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With rain coming, Walnut Street barge may be closed

Officials say they may close the Walnut Street barge at Lakeside Subdivision on Friday "due to the possibility of strong storms developing off the coast of Louisiana," according to a statement from St. Mary Consolidated Gravity Drainage District No. 2.

Because of continuing heavy rain, the district said it will monitor the weather and decide whether to close the barge Friday morning.

"Our concern is for the welfare of all who live within the Lakeside area, making every effort to consider the needs, safety and enjoyment of all residents," the district said.

Comments and concerns may be directed to the district office at 985-380-5511.

Scattered showers and thunderstorms are likely Thursday night, the National Weather Service said. Some storms will be capable of producing heavy rainfall, brief gusty winds and occasional cloud to ground lightning.

A tropical wave is expected to move northwest across the Gulf on Thursday and move across the region Friday and Saturday, the service said.

This will bring more widespread showers and thunderstorms. Heavy rainfall will be possible, as well as brief gusty winds and frequent cloud to ground lightning.

By Sunday, precipitation chances will decrease slightly, but remain above normal from Sunday through Wednesday, the weather service said.

LILLIE BUTLER

Lillie Butler, 74, a resident of Patterson, Louisiana, passed away Thursday, Aug. 22, 2019, at 8:20 a.m. at her home.
Jones Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.

