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Woman charged with meth, heroin possession

A 29-year-old woman was caught with methamphetamine and heroin after a deputy conducted a traffic stop in Bayou Vista, St. Mary Parish Sheriff Blaise Smith said in a news release.

—Kassie Rae Toups, 29, of Nini Road in Bayou Vista, was arrested at 12:23 a.m. Thursday on charges of possession of methamphetamine, heroin and drug paraphernalia.

A deputy was patrolling the area of La. 182 in Bayou Vista when he observed a vehicle cross over the fog line onto the shoulder of the road. A traffic stop was conducted on the vehicle and contact was made with the driver and the passenger, identified as Toups.

Consent to search the vehicle was granted by the driver. During the search of the vehicle, methamphetamine, heroin and drug paraphernalia were located, Smith said. Toups was transported to the St. Mary Parish jail with no bail set.

Smith reported that deputies responded to 49 complaints and reported the following arrests:

—Robert Jeremy Ballance, 35, of Railroad Avenue in Morgan City, was arrested at 3:09 p.m. Wednesday on a warrant for failure to appear on a charge of criminal neglect of family. Ballance was located at the Morgan City jail on the active warrant. He was jailed with bail set at $27,366.87.

—Robert J. Gould, 20, of Frances Drive in Morgan City, was arrested at 9:56 p.m. Wednesday on a charge of possession of marijuana.

Deputies conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle in the area of Martin Luther King Boulevard in Morgan City due to a lane violation. The driver of the vehicle, identified as Gould, gave consent to search the vehicle. During the search of the vehicle, deputies located a burnt marijuana cigarette in the ashtray, Smith said. Gould was issued a summons to appear in court Aug. 28.

Morgan City Police Chief James Blair reported that officers responded to 34 calls and reported the following arrests:

—Chad Michael Travis, 47, of Nicholas Road in Boyce, was arrested at 4:37 a.m. Thursday on charges of improper lane usage and possession of methamphetamine, buprenorphine/naloxone and oxycodone.

An officer conducted a traffic stop on La. 182 for a traffic violation and identified the driver as Travis. During the traffic investigation, the officer found Travis in possession of suspected methamphetamine, buprenorphine/naloxone and oxycodone, Blair said. He was jailed.

—Ethan M. Mensman, 21, of Taft Street in Patterson, was arrested at 3:06 p.m. Wednesday on a warrant charging him with failure to appear in court. Mensman was located at St. Mary Parish jail and arrested on a city court warrant. He was jailed.

Berwick Police Chief David Leonard Sr. reported no arrests.

Patterson Police Chief Garrett Grogan reported no arrests.

Radio logs for May 9

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, May 8

3:27 p.m. 1100 block of Victor II Boulevard; Complaint.

3:27 p.m. 1900 block of Federal Avenue; Hit and run.

4:21 p.m. 500 block of Roderick Street; Complaint.

4:45 p.m. 200 block of Wren Street; Complaint.

4:45 p.m. 2400 block of Cypress Street; Assistance.

9:06 p.m. 700 block of Fifth Street; Medical.

10:18 p.m. Maple and Pine streets; Suspicious activity.

10:30 p.m. 1000 block of Ninth Street; Theft.

11:14 p.m. 700 block of Hilda Street; Loud music.

Thursday, May 9

1:04 a.m. 1100 block of Marguerite Street; Assistance.

Tour du Rouge: Bicyclists stop in Morgan City on 540-mile ride for charity

More than 40 bicyclists stopped in Morgan City Wednesday while on an over 500-mile trek to raise money for an organization benefiting people with intellectual disabilities.

Tour du Rouge is a six-day bicycle ride from Houston to New Orleans covering about 540 miles, roughly 90 miles per day, and raising money for Arc chapters along the route.

Bicyclists arrived Wednesday afternoon at Clarion Inn in Morgan City for their fourth overnight stay after battling rain and strong headwinds during the day. They plan to finish the staged ride Friday.

The 11th annual ride is organized by the Arc of Greater Houston, which also works closely with Arc of Greater New Orleans and Arc of Greater Beaumont.

