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Many people know that the Union Sulphur Co. made a huge fortune from a rich deposit in Calcasieu Parish in the early 1900s and became the leading producer in the world.
It is not as well known that the company operated a fleet of ships to haul that sulfur, including one that sailed quietly away from the company’s docks at the tip of Cameron Parish and was never seen again.
That ship was the S.S. Hewitt. When it was launched in 1914, it was described as “one of the largest bulk cargo carriers constructed in the United States.” Union Sulphur bought it from the J. S. Emery Steamship Co. of Boston in 1915 and renamed it for Abram Hewitt, one of the company’s investors.
It was commandeered by the government in 1918 for use in World War I and was the first U.S. merchant vessel fitted with a gun to defend against submarines.
When it was returned to the company, unscathed by the war, it went back to business hauling sulfur from the Union Sulphur docks at Sabine Pass until, on Jan. 26, 1921, it simply disappeared.
There were no worries when the Hewitt sailed Jan. 20, commanded by Hans Jakob Hansen, one of the company’s most experienced captains.
It was to make a routine trip along an established route to haul a load of sulfur to Portland, Maine. There were no indications of anything going wrong, until something — nobody knows to this day what — apparently did.
J. R. Gordon, who managed the Union Sulphur ships, officially reported the disappearance in a letter in April 1921 to Lloyd’s Registry of Shipping, the agency that monitors merchant ships for insurers.
He said he had no idea what happened but that the ship was surely gone, with no trace of it or its 30-man crew.
“We are at a loss to account for her disappearance as the steamer was equipped with a powerful wireless set and there had been no indication of any trouble whatever of any description,” he wrote. He said it was standard policy for the captain to call in daily by radio, giving the ship’s position and reporting anything out of the ordinary. It was an uneventful and routine trip as the ship crossed the Gulf, rounded Florida, and began steaming north up the Atlantic coast.
“We received radio messages every day from her, giving her position from the day she left Sabine until her disappearance,” Gordon wrote.
“Her last message was received on the morning of January 26, giving her position at 7 PM on January 25th, as being 222 miles North of Jupiter (a point on the Florida coast).”
Gordon was not unduly alarmed when the daily radio messages stopped.
Weather conditions sometimes interfered with transmission. But he and other company officials began to worry when the Hewitt didn’t arrive for a scheduled stop in Boston.
They asked naval stations along the Atlantic coast to try to contact the Hewitt by radio and for ships traveling near its usual course to look for it.
When nobody saw or heard anything, another of the company’s steamers was sent to zigzag over the Hewitt’s course. It found no trace.
Mechanical breakdown was unlikely. Gordon said the boat had just been completely overhauled and certified as fully seaworthy by U.S. maritime authorities.
Something totally unexpected must have happened, he said.
Speculators began to see something nefarious when, only days after the Hewitt’s disappearance, the battered hulk of the schooner Carroll A. Deering was found on shoals off the North Carolina coast with no sign of its crew.
A British insurance company suggested that the Hewitt and the Deering may have run into each other, but the damage to the Deering didn’t look like it had been caused by a collision.
Fueling more speculation, the loss of the Hewitt and the Deering happened in an area where in 1918 the USS Cyclops disappeared without a trace.
The three baffling incidents caused a raft of conspiracy theories and led to investigations by five federal agencies,
None of the disappearances have ever been explained, causing them to become part of the legend of the infamous Bermuda Triangle between Florida and Bermuda in the Atlantic.
That legend took firm hold in the 1950s, when several newspapers and magazines claimed there was an unprecedented loss of airplanes and ships in the triangle after World War II.   
Investigators say the triangle has heavy ship and airplane traffic and that there’s never been any evidence that it is any more dangerous than anywhere else.
Nonetheless, there are still doubters who think the Hewitt, Deering, Cyclops and a dozen other ships and planes have fallen prey to something other than the law of averages.
You can contact Jim Bradshaw at jimbradshaw4321@gmail.com or P.O. Box 1121, Washington LA 70589.

Marvin John Dinger, 81, a native of Berwick and resident of Patterson, died Saturday, May 17, 2025.
He is survived by his wife, Diana Dinger; sons, Jason Dinger, Lockwood Bonin and Shannon Dinger; daughters, Dawn Foster, Tammy Landry and Sarah Ford; brothers, Eldridge Dinger and Robert Dinger; 22 grandchildren and 24 great-grandchildren.
He was preceded in death by his parents and sister.
Visitation will be Friday from 9 a.m. until services at 1 a.m. at Cornerstone Ministries. Burial will follow in Morgan City Cemetery.
Twin City Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.

