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Ricohoc man convicted in 2017 homicide

Mon, 12/23/2019 - 12:52pm

Staff Report

A St. Mary Parish jury found Donald Eugene Hull Jr., 54, of Ricohoc, guilty of manslaughter Friday in the death of Celina Lipari Hull.

The investigation began on Oct. 6, 2017, when authorities were called to 1706 West Ibert Street, Apt. B, in Franklin to a subject with injuries and a potential fire. Upon arrival, authorities found the victim lying on the floor of the residence, dead, with a large laceration to her neck. After a lengthy investigation by multiple agencies, including DNA analysis by the State Police Crime Lab, Hull, the only other occupant of the apartment where the victim’s body was located, was arrested March 9, 2018, the District Attorney's Office said.

Hull will be sentenced March 20..

Jury selection in the case began on Monday, Dec. 16 and testimony in the case began the following morning, according to the District Attorney's Office. The state rested its case-in-chief on Thursday morning. The defense rested its case shortly before lunch on Friday. The jury examined the evidence introduced by both sides and heard closing arguments Friday afternoon, retiring to deliberate immediately afterward.

The jury advised the court that a verdict had been reached approximately one hour later. The case was prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Brady Holtzclaw.

District Attorney Bo Duhe commends the joint effort of the Franklin Police Department, the Louisiana State Police Crime Lab, the State Fire Marshall’s Office, the Franklin Fire Department, the St. Mary Parish Coroner’s Office as well as the St. Mary Parish District Attorney’s Office.

Schools get their grades

Mon, 12/23/2019 - 9:56am

Staff Report

At the St. Mary Parish School Board meeting that took place Dec. 12, schools earning “A” status, “B” status, Top Gains status and Equity Honoree status were recognized. Each principal was presented a plaque honoring their achievement.

Candid camera: Video foils package theft

Mon, 12/23/2019 - 9:48am

Staff Report
A home surveillance system captured a Morgan City man taking packages from the doorstep of a home, and with tips from the public, he was arrested, Morgan City Police Chief James F. Blair said in a news release.
—Napolian Dwayne Webb, 34, of Kentucky Street in Morgan City, was arrested at 9:57 p.m. Thursday on warrants for the charges of criminal trespassing, theft under $1,000 and criminal mischief.
The warrant stems from a complaint filed with the Morgan City Police Department on Dec. 3. Webb was captured on the victim’s home surveillance system entering the property and stealing a package from the doorstep, Blair said.. During the investigation, a warrant was obtained for Webb’s arrest.
With tips from the public, Webb was located on Fourth Street and placed under arrest. He was jailed.
Blair also reported that the Morgan City Police Department responded to 33 calls of service and the following arrests were made:
—Danny Lee Andorf, 45, of Levee Road in Morgan City, was arrested at 10:47 a.m. Thursday on warrants for the charges of allowing dogs to roam, keeping vicious dogs and three counts failure to appear. Andorf was located at the Assumption Parish Detention Center and placed under arrest on active warrants held by the Morgan City Police Department and City Court of Morgan City. He was jailed.
—Ryan James Kemp, 36, of Joseph Street in Morgan City, was arrested at 1:01 p.m. Thursday on a warrant for failure to appear. Kemp was located at the Patterson Police Department and placed under arrest on an active warrant held by the City Court of Morgan City. He was jailed.
St. Mary Parish Sheriff Blaise Smith said the Sheriff’s Office responded to 35 complaints and the following arrests were made:
—Alvey Joseph Henry, 25, of Oday Road in St. Martinville, was arrested at 11:18 a.m. Thursday on a charge of possession of marijuana.
A deputy was assisting a Louisiana State Police trooper with a traffic stop on U.S. 90 in Bayou Vista when marijuana belonging to the driver, Henry, was found. He was arrested and released on a summons to appear on March 11.
—Kashif Jermaine Wallace, 31, of Clines Lane in Amelia, was arrested at 9:23 p.m. Thursday on a warrant for failure to appear on the charge of theft.
Deputies were patrolling the Amelia area when they observed a vehicle cross the center line of the highway several times. The deputies conducted a traffic stop and made contact with the driver, Wallace. Dispatch advised the deputies that Wallace held an active warrant for his arrest. He was jailed with no bail set.
Franklin Police Chief Morris Beverly reported the Franklin Police Department responded to 4 complaints and the following arrest was made:
—Ananias Glass, 31, of Florence Street in Morgan City, was arrested at 7:15 p.m. Thursday on the charges of possession of Schedule I narcotics (marijuana), illegal possession of a firearm in the presence of a controlled dangerous substance and two counts of turn signal required. He was jailed.
Patterson Police Chief Garrett Grogan reported there were no arrests.
Berwick Police Chief David Leonard Sr. reported there were no arrests.

