RSS Feed

CURTIS A. BILLIOT

Wed, 11/27/2019 - 9:47am

CURTIS A. BILLIOT
May 16, 1942 – November 19, 2019
Curtis Anthony Billiot, 77, a resident of Franklin, passed away at home in the morning hours of Tuesday, November 19, 2019. He was born in New Orleans on March 16, 1942 and was the seventh of twelve children born to Elwood and Elizabeth Billiot.
Those he leaves to cherish his memory include his wife of 57 years, Elsie Hidalgo Billiot; three children, Gregory Billiot, Michael Billiot, and Gretchen B. Boudreaux; four grandchildren, Shaunda Billiot, Joshua Billiot (Macie) and Steven Boudreaux Jr., and Kody Schlicher; seven siblings, Charles Billiot (Shirley), Rene Billiot (Becky), Eva Rivere(Mel Martin), Barbara Bryan Jim) , Brenda Delatte, Carolyn Rivere (Kenneth,Sr.), and Deborah Olivier-DeRouen (Doug); and a host of nieces and nephews.
He was preceded in death by his parents, Elwood Abby Billiot and Elizabeth Francis Billiot; four brothers, Joseph, Robert, Earl, and Frank Billiot: one great granddaughter, Raine Billiot and one brother-in-law, Richard Delatte.
In keeping with Mr. Curtis’ wishes, he was cremated with no services to be held.
Family and friends may view the obituary and express their condolences online by visiting www.iberts.com.
Arrangements have been entrusted to Ibert’s Mortuary, Inc., 1007 Main Street, Franklin, LA 70538, (337) 828-5426.

WILFRED J. CHAUVIN SR.

Wed, 11/27/2019 - 9:46am

Funeral services for Wilfred J. Chauvin Sr. will be held Saturday, November 30, 2019, at Ibert’s Mortuary in Franklin at 10 a.m. Following the service, Wilfred will be laid to rest in Beau Pre’ Cemetery in Jeanerette, Pastor Den Hussey will officiate the services. Serving as pallbearers will be Marvin Derouen, Jr., Trevin Johnson, Obert “Butch” Chauvin, Robert Chauvin, Troy Thibodeaux and Dan Lancon.
A gathering of family and friends will be held Friday, November 29, 2019, at Ibert’s Mortuary from 2 p.m. until 7 p.m. Visitation will resume at Ibert’s Saturday, November 30, 2019 at 9 a.m. until service time.
Wilfred was born on Wednesday, November 9, 1949 in Franklin to Jess J. Chauvin Sr. and Laura Derouen Chauvin and passed away peacefully at his home in New Iberia on Sunday, November 23, 2019 surrounded by his loved ones. He was 70.
Wilfred was a loving father, grandfather, brother and uncle, his love of life were his grandchildren. He loved sports especially LSU and the Saints, riding his bike in downtown Franklin was a daily adventure and he visited as many flea markets in the area. Wilfred will be deeply missed by all who knew him.
Those he leaves to cherish his memory include his daughters, Dawn Johnson and her husband Trevin and Brandi Golden and her husband Jonas; three brothers, Obert “Butch” Chauvin and his wife Diane, Jessie Chauvin, Jr. and Gary Chauvin; a sister, Theresa Chauvin; 10 grandchildren, Jeremy and Jessica Romero, Marvin Derouen, Jr., Alexander Daigle, Morgan and Cameron Golden, Elijah Walker, Hunter, Tyler and Kaylee Johnson; two great grandchildren, Makenah Romero and Marvin Derouen, III,; one daughter-in-law, Jennifer Williams Daigle and numerous nieces, nephews, family members and friends.
He was preceded in death by his son, Willie Daigle; his parents, Jess J. Chauvin Sr. and Laura Derouen Chauvin; two sisters, Judy Thibodeaux and Wendy C. Labry; one sister-in-law, Brenda Chauvin and three nephews, Wayne and Tony Chauvin and Shane Thibodeaux.
A heartfelt appreciation is extended by the Wilfred Chauvin family to Heart of Hospice, especially Ms. Elaine, Ms. Emily and Ms. Shelly, his nurse.
Family and friends may view the obituary and express their condolences online by visiting www.iberts.com.
Arrangements have been entrusted to Ibert’s Mortuary, Inc., 1007 Main Street, Franklin, La. 70538, (337) 828-5426.

