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Morgan City police radio logs for April 7

Thu, 04/09/2020 - 10:57am

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.
Tuesday, April 7
7:23 a.m. 300 block of Barrow Street; Open line.
8:18 a.m. 100 block of Youngswood Road; Alarm.
9:54 a.m. 1000 block of Greenwood Street; Alarm.
12:07 p.m. 1600 block of Front Street; Frequent patrol.
1:31 p.m. 900 block of First Street; Medical emergency.
2:18 p.m. 1000 block of Brashear Avenue; Theft.
4:01 p.m. 600 block of Freret Street; Theft.
6:04 p.m. 300 block of Louisa Street; Removal of subject.
6:28 p.m. 3000 block of Allison Street; Found item.
6:33 p.m. 1800 block of Elk Street; Medical.
6:56 p.m. 1100 block of Chestnut Drive; Frequent patrols.
8:45 p.m. La. 182 bridge; Stalled vehicle.
8:47 p.m. 200 block of Glenwood Street; Medical.
8:53 p.m. 300 block of Aycock Street; Alarm.

Sacred Heart Easter service schedule

Thu, 04/09/2020 - 10:54am

Here is the Easter weekend schedule for Sacred Heart of Jesus Roman Catholic Church in Morgan City:
—Facebook account: Sacred Heart of Jesus Roman Catholic Church of Morgan City
Sacred Paschal Triduum schedule as follows:
—Holy Thursday, April 9, 7 p.m.-Mass of the Lord’s Supper.
Livestreamed/Face-book
Followed by Adoration in the Church until midnight. Keep distance
Good Friday, April 10, 3 p.m.: Passion of the Lord. Livestreamed/ Facebook.
Followed by Stations of the Cross. Livestreamed on Facebook.
—After Good Friday service a Prayer and Veneration of the cross in church until 7 .m.
NOTE: Venerate the cross without touching to prevent any possible spread of disease.
Keep at least 6 feet distance when you venerate it.
—Holy Saturday, April 11, 8 a.m.- 6 p.m.: Veneration of the cross in church
8 p.m.: Easter Vigil. Livestreamed /Facebook
—Easter Sunday, April 12, 9:30-10:30 a.m. Easter Blessing as you drive by front of church. You may bring your own water to be blessed.
11 a.m.: Mass. Livestreamed on Facebook
Facebook: Sacred Heart of Jesus Roman Catholic Church of Morgan City
Webpage: http://sacredheartmc.org

St. Mary Excel first quarter report

Thu, 04/09/2020 - 10:44am

Here's the first quarter report from the citizens group St. Mary Excel:
St. Mary Excel Quarterly Report (Jan. 1-March 3)
At this time of concern for the global health emergency, St. Mary Excel would like to be as helpful as possible as an organization. St. Mary Excel plans to continue to connect resources across agencies and entities.
While a progress report is due for the first quarter of 2020, St. Mary Excel remains committed tokeeping panel recommendations as a focus, but keeping the virus containment and response as prerequisites to that focus. The area can emerge from the economic slowdown more diversified as was the focus of the ULI visit.
During Quarter 1, St. Mary Excel hosted a local interest group meeting on January 24 at which time we revisited ULI panel recommendations. The Chamber of Commerce facilitated a Quality of Life Survey in which the public expressed perspectives on the economy, education, tourism, recreation. St. Mary Excel hosted The Water Institute of the Gulf for a community resilience workshop. At that workshop, high school students participated and shared their perspectives.
From revisiting ULI recommendations and hearing from the public, St. Mary Excel is working to connect recommendations to state and federal sources recognizing that dollars are prioritized to economic rescue and relief once the health emergency is contained.
St. Mary Excel has been filing grant applications. Thus far, two applications hold promise.

Trump Time Saving Americans During Coronavirus Crisis

Thu, 04/09/2020 - 8:58am

Jeff Landry, Louisiana Attorney General

Over the past month as Louisiana has faced tremendous trial and loss of life – state leaders have cast aside partisan politics and come together to protect our citizens from COVID-19. Our efforts at the local and state levels have been tremendously aided by a President and Federal Government committed to defeating our invisible enemy.

The leadership from President Donald Trump and his Administration during this crisis highlight why so many across our Nation voted for a businessman in 2016 to fix our government and its broken bureaucracy. Today, all Americans are seeing what “Trump Time” means and how it is benefitting all of us.

