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Johnson-Dufrene wed at Sacred Heart

Wed, 04/15/2020 - 8:20am

Paige Elizabeth Johnson and Bobby Dufrene exchanged wedding vows Jan. 18 during a 6:30 p.m. double-ring ceremony at Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Morgan City. The Very Rev. Jay Baker officiated.
The bride is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. M. David Johnson of Berwick. The groom is the son of Barry Dufrene of Morgan City and Tammy Murphy of Shreveport.
For the ceremony, the altar was decorated with white fresh floral arrangements of gladiolas, stock and Playa Blanca roses. Pews were reserved with a bouquet of assorted foliage consisting of Italian Ruscus, silver dollar and seeded eucalyptus tied together with ivory, double satin ribbon.
Music was by organist Lee LeBlanc, vocalist Margaret Kreider, and the Arco Music Strings.
Readers were Amy Kirkpatrick, Leslie Marino Davis, cousin of the bride, and Felicia Marino, aunt of the bride. Gift bearers were Manuel Ramirez, Sharon Ramirez and Elizabeth Ramirez.
Escorted in marriage by her father, the bride was attired in a ball gown designed with voluminous tulle skirt, lace motifs, illusion long sleeves with keyhole details and beading at the waist. The dress was finished with covered buttons and an illusion V-back with lace edges.
Gracing her head was a crystal headpiece holding a cathedral-length veil complemented with lace motif details along the edges.
She carried a bouquet of white Playa Blanca roses, Patience garden roses, ivory spray roses, white ranunculus, Queen Anne’s lace, Italian Ruscus, seeded eucalyptus and dusty miller. A rosary and brooch, belonging to the late Esther Marino, grandmother of the bride, were attached to the bouquet.
Katherine Ramirez Albarado was matron of honor. Bridesmaids were Megan Monier, Caitlin Bruce, Anna Busalacchi, Hailey Hodson, Mallory Johnson Fuhrer, sister of the bride, and April Dos Ramos, sister of the groom.
They were attired in dark hunter green lux chiffon and stretch crepe dresses in varied styles.
Bridal attendants each carried a bouquet of Patience garden roses, porcelina spray roses, Jade roses, Italian Ruscus, seeded eucalyptus and dusty miller.
Junior bridesmaid was Teresa Dos Ramos, niece of the groom.
Blakely Ann Fuhrer, niece of the bride, was flower girl. She carried a small gold hoop embellished with Patience garden rose, porcelina spray roses, Playa Blanca roses, ivory spray roses, Italian Ruscus and seeded eucalyptus.
Ringbearer was Miller Charles Fuhrer, nephew of the bride.
Brennan Albarado served as best man. Groomsmen were Neal Mayon, Adam Lefort, Connor Gonzales, Brant Dos Ramos, nephew of the groom, Justin Simon and Josh Dos Ramos, brother-in-law of the groom.
Ushers were Johnny Marino, uncle of the bride and Terry Dufrene, uncle of the groom.
A reception followed at the Petroleum Club of Morgan City.
The entrance was adorned with sheer drapes embellished with smilax vines, pulled back with garden rose bouquets. In the reception area, the bride’s formal portrait was displayed along with a pre-bridal music video.
A five-layer white buttercream creation served as the bride’s cake. It featured floral embellishments placed intermittently and was topped with the couple’s initials in gold.
The groom’s cake was shaped as a barrel containing sugar sculpted “Colonel’s Retreat Lager Beer” complete with sugar sculpted ice.
Prior to the wedding, the groom’s father hosted a rehearsal dinner at Café Jo Jo’s in Morgan City.
Prenuptial parties included an engagement party at The Napoleon House in New Orleans hosted by Terry and Lynette Dufrene, uncle and aunt of the groom; a bridal shower hosted by bridesmaids, a couples shower hosted by Katherine and Brennan Albarado, and their families; and a bridal brunch hosted by the bride’s mother.
The bride graduated from Central Catholic High School in Morgan City, received a bachelor’s degree in communicative disorders from Nicholls State University in Thibodaux, and a master’s in speech pathology at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette. She is a speech pathologist at The Center for Pediatric Therapy in Thibodaux.
The groom graduated from Central Catholic High School and earned a bachelor’s degree in financial services marketing and accounting at Nicholls State University. He is a loan officer for The First National Bank of Jeanerette’s Morgan City branch.
They honeymooned in Napa Valley, California, and reside in Morgan City.

