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Game on: High school athletes go back to work

Wed, 06/17/2020 - 2:09pm

GEOFF STOUTE

Area prep athletes began strength and conditioning exercises again after a hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic but are under the watchful eye of coaches and with precautions to help prevent spread of the virus.
Coaches at Patterson and Berwick high schools said temperatures are taken prior to each workout to determine if they have a fever, while students are asked questions to determine if they have any symptoms of the virus.
Central Catholic Athletic Director Ree Case said if athletes are not feeling well, they are told to stay home.
And that’s just to get to the workouts for the different schools.
Once they are cleared for workouts, at Patterson High, they work out outside as the weight room has been moved under a canopy.
“Coaches are working their tails off moving all this equipment around, doing extra work on top of setting up hand sanitizers and setting up wipes, and wiping down everything between every set,” Patterson Athletic Director/Head Football Coach Zach Lochard said. “The kids are doing a tremendous job helping.”
The three schools The Daily Review were able to reach said weight equipment is sanitized to kill any germs that may cause their athletes to become ill.
At Berwick, Athletic Director/Head Football Coach Mike Walker said groups are limited to 25 people at a time in the weight room or the gym. He said boys work out the first half of the day, while girls lift the second half.
At Central Catholic, the reintroduction of athletes to conditioning has been “staggered,” Case said, and even those groups have been split up.
The football team started workouts last week, but they were divided into groups that they must remain in.
This week, the volleyball and softball teams will begin workouts, and next week, the school’s junior high programs will return for conditioning.
While the athletes from different sports are not in the same place simultaneously, Case said, “there will be more people on campus this week than there was last week.”
Because things are staggered, there is no loitering after workouts are complete.
“Whenever your time’s over, you got to leave,” Case said.
The coaches all agreed it was good to have their athletes back, and coaches said the virus has definitely shown everyone not to take sports for granted.
“I think our kids are definitely eager,” Walker said, noting they understand why the coaches preach them giving their best effort. “Because you truly don’t know when it’s going to be your last rep.”
Case said the quarantine was tough for all.
“This was definitely not a summer vacation when we were off,” he said. “The kids didn’t like it. The coaches didn’t like it. The teachers didn’t like it. We knew we had to do it, but it wasn’t like a vacation.”
Lochard said that the turnout in week one of workouts was great.
“Guys have come with a great work ethic,” he said. “No one’s been late. Everyone’s given tremendous effort. They’re encouraging each other. It’s been nothing but positive this first week.”
Moving forward for football season, Walker said the Panthers are just preparing as normal as best they can, even though they don’t know what the fall will bring.
“We’re going to move forward as if the season’s going to start on the dates that they told us it was going to start on, that it was always going to start, and we’re going to operate under that assumption until we’re told differently,” he said. “We’re following all the LHSAA guidelines, so whatever they tell us to do, that’s what we’re going to do.”

Levee District moves ahead with plan for Lakeside

Wed, 06/17/2020 - 2:03pm

Staff Report

The staff of the St. Mary Parish Levee District is looking for a consensus among Lakeside subdivision homeowners and the larger public on the last big piece of the Morgan City levee improvements.
The improvements are designed to bring Morgan City’s levee system to a level offering protection from a 100-year flood event. The improvements promise protection not just from injuries and property damage, but also from future premium increases for homeowners enrolled in the chronically underfunded National Flood Insurance Program.
The project is complicated by the need to offer flood protection for a subdivision that, as the name suggests, is supposed to offer lakeside living.
The Levee District staff has identified a solution for the Siracusa-Lakeside area, a solution that includes a breakwater. At this stage, the estimated cost would be about $20 million, said Director Tim Matte.
Plans are to meet with the 15 most-affected Lakeside property owners to get their feelings about the plan, Matte said. Then the plans are to get public feedback on the project.
Matte said the district wanted to see what the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the U.S. agency that administers the flood insurance program and develops flood plain maps, thinks about the plans for Lakeside.
FEMA came back with a request for a memo, which the staff is working on.
If the Levee District can build a consensus around a plan, it will still have to find the money to do the engineering and the physical work needed to make the project a reality.
No definite source of funds has been identified. Matte mentioned the possibility of working with the Louisiana Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority and seeking funds under the Gulf of Mexico Energy Security Act.
GOMESA, as it’s known, became law in 2006 and offers a share of federal offshore energy revenue to Gulf Coast communities from Texas to Alabama “to be used for coastal conservation, restoration and hurricane protection,” according to the Bureau of Offshore Energy Management website.
The Levee District has been working with St. Mary Consolidated Gravity District No. 2 and parish government staff members on other portions of the levee improvements.
The Lakeside work would add to a list of major projects undertaken by the Levee District recently for flood control.
Along with a list of smaller projects, the Levee District has awarded contracts for the two major phases of the Bayou Chene permanent flood control structure.
That work, designed to prevent the back-flooding that occurs in lower St. Martin and Lake Palourde when the Atchafalaya River is high, is expected to cost $80 million.
Earlier this year, the district used Department of Transportation and Development funding to begin construction on the Bayou Teche flood control structure near Franklin.
At a cost of $12 million, the Bayou Teche work will offer protection in the Franklin, Garden City and Centerville areas from flooding when a storm surge sends water running back up the Charenton Canal.

