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WILLIE B. CONNER JR.

Thu, 07/10/2025 - 9:59am

Willie B. Conner Jr., 68, a resident of Baldwin, died Wednesday, July 2, 2025, at Our Lady of Lourdes Medical Center in Lafayette.
A Memorial Service will be Saturday at 11 a.m. at St. Mary’s Episcopal Church in Franklin.
He is survived by his wife, Vera Conner of Houston; son, Willie Conner III of Houston; daughter, Keandre Darby of Baldwin; brother, Charles Conner of Albuquerque, New Mexico; sisters, Liliac Todd of Franklin, Victoria Prince of Morgan City and Myrtle Conner of Lafayette; five grandchildren; and numerous great-grandchildren.
He was preceded in death by his parents, daughter and three brothers.
Jones Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.

SCOTT LLOYD RODRIGUEZ

Thu, 07/10/2025 - 9:58am

Scott Lloyd Rodriguez, 56, of Morgan City, died Monday, July 7, 2025.
He is survived by his brother, Kevin Rodriguez; children, Brady Rodriguez, Halie Rodriguez and Manden Rodriguez; and seven grandchildren.
A memorial celebration will be Saturday at 3:30 p.m. at Lake End Park in Morgan City.

Wheel House for July 11

Thu, 07/10/2025 - 9:54am

JOURNEY THROUGH
THE BIBLE
9:30 a.m. Sunday, July 27, New Salem Baptist Church, 1412 Cherry St., Patterson, Samuel Calhoun, pastor. Speakers: Minister Francis Stan and Brother Garrett Grogan. Public invited.

CHOIR 12TH
ANNIVERSARY
9:30 a.m. Sunday, Aug. 24, New Salem Baptist Church, 1412 Cherry St., Patterson. Public invited. Soloists, groups, praise teams are welcome.

PRAYER
BREAKFAST
9 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 9, New Salem Baptist Church, 1412 Cherry St., Patterson. Public invited. Guest speaker: Sister Lucinda Knight from Mt. Esther Baptist Church under the leadership of the Rev. Charles Otis Sr.

Strevas celebrate 63rd anniversary

Thu, 07/10/2025 - 9:45am

Jerry and Rosalie Guarisco Streva residents of Lafayette, were born and raised in Morgan City.
They were married at Sacred Heart Cathedral in Morgan City on July 14, 1962. Their four children were raised in New Iberia ; Lisa Streva (David) Perry, Gerald J Streva, Jr deceased, Phil (Teresa) Streva and Maria Streva (Shane) Milazzo.
Mr. Streva worked in the family business, Streva Distributing, for 60 years before it was sold in 2020. Mrs. Streva was a med tech for many years then retired.
The couple will celebrate their 63rd anniversary at their home with family.

Leadership day

Thu, 07/10/2025 - 9:44am

Submitted photo
Tuesday was Leadership St. Mary’s Local Leaders Day. The goal for this part of the St. Mary Chamber program is to spark meaningful, sometimes tough, conversations at every stop. The class visited each local municipality to learn where help is needed what challenges our communities face, and where their year-end class project might fill a gap and make real impact. From revitalization projects and development plans to understanding how each municipality functions both independently and collaboratively, this experience opened eyes and sparked purpose, the Chamber said.

St. Mary Excel reports on second-quarter activities

Thu, 07/10/2025 - 9:43am

(Editor’s note: The St. Mary Excel citizens group submitted this report on the citizen group’s second-quarter activities.)
St. Mary Excel continues to implement recommendations of the Urban Land Institute panel, Morgan City and Berwick Louisiana: Building the Foundation for a New Economy Along the Atchafalaya River.
St Mary Excel :
•Continued work with the Water Institute and facilitated meetings and interviews with key stakeholders for resilience planning. Stakeholders include: St. Mary Parish government, St. Mary Levee District, city of Morgan City, town of Berwick, city of Patterson, the Governor’s Office, the Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority, the Port of Morgan City, CTAC, USACE, USCG, the LSU AgCenter, NOAA Sea Grant, Cajun Coast Visitors and Convention Bureau, industry and business leaders and university oartners (LSU, Nicholls, South Louisiana Community College, Tulane and the University of Louisiana-Lafayette.
The work has taken place in coordination with LUMCON, the designated ANERR state agency. A strategic plan for a resilience hub is due for release in August 2025.
•Continued in advocacy for a coastal residential high school by remaining in contact with state legislators since receiving a letter of support from CPRA board Chairman Gordy Dove and Executive Director Glenn Ledet.
•Received updates on grant approvals impacting the 17-miles of biking-hiking grants that would connect Morgan City to the six miles of Berwick trails to the west and planned trails in the Amelia area.
•Collaborated with city of Morgan City and town of Berwick administrators for grant funding for youth activity recreation projects coming from high school students at the Rotary-hosted New Generation forum.
•Supported the marsh grant planting activity for Patterson High School and Morgan City High School coastal club students through the collaborative efforts of St. Mary Levee District, SeaGrant, LSU Ag Center and multiple state agencies.
•Attended the opening of the H&B Young Foundation Morgan City Youth Center that provides junior- and high- school-aged youth activities in after school and summer offerings.

