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Police: Bicyclist caught with meth, marijuana

A Baldwin man was arrested in Morgan City after police stopped him riding a bicycle and found him in possession of methamphetamine, marijuana and drug paraphernalia, Police Chief James Blair said in a news release.

—Joshua Crosby, 29, of Baronne Street in Baldwin, was arrested at 10:51 p.m. Saturday on charges of possession of methamphetamine, possession of marijuana, possession of drug paraphernalia, resisting an officer by giving false information, traffic laws apply to persons on bicycles and bicycle front and rear lamps required.

An officer came into contact with an individual on a bicycle with improper lighting on La. 182. The individual initially gave the officer a false name, but later his identity was confirmed as Crosby, Blair said. Crosby was in possession of suspected methamphetamine, marijuana and drug paraphernalia. Crosby was jailed.

Blair reported that officers responded to 130 calls and reported the following arrests:

—John Gibson, 29, of Headland Street in Morgan City, was arrested at 7:30 p.m. Thursday on charges of possession of marijuana second offense and possession of drug paraphernalia.

The narcotics division conducted a search warrant at a home on Headland Street. Officers located an individual identified as Gibson. Police found suspected marijuana and drug paraphernalia inside the home, Blair said. Gibson was jailed.

—Steven W. Davis, 42, of Versen Street in Berwick, was arrested at 2:18 p.m. Friday on a warrant charging him with three counts of failure to appear in court.

Davis was transported from St. Mary Parish jail to the Morgan City Police Department on a city court warrant. Davis was jailed.

—Sammie Pigott Jr., 48, of Francis Street in Berwick, was arrested at 8:17 p.m. Friday on charges of theft less than $1,000, possession of drug paraphernalia and on a warrant charging him with two counts of failure to appear in court.

Officers responded to a business on La. 182 in regard to a shoplifter. When officers arrived, management had an individual identified as Pigott detained. Pigott had tried leaving the store with items he did not purchase, Blair said. The items totaled $53.58.

Pigott also had an arrest warrant for city court and was jailed.

—Robert Mulligan, 66, of Fourth Street in Morgan City, was arrested at 11:12 p.m. Friday on a charge of disturbing the peace intoxicated.

Officers responded to the area of Front and Freret streets for an individual causing a disturbance. Officers arrived and located Mulligan, who appeared intoxicated, Blair said. Mulligan was jailed.

—Danielle Ballance, 42, of Filmore Street in Morgan City, was arrested at 8:02 a.m. Saturday on a warrant charging her with failure to appear in court.

Ballance was located on Filmore Street and arrested on a warrant for 16th Judicial District Court. Ballance was jailed.

—Kevin W. Couvillier, 58, of Oxford Street in Franklin, was arrested at 4:22 p.m. Saturday on a charge of possession of a legend drug.

Officers located an individual identified as Couvillier in the area of La. 182. Couvillier was in possession of a pill identified as sildenafil citrate for which he did not have a prescription, Blair said. Couiviller was jailed.

—Patricia Savoie, 47, of Fourth Street in Morgan City, was arrested at 7:58 p.m. Saturday on warrants charging her with failure to pay fines and probation violation.

Savoie was located on Brashear Avenue near Sixth Street and arrested on city court warrants. Savoie was jailed.

—Aaron M. Dinger, 26, of Jupiter Street in Bayou Vista, was arrested at 11:36 p.m. Saturday on a warrant charging him with failure to pay fines. Dinger was located on Sixth Street and arrested on a city court warrant. Dinger was jailed.

—Devan N. Serpa, 33, of Grandwood Street in Patterson, was arrested at 9:55 p.m. Saturday on a warrant charging her with two counts of failure to appear in court.

Serpa was located on Onstead Street and arrested on a warrant for 16th Judicial District Court. Serpa was jailed.

—Jerry R. Forbes, 18, of Terrebonne Street in Morgan City, was arrested at 7:15 a.m. Sunday on charges of no tail lights and no driver’s license.

