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Morgan City baseball team takes a swing at cancer

'All these things that you hear people doing for you, it just becomes, you realize, your way of healing. ...' —Sarah Collins, mother of childhood cancer victim

The Morgan City High School baseball team is raising awareness and funds for childhood cancer by selling T-shirts to the public like the one’s they will wear in two upcoming games.
The money is more than just a fundraiser, though, as Morgan City baseball coach Andrew Madden has a personal connection to the cause.
Madden said the money will be donated to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis, Tennessee, in honor of Paisley Collins, the daughter of a friend of Madden’s from high school in Willow Springs High School in Willow Springs, Missouri.
Paisley passed away from leukemia in August 2016.
Madden, who played football and baseball with Collins’ father, Tyson Collins, said he wanted to find a way to help Tyson Collins and his wife Sarah after watching them and their daughter battle this disease.
“I figured this was a good platform to raise some money for St. Jude in honor of Paisley Collins,” he said.
Madden said educating others about the importance of helping others is one of his chief jobs as a coach, dad and person.
“I think doing stuff like this and making these kids aware of people that have had hard times hopefully makes them a more rounded individual and … makes them better men for down the road when they become husbands and have jobs and do things to make this community a better place,” he said.
The Tigers will wear the yellow and gold T-shirts in their District 7-4A game at South Terrebonne Saturday and again in their district contest at home against Ellender on April 6.
The yellow represents cancer, and purple was Paisley’s favorite color, Madden said. The jerseys also feature Paisley Collins’ name.
Madden said he would like the public’s T-shirt orders in by Friday. They can be purchased at Morgan City High School for $15 apiece. He encourages fans to wear them to the teams’ games in which they will play in the jerseys.
Anyone who would like to make a donation can do so by making checks payable to Morgan City High School, Madden said.
“What they’re doing is just so humbling,” Sarah Collins said Sunday of the Tigers’ effort. “It’s hard to explain. All these things that you hear people doing for you, it just becomes, you realize, your way of healing, and that there’s just so much good out there.”
She said when others do things on behalf of Paisley, it “just means the world to us.”
Sarah said her daughter was diagnosed with mixed lineage leukemia, which she said is a rare form of the disease, when she was 17 months old. Sarah said Paisley was just the eighth patient at St. Jude’s with that type when they sought treatment there.
While Paisley was in remission after five weeks of treatment, Sarah said Paisley contracted a virus during her last round of chemotherapy just before she was to come home.
“It just kind of overtook her lungs, and she was on life support for two months and ended up passing on Aug. 1, 2016,” Sarah said.
Paisley had just had her second birthday.
Sarah and Tyson Collins, who live in Rogersville, Missouri, started the Paisley Collins Memorial Foundation following her death. The nonprofit gives $1,000 payments to families of those with pediatric cancer in the region of Missouri where they live each year that their child is going through treatment. The money is used for nonmedical expenses.
“I don’t understand everything, and probably never will here on earth, but I do know that my husband and I, this is how we find healing,” Sarah said. “This is what keeps us going, just being able to keep her name alive and to help these families who are in a very dark place.”
For more information on the foundation, visit its Facebook page, Paisley Collins Memorial Foundation.