Battaglia brings Martin's Grocery back to life

Wed, 11/27/2019 - 9:46am

By CASEY COLLIER

Donald Battaglia is what one might call a reluctant artist.
He doesn’t claim to be an artist, yet he handcrafts, out of pine, delicate artisanal facsimiles of previous and standing local landmarks; and in impressive detail. He has made churches, barns, houses, whatever he thought was inspirational.
Until recently, his model of Martin’s Grocery Store sat on display in the Franklin Senior Activity Center, but has since been unceremoniously uninstalled.
He shrugged when he said that he mostly gives his creations away as gifts to family and friends; and hasn’t sold, nor does he intend to sell any of his work.
He said he also works with iron, “like swing iron, and stuff like that, because, I used to be a fitter.”
He went on to say that he doesn’t recall how long he has been working with pine in such a way, adding, “I don’t know if you remember, but at the Grevemberg (House) they used to have a fair, and they had a little (model) house that was over yonder, and at that time my son was young, and he said, ‘I like that.’ And I said, ‘Well, I can make that.’
“So, that’s how I got into it, making a model Acadian house like the one at the fair.”
Battaglia admitted that though he did at one time think of going into business selling his models, “There just wasn’t a market for them,” adding, “I’m 79 years old. I’ve got the time now, but I don’t care; and I’ve taken on most of the things I am going to take on. I’ve got a collection of things, but that is it.”
He said he had previously stopped making models until about 10 years ago. After that hiatus, he donated two models to St. Jules Catholic Church, in Lafayette; and when New Orleans flooded during Hurricane Katrina, Battaglia’s cousin, who is a nun, brought a model to New Orleans to be auctioned off to help with relief efforts.
His grandkids each got their own model buildings, but those, Battaglia said, were “the last ones.”
However, Battaglia’s modus operandi seems to be to give the models as gifts, and as ways of showing gratitude. So, even though he said he doesn’t intend to make any more pine models, we may be able to coax him out of retirement through good deeds and giving spirits.
It seems reasonable. After all, ‘tis the season.

Louisiana Spotlight: Election reminds us candidates still matter

Tue, 11/26/2019 - 10:09am

By MELINDA DESLATTE, Associated Press

BATON ROUGE — Louisiana’s latest competition for governor should offer basic reminders to political strategists who want to work in the state: Voters still like parade-going, hand-shaking retail politics. Running for governor isn’t the same as any other statewide race. And, perhaps most importantly, candidates matter.
Republican businessman Eddie Rispone and his out-of-state campaign consultants seemed to miss those key points, and that helped Democratic incumbent John Bel Edwards reach a second term.
While the governor’s race outcome shocked political outsiders and President Donald Trump, it could serve as a sort of crash course in the nuances of Louisiana politics. Among the takeaways from Edwards’ reelection victory:

Voters still like
to see candidates
People in Louisiana take their governor’s races more personally than they take a U.S. House or Senate race. Voters want to see candidates and know their backgrounds.
Rispone largely avoided that traditional retail politicking and focused almost entirely on TV ads and social media campaigning. He held closed-door events with Republican insiders while skipping forums with Louisiana’s sheriffs, local elected officials and business organizations. He agreed to only one debate in the runoff.
Outside of rallies with Trump, Rispone didn’t do regular campaign events to mingle with voters, and he avoided most media interviews that could have given him opportunity to define himself and rebut Edwards’ criticisms.
In contrast, Edwards crisscrossed the state, missing few opportunities to show up at regional college football games, parades and festivals. If there wasn’t an event going on, Edwards created one, gathering local elected officials and community leaders to talk about issues central to his campaign.