In Jonesboro, black citizens confronted prejudice

Wed, 06/17/2020 - 1:59pm

First in a series

BAILEY WILLIAMS, LSU Manship School News Service 

On a July night in Jonesboro in 1964, the rumble of engines encroached on a quiet, black neighborhood then known as “The Quarters.” As residents stepped out onto their porches, they observed a line of cars—maybe 50 in all—with two to four men in each vehicle, their faces covered by white hoods.
As the Ku Klux Klan motorcade, lit up by the assistant chief of police car in front, paraded through the neighborhood, the intruders jeered and cursed. In their wake, sheets of paper fluttered through the air before settling onto the unpaved road. Alarmed parents instructed their children to stay inside and away from windows.
Once the cars moved on, neighbors gathered the litter from the streets. The KKK leaflets threatened retaliation if African-Americans engaged with the Congress of Racial Equality (CORE), a civil rights group that assisted black communities with voter registration and integration of public facilities.
A mill town in Jackson Parish, Jonesboro is located at the center of north Louisiana. Its economy a half-century ago was fueled by the timber industry, paper and sawmills, as well as a canning company. In 1964, as Jackson Parish native Jimmie Davis completed his final term as governor, the parish population stood at about 16,000. Over a fourth of the residents lived in Jonesboro. The town was founded during the Civil War, and in the years afterward the Jim Crow mentality was firmly established.  
CORE arrived in Jonesboro earlier in this “Freedom Summer” of 1964. The activists busied themselves organizing voter registration drives from within the confines of black churches. They also joined demonstrations to desegregate public accommodations, such as the restaurants and the community swimming pool. CORE’s presence, as well as the enactment of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, moved racial tensions to a new height.
Alarmed by the motor parade and the threat against CORE, black residents ran back to their homes to retrieve their shotguns and pistols. Some stayed behind to defend their property, while another group headed to the Freedom House, CORE’s lodging, and stood guard until daylight. The Klansmen did not return that night.
Klansmen were wrong to think that their motorcade and threats would cower the black community. Instead, hundreds of black residents crammed wall-to-wall onto the second floor of their Masonic Hall building, the KKK leaflets clenched tight into their fists.
The cold hard facts were clear: If cops were supporting the Klan’s attempt to intimidate black neighborhoods, the citizens could only rely on themselves for protection.

