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Kergan Bros. Sonic’s location in Patterson was among the top 12 finishers at this year’s Dr. Pepper SONIC Games, an annual Olympics-style competition for SONIC employees nationwide. In addition, crew member Devonne Canty won a bronze medal.

Each year, thousands of SONIC Drive-in crews across the country spend months going through a series of training, quizzes and challenging team and individual competitions. Judges select the top 12 crews nationwide, who compete in the annual SONIC Games. An intense national training event, the Games inspire friendly competi-tion among crew members and encourages team building at the drive-in level.

Top-12 finishers usually move on to SONIC’s annual convention, where they compete for gold, silver and bronze medals. Because of COVID-19 this year, a panel of judges traveled to the finalists’ restaurants instead.

The Games comprise several competitions ‒ carhop food delivery; drink preparation; switchboard order-taking; food dresser; and swamp, as the fry station is known.

Among 3,600 SONIC teams nationwide, the Patterson crew reached the top-12 in each category:

• Lakeshia Baker, dresser
• Devonne Canty, swamp
• J.J. Kleles, manager
• Patsy Kleles, crew mom
• Brandon Sampey, switchboard
• Kentero Sampey, carhop
• Caitlin Williams, drink preparation
• Diana Wilson, grill

Canty placed third overall in the swamp competition, to earn the bronze medal.

“SONIC games are always fun, but they’re also hard work. The training involved is a core part of our commit-ment to customer service,” says Kergan Bros. Sonic CEO Ted Kergan. “Kergan Bros. has a history of excellence at Games, and we’re proud of the Patterson team for becoming part of that tradition.”

The same senior member of the state House of Representatives who originally triggered talks about a petition to override Gov. John Bel Edwards’ coronavirus restrictions now says “articles of impeachment are being considered due to the governor’s clear violation of the law.”
GOP Rep. Alan Seabaugh of Shreveport, who was elected in October 2010 and sits atop the House seniority chart for consecutive years served, made his (highly unlikely) intentions known in a statement to KTBS-TV anchor Jeff Beimfohr.
“The Executive Branch of the government does not have the authority to declare a law unconstitutional, nor does it have the authority to determine which laws it will ignore,” Seabaugh said in his statement. “Laws are presumed to be constitutional until a court determines otherwise. The statute on this issue is very clear and the governor is choosing to ignore it. Therefore he is in violation of the law and subject to the impeachment power of the Legislature.”
Asked for comment, an Edwards spokesperson told Beimfohr, “That does not deserve a response.” 
Rep. Tammy Phelps, a Democrat who also represents Shreveport, was also interviewed. She laughed for a couple seconds before responding. “That’s funny,” said Phelps. “This is like the president saying he has already won the election now. Are you serious? On what grounds?”
On the final day of the recent special session last month, 65 House members signed a petition ordering the governor to abandon his coronavirus restrictions. Edwards countered with a lawsuit in the 19th Judicial District claiming the state law that allows for the petition was unconstitutional because it permitted just one chamber in the two-chamber Legislature to act. The lawsuit also argues the House did not consult with public health officials, as prescribed by state law.
Edwards has since refused to recognize the validity of the petition, and Attorney General Jeff Landry has made filings on behalf of House Speaker Clay Schexnayder. Judge William Morvant has set a court date for Nov. 12.
The legal case has already turned political, with Republican leaders around the state asking citizens to contact Morvant by email and phone. House Majority Leader Blake Miguez, a Republican from New Iberia, also appealed to members of the public this week to attend the hearing that will be conducted this Thursday (Nov. 12).
Miguez and Seabaugh were among the members of the House targeted recently in public records requests made by the Executive Branch in relation to the lawsuit.
Article X, Section 24, gives the House the ability to host impeachment hearings and for the Senate to hold a subsequent trial. A conviction would result in “immediate removal from office,” but few expect things to get that far — if it gets anywhere. 
Instead, just the threat of an impeachment hearing in the House will serve as a distraction for an administration that’s already battling the management of a public health pandemic and an economic downturn. In other words, it’s a headache the Edwards Administration doesn’t need, no matter how easily Democrats can dismiss the effort.
The last time the Legislature went forward with impeachment hearings was in 1929, when late Gov. Huey P. Long was impeached on a variety of charges. He managed to convince one-third of the Senate to forgo a trial. Prior to that, in 1872, former Gov. Henry C. Warmoth, was suspended from office — then a requirement of the law — after being impeached on election-related charges. A Senate trial was never held.
Four years later, Gov. William Pitt Kellogg was also impeached by the House during a partisan takeover of state government, but his supporters in the Senate didn’t allow the process to get any further.
Even if the threat in the lower chamber were real, it’s unclear how a resolution listing charges against Edwards would be filed and debated. But Seabaugh was appointed with little explanation last month to the House Judiciary Committee, which is the counterpart to the committee Congress uses for such investigations.
The cry for an unlikely and rare impeachment process in Louisiana by Seabaugh hasn’t been matched by the public.
Even in the wake of the petition being signed by conservatives in the House in October, Edwards has a job approval rating of 56 percent, according to a recent poll from the University of New Orleans Research Center. For now it’s just another episode in the state’s unfolding COVID-19 soap opera that’s just as difficult to watch as the stuff playing on daytime television.
For more Louisiana political news, visit www. LaPolitics. com or follow Alford on Twitter@ LaPoliticsNow