State Democratic leader admits she's a gambling addict

BATON ROUGE (AP) — Karen Carter Peterson, a state senator from New Orleans and chair of the Louisiana Democratic Party, admitted to a gambling problem Friday — minutes after WWL-TV posted a news story reporting that she had violated a ban on entering Louisiana casinos.
The station reported a Louisiana State Police trooper issued her a misdemeanor summons for violating a self-imposed ban when she gambled at L’Auberge Casino in Baton Rouge last month. a state police spokesman confirmed his agency issued the summons but declined to comment while the case is under review by East Baton Rouge Parish District Attorney Hillar Moore III, The Advocate reported .
In a statement , Peterson said she has suffered from a gambling addiction for years.
“It is a disease,” she wrote. “From time to time, I have relapsed; I have let myself down as well as family and friends who are near and dear to me.”
One effort to treat the addition came two years ago when she voluntarily entered a program that made it illegal for her to enter almost any Louisiana gambling establishment.
“Under this program, I consented to allowing any of these officials who see me in a gambling establishment to escort me out and to issue a summons,” she wrote. “Recently while experiencing challenging times, I violated my voluntary ban and was issued a summons. The program worked as it should. I certainly regret failing to uphold my agreement to avoid casinos.”
In her email, Peterson also asked for forgiveness.
“I am sorry for the hurt and embarrassment my actions have caused my family and friends,” she wrote. “My commitment to my recovery and using my self-care tools will only grow stronger as a result of this experience.”
Peterson, 49, said she was going public because someone had leaked the summons to a media outlet.
Peterson is seeking a third and final term in the state Senate this year, after serving a decade in the state House. She was the first woman elected chair of the Louisiana Democratic Party in 2012, defeating former Congressman Buddy Leach, who had sought to retain the position. In 2017, she was named vice chair of civic engagement and voter participation for the Democratic National Committee, a position previously held by Donna Brazile.
Gov. John Bel Edwards issued a statement Saturday, saying, “Karen has shown strength and contrition in the face of a difficult situation. Addiction is a terrible disease and I am praying for her, her family and her recovery.”
Senate President John Alario, a Republican from Westwego, commended Peterson for taking steps to combat her addiction.
“I’m proud of her for addressing this disease head on,” Alario told The News-Star . “It speaks highly of anyone who is willing to take the hard steps necessary to overcome an addition, made even more difficult by being on a public stage.”

TROY JOSEPH ARCENEAUX

Troy Joseph Arceneaux, born and raised in Morgan City and a resident of Berwick, was unexpectedly called to his heavenly home on Saturday, March 23, 2019, at the age of 56.
Troy is survived by his wife, Tammy Fryou Arceneaux; his son, Brandon Arceneaux and his wife, Kim; their daughter, Mary Grace Arceneaux; his son, Gregory Arceneaux; his parents, Kenneth and Shirley Arceneaux Sr.; his siblings, Kenneth Arceneaux Jr., Shirley Cooper, Sheryl Arceneaux, Angela Sampey and Peggy Giroir and their spouses. He is also survived by many nieces, nephews and friends.
He was preceded in death by his first wife, Carolyn Menard Arceneaux.
The family requests that a time of visitation and remembrance be observed on Tuesday, March 26, 2019 from 8 a.m. until time of final viewing at noon with a rosary being prayed at 10 a.m. at Hargrave Funeral Home. A graveside service will take place on Tuesday, March 26, 2019 at 12:30 p.m. in the Morgan City Cemetery.
In lieu of flowers donations can be made to assist in the alleviation of funeral expenses.

Berwick finishes 3-0 at Tiger-Cardinal Softball Classic

The Berwick Lady Panthers finished 3-0 in the Tiger-Cardinal Softball Classic in Thibodaux this weekend. Berwick defeated H.L. Bourgeois Friday and South Lafourche and South Terrebonne Saturday. Friday, Berwick defeated H.L. Bourgeois 5-4. The game was scoreless until each team scored a run in the fourth. While H.L. Bourgeois took a 4-1 lead in the top of the fifth, Berwick responded with two runs each in the bottom of the fifth and sixth innings. Bronwyn Colbert earned the win in relief. In 2.1 innings, she surrendered two earned runs on two hits and fanned two. Morgan Toups started the game, and in 4.2 innings,

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ALBERTA 'SUE' ONCALE

April 8, 1927-March 22, 2019
Alberta “Sue” Oncale, 91, a resident of Morgan City, passed away Friday, March 22, 2019, at Morgan City Healthcare Center surrounded by her loving family.
Sue was born on April 8, 1927, in 4 Mile Bayou, the daughter of Robert Wiggins and Louise Daigle Wiggins.
She will be sadly missed and lovingly remembered by four children, Carolyn Daigle of Pierre Part, Larry Oncale and wife Elda Mae of Morgan City, Katy Aucoin and husband Al of Morgan City, and Danny Oncale and wife Kim of Morgan City; 13 grandchildren; 14 great-grandchildren; two great-great-grandchildren.
Sue was preceded in death by her parents, Robert and Louise Daigle Wiggins; her husband, Alvin Oncale; one daughter, Donna Sue Topham; one grandson, Dayne Oncale; 10 siblings, one son-in-law.
Funeral services will be held at 11 a.m. on Tuesday, March 26, 2019, at Twin City Funeral Home with Monsignor J. Douglas Courville officiating. A visitation will be held from 9 a.m. until the time of the service and following the services Sue will be laid to rest in the Morgan City Cemetery.
The family would like to Thank Morgan City Health Care and Heart Of Hospice for all their loving, caring support.

