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Morgan City police radio logs for June 18

Mon, 06/22/2020 - 1:35pm

The following are the radio dispatch logs from the Morgan City Police Department. To report unlawful or suspicious activity, call the police department at 985-380-4605.
Thursday, June 18
6:55 a.m. Railroad Avenue and Front Street; Reckless operation.
7:15 a.m. 700 block of Railroad Avenue; Accident.
7:21 a.m. 6400 block of La. 182; Complaint.
7:26 a.m. 6000 block of La. 182; Disturbance.
8:37 a.m. 1100 block of Marguerite Street; Complaint.
10:21 a.m. 1000 block of Eighth Street; Accident.
10:22 a.m. 600 block of Fourth Street; Civil.
10:25 a.m. 900 block of Third Street; Disturbance.
10:48 a.m. 1400 block of Second Street; Medical.
11:23 a.m. 400 block of Fourth Street; Complaint.
11:39 a.m. 7600 block of La. 182; Complaint.
11:56 a.m. 200 block of Robin Street; Disturbance.
11:58 a.m. 400 block of Myrtle Street; Suspicious item.
12:44 p.m. 700 block of Myrtle Street; Arrest.
2:13 p.m. 1100 block of Marguerite Street; Assistance.
2:16 p.m. 6200 block of La. 182; Assistance.
2:33 p.m. 7200 block of La. 182; Medical.
2:33 p.m. 1200 block of Brashear Avenue; Alarm.
4:28 p.m. 900 block of Third Street; Telephone harassment.
4:55 p.m. Sixth Street; Assistance.
5:38 p.m. 2100 block of Maple Street; Alarm.
6:21 p.m. U.S. 90; Stalled vehicle.
6:31 p.m. 7200 block of La. 182; Medical.
8:09 p.m. 6400 block of La. 182; Complaint.
8:18 p.m. Glenwood Street; Disturbance.
8:20 p.m. 300 block of Garber Street; Fight.
8:54 p.m. Horse Arena; Suspicious person.
9:16 p.m. 6300 block of La. 182; Complaint.
9:45 p.m. 400 block of Duke Street; Disturbance.
9:46 p.m. 200 block of Freret Street; Medical.
10:01 p.m. 1500 block of Bernice Street; Complaint.
11:07 p.m. 400 block of Sixth Street; Loud music.

From the Editor: Field Day reminds amateurs that hobby is for service, too

Mon, 06/22/2020 - 1:31pm

BILL DECKER

bdecker@daily-review.com

On March 27, I talked with a guy in France. His name is Bert.
That’s not such a big deal these days, with cellphones and internet communication. But our conversation took place via the 20-meter amateur radio band. So we didn’t need any of that.
This week, as you can read on Page 8, is the Amateur Radio Relay League’s Field Day Week, and members of the local Bayouland Emergency Amateur Radio Service are getting ready to test their capabilities by contacting other amateurs around the country and the world who are doing the same thing.
Most of the time, amateur radio is for fun. Some hams like to use voice communication. Some like to use computers to type messages back and forth over the airwaves.
Some bounce signals off the moon. Some use computers to track the International Space Station or dedicated amateur radio satellites, and then rush out in the middle of the night to establish a radio link.
Some people like to jabber.
But, once in a while, hams get a reminder that amateur radio is a service that can serve their local, state or national governments in times of great distress.
That conversation with Bert was one of those reminders.
My radio is an old Icom model that an uncle gave me. It’ll put out about 80 watts, less than the rating of the light bulb in my desk lamp.
My radio used a power supply that turns alternating current from the wall plug into direct current, which runs the radio. If I’d been in the mood, I could have run the radio with my car battery.
My antenna is one sold specifically for portable use, and it’s basically an old-fashioned whip antenna on top of a coil and little tripod. It stands only about 7 feet tall.
My preferred mode of communication is Morse code. Although Morse code isn’t used much in the commercial radio world anymore, and even though the feds don’t require a code test any longer before you can get your amateur radio license, the mode has survived in amateur radio.
I tap out messages on an old J-38 key, or Morse code sender, from eBay. The J-38 was widely used by the American military during World War II. It’s cool.
So, with next to no infrastructure beyond my freebie transceiver and cheapie antenna, I was able to talk to Bert, F6HKA, who was 4,901 miles away.
When I talked with other hams about my accomplishment, I heard, “Oh yeah. That’s Bert. I talked to him the other day with 5 watts.”
So an international contact really wasn’t that big a deal for a radio amateur.
But my conversation with Bert happened in the early days of the COVID-19 epidemic. It struck me that in times when major institutions were shutting down, especially if the disaster is a hurricane or a failure in the electrical grid and not a virus, the ability to communicate with no more than you have on hand can be valuable.
And there are more than 700,000 radio amateurs, many with greater capabilities than my little station, who are standing by to serve.
BEARS is inviting the public to come in and look around when they take part in Field Day this weekend. You’re welcome to see if this hobby and this service is something you’d be interested in.
Bill Decker is managing editor of The Daily Review. His call sign is KG5OUH.

