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Area coaches remembered for their contributions

Thu, 08/13/2020 - 8:24pm

GEOFF STOUTE

The Tri-City area is mourning the loss of two coaches this week, one who was a long-time educator and another who had just received the head baseball coaching job at Berwick High School.
Alfred “Al” Tregle, who served as head coach at all four Tri-City Area high schools during his career, passed away Monday in Morgan City at age 86, while Philip “Trey” Smith III, 31, passed away Tuesday.
Tregle, a former college football player at Tulane University and the University of Southern Mississippi, was an educator and coach at numerous Louisiana high schools — including two head-coaching stints at Berwick and Morgan City and one stint apiece at Central Catholic and Patterson. He also served as an assistant coach at Morgan City.
His son, Scott Tregle, said his dad worked hard and earned respect.
The elder Tregle was more than just a football coach, too, Scott said, noting he had been in the rental business, had a trophy shop and at one point in the 1980s he left football and entered the trucking business.
“Just on top of coaching, he was … overall just a hard-working man,” Scott said.
Tregle was a mentor, too.
Kirk Crochet, a former Tregle assistant at Morgan City High School, said he used Tregle’s coaching philosophies to carve out his own success.
“His system got him into the hall of fame, and his system got me into the hall of fame,” Crochet said, referencing the Louisiana High School Sports Hall of Fame.
Crochet, who finished his high school prep coaching career with 201 wins and faced Tregle as a head coach at Loreauville when Tregle was at Patterson and Berwick, said his mentor’s teams always were in great shape and were strong. Tregle squads played hard-nosed, disciplined football.
“They just wouldn’t get tired,” Crochet said.
Central Catholic Coach Tommy Minton faced Tregle as a head coach during his first stint at Central Catholic and also as an assistant at Beau Chene, both times while Tregle was head coach at Berwick.
“He was old school, and old school was the best school,” Minton said. “I promise you.”
Tregle also coached four years at McNeeses State University in Lake Charles. He has been honored in such halls of fame as those for the University of Southern Miss football and the Morgan City Alumni Association.
Visitation for Tregle will be held Saturday at 1 p.m. at Twin City Funeral Home in Morgan City, with services to follow at 2 p.m. at the funeral home.
The Tregle family also will be establishing a scholarship fund in Al Tregle’s name at Morgan City High School. It will be given to a graduating senior. Anyone interested in making donations may contact the family at altreglescholarship@yahoo.com.
In Berwick, Smith was hired last month as the school’s baseball coach, and he had been working with the football team in his role as quarterbacks coach for the upcoming season.
“Obviously we’re all heartbroken and extremely sad,” Berwick High Athletic Director and head football coach Mike Walker said. Walker said many of the athletes knew Smith for more than just the time he was on campus recently as Smith coached them growing up in football and baseball.
“It’s a valuable member of our family that we lost, and we definitely have some heavy hearts this week,” Walker said.
Prior to coming to Berwick, Smith worked as a football and baseball assistant coach for four years at Central Catholic High School in Morgan City.
Central Catholic baseball coach Tyler Jensen said Smith fit well on his staff as a coach and a role model.
Jensen, who knew Smith growing up, said the two coaches became as close as brothers while coaching together at Central Catholic.
“I think the impressions that he’s left on people is … someone who really, really cared about our players and doing the right things and helping those guys succeed, not only in baseball but in life,” Jensen said.
Minton said that players liked being around Smith.
“Every player he ever interacted with just lit up when Trey was around him,” Minton said. “He had that touch with kids.”
Berwick Town Councilman and longtime Berwick coach Lud Henry’s son Seth played high school baseball with Smith, and the Henrys were set to be among Smith’s assistant baseball coaches this year.
Lud Henry said Trey was “just a very impressive young man,” and he said Smith worked hard.
“He was very levelheaded and always willing to learn and listen from different people, and (it’s) just a tragic loss for all of us,” Henry said. “It really is. I considered him a close friend.”
Visitation for Smith will be held Friday from 9 a.m. until 12:30 p.m. at Twin City Funeral Home, with a rosary being prayed at noon. A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 1 p.m. Friday at Sacred Heart of Jesus Roman Catholic Church in Morgan City, with graveside services to be held in the Morgan City Cemetery.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with the Smith and Tregle families as they go through these difficult times,” Walker said.