Food website helpful during difficult times

Wed, 04/15/2020 - 8:17am

By JOHNNY MORGAN, LSU AgCenter

BATON ROUGE — The LSU AgCenter is using the MarketMaker website to connect producers and consumers to fresh seafood, produce and a range of other items.
AgCenter extension associate Alessandro Holzapfel says he wants to bring attention to the online resource and help producers in need of additional outlets to find customers.
The website address for MarketMaker is https://la.foodmarket maker.com. A buy-and-sell forum also is available at https://la.food marketmaker.com/marketplace.
“The neat thing about MarketMaker is that it is a multiplier,” Holzapfel said. “Any profiles can be shared over and over again in many ways.”
For example, Louis-iana is home to many unique products such as mirliton and mayhaw, which aren’t available in many other states.
“If a farmer is selling such products in the buy and sell forum, then not only is that being sent out via email notification to other registered users, but also allows people in Virginia looking for mayhaw jams and jellies to discover the Louisiana farmers offering those products.”
MarketMaker allows users to sell directly or indirectly to consumers, either by making contact and selling straight to the customer or by selling their product via a wholesaler.
MarketMaker also has a web-based app at https://whatsinseasonapp.com. The app allows users to navigate the key features of MarketMaker on their smartphone rather than through the website on a smaller screen.
“Additionally, it allows users to search for products based on their location, utilizing the phone’s GPS capability,” Holz-apfel said. “We plan to have the capability of introducing an online marketplace to MarketMaker users by the beginning of May.”
That would allow them to also conduct actual transactions via the website, he said.
Currently, the website doesn’t allow commercial transactions but allows users to connect with one another and discuss anything leading up to the actual transaction.
“Many farmers have stated that they receive about three or four customer inquiries a week from MarketMaker,” he said. “This doesn’t seem like a lot, but it is additional visibility that they did not have before.”
The website is also frequented and used by larger businesses such as Rouses Markets and Capitol City Produce, which have used MarketMaker to find local farmers to source various products.
Even local school districts have profiles in which they state what products they are looking for.
For additional information about Market Maker, visit https://la.foodmarketmaker.com or https://lsuagcenter.com/LouisianaFarmToSchool or email MarketMaker@agcenter.lsu.edu.

Woman with new boyfriend keeps neighbor up

Wed, 04/15/2020 - 8:15am

By Jeanne Phillips, ©United Features Syndicate

DEAR ABBY: I live in a densely populated luxury high-rise apartment building in a busy downtown neighborhood that has a diverse mix of residents. I have lived here for four years and have never really had many issues, until recently.
My next-door neighbor works in the medical field that at times has very late or early hours associated with it. I also work in a field that has odd hours, so I am empathetic. My issue is, she has a new boyfriend she is intimate with anywhere between 2 and 4 a.m. I am a light sleeper and get awakened by their sessions together. I can hear her voice and at times, jostling of furniture.
I have thought about telling the building management, but it would be obvious that the complaint would have come from me, and I don’t want that. I also don’t want to cause embarrassment to either of us.
How can I address this delicately, without causing embarrassment, or must I suck it up and suffer?
SLEEPLESS IN CHICAGO

DEAR SLEEPLESS: Write your neighbor a sweet note explaining the problem and ask if there is anything she can do to muffle the sounds you are hearing. (It might be something as simple as moving her bed away from the wall or placing it against a different one.)
However, if she’s uncooperative, as a last resort, do discuss your problem with the building manager. I assure you, it won’t be the first time he or she has heard something like this, or the last.

DEAR ABBY: I suffer from a moderate to severe case of social anxiety. I’m now in my first relationship with a partner who tends to move fast, and whose parents have recently been asking to meet me. This has caused tension in our relationship as well as in his relationship with his parents.
Because of some past experiences with previous partners, his parents have preconceived notions about me, which makes me feel all the more reluctant to meet them. I don’t like feeling vulnerable, especially with people who don’t know me. One counseling session with a boss, a professor, someone in authority, etc., and I’m on the verge of tears or already crying.
I know I’ll have to meet his parents someday, but I don’t know how to approach it. I feel overwhelmed just thinking about it. Please help.
SOCIALLY ANXIOUS

DEAR SOCIALLY ANXIOUS: I hope you are receiving professional help for your social anxiety. You should not approach meeting your partner’s parents with a negative attitude. Smile, put your best foot forward and try to make a good impression.
Keep in mind that this is not a performance review, a professor you need to give you a good grade or anyone in authority. They are parents of a son whose past judgment about partners may have been less than stellar, and of course they have concerns.
It would be nice if they thought the moon rose and set on you, but if they don’t, will it affect your relationship with your partner? If the answer is yes, then he may not be mature and independent enough to be having a romance with anyone. Hold a good thought and stop hiding out.
***
What teens need to know about sex, drugs, AIDS and getting along with peers and parents is in “What Every Teen Should Know.” Send your name and mailing address, plus check or money order for $8 to: Dear Abby, Teen Booklet, P.O. Box 447, Mount Morris, IL 61054-0447.