Identity politics
alone isn't enough
A little-known candidate, Rispone had an interesting, hard-scrabble story he could have told voters about growing up in Baton Rouge, working his way through college and building his own business. But he never really told it.
Instead, Rispone hitched himself to Trump, without introducing himself to voters. He talked of national issues, such as immigration, that weren’t relevant to Louisiana or the job he was seeking. He offered few specifics about what he’d do as governor, broadly talking about a constitutional convention, tax cuts and his business acumen.
Trump’s support “only can get you so far. Ultimately, candidates do matter,” said Southern University political science professor Albert Samuels. “Eddie Rispone, once you got beyond the slogans, he really didn’t have very much to say.”
Edwards used Rispone’s lack of detail to fill in the blanks himself and accuse Rispone of wanting to do all manner of unpopular things.
And while voters learned little about Rispone’s background, Edwards reminded them of his personal story as a West Point graduate and former Army Ranger who came from generations of Tangipahoa Parish sheriffs.
Money matters
Edwards had the power of incumbency and had been raising money for four years, giving him a hefty campaign war chest. Rispone, meanwhile, seemed to have unlimited dollars to spend on the race, putting $15 million of his personal wealth into the campaign and spending much of it.
Still, Rispone’s money wasn’t enough to unseat a Democratic incumbent with strong approval ratings, even in the ruby red Deep South. But Rispone’s money was enough to catapult him over Republican U.S. Rep. Ralph Abraham in the primary. Rispone used the dollars to attack Abraham, and Abraham didn’t have the money to fight back.
“If you don’t have the ability to respond when people go that hard against you, you’re not going to be able to be successful,” Lionel Rainey, Abraham’s political consultant, said at an LSU event debriefing the gubernatorial campaign strategists.

A red state
While voters chose a Democrat to remain governor, that doesn’t change Louisiana’s conservative bent.
Voters reelected an anti-abortion, pro-gun moderate who people largely think has performed well in office. But Edwards is a unicorn of sorts, with a biography that isn’t easy to find in another candidate.
Every other statewide elected job in Louisiana is held by a Republican, most of them easily reelected this fall. The Louisiana Legislature will become more deeply red in the new term, after voters added more conservatives.
And Trump is expected to coast to victory in Louisiana in 2020.
Melinda Deslatte has covered Louisiana politics for The Associated Press since 2000. Follow her at http://twitter.com/melindadeslatte.

Morgan City Christmas event is Thursday

Tue, 11/26/2019 - 10:05am

Staff Report
Morgan City’s Christmas lighting event on Brashear Avenue will be at 6 p.m. Thursday. The 2018 event will be a hard act to follow.
That’s when the city government unveiled a specially crafted Christmas display by Morgan City native Lee Romaire, an Emmy-winning artist.
For years, Santa stood tall in the bow of the Spirit of Morgan City shrimp boat in the Brashear median. Romaire added to the scene with white alligators to draw the boat as reindeers draw Santa’s sleigh.
Here’s the way Romaire’s studio described the new display:
“The Cajun-themed sculptures include a ‘life-sized Santa toting a toy bag the size of a small car,’ Romaire said. Santa’s ‘reindeer’ are three gators up to 10-feet long sporting unique, Louisiana-inspired ‘antlers.’ The special display – a year-long project for 15 special-effects artists and designers – also includes 10 elves, loads of colorful presents and more. Romaire grew up with the annual Christmas display prominently placed in the middle of Morgan City. ‘It always inspired me as a child,’ he said, ‘so, I wanted to do something to excite people and spark creativit y in a new generation of kids.’
A part of the display even went viral on social media.
Instead of reindeer antlers, the gators drawing Santa’s boat have crabs, their claws in the air, atop their heads. Close-cropped pictures of the crab antlers showed up on Facebook pages across the country.

Berwick High student wins poster contest

Tue, 11/26/2019 - 10:03am

Submitted Artwork
Cole Landry of Berwick High School will serve as the official program cover and poster artist for the 2019 Allstate Sugar Bowl/LHSAA Prep Classic. The senior has been in the Talented Visual Art Program since elementary school, is president of BHS Drama Club, and has participated in Talented Theater for four years. He plans to attend Louisiana State University in the fall where he will study neurology. As the winner of this year’s contest, Cole will receive free Raising Cane’s for one year and a $100 cash prize, compliments of LHSAA.