Sheriff: Drug charge after traffic stop in Bayou Vista

A Bayou Vista woman was arrested for Schedule II drugs, marijuana, and paraphernalia when she was stopped for not using a turn signal, St. Mary Parish Sheriff Blaise Smith said in a news release.
—Connie Ranea Nolan, 49, of Vista Village Lane in Bayou Vista, was arrested at 1:42 a.m. Wednesday on charges of possession of Schedule II drugs, possession of marijuana, possession of drug paraphernalia, turning movements and required signals, and obstruction of justice.
Deputies were patrolling the area of Southeast Boulevard in Bayou Vista when they observed a vehicle fail to use a turn signal. Deputies conducted a traffic stop and made contact with the driver, identified as Nolan. During the investigation, drugs were found. She was jailed with no bail set.
Smith also reported that the Sheriff’s Office responded to 24 complaints and the following arrests were made:
—Joseph Alcina II, 29, of Clausen Road South in Franklin, was arrested at 10:04 p.m. Tuesday for charges of driving on roadway laned for traffic and no insurance. A deputy was patrolling the area of Southeast Boulevard in Bayou Vista when he observed a vehicle driving in the middle of the road. The deputy conducted a traffic stop and made contact with the driver, identified as Alcina. During the stop, the deputy learned Alcina had no insurance on the vehicle. He was arrested and released on a summons to appear in court Nov. 8.
—Greg Fonseca, 35, of Cumberland Drive in Gray, was arrested at 5:27 a.m. Wednesday on charges of driving under suspension and obstruction to drivers view. A deputy was dispatched to the area of Joel Boulevard and Lake Palourde Road in Amelia in reference to a suspicious person. The deputy made contact with Fonseca and learned that he was driving under suspension. He was arrested and released on a summons to appear in court Nov. 8.
—Debra B. Mills, 49, of Hebert Lane in Amelia, was arrested at 6:51 p.m. Tuesday on charges of possession of drug paraphernalia. Narcotics detectives made contact with Mills at her residence and through the investigation, drug paraphernalia was located. She was arrested and released on a summons to appear in court Nov. 8.
Morgan City Police Chief James F. Blair reported that the Morgan City Police Department responded to 41 calls of service and the following arrests were made:
—Mario Williams Jr., 19, of La. 182 in Morgan City, was arrested at 9:35 p.m. Tuesday on a warrant for three counts failure to appear. Williams was located at the Franklin Police Department. He was placed under arrest on warrants held by City Court of Morgan City. He was jailed.
—Elton Jerome Pinn, 35, of St. Claire Street in Morgan City, was arrested at 11:21 a.m. Tuesday on a warrant for eight counts failure to appear. Pinn was located at the Assumption Parish Detention Center. He was placed under arrest on warrants held by City Court of Morgan City. He was jailed.
—Theodore Francis, 35, of La. 182 in Morgan City, was arrested at 6:47 p.m. Tuesday on a charge of disturbing the peace fighting. Officers were called to a local motel in reference to a fight. Officers identified two of the persons involved in the fight.
During the officer’s investigation, they learned Francis and another subject were involved in a fistic encounter at the motel. Officers located and arrested Francis on scene. The second person was transported to an area hospital for medical treatment. Francis was jailed.
—Caleb Jamal August, 18, of Laurel Street in Morgan City, was arrested at 7:34 p.m. Tuesday on charges of theft under $1,000 and criminal trespassing. Officers were dispatched to Bowman Street in reference to a theft of a bicycle.
Upon officers speaking to the victim, a description and name of the suspect was obtained. The victim identified August as the person who had entered their property stealing a bicycle from them. While the officer was investigating the complaint, they observed August exit from the rear of a nearby residence. The officer was able to detain August and placed him under arrest. He was jailed.
—Jose Alfredo Ramos-Bonilla, 48, of West Side Street in Amelia, was arrested at 9:05 p.m. Tuesday on charges of improper lane usage and no driver’s license. An officer on patrol observed a traffic violation in the area of U.S. 90 and La. 70. The officer conducted a traffic stop and identified the driver as Ramos-Bonilla. A computer check revealed he did not possess a valid driver’s license. He was jailed.
—Sana Khan, 30, of Fourth Street in Morgan City, was arrested at 9:39 p.m. Tuesday on a warrant for failure to appear. An officer conducted a traffic stop in the area of Aycock Street and Railroad Avenue. During the traffic stop, officers identified the passenger as Khan. A warrant check revealed 16th Judicial District Court held an active warrant for her arrest. She was jailed.
Patterson Police Chief Garrett Grogan reported the following arrests:
—Judy Ann Williams, 33, of Main Street in Patterson, was arrested at 2:44 a.m. Wednesday on charges of failure to register vehicle, driving under suspension, and no insurance. She was jailed with bond set at $897.
—Rachel L. Cavalier, 34, of Willow Street in Franklin, was arrested at 7:15 p.m. Tuesday on charges of simple criminal damage to property. She was jailed with no bond set.
—Santos Franco Vasquez, 43, of Railroad Avenue in Morgan City, was arrested at 3:32 p.m. Tuesday on charges of no driver’s license and wrong way on a one way. He was jailed and released on a $531 bond.
Franklin Police Chief Morris Beverly reported the following arrest:
—Rachel Cavalier, 34, of Willow Street in Franklin, was arrested at 2:35 p.m. Tuesday on a warrant for Patterson Police Department for criminal damage to property. She was jailed.
Berwick Police Chief David Leonard Sr. reported that there were no arrests.