Time to take
a stand
One attendee at this meeting was Rev. Frederick Douglass Kirkpatrick. Named after the abolitionist, Kirkpatrick was a force in both stature and ambition. He stood tall at 6 feet 4 inches and weighed 260 pounds.
Formerly a football star at Grambling University, Kirkpatrick in 1964 was the gym and football coach at Jackson High School, the segregated black school in Jonesboro. The students nicknamed him “Boogie Chillen” because he carried his guitar around the school and played songs during classroom breaks.
In the years ahead, Kirkpatrick would pursue a career in folk music, singing about civil rights while also leading demonstrations around the country. In 1972, he recorded his own song, “The Deacons,” which detailed the meeting in the Masonic Hall, the moment when a group of black men realized it was time to take a stand against the violence.
This birth of the Deacons for Defense and Justice in Louisiana came at a time when Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. was preaching non-violent civil disobedience. However, Klan violence against black neighborhoods in rural areas like Jonesboro was ramping up with frequent cross burnings, arsons, harassment and murder. Armed self-defense seemed like the only option, and the Deacons may have been the first, and certainly became the largest, group in Louisiana to espouse this view.
The rise of the Deacons is painted vividly in FBI documents obtained through the Freedom of Information Act by the LSU Manship School of Mass Communication’s Cold Case Project. The 606-page file had never been released publicly, and it makes clear that the Deacon’s intention was never to provoke violence or fire the first shot but just to ward off violence.
Six months after the Masonic Hall meeting, in January 1965, Jonesboro CORE Representative Charles Joseph Fenton advised an FBI agent of the establishment of the Deacons. For the first time, the organization was on the radar at the bureau, which was closely monitoring Klan activities. A young, white New Yorker thirsty to make a difference, Fenton had taken on the role as liaison between CORE and the Deacons, his trusty dog Duffy by his side.
Fenton explained that the Deacons had “purposes much the same” as CORE. However, according to an FBI summary of the interview, Fenton also said the group was “more militant than CORE and that it would be more inclined to use violence in dealing with any violent opposition encountered in civil rights matters.” He added that armed Deacons patrolled and defended the black section of Jonesboro at night.
The Deacon files, coupled with other FBI documents compiled by the LSU Cold Case Project over the years, show the rise of KKK activity in the state, including the formation of the Original Knights in Shreveport-Bossier in 1960 and the intrusion of the United Klans of America, based in Alabama, in 1963.
In March 1965, according to FBI files, a United Klans unit from Monroe arrived in Jonesboro with plans to retaliate against civil rights activists wanting to integrate the white high school. Local Klansmen sometimes asked out-of-town units to handle certain projects. Targeted in Jonesboro were the black high schools, CORE headquarters and black neighborhoods.
But when the Monroe Klansmen made it to Jonesboro, they were greeted by three police officers, including the sheriff, who warned them to abandon their project because the FBI was aware of their plans. Also alerted was James Malcolm Edwards, a chiropractor in Jonesboro, who was named Grand Dragon (or statewide president) of the Louisiana Realm of the United Klans of America in late 1964.
Situations like these were among reasons the Deacons were desperately needed. As Kirkpatrick’s song notes,
“That is why the Deacons was born,
“To protect our families and our home
“Protect the lives of those that aren’t born
“For decent homes and schools,   
“and to fight against Jim Crow Rules 
“That is why the Deacons was born.” 

A trip to
Bogalusa

FBI agents also interviewed other Deacons, and Kirkpatrick told them that the Deacons worked “for the good of all people.” The word “deacon,” he said, reflected a position of leadership within the church, and the word “defense” signaled that they were peaceful but would “protect and defend themselves when necessary.”
Kirkpatrick’s song lyrics explain:
“Let’s call ourselves the Deacons 
“And they will have no fear.
“They’ll think we’re from the church 
“… And geez to our surprise, it really worked!” 
Using their own guns, the Deacons communicated with walkie-talkies and citizen band radios. They stood guard during demonstrations and marches to the courthouse. At night, they patrolled black neighborhoods to defend against troublemakers.
The Deacons counted about 30 members. Olen Satcher worked with Kirkpatrick at Jackson High School as the assistant football coach and driver’s education teacher. Henry Amos owned a service station. The treasurer, Cosetta Jackson, was an elderly cab driver who encouraged passengers to register to vote. Army Johnson owned Johnson’s Joy Room, a facility that featured a café, skating rink, barbershop, boarding house and a washateria.
A man had to be at least 21 to join the Deacons, be respected in the black community and pay dues and other fees totaling $35 annually.  These funds paid for pamphlets, radio equipment and charity donations and provided black residents with legal assistance during trials.
Soon, the Deacons began helping other Louisiana towns where public officials had looked away while the Klan attacked blacks with impunity.
Kirkpatrick’s song told the story:
“We went throughout the lands,
“Setting up chapters on every hand 
“We had our Bibles on our knees.
“Oh, you good Christians! 
“I know you don’t understand 
“Why we’re handing out 38s to our band.”
In late February 1965, shortly before the Deacons filed formal papers with the Louisiana Secretary of State to become a nonprofit organization, Kirkpatrick and other members of the Jonesboro group visited Bogalusa. Deacon’s Vice President Earnest ”Chilly Willy” Thomas, as well as Fenton and another CORE activist, William Yates, also went to Washington Parish. There, they met with the Bogalusa Voters and Civic League.  Their discussion centered on establishing a Deacons chapter in Bogalusa, the second of what would become four chapters in Louisiana.
The visitors outlined the organizational structure of the Deacons. According to an FBI summary of the meeting, Thomas advocated establishing a code system “through radio communication in which if one community needed help, Deacons from other communities could come assist.” Thomas asserted that the group required high-caliber weapons and ammunition by the case to fight Klansmen and white segregationists who resorted to violence.
He stressed that the Deacons had no intention of “starting anything” but would “combat violence with violence.” According to the FBI’s summary, he also said that “roving patrols were needed in trouble spots to assist blacks being arrested or attacked by police. If officers saw armed Negroes, they would back off.”
Thomas then made a claim so dubious and dangerous that a memo landed on the desk of FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover. According to the FBI’s summary, “Thomas said that his group has contacts in Chicago and Houston for automatic weapons and mentioned a .50 caliber and .30 caliber machine gun.”
This alarmed top FBI officials because they could see that Bogalusa was a powder keg. Given the turmoil during marches, counter-marches and Klan attacks, the bureau feared a Deacons chapter in Bogalusa would ignite a war with the Ku Klux Klan. Thomas’ claims of amassing weapons reaffirmed this fear.
In response, FBI headquarters instructed agents in Louisiana to “immediately initiate an intensive investigation” of the Deacons “because of the potential for violence indicated.” The bureau ordered its New Orleans field office to be “alert for indications of subversive and/or outside influence,” to determine whether the organization was spreading to other towns and to investigate Thomas’ claims that he had weapons contacts in Chicago and Houston.
Thomas’ militant speech was a double-edged sword. Taking on the self-serving role of the organization’s spokesman, he was traveling around the country by that June spreading news of the group. Articles about the Deacons popped up in national newspapers, including the Los Angeles Times and The New York Times.
Thomas embellished the Deacon’s accomplishments, chapters, and membership. He claimed that there were up to 55 Deacons chapters in the U.S.  It was an enormously inflated number, but Thomas’ fib served a purpose. It helped him raise money and potentially deterred attacks in communities believed to have had a Deacons presence.

