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Ghost watchers will gather Friday in Franklin

Morgan City’s ghosts, real or imagined, go national Friday night. Franklin is planning a watch party for them.
The Teche Theatre for the Performing Arts, 501 Main St. in Franklin, will show The Travel Channel’s “Ghosts of Morgan City” on a big screen beginning with a warm-up at 7 p.m. The show begins at 8 p.m. Admission is free.
Diane Wiltz, a local history buff who was consulted during the making of the 10-episode series, will be at the event.
According to the Travel Channel, the idea for the series began when Morgan City police sought answers about a number of reports of strange goings-on, including a shape-shifting mist.
The investigative trail led to Shepherdstown, West Virginia, where police had dealt with similar reports.
“We knew we had a whole new series when we heard about all the unnerving hauntings in the bayou,” said Matthew Butler, general manager of the Travel Channel, in a press release.
“Morgan City and surrounding St. Mary Parish are filled with rich history, deep-rooted superstitions and larger-than-life characters, and it’s all set against the beautiful, yet eerie backdrop of Cajun Country.”
A team of paranormal investigators, including a former FBI agent, was in the area earlier this year to film the series.
The release says the team looked into incidents in Morgan City, Berwick, Patterson and Franklin.
There was a brief discussion at a recent Patterson City Council meeting over a proposed agreement between the city and the film crew.
Mayor Rodney Grogan said at the time that the crew was interested in a home that has been the target of a number of exorcisms.
Whether you believe in ghosts or not, “Ghosts of Morgan City” has put the city on the paranormal map.
A Google search for “Ghosts of Morgan City” turns up a total of 49 million hits related to some combination of the words, and at least four screens full of results directly related to the TV show or the watch party.

CAROLYN TURNER DORSEY

Carolyn Turner Dorsey, 72, a native of Morgan City and resident of Bayou Vista, died Tuesday, June 18, 2019, at her residence.
Visitation will be Saturday from 9 a.m. until services at 11 a.m. at New Zorah Baptist Church in Morgan City. Burial will follow in Morgan City Cemetery.
She is survived by two sons, Darris Dorsey of Lafayette and Sterling Dorsey Jr. of Bayou Vista; a daughter, Yvette Dorsey of Lafayette; a sister, Linda Turner; four brothers, Melvin Turner, Donald Turner, Harold Turner and Wilbert Turner, all of Morgan City; eight grandchildren; eight great-grandchildren; and a host of other relatives.
She was preceded in death by her husband, parents and two brothers.
Jones Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.

ROY HAGGER

Roy Hagger, 81, a resident of Sunset, died Monday, June 10, 2019, at Our Lady of Lourdes in Lafayette.
Visitation will be Saturday from 8 a.m. until services at 11 a.m. at Morning Star Missionary Baptist Church in Opelousas.
He is survived by his wife, Jessie Hagger of Sunset; a brother, Lawrence Hagger of Lafayette; a sister, Geraldine Funches of Morgan City; his children; and a host of other relatives.
He was preceded in death by his parents and four brothers.
Jones Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.

IVORY JOSEPH CONLEY JR.

Ivory Joseph Conley Jr., 61, a native and resident of Patterson, died Tuesday, June 11, 2019, at Ochsner Medical Center in Jefferson.
Visitation will be Saturday from 9 a.m. until services at 11 a.m. at Jones Funeral Home in Morgan City. Burial will follow in Willing Workers Cemetery in Patterson.
He is survived by his stepchildren, Dewayne Butler, Willie Williams, Tammy Williams, Shannon Williams, Donnie Williams, Ty Williams and Kizzy Singleton; a sister, Kathy Favors; a stepbrother, Wilbert Riles; brothers, Cyrus Gray Jr. and Clarence Gray Jr., all of Patterson; and a host of grandchildren and other relatives.
He was preceded in death by his parents and two brothers.
Jones Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.

EVADELL VERRETT ROE JONES

Evadell Verrett Roe Jones, 87, a native and resident of Morgan City, died Sunday, June 16, 2019, at her residence.
She is survived by a daughter, Jeannie Steely of Franklin; four sons, Edward Roe Sr. of Patterson, Michael Roe of LaMarque, Texas, John Roe Jr. of Ocean Springs, Mississippi and Ernest Roe of Morgan City; a sister, Annabelle Bunch of Apple Valley, California; a brother, Howard Verrett Jr. of Stephensville; 12 grandchildren; 23 great-grandchildren; 23 great- great-grandchildren; and two great-great-great-grandchildren.
She was preceded in death by her parents, first and second husbands, a brother and a great-great grandson.
Visitation will be Friday from 9 a.m. until services at 10:30 a.m. with a rosary at 10 a.m. at Sacred Heart Catholic Church.
Twin City Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.

The 2019 Babe Ruth state softball tournament is being held locally

The Babe Ruth State Softball Tournament is being held at Kemper Williams Park near Patterson.
The tournament began Thursday with pool play for ages 8U-12U teams, while 14U and 16U teams began bracket play Thursday. The 8U-12U teams will begin bracket play Friday, and the tournament will conclude Sunday.
Locally, Patterson will have 8U, 10U and 12U teams competing.
In 8U play, Patterson will receive a first-round bye and meet the winner of Pierre Part and Kenner Friday at 3 p.m.
Other 8U teams participating are Harahan, Terrebonne, Kentwood and St. Charles.
In 10U action, Patterson will play St. Charles Friday at 1 p.m. The winner of the Patterson/St. Charles contest will meet the winner of the Kentwood/Jefferson Parish Recreation District West winner Saturday at 3 p.m.
Other 10U all-star teams participating are Iberville, Kenner, East Feliciana, Terrebonne and Jefferson Parish Recreation District East.
In 12U action, Patterson received a first-round bye and will meet the winner of St. Charles and Terrebonne Nationals Friday at 3 p.m.
Other teams competing are Jefferson Parish Recreation District West, Iberville, Terrebonne Americans and Jefferson Parish Recreation District East.
Patterson has won the last two Babe Ruth 12U World Series.
All age groups will feature double-elimination brackets.