Sept. 11 is deadline for voter registration

St. Mary Parish will soon be participating in state and parish elections Oct 12.
Polls on Oct. 12 will open at 7 a.m. and close at 8 p.m. All voters in line by 8 p.m. will be allowed to vote.
Voters must show a photo identification card with a photo and signature when voting, such as a driver’s license. If a voter does not have a photo identification card, a free Louisiana special identification card may be obtained by presenting a voter registration information card to the Louisiana Office of Motor Vehicles.
All polling locations have a 600-foot campaign-free zone. This means no one may wear any campaign shirt, hat, button or pin when voting.
For those wanting to participate in practicing their right to vote, you have to meet certain requirements.
You have to be at least 18, be a U.S. citizen either by birth or naturalization, not be under an order of imprisonment for conviction of a felony, not be under a judgment of full interdiction for mental incompetence or partial interdiction with suspension of voting rights. Finally, you have to reside in the state and parish in which you are registered.
Using the most recent census data and factoring in the negative growth rate St. Mary Parish is experiencing, the estimated population of St. Mary Parish in 2018, according to worldpopulationreview.com, was 49,774.
As of Aug. 1, the Louisiana secretary of state’s website shows 32,870 registered voters. The rolls included 13,977 Democrats, 9,517 Republicans and 9,376 as other parties.
For those that meet all other requirements, but are not registered, they have until Sept. 11 to register in person or by mail and until Sept. 21 to register online on Geaux Vote.
Registering to vote or changing a registration can be done using the Geaux Vote Online Registration System, which can be found at voterportal.sos.la.gov/voterregistration.
Once the application is completed, it can be either printed and mailed, or if verified by the Office of Motor Vehicles, submitted electronically. If a person plans to submit electronically, they must have their Louisiana driver’s license or Louisiana special ID card in hand when they begin the process. There is an audit code on the card that must be entered. The audit code is a four digit number labeled “audit” on the front of the license.
The Office of Motor Vehicles performs system maintenance 1-4 a.m. daily. During this time, the process may not be able to be completed electronically, but the print and mail functions will remain available.
Applications can also be done by mail by downloading the Louisiana Voter Registration Application or by downloading the National Mail Voter Registration Form which can be found at eac.gov/voters/national-mail-voter-registration-form/.
The application has to be completed and mailed to a local Registrar of Voters Office. For St. Mary Parish this is the Franklin Courthouse, 500 Main St. in Franklin.
Application in person can be done at any Registrar of Voters Office, Louisiana Office of Motor Vehicles, Louisiana Department of Children and Family Services, WIC offices, food stamp offices, Medicaid offices, offices serving persons with disabilities such as the Deaf Action Centers and Independent Living Offices, or Armed Forces recruitment offices.
To register in person, a Louisiana driver’s license, birth certificate or other documentation which sufficiently establishes identity, age and residency must be presented.
Those registered to vote do not have to wait until the Oct 12 date to vote. Early voting will begin Sept. 28 through Oct. 5, with the exception of Sept. 29.
To vote early in St. Mary Parish, voters can go to the St. Mary Parish Courthouse at 500 Main Street in Franklin or to St. Mary Parish Annex Building at 301 Third Street in Morgan City.
For each day of early voting, the offices will be open from 8:30 a.m. until 6 p.m. Just like voting on Oct. 12, voters must have photo identification.
Voting can also be done by mail, but unless the voter is overseas or military, they must have a reason to be eligible to vote by these means.
To request a mail ballot, the voter must apply. Application requests can be submitted online at the Louisiana Voter Portal, voterportal.sos.la.gov/, or may be printed and mailed to the Registrar of Voters Office. The deadline to request a mail ballot is Oct. 8 and the deadline to have the ballot submitted is Oct. 11.
Applicants for a mail ballot will fall into one of three categories: General Application form, Disabled Application form, or Military or Overseas Application form.
Reasons for a General Application form include senior citizens over 65+, temporarily absent, offshore, nursing home, higher education, clergy, moved out of parish, involuntary confinement, hospitalized, incarcerated, address confidentiality program and juror.
Reasons for a Disability Application form include physical disabilities and homebound.
No cost is associated with registering to vote. It is a right afforded to individuals as a United States citizen by the U.S. Constitution.

Showing the flag

Submitted Photo
Ken Hebert, VFW Post 4222 Americanism chairman, presents a new flag to Stephensville Elementary School. Shown in the photo receiving the flag for the school is Melinda Hymel.