RITA DUCO ROBICHEAUX

Tue, 11/26/2019 - 10:01am

Rita Duco Robicheaux, 97, a native of New Orleans and resident of Morgan City, died Thursday, Nov. 21, 2019, at Patterson Health Care Center.
She is survived by two daughters, Wenda Gasek of Morgan City and Barbara Robicheaux of Bayou Vista; and two grandchildren.
She was preceded in death by her husband, parents, a brother and a sister.
Memorial visitation will Wednesday from 9 a.m. until services at 11 a.m. at Sacred Heart Catholic Church. Burial will follow in Morgan City Cemetery.
Twin City Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.

Louisiana among states slow to promote Census

Tue, 11/26/2019 - 9:58am

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — With billions in federal aid and seats in Congress at stake, some states are dragging their feet in carrying out one of the Census Bureau’s chief recommendations for making sure everyone is counted during the 2020 census.
Five states — Florida, Louisiana, Nebraska, South Dakota and Texas — have not set up “complete count committees” that would create public awareness campaigns to encourage people to fill out the questionnaires.
In some of those states, politicians argued that a statewide body would be unnecessary, since local committees, cities and nonprofit organizations are already working to publicize the census. In others, state leaders didn’t see any urgency to act.
The once-a-decade count of the U.S. population starts in January in a remote area of Alaska. The rest of the nation takes part starting in the spring.
“We are encouraging others to join in,” Census Bureau Director Steven Dillingham said this month. “The clock is ticking, and the time to join is now.”
Six states — Iowa, Maine, Tennessee, Vermont, West Virginia and Wisconsin — only got on board in the past several weeks.
Officials say the committees can separate census winners from losers.
“Complete count committees are extremely effective,” said Albert Fontenot, an associate director at the Census Bureau. “It’s in the states’ interests in that they get a funding flow and congressional seats.”
Of the holdout states, all but Louisiana have Republican governors.
In Texas, a measure to create a committee died in the GOP-dominated Legislature earlier this year even though the second most populous state has the most to gain from the census — up to three congressional seats.
Some Texas lawmakers were worried about losing their seats during redistricting if population surges favoring Democrats were found in urban and suburban areas, said Luis Figueroa, legislative and policy director at the Center for Public Policy Priorities in Austin.
Also, at the time, the Trump administration was pushing to add a citizenship question to the form, and some lawmakers didn’t want to take a stand on the issue by promoting the census, he said. The U.S. Supreme Court later blocked the question.
Twenty-six state governments are appropriating nearly $350 million to reach people and get them to respond to the census. The amounts range from California’s record $187 million to Montana’s $100,000, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. New York City is committing $40 million.
States led by Democrats have spent more per capita. Of the 11 states spending at least $1 per resident, all but North Dakota have Democratic governors, according to an Associated Press analysis.
California, which stands to lose a seat in Congress, is spending $4.73 per person, using the money to target certain ethnic communities, provide educational materials to schools and identify community leaders who can personally encourage participation in the most populous state.
Spending on outreach offers a great return on investment, said Ditas Katague, director of the California Complete Count-Census 2020 Office.
“You have to look at how many programs will suffer and how much money we will lose,” Katague said.
In 2000, when California spent $24 million, 76 percent of residents returned the questionnaires by mail, outstripping the national average. In 2010, in the aftermath of the recession and budget cuts, California spent only $2 million, and the mail response rate dropped to 73 percent, below the national average.
In Florida, the third most populous state, bills establishing a statewide committee died in the GOP-controlled legislature. With an influx from such places as Puerto Rico and Venezuela, Florida has gained about 2.5 million people since 2010 and could pick up two more congressional seats.
A spokeswoman for Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said he is still reviewing what action should be taken to help get a full head count. “The governor takes the census seriously,” spokeswoman Helen Ferre said.
In Nebraska, Republican Gov. Pete Ricketts vetoed a bill to create a complete count committee, saying that local committees are already doing the work and that the legislation would have given a University of Nebraska program authority to create the panel without guidance from the state.
The number of congressional seats for Nebraska is expected to remain unchanged.
Still, “ultimately I think this will be a loss for Nebraska, especially in terms of receiving federal funds,” said state Sen. Matt Hansen, a Democrat from Lincoln who sponsored the legislation. “Specifically, I am concerned children, racial and ethnic minority populations, homeless persons, and those who live in rural and isolated areas will be undercounted.”
_

