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OSWALD 'OZZIE' ANDREW VERRET

Thu, 07/25/2019 - 2:10pm

Oswald “Ozzie” Andrew Verret, 85, a resident of Morgan City, passed away Monday, July 22, 2019, at AMG Specialty Hospital in Houma.
Ozzie was born October 12, 1933, in Bayou L’Ourse, the son of Howard P. Verret and Theresa Lajaunie Verret.
Ozzie was a devoted parishioner of Holy Cross Catholic Church, where he served for many years. He was also a Knights of Columbus Member, where he served as secretary, and went to meetings until recently. Ozzie was a loving husband, father, and grandfather; he would do anything for his family and enjoyed spending time with them.
He will be sadly missed and lovingly remembered by his wife of 62 years, Yvonne Myers Verret of Morgan City; two daughters, Denise Guarisco of Morgan City, and Cheryl Rodriguez and husband Terry of Houma; three grandchildren, Aaron Guarisco and wife Monica, Jason Rodriguez and wife Sandi, and Amanda Rodriguez; three great-grandchildren, Taylor Guarisco, Owen Guarisco and Braedon Rodriguez; and one sister, Roberta Justillian.
Ozzie was preceded in death by his parents, Howard and Theresa Verret; and one brother, Viltress “V.J.” Verret.
A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 11 a.m. on Friday, July 26, 2019, at Holy Cross Catholic Church with Father Andre officiating. Visitation will be held on Friday, July 26, 2019, from 9 a.m. until the time of Mass. After Mass, Ozzie will be laid to rest in Morgan City Cemetery.

ROSE MARIE BEATTY FIELDS

Thu, 07/25/2019 - 2:08pm

January 11, 1933 — July 23, 2019
Rose Marie Beatty Fields, 86, a resident of Morgan City, passed away Tuesday, July 23, 2019, at Teche Regional Medical Center surrounded by her loving family.
Rose was born on January 11, 1933, in Algiers, Louisiana, the daughter of Samuel and Elise Clark Beatty.
She will be sadly missed and lovingly remembered by three children, Kathleen Fields Gaudet and husband Elward of Bayou L’Ourse, Daniel Eugene Fields of Amite, and Melanie Fields Askew and husband Perry of Morgan City; 11 grandchildren, Jennifer Viccellio and husband Steele, Jessica Makepeace and husband Tyler, Chelsea Mayden and husband Jeff, Elise Gaudet, Adam Fields and wife Erin, Sarah Fields, Tiffany Waguespack and husband Jon, Danielle Grow and husband Scott, Brandt Askew, Justin Askew and wife Megan, and Jennifer Fanguy and husband Dusty; 14 great-grandchildren, Riley, Spencer, Anthony, Nicholas, Vincent, Zachary, Gabrielle, Zoe, Kylee, Talan, Elizabeth, Jace, Easton and Alex; and three great-great-grandchildren, Mason, Zaylie and Arleigh.
Rose was preceded in death by her parents, Samuel and Elise Clark Beatty; husband, Eugene Anthony Fields; and two brothers, Arthur Beatty and Clark Brown.
A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 11 a.m. on Friday, July 26, 2019, at Sacred Heart Catholic Church with Father Toto Buenaflor celebrating Mass. A visitation will be held from 9 a.m. until the Mass time and following Mass, Rose will be laid to rest in the Morgan City Cemetery.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be given to the Alzheimer’s Association, 3772 North Blvd., Baton Rouge, LA 70806.