Radio Logs for August 22

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.
Wednesday, Aug. 21
8:08 a.m. 600 block of Bowman Street; Theft.
10:19 a.m. La. 182 bridge; Stalled vehicle.
12:15 p.m. U.S. 90 East; Assistance.
12:34 p.m. 400 block of Brashear Avenue; Alarm.
1:01 p.m. La. 182 and Florence Street; Accident.
1:33 p.m. La. 70/U.S. 90 junction; Accident.
2:00 p.m. Fourth Street and Railroad Avenue; Accident.
2:05 p.m. 800 block of North Everett Street; Officer stand by.
2:08 p.m. La. 70/U.S. 90 junction; Stalled vehicle.
2:17 p.m. La. 70/U.S. 90 junction; Accident.
4:12 p.m. 2700 block of Sixth Street; Medical.
4:13 p.m. 400 block of Second Street; Complaint.
4:48 p.m. 7400 block of La. 182; Assistance.
4:48 p.m. 1500 block of Filmore Street; Complaint.
5:49 p.m. 500 block of Terrebonne Street; Theft.
5:51 p.m. 7400 block of La. 182; Auto accident.
5:52 p.m. 400 block of Brashear Avenue; Alarm.
6:52 p.m. Morgan City High School Stadium; Complaint.
8:21 p.m. 800 block of Sacred Heart Drive; Warrant.
8:25 p.m. 1300 block of Oil Tank Alley; Patrol.
8:34 p.m. 3100 block of Vine Street; Domestic disturbance.
9:05 p.m. 700 block of Sixth Street; Disturbance.
9:16 p.m. 600 block of Terrebonne Street; Animal complaint.
10:30 p.m. Foot of La. 182 bridge; Assist Berwick Police Department.
11:11 p.m. 500 block of Garber Street; Disturbance.
Thursday, Aug. 22
12:31 a.m. 6300 block of La. 182; Complaint.
4:18 a.m. 2500 block of Elm Street; Open door.

‘Stranger Things’ fans bring cameras, wallets to Ga. store

PALMETTO, Ga. (AP) — Soon after Netflix released “Stranger Things,” fans of all ages came into Bradley’s Big Buy grocery store in Palmetto, Georgia, dressed like characters from the show, and wandered toward the Eggo waffles aisle, cameras in hand.
They sought out the exact spot where “Stranger Things” star Millie Bobby Brown filmed a scene as the character Eleven, and they’re still coming three years later, even after the store changed its name and became part of the Piggly Wiggly franchise.
Palmetto is a town of barely 5,000 people about 25 miles (40 kilometers) southwest of Atlanta where the grocery store cashiers greet customers by name. But after “Stranger Things” premiered in 2016, it became routine for employees to also welcome fans from around the globe. Fans have visited daily since the store reappeared in the third season on July 4, said Piggly Wiggly manager David Johnston. About 50 fans showed up on one particularly busy Saturday in mid-July, he said.
“You can spot them in the crowd when they come in here,” Johnston said. “The girl the other day was dressed like Eleven, all the way to the blood running down her nose.”
Eleven is a main character of the series known for her mysterious mind powers and the subtle nosebleed she gets after activating those powers.
The nostalgic ‘80s sci-fi series broke Netflix records with its third season. Within four days of release, 40.7 million accounts had started watching it and 18.2 million had already finished it entirely, Netflix announced on Twitter.
Creators Matt and Ross Duffer set the series in fictional Hawkins, Indiana, but filmed in Georgia, which offers tax breaks and other incentives to moviemakers and whose economy in return reaps $9.5 billion annually from the film industry, according to a 2018 Georgia Department of Economic Development report.
A building on Emory University’s Briarcliff Campus in Atlanta served as the show’s Hawkins Laboratory, where all sorts of suspicious activity occur. In Duluth, crew transformed a vacant wing and food court in Gwinnett Place Mall into Starcourt Mall, a bustling hangout where much of the third season takes place.
The mall remains open to shoppers but has disappointed fans who visit for a “Stranger Things” experience: A guard posted outside the wing used in filming shoos away anyone who attempts to enter or take a photo. Fans can take photos of the exterior, which looks similar to the building that appears in the show.
Johnston said he’s happy to give quick tours of Piggly Wiggly and explain where fictional events took place. He’ll point out the path Eleven took through the store when she stole a few boxes of Eggo waffles and recall how she strutted away from the refrigerator aisle, ignoring the employee chasing after her.
Fans like to re-create this scene onsite, and some ask Johnston to play the baffled employee and chase them out of the store, he said. He usually obliges.
“We’ve had a ball with it overall,” Johnston said. “Everybody here goes out of their way to accommodate them.”
Employees started encouraging fans to write about their experience in a notebook they keep at the store.
“Loved coming here to get some Eggos and Coke,” said one note signed by Julia, Mike and Danielle from New York.
Johnston said the store’s Eggo waffles sales have tripled. Employees don’t require visitors to make a purchase, but most buy something anyway, including themed T-shirts with the phrase, “The strangest things happen at Bradley’s Big Buy.”
Businesses in Jackson are also benefiting from new customers in town. Throughout the series, downtown Jackson was portrayed as the town of Hawkins, where key characters played by Winona Ryder and Sean Astin worked.
Lucy Lu’s Coffee Cafe opened downtown in 2017, about a year after the first season’s release. Within months, the cafe had created a “Stranger Drinks” menu. Popular beverages include the Sheriff Hopper, a hazelnut and vanilla coffee drink, and the Demogorgon, a frappe with blood-red food coloring named after the monster that rampages through Hawkins.
Head barista Jayci Fitzmayer said the menu has been a hit with visiting fans and locals.
“A lot of our regulars get the Stranger Drinks too,” Fitzmayer said. “They love that they can be a part of that too because, just like us, they didn’t think that our town was anything special until this came out.”
Lucy Lu’s had one of its best days a couple weeks after the third season came out, Fitzmayer said. The shop brought in $1,200 in net sales July 19, doubling its daily average.
“It’s always hard to tell when anybody starts a business if it’ll do good or not, but I think this has definitely helped us out,” Fitzmayer said.
Employees said they plan to update the show-themed menu to reflect the novelties of the latest season.

