The Frame Shop and Gallery Coffee in downtown Morgan City has enlisted a bear mascot to comply with social distancing. Customers are asked to knock three times, and their work is wiped down, wrapped in plastic and taken to their cars. The bear is wearing a mask and holding a Clorox wipe.
BATON ROUGE – It’s official. The United States on Thursday eclipsed China, Italy, and 170 other countries for the most cases of coronavirus. The U.S. no has 110,000 cases and more than 1,100 deaths.
This makes Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards mad, very mad, because skyrocketing coronavirus cases in Louisiana are putting the state almost in the lead for the outbreak. He’s not happy that many Louisianans are still refusing to stay home.
“If you will do what is within your power to slow the spread of this virus,” he admonished to Louisianans via television at a Thursday press conference, “to slow the spread of this disease, we won’t need to surge [at medical facilities] as much or as fast. You literally have the power within yourself to save lives. It could be your own. It could be your spouse’s, your parents, your next-door neighbor, but you have it within your power to save lives if you will simply minimize the contact you have with other people.”
The governor is angry because Louisiana’s numbers per capita show the virus spreading like wildfire, mostly in the New Orleans area where Mardi Gras attracted over a million revelers from around the world. While they partied for the month of February, the Coronavirus Pandemic was exploding in China and Italy.
“We can avoid it,” lamented Edwards. “It is entirely within our power to avoid it but we’ve got to have more compliance.”
Compliance being: stay at home and keep your distance.
The governor was upset over the 28% rise in one day of cases and deaths Thursday.
Now 137 Louisianans have died.
Baton Rouge Mayor Sharon Weston Broome and civic leaders opened an emergency warehouse while pleading for medical supplies.
Further alarming, next door Ascension Parish suddenly has the highest rate of infection with nearly 100 cases.
“The curve we are on today is not promising,” the governor said. “Why would you want to take the chance on bringing it home? While we left essential businesses open so you could go to the grocery store, the pharmacy, the bank, the gas station, you don’t have to go every day.”
Shortly after the governor’s press conference, Super Bowl winning quarterback Drew Brees and his wife Brittany committed $5 million to the State of Louisiana for much needed supplies and meals. Friday morning, after an upbeat live interview with Brees on NBC’s Today Show, anchor Hoda Kotb, who spent much of her career in New Orleans, broke down on live television and was unable to continue for more than a minute afterward.
The message is slowly sinking in. Thousands of Louisianans are complying with Gov. Edwards’ wishes and they are sheltering in place with their children now going into the third week. “It’s a little crazy,” says Danielle Porche, a Baton Rouge realtor with 2 kids, 8-year-old Evangeline and 4-year-old Jules. “When they’re not studying, they like to reverse roles and be the parents. But only so far. Jules is big on disciplining and likes to roar like a tiger. ‘You kids do what I tell you to do,’ he yells.”
Out of the mouths of babes, and governors.
“Stay home,” said Gov. Edwards. “The life you’re saving is mostly likely your own.”
A total of 10 St. Mary COVID-19 cases were reported by the Louisiana Office of Public Health at noon Monday, up three from the noon Sunday total. The OPH says only 87 St. Mary people have been tested.
The number of cases in St. Martin rose by seven to 20. The number of cases in Assumption rose three to 17.
Statewide, the number of deaths rose by 34 in the 24 hours before Monday's update to 185.
The number r of Louisiana cases grew 485 to 4,025 since Sunday.
Orleans Parish now has 1,480 COVID-19 cases. The number of people hospitalized statewide grew by 31 to 1,158.
Closer to home, Lafourche Parish now has 51 cases, and Terrebonne has 34. Eighteen cases have been recorded in Iberia, and the Lafayette case count is now at 82.
About 35,000 people have been tested in Louisiana.
December 25, 1933 – March 27, 2020
Sherry Ann Talbot Hidalgo, a longtime resident of Franklin, passed away at the age of 86 in the afternoon hours of Friday, March 27, 2020, surrounded by her family. The full obituary will be posted once available.
