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We know that sugar for coffee often ran short — not to mention coffee itself — and that there was lack of rubber for tires during World War II, but we don’t hear so much about the wartime shortage that really pinched. Alcohol that would normally be consumed in south Louisiana night spots was being used to make bombs instead of booze.
In February 1944, Ed Dauphin, chairman of the Southwest Louisiana liquor industry board, had to explain about the shortage. Some folks apparently thought bigshots were keeping the stuff for themselves.
“The whiskey shortage is a reality, notwithstanding rumors to the contrary,” Dauphin promised. “Furthermore, the shortage is likely to continue to be real as long as the war lasts.”
He said “abnormal labor and economic conditions” were partly to blame, but that “the shortage is due primarily to the fact that military demands for alcohol in the manufacture of explosives are so great that no alcoholic beverages have been distilled since Nov. 8, 1942.”
He said 100 gallons of alcohol were needed to make just one 18-inch shell and also that “it has been discovered that a better grade of butadiene is more economically made from alcohol than from other materials formerly used.”
Butadiene was important in making synthetic rubber.
The good news, he said was that 420 million gallons of whiskey were stored in bonded warehouses in the United States.
The bad news: “That figure represents the amount put in barrels several years ago. The government allows 15 to 35 percent loss through soakage and evaporation … [and] the industry has placed aside a post-war reserve since whiskey cannot be aged quickly enough after the war to meet any immediate demand.”
That meant that only 208 million gallons of whiskey would be available for the duration of the war — and nobody knew in February 1944 how long the war would last.
A shortage of store-bought whiskey would not have been a big deal in south Louisiana in normal times, because those legendary backwoods distillers from Appalachia weren’t the only ones who knew what to do with a piece of copper tubing and a bit of this and that.
Some of the best booze made during Prohibition came from Acadiana and the art of home distilling had not been lost when World War II began. But this time we couldn’t fall back on the still behind the barn because homemade hootch used lots of sugar, and sugar supplies were just as short as alcohol.
But even with a short supply of whiskey, the bars seemed to be doing OK, perhaps because of other attractions.
In September 1944, Provost Marshal Fred Allen, the man in charge of military police in the area, found it necessary to call a meeting of “bartenders, tavern, and saloon keepers” to discourage “the frequenting of their places by women of questionable character.”
The barkeeps said they would surely keep a careful watch and would “weed out the undesirables,” but Captain Allen was back in the newspapers in January 1945, when he warned that bars selling liquor to minors would not be allowed to serve GIs.
According to the press, “Captain Allen stated that the abuses of this law have caused considerable trouble. … [and] operators who do not comply with the laws … applying to minors and who still favor the minors’ business … cannot expect future military patronization of their establishments.”
Luckily, there was still a bit of whiskey left when the war ended in 1945 and celebrations spilled over into the streets. The record is not clear on whether minors and undesirables joined that party.
A collection of Jim Bradshaw’s columns, "Cajuns and Other Characters," is now available from Pelican Publishing. You can contact him at jimbradshaw4321@gmail.com or P.O. Box 1121, Washington LA 70589.

St. Mary Parish Sheriff Blaise Smith reported the arrest of two persons on drug charges.
Sidney Bergeron, 57, of 601 Curtis Drive, Franklin, was arrested on Wednesday at 4:30 p.m. on charges of possession of Schedule I (heroin) with intent to distribute, possession of Schedule II (methamphetamine) with intent to distribute, possession of schedule II (hydrocodone), possession of drug paraphernalia, transactions involving drug proceeds and obstruction of justice.
Odie Guillory, 36, 3073 La. 70, Morgan City, was arrested Wednesday at 4:30 p.m. on charges of possession of Schedule II (methamphetamine), possession of schedule I (marijuana) and obstruction of justice.
A deputy traveling east on US 90 observed a vehicle cross the median in Patterson and conducted a traffic stop.
The deputy made contact with the driver, Bergeron, and a passenger, Guillory.
As the investigation proceeded, the deputy called a SMPSO K9 unit to the scene and K9 Vickie was deployed to conduct an open-air sniff. K9 Vickie alerted to the presence of drugs.
Drugs, drug paraphernalia, and cash in the amount of $36,497 were subsequently located. Bergeron and Guillory were transported to the St. Mary Parish Law Enforcement Center for booking.
No bail has been set at this time.