In Trump Time – obsolete regulatory structures are being obliterated, our borders are being protected, and public-private partnerships are being enacted to expedite response to the Coronavirus crisis.

Just a few short weeks ago, President Trump was faced with an unbelievably difficult decision. Models showed up to two million American souls could be taken by the Communist China virus. Like General Patton in Sicily, the President acted swiftly and ruthlessly by cutting off travel to and from China (and since then, other hotspots). Under the President’s common-sense leadership, we are cutting through this virus like Patton’s Army through Rommel’s Forces.

A marvel of modern governance is the President’s ability to deliver quickly, in Trump Time, that which is desperately needed. Case in point is his AirBridge program that has expedited delivery of critical personal protective equipment (PPE) like gloves, face masks, face shields, and gowns for our Nation’s healthcare providers.

Through public-private partnerships with prominent American medical distributors, the President’s AirBridge program is working in Trump Time to provide these necessary supplies to our medical providers from overseas by plane and thus reducing delivery time, on average, to 24 hours – drastically better than the 33 days of normal shipping process.

Within just a week – the President's AirBridge has resulted in 90 million PPE items delivered to combat the spread of the Wuhan virus, while an additional 150 million more PPE items are expected to arrive in the United States by week’s end. Half of these items are allocated by FEMA to hotspots across the country, with the balance going to the distributors’ existing supply chains like hospitals and nursing homes.

President Trump is proving that real leadership finds solutions, no matter how difficult the cards are stacked against him. Another such example is the speed and deliverability of testing our fellow Americans for COVID-19. The President inherited a failing system equipped to handle less than 100 tests per day. Now, the federal government has provided millions of tests to date, including a newly-manufactured 5-minute test which was approved by the FDA in Trump Time.

What’s more: the President has done this despite the unrelenting attacks from his political opponents and the mainstream media. While local and state officials have come together during this crisis, the pettiness of some in Washington like Charles Schumer has continued. Yet, President Trump has remained laser focused on answers to problems. One need to look no further than the President’s ability to get relief checks to business owners and employees in Trump Time.

Our history has example after example of God giving America the right people for the right jobs at the right time. There is no doubt that Donald Trump as President during this public health emergency is the most recent case of God’s providential touch.

Birth Announcements

Thu, 04/09/2020 - 8:33am

Born to Mr. and Mrs. Andrew Alan Crochet (nee: Cecilia Lee Stevens) of Morgan City, a girl, Brooklyn Renee Crochet, on March 24 at Thibodaux Regional Medical Center. She weighed 7 pounds, 5.82 ounces and measured 19.25 inches.
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Born to Jennifer Renee’ Leonard Benoit and Raphael Bourgeois Jr. of Morgan City, a boy, Hudson Roman Charles Bourgeois, on March 24 at Thibodaux Regional Medical Center. He weighed 7 pounds, 7.93 ounces and measured 19.75 inches.
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Born to Mr. and Mrs. Grant Michael Mahaffey (nee: Angela Bellard) of Morgan City, a boy, Coy Michael Mahaffey, on March 27 at Thibodaux Regional Medical Center. He weighed 8 pounds, 9.92 ounces and measured 20 inches.
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Born to Miranda Brown and Scotty Paul Miller of Morgan City, a boy, Grayson Matthew Van Brown, on March 27 at Ochsner St. Mary in Morgan City. He weighed 6 pounds, 9 ounces and measured 20 inches.
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Born to Morgan Marie Gilbert of Morgan City, a boy, Cole Michael Gilbert, on April 2 at Thibodaux Regional Medical Center. He weighed 8 pounds, 7.8 ounces and measured 21 inches.
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Born to Mr. and Mrs. Jeremy Tayne Whipple (nee: Jessie Holt) of Morgan City, a boy, Beau Thomas Whipple, on April 3 at Thibodaux Regional Medical Center. He weighed 7 pounds, 13.93 ounces and measured 20.5 inches.

