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Six St. Mary Parish students have been named to honors lists at Southeastern Louisiana University in Hammond.
They are:
Baldwin — (Honor Roll) Daylon T. Richard
Berwick — (Dean’s List) Braxton J. Laurent
Franklin — (President’s List) Noel M. Guillotte
Morgan City — (Dean’s List) Kerri L. Gray, Cullen W. Hinkle, Mollie M. Millet.

Staff Report
St. Mary Parish Sheriff’s Office detectives conducting an investigation at an Amelia business ended up arresting a Morgan City man on five drug-related charges Monday, including possession of heroin, Sheriff Blaise Smith said.
—Jamie Bullock, 30, of Cajun Way in Morgan City was arrested at 7:27 p.m. on charges of possession of heroin, marijuana, Suboxone and Xanax, as well as possession of drug paraphernalia.
Heroin and marijuana are classified as Schedule I controlled dangerous substances, and possession of those drugs carries the stiffest sentences. Suboxone is a Schedule III drug, and Xanax is listed on Schedule IV.
Bullock was transported to the St. Mary Parish Law Enforcement Center for booking. No bail has been set.
Smith also reported these arrests:
—Nathan David Chaisson, 30, of Panama City Beach, Florida, was arrested at 4:06 p.m. Monday on two warrants for failure to appear on charges of possession with intent to distribute marijuana and possession of methamphetamine.
A transportation deputy made contact with Chaisson when he transported him from the Bay County Annex Facility to the St. Mary Parish Law Enforcement Center for booking. Bail was set at $200,000.
—Curtis Paul Gaudet Jr., 26, of Lake Palourde Road in Amelia was arrested at 11:40 a.m. Monday on a charge of domestic abuse battery by strangulation. No bail has been set.
—Dwight Perry Blackburn, 40, of Prairie Road North in Franklin was arrested at 7:23 p.m. Monday on a charge of driving under suspension.
Blackburn was released on a summons to appear May 1.
—Shane Allen Paul, Sr., of Lockley Street in Baldwin was arrested at 8:43 p.m. Monday on a warrant for failure to appear on the charge of criminal neglect of family. Bail was set at $14,090.77
—James P. Chaisson, 53, of Aucoin Lane in Amelia was arrested at 11:36 p.m. Monday on charges of driving under suspension and improper lane usage.
Chaisson was released on a summons to appear May 1.
—Derek Lee Witherow, 30, of South 4405 Road in Locust Grove, Oklahoma, was arrested at 8:43 Monday on charges of improper lane usage and driving while intoxicated. Bail was set at $2,750.
Morgan City Police Chief James F. Blair reported 43 calls for service in 24 hours beginning Monday. He reported these arrests:
—Wayne Michael Escort, 31 of Mallard Street in Morgan City was arrested at 8 p.m. Monday on warrants for two counts of failure to appear.
Escort was transferred from St. Mary Law Enforcement Center on warrants held by the City Court of Morgan City. He was booked and incarcerated.
—Michael M. Dupre Jr., 54, of Stephensville Road in Stephensville was arrested at 2:59 a.m. Tuesday on a warrant for for failure to appear.
An officer on patrol came into contact with Dupre in the area of Ditch Avenue and Eighth Street. A warrants check revealed the 23rd District Court from St. James Parrish held active warrants for his arrest. He was transported to the Morgan City Police Department for booking and incarceration.
The Franklin Police Department responded to eight complaints in the 24 hours ending Tuesday morning and made these arrests:
—Steven Richard, 38, of Anderson Street in Franklin was arrested at 1:06 a.m. Tuesday, on the charges of unauthorized entry of an inhabited dwelling and burglary. Richard was booked, processed, and held with no bond set at the time of press release.
—Raymond Comeaux, 48, of Third Street in Franklin was arrested at 1:11 a.m. Tuesday on charges of unauthorized entry of an inhabited dwelling and burglary. Comeaux was booked, processed, and held with no bond set at the time of press release.
Berwick Police Chief David Leonard Sr. reported no arrests.
Patterson Police Chieff Garrett Grogan reported no arrests.

Submitted Photo
Since 1996, the Matthew 25 International program has been successful in building churches, schools and church leadership internationally. The continued success of the program is made possible through monetary donations and volunteer hours. Patterson State Bank Vice President Donna Thibodaux, left, presents a donation to Matthew 25 International's personal communications assistant, Tammie Mayon.

Louisiana lawmakers are beginning to file bills to be considered in the legislative session that begins March 9, including a measure that would reignite a contentious debate about the state’s legal climate.
Rep. Raymond Garofalo, a Chalmette Republican, has filed the “Omnibus Premium Reduction Act of 2020,” which appears to be modeled on a bill Rep. Kirk Talbot, R-River Ridge, filed last year. The bill seeks to make several changes to the state’s legal system that proponents say could lead to lower automobile insurance rates. Louisiana’s rates are among the highest in the nation, which insurers blame on expensive frivolous lawsuits.
The legislation would lower the amount of money that has to be at stake in a civil trial to guarantee the right to a jury to $5,000. The current threshold is $50,000, by far the highest in the nation.
Proponents of the change say the high threshold allows lawyers to “judge shop” for venues favorable to plaintiffs. Opponents note that there is no direct correlation between higher jury thresholds and higher rates and argue lowering the threshold would lead to more trials, increasing costs and clogging the court system.
Garofalo’s bill also would increase the period during which plaintiffs are allowed to sue from one year to two.
The bill also would eliminate the right to sue insurance companies directly. And when a plaintiff’s medical expenses have been paid by a health insurance company or Medicare, the plaintiff’s recovery of medical expenses would be limited to the amount actually paid to the health care provider by the insurer or Medicare, and not the amount billed.
Talbot’s bill last year was the top priority for the Louisiana Association of Business and Industry, the state’s most prominent business lobby, and it passed the House easily.
A Senate judiciary committee that was majority-Democrat and majority-lawyer killed the bill, saying there was no evidence it would benefit consumers and pointing to other factors such as tougher regulations that could reduce costs.
Supporters are hoping for better luck with the more conservative group of senators that emerged from the last election.
State Sen. Sharon Hewitt, R-Slidell, also filed a measure that would change how Louisiana’s legal system handles claims stemming from auto accidents. Her bill would allow courts to consider evidence that a plaintiff wasn’t wearing a seat belt, which in some cases could lead to lower claims.
Hewitt tried a similar proposal last year.
As of Wednesday afternoon, members of the state House of Representatives had filed seven bills while state senators had filed 12.