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Brent Joseph Fontenot

Thu, 05/02/2019 - 9:39am

Brent Joseph Fontenot, 37, a native of Morgan City and resident of Winter Haven, Florida, died Monday, April 29, 2019.
He is survived by his mother and father, Liz and Bennie Fontenot of Winter Haven, Florida; his biological father, Joseph Hawkins; his stepmother, Donna Bergeron; and grandparents, Rodney and Joyce Miller of Gibson, Bobby and Lucy Birchfield of Bayou Vista, and Joseph Bergeron Sr. and Patsy Bergeron; three brothers, Scott Fontenot of Winter Haven, Florida, and Corey Fontenot and Jamey Fontenot, both of Houston; two sisters, Jenna Barbera and Julie Brignac, both of Napoleonville; and a host of other relatives.
Visitation will be 6-8 p.m. Friday at Oak Ridge Funeral Care in Winter Haven with services Saturday at 10 a.m. in the chapel. Interment will follow at Rolling Hills Cemetery.
Oak Ridge Funeral Care is in charge of arrangements.

Keep pets away from gardens to prevent food-borne illness

Thu, 05/02/2019 - 9:27am

By DEAN FOSDICK, The Associated Press

Animal waste tainting fresh produce is one of the major causes of food-borne ailments. So farmers markets and pick-your-own growers who fear fecal contamination are increasingly guarded about tolerating pets near their edibles.
Home gardeners should be cautious, too.
Many of the pathogens affecting food safety come from the intestinal systems of animals, said Diane Wright Hirsch, senior University of Connecticut Extension educator.
“Whether human, dog, cat, cow or deer — all animals can be the source of Salmonella, E. coli, parasites and other disease-causing microbes associated with food-borne illness,” Hirsch said.
E. coli outbreaks have been traced to meat, poultry and fresh produce, particularly lettuce. Salmonella has been detected in eggs, poultry, pork, sprouts, cucumbers and cantaloupe, while Listeria monocytogenes can be found in all types of food, including processed meats, cheese, apples and frozen vegetables, according to a University of Connecticut fact sheet.
All are serious ailments, particularly for the young and the elderly.
Contamination can be spread via irrigation water, animals, unsanitary workers, harvest containers and dirty equipment.
It’s vital to keep animal and poultry feces out of residential and community gardens and well away from farmers markets and roadside food stands.
“I have seen a dog pee on the corner of a farmers market table, and another place his head near the produce (where has that mouth been?),” Hirsch said in an email.
“Farmers are working hard to produce safe fruits and vegetables — why let someone’s dog ruin it all with a lick, a squat or a lift of the leg?” she said.
Many large farmers markets have banned dogs from their craft, food and produce displays, citing breakage, safety and sanitary concerns.
The Olney (Maryland) Farmers and Artists Market struggled with the issue for years before deciding to exclude dogs, said Janet Terry, Olney’s president.
“It would be horrifying to think what would happen if dog feces were found on our site. It also would be horrifying if a dog got off a leash and mauled a child,” Terry said. “This happened at a large market in Baltimore several years ago. We just don’t want to take any risks.”
Some dog owners were angry about the pet ban, Terry said. “The good news is now, after 11 seasons, most of the complaining has stopped. We believe we have done the right thing.”
Some suggestions from University of Connecticut Extension aimed at minimizing food safety threats:
—Use potable water when watering your food plants. Do not use rain barrels or other open water sources.
—Always wash hands prior to harvesting, and don’t harvest when sick.
—Use composted manure that has been managed to destroy potential pathogens, or wait 120 days before harvesting once you’ve applied untreated manure or compost.
—Locate your garden away from contamination sources, and protect it from chickens, wildlife and pets.
There is little you can do if animals defecate on or near your edibles, Hirsch said.
“If harvestable or close-to-harvestable fruits or vegetables are affected, do not harvest, do not eat,” she said. “It is just too risky.”