An officer in the area of Federal Avenue observed a vehicle with improper lighting. A vehicle stop was conducted, and the driver, Forbes, did not have a driver’s license, Blair said. Forbes was jailed.

—Robert Watkins, 39, of Gray, was arrested at 12:17 p.m. Sunday on a warrant charging him with failure to appear for criminal neglect of family.

Watkins was located in the area of Onstead Street and Federal Avenue and arrested on a warrant for 16th Judicial District Court. Watkins was jailed.

—Brennan N. Skinner, 26, of Grace Street in Siracusa, was arrested at 12:26 p.m. Sunday on charges of stop sign violation and driving under suspension

Skinner was one of the drivers involved in a vehicle crash in the area of Federal Avenue and Onstead Street. Skinner disregarded the stop sign and crashed into another vehicle, Blair said. No injuries were reported from the crash. A computer check revealed that Skinner’s license was suspended, Blair said. Skinner was jailed.

—Shina Short, 35, of Gibson, was arrested at 4:17 p.m. Sunday on warrants charging her with failure to appear for trial and two counts of probation violation.

—Katelynn S. Morgan, 25, of Railroad Avenue in Morgan City, was arrested at 6:53 p.m. Sunday on charges of resisting an officer by giving false information and warrants for failure to pay fines and failure to pay probation fees.

Short and Morgan were both located on Arizona Street and arrested on warrants. Short held warrants for the 16th Judicial District Court and city court. Morgan gave officers a false name initially, but her identity was later confirmed, Blair said. Morgan also had city court warrants. Both were jailed.

—Anthony D. Lightfoot, 36, of Railroad Avenue in Morgan City, was arrested at 3:55 a.m. Monday on a warrant charging him with failure to appear for trial for domestic abuse battery.

—Casey N. Francois, 32, of Railroad Avenue in Morgan City, was arrested at 3:55 a.m. Monday on warrants for failure to appear in court and failure to pay probation fees.

Lightfoot and Francois were located at their home and arrested on warrants. Lightfoot held a warrant for the 16th Judicial District Court and Francois held warrants for city court. Both were jailed.

St. Mary Parish Sheriff Scott Anslum reported that deputies responded to 81 complaints in the parish and reported the following arrests in east St. Mary Parish:

—A juvenile male, 14, of Patterson, was arrested at 12:56 p.m. Saturday on a charge of ungovernable juvenile.

A deputy patrolling the area of Patterson was dispatched to a home in Patterson in reference to an ungovernable juvenile. The deputy located the juvenile and transported the juvenile to the Morgan City branch office for processing. The juvenile was released to a guardian pending juvenile court proceedings.

—Steven Morris, 32, of Vista Village Lane in Bayou Vista, was arrested at 11 a.m. Sunday on a charge of domestic abuse battery.

A deputy patrolling the area of Morgan City was dispatched to a home on Belanger Street in reference to an incident that occurred earlier. Upon arrival, the deputy located a victim who stated that Morris had gotten physical with the victim, the sheriff said.

Through the investigation, the deputy found evidence of a physical encounter between the victim and Morris, Anslum said. Morris was jailed with no bail set.

—Cheyanne Pisani, 19, of Delmar Avenue in Bayou Vista, was arrested at 3:24 p.m. Sunday on a charge of theft.

—Carley Gros, 17, of Fifth Street in Morgan City, was arrested at 3:24 p.m. Sunday on a charge of theft.

A deputy patrolling Bayou Vista was dispatched to a business in reference to a theft. Upon arrival, the deputy talked to store personnel who advised that two female subjects were observed taking merchandise and attempting to exit the business without paying, Anslum said.

The deputy made contact with Pisani and Gros, and through the investigation learned that Pisani had taken the items with the help of Gros, the sheriff said. Pisani and Gros were arrested and released on a summons to appear Dec. 6.

