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The Belle Rose man accused of killing a Baton Rouge resident and wounding two others has been returned to Assumption from Texas on Tuesday to face a second-degree murder charge.

–Shontun Joseph,18, Freetown Lane, Belle Rose, was returned Tuesday from Texas and booked into the Assumption Jail on charges of second-degree murder, attempted second-degree murder, aggravated second-degree battery, aggravated criminal damage to property, aggravated assault with a firearm, and illegal use of a firearm or dangerous instrumentalities.

On Sept. 24, the Assumption Parish Sheriff's Office responded to a shooting in the 100 block of Freetown Lane in Belle Rose. The shooting claimed the life of 21-year-old Cameron R. Brooks, Sumrall Drive, Baton Rouge,

Two other individuals, including a 51-year-old male on scene and an 11-year-old juvenile, who was struck while inside a residence, were injured in the shooting.

Both sustained non-life-threatening injuries. Detectives initiated an investigation into the homicide.

As a result of the investigation, detectives secured an arrest warrant for Joseph. Joseph was booked into the Assumption Parish Detention Center on the aforementioned charges and is awaiting a bond hearing.

Falcon also reported these arrests:

–Calvin Toby LeBlanc, 39, Heriard Street, Plattenville, was arrested Tuesday on charges of possession of methamphetamine and possession of drug paraphernalia.

As part of an ongoing narcotics investigation, agents established facts to support that LeBlanc was involved in illegal drug activity.

After establishing probable cause, agents went to the aforementioned address and made contact with LeBlanc. Consent to search the property was obtained and as a result of that search, quantities of methamphetamine and drug paraphernalia were seized.

LeBlanc was arrested and booked into the Assumption Parish Detention Center pending a bond hearing.

—Julius Wayne Thompson, 34, Oak Street, Tallulah, was arrested Sunday on a harges of domestic abuse-strangulation.

Deputies responded to 911 calls at a Belle River residence on Sunday afternoon.

Deputies made contact with the complainant, who was also an acquaintance of the accused. Deputies also fur-ther made contact with Thompson, the suspect in the matter.

During the course of the investigation, deputies determined through physical evidence at the scene as well as statements made by both the complainant and the suspect, that a confrontation of a violent nature had occurred.

Based on all facts and evidence available, Thompson was arrested and booked into the Assumption Parish De-tention Center. He was released on a $25000 bond.

St. Mary Parish Sheriff Blaise Smith reported these arrests:

–Dustin Keith Frederick, 37, Fulton Street, New Iberia, was arrested 12:36 p.m. Tuesday on a warrant for the charges of criminal damage to property, unauthorized entry of a place of business, and theft. No bail has been set.

–Matthew Cody Jones, 30, Mississippi Street, New Iberia, at 12:36 p.m. Tuesday on two warrants for the charges of burglary-simple and theft. No bail has been set.

–Duhon Anthony Tillman, 28, Erwin Drive, Thibodaux, was arrested at 3:36 p.m. Tuesday on a warrant for failure to appear on the charge of criminal neglect of family. No bail has been set.

–Christy Boudreaux, 19, Grandwood Drive, Patterson, was arrested by the Narcotics Section at 12:16 p.m. on a charge of possession of drug paraphernalia. Boudreaux was released on a summons to appear Jan. 7.

–Angel Weekly, 41, Grandwood Drive, Patterson, was arrested by the Narcotics Section at 12:16 p.m. Tues-day on charges of possession of drug paraphernalia and possession of marijuana, and on a warrant for con-spiracy to distribute cocaine. No bail has been set.

—Walter Jack Jr., 58, 2MLK Drive, Jeanerette, was arrested at 2:54 a.m. Thursday on charges of reckless operation-no accident, driving under suspension and possession of marijuana. Jack was released on a summons to appear Jan. 7.

Morgan City Police Chief James F. Blair reported this arrest:
–Robert Joseph Gussman III, 26, Louisa Street, Morgan City, was arrested at 12:31 p.m. Tuesday as a fugitive from the Assumption Parish Sheriff’s Office (peeping tom).

Officers located Gussman at an address on La. 70 and placed him under arrest on an outstanding warrant for the Assumption Parish Sheriff's Office.
He was transported to the Morgan City Police Department for booking and incarceration.