Buttermilk and salt key to crispy oven-fried chicken

Thu, 05/02/2019 - 9:20am

By AMERICA’S TEST KITCHEN

Soaking chicken in seasoned buttermilk guarantees that your crispy chicken will come out of the oven moist and juicy on the inside.
Salt doesn’t just enhance flavor when you soak meat in a salty solution (a brine), the salt reshapes protein molecules and helps them hold onto moisture when the meat is cooked.
Buttermilk contains lactic acid, which is a mild acid that gently breaks down some proteins and makes chicken more tender.
Follow this recipe with your kids.
CRISPY OVEN-FRIED CHICKEN
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 1½ hours
Prepare Ingredients:
2 cups buttermilk
2 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
Salt and pepper
1 tsp. garlic powder
3 pounds bone-in chicken pieces (split breasts, drumsticks, thighs)
Vegetable oil spray
4 cups cornflakes
1 tsp. poultry seasoning
1 tsp. paprika
In large bowl, whisk together buttermilk, mustard, 2 teaspoons salt, ½ teaspoon pepper and garlic powder.
Use paper towel to grasp skin on one piece of chicken, then pull off and discard skin. Repeat with remaining pieces of chicken. Add chicken to buttermilk mixture and turn to coat well. Wash your hands. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or overnight.
Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 400 F. Line rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil and set cooling rack inside baking sheet. Spray rack with vegetable oil spray.
Place cornflakes in large zipper-lock bag. Add poultry seasoning and paprika. Seal bag and shake to combine. Use rolling pin to crush cornflakes into small pieces. Pour cornflake mixture into second large bowl.
Remove one piece of chicken from buttermilk mixture, add to bowl with cornflake mixture, and toss to coat. Use your hands to gently press crumbs onto all sides of chicken. Place chicken on greased rack in baking sheet. Repeat with remaining pieces of chicken. Wash your hands.
Spray chicken all over with vegetable oil spray until each piece is shiny. Place baking sheet in oven and bake until chicken breasts register 165 F on instant-read thermometer and drumsticks/thighs register 175 F, 35 to 45 minutes.
Use oven mitts to remove baking sheet from oven. Place baking sheet on second cooling rack and let cool for 5 minutes. Serve.
Servings: 4
—Nutrition information per serving: 438 calories; 166 calories from fat; 18 g fat (2 g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 155 mg cholesterol; 1160 mg sodium; 26 g carbohydrate; 1 g fiber; 7 g sugar; 39 g protein.

Invitations from friend are declined for safety reasons

Thu, 05/02/2019 - 9:18am

DEAR ABBY: I have a former co-worker whose husband was just released from a psychiatric facility. He had threatened to kill himself and take the entire family with him. I met him before the incident. He did not seem balanced then, and I was uncomfortable being around him. Since his release, my friend keeps inviting me to their house and wants to come to mine. I keep making excuses for not allowing visits to my house or hers. I still have a bad feeling about being exposed to him and possibly putting myself in danger. I have been in abusive ...

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Hospital board authorizes signing of lease with Ochsner

Wed, 05/01/2019 - 8:38pm

Staff Report

After more than a year of uncertainty surrounding the future of Teche Regional Medical Center, the hospital’s governing board has officially authorized the signing of an agreement for Ochsner Health System to operate the hospital.
On Wednesday, St. Mary Parish Hospital Service District No. 2 board members authorized Chairman Dr. Bill Cefalu to sign the negotiated lease agreement with Ochsner to operate Teche Regional Medical Center in Morgan City.
KQKI radio station live streamed the meeting on its Facebook page.
The board, which is responsible for finding a tenant to operate the 167-bed hospital, has said for several months that a deal was in the works. Ochsner operates 14 other medical facilities in Louisiana, according to its website.
LifePoint Health of Brentwood, Tennessee, has operated the hospital since taking over a 40-year lease with the district nearly 15 years ago. Last year, LifePoint announced that it was pulling out of its Louisiana operations.
Jack Stolier, special legal counsel for the board, said authorizing Cefalu to sign the agreement will allow officials to expedite the process to finalize the lease agreement and get all filings to the state Attorney General, which is reviewing the agreement.
Cefalu became board chairman in January to replace Heath Hoffpauir, who stayed on the board.
“Today is a huge day,” Hoffpauir said. “It’s kind of undersold. We should be celebrating, because this has been a long process that started last April.”
Cefalu also had another reason to celebrate Wednesday as it was his birthday. Once the board is able to publicly release the details of the lease, Cefalu said everyone will be pleased with it and that “we got the best deal we could.”
Ochsner CEO Warner Thomas said during a March 27 news conference that he was “100% confident” that the deal would be completed.
State Rep. Sam Jones, D-Franklin, left the Legislature in Baton Rouge early Wednesday, so he could attend the hospital board meeting in Morgan City.
“Ochsner is a tough negotiator, but that signifies that they are such because they are a good business model. They are a good operator, and they practice good medicine,” Jones said.
Jones thanked Gov. John Bel Edwards, who attended the March 27 news conference in Morgan City, for helping expedite the process at the request of Jones and state Sen. Bret Allain, R-Franklin.
The deal is a good one and can last a long time.
“It’s so important for Morgan City and the area because the idea of a community being viable without a hospital is not thinkable,” Jones said.
During Wednesday’s meeting, Cefalu said now that he has the authority to sign the lease with Ochsner, the board will start focusing more energy on finalizing negotiations on a legal settlement with LifePoint.
In other business, the board approved a resolution supporting a proposed parish ordinance that would extend the hospital district’s boundaries back to its original boundaries going west up to the Calumet Cut.