Louisiana COVID deaths spike over 1,000

Tue, 04/14/2020 - 9:24pm

Using cellphones to track the virus

LEO HONEYCUTT

BATON ROUGE

As Louisiana's Corona virus numbers had seemed to be leveling, suddenly the state Tuesday posted the largest one-day spike in deaths, an additional 129, breaking above 1,000 in Louisiana's COVID-19 fatalities at 1,013.

"The virus is obviously fatal for a number of these people, as we are reporting these deaths," Governor John Bel Edwards said at his Tuesday press conference. "People are contracting this disease and spreading this disease, so it's important that people follow the precautions we give them, whether it's the order to stay home, whether it's the hygiene, social distancing, all these things."

But another reality that has the governor concerned is traffic. Police and GOHSEP employees have observed that traffic in many parts of Louisiana is now back to levels almost as high as the days before Coronavirus.

"I did fly to north Louisiana yesterday over some of our major highways," Governor Edwards said, "and I did see more traffic than, quite frankly, I expected to see or wanted to see. People here at GOHSEP tell me they've seen a marked increase in traffic. In addition, we have social distancing apps now that are assigning letter grades. We weren't doing particularly well to begin with. I think our state was a 'C' or a 'C-'. I think we moved down to a D most recently because they [cellphone service providers] are using the GPS data in people's phones to measure what the movement is."

The governor fears what he's always feared, that Louisianans -who tend to be outdoors and social individuals- are getting cabin fever and have reached their limit of the lockdown. To get more proof that the virus is still very much with us, he is ramping up still more testing. He says Louisiana has regained the position of testing more per capita 'more rapidly' than any other state.

"The key to moving forward, especially between now and at such time when the vaccine becomes available will be through very aggressive, robust testing," he said, "plus contact tracing."

"Contact tracing" is a new term for the ability by cellphone service providers to use the Bluetooth feature of a people's cellphones to tell not just their movements but how close they get to others and whether they have been near someone diagnosed with COVID-19.

"All of it is incredibly important," insists the governor. "The worst thing you can do is not know what you're dealing with. And now we can say we have testing in every single region of the state. We're trying to expand on the testing that's available for surveillance purposes, diagnostic purposes and for detecting the presence of the antibodies through serology tests."

Governor Edwards says testing is the ultimate key to when Louisianans can go back work. He says he'll be watching closely Louisiana's statistics for the last two weeks of April, saying those will be decisive.

"And the test results will inform our decision," he said. "And not just about who potentially can go to work. But if we start seeing another spike in the testing, we may have to ratchet back down and put in more restrictions. What we don't want to do is go right back to that place we've been trying to avoid."

As pressure mounts, Edwards said economy will reopen in phases

Tue, 04/14/2020 - 6:20pm

By DAVID JACOBS, The Center Square

As Louisiana officials decide when and where to begin lifting business restrictions put in place to slow the spread of the new coronavirus, the state’s health care sector is likely to be among the first in line, Gov. John Bel Edwards said Tuesday.

Certain parts of the state with fewer cases of COVID-19 also could see more activity sooner than areas that remain hotspots, he said. As elected officials and outside groups urge action to get the economy moving again, Edwards stressed that decisions will be made carefully with guidance from the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

“One of the first things that we’re going to have to do is make more medical services available,” Edwards said Tuesday. “We’re looking to see if we can open that up sooner rather than later.”

Many businesses deemed essential under federal guidelines have been allowed to keep operating, though many others have been forced to close or restrict operations. At least two state elected officials, Rep. Mark Wright and Rep. Danny McCormick — both Republicans — have called for lifting most or all restrictions when the governor's current order expires April 30, citing the economic damage.

"Originally, our goal was to 'flatten the curve' and protect our most vulnerable citizens," McCormick says in a letter to his legislative colleagues. "Now, we seem to be paralyzed with fear. Our goal has rapidly transformed into the idea that no one should be exposed to or expected to contract COVID-19."

Edwards’ says fully reopening the economy won’t happen all at once “like flipping a light switch." Non-emergency medical procedures have been put on hold to save resources for dealing with the pandemic, but “you can only put those things off for so long,” he said.

