can be contacted and traced sooner allowing for self-isolation or quarantine to begin in order to help stop the spread of the virus throughout the campus.
Dr. Mark McLean, vice chancellor for finance and dministration said, “We are pleased to partner with TGMC in support of increasing testing options for individuals across our community.”
“The TGMC team has been providing solutions to lead our community through this pandemic, and we are proud to partner with Fletcher Technical College to offer their employees onsite same day results,” said Phyllis Peoples, TGMC President and CEO.
TGMC has expanded its Corporate Wellness Program to specialize in Workplace Readiness, which offers COIVD-19 testing, symptoms and triage questionnaire, cleaning protocols, service guidelines and more. The Workplace Readiness Program provides resources that will keep employers and their staff healthy and maintain safe work environments.
If your school or business would like more information on same day testing, please contact Kirbie LeCompte at 985-850-6208 or kirbie.lecompte@tgmc.com

Aubrey J. “Mr. Poochie” Suttoon, 88, a resident of Bayou Vista, passed away on Wednesday, January 13, 2021 at his home, surrounded by his loving family.

Mr. Poochie was born on September 6, 1932 in Morgan City, the son of Dewey Suttoon and Gertrude Mayon Suttoon.

Mr. Poochie spent many years as a boat captain as well as a port captain and was very well known throughout the marine industry. He always worked hard to provide for his family and had a work ethic that was second to none. That work ethic started early in Mr. Poochie’s life, because at the young age of 8 he started shining shoes to make money. He loved his family and friends and cherished every moment that he was able to spend with them, but he especially loved the family get togethers. In his younger years, Mr. Poochie loved to go hunting, trapping and shrimping.

He will be sadly missed and lovingly remembered by four children, Wilbert “Poochie” Suttoon and wife Yvonne of Bayou Vista, Betty Robison Rivet and husband Charlie of Berwick, Gettel Suttoon of Bayou Vista and Cammy Crochet of Patterson; 11 grandchildren; 20 great grandchildren; one sister, Aline Romero and husband Russell of Patterson.

Mr. Poochie was preceded in death by his parents, Dewey and Gertrude Mayon Suttoon; his wife of 61 years, Kay Fabre Suttoon; three brothers and two sisters.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 11:30 a.m. on Friday, January 15, 2021 at Sacred Heart Catholic Church with Father Toto Buenaflor celebrating Mass. A visitation will be held from 9:00 a.m. 11:00 a.m. on Friday at Twin City Funeral Home. Following Mass Mr. Poochie will be laid to rest in the Morgan City Cemetery.