—Jesse Blakeman, 26 Cypress Street, Morgan City, was arrested at 10:35 p.m. Wednesday on charges of disturbing the peace by fighting and resisting an officer.

Officers were called to an address on Cypress Street for a disturbance. They learned Jesse Blakeman was making threats and stuck an individual during an argument.
When officers attempted to arrest him, he attempted to push away from arresting officers. He was placed under arrest and transported to the Morgan City Police Department for booking and incarceration.

DEAR ABBY: The 22-year-old daughter of close friends of ours has been living in a van during the pandemic. Her parents, my husband and I heard her on her cellphone talking about a party where her friends were doing meth. No one reacted except me. I said, “That’s terrifying!” and she answered, “Right?”
I cannot stop worrying about this young woman, who I have watched grow since she was a baby. The red spots on her face, which I had assumed were from acne, now haunt me. What can I do?
I had offered her the use of our driveway, if needed, but I don’t want meth users here because I have two college-age sons, so now I regret even that. I feel since she broached the topic she was asking for help. Her mom let it completely slide.
Help!
SICK WITH WORRY IN COLORADO

DEAR SICK: The baby you watched grow up is now an adult. If you think she was asking for help because she is addicted to methamphetamine, talk to her and offer to help her get it. IF she says she wants to move her van to your property, explain that as long as she is using and/or partying with contemporaries who do, the offer is off the table.
As to her parents who, from what you wrote, appear to be clueless, tell them you are alarmed and why, and urge them to go online and educate themselves about the symptoms of meth addiction, which include facial sores.

DEAR ABBY: I have a wonderful husband. He is very outgoing, and I would like to think of myself as the same, but I work hard. He always makes plans for the weekends, but sometimes I just want to stay home, relax and get the house in order. The problem is, he insists we go and do something like day or overnight trips hours away every weekend. I encourage him to go visit our friends because I know I can trust him, and I need some alone time! Am I wrong for that?
PEACEFUL AND STILL

DEAR PEACEFUL: You are not wrong. You are as entitled to your feelings as your husband is to his. Things should not always have to be his way. The two of you need to work out a compromise. (Compromise is the secret ingredient in happy marriages.) If he feels the need to get away and it doesn’t bother you because you trust him, you should be entitled to time at home to get the place — and your head — straight.

DEAR ABBY: I am my husband’s second wife. His first wife died of cancer eight years ago. His late wife’s mother still calls him her son-in-law and introduces him as such. She also asks him to help her with things around the house, like getting mulch and remodeling the bath. She invites all of us over to holidays, but I can’t help but feel awkward. Am I overreacting? Shouldn’t she find someone else to help her now that bond is broken?
IN THE PRESENT IN INDIANA

DEAR IN THE PRESENT: If the bond were broken, your husband’s former mother-in-law would find someone else, and your husband would help her to do it. He may still feel like a member of that family. Please be smart and less defensive. The woman is making an effort to include you in her celebrations. Accept the gesture for what it is and be gracious.
***
What teens need to know about sex, drugs, AIDS and getting along with peers and parents is in “What Every Teen Should Know.” Send your name and mailing address, plus check or money order for $8 to: Dear Abby, Teen Booklet, P.O. Box 447, Mount Morris, IL 61054-0447.

Five new COVID-19 cases were reported at midday Thursday for St. Mary and Assumption parishes, while St. Martin's case count was adjusted downward by seven. No new fatalities were reported locally.

St. Mary has three new COVID cases for pandemic total of 1,985. Assumption has two new cases for a total of 780.

St. Martin's case count is now 2,142 after the seven cases were subtracted. Adjustments are sometimes made in the Louisiana Office of Public Health database to reassign cases to other parishes or to eliminate duplicates.

The death tolls remain at 83 for St. Mary, 61 for St. Martin and 24 for Assumption.

Statewide:

--823 new cases raise the pandemic total to 173,864.

--12 new fatalities raise the toll to 5,507.

--16 fewer COVID-positive people are in hospitals for a total of 566.

--The number of people on ventilators dropped by three to 61.