Radio Logs for Dec. 23

Mon, 12/23/2019 - 9:46am

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.
Friday, Dec. 20
8:51 a.m. 1200 block of David Drive; Open door.
11:15 a.m. 100 block of Brashear Avenue; Theft.
12:26 p.m. 1000 block of La. 70; Accident.
1:05 p.m. 300 block of Laurel Street; Disturbance.
2 p.m. 800 block of Brashear Avenue; Accident.
3:02 p.m. 1600 block of Chatsworth Drive; Telephone harassment.
3:16 p.m. La. 182 bridge; Assist accident.
5:48 p.m. Louisiana and Fifth streets; Patrol request.
6:48 p.m. 800 block of Brashear Avenue; Arrest.
7:19 p.m. 6400 block of La. 182; Complaint.
7:46 p.m. 600 block of Martin Luther King Boulevard; Complaint.
8:24 p.m. 1300 block of Sixth Street; Complaint.
8:31 p.m. 1200 block of Victor II Boulevard; Complaint.
8:43 p.m. 3000 block of Allison Street; Juvenile problem.
8:53 p.m. Justa Street; Complaint.
9:03 p.m. 200 block of Federal Avenue; Civil.
10:29 p.m. 600 block of Aucoin Street; Suspicious subject.
10:38 p.m. 600 block of Egle Street; Medical.
10:40 p.m. 1000 block of Belanger Street; Loud music.
11:03 p.m. 4000 block of Railroad Avenue; Suspicious subject.
11:12 p.m. 6800 block of La. 182; Disturbance.
11:33 p.m. Roderick Street; Suspicious vehicle.
11:40 p.m. U.S. 90; Traffic incident.
11:43 p.m. Eleventh Street; Arrest.
Saturday, Dec. 21
12:12 a.m. 100 block of Glenwood Street; Arrest.
1:20 a.m. 7200 block of La. 182; Alarm.
2:08 a.m. 300 block of Second Street; Disturbance.
3:50 a.m. 2900 block of Railroad Avenue; Alarm.
12:50 p.m. 600 block of La. 182; Theft.
1:30 p.m. Ninth Street; Accident.
2:02 p.m. 2100 block of Sixth Street; Telephone harassment.
3:14 p.m. Patterson Police Department; Warrant.
3:49 p.m. 300 block of Aucoin Street; Civil complaint.
4:23 p.m. Ann and Second streets; Welfare concern.
5:25 p.m. 500 block of Egle Street; Disturbance.
5:57 p.m. 1000 block of Garden Street; Alarm.
6:45 p.m. 500 block of Egle Street; Disturbance.
8:03 p.m. 600 block of Martin Luther King Boulevard; Complaint.
9:10 p.m. 100 block of Mallard Street; Disturbance.
11:37 p.m. U.S. 90 West; Reckless driver.
Sunday, Dec. 22
12:43 a.m. 7500 block of La. 182; Disturbance.
12:46 a.m. 900 block of Railroad Avenue; Complaint.
1:40 a.m. 7600 block of La. 182; Alarm.
2:01 a.m. 7500 block of La. 182; Medical.
2:50 a.m. Ninth and Florence streets; Arrest.
3:32 a.m. Sixth and Florence streets; Loud music.
9:46 a.m. 1200 block of Federal Avenue; Fire alarm.
10:03 a.m. 6400 block of La. 182; Narcotics.
1:08 p.m. 300 block of Sixth Street; Complaint.
1:16 p.m. 7400 block of La. 182; Criminal damage to property.
2:06 p.m. 7400 block of La. 182; Assist.
2:43 p.m. 600 block of Brashear Avenue; Civil matter.
3:23 p.m. 300 block of Wren Street; Found wallet.
3:38 p.m. 7500 block of Freret Street; Complaint.
3:51 p.m. 300 block of Egle Street; Fire.
4:09 p.m. 1100 block of Chester Bowles Street; Stand by.
4:41 p.m. 200 block of Aucoin Street; Stand by.
6:26 p.m. 1200 block of Victor II Boulevard; Accident.
8:22 p.m. Fifth and Everett streets; Noise complaint.
9:28 p.m. Fifth and Louisiana streets; Loud music.
9:55 p.m. U.S. 90 East; Arrest.
10:01 p.m. 900 block of David Drive; Alarm.
11:22 p.m. Old Domino’s location; Suspicious person.
Monday, Dec. 23
2:45 a.m. Halsey Street and Railroad Avenue; Loud music.