Patterson Police Chief Janis Merritt reported the following arrest:

—Nathaniel Jones, 61, of Cherry Street in Patterson, was arrested at 10:21 a.m. Friday on a warrant charging him with theft. No bail was set yet.

Franklin Police Chief Tina Thibodeaux reported the following arrest relating to east St. Mary Parish:

—Alicia Bertrand, 34, of Cremo Lane in Patterson, was arrested at 6:36 p.m. Saturday on charges of theft and possession of a legend drug without a prescription. Bertrand was booked into jail and released on $1,500 bail.

Berwick Police Chief James Richard reported no arrests.

From the editor: Recovery continues here, but very slowly

The latest U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics figures on employment show a St. Mary Parish economy that is coming back, although slowly, after a four-year slump. The numbers also offer some insight into how dependent the region is on the energy industry and why so many political candidates are talking about economic diversity this year. They provide some motivation for the Urban Land Institute study of development opportunities that you’ll read about elsewhere in this edition. The bureau’s numbers for parishes that are outside big cities come out only quarterly, so the available figures show only employment here as of six months ...

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Louisiana Spotlight: No joy for JBE foes in surprise surplus

BATON ROUGE — In the sharply splintered politics of Louisiana, where the Democratic governor and conservative House Republicans seem in a near-perpetual clash over finances, even a surplus can trigger criticism and spark disagreements.
If Louisiana had a budget surplus in the past, that news was cheered as a sign of conservative forecasting and sound money management, giving the state the ability to sock away savings and address a backlog of construction needs.
But in 2018’s divisive Louisiana Capitol atmosphere, word the state closed the books for the budget year that ended June 30 with an excess of $300 million-plus in cash is provoking suggestions something’s wrong.
Anti-tax advocates and conservative GOP lawmakers who voted against a sales tax renewal earlier this year said the surplus demonstrates over-taxation. They said the excess cash proves Democratic Gov. John Bel Edwards exaggerated the depth of Louisiana’s financial problems as he pressed for the tax, which lawmakers enacted for seven years.
“Were we fed fuzzy numbers in order to advance a tax and spend agenda?” Rep. Nancy Landry, a Lafayette Republican, questioned on Facebook.
Baton Rouge Republican Rep. Rick Edmonds issued a statement saying the surplus reaffirmed his position the sales tax — renewing 0.45 percent of an expiring 1 percent sales tax, to raise an estimated $463 million this year — wasn’t needed. He said Edwards’ administration used “scare tactics to get what it wanted.”
Edwards said the suggestion he hid or downplayed rosier financial projections to pass more taxes is hogwash. He said the surplus indicates Louisiana’s economy is doing better than predicted.
“I guess they would rather a deficit? They would rather us open a midyear shortfall this year? That doesn’t make any sense,” Edwards said. “On its face, that is just ridiculous that someone isn’t happy with me because the economy is performing better, because more people are working and making more money and our companies are more profitable than the folks who make the forecast believed would be the case.”
Legislative leaders and their staff help develop the income forecasts used to build budgets. They don’t just come from the governor.
Forecasts are set by the Revenue Estimating Conference, using information provided by two economists, one who works for the Legislature and the other for the Edwards administration. The four-member conference includes the governor’s chief budget adviser, the Senate president, the House speaker and an LSU economist. The vote to adopt a forecast must be unanimous.
The final surplus amount from the 2017-18 budget year will be settled next month. It will be the second in a row. Louisiana had a $123 million surplus from the 2016-17 budget year.
Edwards and House Speaker Taylor Barras said the latest surplus stems from better-than-expected income tax collections, but they diverge on the reasons. The governor hailed an economic uptick, while the GOP House speaker said other forces may be at work in a state that still has one of the highest unemployment rates in the nation.
Barras said some higher-than-predicted tax collections likely were tied to federal tax changes and some improved corporate collections could stem from cuts to tax break programs that lawmakers enacted over several years.
But the two leaders agree the surplus figure wasn’t expected when the tax debate raged across three special sessions.
“Once we understand what contributed to the surplus, I think people will feel more assured that what happened was the best we knew at the time,” said Barras, who supported the partial sales tax renewal. “But we want to see if this establishes a trend as well. If it’s a good economic trend, that’s really good news.”
Even if lawmakers had known about the surplus during the tax debate, the money couldn’t have directly bailed out this year’s budget. Under Louisiana’s constitution, surplus dollars can only be spent on certain one-time expenses, like debt payments, savings account deposits and construction projects, not ongoing agency expenses.
Edwards and lawmakers will craft a spending plan for the money in the 2019 legislative session, in an election year where they still may be debating whether a surplus is good or bad news.
Melinda Deslatte has covered Louisiana politics for The Associated Press since 2000. Follow her at http://twitter.com/melindadeslatte