Husband betrays wife’s trust by posting nude photos of her

DEAR ABBY: My husband and I have been married 30 years. He is my high school sweetheart and my best friend. We enjoy each other, and I thought we had a great relationship. Occasionally, we “spice up” our sex life to keep things interesting. At his request, I have sexted him a few times with the understanding that he delete the photos once he has viewed them. Well, the other night around 3 a.m., I heard his phone dinging over and over again. He was asleep so, thinking it was our daughter trying to reach us, I looked at it. To ...

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Area teams to compete in scrimmages, jamborees

Tri-City area football teams will be participating in football scrimmages this week and jamborees next week.
Area scrimmages will begin Thursday with Central Catholic hosting Franklin at 5:30 p.m. at Central Catholic’s practice field, while Berwick will travel to face Erath at 6 p.m.
Friday, Patterson will travel to face South Lafourche at 6 p.m., while Morgan City will hit the road to Houma where it will meet H.L. Bourgeois at Tom B. Smith Stadium near Terrebonne High School at 6 p.m. Morgan City’s scrimmage originally was set to be held at Tiger Stadium in Morgan City but was moved due to wet field conditions.
In jamboree action, the Taco Bell Jamboree will be held at Centerville Aug. 29 and will feature Central Catholic, Centerville, Hanson and Covenant Christian.
Centerville and Central Catholic, the two schools who put on the event, will meet at 6 p.m., while Hanson and Covenant Christian will play in the second game.
On Aug. 30, the B&G Foods Morgan City High School Jamboree will be held at Tiger Stadium.
The first game will feature Berwick meeting White Castle at 6 p.m., while Morgan City and Patterson will play at approximately 7:45 p.m. in the final game.

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ST. MARY NOW

Franklin Banner-Tribune
P.O. Box 566, Franklin, LA 70538
Phone: 337-828-3706
Fax: 337-828-2874

Morgan City Review
1014 Front Street, Morgan City, LA 70380
Phone: 985-384-8370
Fax: 985-384-4255