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OLIVE LAJAUNIE PORTIER

October 23, 1933 — January 7, 2021
Olive Lajaunie Portier, 87, a resident of Bayou L’Ourse, passed away Thursday, January 7, 2021 at her home, surrounded by her loving family.
Olive was born on October 23, 1933, the daughter of Philip Lajaunie and Zoemie Lee Lajaunie.
Olive had a deep love for her faith and was a lifelong parishioner of St. Andrew Catholic Church. She loved cooking for her loved ones and Cajun music, and she especially loved to be outdoors where she had quite the green thumb.
She will be sadly missed and lovingly remembered by her three children, Rodney Portier of Bayou L’Ourse, Perry Portier and his wife Sharon of Bayou L’Ourse, and Sabrina Merida and her husband Pedro of Morgan City; five grandchildren, Davis Portier, Samantha Kimmey, Dylan Merida, Alayna Portier and Hanna Merida; six great-grandchildren, Thor Portier, Rayne Portier, Aiden Kimmey, Zoë Portier, Jackson Kimmey and Parker Portier; one brother, Philip Lajaunie and his wife Judy of Bayou L’Ourse.
Olive was preceded in death by her parents, Philip and Zoemie Lee Lajaunie; her husband, Davis J. Portier; three brothers, Roy Lajaunie, Norris Lajaunie and Lloyd Lajaunie; and four sisters, Irene Breaux, Elma Grow, Eula Mae Cheramie and Lucinda Loupe.
A visitation will be held from 9 a.m. until 11:30 a.m. on Tuesday, January 12, 2021 at Twin City Funeral Home with the Holy Rosary being prayed at 11 a.m. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at noon at St. Andrew Catholic Church with Father Joey Pilola presiding. Following Mass, Olive will be laid to rest in St. Andrew Cemetery.
The family would like to thank Lulu Hollowell with Home Instead Senior Care and the staff of Haydel Memorial Hospice for the loving care that they gave to Olive.

JAMES JOSEPH 'JIMMY' MURTAGH, MD

James Joseph “Jimmy” Murtagh, MD, 85, passed away on Friday, January 8, 2021, surrounded by his wife and six children. A native of Bay St. Louis, Mississippi, he was born on April 13, 1935, and raised in Port Allen, Louisiana.
He was a “boy of SJA” and graduated from Catholic High School, Baton Rouge in 1953. He graduated from LSU in 1956 and LSU Medical School in 1960. He completed his ophthalmology residency at Charity Hospital in New Orleans. He then very proudly served in the U.S. Air Force as a Flight Surgeon from 1962 to 1964 and then again as an ophthalmologist from 1987 to 1996, achieving the rank of Colonel.
He practiced ophthalmology in Morgan City, Louisiana, where he raised his family. Doc is preceded in death by his parents, Leo Robert Murtagh and Sebastiana “Bessie” Scafide Murtagh, sister Emmy Murtagh Thibodeaux and husband Billy, and brother Robert (Bobby) Murtagh and wife Joyce.
He is survived by his loving wife of 61 years, Carolyn Carrow Murtagh; children, Nannette (Johnny Morgan), Yvette Torres, Tobin (Michelle Arcidiacono), Bobette (Joel Robideaux), Albin (Kristi) and Mynette (Branden Luthye); grandchildren, Zachary Morgan, Christian Roubique, Sydney Torres, Symone Goodman (Garret), Thomas Torres, Lauren Arcidiacono, Anthony Arcidiacono, Dylan (Rachael) Robideaux, Brennan (Corinne) Robideaux, Luke (Katelyn) Robideaux, Mason Murtagh and Elouise Randall; and one great-grandchild, Quinn McKenzie James Goodman.
He will be most remembered for his devout faith and devotion to family. In lieu flowers, donations can be made to Catholic High School, Baton Rouge or a charity of your choice.
Due to COVID restrictions, graveside services on Tuesday, January 12, 2021 will be limited to imme-diate family.
Please share memories at www.wilbertservices.com.

FRANK GRIFFIN SR.

Frank Griffin Sr., 80, a native and resident of Patterson, died Wednesday, Jan. 6, 2021, at is residence.
Visitation will be Wednesday from 11 a.m. until services at 1 p.m. at Good Hope Baptist Church in Patterson. Masks and social distancing required. Services accessible on funeral home Facebook page. Burial will follow in New Salem Cemetery in Patterson.
He is survived by his wife, Juanita D. Griffin of Patterson; two sons, Frank Griffin Jr. of Verdunville and Alvin Griffin of Alexandria; five daughters, Brenda Dugar, Mary Landry, Sheila Scott and Dinah Morse, all of Patterson, and Pamela Harris of Alexandria; three brothers, James Griffin Sr. of Patterson, Jessie Griffin of Bayou Vista, and Charles Griffin of Houston; five sisters, Josie Ingleton of Berwick, Dorothy Gray and Muriel Johnson, both of Patterson, and Daisy Griffin and Sally Graves, both of Houston; 39 grandchil-dren; 57 great-grandchildren; and a host of other relatives.
He was preceded in death by a daughter, parents, three brothers and two sisters.
Jones Funeral Home is in charge of arrange-ments.

