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PATRICIA VIGUERIE OLIVIER

Patricia Viguerie Olivier, 80, a native of Charenton and resident of New Iberia, passed away unexpectedly on Tuesday, May 19, 2020 at Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital.
Pat was born on August 31, 1939 at the Charenton beach to Francis and Clara Viguerie. She was a graduate of Franklin High School, Class of 1957. Pat then attended the Touro Infirmary School of Nursing in New Orleans, where she graduated in 1960 and became a Registered Nurse. Pat continued to build her career as a nurse and educator, and went on to teach nursing courses for nearly 30 years at Young Memorial Vo-Tech in Morgan City, La. “Ms. Pat”, as they would call her, is fondly remembered by many of her former students, some of whom she remained in touch with even recently. She loved the medical profession, loved caring for others and was proud to have had the privilege of passing down her knowledge to others. After retiring in 1995 at the age of 56, she continued to work as a Nurse in a variety of roles including home health and nursing home supervision. She kept her nursing license active and was still working PRN up until last year. Pat loved helping and giving to others, enjoyed traveling, bargain shopping, music and was an avid reader. She was full of random knowledge and could talk all day about historical events. Her family was her greatest joy and she loved holiday gatherings and spending time with her great grandchildren. Pat is survived by her three children, Jacqueline Scott and husband Gerald Scott of Charenton, daughter Suzanne Olivier and fiancé Janos Carter of New Iberia, and Thomas Olivier of Florida; one sister, Barbara Ardeneaux of Franklin; grandchildren, Jennifer Housley and fiancé Jeremiah of Morgan City, Jeremy Housley of Charenton, and Jessica Luna and husband Justin of Lafayette; great grandchildren, Giselle, Awbri, Juliette, Holland and Beckham; along with numerous cousins, nieces, nephews and friends. She was preceded in death by her parents Francis and Clara Viguerie. Pat will carry on her lifetime love of medical education, as it was her wish to donate her body to Tulane School of Medicine at Tulane University for research and education purposes. A celebration of life in her memory will be held at a later date. In lieu of flowers, memorials- donations may be sent to:
Tulane University
1430 Tulane Ave. 8649
New Orleans, La. 70112
Attn: Michael Evans
(Paid Notice)

Tuesday COVID report raises St. Martin's case count

Another 30 COVID-19 cases were reported for St. Martin Parish on Tuesday as the Louisiana Office of Public Health updated its totals with more backlogged test results from April.

The office reported 534 new COVID-19 cases Tuesday and said 148 reflected results from older tests, mostly in April.

Twenty-four deaths were reported statewide, raising that total to 2,930. And another 20 people were hospitalized, pushing that total to 588.

The 30 new cases mean 381 St. Martin people have tested positive. Another St. Martin death was also reported for a total of 28.

St. Mary has one new case for a total of 360. The death toll remains at 33.

Assumption has now had 276 cases after two more were reported Tuesday. Fourteen parish residents have died because of COVID-19.

River will soon fall below flood stage

The Daily Review/Bill Decker
Sometime Friday night, according to the National Weather Service, the Atchafalaya River at Morgan City will slip below 6.0 feet, the stage at which the river causes minor flooding between the flood walls in Morgan City and Berwick. The day will mark the first time in weeks the river has been below flood stage, and there has been no recurrence of the 2019 flooding and no Cristobal storm surge to match the Hurricane Barry surge last July.