Mayor's race taking shape; tax measures headed for ballot

Fri, 12/20/2019 - 2:35pm

By BILL DECKER

bdecker@daily-review.com

If you didn’t get enough politics in 2019, you’ll love 2020.
In addition to presidential, U.S. Senate and U.S. House elections, a Morgan City mayor race and at least two tax propositions will appear on local ballots next year.
The tax propositions are a property tax renewal for Morgan City Municipal Auditorium and a new half-cent sales tax for parish public schools, both likely to appear on the May 9 ballot.
Parish Councilman Kevin Voisin and shipyard owner Lee Dragna, both of whom ran against current incumbent Frank “Boo” Grizzaffi in 2012, say they’re planning to run for mayor again in the Nov. 3 primary.
In the campaign to succeed Grizzaffi, who is term-limited, expect to hear a lot about the economy.
“We need to jump-start our economy and try to diversify our economy, too,” Voisin said.
As a Parish Council member, Voisin has had to deal with the effects of a 5-year economic downturn that depressed tax revenue. He said things may finally be looking up.
“The people I’ve been talking to are saying the phone is ringing and people are getting a few jobs,” Voisin said.
But the region can’t depend on the oil industry anymore, Voisin said. And he’s willing to take a no-new-taxes pledge while maintaining the current level of services.
Economy diversification is at the top of Dragna’s list, too. And he agrees that Morgan City must rely less on the oilfield.
Dragna said he’s the man to help the economy. He pointed to his two shipyards, their 180 employees and a $40 million-$45 million backlog, plus contacts developed while doing business with NASA and Space X.
And Dragna said he’d like to bring the city together again.
“It needs to be the way it used to be when everyone came here to work and everybody knew each other,” Dragna said.
Another rumored potential candidate, City Councilman Louis Tamporello, said Tuesday that he has no current plans to run for mayor but he isn't ruling it out, either.
In 2012, with a big turnout and the Obama-Romney presidential race at the top of the ballot, Grizzaffi got 35% of the primary vote in a five-candidate field. Dragna won the second runoff spot with 19%.
Voisin, who has served three terms from Parish Council District 7 and is nearing the end of a second term from at-large District 11, finished out of the running in 2012 with 14%.
In the general election, with a smaller turnout on a December Saturday, Grizzaffi beat Dragna 69%-31% to earn the first of his two terms.
Long before the mayoral election, Morgan City voters will be asked to renew the 2-mill property tax for the auditorium. The City Council approved a resolution Tuesday asking the state government to put the renewal on the May 9 ballot.
The tax raises $230,000 to $278,000 a year for the auditorium’s operation and maintenance, depending on the city’s assessed valuation.
Another property tax, established to service a debt that is being paid off, is also scheduled to expire next year. It amounts to about a mill, depending on the debt service requirements for that year.
The City Council talked briefly at the November meeting about asking voters to rededicate the debt service tax for some other purpose, but members haven’t taken any action.
A mill is 1/10th of a cent of tax applied to each $1 of a property’s assessed valuation. Homes are assessed at 10% of their market value.
The 2-mill tax adds $20 to the annual property tax bill for a $100,000 home. Louisiana’s homestead exemption does not apply to city taxes.
Another tax likely to appear on the May 9 ballot may prove to be more controversial.
The St. Mary Parish School Board voted Dec. 12 to ask voters for the additional half-cent sales tax before voters. President Michael Taylor argued that the board needs the added revenue to provide pay increases to teachers and staff members both as a reward for the district’s performance and to keep the district competitive.
But, without mentioning the School Board proposal directly, both Grizzaffi and Parish President David Hanagriff indicated they’d oppose new taxes. They said the parish’s economic slump make this a bad time to burden taxpayers and businesses.
Also in 2020, St. Mary residents will go to the polls to help pick a president. Republican President Donald J. Trump got 65% of the St. Mary vote in 2016.
The presidential primary date is April 4.
U.S. Rep. Clay Higgins, R-Port Barre, will be up for reelection in the 3rd Congressional District, which includes St. Mary. Higgins, completing his second two-year term, has drawn at least one opponent: Rob Anderson of Beauregard Parish. He ran as a Democrat in 2018, when Higgins won election in the primary.
U.S. Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-Baton Rouge, will also be up for reelection in November 2020. Cassidy, a physician who has been active in health care policy debates, is completing his first term since beating three-term incumbent Mary Landrieu in 2014.