JERWIN PAUL BRIGGS

Thu, 07/25/2019 - 2:07pm

May 3, 1990 — July 9, 2019
Jerwin Paul Briggs, age 29, passed away on July 9, 2019, in Sour Lake, Texas. He was born on May 3, 1990, in Morgan City to Anthony Briggs and Jada Tate Briggs.
Jerwin was a 2008 graduate of Morgan City High School and had one year at Young Memorial College for automotive. He graduated from Kaplan College as a computer tech in Beaumont, Texas. At his passing, he was a loyal employee at Tri-Supply in Beaumont, Texas.
Jerwin was born with an infectious smile. His friendly nature and cheerful attitude would often light up a room. He always wanted others to be happy, trying often to get a laugh or to bring a smile to others. He was a teddy bear to his “Momzie,” Jada, and went by many nicknames. “Bear,” in reference to his loving nature, “JayBee” to his many family and friends, and after the birth of his son, he would often refer to himself as “Mufasa” and his son Jamari, as “Simba.”
Later in his life he met and married Liz, and they shared many wonderful years together, and through their union, “Mufasa” gained a daughter, Layla.
He was contagiously funny, an undeniable hard worker, and a wonderful friend to many throughout his life.
Jerwin will be missed by all and his memory cherished by his loved ones.
Memories of Jerwin will forever remain in the hearts of his wife, Elizabeth “Liz” Briggs; son, Jamari Briggs; stepdaughter, Layla Briggs; father, Anthony Briggs and fiancé Tarneetra Johnson; mother, Jada (Lonnie) Gray; brothers, Bregan Lonnie Gray, Anthony Briggs II, Antonio Briggs, Quantaevios Harris and Koryian Sadler; sisters, Quiana Briggs, Marie Briggs, Antwaneisha Williams, Coryanna Harris, Katori Sadler, Briana Gray and Monica Privett; beloved aunts, Yolanda (Gregory) Thomas, Arnise Tate, Sandra (Stephen) Floyd, Annella Nash and Kathleen Young; uncle, Kevin Tate; his special brothers, David Dugar and Jordan Tate; and numerous extended family, loved ones and many, many friends.
Preceding Jerwin in death are his sister, Tyneisha Briggs; maternal grandparents, Charles Tate Sr. and Gloria Tate Brown; paternal grandparents, Donald and Lois LaCour; step-grandmother, Ezilda Gray; beloved aunt, Geraldine West; and uncle, Charles Tate Jr.

Wheel House for July 25

Thu, 07/25/2019 - 2:00pm

FAMILY/FRIENDS
Second Missionary Baptist Church, 401 Fifth St., Morgan City, celebrating Family and Friends Day at 2 p.m. Sunday, July 28. Guest speaker the Rev. Dr. Kenneth Jackson, New Rising Sun Baptist Church, Houma; and New St. Paul Missionary Baptist Church, Schriever. Public invited.

fish dinners
Zion Chapel AME Church, 1511 Cherry St., Patterson, selling fried fish dinners 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 3. Donation $7. To order on Aug. 3, call 985-395-4824.

Coaching coaches in CPR

Thu, 07/25/2019 - 1:56pm

Submitted Photo
Drew Eschete, Terrebonne General Medical Center athletic trainer, oversees a coach as he demonstrates CPR. The TGMC Community Sports Institute provided free CPR and AED training over two days to the Terrebonne Parish School District coaches and band, cheer and dance instructors in preparation for the upcoming school year. The TGMC Community Sports Institute provides athletic trainers at all area schools offering education, prevention and care to keep the community safe. Soccer coaches from the Houma-Terrebonne Soccer Association will be trained Saturday.

Public health officials see rise in hepatitis cases

Thu, 07/25/2019 - 1:54pm

BATON ROUGE (AP ) — Data from the Louisiana Department of Health shows cases of Hepatitis A have been continuing to increase across the state.
There have been 375 reported cases since the outbreak began in January 2018 through July 18, 2019, The Times-Picayune/The New Orleans Advocate reports .
The outbreak is mostly affecting drug users and homeless people, said Louisiana Bureau of Community Preparedness Medical Director Frank Welch.
“It’s become endemic in a certain population,” Welch said. “It’s in this subgroup of people and it keeps passing around.”
“Oftentimes when we talk about a public health disease with these particular risk factors, people will say, ‘That’s not my problem. I don’t have that,’” Welch said.
“But once outbreaks get large enough, we get spillover in the general community.”
Welch says the infection has been making people sicker than normal.
About 60% of infected people were hospitalized whereas the typical hospitalization rate is around 25%.
The state bought 15,000 Hepatitis A vaccinations to limit the outbreak among homeless populations and have distributed about 8,000.
Hepatitis A is a liver infection that’s often spread when people use the bathroom and then don’t wash their hands.