Wheel house for May 1

Wed, 05/01/2019 - 10:20am

AARP DANCE
St. Mary AARP Saturday Dance is 7-11 p.m. May 18 at St. Mary Senior Citizens Center, 4014 Chennault St., Morgan City. Tickets $10. Music by Dis-N-Dat. For info call 985-384-2277.

National Day of Prayer services set for Tri-City

Wed, 05/01/2019 - 10:16am

Three National Day of Prayer services will take place Thursday in the Tri-City area.
Patterson will host a service by the flag pole at City Hall, located at 1314 Main St., from 8:30-9 a.m. In the event of rain, the service will be held inside City Hall.
Berwick will have its service from 12:05-12:50 p.m. along the riverfront by the Southwest Reef Lighthouse. If it rains, this service will move to under the U.S. 90 bridge.
Morgan City will have a service from 12:10-12:35 p.m. on the front lawn of City Hall, located at 512 First St. In the event of rain, the service will be moved to the Morgan City Municipal Auditorium.

Robert Ray Wyatt

Wed, 05/01/2019 - 10:14am

Robert Ray Wyatt, 58, a native of Shreveport and resident of Patterson, died Friday, April 26, 2019, at Patterson Health Care.
He is survived by a son, Robert Wyatt II; a daughter, Sandra Wyatt of Berwick; a brother, Calvin Wyatt of Many; a sister, Martha Bolgiano of Blanchard; eight grandchildren; and a host of our relatives.
He was preceded in death by his parents, a daughter, two brothers and a sister.
A memorial service will be held at a later date.

Kenneth James 'Kenny' Wiggins Sr.

Wed, 05/01/2019 - 10:12am

November 29, 1951 — April 28, 2019
Kenneth James “Kenny” Wiggins Sr., 67, a resident of Morgan City, lost his battle with cancer after an almost three year fight, Sunday, April 28, 2019, at his home surrounded by his family.
Kenny was born on November 29, 1951, in Morgan City, the son of Herman Andrew Wiggins and Rita Marie Boudreaux Wiggins.
Kenny was a machinist by trade and worked at Progress Machine for many years as the shop foreman, and over his years there gained the nickname of “Wig”. He was an avid pool player who loved shooting in many pool leagues where he won many awards. He enjoyed shooting on the team, The Three Wise Men, with Jerry and Dave.
He will be sadly missed and lovingly remembered by his wife, Susan Rettig Wiggins of Morgan City; his mother, Rita Boudreaux Wiggins of Morgan City; three children, Kenneth J. “Kenny” Wiggins Jr. and wife Dawn of Patterson, Kori Wiggins Knight and husband James of Bayou Vista, and Lisa Thomas and husband Kevin of Bayou Vista; three stepchildren, Ronald “Ronnie” Dupre Jr. and wife Sharon of Dracut, Massachusetts, Gene Dupre and wife Danyelle of Berwick, and Melissa Dupre Bonnette of Denham Springs; 12 grandchildren, Remington, Kane, Ciera, Makayla, Mia, Laila, Lailani, Shane, Brendon, Payton, Brenna and Jude; three brothers, Curtis Wiggins Sr. and wife Ruth, Donald Wiggins and wife Carol, and Benny Wiggins and wife Cheryl Ann; and one sister, Cheryl Veillon and husband Donald.
Kenny was preceded in death by his father, Herman Andrew Wiggins; one sister, Anita Wiggins Crochet; and two brothers, Tommy Wiggins and Randy Wiggins.
Memorial services will be held at 7 p.m. on Saturday, May 4, 2019, at Twin City Funeral Home with Monsignor J. Douglas Courville officiating. A memorial visitation will be held from 5 p.m. until the time of the services.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be given to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, 501 St. Jude Place, Memphis, TN 38105.

Lane closures Sunday on U.S. 90 bridges

Wed, 05/01/2019 - 10:06am

U.S. 90 on the bridges over the Atchafalaya River, Bayou Ramos and Bayou Boeuf will have alternating lane closures in the east and west directions Sunday to allow crews to pick up debris from the shoulders of the bridge, a state Department of Transportation and Development news release said.

This work is estimated to take place from 6 a.m. to 5 p.m., weather permitting. All permit and oversize loads along with emergency vehicles will be allowed to pass. There are no detours.