Wheel House for March 25

CANCER
Free breast and colorectal cancer screenings set 9-11 a.m. and noon to 2 p.m. Thursday, April 25, at Cypress Bayou Casino Hotel, 836 Martin Luther King Road, Charenton. Breast cancer screenings require appointment, call Mary Bird Perkings/TGMC Cancer Center, 888-616-4687. Free screenings possible by donor gifts. Must not have been screened within the last 12 months. Insurance billed for mammograms where applicable.

Cable company seeks applications for school grants

Cox Communications has announced that its employees will award nearly $60,000 to public and private schools in its Southeast Region through the Cox Charities Innovation in Education grants.
The grant applications are now available to pre-k-12th grade teachers/classrooms at www.CoxCharitiesSER.org and will be accepted through April 9.
Applicants will be notified of their funding status before the close of the 2018-2019 school year. Grant recipients will receive payments at the start of the 2018-2019 school year.
This past year, Cox supported classrooms at Broussard Middle, Cecilia Junior High and Teurlings Catholic High in Acadiana.
The Cox Charities Innovation in Education Program provides grants of up to $2,500 each to Southeast Region schools to fund classroom programs and curriculum that encourage and promote students’ ingenuity and imagination through the innovative use of technology. Teachers, librarians and principals may submit multiple applications for various programs within their schools.
“The classroom of today faces both material and technological needs,” said Fran Gladden, vice president of government and public affairs for the Cox Southeast Region. “Through the generosity of over 800 of our employees, we’re proud to see the dollars raised by our region’s Cox Charities program fueling innovation and connecting our classrooms and teachers to a much-needed educational edge.”
The Cox Southeast Region includes: Acadiana, Baton Rouge, New Orleans, Florida’s Gulf Coast (Pensacola and Fort Walton), Central Florida (Gainesville and Ocala) and Middle Georgia (Macon and Warner Robins).
Cox Charities was created to strengthen Cox communities through the support of programs that positively impact communities in the areas of education, technology, social issues, conservation and the arts.
In addition to the Innovation in Education grants, Cox Charities offers Community Investment grants to 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations (with a grant cycle opening in late summer 2019).
For Cox Charities Innovation in Education grant applications and more information about Cox Charities, visit www.CoxCharitiesSER.org.

Patterson, CCHS win weekend contests

The Patterson Lumberjacks run-ruled David Thibodaux 10-0 in five innings in District 8-3A action at Patterson Saturday. Patterson scored three runs apiece in the first and second innings, added a run in the four and ended the game via the 10-run mercy rule in the bottom of the fifth after scoring three runs. Reid Perkins earned the win as he tossed a two-hitter with 10 strikeouts in five innings. Offensively, Patterson had just six hits, but David Thibodaux surrendered five walks and committed three errors. Randy Paul led Patterson with a 2-for-3 performance with a home run, two RBIs, two stolen bases and two ...

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Guaido's Citgo snubs execs in Caracas jail