A major restructuring of Louisiana’s workforce benefits and how they are appropriated is making its way through the Legislature.
The restructure is being facilitated by two bills from Reps. Kim Carver and Stephanie Berault, who are are attempting to streamline Louisiana’s workforce programs, including the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.
The bill passed the House Appropriations committee without objection. 
Louisiana’s Workforce Commissioner Susana Schowenn said that LDH is more equipped to handle the appropriation of SNAP benefits.
She also told The Center Square that part of the motivation for taking the authority away from the Department of Children and Family Services was to make DCFS “its own stand alone agency and focus exclusively on child protection.”
LDH, according to Schowenn, already does much of the same processing for Medicaid. Currently, various facilities around the state function as “one-stop-shops” for workforce programs and other benefits. Schowenn said that some will be closed, but added that rural parishes would be spared. 
House Bill 624 by Berault, R-Slidell, transfers certain support programs, like SNAP and TANF, from the Department of Children and Family Services to the Louisiana Workforce Commission.
HB617 by Carver, R-Mandeville, rewrites the internal structure of DCFS itself, formalizing the creation of a new Office of Child Welfare and Office of Child Support, each with its own assistant secretary.
It also strips the department of many responsibilities no longer under its control and updates statutes to reflect the new organizational chart.
The reorganization would leave DCFS focused on child welfare and protective services, while workforce-related public assistance programs would be run by Louisiana Works.
All workforce programs like SNAP and TANF would be accessed and appropriated by a single authority, the LWC, which would be renamed Louisiana Works.
An amendment however would leave the disbursement of SNAP benefits and Disability Determination Services to the Louisiana Department of Health, though the workforce commission would still help bring individuals into SNAP and Medicaid.
The agency plans to cross-train case managers so they can provide more comprehensive support and access to eligible benefits by combining workforce and rehabilitation services.
“Right now, there are 800 people at LDH working on Medicaid eligibility, and another 600 down the street at DCFS doing the same thing — processing eligibility for mostly the same people, using the same system,” Berault said. “Essentially, it’s two copies of the same system asking for the same information.”
The overhaul reflects a similar initiative taken in Utah. 
“Utah is the only state with fully integrated federal and state funds for both human services and workforce services,” the Alliance for Opportunity wrote in a 2023 report. “Utah began with a legislative audit of the state’s 23 workforce programs that were operated out of six different state agencies. The 1992 audit unearthed a fragmented system with ‘duplication of bureaucracy,’ which made it difficult for low-income Utahns, particularly those with significant challenges, to access services.”
Lawmakers say the goal is to cut red tape and make it easier for more Louisianans to move off public assistance and achieve economic self-sufficiency.
Berault emphasized that the shift would not eliminate jobs, but staffing reductions could come through attrition. 
“There is a commitment that there will not be layoffs,” Berault said. “But some positions may be reallocated.”
The bill was not without opposition. 
“This is nothing more than a disguised bill that’s going to not only harm and hurt those who receive SNAP benefits, who make up 24% of our state,” said Dadrius Lanus, the executive director of the Louisiana Democratic Party. 
“But it’s also going to be a more definitive way to cut jobs across the board that our governor wants to push down.”
Gov. Jeff Landry has said he supports the bill. 

(Editor’s note: The charges listed here and the narratives that go with them are provided by the police agencies that made the arrests. Guilt or innocence has not been determined in court.)

A Bayou L’Ourse man was arrested after a woman told deputies that she awoke Saturday morning to find him in her bedroom.

Assumption

Sheriff Leland Falcon reported these arrests:

--James Casey Aucoin, 42, Felicia Street, Bayou L’Ourse, was arrested Saturday on charges of unauthorized entry of an inhabited dwelling and simple criminal damage to property.

The arrest resulted from an incident in the 100 block of Aristle Road in Bayou L’Ourse on Saturday morning.

A uniformed patrol deputy was dispatched to the residence and made contact with the complainant, who advised that she locked her doors and went to bed and at some point, she was awakened by someone in her bedroom.

The complainant recognized the individual as Aucoin. Damage to the structure was located, which indicated forced entry into the residence. Aucoin left the home when ordered by the complainant to leave.