Lives changed,
lives saved
A week later, after a second meeting in Bogalusa, the Jonesboro Deacons were on their way home in a Ford station wagon when they realized armed whites were tailing them. During a high-speed chase of up to 110 mph, the pursuers eventually backed off once the Deacons reached a bridge over the Mississippi River.
But there was trouble in Jonesboro, too, and one incident highlights the Deacons’ policy of fighting violence with violence.
After leaving a CORE meeting at the Johnson Joy Room, Deacon Elmo Jacobs offered a lending hand to a CORE student volunteer from Kansas, who had run out of gas. As Jacobs drove to his home to retrieve a gas can, a brown station wagon pulled ahead of his vehicle. At that moment, a white man pointed a single-barrel shotgun out the window and opened fire. The bullets pounded the metal of Jacobs’ car.
Fearing for his life, Jacobs brandished his .38-caliber pistol and fired—one—two—three—four shots in return. No one was hit. But following Deacon policy, Jacobs, in self-defense, had fought violence with violence.
According to FBI records, officers who served the Jonesboro Deacons were Percy Lee Bradford, president; Earnest Thomas, vice-president; Frederick Douglass Kirkpatrick, secretary; Cosetta Jackson, treasurer; and Allen Scherrah, financial secretary. Members included Henry Collins Amos, Otis Martin, Olen  Satcher, Elton Lee Patterson, Charlie White, Elmo Jacobs, Harvey Barnes, Edd Barnes, Jesse Lewis, Rudolph Patterson, Hose Barnes, W. C. Flanagan, J. B. Bolds, John Jackson, Johnny Bonier, Asper Reed, Frank Bolds, Joseph Doyle, Edgar Joe, Harvey Johnson, Rev. Sanders Thompson and Army Johnson.

Radio amateurs tune up for Field Day

Wed, 06/17/2020 - 1:56pm

Amateur radio operators Tina Galler, KA5HSL, and Rudy Duchane, WA5QNH, practiced logging into special events leading up to the upcoming Ham Radio Field Day contest weekend. The two-day event has amateur radio operators from all over the United States making as many contacts as they can with other operators worldwide. The event will begin at 1 p.m. Saturday, June 27, and end Sunday, June 28, at 4 p.m. and
is open public.

