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Barbecue season means a chance to get fresh air and delicious grilled food.
Backyard barbecue season begins in spring and continues through summer and, where the weather allows, into fall. Barbecues are a perfect summertime soiree, as they’re usually laid back affairs and make use of the pleasant weather.
While it’s fun to expand culinary horizons over the open flame of a grill, it’s important to never forget the basics.
The following recipe for ‘’Herb Cheese-Stuffed Garlic Burgers’ from Andrew Schloss’ and David Joachim’s ‘Mastering the Grill’ (Chronicle Books) provides the best of both worlds.
HERB CHEESE-STUFFED GARLIC BURGERS
2 pounds ground beef chuck, 85 percent lean
2 Tbsp. chopped garlic
½ tsp. kosher salt
¼ tsp. ground black pepper
3 Tbsp. herbed garlic cream cheese, such as Boursin
6 hamburger buns, split
Oil for coating grill grate
The Grill
Gas: Direct heat, medium-high 425 F to 450 F; clean, oiled grate
Charcoal: Direct heat, light ash; 12-by-12-inch charcoal bed (about 3 dozen coals); clean, oiled grate on lowest setting
Wood: Direct heat, light ash; 12-by-12-inch bed, 3- to 4-inches deep; clean, oiled grate set 2 inches above the fire
Directions
1. Heat grill as directed.
2. Using your hands, mix beef, garlic, salt and pepper in a bowl until well blended; do not overmix. Using a light touch, form into 12 patties no more than ½-inch thick.
3. Put a portion (about 1½ teaspoons) of cream cheese in the center of each of the 6 patties; top with the remaining patties and press together, taking care to seal the edges well. Refrigerate the burgers until the grill is ready.
4. Brush grill grate and coat it with oil. Put the burgers on the grill, cover and cook for 9 minutes, flipping after 5 minutes, for medium-done (150 F, slightly pink). Add a minute per side for well-done (160 F).
5. To toast the buns, put them cut-sides down directly over the fire for the last minute of cooking.
6. If serving the burgers directly from the grill, serve on the buns. If the burgers will sit, even for a few minutes, keep the buns and burgers separate until just before eating.
Makes 6 servings

Lakeitha Hopes, 31, of St. Martinville died as a result of an ATV crash on Saturday night, Sheriff Blaise Smith said.

The call from 911 dispatch to the St. Mary Parish Sheriff’s Office dispatch on Saturday evening at 8:05 p.m. advised that a single-ATV crash had occurred on Verdun Lane in Verdunville. Deputies responded to the scene and observed the ATV and two injured female victims.

During the investigation, deputies learned that Frankie Kirt, 41, of Franklin was operating the vehicle with Lakeitha Hopes as the passenger. The ATV left the roadway for unknown reasons and struck concrete culverts in a ditch off the road, flipping the ATV and ejecting both Kirt and Hopes. The ATV came to rest near a light pole.

Frankie Kirt and Lakeitha Hopes were both airlifted by Air Med to a medical facility in Lafayette, where Hopes later died from her injuries. The crash remains under investigation. No charges have been filed at this time and standard toxicology test results are pending.

The Louisiana State Police, Centerville Fire Department, and Acadian Ambulance responded to the scene to assist.