Levee District board sets tax rate, hears about big projects

Thu, 08/13/2020 - 7:48pm

Staff Report

The St. Mary Parish Levee District board adopted its property tax rate for 2020, and let it be known that residents can go online to see how money -- much of it from other sources -- is being spent for district projects.

Drone footage of work on the Bayou Teche and Bayou Chene flood control projects has been posted on YouTube

In the less high-tech portion of the agenda, the district's board, meeting Thursday by Zoom, set the property tax rate at 5 mills.

A mill is 1/10th cent of tax paid for each $1 of a property's assessed valuation. The assessed valuation of residential property is set by law at 10% of its market value as determined by the parish assessor. Louisiana's homestead exemption protects the first $7,500 of assessed valuation, or $75,000 of market value, of a primary residence from property taxes at the parish level.

Also Thursday, the board heard that the district's two biggest projects, the Bayou Chene and Bayou Teche flood control structures, continue to move ahead.

The Bayou Teche flood gate is designed to be closed in order to prevent water from flowing into the Franklin-Garden City-Centerville area by way of the Charenton Canal during hurricane storm surges.

The Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development provided a grant that is paying for 90% of the $11.4 million project. The district will pay the other 10%.

Officials said when work began in January that the area protected by the structure encompasses 6,500 pieces of property, 79% of which are residential real estate. The area is home to about a quarter of St. Mary's population, and about 22,000 acres of agricultural land also are in that zone, officials said.

The board heard Thursday that a potential delay in the November complete date has emerged. Bollinger, the company building the barge that will be swung into place to block the storm surge, is having trouble obtaining electrical components because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The project was unlikely to be complete in time to offer protection during the 2020 hurricane season in any case.

The other project is the big one: Bayou Chene, another permanent barge-and-gate structure, this one designed to prevent the backwater flooding that plagued St. Mary, lower St. Martin and surrounding areas three times since 2011.

That project will cost $80 million, funding by the Louisiana Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority.

Major construction on the Bayou Chene project began last month. Sealevel Construction Inc. of Thibodaux is constructing the Bayou Teche project and has the biggest single phases of the Bayou Chene work, too.

And on Thursday, the board heard that the district staff continues to collect permission from Lakeside Subdivision residents to go on their property for preliminary work on the Morgan City Levee Improvement Project. A flood control structure from Lake End Park to Siracusa is the biggest remaining piece of the project.

The staff is trying to build a public consensus around a plan that includes a levee between Lake Palourde and Lakeside as well as a breakwater. The cost could be as high as $30 million.

The board heard that hydrographic surveying is ready to begin next week.

No fall intercollegiate sports at Nicholls St.

Thu, 08/13/2020 - 1:56pm

Nicholls State released this statement Thursday:

The Southland Conference announced this morning that league competition in fall sports will be postponed with the intent to explore conference competition in the spring semester. The press release can be found here: https://www.southland.org/news/2020/8/13/football-southland-conference-p...

In an effort to prioritize the health and safety of student-athletes and the athletic administration, Nicholls State University will not participate in any outside competition this fall.

President Jay Clune stated, “Knowing the impact that a decision of this magnitude has on our student-athletes, coaches, and staff, as well as the student-athletes’ families and our fans, weighs heavy on my heart and mind. Athletics is an integral part of university life and a window into our culture and student-athletes are our ambassadors to the nation. I commit to those student-athletes to make every effort within my power to ensure meaningful and memorable spring seasons of competition.”

Nicholls Athletic Director Jonathan Terrell said, “Our priority has always been to provide the safest environment coupled with the best learning experience possible for our student-athletes. We are in unprecedented times, and that has brought some very difficult decisions. We will use this semester to focus even more heavily on the academic engagement of our students and head into spring competitions smarter and better prepared. We won’t lose sight of the great success this athletic program has made and look to add more championship trophies to our list.”

Nicholls Athletics will work with university administration and the Southland Conference in the coming months to plan a return to competition.