Submitted Photo

Conrad lands project for Great Lakes

Wed, 06/17/2020 - 1:55pm

Conrad Industries Inc. (OTC Pink: CNRD) announced that its subsidiary, Conrad Shipyard, LLC, has entered into a contract to construct a 6,500-cubic-yard-capacity trailing suction hopper dredge with Great Lakes Dredge & Dock Corp.
The dredge will be constructed at the Deepwater South shipyard in Amelia, with expected delivery in the first quarter of 2023.
Johnny Conrad, Chairman and CEO, commented, “Great Lakes has been a valued customer of Conrad, and we are honored to have been chosen to construct this highly automated vessel to complement Great Lakes’ existing fleet. We look forward to working with the Great Lakes’ team to provide another quality vessel to serve the U.S. dredging market.”

Sugar Cane Festival canceled

Wed, 06/17/2020 - 1:52pm

The Louisiana Sugar Cane Festival & Fair Association released the following letter regarding the 2020 festival:
“To our beloved sugar cane industry, supporters, sponsors and friends,
After months of deliberation the Louisiana Sugar Cane Festival & Fair Association Board of Directors came to the difficult and painful decision to cancel the 2020 festival.
"The hardships imposed upon our farmers and the many people involved from around the State of Louisiana cannot be overlooked. Financial and health issues due to the Covid-19 virus must be considered in these unprecedented times."
For more information, contact Lisa Duhelourd at 843-816-2209 or visit HiSugar.org.

Candidate announcement: Anthony J. Saleme Jr., 16th JDC judge

Wed, 06/17/2020 - 1:46pm

Anthony J. Saleme, Jr., a 23 year veteran of the 16th Judicial District Attorney’s Office, has officially announced his candidacy for District Court Judge — Division F of the Sixteenth Judicial District Court to replace the soon retiring Judge Gregory Aucoin.
Tony is a graduate of Central Catholic High School of Morgan City, the University of Louisiana at Lafayette (formerly the University of Southwestern Louisiana) and the Loyola University College of Law. He began his legal career as a law clerk for the 16th Judicial District Court, Division C, working for the Honorable Edward A. delaHoussaye and the Honorable John E. Conery. After a short time in private practice, Saleme was sworn in as a full-time Assistant District Attorney in St. Martin Parish under District Attorney Bernard E. Boudreaux on September 8, 1997. In January 2004, Saleme was transferred to the District Attorney’s Office in St. Mary Parish by District Attorney J. Phil Haney. Haney appointed Saleme as the head of the St. Mary Parish Office in 2013.
Saleme’s courtroom experience includes having tried over 40 jury trials and over 200 bench trials. In his 23 years in the District Attorney’s Office, he has personally handled over 11,000 cases and has overseen the handling of an additional 10,000 prosecutions by Assistant District Attorneys working under his supervision. During his tenure, Tony has worked with every department in the 16th Judicial District Attorney’s Office.
“I truly feel that my knowledge and understanding of the law, my 26 years in practice and my years of work in the courtroom qualify me as the most experienced candidate in this race.” notes Saleme. “And now, more than ever, the people of the 16th Judicial District need a judge they can trust and a judge who knows what they’re doing in the courtroom.”
Tony has lived his entire life in the 16th Judicial District, having resided in both St. Martin and St. Mary Parishes. Presently residing in Morgan City, Tony and his wife, Chelle Bourgeois Saleme, have four children, Anthony (16), Sofia (14), Franco (12) and Stella (9). They are parishioners of Holy Cross Catholic Church where Tony and Chelle both actively serve as lay ministers. Tony is a member of the Knights of Columbus Council 1710 in Patterson. Saleme is a member of the Louisiana and National District Attorneys’ Associations, the St. Mary Parish Bar Association (of which he is a former president), the Louisiana State Bar Association and the Inn on the Teche Chapter of the American Inns of Court. Saleme also holds memberships in the Franklin Rotary Club, National Rifle Association and Ducks Unlimited.
The primary election is set for Tuesday, November 3, 2020 with early voting scheduled for October 20 through October 27, 2020.
“I invite everyone from our district to educate themselves on the importance of our district court system, the qualifications of selecting their judges, as well as taking the time to review all of the candidates’ qualifications. Most importantly, exercise your constitutional right and cast your vote in the upcoming elections.” Saleme concludes.
For more information on this candidate including vital information regarding this election, please visit the candidates Committee to Elect website at www.SalemeForJudge.com or interact with the Committee on Facebook.