Inmate brought back to face charge of fraud

Tue, 11/26/2019 - 9:51am

A Morgan City man already jailed at Evelyn Hunt Correctional Center in St. Gabriel was returned because he was named in a warrant alleging access device fraud, Morgan City Police Chief James F. Blair said.
—Robert J. Ballance, 36, of Railroad Avenue in Morgan City, was arrested at 10:26 a.m. Friday on a warrant for access device fraud under $1,000.
The warrant stems from an incident in May in which Ballance is accused of using a stolen debit card and made unauthorized purchases. Ballance was booked and incarcerated.
Blair reported the following arrests Friday-early Monday:
—Ty’Jana Francois, 18, of Terrebonne Street in Morgan City, was arrested at 11:30 a.m. Friday on a warrant for disturbing the peace by fighting.
The warrant stems from an incident in November that alleges Francois’ involvement in what police called a fistic encounter. Francois was booked and incarcerated.
—Alex Francois, 41, of Fifth Street in Morgan City, was arrested at 6:07 p.m. Friday on warrants for distribution of a Schedule II controlled dangerous substance (crack cocaine) and violation of a drug free zone.
A. Francois was located on La. 70 and placed under arrest for active warrants he held for the Morgan City Police Department. He was transported to the Morgan City Police Department for booking and incarceration.
—Kizmet Gant, 38, of Wren Street in Morgan City, was arrested at 12:45 p.m. Saturday on warrants for principle to disturbing the peace by fighting and improper supervision of a minor by a parent.
Gant was placed under arrest at the Morgan City Police Department for active warrant. The warrant stems from an incident in November that alleges Gant’s involvement in a fistic encounter. Gant was booked and incarcerated.
—Rachel L. King, 35, of Fifth Street in Morgan City, was arrested at 3:52 p.m. Saturday on a ines. King was located on La. 182 near Brashear Avenue and placed under arrest for active warrants she held for the City Court of Morgan City. King was transported to the Morgan City Police Department for booking and incarceration.
—Shane E. Richard, 25, of Gabriel Street in Patterson, was arrested at 10:55 p.m. Saturday on charges of disturbing the peace by intoxication, battery on a police officer and criminal damage to property of less than $1,000.
Officers responded to a disturbance call on La. 182. Witnesses identified Richard as the one causing the disturbance, Blair said. Reports indicate when officers made contact with Richard, he became combative and struck one of the officers. Richard was subdued, placed under arrest and transported to the Morgan City Police Department for booking and incarceration.
—Juan Olvera-Rubio, 34, of Magnolia Street in Amelia, was arrested at 2:48 a.m. Sunday on charges of driver must be licensed and use of multiple beam road lighting equipment.
An officer observed a traffic violation on a vehicle in the area of La. 182 near 11th Street. A traffic stop was conducted and the driver, Olvera-Rubio, was asked to produce a valid driver’s license. Reports indicate that Olvera-Rubio admitted that he did not have a driver’s license, Blair said. Rubio was placed under arrest and transported to the Morgan City Police Department for booking and incarceration.
St. Mary Parish Sheriff Blaise Smith reported the following arrests in east St. Mary Parish Friday-early Monday:
—A juvenile male, 16, of Charenton, was arrested at 8:39 p.m. Saturday on a charge of possession of marijuana.
A deputy was contacted by another deputy in reference to a suspicious vehicle. Deputies found marijuana belonging to the juvenile, Smith said, and took him to the St. Mary Parish headquarters for processing. The juvenile was later released to a guardian pending juvenile court proceedings.
—Christopher Morris, 48, of Aycock Street in Morgan City, was arrested at 10:06 a.m. Friday on a charge of criminal trespass.
A deputy was dispatched to the Berwick Boat Landing in reference to a trespassing complaint. The deputy found a man on the land without permission. The deputy made contact with the subject, identified as Morris, Smith said.
Morris was arrested and released on a summons to appear Feb. 7.
—Raphael Dominic Valentine, 37, of Barrow Street in Morgan City, was arrested at 10:50 a.m. Friday on a warrant for failure to appear on the charge of criminal neglect of family.
A booking deputy made contact with Valentine when he was transported to the St. Mary Parish Law Enforcement Center for housing by another agency. Valentine held an active warrant with the Sheriff’s Office and was booked on that warrant. The bond for the warrant charge was set at $20,623.13.
—Courtlin Jeran Michael Carter, 30, of Birch Street in Morgan City, was arrested at 11:25 a.m. Friday on a warrant for failure to appear on the charges of domestic abuse battery and simple battery.