A late-night collision with a gas line was bad enough. Driving away without reporting the crash added an arrest to the list of troubles, according to information from the Morgan City Police Department.

—Jesus Sabino, 43 Chennault Street, Morgan City, was arrested at 1:10 a.m. Tuesday on charges of hit and run, simple criminal damage to property and careless operation.

Officers investigated an accident on Chennault Street after a gas line was hit at a residence. Officers found evi-dence that a vehicle had struck the gas line and left the scene.

Officers located the driver, Sabino, and placed him under arrest.

Morgan City Police Chief James F. Blair also reported these arrests:

—Trevor Alcina, 30, Chennault Street, Morgan City, was arrested at 4:09 p.m. Monday on warrants for possession of drug paraphernalia, possession of methamphetamine and possession of Xanax.

Officers saw Alcina in the area of Sixth Street and knew of an active warrant for his arrest. Alcina was placed under arrest and transported to the Morgan City Police Department for booking.

—Tanya Grogan, 44. Oak Street, Morgan City, at 7:47 p.m. Monday was arrested on a warrant for failure to appear in City Court on a contempt of court charge.

Officers located Grogan and learned of a warrant for her arrest. Grogan was placed under arrest and transported to the Morgan City Police Department for booking.
—Trinity Todd, 25, Railroad Avenue, Morgan City, was arrested at 9:57 p.m. Monday on a charge of criminal damage to property.

Officers answered a complaint at a residence after Todd damaged a front door to an apartment. After speaking the subjects at the residence Todd was placed under arrest and transported to the Morgan City Police Department for booking.

St. Mary Parish Sheriff Blaise reported these arrests

—Ashley Lanclos, 28, Olias Road, Erath, Erath, was arrested at 11:49 a.m. Monday on two warrants for failure to appear. No bail has been set.

—Alex McGee, 25, Broussard, was arrested at 1:34 p.m. Monday on charges of introduction of contraband into a penal institute and possession of synthetics with intent to distribute (attempted). No bail has been set.

—Alan Granger, 30, Lee Street, Franklin, was arrested at 4:51 p.m. Monday on a charge of criminal damage to property. No bail has been set.

—Juvenile male, 13, Berwick, was at 10:50 p.m. as a runway juvenile. The boy was released into the custody of a guardian pending juvenile court proceedings.

—Juvenile male, 12, Bayou Vista, was arrested on November 9, 2020, at 10:50 pm for runaway juvenile. The juvenile was released into the custody of a guardian pending juvenile court proceedings.

—Heather Plaisance, 28, Morris Avenue, Houma, was arrested at 5:03 a.m. Tuesday on charges of possession of Schedule II drugs, possession of drug paraphernalia and possession of Schedule IV drugs.

No bail has been set.

—Quiton Myles, 39, Baker Drive, Houma, was arrested at 5:03 a.m. Tuesday on charges of possession of Schedule II drugs and possession of drug paraphernalia.
No bail has been set.

St. Martin Parish Sheriff Becket Breaux reported these arrests:

—Darla Manual, 27, John D. Hebert Road, Breaux Bridge, was arrested Friday on charges of violation of a protec-tion order, domestic abuse battery; home invasion and simple criminal damage to property.