Born in Franklin on Christmas Day 1933, Sherry was the first of three children and only daughter born to Earl and Hilder Talbot. She worked as Clerk for the Franklin City Court and retired in 1997 following 17 years of service. She loved playing cards, especially Pokeno, and enjoyed outings and trips to the casino. She also enjoyed watching westerns especially Roy Rogers and had a love of horses. But by far what was most important in her life was her family. She especially loved to watch her grandchildren and great grandchildren play baseball, soccer, and football and was their number one fan.
Those she leaves to cherish her memory include her husband of 61 years, Roland J. “Sonny” Hidalgo Jr.; her children, Glen J Hidalgo and his wife Gwendolyn of Bayou Vista, Roland “Pete” Hidalgo of Franklin, and Rhonda Marie Hidalgo of Youngsville; her grandchildren, Heather Hidalgo Gros and husband TJ of Broussard, Mandi Borne Bucher and husband Steven of Youngsville, Ted Charles Borne II and wife Michelle of Youngsville, and Dylan Borne of Youngsville; her precious great grandchildren, Sport Gros, Eli Gros, Trey Gros, Carter Bucher, Colt Borne, Karlie Borne, and Rylan Borne; and a host of nieces and nephews.
She was preceded in death by her parents, Earl J. “Pete” Talbot and Hilder Adams Talbot; and her brothers, Billy Gene Talbot and Earl “Wooger” Talbot, Jr.
Due to the recent health concerns and the restrictions in accordance with limited gatherings, the family has decided to hold memorial services at a later date.
The family would like to express their sincerest gratitude to Dr. Roland Degeyter and his staff, Dr. Fernando Ruiz with CIS of Lafayette, Franklin Foundation Hospital, Franklin Home Health Care, and Heart of Hospice for their loving and compassionate care given to Sherry.
Family and friends are encouraged to view the obituary and express their condolences, support, and love for the family online by visiting www.iberts.com.
Arrangements have been entrusted to Ibert’s Mortuary, Inc., 1007 Main Street, Franklin, La. 70538, (337) 828-5426.
August 29, 1929 - March 26, 2020
Beverly John Ibert, affectionately known as Bookie, passed away at the age of 90 on Thursday, March 26, 2020 at Our Lady of Lourdes Regional Medical Center in Lafayette.
Bookie was born on August 29, 1929 in Centerville and was the first of three children born to the late Isaac and Florence Ibert. He was a longtime resident of Franklin who retired in 1986 from Exxon Mobil following many years of faithful service and remained active with the L’acadian Retirees Club serving as President of many years. In his earlier years he was a big supporter of the Franklin Little League and the Cub Scouts and was active in many civic organizations. He was also a longtime member of the Krewe of Teche of which he served as Captain for many years. He knew no stranger and was a friend to all.
Those he leaves to cherish his memory include his wife of 67 years, Evelyn Blanchard Ibert; six children, Karen I. Boss, Kathy I. Imel and her husband Rodney, Joan Ibert and her companion Elliott LaPort, Jane I. Graffeo, Ellen I. Koski and her husband John, and Michael Ibert and his wife Claudine; his sister, Linda I. Gaspard and her husband Ted; sister-in-law, Faye Ibert; 18 grandchildren; and 23 great grandchildren.
He was preceded in death by his son, Johnny Ibert; his parents, Isaac Ibert and Florence Guillotte Ibert; his brother, Andee Ibert; and a son-in-law, Jeff Boss.
Due to the recent health concerns and restrictions in accordance with limited gatherings, the funeral services for Mr. Bookie will be held privately with the immediate family. He will be laid to rest in the Franklin Cemetery.
In lieu of flowers the family asks that memorial contributions be made to The Children’s Fund for GSD Research (Glycogen Storage Disease), 20 Sherwood Lane, Cheshire, CT 06410, www.cureGSD.org, info@curegsd.org, (203) 272-7744.
Family and friends are encouraged to view the obituary and express their condolences, support, and love for the family online by visiting www.iberts.com.
