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The St. Mary Parish School Board recognized November’s students and employees of the month at its regular meeting Thursday night.

A traffic stop in Berwick led to the arrest of a Morgan City woman who was named in active warrants for her arrest for possession of methamphetamines and the use of drugs in the presence of a person under the age of 17, Morgan City Police Chief James F. Blair said in a news release.
—Ashley Lancos, 27, of Railroad Avenue in Morgan City, was arrested at 2:48 a.m. Friday on warrants for the charges of possession of methamphetamine and illegal use of a controlled dangerous substance in the presence of a person under 17 years of age.
Officers with the Berwick Police Department came into contact with Lancos on a traffic stop in Berwick. A warrants check revealed the Morgan City Police Department held active warrants that stem from a traffic stop on Aug. 23 in Morgan City. During the traffic stop, she was found to be in possession of suspected methamphetamine in the presence of a person under the age of 17 years of age. She was placed under arrest and transported to the Morgan City Police Department where she was jailed.
Blair also reported that the Morgan City Police Department responded to 37 calls of service and the following arrests were made:
—Laqwajhia Bourgeois, 22, of Federal Avenue in Morgan City, was arrested at 3:31 p.m. Thursday on warrants for theft between $1,000 and $5,000 and failure to appear. Bourgeois was located in the City Court of Morgan City and placed under arrest for outstanding warrants held by the Morgan City Police Department and 16th District Court. The warrant for theft stems from a complaint filed with the Morgan City Police Department from an incident that occurred on Aug. 3. The victim reported a stolen cellphone. Bourgeois was developed as a suspect and an arrest warrant was obtained. She was jailed.
—Cory James Pierce, 32, of Park Road in Morgan City, was arrested at 4:37 p.m. Thursday on a warrant for a charge of domestic abuse battery. Officers were called about two suspicious people inside a local business on La.182. Officers identified one of the subjects as Pierce. A warrant check revealed the Berwick Police Department held an active warrant. He was jailed and transferred to another agency.
—David Anthony Barnett, 48, of La. 182 in Morgan City, was arrested at 10:30 p.m. Thursday on a charge of resisting an officer and a warrant for failure to appear. Officers were called to a local motel on La. 182 to investigate a complaint of harassment. Officers came into contact with Barnett. A warrants check revealed the City Court of Morgan City held an active warrant. When officers attempted to place him under arrest, he began to run from officers on foot, Blair said.
Officers were able to detain and secure him in handcuffs. He was jailed.
—Tessa Pilgrim, 41, of Elaine Street in Morgan City, was arrested at 12:20 a.m. Friday on warrants for failure to appear. Pilgrim was transported from St. Mary Law Enforcement Center to the Morgan City Police Department on active warrants held by City Court of Morgan City. She was jailed.
—Elijah G. Percle, 23, of La. 182 in Morgan City, was arrested at 12:37 a.m. Friday on a warrant for disturbing the peace. Percle was located at the Patterson Police Department and placed under arrest for an active warrant held by the Morgan City Police Department. He was jailed.
St. Mary Parish Sheriff Blaise Smith advised that the Sheriff’s Office responded to 25 complaints and the following arrest were made:
—Michael Warren Hickman, 33, of Grizzaffi Street in Morgan City, was arrested at 6:28 a.m. Thursday on charges of careless operation and driving under suspension. A deputy was patrolling the area of La. 90 East near Ricohoc when he observed a vehicle swerving between lanes several times. The deputy conducted a traffic stop and made contact with the driver, Hickman. During the stop, dispatch advised the deputy that Hickman’s license was suspended. He was arrested and released on a summons to appear on Feb. 7.
—Bernard Allen Charles Jr., 30, of Woodmiter Road in Midland, TX, was arrested at 10:02 a.m. Thursday on two warrants for failure to appear on the charges of simple battery, no seatbelt and no driver’s license. A booking deputy came in contact with Charles when he was transported to the St. Mary Parish Law Enforcement Center for booking from another agency. He was jailed with no bail set.
—James Paul Trahan, 49, of Estate Drive in New Iberia, was arrested at 10:28 a.m. Thursday on charges of driving under suspension and when passing on the right is permitted. A deputy driving on U.S. 90 East in Berwick observed a vehicle driving on the shoulder of the road in order to get around congested traffic. The deputy conducted a traffic stop and made contact with the driver, Trahan. During the stop, dispatch advised the deputy that Trahan’s license was suspended. He was arrested and released on a summons to appear on Feb. 7.
—Tayler James Davis, 21, of Natalie Lane in Patterson, was arrested at 4:51 p.m. Thursday on a warrant for failure to appear on the charge of criminal neglect of family. A deputy was dispatched to a residence on Natalie Lane in reference to Davis, who held an active warrant for his arrest. The deputy made contact with Davis and advised him of the warrant. Davis was transported to the St. Mary Parish Law Enforcement Center for booking from another agency. He was jailed with no bail set.
—Tessa Michelle Pilgrim, 41, of Elaine Street in Morgan City, was arrested at 10:40 p.m. Thursday on warrants through the Morgan City Police on the charges of introduction of contraband into jail, theft by shoplifting and contempt of court.
A deputy was patrolling the area of Lake Palourde Road in Amelia when he observed a vehicle cross the solid yellow line. The deputy conducted a traffic stop and made contact with the driver and a passenger, identified as Pilgrim. Through the stop, dispatch advised the deputy that Pilgrim held active warrants for her arrest through the Morgan City Police Department. He was jailed and transferred to another agency.
—Steven James Morris, 33, of Degravelle Road in Amelia, was arrested at 11:13 p.m. Thursday on a warrant for failure to appear on the charge of violation of a protective order. A deputy was dispatched to a complaint at a residence on Percy Street in Amelia. The deputy made contact with a complainant who stated that they were having issues with Morris. The deputy made contact with Morris and learned from dispatch that he held an active warrant for his arrest. He was jailed and released on an $800 bond.
Patterson Police Chief Garrett Grogan reported the following arrests:
—Elijah G. Percle, 23, of La. 182 West in Patterson, was arrested at 9:56 p.m. Thursday on charges of speeding 1-10 mph over the limit, unlisted traffic offenses and failure to change address on driver’s license. He was jailed and released on a $522 bond.
—Armani Braud, 18, of Kingview Street in St. James, was arrested at 12:03 a.m. Friday on a charge of reckless operation (speeding 99 mph in a 55 mph speed zone). He was jailed and released on a $298 bond.
Berwick Police Chief David Leonard Sr. reported the following arrests:
—Cory Pierce, 32, of Rose Street in Berwick, was arrested at 6:19 p.m. Thursday on a warrant for charges of domestic abuse battery. He was jailed and released on a $5,000 bond.
—Hermand Rosette, 28, of Phillips Street in Opelousas, was arrested at 10:27 p.m. Thursday on charges of taillights required and driving under suspension. He was jailed and released on a $252 bond.