Bayou Horseshoe Pitchers final spring standings

Thu, 07/10/2025 - 9:42am

Spring League - 2025
Week 11 – Final
League Champions: Travis Bourdier (Team Captain), Tim Hayles, Glenn Caillouet and Glen Hidalgo.
W L
30 Up 68 31
Let’s Geaux 59 40
Poor Us 58.5 40.5
Mary’s Team 48.5 50.5
50/50 44 55
High scratch point average: (30’) Tim Gilmore 81.8, Hayles 65.0 and Burnie Williams 62.0; and (40’) Dwain Arceneaux 53.4, Randy Giroir 47.0 and Jim Guzdial 42.6. High individual ringer percentage: (30’) Gilmore 59.2, Hayles 44.8 and Julius Lovell 36.5; and (40’) Arceneaux 34.7, Giroir 25.6 and Guzdial 20.0.
High scratch game: (30’) Gilmore 94, Hayles 89 and Lovell 87; and (40’) Arceneaux 74, Giroir 62 and Guzdial 56. Most ringers: (one night) Gilmore 85, Hayles 67, Bourdier 58 and Lovell 57; and (one game) Gilmore 29, Hayles 26, Glenn Caillouet 24, Lovell 24, Williams 22 and Arceneaux 21.
Most points one night: Gilmore 276, Hayles 237, Lovell 229, Williams 223 and Bourdier 198. High handicap game: Lovell 118, Hayles 113, Caillouet 110, Arceneaux 109, Gilmore 103 and Bourdier 103. High game over average: (40’) Arceneaux 22.5 and (30’) Lovell 31.2.
Best won-loss record: Craig Rink 23.5-8.5, Hayles 18.5-5.5, Gilmore 20-7, Bourdier 24-9 and Hidalgo 6-3. Most points one night – team: 30 Up 592 and Let’s Geaux 519; and most ringers one night – team: 30 Up 154 and 50/50 123.

Terrebonne General, Fletcher team up on health programs

Thu, 07/10/2025 - 9:39am

Terrebonne General Health System announced a partnership with Fletcher Technical Community College that will expand the Nursing and Allied Health programs on the Fletcher campus. The addition of this dedicated Nursing and Allied Health area at Fletcher will centralize all existing programs into one location, enhancing collaboration and operational efficiency.
The expansion will enable the Division of Nursing and Allied Health to increase its offerings by introducing new programs to better serve students in the bayou region. Programs such as Cardiovascular Sonography, Radiologic Technology, Ophthalmic Assistant, and Pharmacy Technician will benefit from purpose-built classroom and laboratory space.
“Having this level of training capacity and expertise available locally is very valuable to the healthcare industry,” says Phyllis Peoples, president and CEO, Terrebonne General Health System. “This partnership gives students greater access to valuable healthcare career training in their community, and we are happy to play a large role in making this win-win scenario happen.”
Existing programs, including Surgical Technology and Respiratory Therapy, will benefit by gaining access to state-of-the-art lab facilities, creating opportunities to increase enrollment and improve hands-on training.
With these advancements, students will no longer need to leave the region to pursue rewarding careers in these high-demand allied health fields.
“Fletcher Technical Community College is excited to partner with Terrebonne General Health System on the renovations to our newly dedicated Allied Health area," said Dr. Kristine Strickland, PhD, chancellor, Fletcher Technical Community College.
"Fletcher strives each day to educate and train our community’s workforce. This partnership will allow the college the opportunity to not only enhance the educational experience, but also expand into new fields of study, providing greater career opportunities to our community,”