Forty-two riders were participating this year, and each rider was required to raise at least $2,750 for Arc to participate in the ride. The Arc provides programs, activities and facilities to help people with mental and developmental disabilities reach their maximum potential.

A crew of 14 volunteers travels in motor vehicles to support the ride participants and ensure their safety, event director Dory Cayten said.

Kathy Hefele, 62, of Houston, was participating in her fifth Tour du Rouge with her husband, Dave Hefele, and has been bicycling for about 10 years. She began riding in the event when it benefited American Red Cross, but the Arc is another worthy organization, she said.

The first time she decided to do the ride, she thought there was no way she could complete it. But she has since pleasantly surprised herself by finishing each year while raising money for good causes.

Carsten Norgaard, 56, came all the way from Denmark to participate in the ride for the first time at the invitation of his friend, Michael Jakobsen, who used to live in Houston but now resides in Denmark.

Norgaard said though the event is well-organized, Mother Nature has thrown in some obstacles with rain earlier in the day Wednesday and more wind in the afternoon.

Jakobsen was on his way to finishing his third Tour du Rouge. He brought two other friends in 2014 and brought Norgaard along this year. Another participant, Bill Devany, knows Jakobsen from when Jakobsen lived in Houston and was also doing his third ride.

For more information on the event, visit tourdurouge.org.

Festival board seeks queen hopefuls

The Louisiana Shrimp and Petroleum Festival and Fair Association and the Past Queen’s Club are once again in search of that special young woman to carry on the tradition of representing the oldest state chartered harvest festival, said Darby Isham Ratcliff, festival executive director, in a press release. The young woman chosen will be a goodwill ambassador for the Tri-City area and will represent the 84th festival.
All candidates must be at least 18 years old and not more than 23 years old by Jan. 1, 2020. Candidates and their parents shall be residents of east St. Mary Parish or lower St. Martin and Assumption parishes.
Each candidate should have attended at least their junior and senior year in an east St. Mary Parish high school. Candidates shall be high school graduates by not less than one year, shall never have been married, pregnant or given birth to a child.
The new queen will be required to attend 11 festivals selected by the association’s board. The board also encourages the new queen to attend, when possible, all other festivals and any city functions to which she is invited. Required travel expenses are paid by the festival.
The queen must abide by all rules and regulations of her host festival while attending as a representative of the Louisiana Shrimp and Petroleum Festival. She will also be required to attend the Mystick Krewe of Louisianians’ Mardi Gras Ball in Washington, D.C.
Before embarking on her trip to Washington, D.C., she will be honored at a luncheon hosted by the Governor and first lady of the State of Louisiana. This grand event will be held in Baton Rouge where the queen will be joined by other queens and many Louisiana representatives and dignitaries.
Another requirement would be to attend the annual Louisiana Association of Fairs and Festivals convention which will be held in Baton Rouge.
If by some chance the parents of the new queen should move from the area, the queen must maintain an area residence during the term of her reign. The queen must be single and must remain so during the year she represents the festival.
In the event the queen should marry or something may cause her not to be able to represent the festival, the festival shall consider the crown vacated and all privileges and duties of the queen shall revert to one of the crown princesses, at the festival’s choice.
The young lady chosen to represent the festival must relinquish all other beauty titles, other than high school or college, and as a festival queen may not enter any beauty contest her year as queen. She must conform to all festival regulations as queen and must not conduct herself in any manner other than that befitting of a queen.
The 84th coronation and ball will be held at 7 p.m. Aug. 24 at the Morgan City Municipal Auditorium.
Information and applications may be obtained by calling the festival office at 985-385-0703, emailing director@shrimpandpetroleum.org or request may be made to P.O. Box 103, Morgan City, LA 70381.
Deadline for submitting applications to the festival office is 2:30 p.m. May 30.