“Social distancing is going to be part of our future for some period of time,” Edwards said, as is wearing a mask in public and staying home when sick. “I think you’re going to see your temperature taken more than it’s ever been taken in order to gain admittance into different places.”

But allowing some businesses such as restaurants to fully reopen with lower occupancy limits might be an option, Edwards suggested. He said he wouldn’t wait until current guidelines expire at the end of the month before letting people know what would happen next.

Under the federal Paycheck Protection Program meant to help Louisiana's small businesses harmed by the pandemic and response, more than 17,000 loans worth about $3.7 billion have been approved, officials said.

According to the Louisiana Department of Health, at least 1,013 Louisiana residents have died from COVID-19, the illness caused by the new coronavirus. Of the 129 new deaths in Tuesday’s noon report, representing the biggest single-day increase so far, 21 occurred during the previous 24 hours and 72 happened during the previous three days, Edwards said.

But despite crossing the grim 1,000-death milestone, officials continue to see some encouraging trends, as rates of hospitalizations and ventilator usage decrease. Louisiana is not currently on pace to exceed the capacity of its health care system in any region of the state, Edwards said.

As he usually does, Edwards warned that infections may spike once again if people don’t follow mitigation mandates, which mostly consist of staying home as much as possible, avoiding groups and maintaining distance between yourself and others when going out into public. A reported increase in social activity and movement in Louisiana during Easter weekend could lead to an increase in COVID-19 cases several days from now.

“It’s not going to be over tomorrow,” Edwards said. “It’s not going to be over two weeks from now.”

Corps begins closing Bonnet Carre Spillway

Tue, 04/14/2020 - 1:50pm

The U.S Army Corps of Engineers began closing gates at the Bonnet Carré Spillway on Monday, 10 days after it began opening gates in response to an unexpected rise in the Mississippi at New Orleans.
“The Army Corps will con-tinue to assess conditions of the Mississippi River and perform closure operations as the river flow rates continue to fall,” the Corps said on the spillway’s Facebook page.
At the Mississippi River’s peak flow 90 bays were open on the structure with a discharge of 80,000 cubic feet per second being diverted through the spillway. The Bonnet Carré Spillway is designed to ensure that a maximum river flow of 1.25 million cubic feet per second is passed through the Mississippi River and tributaries system at New Orleans.
Although water levels are receding, allowing the Army Corps to begin structure’s closure, the Mississippi River in the New Orleans District’s area of responsibility remains elevated. Army Corps per-sonnel will continue flood fight inspections alongside local levee districts and all levee and excavation restrictions remain in effect
The Corps had resisted calls from Mississippi to allow more water into the Atchafalaya as an alternative to opening the Bonnet Carré with possible impacts on property and fisheries there.
At noon Tuesday, the Atchafalaya River was at 7.5 feet and falling slowly.
The river had earlier been forecast to peak at 8.0 feet, a foot above the moderate flood stage, on Wednesday. The new prediction is for the river to fall to about 7.2 feet by Sunday.
The river was at 7.93 feet early Monday morning.

Presidential primary, local tax elections postponed again

Tue, 04/14/2020 - 1:35pm

The largely moot Louisiana presidential preference primary as well as local tax elections have been delayed again by order of Gov. John Bel Edwards at the secretary of state’s request.

The presidential primary, originally scheduled for April 4, will be 7 a.m.-8 p.m. July 11. No real challenge to incumbent Donald Trump ever materialized on the Republican side, and former Vice President Joe Biden is clearly the presumptive Democratic nominee after his last major opponent, Bernie Sanders, dropped out Monday. But Republicans and Democrats will also select parish party officeholders July 11, and Democrats will elect state party officeholders.

Edwards’ March 13 order had postponed the primary to June 20.

The municipal and tax elections originally scheduled for May 9 will be 7 a.m.-8 p.m. Aug. 15. The St. Mary Parish School Board’s proposed 0.45% sales tax for faculty and staff salary increases and a millage renewal for Morgan City’s Municipal Auditorium operations and maintenance are among the issues on that ballot.

That election had already been postponed to July 25.