Arrangements have been entrusted to Ibert’s Mortuary, Inc., 1007 Main Street, Franklin, La. 70538, (337) 828-5426.
August 4, 1954 – March 6, 2020
Joseph F. Roy III, a native of New Roads and a resident of Morgan City, passed away at the age of 65 with his family at his side on Friday, March 6, 2020, at 12:26 p.m. at Ochsner St. Mary in Morgan City.
Joey was adored by his family and his gentle, kind demeanor was a gift to all who knew him. He loved spending time with his family and enjoyed simple pleasures in life, like reading and fishing.
Those he leaves to cherish his memory include his two daughters, Jeanne Roy Pichoff and her husband Dexter Pichoff Jr. and Danielle K. Roy; two grandchildren, Blaise and Ilan Pichoff; four siblings, John D. Roy, Blanche Jewell, Rachel Steely, and Yvonne Roy; as well as numerous nieces and nephews.
He was preceded in death by his parents, Joseph F. Roy Jr. and Marie Jeanne Langlois Roy.
Due to the recent health concerns and the restrictions in accordance with limited gatherings, the funeral services for Joey will be held at a later date.
Family and friends are encouraged to view the obituary and express their condolences and support online by visiting www.iberts.com.
Arrangements have been entrusted to Ibert’s Mortuary, Inc., 1007 Main Street, Franklin, La. 70538, (337) 828-5426.
Alvin Joseph Lockett, 69, a native of Four Corners and a resident of New Iberia, passed away Wednesday, March 18, 2020 at Iberia Medical Center.
Visitation will be observed on Saturday, March 28, 2020 at Macedonia Baptist Church, 145 Provost Road, Ashton, from 8-10 a.m. A maximum of 10 persons will be allowed in the sanctuary at a time.
Funeral services will be held at 10 a.m. for immediate family only. Interment will be in the Macedonia Baptist Church Cemetery.
He is survived by his loving wife, Dollar Latigue Lockett of New Iberia; stepsons Pastor Terry Lee (LaShawn) Joseph of Franklin, Brandon (Chasity) Latigue of New Iberia, and Tramavise (Aeirale) Latigue of Thibodaux, La.; daughters Pamela (Kenny) Marshall of New Iberia and Aquila Joseph of Jeanerette; stepdaughter Precious Latigue of New Iberia; a brother, Curtis (Belinda) Lockett of Baton Rouge; a sister, Elizabeth Jackson of Four Corners; 14 grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his parents and grandparents.
Rev. Ulysses Mitchell Jr. officiating.
The Otis Mortuary of Franklin is in charge.
WARNING! St. Mary Parish is being overrun by bears — and other exotic animals! Just take a drive down a street in Bayou Vista, Morgan City, Patterson or Berwick, and keep your eyes peeled for animals peeking out of windows or lurking on porches.
How did such a thing happen?
The bears and other animals were let loose by a combined effort started locally by Michele Besse, a Bayou Vista Elementary School first grade teacher, and Kimberly Romero Ruiz of Bayou Vista.
On March 22, Besse asked her Facebook friends to “go around their houses in Bayou Vista and to put bears out.”
Why, you ask?
“When this (the COVID-19 shelter in place order by Gov. John Bel Edwards) all started I heard about a woman reading bedtime stories to her students,” Besse said of how she decided to do the same with a dedicated YouTube channel.
The book she selected for the March 23 bedtime story was, “We’re Going on a Bear Hunt,” by Michael Rosen and Helen Oxenbury. That’s why on March 22 night she enlisted the help of her Facebook friends. Before she began reading the book, she told her students that there would be a surprise at the end. That surprise was that there were bears placed in windows in Bayou Vista for them to find.
Coincidentally, on March 23 Ruiz saw a Facebook post from Lafayette about the “bear hunt.” A bear hunt that has not only spread across St. Mary Parish but the nation, as well.
“We (her and her daughter Annabelle Ruiz) went Monday (March 23) and saw 10, maybe 15 bears,” Ruiz said.