Braising can maximize freshness of vegetables

While raw and roasted vegetables certainly have their place, braising is a great technique for cooking even the most delicate vegetables.
You may think braising would turn verdant spring vegetables drab and watery but, in fact, braising can maximize their freshness and make them taste more like themselves.
To turn early-season produce into a warm side dish, we started by softening a minced shallot in olive oil with additional aromatics for a savory base. To build a flavorful braising liquid, we poured in water and lemon and orange zest and dropped in a bay leaf.
Adding the vegetables in stages ensured that each cooked at its own rate and maintained a crisp texture. Peppery radishes, which turned soft and sweet with cooking, were nicely complemented by the more vegetal notes of asparagus and peas (frozen peas were reliably sweet, and adding them off the heat prevented overcooking).
In no time at all, we had a simple side of radiant vegetables in an invigorating, complex broth — proof positive that braising can bring out the best in even the most delicate flavors. A toss of chopped fresh tarragon gave a final nod to spring. Look for asparagus spears no thicker than ½ inch.
BRAISED SPRING VEGETABLES WITH TARRAGON
Start to finish: 30 minutes
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 shallot, sliced into thin rounds
2 garlic cloves, sliced thin
3 sprigs fresh thyme
Pinch red pepper flakes
10 radishes, trimmed and quartered lengthwise
1¼ cups water
2 tsp. grated lemon zest
2 tsp. grated orange zest
1 bay leaf
Salt and pepper
1 pound asparagus, trimmed and cut into 2-inch lengths
2 cups frozen peas
4 tsp. chopped fresh tarragon
Cook oil, shallot, garlic, thyme sprigs and pepper flakes in Dutch oven over medium heat until shallot is just softened, about 2 minutes. Stir in radishes, water, lemon zest, orange zest, bay leaf and 1 teaspoon salt, and bring to simmer.
Reduce heat to medium-low, cover and cook until radishes can be easily pierced with tip of paring knife, 3 to 5 minutes.
Stir in asparagus, cover and cook until tender, 3 to 5 minutes.
Off heat, stir in peas, cover and let sit until heated through, about 5 minutes. Discard thyme sprigs and bay leaf.
Stir in tarragon and season with salt and pepper to taste.
Serve.
Servings: 4-6
—Nutrition information per serving: 162 calories; 81 calories from fat; 9 g fat (1 g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 0 mg cholesterol; 433 mg sodium; 16 g carbohydrate; 6 g fiber; 6 g sugar; 5 g protein.

Picking up after mom is lifelong family dilemma

DEAR ABBY: My mom has never been what you would call a housekeeper. Dad did all the shopping, cooking and cleaning. As a child, I remember our house always being a mess. Mom worked, and I don’t know why she never felt like she needed to clean up after herself. My dad would straighten up after her, and there were often arguments about it. Fast forward. Dad passed away three years ago, and my mom hasn’t changed. She leaves things all over the house like she did before — dishes, bowls, soda cans, shoes. The first year, I would go over ...

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Six St. Mary groups will be part of Day of Giving

South Louisiana Giving Day began Thursday at midnight and ends at 11:59:59 p.m. CST. SOLA Giving Day is a 24-hour online fundraising event for 104 nonprofit organizations, churches, and schools who serve Acadiana. Six organizations from St. Mary Parish are participating in the giving day event.
They are The Brown House-Berwick’s Heritage Museum, Chez Hope, the St. Mary Chapter of the Louisiana Landmarks Society, Claire House for Women and Children, St. Mary Outreach, and MC Cultural History Museum.
St. Mary Chapter of the Louisiana Landmarks Society received $1,000 matching donation sponsored by the Craig and Janine Thomson Family Fund. Also, St. Mary Outreach has a $1,000 matching donation from an anonymous benefactor. Every dollar raised will help these organizations double their donations and secure the matching gift.
Using a computer, laptop, tablet or smartphone, anyone can make a donation to support these organizations by visiting www.solagivingday.org.
South Louisiana Giving Day is an event of the Community Foundation of Acadiana. CFA is a tax-exempt, donor-centric, entrepreneurial foundation whose core purpose is building legacies and improving communities by connecting generous people to the causes they care about. Learn more at www.cfacadiana.org.