New law could boost private school scholarships

Thu, 07/10/2025 - 9:33am

NOLAN McKENDRY, The Center Square

A new federal tax credit program tucked into a broader tax bill passed by Congress could significantly expand private school scholarship options for low and middle-income families nationwide — if states choose to participate.
President Donald Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill creates a federal income tax credit of up to $1,700 per year for individuals who donate to certified scholarship granting organizations. These groups, typically nonprofits, use donations to fund private school tuition scholarships for students from qualifying low-income households.
Louisiana is well-positioned to plug into the new federal program. For more than a decade, the state has run a similar tax credit scholarship initiative. Organizations like ACE Scholarships Louisiana, Aspiring Scholars, Arete Scholars and Son of a Saint currently operate under the Louisiana Department of Education’s oversight, using private donations to fund tuition scholarships for eligible families.
But the new federal program, set to begin in 2027, would create a parallel system with national reach. Governors will decide whether their states opt in, and participating states will need to certify which scholarship granting organizations meet federal requirements.
“This could definitely make more choices and more financial assistance available to families — which is always a good thing,” Erin Bendily from the Pelican Institute said. “But it may be especially beneficial in states that don’t already have these types of programs.”
Under the federal framework, qualifying scholarship granting organizations must meet strict requirements. They must spend at least 90% of donations on scholarships, verify family income eligibility, avoid earmarking funds for specific students and prioritize current or returning scholarship recipients.
To prevent double-dipping, the value of the federal tax credit would be reduced by any state tax credit the donor receives. And contributions claimed under the federal program cannot also be deducted as charitable donations.
Additionally, the legislation expands the types of education expenses that can be covered by 529 college savings accounts. Beginning in 2026, families will be able to use those tax-free accounts for private K-12 tuition, tutoring by licensed teachers, dual enrollment fees, and even special education therapies. The annual withdrawal limit for K-12 use will rise from $10,000 to $20,000.
Separately, the bill makes permanent a federal tax exclusion for employer-paid student loan assistance and ties it to inflation, making such benefits more attractive for workers and employers alike.
The changes are being hailed by school choice proponents, but not without caution. Education policy observers note that the legislation invites deeper federal involvement in K-12 policy — a space traditionally overseen by states.
“There’s always excitement when families get more options,” Bendily added, “but some people do worry about the federal government stepping into what’s always been a state-led area.”
Bendily mentioned the contentious debate about the federal government’s role in education.
It’s not yet clear how Louisiana will respond. Gov. Jeff Landry has not announced whether the state will join the program
Questions also remain about how families currently receiving state-level scholarships would interact with the federal program. Could they receive both? Would they have to choose?
“These are the kinds of questions we’ll need to work through — both at the policy level and in conversations with families,” Bendily said.
The new federal credit does not require states to already have a program in place, meaning states with no current school choice infrastructure could now develop one with federal backing.

Nicholls alum will teach in Europe under Fulbright scholarship

Thu, 07/10/2025 - 9:31am

Nicholls State University art alumna Madison Rogers received a Fulbright U.S. Student Program award to teach English in Modra, Slovakia for the 2025-2026 school year.
Fulbright scholarships are among the most prestigious and internationally recognized scholarships offered in the United States. Student scholarship applications to Europe and Eurasia have an acceptance rate of approximately 15%. Rogers is only the second Nicholls student to have ever been accepted into this program. This award was provided by the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs and the Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board.
Rogers graduated in 2024 with a Bachelor of Fine Arts, concentrating in Art Education. She first learned about the Fulbright English Teaching Assistant program in her senior seminar with Dr. Ashley Busby, Nicholls assistant professor of art history. During 2024, Rogers began preparing her application materials and completing her teaching residency requirements at South Lafourche High School, her alma mater. She also completed independent study projects on the history of Slovak art to help better understand the communities she hoped to serve.
During her time at Nicholls, Rogers was a member of the Zeta Alpha Zeta Chapter of Kappa Pi International Art Honor Society, serving as Vice President. In 2022 she was the recipient of an ArtWorks Study Abroad scholarship, supporting her travels to France and Italy during the summer of 2023.
During her placement in Modra, Rogers hopes to use her background of American and Slovak art history to teach and engage Slovak students. She plans to create an art club that revolves around American film, visual art, music and dance histories. As a painting and ceramics specialist, she is also excited to explore Modra’s native art forms, including ceramic workshops at Slovenská l'udová majolika, the largest ceramic producer in the country. Rogers also plans to travel to neighboring cities to visit art museums and take folk art classes.
“Fulbright is a vital program that supports global education and a spirit of ambassadorship in an ever-changing global world. Madison is one of the first Nicholls students to receive and accept a position through Fulbright," Busby said.
"This award will allow her to continue to grow as a global citizen, artist and educator all while representing Nicholls and the greater South Louisiana community. It was a pleasure to support her through the application process, and I am excited to follow her experiences abroad over the next year.”