DUDLEY JOSEPH MICHEL JR.

Fri, 12/20/2019 - 2:32pm

July 24, 1942 — December 18, 2019
Dudley Joseph Michel Jr., 77, a resident of Bayou Vista, passed away Wednesday, December 18, 2019, at the St. Joseph Carpenter House in Lafayette, surrounded by his loving family.
Dudley was born July 24, 1942, the son of Dudley Joseph Michel Sr. and Bernadette Mayon Fuselier.
Dudley was a great man who enjoyed spending time with his family; he enjoyed cooking for them, especially boiling crawfish. Dudley also enjoyed going to the casinos and playing Horseshoe. Dudley was, in fact, inducted into the “Hall of Fame” for Horseshoe, and was also given a plaque for being the team member’s best sport.
He will be sadly missed and lovingly remembered by his wife, Lydia Guidry Michel; son, Michael Michel; four stepchildren, Lloyd “Noonie” Guillot Jr. and wife Karen, Bonnie McManus, Shelby Guillot and wife Judy, and Galen Guillot and wife Jenny; daughter-in-law, Erin Guidry; seven siblings, Horace Michel, Annabelle Broussard, J.B. Fuselier, J.D. Fuselier, Deborah May, Gayle Bailey and Bernadette “Bonnie” Acosta; numerous grandchildren, great-grandchildren and great-great-grandchildren, as well as nieces and nephews.
Dudley was preceded in death by his parents, Dudley Michel Sr. and Bernadette Fuselier; stepson, Brady Guidry; son-in-law, Ted McManus; grandson, Kelin Guillot; and granddaughter, Kristi Guillot Borel.
Pallbearers will be Dudley’s grandsons; Luke, Adam, Eric and Shae Guillot, Braden Guidry, and Kade Seneca.
Services will be held at 1 p.m., Saturday, December 21, 2019, at Twin City Funeral Home with Brother James Kyle officiating. Visitation will be held Saturday, December 21, 2019, at Twin City Funeral Home from 11 a.m. until the time of services. After services, Dudley will be laid to rest in Morgan City Cemetery.

DOLLY DUROCHER CHAPMAN

Fri, 12/20/2019 - 2:27pm

Dolly Durocher Chapman, 68, a native and resident of Morgan City, died Thursday, Dec. 12, 2019, at her residence.
She is survived by four daughters, Karen Philips of Bayou Vista, Tracy Rhodes of Berwick, Chasity Massicot of Kenner and Brittany Chapman of Colorado; a son, Gary Durocher of New Iberia; numerous grandchildren and great-grandchildren; four sisters, Julie Simoneaux, Gloria Marino and Diana Ackman, all of Morgan City, and Mary Sons of Patterson; and a brother, Herbert Durocher Jr. of Patterson.
She was preceded in death by her parents, two children, a sister and a brother.
Visitation will be at 1 p.m. Friday at Twin City Funeral Home with graveside services following at 2 p.m. in Morgan City Cemetery.
Twin City Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.

STEPHEN EDLYN GAUTHIER

Fri, 12/20/2019 - 2:25pm

Stephen Edlyn Gauthier, 77, a native of Hessmer, died Wednesday, December 11, 2019.
He is survived by his wife, Angie Rogers Gauthier; a daughter, Noel Landen; two sons, Stephen Gauthier and Christopher Jude; two granddaughters; a great-granddaughter, three sisters, Anita Mayeaux, Katherine Arceneaux and Connie Ryland; and a host of other relatives.
He was preceded in death by his parents.
Services were Tuesday at David Funeral Home in Jeanerette, with a private inurnment following.
David’s Funeral Home was in charge of arrangements.

SAMUEL CROSS JR.