Local radio amateurs get ready for Field Day

Mon, 06/22/2020 - 1:22pm

Members of the Bayouland Emergency Amateur Radio Service will be participating again this year in the national Amateur Radio Field Day exercise, June 27–28, upstairs at the Bank Building across from City Hall.
Since 1933, ham radio operators across North America have established temporary ham radio stations in public locations during Field Day to show case the science and skill of Amateur Radio. This event is open to the public and all are encouraged to attend.
For more than 100 years, Amateur Radio — also called ham radio — has allowed people from all walks of life to experiment with electronics and communications techniques, as well as provide a free public service to their communities during a disaster or emergency, all without needing a cell phone or the Internet. Field Day demonstrates ham radio’s ability to work reliably under any conditions from almost any location and create an independent communications network. More than 35,000 people from thousands of locations participated last year in Field Day 2019 activities.
“It’s easy for anyone to pick up a computer or smartphone, connect to the Internet and communicate, with no knowledge of how the devices function or connect to each other,” said David Isgur, communications manager for the American Radio Relay League, the national association for Amateur Radio. “But if there’s an interruption of service or you’re out of range of a cell tower, you have no way to communicate. Ham radio functions completely independent of the Internet or cell phone infrastructure, can interface with tablets or smartphones, and can be set up almost anywhere in minutes. That’s the beauty of Amateur Radio during a communications outage.
“Hams can literally throw a wire in a tree for an antenna, connect it to a battery-powered transmitter, and communicate halfway around the world,” Isgur added. “Hams do this by using a layer of Earth’s atmosphere as a sort of mirror for radio waves. In today’s electronic do-it-yourself (DIY) environment, ham radio remains one of the best ways for people to learn about electronics, physics, meteorology, and numerous other scientific disciplines. In addition, amateur radio is a huge asset to any community during disasters or emergencies if the standard communication infrastructure goes down.
Anyone may become a licensed Amateur Radio operator. There are more than 725,000 licensed hams in the United States, as young as 9 and as old as 100. And with clubs such as The Bayouland Emergency Amateur Radio Service, it’s easy for anybody to get involved right here in Morgan City and St. Mary Parish. . For more information about Field Day or Amateur Radio, contact Jackie Price or anyone of the hams in our area. Or, you can visit www.arrl.org/what-is-ham-radio.

