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Jim Brown: Can New Orleans be the host for a Republican convention?

Wed, 07/01/2020 - 12:53pm

JIM BROWN

A Republican convention in New Orleans?
Republicans just a few weeks ago were scouring major cities across the country to find a new location for their national convention, scheduled for mid-August.
The GOP had originally planned to congregate in Charlotte, North Carolina, but the governor set extremely strict standards for any type of large gathering. President Trump seems dead set on going to a more friendly environment. New Orleans was initially in the running.
There is a huge financial stake involved, with some 40,000 conventioneers projected to be in attendance at wherever the location may be.
The economic impact is estimated to be well over $200 million. Such conventions prove to be a huge financial generator for hotels, restaurants, cab drivers, bars and a whole host of local of entertainment options the fuel the local economy of any convention city.
And hands-down, New Orleans is the best convention city in the country. Hosting a convention at the Superdome makes it easy for those in attendance to walk from any hotel in the downtown area.
Good restaurants, the French Quarter, the Riverwalk, the World War II museum, and many other attractions are all close at hand. No other city can offer such accessibility.
In 1988, the GOP gathered in New Orleans at the Superdome to pick their nominee.
An old friend had a box suite and invited me to join him there to watch the festivities.
The president-to-be, George H.W. Bush, had just completed his acceptance speech and the suite emptied out.
I lingered to watch all the celebrating, when the door opened and Senator Bob Dole walked in.
Dole had lost the nomination to Bush in a heated battle marked by some sharp exchanges.
“Sorry, I must be lost,” he said. “There’s supposed to be a suite where I can sit a bit, but I’ve forgotten the number.” “Senator, you’re welcome to relax here.”
I offered him a drink and we sat and watched the jubilation and TV commentary.
You could tell he was wishing he could have been the nominee taking on Gov. Dukakis in the coming fall election.
I asked, “Can Bush win?”
Dole paused for a moment, and said: “Yes, I believe he will. But that promise about ‘read my lips — no new taxes.’
That may come back to haunt him in the future if he is elected.”
The Senator was right on the mark. That promise was a big factor in Bill Clinton’s victory over the incumbent President four years later.
Under normal circumstances, New Orleans would have been an easy sell for Republicans. Louisiana is a red state, with President Trump receiving some of his highest ratings down here in the deepest of the deep southern states.
The clinker of course was whether the state could be ready to take in 40,000 visitors with the coronavirus hanging an uncertain cloud over the city and the surrounding area.
The governor and the mayor just didn’t feel comfortable in lifting current restrictions to allow such a gathering.
There are trade-offs and dangers in bringing huge crowds to New Orleans. COVID-19 had an early spread compared to most states in the spring follow the following the influx of visitors for Mardi Gras.
There were tough decisions to make weighing the safety of local residents and whether the economic benefits of thousands of conventioneers were worth the risk.
The Republicans opted for Jacksonville Florida, and despite the economic losses, it probably worked out for the best. Louisiana still has a long way to go in curtailing COVID-19.
I hope it won’t be too long until such opportunities come again under a safer environment.
Peace and Justice
Jim Brown
Jim Brown’s syndicated column appears each week in numerous newspapers throughout the nation and on websites worldwide. You can read all his past columns and see continuing updates at http://www.jimbrownusa.com.

20 new COVID positives in St. Mary; state hospitalizations near 800

Wed, 07/01/2020 - 12:46pm

Twenty new COVID-19 test positives were reported for St. Mary in the 24 hours ending at midday Wednesday, and one Assumption fatality was reported by the Louisiana Office of Public Health.

Statewide, more than 2,000 new cases were recorded, and the number of people hospitalized for COVID treatment hit 799.

In St. Mary, the 20 new positives raise the number of cases since the pandemic began to 489. Thirty-eight St. Mary people have died.

Fifteen new cases were reported in St. Martin for a total of 727 with 26 deaths.

The Assumption fatality raises that parish's death toll to 15. Another five COVID positives make the parish total 357.

Statewide:

--2,083 new positives were reported Wednesday, pushing the pandemic total to 60,178.

--17 new deaths raise the toll to 3,130.

--The number of hospitalizations rose by 18 to 799.

