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Lt. Billy Nungesser arrived Wednesday at the Petroleum Club of Morgan City, bearing a piece of tourism intelligence: People oversees don’t just love American movies. They love to visit the places where American movies are filmed.

That dovetails with the local plans to celebrate two acclaimed and notable films with St. Mary Parish connections.

Nungesser spoke at a St. Mary Chamber of Commerce event sponsored by the Cajun Coast Visitors and Convention Bureau and by Hampton Inn & Suites. The lieutenant governor, whose office includes the Department of Culture Recreation and Tourism, extolled the benefits of bringing people to Louisiana: 47.1 million visitors last year, spending an average of $371 per person, generating $1.8 billion in state and local taxes, and directly or indirectly employing more than 233,000 people.

In St. Mary, according to Cajun Coast, the number are $58 million in tourism expenditures, $7.5 million in state and local sales taxes, and 830 jobs.

Nungesser said south Louisiana communities have suffered from the 3-1/2-year-old slump in oil process.

“The more money we can pump into those communities, the more we can help them through the tough times,” Nungesser said.

Movies, TV and the production of both seem to be big attractions in the United States. Nungesser said a recent survey showed that 9 percent of potential tourists outside this country said movies and TV heavily influence their decisions about where to visit.

He said potential visitors still associate Natchitoches with the 1989 movie “Steel Magnolias,” and “NCIS New Orleans,” which shot an episode on the Mr. Charlie rig museum recently, still makes people think of the Big Easy.

“People want to go where movies are shot, and where people are shot,” Nungesser said.

The last part was a reference to Bonnie and Clyde, whose crime spree came to a violent end in north Louisiana and who became the subject of a 1967 movie starring Warren Beatty and Faye Dunaway.

The Chamber, Cajun Coast and others have been making plans to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the silent film “Tarzan,” which was filmed around Morgan City and became the first of many film adaptations of Edgar Rice Burroughs’ adventure classic.

More plans call for a celebration of the 50th anniversary of 1969’s “Easy Rider.” The 1969 motorcycle-hippie movie made stars of Peter Fonda, Dennis Hopper and Jack Nicholson. Portions of the movie were shot in Amelia and Franklin.

Nungesser spoke in Morgan City the day after introducing Gov. John Bel Edwards, who made a speech to open a two-week special session called to come up with a 2018-19 state budget. Unless the Legislature finds a budget solution, Nungesser said, his office is looking at a 30 percent budget cut, enough to force the closure of state parks.

“Tourism shouldn’t rank above health care or education or roads and bridges, infrastructure,” Nungesser said. But tourism has “helped hotels and shops hang on through the rough times.”

A 26-year-old Berwick man was booked Tuesday into St. Mary Parish jail on a charge of possessing heroin with intent to distribute, Sheriff Scott Anslum said in a news release.

—Devin Clay, 26, of Fourth Street in Berwick, was arrested at 4:43 p.m. Tuesday on charges of possession heroin with intent to distribute, possession of drug paraphernalia, violation of controlled dangerous substance law-drug-free zone and possession of a controlled dangerous substance in the presence of a minor.

The arrest was the result of a search warrant conducted at Clay’s apartment, Anslum said. He was jailed.

Anslum reported that deputies responded to 40 complaints in the parish and reported the following arrests in east St. Mary Parish:

—Claude Charlot III, 24, of Leonard Street in Patterson, was arrested at 9:07 a.m. Monday on charges of battery on a corrections officer. Charlot is an inmate at the parish jail and pushed a deputy resulting in the charge, Anslum said. He remains in jail.

—Nathan Corley, 38, of La. 182 in Bayou Vista, was arrested at 3:51 p.m. Tuesday on a bench warrant from drug court. He was jailed on $100,000 bail.

—Scott Authement, 42, of Main Street in Patterson, was arrested at 10:30 a.m. Tuesday on a warrant for failure to appear on a charge of possession of methamphetamine.