LSU board takes Middleton name off university library

Mon, 06/22/2020 - 1:20pm

DAVID JACOBS, The Center Square

The LSU Board of Supervisors on Friday voted without objection to strip the name of a former school president and segregationist from the main campus library.
Troy H. Middleton was a senior Army officer best known for his role in World War II’s “Battle of the Bulge.” He was LSU’s president from 1951 until 1962.
Black student leaders launched the effort to rename Middleton Library, citing its namesake’s staunch opposition to integration during his years leading the school. A new name has not been selected.
“LSU students shouldn’t be asked to study in a library bearing the name of someone who didn’t want them to be LSU students,” Gov. John Bel Edwards said during the board’s online meeting. “The fact that he was a great military leader doesn’t erase the fact that as president of LSU he held well-documented segregationist beliefs and he conformed his actions to those beliefs.”
Woody Jenkins, a former Louisiana legislator and friend of the Middleton family, argued against the decision. He said Middleton chaired a 1965 commission that worked to implement the federal Civil Rights Act in Louisiana.
“To pull out one or two comments from the 1950s or early 60s does not tell the story of Troy Middleton,” Jenkins said. “He wanted to implement the civil rights law of the United States.”
Katrina Dunn, president of the LSU A.P. Tureaud Sr. Black Alumni Chapter, said Middleton failed to protect the university’s first black undergraduate student, who faced persistent harassment and left campus after one semester.
“This is not an erasure of history,” she said. “This is a reckoning.”
Board member James Williams said Middleton’s segregationist views amount to more than “just a few stray comments.” He quoted a 1956 letter in which Middleton said, “I do not want negro students at LSU, I believe in segregation of the races, and no matter what may come, I shall not associate with negroes.”
Williams also cited Board of Supervisor minutes in which Middleton claimed LSU “has done more than any institution, organization or individual to preserve segregation in Louisiana.”
“I gagged when I read that,” Williams said.
Diversity training will be mandated for faculty across the system’s campuses and for the supervisors, and assuming the full board approves, the supervisors will establish a new standing committee focused on social justice and inclusion, board Chairwoman Mary Werner said.
“We join our students to say that black lives do matter,” interim university President Tom Galligan said. “We all know there’s more work to be done.”

Fête-Dieu du Teche set for Aug. 15

Mon, 06/22/2020 - 1:19pm

Fête-Dieu du Teche 2020, a unique 40-mile eucharistic procession by boat and foot, will take place on the Feast of the Assumption, Saturday, Aug. 15.
All are invited to a Mass in French with Bishop Douglas Deshotel and concelebrating priests at St. Leo the Great Catholic Church in Leonville. At the end of Mass there will be a procession with the Blessed Sacrament and a statue of Mary and St. Joseph to the nearby boat landing.
At 9:30 a.m., boats will depart in procession down the Teche toward St. Martinville, retracing the voyage made by the Acadians 255 years ago. The boat procession will stop at churches in the towns along the Teche for Rosary and Benediction (arriving at Arnaudville behind St. Francis Regis at 10:20 a.m.; arriving behind St. Joseph Church in Cecilia at 11:45 a.m.; arriving at the Pavilion behind St. Bernard Church in Breaux Bridge at 1:35 p.m.; arriving at the park behind St. Joseph Church in Parks at 3:15 p.m.; and arriving at Old Market Street in St Martinville at about 4:45 p.m.).
Upon arriving in St. Martinville, a foot procession will commence to Notre Dame de Perpetual Secours for Benediction, then to St. Martin de Tours for Benediction, and finally down main street to Mater Dolorosa Chapel for Solemn Vespers and Benediction at 5:30 p.m. Confessions will be heard in mobile units at each of the stops along the way.
Pope Francis has granted participants of Fȇte-Dieu du Teche a Plenary Indulgence.
The indulgence is valid on Aug. 15 for those who attend the 8 am French Mass in Leonville, those who make the procession by boat, and those who participate in the devotions at one of the many stops along the Teche. Those who are impeded for a serious reason from physically attending the procession may also gain the indulgence by spiritually uniting their prayers and trials.
The pope asks participants to pray for fidelity to the Christian vocation, for the good of the family, and for priestly and religious vocations. If you have a boat, register it now at www.jesuscrucified.net/events/fete-dieu-du-teche-2020/form
If you don’t have a boat, follow by vehicle and join us at one or all of the stops for the Rosary and Benediction.
For more information or to register a boat visit our website at www.jesuscrucified.net, visit us on FB at www.facebook.com/CommunityofJesusCrucified, send us an email at fetedieuduteche@gmail.com, or call 337-394-6550.

24 new COVD cases, no deaths in local parishes

Mon, 06/22/2020 - 1:13pm

Twenty-four new COVID-19 cases were reported in St. Mary, St. Martin and Assumption on Monday, a day when numbers are usually low after testing labs are off for the weekend.

Statewide, 461 new cases were reported, and the number of people in hospitals rose by 41 since Sunday.

