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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.

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
****
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.

It looks like it’s time to get out the soap powder in Louisiana and the rest of the nation. In protests all over the country, there is a growing call for the banishment of whatever tattered remnants are left from the aftermath of the Civil War. Not just flags, but monuments, names, Dukes of Hazzard, Aunt Jemima syrup, Uncle Ben’s rice, Gone with the Wind, they all have to go. The cultural cleansing in the Bayou state has begun.
Of course the Confederate flags should come down from public buildings, and should have been lowered years ago. But the question is, just how far should government bodies go to pacify those who feel offended by tax dollars being used to maintain past symbols; reminders of a once divisive nation that are an affront to many black Americans.
Actually, despite newspaper accounts otherwise, the Confederate flag never flew above the state capitol in Baton Rouge, both during the time of the Civil War, and in the years afterword. Louisiana adopted its own flag of secession, comprised of a yellow star on a red background. Want to see what it looked like? Check out the present flag of Viet Nam.
So what happens now? Do reasonable voices want to open up a discussion to learn from history, or will there be an emotional reaction to determine and shape history?
Do we purge symbols and inscriptions of the past that causes discomfort to some? Isn’t that what ISIS is doing in the Middle East; wiping out monuments that commemorate both the good and the bad of a region’s history?
If there is an effort to wash away memorials that defined the state’s mindset of slave ownership at a certain time in its past, then just how far does the “cleansing” go? New Orleans recently took down the statute of Gen. Robert E. Lee since he led the war effort for the South. Lee never owned a slave.
The leader of the Union Army and future president Gen. Ulysses S. Grant was a slave owner. Go figure.
Do we change the name of Grant Parish to dishonor the Union president who himself was the owner of slaves? For that matter, what about the nation’s first president George Washington, who owned 316 slaves? Should folks in Washington Parish start searching for a new name?
How about Jefferson Parish, whose presidential namesake owned 171 slaves and fathered several children by one? The same concerns are now front and center for those who live in Madison and Jackson Parishes, both named after slaveholding presidents. In fact, eleven presidents were slave owners.
Jefferson Davis Parish is certainly at risk along with Ft. Polk, named after Confederate General Leonidas Polk. And families in Lafayette may witness an assault on the statute of Louisiana Governor, U.S. Sen. and Confederate Gen. Alexandre Mouton who was president of the state’s secession convention to leave the Union 1861.
Now, for a real shocker! The LSU Tigers were named after a Confederate Army unit called the Louisiana Fighting Tigers that fought in a number of Civil War encounters, often joined in battle with another Louisiana unit call the Pelican Brigade. So if some within the state’s leadership feel pressure to demonize the past, then could we see a name change from the LSU Fighting Tigers in favor of a name more politically correct?
And let’s not even get started on the plight of the American Indian, whose tribes were assaulted, sometimes massacred and eradicated as America expanded to the West, all under the red, white and blue.
Not a Confederate flag, but the American flag. Is what’s good for the goose, good for the gander, or do we ignore this wretched period of American history?
A cultural purge of historical monuments opens old wounds, and stands in the way of meaningful understanding of a new generation living in a new South.
Political grandstanding can do little more than widen an already growing racial divide. Learning from history should be the bellwether, not a doleful attempt to rewrite the colorful and often controversial highs and lows of our nation’s past.
“The most effective way to destroy people is to deny and obliterate their own understanding of their history.”
― George Orwell
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

A change order was approved by Baldwin’s board of alderman Thursday, for the town’s water meter contract with Sustainability Partners, due to the town’s having had to add meters to the number originally estimated would be needed to complete the process of installation.
Baldwin Mayor Abel “Phil” Prejean explained, “The installation of the new water meters is complete. There is an amended number (of water meters installed). The price is actually a little less than was originally quoted. It took almost a year to get it done, so there were some additional meters that were added, but it didn’t affect the cost (negatively).”
Also at Thursday’s regular town hall meeting was discussed a possible mobile home ordinance to address issues of overcrowded lots, infrastructure necessities, and inspections.
It was concluded that the town most likely already has an ordinance to address such concerns, however outdated and in need of revision.
The task of revising and updating the ordinance fell to Baldwin Town Attorney Joseph Tabb, who assured the board and mayor that the task would be completed soon.
In other news, it was approved to overlay Lincoln Street using allocated grant funds, and that any leftover funds be used to address any other necessary road repairs in other parts of town.
There were three tabled agenda items at the meeting: acceptance of the treasurer’s report for April, due to Alderwoman Margaret Coleman reportedly having not received a copy of the report; an ordinance to adopt the budget for the fiscal year 2021, due to changes needing to be made; and a proposed contract with Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development for railroad crossing closures for changes to be made to access roads, due to unresolved concerns of possible private property infringement.
Announcements included: A community prayer vigil for relief in troubled times will be held June 27 at 3 p.m. at the Baldwin Volunteer Fire Department, Prejean asked for Baldwin residents to please make sure they file with the 2020 Census, and a letter of respect was requested for the passing of Mary Lockley, Baldwin’s parish school board representative for 30 years.