Now that the viral craze surrounding the Instant Pot has quieted down a bit, let’s look at whether it really is an appliance you should add to your kitchen, or whether the classic slow cooker will do just fine.
INSTANT POTS
Instant Pot is the most popular brand name for a fairly new breed of programmable, electric, multi-function cookers. There are a number made by other manufacturers, too. Instant Pots (we’ll use the popular moniker) are pressure cookers, slow cookers, rice cookers, yogurt makers, steamers and warmers, all in one. They also can brown foods, so you can sear or sauté in them.
This last feature is one of the reasons I like mine so much. When making something like pulled pork or braised chicken, I prefer to sear the meat first, before cooking it. This gives the final product more texture, with a nicely caramelized outside and a super-tender interior. With a regular slow cooker, you must do this step in a pan on the stove before transferring it to the slow cooker, which is an extra step and an extra thing to wash.
The main draw of the Instant Pot is the pressure-cooking function. The cooking temperature of an Instant Pot in the “instant,” or pressure-cooker, setting ranges between 239 and 244 F. Many meals can be cooked in less than 60 minutes, including things that might surprise you if you’ve never had a pressure cooker. Pot roast in an hour? Yup.
The Instant Pot has insulated housing, which makes it energy efficient. You have to seal the pressure valve, and then it locks itself during the pressure-cooking process, which results in no cooking smells. You might think that a pro or a con (I’m a fan of cooking smells myself). The pot raises, monitors and adjusts the pressure automatically, and when the cooking time is finished the valve is released to bring the pressure back down (some recipes say you should release the pressure valve manually, while others allow for the Instant Pot to do this automatically and slowly). The food should be allowed to sit in the Instant Pot until the release time is over — most recipes will be clear on that, and the pot itself unlocks when it’s time to remove the food.
You can certainly use the slow-cooker function on an Instant Pot, but many slow-cooker fans don’t think it’s as good as a designated slow cooker. Because the Instant Pot seals itself so well, even when it’s not on the pressure-cook mode there is less liquid able to evaporate than with a traditional slow cooker. This may result in some liquid left at the end, and less reduction and thickening of sauce as the food cooks.
Most Instant Pots have smart, built-in programs like “rice” or “bean/chili” so you can make certain foods with the press of a button. But overall, it’s less intuitive than a slow cooker, so you should find recipes with explicit Instant Pot instructions. Once you get the hang of it, then you can experiment more.
For steaming, or for other recipes where you don’t want the food submerged in liquid, there is a rack insert to keep the food suspended above a small amount of water or other liquid. This means you can make foods in your Instant Pot that you would not usually make in a slow cooker, such as a lasagna in a pan. There are pans designed just for using in the Instant Pot on the market, and also some silicone slings and other inserts designed for cooking specific foods, such as eggs, and lifting foods from the machine.
THE SLOW COOKER
As the name suggests, the slow cooker cooks foods low and slow, with a temperature range of about 175 to 200 F. There are usually only two settings, low and high; the high setting usually has a minimum cooking time of four hours and a maximum of six, with the low offering a choice between eight and 10 hours.
Most recipes specify which setting and amount of time to use, but I’ve found that some recipes, like a roast or pork shoulder, can be flexible, so you may choose a setting and time based on how much time you have (for example, if you are cooking something in the afternoon for dinner, or overnight while you sleep).
The slow cooker is more intuitive for most cooks than the Instant Pot. Fewer functions (one) mean fewer buttons, and it’s harder to mess anything up.
Slow cookers are available in sizes up to 10 quarts, while Instant Pots top out at 8 quarts, so if big-batch cooking is your thing, that’s a consideration.
WHAT THEY BOTH DO
Both machines are good for foods with lots of moisture and long cooking times, such as soups, chilies, stews and braises. With both, the cooking time can usually be preset, and foods can be kept warm after cooking is finished.
WHICH IS RIGHT FOR YOU?
If you are a person with lots of the appliances that an Instant Pot can replicate, such as a yogurt maker, a slow cooker, a pressure cooker and a rice maker, then boy, will you save a lot of storage space with this one device. And if you are a last-minute dinner maker, then the Instant Pot might become an invaluable tool. But if you are someone who plans ahead, loves slow-cooked foods, and wants to walk in the door to a house filled with the scent of dinner waiting to be served up, then stick with the slow cooker.
Me? I have both. And I use both. I use my big slow cooker for slow cooking, and I use my Instant Pot mostly for searing and pressure cooking. At some point, I might pick a lane and stick to it, but for now, I’m making room for both of them.
—Katie Workman has written two cookbooks focused on easy, family-friendly cooking, “Dinner Solved!” and “The Mom 100 Cookbook.” She blogs at http://www.themom100.com/about-katie-workman. She can be reached at Katie@themom100.com.