Man gets fourth marijuana charge

Wed, 06/17/2020 - 1:24pm

Staff Report
Morgan City police arrested a Uranus Street man Monday on his fourth marijuana possession charge, Police Chief James F. Blair said.
—Harvey John Morgan, 39, Uranus St., Morgan City, was arrested at 9:49 p.m. Monday on charges of fourth-offense possession of marijuana, possession of drug paraphernalia and tail lamps-license plate light.
—Blaze A Guerrero, 20, Brashear Avenue, Morgan City, was arrested at 9:49 p.m. Monday on a warrant for failure to appear.
An officer conducted a traffic stop in the area of Seventh Street and Clothilde Street for a traffic violation. The driver was identified as Morgan, along with his passenger, Guerrero.
During the traffic stop, Morgan was found in possession of suspected marijuana and drug paraphernalia. A warrant check revealed the City Court of Morgan City held an active warrant for Guerrero.
Morgan and Guerrero were placed under arrest and transported to the Morgan City Police Department for booking and incarceration.
Berwick Police Chief David Leonard reported this arrest:
—Deion J. Notto, 25, Tiffany Drive, Patterson, was arrested at 11:37 p.m. Monday on the charges of domestic abuse battery and unauthorized entry of an inhabited dwelling.
Officers responded to the 200 block of Oregon Street for a disturbance in progress. While en route, the caller indicated that the man was now hitting on a female inside of the residence.
Throughout the course of the investigation, officers learned that Notto entered the residence without permission and committed a battery upon the victim. Notto was placed under arrest and booked into the Berwick Jail with no bond set.
St. Mary Parish Sheriff Blaise Smith reported these arrests:
—Kevin B. Lynch Sr., 48, St. Michael Street, Patterson, was arrested at 3 p.m. Monday on a charge of failure to register as a sex offender. No bond has been set.
—Connie R. Monceaux, 40, Hunting Road, Franklin, was arrested at 5:25 p.m. Monday for aggravated cruelty to animals. Monceaux was released on her own recognizance.
—Troy L. Singleton Sr., 53, Lanceslin Street, Baldwin, was arrested at 9:49 p.m. Monday on a charge of driving while intoxicated and no tail lights. Singleton was released on a $2,750 bond.
—Ronald R. Demby Jr., 33, Gay Drive, Franklin, was arrested at 12:27 a.m. Tuesday on charges of improper lane usage and possession of marijuana. Demby was released on a summons to appear Sept. 24.
—Megan E. Hatcherson, 31, Sanders Street, Franklin, was arrested at 12:27 a.m. Tuesday on a charge of possession of marijuana. Hatcherson was released on a summons to appear Sept. 24.
Assumption Parish Sheriff Leland Falcon reported these arrests:
—Wade Paul Rives, 38, Shell Beach Road, Pierre Part, was arrested Monday on charges of possession of methamphetamine, expired motor vehicle inspection and no seat belt.
A uniformed patrol officer observed a vehicle commit a traffic violation on La. 70 near Pierre Part.
The deputy made contact with the driver, Rives. The deputy interviewed Rives and at some point, conducted a pat down search for officer safety.
In doing, so, the deputy seized an amount of methamphetamine.
Rives remains incarcerated pending a bond hearing.
—Michael Perera was arrested Monday on a charge of video voyeurism.
On or about Feb. 7, deputies responded to a complaint from a former domestic partner of Perera’s. The former partner alleged that Perera transmitted a photograph of graphic nature of her and he indicated that he had posted the images to a social media page.
A follow-up investigation by Sheriff’s Office deputies culminated with a warrant being filed for Perera May 31.
Perera was released on a $2,500 bond.

