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Tickets are now available to attend the annual Education Appreciation Night to be held in Berwick during June. The event helps raise money to fund scholarships for area students.

St. Mary Chamber of Commerce and the 16th Judicial District Attorney’s Office will host its “Top of the Class” Annual Education Appreciation Night from 6-9 p.m. Thursday, June 21 at Berwick Civic Complex.

District Attorney Bo Duhe partners with the chamber to host the event, continuing a tradition his predecessor, Phil Haney, helped organize. The event has been held for over 15 years, Chamber President Donna Meyer said.

The Education Appreciation Night is the main fundraiser to pay for scholarships awarded annually to a high student from each school in St. Mary Parish, Duhe said. Live and silent auctions will also be held during the night, and organizers accept donations of items for the auction, he said.

“All of that money is returned back to the students to help those students and families who are chosen in their post-high school endeavors and education,” Duhe said.

To purchase tickets and reserve a table for this event, call the chamber office at 985-384-3830. Tickets are $50 each and a table seats eight.

At the event, the chamber will recognize its 2018 scholarship winners from each high school in the parish, both public and parochial schools. Each of these scholarships will be $1,000.

Organizers will also present a $1,000 donation to the Young Memorial college campus in Morgan City to be used for scholarships.

The chamber will also present the educators and student of the year and a special scholarship on behalf of the St. Mary Arts and Humanities Council.

A Morgan City man was sentenced Thursday to five years and three months in prison for using the internet to download and possess child pornography, U.S. Attorney David Joseph said in a news release.

Joshua Landry, 40, of Morgan City, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Dee D. Drell in Alexandria on one count of receiving child pornography, Joseph said.

He was also sentenced to serve 10 years of supervised release following his incarceration, and upon his release from custody he will be required to register as a sex offender. According to the Oct. 26, 2017, guilty plea, law enforcement agents identified Landry as downloading child pornography to an electronic device in his home.

Agents searched Landry’s home on Feb. 8, 2017, and found Landry’s cell phone, which contained child pornography videos. Landry also admitted to agents that he downloaded child pornography, the release said.

This case is part of Project Safe Childhood, a U.S. Department of Justice nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood combines federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well
as to identify and rescue victims.

For more information about Project Safe Childhood, visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.

A 56-year-old Morgan City man, twice convicted of a sex crime, was charged with failing to notify authorities of an address change as a sex offender, St. Mary Parish Sheriff Scott Anslum said in a news release.

—Joseph Pollard Jr., 56, of South Railroad Avenue in Morgan City, was arrested at 8:55 a.m. Thursday on a warrant charging him with failure to notify law enforcement of a change of address as a sex offender.

In 1989, Pollard was convicted of molestation of a juvenile in St. Mary Parish. In 2003, Pollard was convicted of indecent behavior with juveniles in St. Martin Parish.

A detective with the St. Mary Parish Sheriff’s Office Sex Offender Compliance Section conducted a compliance check on Pollard and found that he had moved from his registered address in Morgan City, Anslum said. The detective obtained a warrant for his arrest for failure to comply with the state sex offender registration requirement.

Pollard turned himself in at the St. Mary Parish Sheriff’s Office in Morgan City after learning of the warrant for his arrest. Pollard was jailed with no bail set.

Anslum reported that deputies responded to 33 complaints in the parish and reported the following arrests in east St. Mary Parish:

—Troy Carnley , 37, of Henry Street in Patterson, was arrested at 10:36 p.m. Thursday on charges of no insurance, switched or stolen license plate, criminal trespass and disturbing the peace.

A deputy responded to a reported disturbance at a home in Bayou Vista and identified Carnley as the suspect in the incident. The deputy collected evidence that Carnley went onto private property and knocked on the door of a home causing a disturbance in the neighborhood, Anslum said.

The deputy issued descriptive information on Carnley and the vehicle he was driving to area police. During the investigation, the deputy found that Carnley had a switched license plate on the vehicle and that he was driving without insurance, Anslum said.

Morgan City police located Carnley in Morgan City. Following his arrest, Carnley was booked into parish jail with bail set at $1,750.

—Freddy Williams, 59, of Cremo Lane in Patterson, was arrested at 7:11 p.m. Thursday on a warrant charging him with simple assault.

The warrant was issued after a deputy collected evidence that Williams made comments of a threatening nature toward a woman in April while at a home in Patterson, the sheriff said. A deputy located Williams at his home on the warrant and transported Williams to parish jail. Williams was released on $535 bail.