In St. Mary, nine new cases raised the total since the pandemic began to 393 with 35 deaths.

In St. Martin, 12 new cases makes the total 526 with 28 deaths. And in Assumption, three new cases raised the pandemic total to 330 with 14 deaths.

The state's total number of positive tests is now 50,239, and the number of hospitalizations is 630. Eight more people are on ventilators for a total of 77.

Eleven new deaths were reported, making the pandemic's toll 3,004.

Get It Growing: Create a backyard paradise

Mon, 06/22/2020 - 8:54am

By HEATHER KIRK-BALLARD, LSU AgCenter Horticulturist

Do you ever dream of lush gardens filled with exotic, tropical plants? During this time when folks are still cautiously quarantining, you can create a tranquil oasis of your own. When you can’t get to the tropics, why not bring the tropics to you?
Tropical gardens like lots of sun, soaring temperatures and plenty of daylight. Lucky for us, we live in a subtropical climate in USDA hardiness zones 8 and 9. Summers are tropical, full of extreme heat and lots of precipitation. Louisiana averages 50 to 60 inches of annual rainfall.
These characteristics make it possible to have a tropical garden look. You can design a garden that includes flora from tropical climates that are low maintenance and beautiful by filling your garden with lush foliage and beautiful blooms.
Density is key for a tropical garden. Go for large, bold leaves and bright flowers to add a tropical feel to the area. The more exotic, colorful and bright the flowers are, the more you will feel like you’re really in a tropical garden.
Start with large-leaved plants that add a dramatic tropical statement. They will need room, so consider their placement and then work from there. If you have palm trees or wish to plant some, they can set the backdrop.
Here are some large-leaf plants to consider:
—Philodendrons have large, glossy green, heavily lobed leaves. Cut-leaf Philodendron (Selloum P. bipinnatifidum) can grow 4 feet across one leaf and as tall as 10 feet. It prefers shade or partial sun. Xanadu is a popular cultivar that is compact with smaller leaves. Note that all parts of these plants are poisonous if ingested.
—Elephant ears (Colocasia esculenta) have large leaves ranging in color from green to purple, and some are variegated. They grow 3 to 6 feet tall with leaves spanning 3 feet or more across.
—Giant taro or upright elephant ear (Alocasia spp.) has large, long, shiny green blades (that can also be purple or variegated) and can grow in height to 4 to 6 feet and span 3 feet in width. Plant it in sun to partial shade.
—Ti plant (Cordyline fruticose) has slender, sword-like leaves with vibrant colors of fuchsia, burgundy, green and cream. This grows to 4 to 6 feet in height with a palm-like appearance. Plant it in full sun or filtered shade.
—Cannas (Cannas x generalis) have large, colorful foliage with broad leaves 6 to 12 inches long in colors from green to bronze to deep lavender. They also have beautiful flowers of red, pink, yellow, orange and cream.
—Bananas (Musa spp.) can be used in the landscape to add an effortless tropical effect. They have large lush leaves that add great texture. Grow them in partial shade to full sun. Banana fruits are a bonus.
Vines are another essential element of a tropical garden design. Here are some to consider:
—Allamanda cathartica has prolific yellow flowers with elliptical green leaves and thrives in full sun.
—Mandevilla is an evergreen vine with large deep green leaves and pink tubular flowers. Alice du Pont is the most popular variety. Plant this in full sun to partial shade and be sure to provide a trellis.
—Passionflower (Pass-iflora) is a native vine that thrives in high humidity. It can be prolific in full to partial sun and in any soil. With beautiful, unique blooms, passionflower is the host plant for the Gulf Coast fritillary butterfly.
—Bougainvillea is a vigorous, evergreen, woody vine with thorns and a very popular tropical plant. The flowers, actually bracts, come in bright colors of fuchsia, purple, pink, orange and white. They thrive in full sun and are prolific bloomers.
—Coral vine (Anti-gonon leptopus) is easy-care, with large, hanging clusters of pink, red or white flowers. A vigorous grower with heart-shaped leaves and a long bloom season, coral vine is drought tolerant. It prefers full sun and thrives in almost any kind of soil.
Perennial, showy flowers that can create a tropical effect include:
—Hardy hibiscus (Hibiscus moscheutos) come in all shapes, color and sizes. Nothing says tropical more than hibiscus. Chinese hibiscus, Rose of China H. rosa-sinensis, is the most popular of the hibiscus. Today, the hundreds of hybrids are available in thousands of color combinations.
—Giant bird of paradise (Strelitzia nicolai) has beautiful, orange, crane-like flowers against huge, blue-green leaves. A very striking tropical bloomer, this plant prefers full sun to part shade.
—Esperanza, yellow bells (Tacoma stans) is a deciduous shrub that produces bright yellow, bell-shaped flowers from late spring to winter. It likes full sun and will grow 3 to 5 feet tall.
—Firecracker plant (Russelia equisataformis) is an evergreen shrub with red and yellow tubular flowers on cascading stems. Planted in full sun to part shade, it grows 4 feet tall by 4 feet wide.
—Hummingbird bush (Hamelia patens) is a shrub that grows to 6 to 10 feet tall and produces red-orange tubular flowers from early summer to late fall. It performs best in full sun. Try Lime Sizzler, a Louisiana Super Plant.
Tropical plants for shade include:
—Firespike (Odon-tonema callistachyum) is one of the best blooming plants for shady areas. Blooms grow above the foliage on long shoots in brilliant spikes of deep red, violet and purple. Firespike can be grown in heavy clay soils and wet conditions.
—Caladiums make a strong visual statement when planted in one mass color with shades that range from pure white to burgundy. The many variegated types in between can brighten a shady garden.
—Bleeding heart vine (Clerodendrum thomsoniae) prefers partial shade. Its spectacular flowers are cream-colored and heart-shaped with protruding red petals and long white stamens.
Don’t forget the gingers. With thousands of species to choose from, they thrive in shade and adequate moisture.
Water puts the finishing touch on your tropical oasis. Place a water feature or fountain in your design.
By creating a tropical garden, you can enjoy a staycation in your own home year-round.