“There was like no bears,” said Annabelle, 13. “I kind of got upset.”
That’s when she asked her mom, “Do you think we can do something to make more bears come?”
“St. Mary Parish is GOING ON A BEAR HUNT” Facebook Group started on Tuesday as a result.
“I added about 10 people (that first day) and now I think we are up to almost 800,” Kimberly Ruiz said Thursday morning. “When I took A.J. (her 6-year-old son) on Wednesday there were bears everywhere!”
Besse packed up all her books from her classroom on that last day of school with her bedtime story videos in mind.
“I hoped I could read to my babies,” she sighed. “This is the first time I’ve had to leave my students.”
Now every day she makes a bedtime story video for her students and sends it to them via their parents through the Remind app. The app is used by St. Mary Parish Public Schools as a way for teachers to communicate with parents.
“My first video to the students was to just reassure them,” she said. Her positive outlook on life is what she wants to share with her students.
“Find the joy and the positive,” she told her students in that first video. “Be patient and love one another.”
As she fought back tears, she said, “We have students that don’t eat … you can see that they are hurting.
“What scares me the most is that they don’t have us (teachers) right now.”
The hunt does come with precautions … Besse urges her students to “Remember do not come in contact with anyone, do not touch anyone, just wave a good 10-feet away.”
And for one last reassurance each night, Besse ends her bedtime stories with a smile, an American Sign Language “I Love You” sign and the words … “I love and take joy in the journey.”
All things seem to revolve around the coronavirus outbreak. Things feel uncertain, surreal and downright scary. Working from home with children or caring for family members can make it a challenge to balance professional demands and family obligations with physical activity and healthy diets.
During this time, it is best to self-isolate and take a great deal of self-care. We also need both mental and physical stimulation to relieve stress and relax.
Gyms are shut down, travel is limited and we must maintain social distance. But you can get the American Heart Association recommended 30 to 60 minutes of moderate intensity aerobic and strengthening activities by gardening. Countless studies have linked regular physical activity with improved joints, increased bone and muscle mass, improved metabolism and immunity to disease as well as enhancing mental health and well-being.
Gardening activities are an excellent source of physical exercise, and vegetable gardens can supply nutritious food. But gardening is so much more than that. It is relaxing; it provides an outlet for stress relief, and it also helps create a sense of belonging and connectedness to others and our planet.
Growing a vegetable garden or tending ornamental gardens and landscapes offer physical activity as well as nutritious, low-calorie foods essential for maintaining a healthy weight. Benefits are not limited to food gardening. They can come from any type of gardening that involves physical activity.
Tasks such as digging, weeding, raking, planting and staking plants are good exercise for both upper and lower body strength and are considered moderate-intensity physical activity, comparable to a brisk walk, swimming and biking.
Other gardening tasks that use upper body strength while standing or squatting — such as pruning, mixing soil, planting seedlings, sowing seeds, watering, filling containers with soil, harvesting and washing produce — are low-intensity physical activities.
Gardening can also contribute to good health by providing fruits and vegetables for proper nutrition. Produce provides an excellent source of fiber, vitamins and minerals essential to our health.
Households that grow their own fresh produce tend to eat more fruits and vegetables. Children who participate in growing produce are also more likely to try or eat a broader selection of vegetables.
In addition to physical and nutritional health benefits, gardening uniquely provides important benefits to mental well-being. The repetitive tasks of gardening can be relaxing and offer mental restoration, stress relief, sense of purpose, forgetting worries and focus recovery. Gardening can also enhance the ability to respond and rebound after difficulties, such as stress or illness. That’s just what we need in this time of uncertainty.
Gardening can meet our need for personal choice and a sense of relationship to our surroundings. Designing a garden space, tackling a garden project, selecting which plants to grow or even choosing flower color are examples of personal choice. A sense of pride and purpose results from growing and harvesting fruits and vegetables or from arranging a vase of cut flowers. And success in the garden leads to an increase in self-esteem.