--The number of people on ventilators rose by one to 84.

The growing number of hospitalizations is a red flag because it can't be attributed to an increase in testing.

In Louisiana Department of Health Region 3, which extends east from St. Mary and Assumption, 48 of 91 intensive care beds are in use. And 435 of 744 total hospital beds are in use.

Only 10 of 111 ventilators in Region 3 were in use Wednesday.

St. Martin Parish is in Region 4, centered on the Lafayette area. Region 4 has been identified as an area with increasing COVID spread.

There, 139 of 179 ICU beds and 1,195 of 1,723 total hospital beds are in use. Forty-nine of 131 ventilators in Region 4 are in use.

The number of statewide COVID positives has been corrected in this story.

SWCD Marsh grass planting at Cypremort Point

Wed, 07/01/2020 - 9:34am

On June 11-12 the St. Mary Soil and Water Conservation held a marsh grass planting from the Cypermort Point boat landing, in Hammock Lake.
Along with volunteers the following agencies partnered with SWCD were, the Natural Resource Conservation Service, St. Mary Parish Sheriff’s Office Marine Section and the Gulfcoast SWCD.
This project aims to stabilize the shoreline of the lake. A total of 2,200 plants, 1,700 plugs of smooth cordgrass (Spartina alterniflora ‘Vermilion’) and 500 four-inch pots of Seashore Paspalum (Paspalum vaginatum).
This project aims to re-vegetate the shoreline of Hammock Lake to increase stability, lessen erosion and create habitat for wildlife and provide a seed source for natural regeneration.
The SWCD office will host another planting out of Burns Point on July 14. Anyone interested in helping to save the coast by participating in one of these projects, contact the SWCD office at 337-828-0493, ext. 3.

Bus extrication drill

Wed, 07/01/2020 - 9:27am

The Franklin Fire Department participated in a two-day bus extrication class held by LSU FETI. The class was held for area departments with one of two buses that were donated by the St. Mary Parish School Board to the St. Mary Parish Fire Association. Franklin, Baldwin, Centerville, Chitimacha and District 11 Fire Departments focused on techniques for gaining entry into buses and patient removal in the event of an accident. LSU FETI, St. Mary Parish Fire Association, St. Mary Parish School Board, and Acadian Ambulance provided a standby unit.