Deputies located Aucoin nearby, and he was arrested. James Aucoin was booked into the Assumption Parish Detention Center pending a bond hearing.

--Arian Nicole Wiggins, 27, Teche Road, Morgan City, was arrested Saturday on charges of sale, distribution, or possession of legend drugs without a prescription or order; possession of Adderall; possession of Xanax; possession of marijuana; operating a vehicle while intoxicated; driving on a roadway laned for traffic; possession of alcoholic beverages in a motor vehicle; and expired motor vehicle inspection tag.

A uniformed patrol deputy observed a westbound vehicle commit a traffic violation on La. 70 and executed a stop. The deputy made contact with the driver now identified as Wiggins. The deputy initiated an interview and determined that Wiggins did not possess a valid Louisiana driver’s license.

The deputy noted a strong odor of alcohol emitting from the person of Wiggins. The deputy further noted a strong odor of suspected marijuana from the suspect vehicle.

The suspect, Wiggins, performed poorly on standardized field sobriety tests.

At the conclusion of the interview, a search was conducted of the suspect vehicle, which resulted in the seizure of multiple controlled dangerous substances.

At the conclusion of the investigation, Wiggins was arrested and booked into the Assumption Parish Detention Center .
Wiggins was transported to a local health care facility, where a blood draw was conducted for testing purposes. Wiggins remains incarcerated pending a bond hearing.

Morgan City

Chief Chad M. Adams reported these arrests:

--Gildon Jackson, 21, Southwest Road, Bayou Vista, was arrested at 8:03 p.m. Sunday on charges of driving while intoxicated (first offense) and reckless operation of a motor vehicle.

--Haven Wiggins, 24, Sacred Heart Drive, Morgan City, was arrested at 8:43 p.m. Saturday on charges of domestic abuse battery, resisting an officer and disturbing the peace (intoxicated)

--Jose Espinosa, 38, Jamie Court, Morgan City, was arrested at 10:13 p.m. Saturday on charges of driving while intoxicated (first offense), lights required, tail lamps required, no driver’s license, reckless operation of a motor vehicle and possession of an open container of alcohol in a motor vehicle.

--Marvin Williamson, 60, La. 182, Morgan City, was arrested at 10:47 p.m. Saturday on charges of possession of marijuana (first offense), resisting an officer and four counts of failure to appear for trial (6th Ward Morgan City Court).

--Billy Perez, 38, Elaine Street, Morgan City, was arrested 2:03 a.m. Sunday on charges of driving while intoxicated (first offense) and reckless operation of a motor vehicle.

--Marvin Williamson, 60, La. 182, Morgan City, was arrested at 1:51 a.m. Monday on charges of switched license plate, failure to yield, resisting an officer by flight, driving under suspension and no insurance.

--Robert Castillo, 24, Bertrand Street, Conroe, Texas, was arrested at 7:25 p.m. May 14 on charges of disturbing the peace and resisting an officer.

St. Mary

Sheriff Gary Driskell reported these arrests:

--Paul Doran Laprairie, 61, Lake Charles, was arrested at 9:54 p.m. Thursday on charges of driving while intoxicated, reckless operation (no accident) and improper lane usage.

Laprairie was released on a $3,250 bond.

--Tamoz De’onte Allen, 30, Berwick, was arrested at 10:30 a.m. Thursday on a warrant alleging failure to appear for improper lane usage and speeding. Bail has not been set at this time.

--Lane Leonard, 52, Gonzalez, was arrested at 10:45 a.m. Thursday on a warrant alleging failure to appear on charges of driving under suspension, improper turn or required signal, improper registration and operation a vehicle not covered by security.

Leonard was released on a $1,000 bond.

--Raed Kassim, 40, Patterson, was arrested at 12:28 p.m. Thursday by the Narcotics Section charges of possession with intent to distribute marijuana, possession of a controlled dangerous substance in the presence of a juvenile, and on a Morgan
City Police Department warrant alleging four counts of distribution of tianeptine.

Bail was set at $60,000.

Patterson

Chief Garrett Grogan reported these arrests:

--Aaron J. Johnson, 39, Third Street, Patterson, was arrested at 12:10 a.m. Sunday on charges of headlights required, driver’s license suspended or revoked, and no insurance. Johnson was released on a summons.