THOMAS RILEY SR.

Thomas Riley Sr., 58, a resident of Morgan City, died Saturday, Sept. 22, 2018, at Teche Regional Medical Center in Morgan City.
Jones Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements, which are pending at this time.

Wheel House for Sept. 24

GOLF TOURNEY
Matthew 25 International Missions Golf Tournament is Saturday, Oct. 20, at The Atchafalaya at Idlewild near Patterson. Registration at 7:30 a.m. For application or info call Tammie, 985-412-6361.

Radio logs for Sept. 24

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.

Friday, Sept. 21

5:52 a.m. 900 block of Duke Street; Traffic incident.

7:56 a.m. 1000 block of Second Street; Assistance.

8:29 a.m. 800 block of Victor II Boulevard; Officer stand by.

10:25 a.m. 1200 block of Brashear Avenue; Suspicious person.

10:39 a.m. 1000 block of Brashear Avenue; Theft.

2:22 p.m. U.S. 90; Traffic incident.

2:45 p.m. 600 block of General MacArthur Street; Juvenile problems.

4:22 p.m. 800 block of Brashear Avenue; Animal.

4:35 p.m. 7100 block of La. 182; Found item.

5:57 p.m. 1400 block of Maple Street; Disturbance.

5:59 p.m. 900 block of Fourth Street; Complaint.

6:13 p.m. 200 block of Chennault Street; Animal complaint.

6:14 p.m. 300 block of Second Street; Medical.

6:52 p.m. U.S. 90 East; Juvenile problem.

7:46 p.m. Glenwood Street; Patrol request.

8:17 p.m. 6400 block of La. 182; Arrest.

8:39 p.m. 1000 block of Florence Street; 911 hang up.

10:38 p.m. 500 block of Brashear Avenue; Disturbance.

11:08 p.m. 600 block of Front Street; Arrest.

11:23 p.m. 400 block of Ninth Street; Complaint.

11:28 p.m. 1500 block of Filmore Street; Animal complaint.

11:45 p.m. 7500 block of La. 182; Medical.

Saturday, Sept. 22

12:13 a.m. 300 block of Second Street; 911 hang up.

2:37 a.m. Brashear Avenue; Complaint.

3:17 a.m. Federal and Railroad avenues; Complaint.

8 a.m. Filmore Street; Arrest.

9:54 a.m. Sixth and Fig streets; Patrol request.

10:20 a.m. 300 block of Bowman Street; Civil.

10:33 a.m. 2100 block of Cedar Street; Alarm.

10:50 a.m. 500 block of Orange Street; Disturbance.

12:12 p.m. 900 block of Fig Street; Alarm.

12:26 p.m. 1000 block of Victor II Boulevard; Complaint.

1:05 p.m. Everett and Sixth streets; Loud music.

2:23 a.m. 400 block of Fourth Street; Assistance.

2:54 p.m. 300 block of Bowman Street; Disturbance.

3:37 p.m. 7600 block of La. 182; Alarm.

4:16 p.m. 6400 block of La. 182; Arrest.

4:27 p.m. 700 block of Myrtle Street; Complaint.