The U.S. House of Representatives voted Wednesday to impeach President Donald Trump over comments he made prior to a violent invasion of the Capitol exactly a week ago.
It's the second time in 13 months the president faces a trial in the U.S. Senate, though he is ex-pected to be out of office before a potential trial ever takes place.
U.S. Rep. Clay Higgins, R-Lafayette, joined fellow Louisiana Republicans Garret Graves, Mike John-son and Steve Scalise in voting against impeachment. Cedric Richmond, D-New Orleans, voted for impeachment.
The vote of 232-197 was mostly along party lines, though 10 Republicans joined Democrats to im-peach. Trump becomes the first president to ever be impeached twice.
The single article, with 190 co-sponsors, reads, in part: “In all this, President Trump gravely endan-gered the security of the United States and its institutions of Government. He threatened the integrity of the democratic system, interfered with the peaceful transition of power, and imperiled a coequal branch of Government. He thereby betrayed his trust as President, to the manifest injury of the peo-ple of the United States.”
There were 10 Republicans who sided with the Democrats, led by U.S. Rep. Liz Cheney of Wyo-ming, the No. 3 Republican in the House. The others were Fred Upton and Peter Meijer of Michigan, Dan Newhouse and Jaime Herrera Beutler of Washington state, John Katko of New York, Adam Kinzinger of Illinois, Tom Rice of South Carolina, Anthony Gonzalez of Ohio and David Valadao of California.
The move to impeach came after Trump spoke to supporters Jan. 6 outside the White House as the House and Senate met in joint session in the Capitol to certify each state’s Electoral College votes declaring President-elect Joe Biden the winner of the Nov. 3 election.
Trump told the crowd he would not concede and that he knew “everyone would be making their way over to the Capitol to protest peacefully and patriotically" and they should “give our Republicans the kind of pride and boldness that they need to take back this country.”
Thousands of people later descended on the Capitol and hundreds breached the doors, entering the building and sending lawmakers into hiding. Democrats said Trump’s words “incited an insurrection.”
During the two hours of debate before the vote was taken, most of the comments from the floor broke down along rhetorical party lines.
Democrat Rosa De Lauro of Connecticut, for example, said Trump “unleashed horrific violence” on the Capitol, while Democrat Kathy Castor of Florida called Trump’s words and actions “the most de-praved betrayal of the Constitution by a president.”
Republican Dan Bishop of North Carolina, on the other hand, said the Democrats did not “specify any inciting language” that led to the breach of the Capitol.
Republican Tom Cole of Oklahoma said the current process moved too quickly with no hearings or witnesses.
“They are rushing to divide us rather than unite us,” Cole said. “We should find a new way forward to celebrate a new president rather than impeach an old president.”
The Capitol and the area around it were heavily fortified with fences, blockades and National Guard soldiers Wednesday in an effort to prevent any similar actions. No crowds were seen gathered out-side before the proceedings began.
Tuesday night, the House voted 223-205 in favor of a non-binding resolution asking Vice President Mike Pence to invoke the 25th Amendment, which would entail him and Cabinet members to vote on Trump’s fitness to remain in office.
Kinzinger of Illinois, who also voted for impeachment, was the only Republican to vote in favor of the resolution.
Pence declined, sending a letter to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, saying, “I urge you and every member of Congress to avoid actions that would further divide and inflame the passions of the mo-ment.”
It is unclear now when the impeachment charge will be forwarded to the Senate, which does not return to session until Jan. 19, one day ahead of Biden’s inauguration. Several Democrats have suggested waiting at least 100 days so that Biden will have at least three months to focus solely on his legislative agenda.
Trump was acquitted by the U.S. Senate in January 2020 after being impeached by the House in December 2019. If he is convicted, it would prevent him from ever holding federal office again

Chalk up another COVID-19 cancellation. This time, the victims are admirers of the national bird.

The pandemic has led the Cajun Coast Tourism and Convention Bureau to cancel this year’s Eagle Expo. The annual expo offers participants the chance to see bald eagles in the wild.

The cancellation also means local students won’t have the chance to see birds of prey up close, and expo participants won’t get to hear from experts about eagles and other important bird species.

But Cajun Coast is working on another activity for birders later in the spring. Those plans aren’t final.

The Eagle Expo draws local and out-of-state people each February for activities that include eagle-spotting boat tours down the area’s canals and bayous. The bald eagles seldom disappoint in the Atchalafaya region, where expo-goers can see eagles perched above the waterways or tending to eaglets in nests that can weigh a ton.

In the days leading up to each expo, school children gathered to see a Wings to Soar demonstration that included live birds of prey.

“It helped out for sure,” Cajun Coast Executive Director Carrie Stansbury said. “It created some tourism opportunities and we got X number of hotel rooms.”

But COVID spoiled the fun in a number of ways.

Many of the expo-goers are of an age at which COVID travel restrictions are recommended. And the cost for taking part in a boat tour to look for eagles is based on splitting the cost among the boat-riders. Reducing the number of riders would make the cost to each rider too high, Stansbury said.

Many of the experts from government agencies and universities who would normally speak or serve as tour guides are restricting their travel, too.

And local schools weren’t eager to bring large numbers of kids together for a Wings to Soar outing.

Rescheduling isn’t a reasonable option. The mid- to late-February weekends when the Eagle Expos have been held are picked because that’s when bald eagles are in this region. Eagles migrate in the course of a year, some as far as Alaska, according to the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service.

The trees also are bare of leaves in late winter, Stansbury said. And “the eaglets are either just getting out of their eggs or learning how to fly.”

Stansbury said Cajun Coast is considering an April event for birders. A piece of private land near Patterson is under consideration.

That event wouldn’t be as structured as the Eagle Expo.

“You could just bring your lawn chairs and look for birds,” Stansbury said.

COVID-19 forced the cancellation of the 2020 Louisiana Shrimp and Petroleum Festival and the region’s upcoming Mardi Gras parades.