A booking deputy made contact with Carter when he was transported to the St. Mary Parish Law Enforcement Center for housing by another agency. Carter held an active warrant with the Sheriff’s Office and was booked on that warrant. Carter was subsequently transferred to another agency.
—Jaden Blaze Gregory, 19, of Sanders Street in Morgan City, was arrested at 1:12 p.m. Friday on charges of battery of a dating partner, no driver’s license and introduction of contraband into a penal institution-attempted.
—Felicia Lanette Soto, of Pershing Street in Morgan City, was arrested at 1:37 p.m. Friday on a charge of battery of a dating partner.
A deputy responded to the area of U.S. 90 eastbound near Morgan City in response to a concerned citizen who had called reporting a male striking another person in a vehicle. The vehicle was located and the deputy made contact with the driver, Gregory, and a passenger, Soto.
Through the investigation, the deputy learned that both Gregory and Soto had been in altercations, Smith said.
Soto and Gregory were transported to the St. Mary Parish Law Enforcement Center for booking. While in booking, a deputy located drugs belonging to Gregory. No bail has been set for Soto or Gregory.
—Jerry Charles Jr., 54, of Mike Drive in Patterson, was arrested at 12:55 p.m. Friday on a warrant for failure to appear on the charges of domestic abuse battery and simple battery.
A booking deputy made contact with Charles when he was transported to the St. Mary Parish Law Enforcement Center for housing by another agency. The booking deputy discovered that Charles held an active warrant with the Sheriff’s Office and was booked on that warrant. Charles was eventually released on a bond.
—Roberto Quintanilla, 43, of Lake Palourde Road in Amelia, was arrested at 6:05 p.m. Friday on a warrant for failure to appear on the charges of operating a vehicle while license is suspended, revoked or canceled and failure to obey traffic control signal.
A deputy was dispatched to a local business in Amelia in reference to a suspicious person complaint. The deputy learned from dispatch that Quintanilla held an active warrant for his arrest. Quintanilla was transported to the St. Mary Parish Law Enforcement Center for booking. No bail has been set.
—Teneka L. Thomas, 42, of Wedell Street in Patterson, was arrested at 6:05 p.m. Friday on a warrant for failure to appear on the charges of operating a vehicle while license is suspended, revoked or canceled and improper turn.
A deputy was traveling on Southeast Boulevard when he observed a vehicle with no working license plate light. Dispatch advised the deputy that Thomas held an active warrant for her arrest. Thomas was transported to the St. Mary Parish Law Enforcement Center for booking and was eventually released on a summons to appear in court.
—Jared Paul Duplechin, 42, of Saturn Road in Bayou Vista, was arrested a 9:01 a.m. Saturday on charges of driving under suspension, no insurance, and turning movements and required signals.
A deputy was patrolling the area of Middle Road in Bayou Vista when he observed a vehicle fail to give a proper signal when making a turn. The deputy learned that Duplechin had no insurance on the vehicle and his license was suspended. Duplechin was arrested and released on a summons to appear Feb. 7.
—Craig Anthony Albarado, 55, of Diane Drive in Morgan City, was arrested at 8:36 a.m. Friday on a charge of possession of methamphetamine.
A deputy was traveling on La. 182 near Sixth Street in Morgan City when he observed a vehicle cross over the centerline. Through the investigation, drugs belonging to Albarado were located, Smith said.
Albarado was transported to the St. Mary Parish Law Enforcement Center for booking. No bail was set.
—Summer Elizabeth Mensman, 27, of Taft Street in Patterson, was arrested at 1:09 a.m. Sunday on a charge of possession of marijuana.
A deputy was patrolling La. 182 in Bayou Vista when he observed a vehicle with no license plate lights. The deputy conducted a traffic stop and made contact with the driver, Mensman. Through the stop, drugs belonging to Mensman were located. Mensman was arrested and released on a summons to appear Feb. 7.
—Karl Lee Davis, 30, of Carol Road in Bayou Vista, was arrested at 6:29 p.m. Sunday on charges of possession of stolen things, possession of marijuana, and possession of drug paraphernalia.
—James Charles Daub II, 32, of Carol Road in Bayou Vista, was arrested at 6:29 p.m. Sunday on charges of possession of stolen things, possession of marijuana and possession of drug paraphernalia.
A deputy was dispatched to a residence on Carol Road in reference to a theft of a lawnmower. Upon arrival, the deputy made contact with the complainant that stated his lawnmower was stolen and he had located it at a nearby residence.