Cracking the tradition of hiding Easter eggs

Thu, 04/09/2020 - 8:30am

Come Easter Sunday, eager children wake up to see if the Easter Bunny has visited their homes. For many families, Easter would not be the same without an annual egg hunt. From chocolate confections to money-filled plastic shells to colorful, hand-decorated hard-boiled eggs, the Easter Bunny (and his parental helpers) hide eggs all around.
As with many traditions, people may engage in the festivities without really understanding the origins behind the fun. It can be interesting to unearth just how such egg hunts were hatched.
As with many religious traditions, Easter egg coloring and hunts trace their origins to pre-Christian societies. These societies developed rituals surrounding nature, the seasons and more.
Some traditions were adapted to link them to the Christian faith. Eggs held associations with new life and spring. However, early Christians turned the egg into a symbol of the Resurrection and the empty shell became a representation of Christ’s tomb. Eggs also were important components of the Easter holiday, as they were prohibited (like meat) during Lent. But on Easter, fasting ended and eggs were a part of Easter celebrations, particularly for the poor who couldn’t afford meat.
There are two widely known accounts of the origins of Easter egg hunts. The religious version has Protestant reformer Martin Luther organizing hunts for his congregation. The men would hide the eggs for women and children to find, which mirrors Resurrection accounts in the Bible in which women discovered Christ’s empty tomb.
Another account traces the tradition to the Dutch tale of the ‘Oschter Haws’ (‘Osterhase’ in German), which was a hare that laid eggs in the grass. Children would build and decorate nests for the eggs and wait to see if they would be populated, according to Discovery.com. This tradition became popular in America with the arrival of Dutch and German settlers in Pennsylvania in the 1700s.
By the 20th century, decorated Easter nests were replaced with baskets, and Osterhase was more affectionately known as the Easter Bunny, who chose to leave eggs as well as treats and candy. Easter celebrations continued to marry both the religious and secular to form many of the customs that are known widely today.
Easter egg hunts are enjoyed by the young and old on Easter. They’re a key part of celebrations. Just remember to find all those hard-boiled eggs in a timely fashion.
This year, Easter celebrants may want to experiment with different materials that are more forgiving and more enduring than standard eggs.
Wooden eggs
Families may find that wooden eggs are much more forgiving than standard eggs. Wooden eggs don’t have to be boiled, and they don’t need time to harden, and they’re quite maneuverable for young fingers.
Decorators can explore different ways to color wooden eggs. Acrylic paints are readily available and safe for users of any age. Wood stains or wood markers also can be used to give the eggs a natural finish. Others may want to rip small pieces of decorative paper to create a decoupage effect on their wooden eggs.
Sew soft eggs
Those who are handy with a needle and thread can explore patterns for making soft, stuffed eggs. Cozy fleece or other fabrics can be sewn together to make the egg shape.
Then the egg is filled with polyester filling, feathers or another soft material. Ribbons, buttons, trims, and other decorative touches can personalize the eggs and add a touch of whimsy. Check out www.sew4home.com for ideas on handmade Easter eggs.
Modeling clay
Children who love to get their hands dirty may enjoy making Easter eggs out of modeling materials. Colors can be blended together to create a marbleized effect. Depending on the clay medium, the eggs may air-harden or may need to be heated at a low temperature in the oven to fully cure.
Easter eggs are a fun tradition that adds to the festivity of spring. While traditional eggs can be used, many different, more long-lasting materials can be used as well.

Mom is caught in middle between dad, adult kids

Thu, 04/09/2020 - 8:27am

By Jeanne Phillips, ©United Features Syndicate

DEAR ABBY: My husband wants me to stop speaking to our adult children. He says they have both offended him, and he wants an apology from them.
My daughter didn’t help him when he was out of the home for a few months and had nowhere to go. At the time, she was living in her boyfriend’s grandparents’ home. She had asked them if it was OK, but they said no. My husband was hurt by this and wants her to apologize for “treating him this way.” They no longer speak to each other and exchanged hurtful texts until my daughter blocked him.
My son, who just turned 18, is in college. He came home for a break and asked if he could stay with his girlfriend. I said yes. When my husband found out, he ordered our son to come home. My son pulled the “I’m 18; you can’t tell me what to do.” He then said our family crisis was causing his girlfriend to have anxiety and depression. This upset my husband because he felt he was being blamed for her issues and disrespected when my son refused to come home. My husband feels I should stop speaking to him, too, to support him.
I cannot bring myself to do this. My husband says our marriage is over if I can’t support him. What would you do?
IN A FAMILY MESS

DEAR “MESS”: Your husband is a handful. With his authoritarian attitude, he cannot seem to stop himself from alienating family members. He is acting like a bullying child. Right now, he is two for two and counting.
I do not think you should stop talking to your daughter for things beyond her control or for telling the truth.
If you have any power at all in your marital relationship, please insist that all of you get family counseling from a licensed professional. Your husband needs to learn to communicate more effectively with his son. If your husband refuses to participate, and he may, then you have some important decisions about your future that I cannot make for you.