Fri, 12/20/2019 - 2:22pm

Samuel Cross Jr., 82, a native of Franklin and resident of Jeanerette, died Friday, Dec. 6, 2019, at Ochsner St. Mary in Morgan City.
Visitation will be Saturday from 9 a.m. until services at 11 a.m. at Jones Funeral Home in Franklin. Burial will follow in St. John Cemetery-Pecot Street in Franklin.
He is survived by eight sons, Jerry Cross, Alfred Favors, Ray Favors, Jerry Favors, Samuel Favors, Mark Cross and Sammy Cross, all of Patterson, and Troy Singleton of Baldwin; two daughters, Yvonne Williams and Evelyn Cross, both of Patterson; four brothers, Calvin Cross, James Cross and Ernest Harrison, all of Franklin, and Edgar Harrison of Houston; three sisters, Glenda Savage and Thelma Coleman, both of Houston, and Joyce Jones of Baldwin; 14 grandchildren; 12 great-grandchildren; and a host of other relatives.
He was preceded in death by his parents, two brothers, two sisters, four sons and one grandson.
Jones Funeral Home of Franklin is in charge of arrangements.

Plan to save turtles from shrimp nets scaled way back

Fri, 12/20/2019 - 2:04pm

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — A plan to make more shrimpers include sea turtle escape hatches in their nets has been vastly scaled back, federal regulators announced Thursday, potentially contributing to the deaths of more than 1,000 of the animals each year.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration announced a rule that would apply to fewer than 1,100 inshore shrimp boats in the Gulf of Mexico and along the southeast Atlantic coast. About 5,800 boats would have been affected by a rule proposed in 2016.
“The new ... requirements are designed specifically to help exclude small sea turtles that frequently occur in shallow, coastal waters where skimmer trawls operate,” the agency said in a news release.
Instead of requiring the metal grates in three kinds of inshore nets, they’ll be required only in the most numerous, called skimmer trawls. And only boats at least 40 feet (12.2 meters) long will need the grids called turtle excluder devices, or TEDs.
The new rule will take effect April 1, 2021, along the coast from Texas to North North Carolina, and will save as many as 1,160 sea turtles a year, NOAA said. That’s more than 1,300 fewer than the estimate for the 2016 proposal.
“NOAA’s new excluder rule is a dangerous departure from the path it had been on toward saving sea turtles from nets,” said Jaclyn Lopez, Florida director with the Center for Biological Diversity.
She said the group will investigate why NOAA “abruptly and without notice” made such a big change to its earlier proposal before deciding whether to challenge the new rule in court.
“We’re scratching our heads on why this change happened,” said Gib Brogan, fishery campaign manager for Oceana, which sued to get the devices into inshore shrimp nets in NOAA’s Southeast Region.
Brogan said the requirements are a step in the right direction, but fall short. Like Lopez, he said his group will study the matter before deciding whether legal action is needed.
Shrimper Joe Barbaree said he hadn’t heard of the changes but TEDs would still be imposed on too many shrimpers.
The devices have been required for decades on large offshore shrimp boats, but shrimpers have said they could be difficult to operate safely on smaller boats that work in inshore waters.
Turtle excluder devices have metal bars set 4 inches (10 centimeters) apart on a vertical slant to deflect anything bigger to an opening at the top of the net. To protect smaller turtles, skimmer net TEDS will have 3-inch (7.6-centimer) openings, NOAA said.
The devices are currently required only on the most common shrimp nets, mesh funnels known as otter trawls that are generally used offshore. Three other kinds of shrimp trawls are used in shallower water.
The most common of those are skimmer nets, used on more than 5,400 vessels. The others include one called wing nets or butterfly trawls; and another called pusher-head trawls or chopstick rigs.
Shrimpers using any of those nets don’t currently have to use TEDs if they empty their nets after 55 minutes of trawling. Otter trawls may be pulled for hours.
Under current rules, shrimpers must look at the nets to check for turtles before lowering them again. Under the new rule, boats which aren’t required to use TEDs will have to empty the nets onto the deck.
Compliance with the trawl length rule already was only about 35% on boats where the captains and crew knew observers were stationed, and the new requirement is unlikely to improve that, Lopez said.
Five sea turtle species, all endangered or threatened, are found in the Gulf of Mexico. Those most often found inshore are Kemp’s ridley, green and loggerhead sea turtles, she said, with an occasional hawksbill or leatherback turtle.
Kemp’s ridley are the most endangered, and are “just starting to show signs of recovery,” Brogan said. “We want to ensure the shrimp fishery isn’t impeding that recovery.”