Rapping out the message: Officials push mitigation measures in video

Tue, 04/14/2020 - 12:32pm

GEOFF STOUTE

gstoute@daily-review.com

St. Mary Parish leaders took the message of social distancing and sanitizing during the COVID-19 pandemic to the community in a different method recently as they participated in a music video.
The local leaders were in different settings dancing and some performing different actions while hand sanitizer was used or displayed.
Those who participated were Parish President David Hanagriff, Parish Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness Director David Naquin, Parish Coroner Dr. Eric Melancon, Sheriff Blaise Smith, Franklin Mayor Eugene Foulcard, Patterson Mayor Rodney Grogan, Berwick Mayor Duval Arthur and Morgan City Mayor Frank “Boo” Grizzaffi.
Courtney “Schola” Long, owner of Scholar Designs & Consultation in Morgan City, produced the video available on Facebook as a way to remind the community that they need to continue practicing social distancing, even during the Easter holiday.
“I knew coming upon the Easter Weekend … people would be tempted to break the whole social distancing and gathering, so I wanted to try to stay ahead of it,” he said.
Long said that he shared his idea with local parish officials and they agreed to participate. He instructed them on what he wanted them to do, and they did the rest, filming the video themselves and submitting it.
Grogan’s video featured him at Patterson City Hall with gloves on ready to sanitize the office area.
He said once he learned Hanagriff was participating in the video, then he was going to do it.
“After I saw the finished product and could see Duval, then I was glad I did participate,” he laughed.
Arthur’s clips showed him in the bathroom, donning a shower cap and sanitizing, while he also made a clip at a local gas station at a gas pump.
He said he had fun making the video
“We laughed about that,” Arthur said. “Afterwards, we replayed it and replayed it before we turned it over to the people who edited.”
In Morgan City, Grizzaffi’s video featured him tossing a ball for his dog Belle to fetch before sanitizing his hands.
While Belle only needed one take to get her part right, Grizzaffi said he had to do several takes to perfect his dancing skills.
“Definitely out of the comfort zone, but once I knew everybody was taking part, then (I knew) I was going to be no worse than the next guy,” Grizzaffi said.
Everyone said the video helped lift morale.
“It was a good light-hearted thing to do while everybody’s dealing with all the pressures of this COVID-19,” Grizzaffi said.
As for if he has anything else planned for the public, Long didn’t rule it out.
“Well, it depends on how long this thing spans out. … I’m big on the community,” he said. “I’m big on uplifting the community, so any way that I can pitch in and help lift people’s spirits or help out in any way, I’m going to do it. I’m all in.”

QuaranTeen Party

Tue, 04/14/2020 - 12:29pm

Miley Hotard's 13th birthday Saturday might have been a dull affair in this time of COVID-19 restrictions. But the daughter of Jamie and Brandon Hotard of Berwick was the guest of honor at a "QuaranTeen" party that consisted of a parade of 40 vehicles past her home, including Berwick police and fire vehicles and representation from the St. Mary Parish Sheriff's Office. The family itself followed stay at home and social distancing guidance.

Submitted Photos

Two more St. Mary COVID-19 cases; 129 La. deaths reported in a day

Tue, 04/14/2020 - 12:16pm

Two more St. Mary cases of COVID-19 were reported Tuesday by the Louisiana Office of Public Health.

The total number of positive tests for COVID-19 in the parish is now 129.

The parish death toll was still listed as two Tuesday, the same number of deaths reported since April 11. Coroner Eric Melancon said Monday that two additional deaths have occurred among residents of Franklin's Legacy Healthcare. The previous deaths occurred in New Orleans and Morgan City. Twenty-three residents and six employees have tested positive at Legacy, Melancon said.

Officials warn that the numbers reported for any 24-hour period may reflect positive tests from days earlier because of a backlog in commercial testing labs. Some cases have taken more than a day to show up in the OPH daily report.

A total of 480 St. Mary people have been tested.

In St. Martin, six new cases raised the total to 168. Another death was reported Tuesday, bringing the total to nine. A total of 551 tests have been performed.

Three new cases were reported Tuesday in Assumption, where 123 people have tested positive in 159 tests. One person has died there.

Statewide, 129 deaths were reported, the biggest one-day total yet. The death toll in Louisiana is now 1,013.

The number of COVID-19 patients grew by 502 to 21,518, but the number of hospitalized people dropped by 158 to 1,977. The number of people on ventilators also declined by 25 to 436.

“Today’s death count is the largest we have reported in a single day since this COVID-19 outbreak started and it brings the number of Louisianans we have lost to more than 1,000," Gov. John Bel Edwards said in a press release. "That’s 1,013 people who are someone’s mother, father, sister, or brother or child or aunt or uncle. They are our neighbors, friends and coworkers. They are more than just a number on a report or graph, and as our fellow Louisianans, we all grieve alongside their families.

"Our analysis shows that most deaths come 11.2 days after the onset of symptoms, which is why we must look at long-term data and trends. It is also why it is incumbent upon our people to follow the Stay at Home order, because just as the positive things we do now will save lives in the future, the negative things we do could threaten lives as well.”