Plants teach us about patience, delayed gratification (a much-needed skill in this day and age) and nurturing. Gardening tasks also teach us work habits and an understanding of what it takes to produce food and help us observe growth and realize what it means to be needed.
Tending the garden offers valuable focused time for our families to converse, share and interact, supporting feelings of relatedness and belongingness while creating a time for fellowship as well as an opportunity to teach our children about all aspects of our world, life and nature.
Lastly and importantly, the gardens and landscapes we tend offer community and social benefits. When we share tools, offer growing tips or lend a helping hand, we provide support and connectedness in addition to experiencing pride of place and connections to our neighbors.
Growing plants can make our neighborhoods safer places to live. Routinely taking care of plants gets us outside, talking with others and becoming more aware of our neighborhood, resulting in an increased sense of community and stronger social connections.
The plants and gardens that we cultivate matter for our personal health. They enhance our homes, creating a haven for rest and well-being. They provide much-needed exercise, nutrition and diversion while also providing the space to make important community connections.
So get out there. Thankfully, many garden stores are still open. Curbside pickup is available. And as luck would have it in this time of uncertainty, it is spring — a season of rebirth — and life in our landscapes and Louisiana is graced with good weather.
Take some time away from the headlines and busy hustle and bustle of working from home and teaching children. For those still going to work and trying to keep this pandemic in check when you get home, go outdoors. Take time to mentally recover from all the stress by working and being in nature. Bless you all and get out there and get it growing.
DEAR ABBY: I had a boyfriend for two years until a few days ago. He’s a 40-year-old easygoing paraplegic (from a car accident long before I met him), and I’m an easygoing 36-year-old woman with two kids from a previous marriage.
We had a great connection, a similar outlook on life and had the same interests in pretty much everything. He adored my girls. We would all go to a movie every so often or to dinner occasionally, but mostly we would stay in and play games or watch TV when we were spending time together.
I’m his first girlfriend, so he was new to the concept of having someone love him in spite of every little flaw he had (which were very few). I told him so many times that no matter what was wrong, I was going to stick by his side.
Recently, he’s had a medical problem with a few ulcerated sores. This sometimes happens to paraplegics. Unfortunately, his doctor has said he needed to leave his apartment temporarily and go into a nursing facility to get round-the-clock care. A few months went by, with plenty of visits from friends, family, and me and my daughters. (He always introduces us as his family.)
The doctor now says he may need to stay there for a year, and I know he became immediately depressed. He sent me a text saying he thinks we should just be friends, and he doesn’t want a reminder of what he can’t do anymore. I feel like this isn’t him, that he’s jumping to rash conclusions because of stress. I don’t want to end the relationship. I’m willing to keep moving forward and get through this speed bump together.
He won’t answer my calls or texts, and I’m at a loss about what I should do next. I want to keep him so badly. My heart aches every day worrying about this. He may lose a year of freedom, but I’m losing a lifelong companion.
HEAVY HEART IN PENNSYLVANIA
DEAR HEAVY HEART: You really have no choice but to follow this man’s lead, so do as he has asked. Remember, you promised to support him no matter what. Agree to be “just friends,” although it won’t be easy if he wants to remain incommunicado. In the meantime, stay as active with other friends as you can.
Above all, do NOT allow yourself to become socially isolated because he has chosen to isolate himself.
DEAR ABBY: My daughter “Frances” is currently applying for graduate school and is dating a man who works in human waste management. She lives in the dorms at school. Her brother “Harry” was at a party recently, and a young lady told him the “poop pumper” has been trying to get some alone time with her. I feel I should tell Frances that her guy is on the prowl. They have been dating since Frances was 16, and my wife and I have always thought she could do better. Should we tell her?
HOLDING MY NOSE IN OHIO
DEAR HOLDING: No, HARRY should tell his sister about the person he met at the party and exactly what he was told. Coming from her brother it will sound less like “I told you so.” As to your comment that Frances “could do better,” if you’re referring to the boyfriend’s chosen field, be aware that people in waste management can earn a very good living doing a very important job.
***
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.
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