—Robertson, Glenn, 56, Catahoula Highway, St. Martinville, was arrested by the Louisiana State Police on charges of careless operation, operating a vehicle while license is suspended and operating a vehicle while intoxicated.

—Kamren Living, 18, Brown Drive, Cecilia, was arrested Saturday on a charge of illegal possession of firearms.

In a room adjacent to the council chamber at Franklin City Hall, Mayor Eugene Foulcard, Planning and Zoning Director Glenn Todd and Public Relations Director Ed “Tiger” Verdin stood Thursday over a large table covered with meticulously placed documents, folders and photographs.
“We are very excited at the thought of unsealing some of these letters and finding very heartwarming and touching sentiments written to us 50 years ago,” Foulcard began.
“I always say, ‘He who doesn’t know history will become its victim’. So, we have to study and learn history. That’s one of the reasons I’ve been so excited.”
On Nov. 7, the city of Franklin unsealed a time capsule buried behind the parish courthouse some 50 years ago.
At the time, there was not yet an opportunity to examine in detail the all the contents of the capsule. However, that time had since arrived.
Todd had, by Thursday, already begun cataloging the bevy of historical documents from the capsule, but said that he did not anticipate it being an endeavor rushed, or undertaken in a detached manner.
“We’re going to spread this out,” he said. “Some of these things seem like they are notes written particularly to somebody, so I don’t want to just go and open that. I’d like to reach out and see if we can find them or their family members. Even though (holding a letter) this is the city’s property, we want them to be here when it is opened.”
Foulcard opened a letter addressed to the mayor of Franklin in 2020, from the mayor of Franklin in 1970:
“The citizens of Franklin of 1970 are commemorating the sesquicentennial of the incorporation of the city.
“There is much of our past which we have included in this capsule.
To us, you are the future we are building for. To you, we are the past.
“We hope that you can cherish and be proud of your heritage.
“Sincerely, J.M. Fernandez, M.D., Mayor.”
As for what it was like to open the time capsule, 50 years waiting, Foulcard said, “It was very moving and very touching to have this wealth of information of the citizens from 50 years ago, who left this treasure trove for us to read and peruse. It was very touching. That letter from J.M. Fernandez that was left for me, from mayor to mayor, was touching, and I am still very moved and in awe from all of what was left, and I’m amazed at how well preserved, and how intact everything was.
“I have always been a history fanatic, so just the thought and how well written everything was, and the way they were talking to us, it was like they are still with us. We found connections from our past as we look to our future.”
Todd said he thought it was interesting that in the stories he has come across, it is evident to him that the authors of those stories “put their hearts into them,” and that he hopes the citizens of today’s Franklin will “step up to the plate and do the same,” that another capsule could come to fruition, perhaps in 2021.
“I appreciate what these people did,” he said. “And I look forward to and hope we can do something similar.”
Verdin responded that when he learned the capsule would be opened this year, he wasn’t initially aware of how he would feel toward the import of the contents of the capsule. However, “Once we began the day, it was very moving. It was moving that we were opening up a part of our history that had not been touched in 50 years. So, it wasn’t just stepping back in time—but was them (1970 Franklin residents) stepping through into the future, into today. It put our roles in perspective and had me asking myself, ‘What are we going to do to move Franklin forward, to revitalize Franklin together?’
“It’s exciting to think about what we are going to put in our time capsule, and what the Franklin of 50 years from now will look like. What we do today shapes the Franklin of the future.”
Todd added definitively that the Foulcard administration is working on a time capsule to replace the one opened this year.
“Give us some time to think it out,” Foulcard said, “and also reach out to the groups and organizations we will need in order to do something similar to what we had here, (the 1970 capsule).”
Walking away, it could be heard—the trailing off of such animated discussion as the three enthusiasts had reconvened over the history-laden table.
It was regrettable to have to leave the room where such excellent discoveries were found and waiting, even as hard-soled shoes echoed through the hall to the door.
Yet, solace could be found in the idea that the contents of the capsule are to be displayed on the third floor of City Hall once they’ve been catalogued, for public viewing during business hours, when history comes calling to those who listen.