21 new COVID cases, no deaths in local parishes

Twenty-one new confirmed COVID-19 cases but no fatalities were reported in three local parishes for the 24 hours ending at midday Monday, the Louisiana Office of Public Health said.

Nine new cases raised the confirmed case count in St. Mary to 2,927 with 454 probable cases.

Six confirmed St. Martin cases raised the total there to 3,790 with 311 probable.

Another six cases in Assumption raised the confirmed count to 1,226 with 300 probable.

No new local fatalities were reported Monday, so the death tolls stay at 97 confirmed with seven probable in St. Mary; 84 confirmed with eight probable in St. Martin; and 27 with two probable in Assumption.

Statewide:

--1,402 new cases raised the confirmed total to 312,290 with 35,944 probable.

--45 deaths raised the toll to 7,489 confirmed with 429 probable.

--22 more COVID-positive people are in hospitals for a total of 1,982.

--7 more people are on ventilators for a total of 232.

COVID-19 vaccine being sent to St. Mary, Assumption locations

A limited number of the COVID-19 vaccine is being distributed to select providers in all 64 parishes this week, including two additional locations in St. Mary Parish and two in Assumption Parish.
The Louisiana Department of Health announced Monday that the vaccine is available in St. Mary Parish at Teche Action Clinic in Franklin (1115 Weber St.) and at Walgreens Pharmacy in Morgan City (815 Brashear Ave.).
Additionally, at Wednesday’s St. Mary Parish Hospital Service District No. 2 meeting, Chairman Dr. William “Bill” Cefalu, announced the vaccine is available through Ochsner St. Mary at its Medical Office Building, located behind the hospital. However, that vaccine is available only to those who have been Ochsner patients within the past three years.
In Assumption Parish, the vaccine is available at two Napoleonville locations: Assumption Community Hospital Pharmacy (135 La. 402) and Reddy Family Medical Center (154 La. 1008).
The vaccine is eligible to the public in Phase 1B, Tier 1, who meet the following criteria:
—Ages 70 or older.
—Outpatient clinic providers and clinic staff.
—Urgent care clinic providers and staff.
—Community care clinic providers and staff.
—Behavioral health clinic providers and staff.
—Dialysis providers and clients.
—Home health service providers, direct support workers and recipients.
—Dental providers and staff.
—Students, residents, faculty and staff of allied health schools.
Participating providers must make the vaccine available to anyone who is eligible, according to the Louisiana Department of Health’s release.
Eligible residents must make an appointment with a participating provider. Patients who arrive without an appointment will not be vaccinated.
The list of pharmacies and their contact information is available at covidvaccine.la.gov.
The state resupplied the initial 107 pharmacies in 51 parishes this week who received the initial 100 vaccine doses apiece last week. One hundred and two new pharmacies this week were added in 13 parishes. That means in all, 209 vaccine providers are available in 64 parishes.
Future distribution is dependent on vaccine made available to the state, among other factors, the Department of Health release said.
These 209 providers — including 87 chain pharmacies, 93 independent pharmacies, 20 federally qualified health centers and nine healthcare sites — represent each of the state’s nine public health regions.

PHS students give supplies to seniors

Travis Darnell’s psychology class at Patterson High School collected money for supplies that were donated to Patterson Health Care Center. Above is the class with their supplies.