The deputy went to the residence and made contact with Davis and Daub. Through the investigation, the lawnmower was located.
Drugs and drug paraphernalia belonging to Davis and Daub were also located, Smith said. Davis and Daub were transported to the St. Mary Parish Law Enforcement Center for booking. Bail was set at $3,500 for Daub and $3,500 for Davis.
—A juvenile female, 17, of Morgan City, was arrested at 3:31 p.m. Sunday as a runaway juvenile.
Deputies responded to a residence in Amelia in reference to a runaway juvenile. Upon arrival, the deputies made contact with complainants and received information regarding a possible location of the juvenile. Subsequently, the juvenile was located at another residence, arrested and transported to the St. Mary Parish Morgan City Branch Office for processing. The juvenile was later released to a guardian pending juvenile court proceedings.
—Joe Joseph Walker Jr., 35, of Neptune Street in Bayou Vista, was arrested 3:41 p.m. Sunday on an active warrant for theft and unauthorized use of an access card.
A deputy was traveling on Middle Road when he observed a vehicle make a turn without using a turn signal. Dispatch advised the deputy that Walker held an active warrant for his arrest. Walker was transported to the St. Mary Parish Law Enforcement Center for booking and was eventually released on a $1,500 bond.
—April Lynn Aucoin, 39, of Cremo Lane in Patterson, was arrested at 8:23 p.m. Sunday on two warrants for failure to appear on the charges of resisting an officer, possession of methamphetamine, possession of alprazolam and possession of clonazepam.
A deputy was dispatched to a residence on Cremo Lane for a complaint. The deputy was advised by dispatch that Aucoin was named in active warrants for her arrest. Aucoin was transported to the St. Mary Parish Law Enforcement Center for booking. No bail has been set.
—Bradley Austin Richardson, 20, of Charlotte Drive in Patterson, was arrested at 11:51 p.m. Sunday on a charge of possession of marijuana.
A deputy was traveling east on U.S. 90 in Patterson when he observed a vehicle traveling over the posted speed limit. The deputy conducted a traffic stop and made contact with the driver, Richardson. Through the stop, marijuana belonging to Richardson was located, Smith said.
Richardson was arrested and released on a summons to appear Feb. 7.
Berwick Police Chief David Leonard Sr. reported these arrests Friday-early Monday:
—Christopher Landry, 42, of Texas Street in Berwick, was arrested at 12:08 a.m. Friday on a charge of domestic abuse battery.
A caller indicated that Landry had struck another subject in the residence, Leonard said. While officers were on the way to the location, they located Landry walking on Texas Street and immediately detained him.
After further investigation, it was learned through witnesses and the victim that Landry had committed a battery and shoved his wife to the floor during the disturbance, Leonard said.
After learning this, Landry was placed under arrest and transported to Berwick Jail where he remains with no bond set.
—Devin Toups, 21, of Sixth Street in Berwick, was arrested at 11:42 p.m. Friday on charges of operating a vehicle while intoxicated and stop sign violation.
Berwick officers patrolling the area of Oregon Street saw a vehicle fail to stop for a stop sign. Officers conducted a traffic stop and the driver was identified as Toups.
During the course of the stop, officers observed Toups to have slurred speech and was suspected as being impaired. Officers administered a field sobriety test which Toups did poorly on and was subsequently placed under arrest.
He was later transported to the Berwick Police Department for a breath test.
Toups submitted a proper sample of .000g% which lead officers to believe that he was under the influence of narcotics. Toups consented to a blood test which will be submitted to the State Police Crime Lab with pending results.
Patterson Police Chief Garrett Grogan reported these arrests Friday-early Monday:
—Jermaine S. Keys, 44, of Camille Drive in Patterson, was arrested at 2:18 p.m. Sunday on charges of first-offense DWI, suspended driver’s license and two counts of open container, and on a warrant.
Keys was arrested at Catherine and Twin streets. He was jailed with bond set at $4,500.
—Honesty H. Lecompte, 24, of Hemlock Drive in Patterson, was arrested at 7:53 p.m. Saturday on charges of speeding 44 mph in a 35 mph zone and no driver’s license.
Lecompte was arrested on Red Cypress Road in Patterson and was released on a $459 bond.
—Clara Drexler, 37, of Wedell Street in Patterson, was arrested at 12:50 a.m. Sunday on a charge of resisting an officer by giving false information. She was arrested on Loveland Street in Patterson.
Drexler was released on a $230 bond.