‘The River and The Wall’ explores Rio Grande’s border world

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — Growing up, Ben Masters worked on West Texas ranches along the border where he developed a love for the outdoors and wildlife. The experience eventually led him to study wildlife biology and to become a filmmaker.
But his interests shifted after the election of President Donald Trump and Trump’s insistence that the U.S. erect a wall along the entire U.S.-Mexico border.
Masters’ new documentary examining the diverse wildlife and landscape of the Rio Grande along the U.S.-Mexico border debuted this week at select theaters nationwide and on iTunes. “The River and The Wall” follows five people, including Masters, who take a 60-day journey along the Rio Grande from El Paso to Brownsville, Texas.
They travel by foot, mountain bike, canoe and horseback to document the natural physical barriers that already exist along the 1,200-mile (1,931 kilometer) border. They also film wildlife and talk to U.S.-Mexico border residents who see the region as one and who oppose plans to build a wall in rural, isolated areas.
Director Ben Masters said he got the idea for the film after getting frustrated over how the border region and the debate over immigration were being portrayed in media.
“A lot of things that have happened (in) my life have been near the border,” Masters said. “I wanted to go and see it personally before it’s potentially changed forever by a wall.”
What could transform? Centuries-old ecosystems, the migration of wildlife and human and economic relationship built over decades — all are at stake, Masters said. And a border wall wouldn’t just affect the Texas-Mexico border but the borderlands in New Mexico, Arizona and California that exist amid fragile ecological makeups.
Producer Hillary Pierce said few people think of how a wall about change border life and she felt a cinematic trip to a region rarely explored would add another dimension to the debate. Viewers will see how existing walls, sometimes a mile (1.6 kilometer) from the border have hurt private farmers and ranchers.
“This is a virtual visit to the border,” Pierce said. “It’s a chance for people to see it for themselves.”
The crew gathered footage while canoeing through dangerous rapids, pointing cameras at bighorn sheep and camping in the darkness. Drones and helicopter took images from the sky but most was shot from the ground. The U.S. Border Patrol assisted in giving the crew access to chained-off border land and agents were helpful.
Pierce said the project took place before the Trump administration’s controversial child separation migrant policy.
Among those on the journey are Brazilian-born filmmaker Filipe DeAndrade and Guatemalan American outdoor guide Austin Alvarado. Both came from immigrant families who lived in the country illegally — DeAndrade also lived in the country illegally for a time — and travel along the border while thinking of the journey to the U.S. their own families took.
Still, most of the time, the travelers were turning their cameras to the view around them and contemplating if they were viewing something about to undergo dramatic alteration.
“It was such a treat to have this experience,” Masters said. “It’s a shame that we may be one of the last to do so.”

Man’s private mailbox leads wife to question finances

DEAR ABBY: I have been happily married for more than 40 years. Since he retired a couple of years ago, it has come to my attention that he has been getting mail at a separate private mailbox. I don’t see a good reason for this, and it is weighing on me heavily. I don’t want to make a big deal out of it, but I’m concerned. He sees all our bills and evidently pays other ones I’m not aware of. Because of this, I feel like a second-class citizen who is too stupid to know all the ins and outs ...

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Sheriff: Man booked on aggravated battery warrant

A 22-year-old Patterson man was booked Tuesday on an aggravated battery warrant, St. Mary Parish Sheriff Blaise Smith said in a news release.

—Tony Broussard, 22, of La. 182 in Patterson, was arrested at 7:14 p.m. Tuesday on warrants charging him with aggravated battery and possession of drug paraphernalia.

Broussard turned himself in to the St. Mary Parish Sheriff’s Office in Morgan City on the active warrants. Broussard was transported to parish jail. Bond was set at $2,500.

Smith reported that deputies responded to 37 complaints in the parish and reported the following arrests relating to east St. Mary Parish:

—Janet Lavern Melancon, 60, of Wilson Lane in Patterson, was arrested at 8 p.m. Tuesday on charges of possession of Xanax, Gabapentin and drug paraphernalia.