Patterson 8U, 6U All-Stars to begin state tourney play

The Patterson 8U and 6U All-Stars will begin Cal-Ripken State Tournament action in Luling Thursday and Friday, respectively. The 8U All-Stars will begin play Thursday night against St. Charles at 7:30 p.m., while the Patterson 6U All-Stars will hit the field Friday at 7:30 p.m. against Amite. The 8U All-Stars already have won the district tournament by outscoring three opponents by a combined 54-11 margin. Patterson defeated Pierre Part 16-5, Iberville 19-5 and Bayou 20-1 for the title. At state, other 8U teams are Madisonville, Terrebonne, Iberville and Kentwood. In 6U action, Patterson won the district title with a 2-0 mark. At state, other teams competing ...

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Petroleum League Winter Champs

A&M Dockside won the Petroleum League 2018-19 Winter Season championship. Team members above are Troy Theriot, Wayne Mayon, Merlin Mayon Jr., Brian Mayon and Damon Robison. Not pictured are team members Steve Mayon, Beverly Mayon, Scott Pinho and Ryan Yager.

What does flooding mean to St. Mary Parish fishery?

It’s hard to imagine what the indigenous people of ancient Louisiana must have felt emotionally while experiencing a high-water event in the marshes and swamps of the Atchafalaya Basin and river deltas. It’s also possible that this presupposition is wrong. They may have been perfectly fine with spring flooding, never once considering it a calamity like we do.
During their time, there was no bottled-up Mississippi River system with levees stretching the full length of the Louisiana Purchase and her tributaries. Back then, water flowed southward forming the alluvial plain.
The idea of vast levees and river control structures like the Bonnet Carré and Morganza spillways, built in 1931 and 1954, respectively, were modern man’s notions. And though these magnificent advances have created near agriculture utopia and unimaginable wealth, there are years when progress comes with angst and heartache, as people recover from flood damage to their homes and property.
So, what does this year’s flood event mean to St. Mary Parish’s commercial fishing interests and the many sportsmen and women who wander our lakes and bayous? Moreover, what can they expect going forward the second half of the year?
For one thing, the impact of freshwater from the Bonnet Carré Spillway differs greatly from that of the Morganza, where fisheries are concerned.
Freshwater dumped into Lake Pontchartrain has devastating consequences in that saltwater ecosystem, Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries Biologist Manager Jeff Marx says. Commercial oyster, crab and shrimp industries all suffer, and, recreational saltwater fishing is impacted tremendously, Marx says.
By contrast, Marx says the Morganza is essentially putting freshwater in a system that is already freshwater.
“With the Atchafalaya, we see an increase of water on a yearly basis,” Marx said. “It’s the normal cycle of things – you see a two-month spike in the river each spring. It goes up and then it goes back down. Obviously, this year is extremely different. We’ve had high river stages since September and October of last year, and they just haven’t gone down.”
According to Marx, one of the things high water has impacted locally this year is the brown shrimp population. Normally, brown shrimp are present in the Vermilion Bay system during the spring, even though the water may be fresher because of the Wax Lake Outlet and Atchafalaya River. The natural flow of these two effluents is westerly through East and West Cote Blanche bays to Vermilion Bay.
However, in 2019, Marx says there has been a lack of recruitment of brown shrimp into this region, chiefly because the water has been so fresh this year, where essentially, they haven’t seen them.
Another commercially important organism this year is Gulf menhaden, where numbers appear to be way down.
“We usually see several tens of thousands of those animals in the spring, and we just haven’t seen that number,” Marx said. “We’ve seen a few – a few thousand – but not tens of thousands.”
“But the good thing is,” Marx continued, “those organisms, like brown shrimp and menhaden, can move. They’ll be offshore and a bunch will still survive to adulthood and will be able to reproduce. They’re life cycles are like that. Menhaden only live a few years and shrimp in most cases live one to one and a half years. They’re like a crop. They’re there and they’ll be able to reproduce.”
High, strong flowing water pushes the saltwater line a little bit further south Marx says. What that means to recreational saltwater anglers is in order to catch redfish and speckled trout, anglers are going to have to run farther and burn more gas to find these species of fish in tough times locally.
“Recreational fisheries have been sort of poor as well, because speckled trout and redfish don’t particularly care to be hanging out in water that’s below one part per thousand salinity. So, they move further offshore, of course. They stay where they’re comfortable. So do shrimp and so do menhaden,” Marx said.
If there’s been any consolation this spring, there’s been notable catches of catfish locally in the Atchafalaya River the past couple of months. Whether high or low water, there’s nothing quite like sitting on anchor beneath the bridges in Berwick Bay tight lining with not a care in the world as cars and trucks speed by getting to work.
I’ve got a feeling when those ancient indigenous people paddled the Atchafalaya River through Berwick Bay, they didn’t care, either. High water happens to be the natural order of things around these parts.
EDITOR'S NOTE: Flores is The Daily Review's Outdoor Writer.

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