Gulf state reps back fisheries disaster aid

Thu, 07/25/2019 - 1:51pm

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — U.S. House members from three Gulf Coast states are backing their governors’ request for a fisheries disaster declaration, saying freshwater flooding into saltwater ecosystems has killed oysters, hurt fish catches and damaged livelihoods.
The letter released Wednesday asked Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross for the disaster declaration being sought by the governors of Mississippi, Louisiana and Alabama. A news release said seafood and recreational fisheries have been disrupted by the deluge of freshwater from the Bonnet Carré Spillway west of New Orleans, diluting normally brackish and salty waters.
The letter sent Monday was signed by four U.S. representatives from Louisiana and one each from Mississippi and Alabama.
“The livelihoods of many in our coastal communities are dependent on a healthy marine environment, and disruptions to these ecosystems have heavy impacts on both the commercial and recreational fishing industries,” the letter said.
Mississippi Gov. Phil Bryant asked Ross for such a declaration on May 31. Gov. John Bel Edwards of Louisiana followed suit June 17 and Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey on July 10.
If Ross declares a fisheries disaster it would make federal grants, loans and other aid available to affected people and open the way for Congress to appropriate money to help fishermen and businesses that rely on them.
Fed by rains and melting snows in the Midwest, the Mississippi River has been high since fall, so even more fresh water than usual is pouring into the Gulf of Mexico. In addition, the Army Corps of Engineers has twice had to open the spillway, which protects New Orleans’ levees by diverting huge amounts of river water into normally brackish Lake Pontchartrain, a huge tidal basin which feeds into the Mississippi Sound.
The reduced salinity has hurt production and harvesting of oysters, crabs and shrimps, the governors said.
Ivey’s letter said floodwaters coming down the Tombigbee River were a major problem for Alabama, but the spillway has disrupted the marine ecosystem in the Mississippi Sound, which includes Alabama’s western coastal waters.
She said Alabama crab, shrimp and oyster processors receive most of their seafood from Louisiana and Mississippi. “Any impact to fisheries in Louisiana and Mississippi has a direct and pronounced impact on ... Alabama processors,” she wrote.
Seafood is a $2.4 billion business in Louisiana and accounts for one out of 70 jobs in the state, with shrimping alone accounting for 15,000 jobs and a $1.3 billion impact, according to the Louisiana Seafood Promotion and Marketing Board. It said 70% of the nation’s oysters come from the Gulf Coast waters.
When Bryant made his request, he said 70% of the Mississippi Sound’s already imperiled oyster population was estimated to be dead, with the crab catch down by 35%.
The letter released Wednesday was signed by House Republican Whip Steve Scalise of Louisiana, Cedric Richmond, D-La., and Republicans Garret Graves and Clay Higgins of Louisiana, Steven Palazzo, of Mississippi, and Bradley Byrne, of Alabama.

Back to School Shopping is Here

Thu, 07/25/2019 - 10:25am

By JACLYN BREAUX

jbreaux@daily-review.com

Berwick, La.

It’s that time of year again. Schools are coming to life with teachers going back into their classrooms beginning to prepare for the upcoming school year, which begins Aug. 8 in St. Mary Parish.

Kids are getting excited to see their new classrooms, meet their new teachers, and see their classmates. Parents are looking forward to having a normal routine again, but most are not looking forward to all the back to school costs.

While retail businesses know to mark Black Friday and holiday spending on their calendars, they do not overlook the significance of back to school shopping. According to the National Retail Federation, school supply shopping for K-12 students plus college students is projected to be $80.7 billion in 2019.

This number isn’t just for the inevitable backpack and notebooks the kids need, it includes clothes, electronics, and shoes, because on average, they get a few new things in those departments as well.

According to smallbiztrends.com, “Overall, parents will spend an average of $507 in 2019, compared to $465 in 2018. And they will spend more across the board for clothes, electronics, and shoes.”

Most families have to save to offset the hit their monthly budgets will receive with all of these expenses. Some of our local schools have partnered with a company called Educational Products Inc. for the past three years in an effort to offset some of the cost as well as provide a service of convenience.

At the end of the school year, packages are offered per grade level for parents to purchase. Each package contains school supplies students need to begin the year for each individual teacher’s classroom. These packages are delivered to the students on the first days of school.