--Jacoby S. Deville, 40, Jefferson Drive, Lake Charles, was arrested at 4:28 a.m. Sunday on charges of possession of marijuana (less than 14 grams), driver’s license suspended or revoked, taillights required and money laundering.
Deville is incarcerated at the Patterson PD Jail.

--Dylan J. Theriot, 24, Belle River Road, Pierre Part, was arrested at 2:37 a.m. Monday on a warrant for another jurisdiction. Theriot is incarcerated at the Patterson PD Jail with no bond set.

Franklin

Chief Cedric Handy reported these arrests:

--Tyrelle Edwards, 25, La. 87, Franklin, was arrested at 1:20 p.m. Thursday on a warrant dated Oct. 17 alleging disturbing the peace (fighting) and on a warrant for 3rd Ward City Court alleging failure to appear on charges of stop signs, switched license plate and driving under suspension. Edwards was booked, processed and held on a $2,923 bond.

--Chaqaire Jenkins, 25, Barrow Street, Franklin, was arrested at 7:04 p.m. Thursday on a warrant for 3rd Ward City Court alleging failure to appear on charges of leash law and vicious animals and dogs prohibited. Jenkins was booked, processed and released on a $438 bond.

--Daelin Lacoste, 20, Willowood Drive, Franklin, was arrested at 7:23 p.m. Thursday on charges of aggravated obstruction of a highway of commerce, aggravated flight from an officer, turning movements and required signals, reckless operation of a vehicle, proper display of plate required on vehicles and mufflers prevention of excessive noise. Lacoste was booked, processed and held on a $12,000 bond.

--Lacy Foco, 35, Iberia Street, Franklin, was arrested at 7:26 p.m. Thursday on a warrant for 3rd Ward City Court alleging failure to appear on charges of expired motor vehicle inspection and careless operation. Foco was booked, processed and released on a $413 bond.

--Alton Granger, 41, Second Street, Franklin, was arrested at 7:50 p.m. Thursday on a warrant for 3rd Ward City Court alleging failure to appear on the charge of no insurance. Granger was booked, processed and held on a $313 bond.

--Ricky Hamilton, 37, Robertson Street, Franklin, was arrested at 10:21 p.m. Thursday on warrants for 16th Judicial District Court alleging failure to appear on charges of operating a vehicle while intoxicated, failure to stop at stop sign and operating a vehicle while license suspended. Hamilton was booked, processed and held on a $4,500 bond.

--Jasraeil James, 40, Verdun Lane, Franklin, was arrested at 10:21 p.m. Thursday on a warrant for 3rd Ward City Court alleging failure to appear on a charge of driving under suspension. James was booked, processed and released on a $750 bond.

--Jauntiel James, 37, Robertson Stree, Franklin, was arrested at 1:16 a.m. Friday on a warrant for 3rd Ward City Court alleging failure to appear on charges of speeding and driving under suspension. James was booked, processed and released on a $453 bond.

--Jonathan Romero, 41, Rosemary Street, Franklin, was arrested at 3:26 a.m. Friday on a charge of improper supervision of a minor. Romero was booked, processed and released to appear in 3rd Ward City Court.

--Jumichael Smith, 46, Hamilton Street, Franklin, was arrested at 7:45 a.m. Friday on charges of battery of a dating partner (second) offense and disturbing the peace (residential area). Smith was booked, processed and held on a $55,000 bond.

--Aaron Lightfoot, 37, Second Street, Franklin, was arrested at 8:43 p.m. Friday on a warrant dated Sept. 30 alleging seven counts of domestic abuse battery (child endangerment) and simple criminal damage to property. Lightfoot was booked, processed and held on an $80,000 bond.

--Eric Collins, 55, Talbot Street, Franklin, was arrested at 1:47 a.m. Saturday on a warrant for 16th Judicial District Court alleging failure to appear on a charge of speeding. Collins was booked, processed and released to appear in 16th Judicial District Court.

--Kevin Nedd, 63, Fifth Street, Franklin, was arrested at 9:20 a.m. Saturday on charges of domestic abuse battery and resisting an officer by flight. Nedd was booked, processed and held on a $10,000 bond.

--Durell McCurtis Jr., 24, La. 182, Franklin, was arrested at 3:32 a.m. Sunday on two counts of resisting an officer with force. McCurtis was booked, processed and released on a $1,000 bond.