Immanuel Christian goes back to school with COVID-19 precautions

Thu, 08/13/2020 - 12:34pm

GEOFF STOUTE

gstoute@daily-review.com

The 2020-21 academic year at Immanuel Christian School in Morgan City is off to a “smooth start” as the first full-day of classes was held Monday, and no COVID-related issues have been reported, Principal Kathy Galloway said.
Galloway said while some students stayed home from school initially after someone in their family was sick, they started school after everyone in the family was medically cleared.
While it’s not entirely back to normal, Galloway said it is great to be able to work with the students in person again.
“The kids are so glad to be back with their friends and for life to be more normal,” she said. “We’re looking forward to a great year.”
She said they have no more than 12 students in each class, but most classes have no more than nine students, all practicing social distancing.
Each grade level stays together throughout the day, eating in their classroom or outside on a picnic table. Teachers conduct recess for their individual classes.
In all, 151 students are enrolled this year, including those from infants to two years old in their early learning center and those in kindergarten through eighth grade.
Upon arriving on campus daily, all students and staff have their temperature taken, and they are permitted to stay at school unless their fever is 100.4 degrees or higher.
After students are medically cleared, they wash their hands and go immediately to their classroom where a teacher is waiting for them.
“We don’t gather in an area,” Galloway said.
Students wash their hands every two hours, while students in third through eighth grades wear face coverings along with staff.
If anyone tests positive for COVID, then as per state Department of Education guidelines, all students and faculty who had class with the ill individual are removed from the classroom and are set up in a temporary classroom. The original classroom is sanitized and it is 24 hours before the students and teacher are allowed to return to the original classroom.
They also have a virtual learning option for those students who have health issues or don’t feel comfortable being on campus.
“We have several families actually, that have opted out and decided to do the online schooling” through the same program they use at the school, Galloway said.

LOLA BELT RIVERA

Thu, 08/13/2020 - 12:30pm

Lola Belt Rivera, 76, a resident of Bayou Vista, passed away peacefully, Monday, August 10, 2020 at her home, surrounded by her loving family.
Lola was born on March 28, 1944, in Gainesville, Missouri, the daughter of Lewis P. Miller Sr. and Genelle Cox Miller.
Lola was a devout Catholic who loved Jesus with all of her heart. She was a parishioner of St. Joseph Catholic Church where she was a former Eucharistic Minister. She was an avid gardener and also loved to sew and quilt.
Lola will be sadly missed and lovingly remembered by her children, Rebecca “Becky” Adams of Bayou Vista, Aaron Brown and wife Roslind of Berwick, Kayla Augusta Rivera-Smith and husband Matthew of Indiana; six grandchildren, Jacob Brown, Jacklyn Brown, Shane Price, Erin Duplantis, Chelsey Price, Lorien Smith; four great-grandchildren, Rylie Greene, Max Greene, Luke Brown, and Leighton Brown; two brothers, Lewis P. Miller Jr. of and Lloyd “Jessie” Belt both of Missouri; two sisters, Mary Catherine Cordray and Sue Arons both of Florida.
Lola was preceded in death by her parents, Lewis Sr. and Genelle Cox Miller; husband, Gustavo “Gus” Rivera; one daughter, Ramona Brown Carpenter.
A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 1:00 p.m., Friday, August 14, 2020 at St. Joseph Catholic Church in Patterson with Monsignor J. Douglas Courville officiating. A visitation will be held Friday, August 14, 2020 at Twin City Funeral Home from 10:00 a.m. until 12:30 p.m. Following Mass, Lola will be laid to rest in Morgan City Cemetery.
Due to restrictions with limited gatherings, current guidelines will only allow for 100 people in attendance for the visitation at the funeral home and 120 people for the funeral Mass, while still practicing social distancing. Masks will be required upon entering the funeral home and church.

JUNIUS J. CRAPPELL JR.