Anguished veteran finds solace with Freedom Sings USA

Wed, 07/01/2020 - 9:24am

By CASEY COLLIER

Local resident and veteran Gregory Mitchell was suffering last year a debilitating mental anguish.
The former Redeye, Stinger, and Chaparral missile crewman had served on the Redeye Team, Combat Support Company, 3rd and 32nd Armored Division of the US Army from 1977-1980, and was in the throes of post-traumatic stress disorder pertaining to his service.
He attempted to end his own life, and was brought to the Gulf Coast Veterans Health Care System in Biloxi, Miss. But he still felt the effects of his trauma after undergoing professional treatment there.
He said a friend of his told him about a program to help struggling veterans, called, Freedom Sings USA.
So, he got in touch with the non-profit organization, and was accepted to their Little Rock, Ark. ongoing classes, for a two-day songwriting workshop where he was greeted by fellow veterans, and invited to work with professional songwriters to carefully craft a song about his personal military experiences, perform it in front of an audience, and have it professionally recorded and made available to the public.
“The first day,” Mitchell said, “took place on Friday when we had the ‘meet and greet’ at the McArthur Museum (of Military History); and that is the time that we paired-up the writers (veterans) with the singers/songwriters they wanted to work with.”
Mitchell went on to describe the next day at the Eugene J. Towbin Healthcare Center as, “the writing sessions.”
He said the writing process was not so arduous for him, as it may have been for others, because he had been writing songs since 1976.
His first song, “America, You’ve Come a Long Way,” Mitchell recalled, garnered him a letter of appreciation from then U.S. President Gerald Ford.
His newest song, “It Shoulda Been Me,” written during that Saturday’s writing sessions in Little Rock, was performed at a private concert that night at the hospital, by none other than Mitchell himself, accompanied by a lone guitar.
“It was absolutely rewarding,” he said, “absolutely. It was so rewarding because I really didn’t know the difference it would make to me until I heard myself performing it for the first time, witnessed by others. It was awesome, truly awesome.”
“The beauty of it is,” he added, “once the song is written, they (the professional songwriters) go back to Memphis, to their studios, and re-record your song. Then, they burn it to CD and make it available across the nation. And once the song is written, it’s yours. You retain the rights to your song.”
President of the Board of Directors for Freedom Sings USA Skip Skipper explained that the royalties from the recorded versions of the vets’ songs are divided up between the professional songwriters and the vets themselves, with the vets receiving half of the credit for the recording, and the songwriters receiving a quarter of the credit each, as there are usually two songwriters per recording. However, the rights to the song itself belong solely to the veteran, whose story it is.
Skipper was a Warrant Officer W–2, Cobra helicopter pilot with the 361st Aviation Company Escort, in Vietnam in 1968–1969.
Recalling his experience coming to FSUSA, he said, “This is called the alternative therapy of music. It has changed my life and my personality. I have heard many testimonials where the veterans have said this program has changed their lives and even saved some of them.
“Many veterans have told us they have told things in class that they have never told anyone, including their families.”
He added, “We’ll ask them (class participants), ‘How many of you were thinking about suicide before you started this class?’ And then, after a little while, one hand goes up, and then another… So, we know this saves lives. We know we’ve saved lives.
“We are brothers and sisters—we are like family in there.”
As for Mitchell, he said that if he was to reach out to a suffering veteran who was looking into FSUSA as a form of treatment, he would say, “Do not be afraid. Have an open mind. Be honest with yourself, and the writers, because it is going to be difficult. It is going to be painful. But it has a way of washing away some of the hurt, because all that is needed, most of the time, for you to feel better, or to get a better handle on what you are going through, is the act of sharing it, the act of expressing things you have had bottled up in you for so many years.
“It is invaluable.”
He concluded by saying, “Louisiana’s veterans have been underserved for PTSD treatments.
“For one hour every week, they are seen by clinics and therapists, and that’s not enough.
“When I went to Little Rock, it was a more intense therapy. We got into root causes, and what had been bottled up for so long.”
FSUSA states their mission as: helping veterans, active duty military and their families throughout the country reach emotional balance by telling their stories through the creative process of songwriting.
Songwriting along with peer support helps provide veterans and their families the tools necessary to cope with trauma or readjust from military service.
Our mission is to also promote public support, education and appreciation for the sacrifice the veterans and their families make serving our country through the hearing of their stories as told through song.
To purchase Mitchell’s song for $1, go to: https://www.freedomsingsarkansas.org/our-music, or you can buy the whole album.
To purchase Skipper’s song for $1, go to: https://www.freedomsingsusa.org/our-music, or you can but the whole album.
To donate to Freedom Sings USA, go to: https://www.freedomsingsusa.org/.