BOGOTA, Colombia (AP) — When the Trump administration paved the way for Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaido to name a new board to run the U.S. affiliate of Venezuela’s state oil company, it was a rare glimmer of hope for the American families of six oil executives jailed for over a year without a trial in the politically turbulent South American nation.
But a month later, the families complain they are still being left to fend for themselves as much as ever by the men’s employer, Houston-based Citgo, which until the takeover had been the U.S. subsidiary of the Venezuelan oil giant known as PDVSA.
Citgo, the eighth largest refiner in the U.S. and Venezuela’s biggest foreign asset, has emerged as a major prize in the battle for power in Venezuela between President Nicolas Maduro and Guaido, who heads the opposition-controlled National Assembly and is recognized by the U.S. and about 50 other governments as the country’s legitimate leader. The families insist their loved ones are collateral damage in that high-stakes fight— first imprisoned on trumped-up charges by Maduro’s government and now overlooked by a U.S. administration hell-bent on regime change while Citgo is hounded by creditors and battered by U.S. sanctions on PDVSA.
Their travail began the weekend before Thanksgiving in 2017, when the six executives got a call from the head of PDVSA summoning them to Caracas for a last-minute budget meeting. Once there, armed and masked security agents burst into a conference room and arrested them on embezzlement charges stemming from a never-executed proposal to refinance some $4 billion in Citgo bonds by offering a 50 percent stake in the company as collateral. Maduro himself accused them of “treason,” though they have not been charged with that crime.
Their families of the “Citgo 6” — five of them American citizens and all with deep roots in Texas and Louisiana — complain the men are being held in inhumane conditions, sharing overcrowded basement cells in a military counterintelligence prison and suffering severe weight loss in a country plagued by food shortages. Even worse, their case shows no sign of advancing.
A preliminary hearing has been postponed 13 times by Judge Rosvelin Gil for little apparent reason, with the latest session set for Friday.
Citgo when under Maduro’s control provided almost no support to the jailed executives or their families despite an indemnity agreement that obligates it to act on the men’s behalf. In the months following their arrest the company even terminated their pay although they were never fired.
Now, the families feel snubbed by Maduro’s opponents as well.
Several emails and an upbeat letter sent Feb. 26 by certified mail to new Citgo chairwoman Luisa Palacios requesting a meeting to discuss the company’s plans to facilitate the executives’ release and mitigate the economic hardships the families have endured went unanswered, the families say. Other efforts to contact Citgo board members have also failed, including calls to vice president Rick Esser, the sole holdover from the previous board and someone the families say is intimately familiar with their plight.
“I feel like they’re making a complete fool of me,” said Maria Elena Cardenas, who has had to apply for food stamps to pay for mounting medical bills after the jailing of her husband, Gustavo Cardenas, who had been working as Citgo’s head of public relations. “It’s almost inhuman not to even acknowledge receipt.”
Citgo did not reply to a request for comment.
The families did meet briefly in Houston last week with Guaido ally Carlos Vecchio, who is recognized as Venezuela’s ambassador by President Donald Trump’s administration.
“Our actions have always been guided by the goal of freeing political prisoners and denouncing torture and mistreatment,” said Vecchio, who fled Venezuela to escape what were widely seen as made-up charges of inciting violence during 2014 anti-government protests. “If there’s one party in Venezuela that has suffered first hand human rights abuses it’s us.”
Still, Guaido himself hasn’t directly commented on the case, even when pressed by Fox Business Network’s Trish Regan in two interviews last month.
Much to the families’ frustration, the Trump administration has taken a hushed approach that contrasts with the very public diplomatic push that secured the release last year of Joshua Holt, a Utah man who was held for more than two years in a Caracas jail on weapons charges that were also seen as bogus. Maduro’s decision to break off diplomatic relations with the U.S. and the departure this month of the last American diplomats in Caracas is likely to make it even harder to get the men freed or win them access to medical care.
The State Department said it continues to closely monitor the case and work through third countries to ensure the welfare of Americans’ welfare while they remain in jail.
Cardenas believes that Guaido, like others, has been misled into believing the jailed executives were complicit in widespread corruption by government insiders that gutted Venezuela’s oil industry under Maduro. But most of the families had lived in the U.S. for years, some even before the start of Hugo Chavez’s socialist revolution two decades ago, and occupied midlevel jobs removed from the high finance positions where the crimes allegedly took place.
Meanwhile, she is getting desperate. With mounting medical bills for her 18-year-old son, who suffers from a rare metabolic disease that has stunted his growth, she is looking to sell the home outside Houston where she raised three children. Without her husband’s paycheck, she has to send via courier at great cost the food her husband is fed in jail_an expense that she said Citgo at a minimum should be able to pick up for the anguished families.
“I know Citgo might not be able to win their release but at least they could come out and say we know they’re innocent,” she said of Citgo’s new board. “Instead they’ve left us on the streets. The only thing Citgo cares about is covering its legal back.”
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Area births announced

Born to Mr. and Mrs. Atlas White (nee: Bethany Crochet) of Morgan City, a girl, Aylah Rose White, on March 1 at Thibodaux Regional Medical Center. She weighed 6 pounds, 13 ounces and measured 18.9 inches. —— Born to Brittany Broussard of Berwick and Jude Madere of Patterson, a boy, Kasten Lance Madere, on March 1 at Thibodaux Regional Medical Center. He weighed 7 pounds, 11 ounces and measured 21 inches. —— Born to Brandi Crews and David Chaisson of Morgan City, a girl, Autumn Rayne Chaisson, on March 3 at Thibodaux Regional Medical Center. She weighed 6 pounds, 11 ounces and measured 18.9 ...

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P.O. Box 566, Franklin, LA 70538
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