Widower grasps for ways to fill void left by wife

Mon, 06/22/2020 - 8:49am

By Jeanne Phillips, ©United Features Syndicate

DEAR ABBY: My beautiful wife just passed away from ovarian cancer. She was only 48. She was my perfect life partner for 28 years and everything in the world to me. We shared every day together. I didn’t have any hobbies or guy friends; all I ever wanted was to be with her.
I’m not asking for help with grief, as there is no getting over what happened. But I became so emotionally dependent on her that I find myself like an addict in withdrawal. Because of this, I’m afraid I will appear to be desperate if I even talk to another woman. I need someone in my life. I just don’t know how to get from hollow to whole again.
Please help me figure out how to let someone know I would be a good and faithful partner without hanging a sign around my neck that says “Desperate!”
IN NEED OF SOMEONE

DEAR IN NEED: Allow me to offer my deepest sympathy for the loss of your beloved wife, but please don’t jump the gun. Before searching for another wife, it’s important you figure out the boundary between where you left off and your wife began.
While the closeness you shared was a special gift, I urge you to allow yourself time to heal from this great loss. By that, I am not implying that you should go into seclusion. Quite the contrary. But instead of searching for someone to fill the hole in your life, it would be healthier to start by looking for friends.
Friends are easy to talk to, and from friendships deeper relationships develop.
Explore activities that interest you, whether they be sports-related, continuing your education, the arts, volunteer work. If you get stuck, ask for a referral to a grief support group or a therapist.
You WILL get through this, but it will take time for the ache to subside. Have faith, accept it, go slow and you won’t regret it.