Invasive apple snails threaten rice, crawfish

Wed, 07/01/2020 - 9:02am

By BLAKE WILSON, JULIAN LUCERO and MARK SHIRLEY, LSU AgCenter

Invasive apple snails — sometimes called giant, golden or channeled apple snails — are native to South America but have been introduced into many regions. Several species of apple snails are invasive pests in many parts of Europe, Asia, and North and South America. But the species that has been introduced along the U.S. Gulf Coast is Pomacea maculata.
The snails have been in Louisiana for more than 10 years and have been the focus of ecological research because of their consumption of vast quantities of subaquatic vegetation, eliminating habitat for fish and aquatic invertebrates. Apple snails are not picky eaters. They consume many types of living and decaying vegetation in addition to protein sources such as the eggs of frogs and other amphibians.
Apple snails reproduce rapidly and are known for reaching high population densities in freshwater habitats including rivers, bayous, ponds and swamps. The first sign of apple snail invasion into new bodies of water is often the appearance of bright pink egg masses laid on structures and plants emerging from the water.
In 2018, rice and crawfish farmers started reporting high populations of apple snails in their ponds. This discovery was of concern because apple snails are considered major pests of rice in Spain, Southeast Asia, the Philippines, Central America and other regions, where they consume seedling rice. So far, their damage to U.S. rice has been minimal. The widespread adoption of drill-seeding rice (planting into a dry seed bed) and applying the permanent flood approximately five weeks after planting seems to have mitigated the impact of snails in Texas rice.
Drill-seeding is also prevalent in southwest Louisiana, which suggests the snails may be of minimal impact here. However, water management practices are more variable in Louisiana, with some acreage flooded continuously during rice production.
Pest potential under these conditions may be greater. The snails can also interfere with rice production by burrowing into levees, requiring farmers to do additional maintenance. There is also potential for beneficial effects because some reports from Texas indicate the snails consume problematic aquatic weeds, such as ducksalad, while leaving the rice alone. Ongoing cage trials are examining what the snails are feeding on in rice fields and under what conditions they may develop into pests. While evidence collected to date suggests the snails may not be terribly damaging to rice in Louisiana, the situation appears to be more dire for the state’s crawfish producers.
Apple snails are reaching high populations in crawfish ponds in some areas and are affecting production. The omnivorous snails are attracted to the bait in crawfish traps. Smaller snails can enter traps and accumulate in large numbers, while larger snails block trap entrances, greatly reducing the daily crawfish capture.
Farmers also have to sort through the capture to remove the snails. At some farms, apple snails are caught in such high numbers that finding a place to dispose of them is problematic. Crawfish producers in parts of Vermilion and Jefferson Davis parishes have found the situation so severe that fishing had to be stopped and ponds drained early in the crawfish season. Laboratory and field trials are examining potential controls that can eliminate the snails without adverse effects on crawfish growth and development.
Expansion into rice and crawfish ponds from natural bodies such as the Vermilion and Mermentau rivers was facilitated by the 2016 flood. Following detection of this expansion, LSU AgCenter scientists initiated an invasive species monitoring program across nine southwest Louisiana parishes.
This program aims to identify the snails’ current distribution as well as determine the rates of expansion and modes of introduction into new ponds. Currently, apple snails are using the Vermilion River, Bayou Carlin and Delcambre Canal to extend populations north from Vermilion Bay into rice fields in eastern Vermilion, Lafayette and Acadia parishes. Other apple snail populations are moving from Lake Arthur and the Mermentau Basin into Jefferson Davis Parish and western Vermilion Parish.
Much of the region is not infested, but further range expansion is anticipated. Introduction onto new farms is likely to continue because many farmers use surface water connected to these major waterways as their primary irrigation source.
While some introductions are unavoidable, farmers are being encouraged to prevent accidental transportation of the snails to new areas by checking equipment for egg masses before moving between ponds and by stocking ponds with crawfish only from sources known to be noninfested with apple snails. People are encouraged to contact their local AgCenter extension offices if they believe they have observed apple snails in new areas in southwest Louisiana.
Health Risks Associated with Apple Snails
While many adventurous Louisianans may be wondering how to best prepare the snails for dinner, people considering consumption of these mollusks should exercise caution. The snails are edible when thoroughly cooked and properly cleaned by removing all intestinal material.
However, raw or undercooked snails can contain rat lungworm, a parasite that can cause potentially fatal eosinophilic meningitis. Other health risks are associated with the pink egg masses. The hot pink color serves as a warning to alert potential predators that the eggs are toxic. The eggs contain a protein neurotoxin called PcPV2, which has been shown to be lethal to mice and it can cause irritation of the skin and eyes of humans. Destruction of the eggs should be done using an implement to knock egg masses into the water, where they are prevented from hatching. Skin exposed to apple snail eggs should be washed immediately.
—Blake Wilson is an assistant professor at the Sugar Research Station in St. Gabriel. Julian Lucero is a graduate student in the Department of Entomology, and Mark Shirley is a crawfish specialist and marine extension agent in the Southwest Region for the LSU AgCenter and Louisiana Sea Grant.
(This article appears in the winter 2020 issue of Louisiana Agriculture.)