Morgan City police radio logs for June 15-16

Wed, 06/17/2020 - 12:59pm

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.
Monday, June 15
7:51 a.m. 500 block of Terrebonne Street; Theft.
8:30 a.m. 200 block of Everett Street; Traffic incident.
8:44 a.m. U.S. 90 East; Traffic incident.
8:58 a.m. 1900 block of Sixth Street; Medical.
9:27 a.m. 1000 block of Third Street; Theft.
9:29 a.m. 100 block of South Railroad Avenue; Medical.
11:08 a.m. 800 block of Ditch Avenue; Complaint.
11:38 a.m. 800 block of Hilda Street; Medical.
12:25 p.m. 300 block of Barrow Street; 911 hang up.
12:49 p.m. 2300 block of La. 70; Suspicious vehicle.
1:22 p.m. 1000 block of Third Street; Phone harassment.
2:13 p.m. 1000 block of La. 70; Complaint.
2:25 p.m. Fifth and Greenwood streets; Accident.
2:28 p.m. 1100 block of Ninth Street; Suspicious vehicle.
2:50 p.m. 3000 block of Allison Street; Complaint.
3:01 p.m. 300 block of Wren Street; Removal of subject.
4:50 p.m. 1200 block of Victor II Boulevard; Accident.
5:14 p.m. 2300 block of La. 70; Reckless driving.
5:40 p.m. U.S. 90 bridge Westbound; Stalled vehicle.
6:00 p.m. 1500 block of Ellzey Street; Animal complaint.
6:01 p.m. 1400 block of Elm Street; Animal complaint.
7:08 p.m. 700 block of Terrebonne Street; Medical emergency.
7:39 p.m. Federal Avenue and Leona Street area; Loud music.
8:19 p.m. 6300 block of La. 182; Criminal damage to property.
8:43 p.m. 3000 block of Francis Street; Animal complaint.
10:27 p.m. 100 block of Mount Street; Disturbance.
10:36 p.m. 1000 block of Eighth Street; Welfare concern.
Tuesday, June 16
4:11 a.m. 700 block of Belanger Street; Disturbance.