DEAR ABBY: My fiancé, “Jay,” has a 14-year-old daughter who has been home-schooling during the quarantine, and she refuses to put pants on. When we ask her to, she gets upset. She isn’t built like the average teenager. Abby, she’s 5’10” and weighs 200 pounds, so it’s like seeing a grown woman in her underwear.
I think it’s inappropriate for a young woman her age to be unwilling to dress herself fully, and I don’t like seeing her like that every time I go to their house.
Jay doesn’t notice. He says it doesn’t bother him, and he doesn’t mind when I ask her to put shorts on. I don’t feel it’s my place at this point to dictate what she wears, but I’m uncomfortable. I don’t know if I’m crossing a line or if it’s normal to feel this way. Help!
DIDN’T THINK I WAS A PRUDE

DEAR DIDN’T: Your fiancé is OK with his daughter’s attire in their home. If your engagement to Jay leads to marriage, you will be living there permanently, so your opinion should be respected.
Someone has to have “the talk” with your fiancé’s daughter about the fact she’s no longer a child; she has become a young woman. The person to do that is her father. The message would be better coming from him because you’re not her parent, and it may help you avoid being perceived as the “wicked stepmother- to-be.”
***
For everything you need to know about wedding planning, order “How to Have a Lovely Wedding.” Send your name and mailing address, plus check or money order for $8 to: Dear Abby, Wedding Booklet, P.O. Box 447, Mount Morris, IL 61054-0447.

Drive-through COVID testing begins Tuesday at Morgan City Walmart

Sun, 06/21/2020 - 3:41pm

A COVID-19 drive-through testing site will open on Tuesday, June 23, at the drive-through pharmacy window of the Walmart Neighborhood Market, 1002 La. 70, Morgan City.
The site is supported by Walmart, Quest Diagnostics, and state and local officials. Testing is available for adults who meets Centers for Disease Control and state and local guidelines on who should be tested, including first responders, health care providers and others with symptoms of COVID-19. Please note, testing is not available inside Walmart stores.
“Walmart is part of the community, and we are proud to help support the expansion of COVID-19 testing in Morgan City during this time,” said Tice White, Walmart public affairs director for Louisiana. “We are grateful to our pharmacists and associates who are supporting these testing sites, and to Quest Diagnostics and local officials as we work together to open the site and help our community.”
Details regarding the testing site:
—Located at the Walmart Neighborhood Market pharmacy drive-through window at 1002 La., 70, Morgan City.
—The site is open 8-9 a.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays weekly, weather permitting.
—Testing is for adults who meet CDC and state and local guidelines on who should be tested, including first responders, health care providers and others with symptoms of COVID-19.
—Individuals must be 18 years and older.
—The testing site will require an appointment through Quest’s MyQuestTM online portal and app, www.MyQuestCOVIDTest.com, which will screen and schedule appointments for those individuals that meet medical eligibility for the testing sites.
—Once on site, those being tested will need to wear a mask and stay in their cars for verification of eligibility criteria, ID check and self-administered test. For the safety of all those on-site, the test site is not available to those who walk up.
—The site will use a self-administered nasal swab test that will allow those being tested to swab their own nose onsite while in their vehicles, observed by a trained medical volunteer to ensure the sample is taken correctly, and drop the sealed sample into a container on their way out of the drive-thru site.
—Quest Diagnostics will handle processing test samples and communicating results to those tested and applicable departments of health.
—Any questions regarding testing and appointments, please call Quest’s dedicated COVID-19 line at 866-448-7719, Monday through Friday, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time.
The site will be staffed by Walmart pharmacists and associates.
—While individuals who are tested are awaiting results, please follow CDC guidelines and take steps to help prevent the virus from spreading to people in your home and community.
For information on how Walmart is supporting COVI9-19 Drive-Thru Testing, visit https://corporate.walmart.com/covid19testing

11 new COVID-19 cases, no deaths reported Sunday

Sun, 06/21/2020 - 12:03pm

Six new COVID-19 cases were reported in St. Mary and five in St. Martin in Sunday's midday Office of Health statistics.

No new deaths were reported for those parishes or Assumption, which had no new cases.

The six St. Mary cases raised the number of positives tests to 384 with 35 deaths.

St. Martin ended a week of unusually high numbers of new cases with a more average total of five Sunday, raising the parish total to 514. Twenty-eight St. Martin people have died.

Assumption's numbers remained at 327 cases and 14 deaths.

Statewide:

--420 new cases raised the total to 49,477.

--1 new death raised that total to 2,993.

--15 more people were hospitalized for a total of 589.

--4 fewer people, a total of 69, are on ventilators.