Man’s attraction to bartender causes town tongues to wag

Wed, 07/01/2020 - 8:46am

By Jeanne Phillips, ©United Features Syndicate

DEAR ABBY: My husband of 43 years, an alcoholic, has started going to the local grill/bar in our small town. He spends three to four hours there, six days a week. He would go more often if they were open on Sundays.
People who know us tell me things that have been going on between a single bartender and him. This bartender has given him gifts, and I heard he overtips her. I have also been told there’s more going on than the outward flirting, and my husband has been saying bad things about me.
The bartender is not a young woman, and she tells anyone who will listen that she’s looking for a man. I have asked my husband nicely to stop going there, and he does for a few days, until her calls and posts on Facebook start about me “keeping him from going to the bar.” When he gets home, he continues drinking until he passes out.
I have told him that if he gets a DUI and goes to jail, I won’t bail him out. He doesn’t really care, and I don’t know what to do. Help!
DISASTER IN GEORGIA

DEAR DISASTER: Your signature is correct. Your marriage IS a disaster. As long as your husband continues to drink, nothing will improve. Keep uppermost in your mind that, as much as you might want to, you cannot change him.
Contact a divorce lawyer and find out what you need to do to protect yourself financially. And join an Al-Anon group. There may be more than one near you. When you do, you may find not only some much-needed emotional support but also perspective. I am sorry for what you are experiencing, but once you attend a meeting, you will find you are not alone and that there is a way out.

DEAR ABBY: I am a single 30-year-old female who is child-free. (I never wanted kids, ever!) My personal stance and views on the subject are well-known by my co-workers, all of whom have children.
I share an office with “Elise,” who’s about 18 years older than I am. Over the years, she has made remarks such as, “You have no right to be tired. You don’t have kids!” or “You don’t count because you don’t have kids!” or “You’re not a real adult because you don’t have the responsibility of having kids” (my favorite).
How do I deal with her, or what do I say to counter her remarks? When she makes them, it hurts my feelings. I don’t react because I know if I do it will hurt her feelings and cause friction in the office, which I don’t need. But I’m sick to death of people like her who have children saying those things about people like me.
FREE FOREVER

DEAR FREE: Your co-worker appears to be voicing her frustrations about the responsibilities of parenthood and somewhat jealous that you are free of them. The next time she hurts your feelings, it would not be overreacting to tell her that she has and ask her for an apology.
If she’s doing it hoping to get a rise out of you, ignore her. But if it persists, as a last resort, talk to your boss or human resources about it because she’s creating a hostile work environment. (It’s the truth.) She should be talking with you about work, not her personal opinions about you.
***
Abby shares more than 100 of her favorite recipes in two booklets: “Abby’s Favorite Recipes” and “More Favorite Recipes by Dear Abby.” Send your name and mailing address, plus check or money order for $16 to: Dear Abby, Cookbooklet Set, P.O. Box 447, Mount Morris, IL 61054-0447.

Fire claims life of 79-year-old Morgan City resident

Tue, 06/30/2020 - 1:40pm

A fire early Tuesday in the 600 block of Aucoin claimed the life of the home's occupant, said Morgan City Fire Chief Alvin Cockerham.

Authorities haven't released the name of the victim, who was a 79-year-old man.

The Fire Department was called out about 5:20 a.m. Tuesday. The fire appeared to have started at the kitchen stove, Cockerham said.

"There was a lot of smoke and a lot of heat," Cockerham said. "We managed to keep it out of the attic, but he was right there."

The man was found in the modular home's living room and appeared to have been overcome by smoke.. Firefighters also found a wheelchair in the home.

Firefighters were on the scene until 10:55 a.m., Cockerham said. The State Fire Marshal's Office, the Coroner's Office and the Morgan City Police Department also responded to the fire call.