A deputy was patrolling the area of Southeast Boulevard in Bayou Vista when he observed a vehicle turn without using a turn signal. A traffic stop was conducted on the vehicle and contact was made with the driver and two passengers inside the vehicle.

During the search of the vehicle, the deputy observed one of the passengers, identified as Melancon, attempting to place something in her waistband area. Authorities learned it was a Xanax pill, the sheriff said.

The deputy located drug paraphernalia and Gabapentin pills inside the vehicle. Melancon was jailed with no bail set.

—Shirley G. Jones, 52, of East Stephensville Road in Stephensville, was arrested at 7:33 p.m. Monday on a charge of possession of marijuana.

—Leslie G. Taylor, 54, of East Stephensville Road in Stephensville, was arrested at 7:33 p.m. Monday on a charge of possession of marijuana.

Narcotics detectives were traveling on Veterans Boulevard in Morgan City when they observed a vehicle turn onto Fig Street without activating a turn signal. A traffic stop was conducted on the vehicle and the detectives made contact with the driver, identified as Taylor, and the passenger, identified as Jones.

Consent to search the vehicle was granted and detectives located marijuana, Smith said. Both Taylor and Jones were issued a summons to appear in court Aug. 28.

Morgan City Police Chief James Blair reported that officers responded to 28 calls and reported the following arrests:

—Destiny Ann Dinger, 31, of Franklin Street in Morgan City, was arrested at 5:58 p.m. Tuesday on a charge of driving under suspension.

A patrol officer conducted a traffic stop on La. 182 and identified the driver as Dinger. A computer check revealed her driver’s license was under suspension, Blair said. She was jailed.

—Nolan Ross, 19, of East Street in Houma, was arrested at 2:05 a.m. Wednesday on a charge of possession of marijuana second offense.

A patrol officer conducted a traffic stop on La. 182 and identified the driver as Ross. During the traffic stop, Nolan was found in possession of suspected marijuana, Blair said. He was jailed.

Patterson Police Chief Garrett Grogan reported the following arrests:

—Jessie L. Beebe, 35, of Fence Row Street in Schriever, was arrested at 10:23 p.m. Tuesday on charges of possession of heroin and drug paraphernalia. No bail was set.

—Jonathan Sam, 32, of Jordan Street in New Iberia, was arrested at 10:53 a.m. Monday on charges speeding 75 mph in a 55 mph zone and suspended driver’s license. Sam posted $702 bail.

—James Jones, 33, of Williams Street in Patterson, was arrested at 6:01 a.m. Saturday on charges of disturbing the peace by alarming the public and criminal trespassing. He was released by the magistrate for time served.

—Kennie Dwight Maryland Jr., 42, of Lakeview Court in Dulac, was arrested at 12:20 a.m. Saturday on speeding 82 mph in a 55 mph zone. Maryland posted $393 cash bail.

—Sergio D. Mejia, 33, of Nicholas Street in Houma, was arrested at 7:11 p.m. Saturday on charges of speeding 71 mph in a 55 mph zone and no driver’s license. Mejia posted $565 cash bail.

—Julance J’Wade Phillips, 23, of Compton Street in New Iberia, was arrested at 9:56 p.m. Saturday on charges of speeding 77 mph in a 55 mph zone and no driver’s license. Phillips posted $579 cash bail.

—Traylon Grogan, 27, of Neptune Street in Bayou Vista, was arrested at 10:38 p.m. Saturday on a charge of unauthorized entry of an inhabited dwelling. No bail was set yet.

Berwick Police Chief David Leonard Sr. reported the following arrests:

—Rhonda Baines, 51, of Knight Street in Berwick, was arrested at 11:16 a.m. Tuesday on charges of possession of methamphetamine, hydrocodone and drug paraphernalia. No bail was set.

—Lennis Paray, 34, of Fourth Street in Berwick, was arrested at 9:25 a.m. Tuesday on charges of possession of marijuana and drug paraphernalia. Pre-set bail was $3,500.

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P.O. Box 566, Franklin, LA 70538
Phone: 337-828-3706
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