4:37 p.m. 600 block of First Street; Juvenile problem.

5:55 p.m. 3000 block of Keith Street; Complaint.

5:59 p.m. 6400 block of La. 182; Complaint.

6:37 p.m. 6000 block of La. 182; Arrest.

7:50 p.m. 6300 block of La. 182; Reckless driver.

8:30 p.m. 200 block of Mallard Street; Medical.

8:47 p.m. 500 block of Roderick Street; Animal complaint.

8:49 p.m. 200 block of Chennault Street; Medical.

9:08 p.m. 1400 block of North Third Street; Removal of subject.

9:43 p.m. Onstead Street; Arrest.

10:25 p.m. 7200 block of La. 182; Complaint.

10:28 p.m. 6200 block of La. 182; Arrest.

11:17 p.m. Pine and Cedar streets; Arrest.

11:39 p.m. 7200 block of La. 182; Telephone harassment.

11:51 p.m. 1200 block of Victor II Boulevard; Complaint.

Sunday, Sept. 23

12:16 a.m. 600 block of Barrow Street; Animal complaint.

12:30 a.m. 300 block of Second Street; Complaint.

12:46 a.m. 1000 block of La. 70; Complaint.

12:54 a.m. 1000 block of La. 70; Lost and found.

12:59 a.m. 600 block of Brashear Avenue; Complaint.

1:13 a.m. 7400 block of La. 182; Complaint.

1:38 a.m. 200 block of Franklin Street; Loud music.

3:37 a.m. 700 block of Myrtle Street; Complaint.

8:07 a.m. 1400 block of Sandra Street; Alarm.

8:40 a.m. 2000 block of Keith Street; Complaint.

9 a.m. 400 block of Railroad Avenue; Vehicle burglary.

9:18 a.m. 900 block of Belanger Street; Civil complaint.

9:20 a.m. 100 block of Mallard Street; Complaint.

9:37 a.m. 200 block of Roderick Street; Assistance.

10:03 a.m. 7600 block of La. 182 East; Alarm.

10:07 a.m. U.S. 90 East; Assistance.

11:49 a.m. Federal Avenue and Onstead Street; Vehicle accident.

12:17 p.m. 300 block of Third Street; Accident.

1:19 p.m. 7400 block of La. 182 East; Disturbance.

2:01 p.m. Roderick Street; Complaint.

2:53 p.m. 200 block of Arizona Street; Officer stand by.

2:57 p.m. Bush Street; Officer stand by.

5:02 p.m. 1000 block of Greenwood Street; Traffic incident.

6:37 p.m. 300 block of Franklin Street; Medical.

7:40 p.m. 200 block of Fourth Street; Telephone harassment.

8:06 p.m. 1100 block of Levee Road; Disturbance.

9:04 p.m. 100 block of Youngswood Road; Alarm.

9:05 p.m. 600 block of Bush Street; Theft.

11:02 p.m. 700 block of Onstead Street; Complaint.

Sunday, Sept. 24

1:15 a.m. Federal Avenue and Barrow Street; Suspicious subject.

1:36 a.m. Federal Avenue and Belanger Street; Complaint.

3:36 a.m. 1400 block of Railroad Avenue; Arrest.

St. Mary AARP holds September meeting

St. Mary Parish AARP Chapter 4435 held its monthly meeting on Sept. 10 at the St. Mary Senior Citizens Center, home of St. Mary AARP, in Morgan City.
Prior to the meeting, members and guests were entertained with dance music from 4 to 5:30 p.m. Bingo followed until 6:15 p.m.
The meeting and meal sponsors for September were Frank “Boo” Grizzaffi, candidate for St. Mary Parish Sheriff; District Judge Walter “Walt” Lanier III, candidate for judge of 1st Circuit Court of Appeal; and Natchez “Trey” Morice, M.D., candidate for St. Mary Parish coroner.
Attendees were served a meal of shrimp stew, peas, potato salad and roll.
Prior to the meal, Grizzaffi spoke to the membership about his administrative experience and his qualifications for the office he is seeking.
Following the meal, Lanier addressed the membership to discuss his judicial career and his qualifications for the office he is seeking.
Morice also spoke to AARP members about his connection to the community and his qualifications for the office he is seeking.
Birthday and anniversary celebrants for September were recognized at the meeting. The cake was donated by M C Bank.
The next St. Mary AARP meeting is Oct. 1.