Early voting for presidential primary begins Saturday

Staff Report
Louisiana people will get a voice in the presidential candidate selection process beginning Saturday, although the races appear to be all over but the shouting.
An extended early voting period begins Saturday for the Louisiana presidential primary. Under the Secretary of State Emergency Voting Plan, early voting will continue for an extra week until July 4. In-person voting will be July 11.
There’s not a lot of mystery left in the Republican and Democratic primary races for the 2020 nominations.
No serious threat to President Donald J. Trump’s nomination has emerged on the Republican side. Trump received 63% of St. Mary Parish’s votes against Democrat Hillary Clinton in the 2016 presidential election.
Former Vice President Joe Biden secured enough convention delegations to sew up the Democratic nomination June 6, although not without some drama along the way.
Biden stumbled through early contests in Iowa and New Hampshire before beginning his comeback with a big win in the South Carolina primary. Biden rolled on and eventually gathered support from his former opponents, including U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders in April, effectively ending the race.
So the major party nominations are clinched. But recent events, including the COVID-19 pandemic and the protests over the death of George Floyd in Minnesota have generated plenty of energy in the political debate.
Also July 11, St. Mary Democrats will vote for party officials at the state level.
In state House District 50, Alfreida B. Edwards is running against Leslie R. Kiyanfar. In District 51, Howard Castay is running against Clarence Williams.
Barely a month later, on Aug. 15, voters will head back to the polls for tax proposition elections.
One has attracted most of the interest: the St. Mary Parish School Board’s proposed 0.45% sales tax for teacher and staff raises.
The proposal, put forward in December, drew some quick opposition over its possible economic impact, notably from state Sen. Bret Allain, R-Franklin. Allain held up the original proposal, a half-cent tax to support technology enhancements as well as pay raises, in the State Bond Commission.
The School Board eventually scaled down the proposal, reducing the size of the tax and eliminating the dedication to technology. Board members had hoped to have the election this spring to have the funding in place for raises for the 2020-21 school year. Lafourche Parish also has a half-cent sales tax proposal for teacher pay, and board members said St. Mary competes with Lafourche for new teachers.
Just as a Bond Commission subcommittee approved St. Mary’s last proposal, the COVID-19 pandemic forced a delay in local elections.
Morgan City voters will also be asked to renew a 2-mill property tax to support Municipal Auditorium.
The deadline to register in person for the Aug. 15 election is July 15. Voters can register with the Geauxvote app until July 25. Early voting will be July 25-Aug. 8.
The Nov. 3 election will include the presidential election, the race for the U.S. Senate seat now held by Republican Bill Cassidy, the 3rd Congressional District seat now held by Republican Clay Higgins, 16th Judicial District judgeships, district attorney, Morgan City mayor and City Council seats, among other races.
The registration deadline for Nov. 3 will be Oct. 5 in person and Oct. 13 with Geauxvote. Early voting will be Oct. 20-27. Any runoffs would be Dec. 5.

Legislators look at more tax breaks and incentives

Louisiana lawmakers advanced more tax breaks and incentives Monday while raising concerns about whether the costs outweighed the benefits.
“Nobody takes lightly having to cut things out of the budget, or takes lightly having to raise taxes,” said Sen. Bret Allain, the Republican Revenue and Fiscal Affairs chairman. “As we continue rolling all these credits out here, we really need to be cognizant of what’s going to come next year.”
The House Ways and Means Committee moved along two bills meant to promote access to high-speed internet service. House Bill 68 would create a $500 tax credit per structure for providing broadband service, while House Bill 69 would create a sales tax exemption for fiber optic cables.
Though the federal government is preparing to spend $16 billion to promote broadband access in unserved areas, that’s not nearly enough money to fix the nationwide access problem, said Rep. Daryl Deshotel, an Avoyelles Parish Republican and fiber network consultant who sponsored both measures. The credit and tax exemption could encourage companies that benefit from the federal program to invest in Louisiana before the money runs out.
House Bill 68 in its current version would provide no more than $50 million in credits. The cost of House Bill 69 can’t be calculated without a couple years of data, Department of Revenue Secretary Kimberly Robinson said.
But supporters said providing broadband internet service to more homes and businesses could lead to job creation and higher property values, thereby creating additional tax revenue. Broadband access is the most important issue for members of the Louisiana Municipal Association, LMA Executive Counsel Karen White said.
Allain’s committee approved Senate Bill 24, which extends the life of the Angel Investor Tax Credit program (which is due to sunset next year) through 2025 and doubles the maximum amount that can be awarded in a year from $3.6 million to $7.2 million, while enhancing the credit for investments in low-income areas. It’s not a huge amount of money in $30-billion-plus state budget, Allain noted.
But the state’s hundreds of tax breaks and subsidies add up to billions of dollars, and the return on investment often is unclear.
“We need a holistic plan to realign all these things,” Allain said.

Caution is called for

The Daily Review/Bill Decker
Chris Darbonne of the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development mans the stop sign as workers lay asphalt Monday on the U.S. 90 service road at Berwick. The work Monday extended west from the A.J. Dohmann auto dealership.

ASHLEY DEAN MOORE JR.

April 9, 1993 — April 1, 2020
Ashley Dean Moore Jr., 26, of Morgan City, Louisiana, passed away on April 1, 2020, in Newark, NJ.
Virtual memorial will be held at 4 p.m. Friday, June 19, 2020, from the comfort in the spot in your heart where Ashley resided.
Ashley Dean Moore Jr. was born in Morgan City, Louisiana, to Ashley Dean Moore Sr. and Starlet Carbins on April 9, 1993. He graduated from Freehold High School. He worked as a Chef for One World Observatory for four years. He loved to write stories, plays, and create his own universe on paper and lived through his characters.
Ashley Dean Moore Jr. was preceded in death by his grandmother Rosalie Moore and grandfather John Moore; Aunts Josephine Martin and Corliss Moore; and his Uncle John Moore Jr.
Ashley Dean Moore Jr. is survived by his parents, Ashley Dean Moore Sr. and Starlet Carbins, and his younger brother, Elijah White; his grandparents, Louis Carbins Sr. and Arthur Loise Scott; Uncles Louis Carbins Jr., Shane Scott, Andre Scott and Ricky Moore; and his Aunt Letitia Sumerlin.
The family of Ashley Dean Moore Jr. wishes to extend our sincere thanks to Mrs. Holmes from the Raine Foundation and April Miller of Newark, NJ, for their kindness and support.
Memorial Link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85078445839

