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FRANKLIN — The St. Mary Council of Governments said hello to a near year and thanked an old friend Monday.
At the first meeting of 2020, Berwick Mayor Duval Arthur brought up the latter item under “old business.”
“Real old,” Arthur said.
He was taking a joking jab at former state Rep. Sam Jones, who stepped down recently after three terms representing House District 50. The district covers most of St. Mary Parish.
Before his election to the House, Jones served as Franklin’s mayor
Jones, D-Franklin, sat during the meeting with his successor, Vincent St. Blanc, R-Franklin.
Arthur and the current Franklin mayor, Eugene Foulcard, presented Jones with a plaque in recognition of his service.
Jones told the gathered government officials that he has accumulated 47 years of public service.
“Who would want to do that?” Jones joked.
But he also talked with pride about obtaining funding for infrastructure work in the parish, including the Emergency Operations Center in Morgan City and roads and bridges in the area.
He talked about a Legislature that is becoming more partisan along traditional ideological lines.
“It’s not just policy,” Jones said. “You have to bring home some bacon once in a while.”
Also Monday, the government officials saw a 2019 sales tax report that points to a continuing but slow economic recovery.
The St. Mary Parish Sales & Use Tax Analysis of the 4.3% sales tax shows total collections of $37.4 million in 2019, up about 3.6% from 2018.
But the growth was attributable to audit collections, which more than doubled year over year to nearly $2.7 million.
Collections at the cash register were down 0.42% in 2019.
Nearly two-thirds of the 2019 audit collections occurred in the fourth quarter.
Collections without audits were up 1.22% in the first quarter, 0.2% in the second quarter and 0.85% in the third quarter before slumping in the fourth quarter.
The biggest single sales tax source categories included restaurant and fast food, accounting for 15% of collections; the industrial group, 12%; and department stores and automobile sales, 11% each.
The “other” category accounted for 18%.

September 29, 1940 — January 24, 2020
Wayne Luke Vidos, 79, a resident of Morgan City, passed away peacefully Friday, January 24, 2020, at Morgan City Health Care surrounded by his loving family.
Wayne was born September 29, 1940, in Morgan City, the son of John Vidos Sr. and Myrtle Froreich Vidos.
Wayne was a Game Warden, serving the wetlands for 25 years. He was a kind-hearted man, who loved spending time with his family. Within 11 years, Wayne and his wife had fostered 52 children, making each child a part of their family, loving and caring for each child as their own. Wayne enjoyed going to the camp, fishing and hunting, planting in his garden, and visiting with his family.
He will be sadly missed and lovingly remembered by his wife of 35 years, Thelma Comeaux Vidos of Morgan City; son, Jordan L. Vidos of Morgan City; two brothers, James Vidos of Morgan City, and Jerry Vidos and spouse Evelyn of Deer Park, Texas; four sisters, Mary Ann Prado and spouse Rene of Morgan City, Betty Houghtaling Coulter of Brownsville, Texas, Lucy Wilkinson of Harlington, Texas, and Faith Boynt and spouse Bobby of Brownsville, Texas; one granddaughter, Trinity Tilley of Oakland, Louisiana; two sisters-in-law, Pam Vidos and Mary Vidos of Brownsville, Texas; brother-in-law, Carl Gaymen; and special cousins, Joe and Barbara Vidos.
Wayne was preceded in death by his parents, John and Myrtle Vidos; four brothers, Fredrick Vidos, Melvin Vidos, John Vidos Jr. and Carl Vidos; and two sisters, Rose Mary Broussard and Elizabeth Gaymen.
A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 11:00 a.m., Thursday, January 30, 2020, at Sacred Heart Catholic Church with Father Toto officiating. Visitation will be held Wednesday, January 29, 2020, at Twin City Funeral Home from 5:00 p.m. until 9:00 p.m., and again on Thursday, January 30, 2020, at Sacred Heart Catholic Church from 9:00 a.m. until the time of Mass. After Mass, Wayne will be laid to rest in Morgan City Cemetery Mausoleum.

Paula Smith, 54, a native of Morgan City and resident of Dillon, Montana, died Monday, Jan. 27, 2020, at St. Patrick Hospital.
Garden City Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements, which are pending at this time.