Milestone for Metal Shark in vessel delivery

Tue, 11/26/2019 - 9:46am

Staff Report

Shipbuilder Metal Shark has delivered its 30th passenger vessel since June 2017.
The company’s newest ferry delivery, a 97-foot, 350-passenger, U.S. Coast Guard Subchapter “K,” welded-aluminum, high-speed, low-wake catamaran, was handed off to its operator last week and will soon enter service, the company said in a press release.
The new passenger vessel is the latest delivery from Metal Shark’s Franklin shipyard, where the production of passenger vessels remains swift. Five 150-passenger catamaran ferries are currently in various stages of construction at the yard in their own dedicated assembly line.
In the past three years, passenger vessels built by Metal Shark have been delivered to Washington D.C., Florida, New Orleans, and multiple operators in the state of New York.
“Without fanfare, Metal Shark passenger vessels have been entering revenue service with America’s leading operators at the rate of approximately one per month,” said Metal Shark’s Vice President of Commercial Sales Carl Wegener. “With 24 catamarans between 85 feet and 105 feet and six monohull vessels larger than 45 free delivered in the past three years, Metal Shark has become America’s leading passenger vessel builder.”
“To achieve this extraordinarily high volume production of passenger vessels, we adapted and incorporated the now-proven serialized production methods that we initially developed to build patrol boat fleets for the U.S. military,” said Metal Shark CEO Chris Allard. “Today, Metal Shark’s passenger vessel customers enjoy the benefits of our military-honed quality, formidable engineering strength, large and highly skilled work force, and unmatched economies of scale. We leverage these resources to assure the repeatable on-time delivery of high quality passenger vessels to our customers.”
Metal Shark is a diversified shipbuilder specializing in the design and construction of welded aluminum and steel vessels from 16 feet to over 300 freet for defense, law enforcement and commercial operators.
Key customers include the United States Coast Guard, Navy, Air Force, Army, foreign militaries, law enforcement agencies, fire departments, passenger vessel operators, pilot associations, towboat operators, and other clients worldwide. With three fully self-contained shipbuilding facilities in Alabama and Louisiana, plus a dedicated engineering facility in Croatia, Metal Shark’s 500-plus employees produce over 200 vessels per year.