Educational Products Inc. boasts that parents can save up to 40% on supplies compared to national retailers and they also allow teachers to ensure they are getting the correct specifications for the supplies they need.

Schools that participated at the end of last school year were J.S. Aucoin, Bayou Vista Elementary, Berwick Elementary, and Berwick Junior High School.

Prices ranged from $15 for kindergarten at J.S. Aucoin to $55 for sixth-grade classes at Berwick Junior High School. Parents that did not purchase these packets at the end of last school year can get supply lists from the schools to purchase their supplies the more traditional retail route.

National retailers bombard parents with ads promoting their back to school sales. Coupon codes are offered for online sales, flyers are received in the mail, and commercials are all gearing to the parents funding the second biggest shopping season of the year, with Black Friday being first. But even our local retailers feel the benefits of this time of year.

According to Gertie Ross at Skipper’s Sporting Goods, 7558 La. 182 East in Morgan City, they see an increase in sales and customer traffic at this time of year. Skipper’s sells school uniforms, school spirit shirts, jackets, and offer many other clothing options and services for all of St. Mary Parish public and parochial schools. Ross said that while they offer these things all year, they see the increase right now, especially in customers coming to get PE uniforms.

No matter which route parents go to get their kids geared up for school, there is no denying the buzz that back to school shopping is upon us. For parents filling the supply lists, know that even though the teacher requested 72 latex free pencils, by the spring semester a pencil will be hard to find and yes, amongst the vast amount of folder choices you will find that elusive, plastic, red prong folder.

Radio Logs for July 25

Thu, 07/25/2019 - 10:09am

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, July 24
7:44 a.m. 7000 block of La. 182; Accident.
8:26 a.m. U.S. 90 West; Traffic incident.
10:47 a.m. 7200 block of La. 182; Assistance.
11:38 a.m. 3000 block of Catherine Street; Theft.
12:10 p.m. 7700 block of La. 182; Complaint.
12:12 p.m. 300 block of Egle Street; Suspicious vehicle.
2:15 p.m. 600 block of Freret Street; Assistance.
3:31 p.m. 100 block of Mallard Street; Criminal damage to property.
5:13 p.m. 700 block of Aucoin Street; Disturbance.
5:30 p.m. 1100 block of Brashear Avenue; Animal complaint.
5:32 p.m. 900 block of Belanger Street; Stand by.
5:34 p.m. 500 block of Orange Street; Medical emergency.
7:30 p.m. 500 block of Fourth Street; Medical emergency.
7:56 p.m. Lakeside Subdivision; Suspicious subject.
8:11 p.m. 100 block of Chennault Street; Animal complaint.
Thursday, July 25
12:33 a.m. 100 block of Wren Street; Medical emergency.
1:17 a.m. Fifth and Everett streets; Arrest.
3:13 a.m. 1700 block of Cedar Street; Animal complaint.
3:18 a.m. 100 block of Wren Street; Medical emergency.
3:27 a.m. 1600 block of Victor II Boulevard; Medical emergency.

Morgan City Mardi Gras Jazz Brunch planned

Thu, 07/25/2019 - 9:33am

A jazz brunch will be added to the local Mardi Gras schedule for next year, according to Cornel Keeler. The inaugural Morgan City Mardi Gras Jazz Brunch will be held Feb. 2, 2020, at the St. Mary Senior Citizens Center on Chennault Street in Morgan City.
Keeler said the brunch will feature an authentic New Orleans Jazz band and will include breakfast entrees and dinner entrees prepared by one of this area’s caterers. Mimosa will be the main beverage provided.
The dress code for the event will be “dressy casual” which means no jeans or sneakers will be allowed. The dress code will be strictly enforced.
Patrons must be 18 or older to participate.
The brunch will be 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and costs $40. Invitations will be available Aug. 12 with a Sept. 30 deadline. Each table will seat eight guests and will be hosted by a designated person who will be asked to sponsor an entire table. A table may be shared.
Each carnival krewe are invited to sponsor up to six tables. Invitations will be purchased on a first come, first served basis. Non-carnival krewe members are welcomed.
For information, contact Keeler at 985-385-1873.