New Coast Guard commander in Morgan City

Tue, 06/30/2020 - 12:20pm

Coast Guard Marine Safety Unit Morgan City held a change of command ceremony Friday.
During the ceremony, Cmdr. Ben P. Russell assumed the responsibilities of commanding officer of Marine Safety Unit Morgan City from Cmdr. Heather Mattern.
Russell is reporting to Marine Safety Unit Morgan City after serving four years on the Coast Guard Eighth District staff where he served as the Chief of Inspections and Investigations responsible for mission support of 13 Captain of the Port zones and over 40% of the Coast Guard’s marine safety workload.
Mattern will transfer to Sector Charleston and will serve as the deputy commander.
Mattern assumed the duties of commanding officer of Marine Safety Unit Morgan City, including Vessel Traffic Service Berwick Bay and Marine Safety Detachment Lafayette on June 15, 2017. She was responsible for prevention, safety and security, response, and safe navigation within coastal Louisiana.
She oversaw over 550 vessel inspections annually, the law enforcement and pollution response for 75,000 square mile area of responsibility, and the safe transit of mariners that transport over $125 billion in cargo and conduct 65,000 transits annually through the nation’s third busiest VTS.
The change of command ceremony is a time-honored tradition and deeply rooted in Coast Guard and Naval history. The event signifies a total transfer of responsibility, authority and accountability for the command. Members of the unit attended the ceremony virtually to witness the transfer of leadership.

From the Editor: Louisiana watches COVID-19 flare up in the Sun Belt

Tue, 06/30/2020 - 12:17pm

BILL DECKER

bdecker@daily-review.com

Last week, as thousands were demonstrating across the country for racial justice, HBO Max caused an uproar by pulling down “Gone With The Wind.” The movie returned to the streaming service with some prefatory context about the treatment of African Americans in the old South.
GWTW wasn’t the only HBO Max offering that seems connected with current events. Scroll around on your smart TV, and you’ll find “Jaws.”
Just like Sheriff Roy Scheider, much of the country, especially the Sun Belt, is wondering what should be open on the Fourth of July.
Scheider’s problem, of course, was a shark. Our nemesis is COVID-19. And, just when you thought it was safe to go back to the mall, the coronavirus is back. Public health officials say it never went away.
Around Memorial Day, the debate about COVID-19 was about when and how fast to get the economy fully open again. What has happened since then happened hard and fast:
—In Arizona, the number of new cases is up nearly 29,000 in 10 days.
—In Florida, where reopening plans had seemed to proceed safely, nearly 43,000 people have tested positive in the last six days.
—In Texas, 70,000 new cases have been reported since June 1. (Louisiana has recorded fewer than 58,000 since counting began.) Gov. Greg Abbott has ordered the state’s hospitals to put off elective surgeries as Houston sees ICU bed usage approach capacity.
Louisiana has been spared the worst, but we haven’t been spared.
Since June 15, roughly at the end of a COVID-19 incubation period that started around Memorial Day, the number of positives is up nearly 10,000 in Louisiana.
Daily reports of new COVID positives showed 300 or 400 cases a day a month ago. Now they’re at 700 or 800 a day.
It’s easy to attribute the rise to increased testing, which would be expected to result in more positives. But the number of people being admitted to hospitals doesn’t depend on testing. And that number has grown by 167 to 737.
That’s far short of the state’s hospital capacity. But the trend was discouraging enough to lead Gov. John Bel Edwards to put off an order sending Louisiana into Phase Three coronavirus restrictions for another four weeks, until late July. In the meantime, we’ll remain in Phase Two with restrictions such as social distancing requirements in restaurants and limited capacity in businesses.
In St. Mary Parish, 98 positives have been reported since June 15 for a total of 457. Five deaths have been reported during that time.
St. Mary is part of Louisiana Department of Health’s Region 3, which extends east from the parish. St. Martin is part of Region 4, which is centered on the Lafayette area. Region 4 has become an area of concern recently, and St. Martin’s numbers reflect that.
The number of positives in St. Martin has grown by 334 to 685. The number of deaths there, which had been reported as 28, has been lowered to 27.
The number of deaths has not kept pace with the rise in infections statewide. The Louisiana Office of Public Health has recorded 185 deaths since June 15 for a total of 3,091.
Some public health officials say fatalities are a lagging indicator and may rise later. We’ll see.
In some states, officials are debating whether to bring back some of the economic restrictions that were in effect in March and April.
In a story by The Center Square’s David Jacobs from Monday’s Page 1, Edwards said he believes the increase in cases has less to do with the easing of economic restrictions than with people who ignore mitigation measures altogether.
In the meantime, we’re being urged again to wear face covering in public, practice social distancing, wash our hands frequently and stay home when we’re sick.
If we don’t, we’re going to need a bigger boat.
Bill Decker is managing editor of The Daily Review.