Got a pothole that needs fixing? Traffic problems in your neighborhood? Are the sidewalks uneven and broken?

You can call city hall. Or you might try getting in touch with the St. Mary high school students who take part in the Morgan City Rotary's annual New Generation event. Those kids get results.

Case in point: At Thursday's New Generation evening at Morgan City High, Centerville High students Caleb Pogue and Nina Lofton made a pitch for fixing sidewalks in the area near the school, Centerville Market and the parish library.

Later, St. Mary Parish Councilman Kevin Voisin walked to the lectern and said he'd been on the phone to Parish President David Hanagriff during a 10-minute cookie break. Voisin told Hanagriff about the need for sidwalk repair or replacement.

"He told me to tell you it's a done deal," Voisin said.

Chalk up another civic improvement resulting from plans presented by teens at parish high schools, the major purpose of New Generation events for 25 years.

Previous New Generation projects that have or will become reality include Morgan City's dog park, Berwick's intergenerational mixers, expanded recycling opportunities and that Centerville library.

This year:

--Morgan City High's idea was referred to as "The Village." The team of Cece Guidry, Matison LeBlanc, Jacob Autin, Eddie Fernandez and Isabel Facio made the case for community involvement with the high school.

Team members collected contact information from members of the audience.

The high school has a lot to offer, team members said. Guidry was recently accepted at Columbia University, an Ivy League school, and LeBlanc has been accepted by the University of Southern California.

But Fernandez talked about the difficulties of negotiating school, student loans, adult finances and more.

"Come to Morgan City High School and fill the gap between generations," Fernandez said. "We need a village to help us, support us and teach us how to survive in the adult world."

The team got a verbal pat on the back from Mayor Frank "Boo" Grizzaffi.

--Patterson High's team focused on the need for vocational education, emphasizing career-oriented classes and bringing in potential employers for monthly talks.

Whether students are headed for college or not, the team said, they need career advice from people who know what it's about.

The team is composed of Victoria Rideau, Savannah McQuistion, Travis LaBauch and Bailey Dreyer.

"For the rest of the students who don't want to go to college," LeBauch said, "they should have the right to explore their possibilities and options."

St. Mary Superintendent Leonard Armato spoke positively about the presentation, saying that only about 20 percent of the parish's high school students go on to college. Patterson Mayor Rodney Grogan offered help with scheduling starting with the new school year in August.

--Berwick High's team suggested signs along the town's extensive, paved walking trail to offer information about Berwick, its history and the local culture.

Team members Kennedi Look, Paris Guidry, Ryan Caldwell, Luke Orlando, Darby Frickery and Auston Jones said the signs could be made of wood with Plexiglass covers for the signs themselves.

They suggested coordinating the effort with the Town Council and the Berwick Historical Society, and using the school's own talent in the agriculture and talented art programs.

Berwick Mayor Duval Arthur said he believes the town can find funding for the project. Grizzaffi said Morgan City is working on its own walking-running-biking trail with plans to connect it with Berwick's trail by way of the La. 182 bridge.

--West St. Mary HIgh's Alyssa Burke, Kaitlyn Louviere, Justin Chauvin, Destiney Sutton, Megan Lee and MacKenzie Artis came up with way to raise money for scholarships: a Battle of the Alumni competition.

Former West St. Mary students would meet to compete in flag football, tug-o-war, volleyball and other games. The team thought of everything, including the admission price of $5 and concessions.

--Franklin High students Yvette White and Shannon Meche talked about the dangers of smartphone addiction.

The symptoms of too much screen time can range from eyestrain and neck pain to relationship difficulties, stress and a need for "digital validation" through social media.

They advised setting aside times when the phone is off and concentrating on interactions with the people around you. In extreme cases, the problem might require cognitive behavior therapy, counseling, group support or even addiction treatment.