La. bills signed into law (and one veto)

Here is the latest list of bills, released Monday, of bills signed into law by Gov. John Bel Edwards. The list also includes one veto.
To learn more about the new laws, go to legis.la.gov.
ACT 231—SB 115 Provides relative to advertisements for legal services.
ACT 232—SB 145 Provides relative to fees charged by the clerk of court for the Twenty-sixth Judicial District Court.
ACT 233—SB 155 Provides for payment of supplemental compensation from nonpublic sources for certain personnel at the Jimmy D. Long, Sr. Louisiana School for Math, Science, and the Arts.
ACT 234—SB 205 Defines “final determination” for purposes of reporting federal income tax adjustments.
ACT 235—SB 212 Provides relative to the membership of the Louisiana Agricultural Commodities Comm-ission.
ACT 236—SB 268 Provides relative to abandonment of safety deposit boxes.
ACT 237—SB 270 Increases the daily compensation paid to jurors in civil cases.
ACT 238—SB 365 Requires that information be provided to students about high-demand, high-wage jobs during the development and revision of their individual graduation plans.
ACT 239—SB 381 Provides relative to the recordation of birth certificates of children born to armed forces members.
ACT 240—SB 396 Authorizes and provides for cooperative endeavor agreements between local governmental subdivisions and other entities that may require payments in lieu of ad valorem taxes.
ACT 241—SB 437 Provides relative to postsecondary education management board sick leave policies.
ACT 242—SB 447 Provides relative to powers and duties of the commissioner of conservation.
ACT 243—SB 461 Provides relative to deferral of certain unemployment insurance benefit charges and employer contributions.
ACT 244—SB 470 Provides relative to warranty agreements and claims involving the transfer recreational vehicles.
ACT 245—SB 481 Provides relative to students impacted due to the COVID-19 public health emergency.
ACT 246—SB 505 Provides for a temporary restraining order upon application by a peace officer under certain circumstances.
ACT 247—HB 4 Provides relative to the frequency of plan experience studies for the Parochial Employees’ Retirement System of Louisiana.
ACT 248—HB 6 Provides relative to reports by executive branch agencies.
ACT 249—HB 21 Provides relative to membership and benefits of the Municipal Police Employees’ Retirement System.
ACT 250—HB 152 Provides for insurance coverage for acupuncture.
ACT 251—HB 167 Provides relative to the submission of nominees for the offices of president and vice president.
ACT 252—HB 189 Provides relative to the time for filing pretrial motions.
ACT 253—HB 248 Provides relative to overtime compensation of Department of State employees for election-related activities during certain time periods.
ACT 254—HB 274 Provides for the execution of electronic notarial acts.
ACT 255—HB 307 Makes supplemental appropriations for Fiscal Year 2019-2020.
ACT 256—HB 311 Provides relative to denial of coverage by dental plans.
ACT 257—HB 335 Authorizes the lieutenant governor and the secretary of the Department of Culture, Recreation and Tourism to designate a person to serve in their stead on certain boards and commissions.
ACT 258—HB 361 Provides relative to supported decision making agreements as a less restrictive means to interdiction.
ACT 259—HB 371 Provides relative to the comprehensive sports injury management program for student athletics
ACT 260—HB 372 Creates the Forest Oak Windsor Place Crime Prevention, Improve-ment, and Beautification District in East Baton Rouge Parish.
ACT 261—HB 374 Establishes an economic development district in Morehouse Parish.
ACT 262—HB 375 Provides relative to gravity drainage districts in Calcasieu Parish.
ACT 263—HB 390 Establishes a parking fee exemption for disabled veterans at cruise terminals for the Port of New Orleans.
ACT 264—HB 404 Provides relative to clerks of court.
ACT 265—HB 409 Provides with respect to purchasing by school boards.
ACT 266—HB 410 Provides relative to the presumption of paternity.
ACT 267—HB 421 Provides relative to bail bond enforcement.
ACT 268—HB 425 Revises membership and provides relative to powers and duties of the Louisiana Fire and Emergency Training Commission
ACT 269—HB 435 Provides relative to nonconsensual pelvic or rectal examinations by health care providers and medical students.
ACT 270—HB 463 Authorizes the governing authority of the city of Crowley to levy a hotel occupancy tax.
ACT 271—HB 469 Allows nighttime hunting of outlaw quadrupeds, nutria, and beaver on private property at any time of the year.