St. Mary Parish businesses and organizations borrowed at least $58.9 million, and almost certainly much more, under federal Paycheck Protection Program rules designed to keep workers on payrolls during pandemic shutdowns. The list includes some of the best-known names in the St. Mary business community.
According to numbers released earlier this month by the U.S. Small Business Administration, the number of jobs protected total 8,850. That’s equal to about half the total nonfarm employment in St. Mary reported by the Louisiana Workforce Commission in May.
The PPP is a federal response to the economic dislocations created by restrictions on business imposed to fight the spread of COVID-19. The federal money was dispensed by way of local banks, which presumably are familiar with the level of risk associated with businesses in their market.
The federal government may forgive the loans if recipient businesses keep workers on their payrolls and meet other requirements.
An exact total of loan values granted to St. Mary businesses can’t be calculated from the July SBA numbers. The loans to individual businesses are reported in ranges: $50,000-$150,000, $150,000-$350,000, $350,000-$1 million, $1 million-$2 million, $2 million-$5 million and $5 million-$10 million.
The $58,850,000 figure we calculated is based on the minimum figure in the range for each loan.
Among the recipients:
—Shipbuilder Conrad Industries Inc. of Morgan City received one of three St. Mary loans of at least $5 million. The loan through Hancock Whitney Bank protected 473 jobs, according to information submitted by the company.
Hancock Whitney, Patterson State Bank, M C Bank, Regions Bank, First National Bank of Jeanerette and BancCorp South were among the banks that operate locally and made loans to parish businesses under the PPP.
—Allison Marine of Morgan City was another recipient of a loan of at least $5 million. The SBA data release did not include a number of jobs protected by the loan.
—Gravois Aluminum Boats of Franklin received a loan of at least $5 million to protect 499 jobs.
—The Morgan City-based B&G family of companies, which operates restaurants across the western Gulf Coast, received five loans totaling at least $5.7 million targeting 1,693 jobs. B&G Food Enterprises Inc. and B&G Food Enterprises of Texas each received a loan of at least $2 million. B&G Capital & Gulf Coast Ventures received a loan of at least $1 million. B&G Diversified Concepts and B&G Lafayette Ventures received loans of at least $350,000 each.
—Gulf South Services Inc. of Morgan City received a loan of at least $2 million to protect 103 jobs.
—LAD Services of Louisiana, of Morgan City, received a loan of at least $2 million. The data do not include the number of jobs protected.
—Central Boat Rentals Inc. of Berwick received a loan of at least $2 million to protect 209 jobs.
Recipients of loans of $1 million-$2 million:
—Chabill’s Tire Service of Morgan City, 131 employees.
—Permanent Workers of Morgan City, 320 employees.
—Sewart Supply of Morgan City, 72 employees.
—Basin Fleeting Inc. of Berwick, 40 employees.
—Ironman Staffing of Berwick, 198 employees.
—Gulf Craft of Franklin, 64 employees.
—Sterling Sugars of Franklin, 100 employees.
—Twin Brothers Marine of Franklin, 100 employees.
—Crown Oilfield Services of Morgan City, 232 employees.
—New Industries of Morgan City, 100 employees.
—Permanent Workers of Morgan City, 320 employees.
Also among the business recipients was Hanagriff’s Machine Shop of Franklin, operated by Parish President David Hanagriff. The number of employees was not listed in the SBA data.
Private businesses were not the only St. Mary recipients of PPP loans.
The Teche Action Board Inc., which oversees Teche Action Clinic, received a loan of at least $2 million to protect 198 workers.
Hospital Service District No. 1, which owns Franklin Foundation Hospital, received a $2 million loan to protect 178 jobs.
Central Catholic School of Morgan City received a loan of at least $350,000 to protect 72 jobs.
A .pdf file listing all the recipients with Morgan City, Baldwin, Patterson, Franklin and Baldwin addresses can be downloaded from a link on this story at StMaryNow.com.

By GEOFF STOUTE
gstoute@daily-review.com
Students in the Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux will return to school for in-class instruction next month, five days a week, with those in grades 3-12 using masks.
Diocesan Superintendent of Catholic Schools Suzanne Troxclair said in the first of a series of videos that will be posted on Youtube by the diocese to discuss topics for the school year that those in grades 3-12 will be required to wear face coverings along with all staff. Parents have the option of providing face coverings for students below third grade.
“This is guidance that we are getting from our health professionals, from our Louisiana Department of Education,” she said in the video.
Central Catholic Elementary will resume school Aug. 6, while Central Catholic High School will return to the classroom Aug. 8.
The students will be in class five days a week with a regular school day.
“We know, in reality, there could be a change from the governor in what the phase may turn to,” Troxclair said.
She commended the work that students, faculty and parents did to continue learning once a stay-at-home order was issued in March.
“We were able to continue that instruction, continue that Christ-centered instruction, as well within our students from their homes, not in our buildings, so in that case, if that were to happen again, we are prepared for that as well,” Troxclair said. “We’ve learned a lot. We learned a lot this past spring. Our teachers and our schools had to move very quickly to prepare for that distance learning.”
While the diocese is prepared to continue learning if another closing arises, Troxclair said schools are continuing to improve their digital learning in the classroom.
“Throughout these last several weeks, our teachers and our administrators are working together so that they’re improving their abilities to promote … digital learning in their classrooms as well as if we needed this for a stay-at-home order where we would unfortunately be pulled from our brick and mortar buildings,” she said.
When students arrive at school, they will have their temperatures checked daily, while Troxclair stressed that staff or students who feel ill should not come to school.
To the maximum extent possible, everyone will be kept at a 6-foot distance from one another.
“Schools are diligently working right now to remove excess furniture, for example, from their classrooms, to maximize the spacing within their classrooms,” Troxclair said. “I’ve seen schools that have already mapped out in their halls the 6-feet spaces between students when they’re entering, so getting those students used to that 6-feet distance, that’s our goal all of the time.”
She said face coverings and social distancing will give the diocese “that stronger net, that stronger barrier to work, so that we are keeping our students safe.”
Students, especially on the elementary level, will be kept in place when possible during the day and teachers will do the moving to the different classrooms instead.
“The least movement that we have with our classes, the better for the overall protection of the entire school family,” Troxclair said.
Visitors also will be prohibited from visiting school in the current phase.
“Our hope is that, of course, this is temporary,” Troxclair said. “It is something that is going to be a challenge. Like many of these things, it’s not always going to be easy, but it’s something that’s going to be necessary for our commitment to in-class learning.”