Where the oil price slump hit hardest

Wed, 06/17/2020 - 12:47pm

Lattice Publishing
The Center Square
The COVID-19 pandemic has sent the world economy into turmoil as lockdowns around the world have caused economic activity to grind to a halt.
The demand for oil has crashed in the wake of the growing pandemic, sending oil prices diving and even dipping below $0 per barrel.
The concentration of oil and gas extraction workers varies widely by location. At the state level, Oklahoma and Wyoming have the highest concentrations of workers in oil and gas extraction at 7.7 and 6.7 times the national average respectively. Texas, with a relative concentration of 5.8 times the national average, boasts the largest number of total oil and gas workers of any state.
To find the metropolitan areas hit hardest by the drop in oil prices, researchers at Construction Coverage ranked metro areas according to the relative concentration of employment in the oil and gas extraction industry. Researchers also looked at the total number of oil and gas extraction workers, the median earnings for those workers, and cost of living.
To improve relevance and accuracy, only metropolitan areas with at least 100,000 people were included in the analysis.
25. Charleston, West Virginia
Relative concentration of oil and gas workers: 2.3 times the national average
Number of oil and gas workers: 151
Total number of workers: 79,033
Median earnings for oil and gas workers: $90,000
Cost of living: 14% below average
24. Baton Rouge,
Louisiana
Relative concentration of oil and gas workers: 2.4 times the national average
Number of oil and gas workers: 760
Total number of workers: 393,009
Median earnings for oil and gas workers: $80,000
Cost of living: 7% below average
23. State College,
Pennsylvania
Relative concentration of oil and gas workers: 2.4 times the national average
Number of oil and gas workers: 153
Total number of workers: 76,627
Median earnings for oil and gas workers: $65,000
Cost of living: 3% above average
22. Pittsburgh,
Pennsylvania
Relative concentration of oil and gas workers: 2.7 times the national average
Number of oil and gas workers: 2,514
Total number of workers: 1,144,232
Median earnings for oil and gas workers: $75,000
Cost of living: 6% below average
21. Lubbock,
Texas
Relative concentration of oil and gas workers: 2.9 times the national average
Number of oil and gas workers: 359
Total number of workers: 151,707
Median earnings for oil and gas workers: $86,000
Cost of living: 7% below average
20. Roanoke,
Virginia
Relative concentration of oil and gas workers: 3.1 times the national average
Number of oil and gas workers: 397
Total number of workers: 158,089
Median earnings for oil and gas workers: Not available
Cost of living: 10% below average
19. Santa Maria-
Santa Barbara, California
Relative concentration of oil and gas workers: 3.5 times the national average
Number of oil and gas workers: 618
Total number of workers: 213,397
Median earnings for oil and gas workers: $70,000
Cost of living: 10% above average
18. Morgantown, West Virginia
Relative concentration of oil and gas workers: 3.5 times the national average
Number of oil and gas workers: 193
Total number of workers: 66,346
Median earnings for oil and gas workers: $72,000
Cost of living: 9% below average
17. Denver-
Aurora-
Lakewood,
Colorado
Relative concentration of oil and gas workers: 3.6 times the national average
Number of oil and gas workers: 4,899
Total number of workers: 1,677,095
Median earnings for oil and gas workers: $85,000
Cost of living: 6% above average
16. Bismarck,
North Dakota
Relative concentration of oil and gas workers: 4.1 times the national average
Number of oil and gas workers: 259
Total number of workers: 76,382
Median earnings for oil and gas workers: $100,000
Cost of living: 7% below average
15. Bakersfield,
California
Relative concentration of oil and gas workers: 4.3 times the national average
Number of oil and gas workers: 1,228
Total number of workers: 348,917
Median earnings for oil and gas workers: $120,000
Cost of living: 4% below average
14. Shreveport-
Bossier City,
Louisiana
Relative concentration of oil and gas workers: 4.4 times the national average
Number of oil and gas workers: 645
Total number of workers: 179,726
Median earnings for oil and gas workers: $58,000
Cost of living: 11% below average
13. Tyler,
Texas
Relative concentration of oil and gas workers: 5.0 times the national average
Number of oil and gas workers: 423
Total number of workers: 103,429
Median earnings for oil and gas workers: $100,000
Cost of living: 6% below average
12. Amarillo,
Texas
Relative concentration of oil and gas workers: 5.1 times the national average
Number of oil and gas workers: 522
Total number of workers: 125,842
Median earnings for oil and gas workers: $100,000
Cost of living: 7% below average
11. College
Station-Bryan,
Texas
Relative concentration of oil and gas workers: 5.3 times the national average
Number of oil and gas workers: 460
Total number of workers: 105,264
Median earnings for oil and gas workers: $60,000
Cost of living: 7% below average
10. Houma-
Thibodaux,
Louisiana
Relative concentration of oil and gas workers: 5.4 times the national average
Number of oil and gas workers: 447
Total number of workers: 100,206
Median earnings for oil and gas workers: $95,000
Cost of living: 10% below average
9. Lafayette,
Louisiana
Relative concentration of oil and gas workers: 5.6 times the national average
Number of oil and gas workers: 1,085
Total number of workers: 238,332
Median earnings for oil and gas workers: $111,000
Cost of living: 12% below average
8. San Angelo,
Texas
Relative concentration of oil and gas workers: 5.9 times the national average
Number of oil and gas workers: 273
Total number of workers: 56,396
Median earnings for oil and gas workers: $125,000
Cost of living: 7% below average
7. Anchorage,
Alaska
Relative concentration of oil and gas workers: 6.1 times the national average
Number of oil and gas workers: 1,124
Total number of workers: 223,143
Median earnings for oil and gas workers: $130,000
Cost of living: 8% above average
6. Fort Collins,
Colorado
Relative concentration of oil and gas workers: 7.1 times the national average
Number of oil and gas workers: 1,078
Total number of workers: 185,707
Median earnings for oil and gas workers: $80,000
Cost of living: 2% above average
5. Oklahoma City,
Oklahoma
Relative concentration of oil and gas workers: 7.7 times the national average
Number of oil and gas workers: 4,577
Total number of workers: 721,064
Median earnings for oil and gas workers: $95,000
Cost of living: 9% below average
4. Corpus Christi,
Texas
Relative concentration of oil and gas workers: 8.1 times the national average
Number of oil and gas workers: 1,451
Total number of workers: 217,105
Median earnings for oil and gas workers: $70,000
Cost of living: 6% below average
3. Odessa,
Texas
Relative concentration of oil and gas workers: 10.0 times the national average
Number of oil and gas workers: 621
Total number of workers: 75,980
Median earnings for oil and gas workers: Not available
Cost of living: 4% below average
2. Houston-
The Woodlands-Sugar Land, Texas
Relative concentration of oil and gas workers: 13.1 times the national average
Number of oil and gas workers: 35,927
Total number of workers: 3,335,536
Median earnings for oil and gas workers: $120,000
Cost of living: 2% above average
1. Midland,
Texas
Relative concentration of oil and gas workers: 88.1 times the national average
Number of oil and gas workers: 6,567
Total number of workers: 90,888
Median earnings for oil and gas workers: $85,000
Cost of living: Average
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Many of the locations with the highest concentration of oil and gas extraction workers are located in Texas, which is the leading producer of crude oil in the country. Texas employs over 65,000 workers in the oil and gas extraction industry, about half of the national total.
Oil and gas workers tend to have high median earnings — on average workers in the metros with the highest concentrations of oil and gas workers earn over $90,000 per year.