The Daily Review/Geoff Stoute

Businesses hope to head off crackdown on mis-classification of contract workers

Louisiana’s state government should not implement a strict crackdown on businesses that misclassify their employees as independent contractors, business advocates said Thursday.
Rules regarding worker classification are confusing, particularly for small-business owners, advocates said.
“A lot of these employers are small, mom-and-pop outfits,” said Jim Patterson, vice president of go-ernment relations at the Louisiana Association of Business and Industry. “They’re not deliberately trying to run afoul of the law. They just don’t know any better.”
The issue has drawn attention from lawmakers who said businesses that break the rules gain a competitive advantage over those that don’t. Businesses that misclassify workers also can get out of paying taxes to support unemployment benefits for Louisiana workers, forcing businesses that follow the law to shoulder more of the burden.
“When you have all of these people who are not paying in, you have a higher tax base for employers who are doing the right thing,” Louis Reine, president of the Louisiana AFL-CIO, said last year at a state Senate committee hearing.
The U.S. Department of Treasury estimated in 2013 that preventing worker misclassification would generate $8.32 billion in federal revenue over 10 years. The Louisiana legislative auditor said mis-classification costs Louisiana at least $9 million from 2014 through 2018, but the actual amount could be much higher.
The state’s dwindling unemployment insurance trust fund, drained by unprecedented demand during the COVID-19 pandemic, focused new attention on the issue. Republicans in the House killed an effort to strengthen enforcement, saying they didn’t want to punish struggling businesses.
Louisiana remains the only state in the nation with an anti-misclassification law that gives businesses a warning on their first offense.
Legislators created a task force to study the issue and make recommendations for possible changes. The group met virtually Thursday and focused on businesses' concerns. Other stakeholders will be featured during a future meeting.
Patterson said the state’s definitions of employees versus contractors differs from federal guidelines, which can be confusing for business owners. Different agencies sometimes interpret the rules differently, he said.
Patterson said penalties should be “reasonable but effective” and employers who come forward voluntarily to admit a mistake should be given “safe harbor.” He said state government’s goal should be to help businesses become compliant, not punish them, and state officials should be careful not to stifle the “gig economy.”
While many officials said misclassification is most common in the construction industry, Ken Naquin, who leads the Louisiana Associated General Contractors trade association, said the problem has been overstated.
“We have not found that the issue of the misclassification of independent contractors has been a widespread problem in our industry,” Naquin said.

Ochsner St. Mary collects Toys for Tots

Submitted Photo
Employees at Ochsner St. Mary collected toys for our local community through Toys for Tots. St. Mary Parish Toys for Tots Program has run for over 15 years and currently accommodate over 1300 children a year. Pictured are Bill Goessel, Fernis LeBlanc Ochsner St. Mary CEO, and Glen Swain

Morgan City police radio logs for Jan. 7-8

The following are the radio dispatch logs from the Morgan City Police Department. To report unlawful or suspicious activity, call the police department at 985-380-4605.
Thursday, Jan. 7
9:01 a.m. 1100 block of Marguerite Street; 911 hang up.
9:05 a.m. U.S. 90 East; Accident.
9:10 a.m. 900 block of Onstead Street; Medical.
10:27 a.m. 400 block of Fourth Street; Suspi-cious person.
10:58 a.m. 600 block of Brashear Avenue; Complaint.
11:03 a.m. 1000 block of Brashear Avenue; Removal of subject.
11:06 a.m. 1100 block of Marguerite Street; Accident.
11:19 a.m. 7200 block of La. 182; Medical.
2:13 p.m. 400 block of Myrtle Street; Criminal damage to property..
3:09 p.m. 7400 block of La. 182; Accident.
3:43 p.m. 200 block of Belanger Street; Com-plaint.
4:17 p.m. La. 182/U.S. 90 Junction; Fire.
5:30 p.m. 100 block of Glenwood Street; Stand by.
5:50 p.m. 100 block of Glenwood Street; Patrol.
6:03 p.m. 7700 block of La. 182; Complaint.
6:34 p.m. 800 block of Fig Street; Fight.
8:25 p.m. 900 block of Birch Street; Telephone harassment.
8:31 p.m. Morgan City area; Be on the lookout juvenile/Alexandria.
11:02 p.m. 500 block of Railroad Avenue; Remove subject.
Friday, Jan. 8
12:08 a.m. 300 block of Wren Street; Suspicious subject.
12:24 a.m. 700 block of Martin Luther King Boulevard; Suspicious vehicle.
1 a.m. 400 block of Canton Street; War-rant/arrest.

Berwick, Morgan City police make meth arrests

(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.)

Staff Report
Police in Morgan City and Berwick made arrests Thursday on methamphetamine possession charges, say reports from the local agencies.

Morgan City

Police Chief James F. Blair reported these arrests:

—Alysha Carlton, 31, Brashear Avenue, Morgan City, was arrested at 11:03 a.m. Thursday on charges of pos-session of methamphetamine and violation of the Uniform Controlled Dangerous Substances (drug-free zone).

Officers were called to a local business after Alysha Carlton was refusing to leave. While speaking with Carlton officers located suspected methamphetamine.

Carlton was placed under arrest and transported to the Morgan City Police Department for booking. The busi-neswhere Carlton was located was with 2,000 feet of a drug-free zone.

—Leroy Bailey, 35, South Railroad Avenue, Morgan City, was arrested at 10:14 a.m. Thursday on a 16th Judicial District Court warrant for failure to appear on a charge of domestic battery and on Morgan City Court warrants for failure to appear on charges of no insurance and pay fine on a charge of disturbing the peace.

—Bailey was arrested after a warrants check showed that he had outstanding warrants for his arrest from City Court of Morgan City and 16th JDC. Bailey was placed under arrest and transported to the Morgan City Police Department for booking.