Thu, 08/13/2020 - 12:28pm

March 24, 1938 – August 10, 2020
Junius J. Crappell, a native and lifelong resident of Morgan City, was called to his heavenly home Monday, August 10, 2020 at the age of 82.
Junius proudly served in the United States National Guard and worked over 40 years in the Morgan City area handling sheetrock needs. Junius held many interests in life such as taxidermy, model boat building, and making his grandchildren hand held toys.
Those left to cherish his wonderful memory are his sons, Alex Crappell and his wife, Sadie, and Paul Crappell and his wife, Tiffany; eight grandchildren; 13 great grandchildren; and two sisters and four brothers.
He was preceded in death by his wife, Marie Claudette Crappell; his daughter, Kim Marie Black; his parents, Preston and Narcess Crappell; one grandson, Tyler Kim Black; one great grandchild, Ridge Michael Black; and one brother, Roland Crappell.
The family requests that a time of visitation and remembrance be observed on Monday, August 17, 2020 from 11:00am until time of services at 1:00pm at Hargrave Funeral Home. Following services Junius will be laid to rest in the
In keeping with government mandate, Hargrave Funeral Home can allow for 150 guests in its facility for visitation and can accommodate 50 guests in its chapel. All guests are asked to wear face masks as well as adhere to social distancing protocols upon entry of the funeral home.

PHILIP NICHOLAS 'TREY' SMITH III

Thu, 08/13/2020 - 12:25pm

Philip Nicholas “Trey” Smith III, 31, a resident of Berwick, passed away Tuesday, August 11, 2020 at his home.
Trey was born on March 9, 1989 in Lafayette, the son of Philip “Phil” N. Smith Jr. and Shelia Zerangue Smith.
Trey had a passion for coaching kids in baseball and football. He coached football for Patterson Junior High and coached baseball and football at Central Catholic High and Berwick High. He was just awarded his dream job of Head Baseball Coach at Berwick High School. Trey loved his family and cherished every moment that he was able to spend with them. He loved his nieces and nephews immensely and loved to spoil them, but the one he truly loved to spoil was the love of his life, Diana Grace Guarisco. Over his years of coaching he had numerous coaching mentors with whom he had much respect for and created long lasting friendships with. When he wasn’t coaching or spending time with his family, he loved to eat boiled crabs and was known to spend three times the price for them, just so he could have some boiled crabs! Trey’s light will continue to shine through his family and through the many kids he coached and mentored.
He will be sadly missed and lovingly remembered by his parents, Phil and Sheila Zerangue Smith of Cypress, Texas; the love of his life, Diana Grace Guarisco of Berwick; two brothers, Ryan Smith and wife Brandy of Berwick, Drew Smith and wife Crissy of Friendswood, Texas; four nieces and nephews, Baylee Grace Smith, Brett Smith, Collyn Smith and Levi Smith; his paternal grandmother, Betty Smith; his maternal grandmother, Betty Zerangue Hebert; seven aunts and uncles, Cathy Lacassigne and husband Herb, Jane Smith, Jeanette Smith, Nick Smith and wife Crissy, Charlene Zerangue, Mark Zerangue, Scottie Zerangue and wife Kelli.
Trey was preceded in death by his paternal grandfather, Philip N. Smith Sr.; maternal grandfathers, Anthony “A.J.” Zerangue and N.J. Hebert.
Those honored to serve as pallbearers will be Ryan Smith, Drew Smith, Stefano Guarisco, Mark Zerangue, Scottie Zerangue, Nick Smith, Coby Minton and Tyler Jensen.
A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 1:00 p.m. on Friday, August 14, 2020 at Sacred Heart Catholic Church with Father Toto Buenaflor celebrating Mass. A visitation will be held from 9:00 a.m. until 12:30 p.m. on Friday, August 14, 2020 at Twin City Funeral Home with a rosary being prayed at 12:00 p.m. Following Mass graveside services will be held in the Morgan City Cemetery.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be given to Central Catholic High School Athletics or Berwick High School Athletics, in Trey’s honor.
Due to restrictions with limited gatherings, current guidelines will only allow for 100 people in attendance for the visitation at the funeral home and 120 people for the funeral Mass, while still practicing social distancing. Masks will be required upon entering the funeral home and church.