ACT 272—HB 474 Provides relative to the training requirements of certain mandatory reporters of child abuse and neglectuthorizes a health insurance issuer to provide policy information electronically.
ACT 273—HB 477 Provides relative to technology procurement.
ACT 274—HB 497 Requires each auditee in state government to provide the legislative auditor with direct access to data
ACT 275—HB 498 Provides relative to occupational license and examination fee waiver and payment plan for qualified individuals
ACT 276—HB 530 Provides for coverage of healthcare services provided through telehealth or telemedicine
ACT 277—HB 532 Provides relative to Peer-to-Peer Car Sharing
ACT 278—HB 561 Provides for the administration, enforcement, and adjudication of state and local taxes and for the jurisdiction of the Board of Tax Appeals
ACT 279—HB 590 Provides relative to the donation of equipment and personnel between two political subdivisions
ACT 280—HB 591 Provides relative to the membership of the Louisiana Sickle Cell Commission
ACT 281—HB 594 Provides relative to partitions by private sale
ACT 282—HB 607 Provides relative to documentation required for certain driver’s licenses
ACT 283—HB 614 Provides relative to data security for persons regulated by the commissioner of insurance
ACT 284—HB 729 Establishes the Council on the Children of Incarcerated Parents and Caregivers and repeals the termination of the Children’s Cabinet
ACT 285—HB 759 Provides for the suspension of certain time periods, limitations, and delays in declared states of disaster, emergency, or public health emergency
ACT 286—HB 819 Authorizes the recommendation of medical marijuana for additional conditions and allows any state-licensed physician to recommend medical marijuana.
ACT 287—HB 131 Provides relative to covered claims of the Louisiana Insurance Guaranty Association
ACT 288—HB 450 Provides penalties for simple burglary committed under certain circumstances
ACT 289—HB 634 Provides relative to security for deposits required by certain entities
ACT 290—HB 640 Provides with respect to the salary of waterworks commissioners
ACT 291—HB 647 Authorizes the East Baton Rouge Redev-elopment Authority to use a trade name
ACT 292—HB 655 Provides relative to the employment of superintendents of schools
ACT 293—HB 685 Provides relative to interagency data sharing
ACT 294—HB 697 Provides relative to the Shreveport Metropolitan Planning Commission
ACT 295—HB 702 Provides with respect to the practice of physician assistants
ACT 296—HB 709 Re-creates the Department of Revenue
ACT 297—HB 736 Authorizes the Louisiana Tax Commission to order the refund of statutory impositions declared invalid
ACT 298—HB 15 Provides for membership of certain new hires of the Lafayette City-Parish Consolidated Government in the Parochial Employees’ Retirement System of Louisiana
ACT 299—HB 140 Provides relative to the preemption of state law for firearms
ACT 300—HB 202 Establishes the Louisiana Tax Institute within the legislature and provides for the membership and the terms of membership of the governing board
ACT 301—HB 636 Creates and provides for the Joint Legislative Committee on Technology and Cybersecurity
ACT 302—SB 466 Provides for holding meetings electronically during certain emergencies or disasters
ACT 303—SB 491 Limits liability of persons who provide relief or recovery equipment or services during a declared state emergency
ACT 304—SB 494 Provides relative to coverage for mastectomies and reconstructive surgery
ACT 305—SB 508 Limits liability for restaurants that provide food-to-go during the COVID-19 public health emergency
The veto
HB 846 Gov. Edwards has vetoed HB 846 because he feels incentivizing the creation of five minimum wage jobs at $7.25 an hour is contrary to the sentiment of the people of Louisiana that the workforce should be able to earn a true living wage.

Wheel House for June 16

HAM RADIO
The Bayouland Emergency Amateur Radio Service will participate in the annual Amateur Radio Relay League Ham Radio Field Day, from 1 p.m. June 27 to 4 p.m. June 28, at 201 Everett St., Morgan City (upstairs). Public invited.

A step up for Stephensville

Submitted Photos
The Stephensville Volunteer Fire Department recently received an upgraded rating from the Property Insurance Association of Louisiana. The department was upgraded from Class 5 to Class 4, which can result in lower homeowner insurance premiums for Stephensville residents. Members of the department are shown above. The chief is Jody Acosta, left.bottom photo.

Pages

ST. MARY NOW

Franklin Banner-Tribune
P.O. Box 566, Franklin, LA 70538
Phone: 337-828-3706
Fax: 337-828-2874

Morgan City Review
1014 Front Street, Morgan City, LA 70380
Phone: 985-384-8370
Fax: 985-384-4255