During the arrest, deputies found evidence resulting in charges of possession of marijuana, possession of drug paraphernalia and eight counts of possession of legend drugs and possession of methamphetamine all at an address on Lake Palourde Road in Amelia, Anslum said No bail was set yet.

—Tanya Authement, 46, of La. 182 in Morgan City, was arrested at 10:16 a.m. Tuesday on charges of possession of drug paraphernalia and possession of marijuana and released on a summons to appear in court Aug. 15. This arrest was made during the search apprehension of Scott Authement, the sheriff said.

—Jeremy Perez, 25, of Lake Dauterive Road in New Iberia, was arrested at 8:27 p.m. Tuesday on charges of aggravated flight from an officer, careless operation, no driver’s license, possession of marijuana and possession of drug paraphernalia.

This was a result of a deputy responding to a complaint of a reckless driver in the garden city area. The deputy attempted to stop the vehicle but the driver took off at a high rate of speed on a long pursuit that ended up in the arrest, Anslum said. He was jailed.

—Brennan Bergeron, 21, of Watkins Street in Berwick, was arrested at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday on charges of improper lane use, reckless operation of a vehicle, obstruction of justice, possession of marijuana, possession of drug paraphernalia and violation of controlled dangerous substance law-drug-free zone.

This arrest was due to deputies observing the suspect vehicle’s movements resulting in traffic stop. During the stop, deputies found evidence leading to the charges, Anslum said. He was jailed.

Morgan City Police Chief James Blair reported that officers responded to 32 calls and reported the following arrests:

—Joseph L. Gary, 32, of Terrebonne Street in Morgan City, was arrested at 7:42 a.m. Tuesday on charges of careless operation, hit and run, failure to report an accident and no insurance.

Officers responded to the area of Sixth and Terrebonne streets in regard to a hit-and-run vehicle crash. A vehicle was properly parked in the area of Terrebonne Street when another vehicle sideswiped the parked vehicle and fled the area, Blair said.

Police got a description of the vehicle and located it on Egle Street. The driver of the vehicle was identified as Gary, who admitted to crashing into the vehicle and fleeing the area, Blair said.

Gary’s vehicle also did not have proper insurance, Blair said. Gary was jailed.

—Yosheka B. Hayes, 31, of Duke Street in Morgan City, was arrested at 10:45 a.m. Tuesday on a warrant for failure to appear on a charge of criminal mischief.

Hayes was arrested at the police department on a city court warrant. Hayes was jailed.

—Harrison Short, 52, of Mallard Street in Morgan City, was arrested at 4:41 p.m. Tuesday on a warrant charging him with battery of a dating partner.

Short was located at his home and arrested on a warrant. The warrant stems from a February incident during which Short allegedly committed a battery on another individual, Anslum said. Short was jailed.

—Destiny R. Kelley, 40, of Highland Road in Baton Rouge, was arrested at 3:07 p.m. Tuesday on charges of improper lane usage, driving under suspension, possession of drug paraphernalia and possession of methamphetamine.

—Stanley Richard, 41, of Colorado Avenue in Kenner, was arrested at 3:07 p.m. Tuesday on a charge of possession of marijuana.

Narcotics division detectives were patrolling the area of Fifth Street near Brashear Avenue when they observed a vehicle traveling in the center of the lane on Brashear Avenue.

A traffic stop was conducted and the driver, Kelley, had a suspended driver’s license, Blair said. Officers were given consent to search the vehicle. The passenger in the vehicle was identified as Richard. Officers located inside the vehicle suspected methamphetamine, marijuana and items used to smoke illegal narcotics, Blair said.

Both Kelley and Richard were jailed.

Berwick Police Chief James Richard reported the following arrest:

—Jeremy Hebert, 27, of Sixth Street in Berwick, was arrested at 4:46 p.m. Tuesday on a warrant charging him with domestic abuse battery. Hebert was transferred to parish jail.

Patterson Police Chief Janis Merritt reported no arrests.