DEAR ABBY: My younger sister died two years ago. She was only 43. She left behind her husband of 19 years, three children, my parents and myself (along with many other family members and friends).
Her choice was to be cremated. As a family, we discussed my brother-in-law’s plans for the ashes. He discussed various options and we, of course, shared our desires and wishes. Her ashes remained in the cardboard box from the funeral home on a shelf in their living room until my brother-in-law moved into a new place a year later.
My mother finally confronted him. She said it was disrespectful not to have finalized a resting place for her daughter. She said she knew the ashes belong to him because he’s the husband. His response was he was sorry she felt that way. Now we don’t know what he’s done with them. He became engaged 15 months after my sister’s death and has been living with his fiancée.
This seems so wrong to me and so dismissive of my sister and my family. What can we do? We want a final resting place for her. We think his actions show he obviously doesn’t care.
DISILLUSIONED AND HEARTBROKEN

DEAR D&H: That’s not necessarily true. Your former brother-in-law may care so much about his late wife that he cannot let the ashes go. I hope you will maintain contact with him because it’s a way to keep track of those ashes. As his wedding date grows near, he may soften his stance and allow them to be divided, perhaps with some prodding from his new wife, which may be the solution that’s best for everyone concerned.
***
Good advice for everyone — teens to seniors — is in “The Anger in All of Us and How to Deal With It.” To order, send your name and mailing address, plus check or money order for $8 to: Dear Abby, Anger Booklet, P.O. Box 447, Mount Morris, IL 61054-0447.

Is curve flattening?

Wed, 04/08/2020 - 8:37pm

Testing remains an issue

LEO HONEYCUTT

BATON ROUGE

East Baton Rouge Parish is Louisiana's most populated parish. U.S. 2020 Census estimates rank EBR in 1st place with 440,000 residents.

Jefferson Parish is next and then Orleans.

But in nearly four weeks, EBR is still being tested 75% less than Orleans, though the ratios of tests-to-positive cases are about the same.

In Orleans, Louisiana's COVID epicenter, 25% of those tested have the virus. In EBR, 17% test positive but the testing rate is only one-fourth that of Orleans.

In Caddo, the 2nd most tested parish, only 6% test positive. So why is the state's Capital City so far behind in testing

First St. Mary COVID-19 death reported

Wed, 04/08/2020 - 5:05pm

A St. Mary resident who died Wednesday is the first parish COVID-19 fatality.

St. Mary Coroner Eric Melancon confirmed that he was notified about the death around 3:30 p.m.

The man went to New Orleans near the end of February for rehabilitation related to a non-COVID-19 illness. He subsequently tested positive for the virus, Melancon said.

The man died at a New Orleans hospital.

The death was the fifth in this publication's three-parish circulation area. Four St. Martin people have died. No deaths have been linked to Assumption.

"We can expect some," Melancon said. "We're not immune to the disease."

Louisiana gets funding for 'unemployment on steroids'

Wed, 04/08/2020 - 3:56pm

Louisiana has received funding for enhanced unemployment benefits under the federal CARES Act, and Gov. John Bel Edwards has ordered payments to begin Monday.

The extra benefit is $600 per week on top of the usual jobless benefit.

Edwards made the announcement at his daily coronavirus press conference Wednesday.

The recipients will include those are eligible for traditional unemployment benefits as well as contract workers, "gig workers" and others who do not usually qualify for unemployment benefits but who receive other benefits after recently passed legislation.

The governor urged people to apply for unemployment benefits as soon as possible. He suggested applying online at louisianaworks.net between 10 p.m and 4 a.m., when traffic on the system is relatively light.

Louisiana unemployment claims have skyrocketed since COVID-19 prevention measures began to close or reduce operations for many employers.

Edwards said the unemployment trust fund has paid $51.5 million over the last three weeks. In a typical week, the fund pays out about $2.3 million.