— Joycelyn Webb, 52, of Fifth Street in Morgan City, was arrested at 5:37 p.m. Thursday on charges of possession of hydrocodone with intent to distribute, possession of Xanax with intent to distribute, possession of clonazepam, possession of promethazine, possession of cyclobenzaprine and violation of a controlled dangerous substance law-drug-free zone.

—Daniel Griffin, 41, of Fifth Street in Morgan City, was arrested at 5:37 p.m. Thursday on charges of possession of crack cocaine with intent to distribute, possession of a controlled dangerous substance in the presence of a minor, violation of a controlled dangerous substance law-drug-free zone, obstruction of justice, resisting an officer with force or violence and a warrant for failure to appear on charges of direct contempt of court, speeding, operating a vehicle without a driver’s license and failure to honor written promise to appear.

Narcotics section detectives conducted a search warrant at the home of Webb and Griffin. When they entered the location, they observed Griffin put a bag of cocaine in his mouth and attempt to swallow it, Anslum said. Detectives stopped him from ingesting the drug despite Griffin’s attempts to forcefully pull away from them.

Detectives also located four different types of pills in the home and found evidence that Webb was selling the drugs, Anslum said. Two children were present in the home when the drugs were located. The home is located across the street from a church.

No bail was set for Webb and Griffin.

Morgan City Police Chief James Blair reported that officers responded to 46 calls and reported the following arrests:

—Gerald Jones Jr., 17, of Egle Street in Morgan City, was arrested at 9:58 a.m. Thursday on a charge of simple battery.

Patrol officers responded to the area of Tiger Drive in regard to a battery that had been committed. Officers arrived when Jones was identified. Jones allegedly committed a battery on the victim during an altercation, Blair said. Jones was jailed.

—Samantha R. Jones, 34, of Seventh Street in Morgan City, was arrested at 12:19 p.m. Thursday on a warrant charging her with failure to appear to pay a fine.

Jones was located and arrested at the police department on a city court warrant. Jones was jailed.

—Walter S. Banegas-Portillo, 21, of Village Lane in Amelia, was arrested at 5:07 p.m. Thursday on charges of driving under suspension, careless operation of a motor vehicle, no insurance and on two warrants charging him with failure to appear to pay a fine.

Patrol officers responded to the area of La. 70 in regard to a crash. Officers arrived when Banegas-Portillo was identified as one of the drivers of the vehicles involved. Police found evidence that Banegas-Portillo operated his vehicle in a careless manner, which resulted in the crash, Blair said.

Banegas-Portillo had a suspended driver’s license, the vehicle he was operating did not have proper insurance, and he had active arrest warrants through city court, Blair said. Banegas-Portillo was jailed.

—Brittany K. Cunningham, 23, of Natures Way in Walker, was arrested at 1:15 a.m. Friday on charges of improper turning and possession of drug paraphernalia.

Patrol officers observed a vehicle being operated in the area of Sixth Street negotiate an improper turn. A stop was initiated when Cunningham was identified as the driver of the vehicle.

Cunningham was in possession of drug paraphernalia, Blair said. K-9 Buddy with the St. Mary Sheriff’s Office assisted with the investigation. Cunningham was jailed.

—Caleb J. August, 17, of Belanger Street in Morgan City, was arrested at 11:53 p.m. Thursday on a charge of simple burglary.

Patrol officers responded to the Morgan City Police Department in regard to a subject wanting to turn himself in on a crime. Officers arrived when August was identified.

August admitted to burglarizing a home on Laurel Street the previous day, Blair said. Police were investigating the burglary in question, and August was identified as a suspect. August was jailed.

—David A. Turner, 27, of Monarch Street in Houma, was arrested at 4:15 a.m. Friday on a charge of attempted unauthorized entry into an inhabited dwelling.

Patrol officers responded to the area of Brashear Avenue in regard to an attempted burglary. Officers arrived when Turner was identified. Turner attempted to gain entry into a home in the area of Brashear Avenue, Blair said. Turner was jailed.

Berwick Police Chief James Richard reported the following arrests:

—Tessie Miller, 41, of Thibodaux, was arrested at noon Thursday on a charge of disturbing the peace. Miller posted $176 bail.

—Tyler Chenevert , 23, of Pierre Part, was arrested at 12:47 p.m. Thursday on warrants charging him with aggravated second-degree battery and aggravated criminal damage to property. No bail was set.

Patterson Police Chief Janis Merritt reported no arrests.