As regular cool fronts slowly make their way into Louisiana this month and next, deer hunters will increasingly take to the woods and marshes around the state. Most of them in some fashion or another will hunt from an elevated deer stand as a way to improve their visibility when overlooking a field or food plot. Elevation also helps to minimize and displace scent.
Essentially, deer live and die by their nose. And, mark my words, they can smell a honeybun 100 yards away under the right conditions.
Nevertheless, deer stands come in all shapes and sizes from large elaborate box-type, known to many as “shooting houses,” to thrown together, cheaply made, ladder-type lean-to perches secured to trees. Because of low cost and quick deployment, hang-on and lean-to stands make up the vast majority of tree stands in the woods today.
The question is, how safe are these deer stands and the hunters who are using them?
Statistics seem to vary year to year and state to state when it comes to deer stand-related accidents and injuries. Even the latest data provided online by the CDC dates back to 1989. Nonetheless, estimates nationally appear to indicate that there is somewhere between 2,000 to 4,000 injuries from deer stand accidents that occur each year.
Glen Mayhew, President of the Tree Stand Safety Awareness Foundation, says the foundation doesn’t keep data on the kinds of injuries related to stand types. However, they do maintain statistics on the percentage of injuries associated with “types” of stands.
TSSA 2018-19 data revealed hang-on deer stands accounted for 39% of the injuries that occurred, ladder stands 22%, climbing stands 15%, homemade stands 19%, and others such as tripods and shooting houses 5%.
Mayhew said, “We are making great progress in reducing the number of estimated falls that occur each year that require emergency department care. TSSA had set a goal to reduce that number by 50 percent by 2023. Through the combined efforts of many throughout the hunting and outdoors industry, we surpassed that goal by the end of 2019. We have seen a decrease of 65 percent from the baseline data available in 2010.”
Jerry Wydner, owner of Hunter Safety System located in Danville, Alabama, says one of the most common mistakes hunters make when it comes to deer stand safety is not wearing a safety harness.
Wydner, who has over 500 letters on his desk from hunters who have shared their life-altering experience wearing HSS equipment said, “Even though more and more hunters are wearing a harness today, not wearing a full-body harness is still the number one cause of hunting related accidents.
“According to studies by L.J. Smith, professional tree stand accident investigators,” Wydner continued, “86% of tree stand falls occur when the hunter is ‘not’ in the tree stand. For this reason a hunter must stay attached to the tree from the moment he leaves the ground and stay attached until both feet return to the ground. The best and easiest way to do this is with a lifeline.”
Unlike sectors of industry such as construction, fabrication and manufacturing that are governed by OSHA standards like 29 CFR 1910.23, .28, and .29 that regulate and deal with working from elevated surfaces, Wydner points out there is no government or industry mandate that requires hunters to wear a safety harness.
However, there are manufacturing standards developed by the Tree Stand Manufacturers Association (TMA) that Mayhew mentions that do require a full-body harness to come with each deer stand sold.
Having personal experience utilizing the harnesses that come in the box with metal lean-to stands that I’ve purchased in the past, let’s just say they work when used properly and will do when nothing else is available. Particularly, since the latest data shows 83% of fall victims were not wearing a harness.
Typically, hunters enter and leave the woods under the cover of darkness. In the dark they negotiate trails and are usually carrying some sort of bulky gear bag, along with a bow or firearm. Wearing a strap-type harness that is prone to getting tangled in underbrush and difficult to connect to a tree is a recipe for disaster.
Wydner said, “When we started our company in 2001, our goal was to change the minds of hunters who refused to wear safety equipment. We knew the reasons why hunters were not wearing their harnesses at the time. Equipment was terribly confusing and very unfriendly to the hunter. We make our equipment in such a fashion as to take away the excuses hunters will use to not wear a harness.”
Other common mistakes concerning deer stand safety that both Mayhew and Wydner mention are leaving stands in place season after season, not replacing the straps on trees annually, not doing the preventive maintenance that may be needed, and not taking into consideration natural tree growth.
All of these mistakes are easily corrected by being more proactive prior to each season.
For more information on Hunter Safety System harnesses and lifelines go to www.huntersafetysystem.com or call 256-773-7732. The TSSA Foundation provides YouTube videos on Tree Stand Safety that are both helpful and educational. Simply go to YouTube and type TSSA Tree Stand Climbing Safety.
Wydner said, “It’s very humbling, yet motivating, to read these letters and realize we had something to do with saving a life. Saving lives is what we do.”

Graph measuring the decline in emergency room injuries from deer stand accidents in the last decade.