—Christopher Lacaze, 41, New Iberia, was arrested at 2:58 p.m. Thursday on charges of no inspection sticker, no seat belt, no driver’s license and possession of drug paraphernalia.

Lacaze was stopped after officers noticed him not wearing a seat belt. During the stop, the officers noticed Lacaze attempting to hide something in the car.

Officers were able to locate a pipe used to some illegal drugs with the help of a K9 search. Lacaze was placed under arrest for the traffic violations and the suspected drug paraphernalia.

Lacaze was transported to the Morgan City Police Department for booking.

—Albert Stevens Jr., 47, Cypress Street, Morgan City, was arrested at 4:03 p.m. Thursday on a warrant for aggravated crimes against nature.

Stevens was arrested by detectives after an investigation of an alleged sexual assault. Stevens was transported to the Morgan City Police Department.

—Melinda Bray, 45, Jones Street, Berwick, was arrested at 1:17 a.m. Friday on a warrant for failure to return a leased movable.
Bray was transported from Berwick Police Department after she was arrested on a warrant from Morgan City Po-lice. Bray was booked into the Morgan City Police Department Jail.

Berwick
Police Chief David Leonard reported these arrests:
—James Freifeld 40, Pharr Street, Berwick, was arrested at 11:30 p.m. Thursday on charges of general speed law, switched license plate, driving under suspension and possession of methamphetamine.

A traffic stop was conducted on a vehicle for speeding. Officers made contact with the driver Freifeld and passenger Melinda Bray, 45, Pharr Street, Berwick.

During the course of the stop it was learned that the license plate displayed on the vehicle, belonged to another vehicle. A computer check revealed that Freifeld’s license was suspended and that Bray had active warrants. During a search of Freifeld’s person suspected methamphetamine was located in his pocket.

Both were placed under arrest and transported to the Berwick Police Department. Bray was booked on the out-standing warrant and released to the Morgan City Police Department.

—Tieka Junifer, 33, Roder Street, Berwick, was arrested at 02:01 a.m. Thursday on a Morgan City warrant.

The Berwick Police Department responded to a disturbance call on Roder Street. Officers made contact with Junifer and learned that she had active warrants through the Morgan City Police Department.

Junifer was placed under arrest and transported to the Berwick Police Department where after booking she was released to the Morgan City Police Department.

Morgan City
Sheriff Blaise Smith reported these arrests:

—Gerald Tramond Sophus, 31, Franklin, was arrested at 10 a.m. Thursday on charges of no seat belt, texting while driving and driving under suspension. Sophus was also arrested on a warrant for failure to appear on the charge of theft. Sophus was released on a $3,250 bond.

—Darius Terrell Brown, 42, Patterson, was arrested at 5:25 p.m. Thursday on a warrant for failure to appear on the charge of domestic abuse battery. No bail has been set.

--Reginald Johnson, 58, Franklin, was arrested at 6:47 p.m. Thursday on a charge of possession of marijuana. Johnson was released on a summons to appear April 27.

—Morgan Leblanc, 21, Franklin, was arrested at 11:56 p.m. Thursday on charges of proper equipment re-quired on vehicles and no insurance. Leblanc was released on a summons to appear April 27.

Franklin
Police Chief Morris Beverly reported this arrest:
—John Anderson, 51, Mary Lee Street, Franklin, was arrested at 6:25 p.m. Thursday on the charge of access device fraud. Anderson was booked, processed and held with no bond set at time of press release.

St. Martin
Sheriff Becket Breaux reported these arrests:

— Daylon Alexander, 20, Eastland Street, Houston, was arrested Thursday on charges of racketeering and transac-tions involving proceeds from drug offense.

— Sherman Calais, 22, Bernard Lane, Arnaudville, was arrested Thursday on charges of armed robbery and second-degree battery.

—Sara Richard, 31, Martinez Road, Church Point, principal to simple burglary/movable or immovable; principal to theft of a firearm; principal to theft valued at $5,000-$24,999.

—Shamar Calais, 20, Bernard Lane, Arnaudville, was arrested Friday on charges of second-degree battery and principal to armed robbery.

—Joseph Robicheaux, 26, Sawmill Highway, Breaux Bridge, was arrested Friday on a charge of failure to appear.

--Philip Viator, 26, Main Street, St. Martinville, was arrested by the St. Martinville Police Department on charges of domestic abuse aggravated assault and domestic abuse battery.

—Reshaun Williams, 20, Sovil Davis Highway, Arnaudville, was arrested Friday on charges of second-degree battery, principal to armed robbery, simple battery, theft of a firearm and failure to appear.

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ST. MARY NOW

Franklin Banner-Tribune
P.O. Box 566, Franklin, LA 70538
Phone: 337-828-3706
Fax: 337-828-2874

Morgan City Review
1014 Front Street, Morgan City, LA 70380
Phone: 985-384-8370
Fax: 985-384-4255