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Alice Alvis Griffin, 68, a native of Terrebonne Parish and a resident of Houma, died Monday, May 14, 2018.
Visitation will be Saturday from 9 a.m. until services at 11 a.m. at Dularge Community Baptist Church in Houma. Burial will follow in Halfway Cemetery.
She is survived by her husband, Russell Griffin Sr. of Houma; son, Kenneth Murray Jr. of Franklin; two stepsons, Russell Griffin Jr. and Shannon Griffin, both of Morgan City; three stepdaughters, Constance Winslow, Pamela Mitchell and Stephanie Brown, all of Houma; eight grandchildren; four great-grandchildren; three brothers, Kerry Alvis Sr., Peter Alvis Sr. and Tony Alvis, all of Houma; and a host of other relatives.
She was preceded in death by a son, stepdaughter, parents and a brother.
Jones Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.

James Smith Jr., 49, a native of Terrebonne Parish and a resident of Thibodaux, died Tuesday, May 15, 2018 at Thibodaux Regional Medical Center.
Visitation will be Saturday from 9 a.m. until services at 11 a.m. at Morning Star Baptist Church in Thibodaux. Burial will follow in Blue Lily Cemetery.
He is survived by his wife, Lille Woolens Smith of Thibodaux; two sons, James Smith III of Thibodaux and Anderson Bolden of Franklin; four daughters, Kelly Smith, Angela Smith and Jamiee Smith, all of Thibodaux, and Jarranaja Smith of Morgan City; mother, Estelle Joseph Smith; five sisters, Yvonne Smith, Victoria Smith, Nancy Smith, Kathie Smith and Rihanna Smith, all of Thibodaux; and a host of other relatives.
He was preceded in death by his father, and paternal and maternal grandparents.
Jones Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.

A Freedom Ride and Memorial Day Ceremony will be held in the Morgan City area over the holiday weekend.

American Legion Riders Post 328 will host its 16th annual Freedom Ride and Boucherie Sunday in St. Mary Parish. Post 328 is based in Pierre Part. The ride starts at 9 a.m. at Morgan City Municipal Auditorium and ends with a pig roast and activities at Friend’s Tavern in Morgan City.

Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 4222 will host its Memorial Day Ceremony Monday at Morgan City Cemetery on Myrtle Street. The ceremony to honor deceased veterans will start at 11 a.m. Monday and end at noon.

Freedom Ride registration begins at 8 a.m. Sunday at Morgan City Municipal Auditorium. Riders will depart from the auditorium at 9 a.m. The cost of registration is $15 per rider and $10 per passenger. Registration includes a plate lunch. All vehicles are welcome.

Participants will lay wreaths at veteran memorial sites in the area along the way.

Riders will proceed to the Blue Star Memorial in Berwick, American Legion Post 242 in Patterson, Franklin Peace Memorial, Candy’s Lounge in Franklin and end at Friend’s Tavern in Morgan City with a pig roast and fundraiser.

People not riding in the event are welcome to join the day’s activities at noon at Friend’s Tavern. For non-riders, the cost of lunch is $8 per plate. There will be a 50/50 drawing, door prizes and silent auction. Hal Bruni and Friends and The Michael Bacon Band will play live music.

The ride is being held in memory of founders Rowe Rosson and her husband, George “Cowboy” Rosson .

For the Memorial Day Ceremony Monday, vehicles may enter the Morgan City Cemetery by the mausoleum prior to the ceremony and drop off passengers there, and then proceed through the cemetery where police will direct them where to park. All exits to the cemetery will be open at the conclusion of the ceremony.

BATON ROUGE — Louisiana is known for its picturesque swamps and marshes, but these places are also home to the state’s “unofficial” state bird — the mosquito. They are just one pest prevalent in Louisiana and are vectors of numerous diseases harmful to humans.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, insect-borne diseases are on the rise. The CDC cites ticks, mosquitoes and fleas as being responsible for an increase of illnesses such as Lyme disease, West Nile and Zika viruses.
Kristen Healy, a medical entomologist with the LSU AgCenter, said ticks cause most cases involving human infection.
“In the northeastern United States, about 50 percent of adult ticks are infected with the pathogen that causes Lyme disease,” she said.
Lyme disease is more common in the northeastern U.S. than in Louisiana, Healy said. Ticks in the Northeast are more likely to feed on rodents, and these rodents are more likely to be carriers of the pathogen that causes the disease.
Ticks in Louisiana are more prone to feeding on reptiles such as lizards and snakes, which are not common carriers of Lyme disease.
Healy said another factor leading to an increase in insect-borne diseases is improved medical diagnostic tools, leading to more human cases being identified.
“Public awareness has also contributed to a higher number of cases being diagnosed,” Healy said. “People hear about the diseases, such as Zika, and are more likely to seek medical attention if they show symptoms of it.”
Some populations are completely susceptible to new diseases or diseases from another region of the world, Healy said. The reason is the population has no immunity because of not having prior exposure.
While ticks are responsible for most cases, mosquitoes are next in helping to spread diseases and viruses. And with Louisiana’s hot and humid climate, mosquitoes thrive.
West Nile virus is spread through mosquitoes, typically the southern house mosquito. Birds are carriers of West Nile, and the southern house mosquito prefers to feed on birds. People get West Nile through the bite of a mosquito that has previously fed on an infected bird.
Florida health officials are concerned with the possibility of yellow fever re-emerging. Yellow fever cases have been occurring in South America at an alarming pace, with more than 200 deaths in Brazil, according to the Pan American Health Organization.
Officials fear infected travelers from South America may be bitten by mosquitoes and spread yellow fever.
South Florida is home to Aedes aegypti, also known as the yellow fever mosquito. This mosquito is often found in urban areas and is known to carry the Zika virus as well.
“Unfortunately, many important mosquito viruses, such as yellow fever, are only a plane ride away,” Healy said. She recommends anyone travelling to yellow fever hotspots such as Brazil should be vaccinated.
“To help avoid being bitten by mosquitoes, you should wear long sleeves and apply an Environmental Protection Agency-approved insect repellant,” Healy said. “You should also perform tick checks if you have been in areas that may contain ticks.”