Excessive drinking killed over 3 million people in 2016

GENEVA (AP) — Drinking too much alcohol killed more than 3 million people in 2016, mostly men, the World Health Organization said Friday.
The U.N. health agency also warned that current policy responses are not sufficient to reverse trends predicting an increase in consumption over the next 10 years.
In a new report, the WHO said that about 237 million men and 46 million women faced alcohol problems, with the highest prevalence in Europe and the Americas. Europe has the highest global per capita alcohol consumption, even though it has already dropped by 10 percent since 2010.
Around a third of alcohol-related deaths were a result of injuries, including car crashes and self-harm, while about one in five were due to either digestive disorders or cardiovascular diseases. Cancers, infectious diseases, mental disorders and other health conditions were also to blame.
“Far too many people, their families and communities suffer the consequences of the harmful use of alcohol through violence, injuries, mental health problems and diseases like cancer and stroke,” said Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, director-general of WHO. “It’s time to step up action to prevent this serious threat to the development of healthy societies.”
The average daily consumption of alcohol by people who consume it is about two glasses of wine, a large bottle of beer or two shots of spirits. Globally, about 2.3 billion people are current drinkers.
The report, the third in a series after ones in 2010 and 2014, relies on information from 2016 — the latest data available. WHO said the trends and projections point to an expected increase in global alcohol per capita consumption over the next decade, particularly in southeast Asia and the Americas.
“The policy responses which are currently in place in countries are definitely not sufficient to reverse the trends, which we observe in several parts of the world, or to improve significantly this situation,” Dr. Vladimir Poznyak, coordinator of WHO’s management of substance abuse unit, told reporters.
“When we look at the trends of alcohol consumption in many countries from 2000, you can see ups and downs — which are determined by different factors,” said Poznyak, citing countries’ levels of social development, economic backdrops, policy measures and cultural trends.
He said the data showed, for example, that alcohol consumption tends to drop in countries facing economic crisis.
Poznyak said it was “imperative for the governments to put in place measures that can mitigate the harms associated with this increase.”

Divorced man has affairs with married women

DEAR ABBY: My son has taken it upon himself to get romantically involved with two different married women. He’s newly divorced after a long marriage and hates the idea of being alone. He says he loves them both, but realizes there’s no future with either one, so he’s trying to extricate himself from the jam he’s gotten into. The problem is, the women refuse to let go, and it’s causing all sorts of problems. Any ideas? DAD IN THE MIDDLE IN NEW YORK DEAR DAD: If you are smart, you’ll stay out of this mess. Hasn’t it occurred to you that if ...

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Soap Opera Review: Marlena comes off life support on ‘DOOL’

THE BOLD AND THE BEAUTIFUL: Bill vowed to fight Katie’s attempt to get custody of Will after Thorne announced to the Forrester family that he and Katie are engaged. Brooke has been meeting secretly with Bill, who wants her to stop Katie’s custody suit. DAYS OF OUR LIVES: With Marlena in an irreversible coma, her family gathered around her and prepared for a bad outcome when she was taken off life support. Lucas doesn’t believe Bonnie, who said the baby girl she arrived in Salem with is his daughter. GENERAL HOSPITAL: Carly suspects Nelle is trying to make Michael feel guilty by ...

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P.O. Box 566, Franklin, LA 70538
Phone: 337-828-3706
Fax: 337-828-2874

Morgan City Review
1014 Front Street, Morgan City, LA 70380
Phone: 985-384-8370
Fax: 985-384-4255