Patterson hosted its annual lighting of the Christmas tree at Morey Park on Sunday night. The switch was flipped by Kallie Mayeaux and Kyrionna Henry, third graders from Hattie A. Watts Elementary. Those in attendance were able to take pictures with Santa and enjoy popcorn and hot chocolate.

While the holiday season is a time of giving and thoughtfulness, it can also be a time of excess and waste.
Americans throw away 25 percent more trash than usual between Thanksgiving and New Year’s — about a million extra tons of garbage each week, according to the National Environ-mental Education Found-ation, a Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit group devoted to helping people to be more environmentally responsible.
There are plenty of ways to celebrate the spirit of the holidays while giving a gift to the earth (and maybe your wallet) as well.
For starters, go with reusable gift wrap, and recycle wrapping paper and ribbon.
“Gift wrap is top on the list of wasteful holiday traditions. An easy hack is to wrap gifts in unused maps, comics for kids or, for larger gifts, printed pillowcases. You probably have these things around your house already,” said Rachel Sylvester, lifestyle editor for Real Simple. “Save every bit of gift wrap and ribbon that comes your way, and try using fresh greenery instead of store-bought bows.”
Every year, Americans discard an estimated 38,000 miles of ribbon, enough to wrap around the planet with some left over to tie a bow, according to NEEF.
Sylvester said it’s easy to save on gift tags by writing the names of recipients directly on the gift, or color-coding gifts by recipient. Let your friends and family know you’re opting out of single-use wrapping paper and gift tags this year.
Host gifts can also be more eco-friendly. For holiday dinners and parties, Sylvester recommends reusable drawstring pouches when bringing wine and other presents, and carrying homemade baked goods in mason jars or decorative, reusable boxes.
“They make great host gifts, do away with waste, and save money all at the same time,” she said.
For greeting cards, “I would suggest going paperless for holiday cards, which generally get trashed after the holidays anyway,” said Sylvester. “Your friends and family might rather have a card they can keep on their hard drive for the long haul instead of on their fridge for a week.”
There’s a huge array of companies offering elegant electronic cards, among them PaperlessPost.com, AmericanGreetings.com, GreenEnvelope.com or JacquieLawson.com.
For decorations, the Environmental Prot-ection Agency recommends opting for a living tree that can be planted outdoors or eventually mulched, and using energy-saving LED holiday lights. LEDs use around 75 percent less energy than incandescent bulbs, and last longer, too, the EPA said.
Remember to reduce food waste and avoid single-use plastics. “When hosting parties and holiday meals, use real or compostable table settings instead of plastics. And if you’re short on table settings, try a service like Tableand Teaspoon.com, which delivers table settings in advance and then invites you to return the dirty dishes afterward,” Sylvester said.
Have recyclable to-go containers handy for guests to take leftovers home, and familiarize yourself with local compost centers ahead of time, so food waste doesn’t end up in the landfill.
For gifts, think outside the store: homemade crafts or foods, or experiences instead of stuff. Give coupons for things like cooking a dinner or babysitting, Sylvester suggests. For example, look to knitting, sewing, baking or creating art as gifts.
“Homemade is king,” Sylvester explains. “It’s fun to shop, but the gifts that will mean the most are those that come from the heart. Cookies in mason jars are going to be way more memorable than something you pick up on the internet.”
Bea Johnson, author of Zero Waste Home, suggests homemade candles, soap or paper as other gift ideas. Museum memberships, magazine subscriptions or gift certificates to restaurants or concert halls all make great gifts, she said.
And when you do buy concrete things, opt for durable, energy-efficient, recyclable, or things made of natural products, and consider gifts from thrift shops or things that encourage people to use less stuff, like reusable containers, suggests Johnson.