MONICA FAYE DAVIS HAMILTON

Thu, 08/13/2020 - 12:24pm

Monica Faye Davis Hamilton, 55, a resident of Franklin, Louisiana, passed away peacefully on Thursday, Aug. 6, 2020, at 5:05 a.m. at Franklin Foundation Hospital in Franklin.
A private service will be held with the family’s invited guest only. Apostle Alvin Davis Sr. will officiate. Services will be accessible by viewing the Jones Funeral Home Inc. Facebook page at 11 a.m.. on Saturday, Aug. 15, 2020.
Survivors include her husband, Derwin D. Hamilton; her two children, Keith Anthony (Cassie) Davis and Shermanique (Preston) Williams all of Franklin; six brothers, Apostle Alvin (Janet) Davis, Sr. of Charenton, Edmond Brian Davis, Rodney L. (Karen) Davis, and Mark Davis all of Franklin, Curtis Davis of Sunset, and Kevin (Kelly) Davis of Lafayette; sisters Sandra (David) Hart and Sarah Hopkins both of Franklin, Felicia Davis of Lafayette, and Mrs. Kevin (Melinda) Narcisse of Morgan City; 11 grandchildren; and a host of nieces, nephews, other relatives and friends.
She was preceded in death by her parents, her step-father, her maternal grandparents, paternal grandparents, two aunts, and her uncle.
Jones Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.

PERRY LONG

Thu, 08/13/2020 - 12:22pm

Perry Long, 73, a resident and native of Morgan City, Louisiana, passed away peacefully on Tuesday, Aug. 4, 2020, at Northeast Georgia Medical Center in Braselton, Georgia.
A public walk through viewing will be conducted from 4 p.m. until 6 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 14, at Jones Funeral Home, 715 Sixth St. Morgan City. (All visitors are asked to adhere to the CDC/local regulations by wearing masks and practicing social distancing). A private dismissal service will be held with the family’s invited guest only. Services will be accessible by viewing the Jones Funeral Home, Inc. Facebook Page at 11 a.m. Saturday Aug. 15, 2020. Perry will be laid to rest on Monday, Aug. 17, 2020, in the Memorial Park South Cemetery 4121 Falcon Parkway, Flowery Branch, GA 30542.
He is survived by his wife and best friend of 48 years, Thelma H. Long of Morgan City; his children, Mrs. James (Tracie Monique) Carrierre, Mrs. Sean (Sharenthia) Pittman, and Mrs. Elisha (Patrina) Buckley; his siblings, Arthur (Janella) Long, Deloris Long and Cheryl A. Long all of Lafayette, Mrs. Alvvin (Diana) Robinson, Catherine Celestine and Carolyn Long all of Morgan City, Donald (Janice) Long of New Orleans; Mrs. Ivan (Gwendolyn) Chapman of Harvey, Mrs. Murphy (Vicki) Aucoin of Montgomery, Texas, Elizabeth Tezno and Mrs. Floyd (Mary) Broussard both of Broussard, and Mrs. Ishmmael (Erica) Rocha of Houma; a best friend/brother, Alroy Reaux, Sr.; seven grandchildren; and a host of nieces, nephews, other relatives and friends.
He was preceded in death by: his parents, his brother, a niece, and both his maternal and paternal grandparents.
Jones Funeral Home os in charge of arrangements.

CAROL CHRISTINE VERDINE JOHNSON

Thu, 08/13/2020 - 12:16pm

Carol Christine Verdine Johnson, 73, a resident of Los Angeles and a native of Morgan City, Louisiana, passed away on July 24, 2020, in Los Angeles..
Visitation will be observed from noon until dismissal services at 2 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 15, 2020, at Jones Funeral Home, 715 Sixth St., Morgan City. Pastor Ron Bias will officiate. (All visitors are asked to adhere to the CDC/local regulations by wearing masks and practicing social distancing). Carol will be laid to rest in the Morgan City Cemetery following dismissal services. Services will be accessible by viewing the Jones Funeral Home, Inc. Facebook Page at 2: p.m. on Saturday Aug. 15, 2020.
Survivors include one daughter, Bridgette Johnson; two brothers, Gerald Verdine and Russell Peter Verdine all of Los Angeles; two sisters, Mary Ann Wade (Donald) and Jennifer LeBlanc of Morgan City; as well as a host of nieces, nephews, cousins, other relatives and friends.
Carol was preceded in death by her mother and father; one sister; two brothers (and sisters-in-law).
Jones Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.