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Dancing with the Stars supports Project Graduation

The Morgan City Project Graduation Committee is hosting the Fourth Dancing with the Stars to raise money for the seniors of MCHS Cass of 2018 Lock in.
The dancing event will be Saturday, March 24, at the Municipal auditorium
The social hour will begin at 6 p.m. and the judging will begin at 7 p.m.
Tables for eight people are being sold for $200.
Six couples have been practicing to perfect a choreographed dance for judging and to win the mirror ball trophy.

NHIROBI HAKEEM DEWEY

Nhirobi Hakeem Dewey, 21, a resident and native of Morgan City, passed away on Friday, March 2, 2018 at 10:30 a.m. in Morgan City.
Visitation will be on Tuesday, March 13, 2018 at Mt. Zion Baptist Church, 504 4th St., Morgan City, La., from 10 a.m. until funeral service at 1 p.m. Rev. Larry Frank and Rev Ronald McCoy, officiating. Burial will be in the Morgan City Cemetery.
Memories of Nhirobi will forever remain in the hearts of his parents, Irving Jr. and Carla Marie Dewey, Jr.; two brothers, Wesley D. Clark and Irving R. Clark; three sisters, Alanni M. Clark and Keondra S. Clark all of Morgan City, La. and Mrs. Sherrod (Joycelyn D. Clark)-Howard of Birmingham, AL; his paternal grandmothers, Marilyn Knight Francois and maternal grandmother, Mercedes Clark both of Morgan City, his devoted Godmother, Mrs. Angela Dewey Harris of Texas, four nieces, two nephews and a host of uncles, aunts, other relatives and friends.
Nhirobi was preceded in death by his maternal and paternal grandfathers.
Jones Funeral Home of Morgan City-Franklin-Houma-Jeanerette in charge of arrangements.
Visit www.jones-funeral-home.com to send condolences to family.

FEDRIA MAE ADAMS GRANGER

Fedria Mae Adams Granger, 90, a native of Morgan City, La. passed away peacefully on Tuesday, March 6, 2018 at 10:15 p.m. at St. Agnes Health Care in Breaux Bridge, La.
Visitation will be observed on Tuesday, March 13, 2018 10 a.m. until 12:30 p.m. at Jones Funeral Home 715 Sixth St. Morgan City, La. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 1 p.m. at the Sacred Heart Catholic Church, 415 Union St. Morgan City, La. Burial will be in St. Anthony Society Area of the Morgan City Cemetery.
Fedria leaves to cherish her memories her son, Michael Paul Granger of Morgan City; a daughter, Evelyn Bogan of Morgan City; a brother, Grady Adams of California., fifteen grandchildren and a host of relatives and friends.
She was preceded in death by her parents, her husband, three sons, seven sisters and five brothers.
The Jones Funeral Home, Inc. has been entrusted with final arrangements. Condolences can be sent to the family by logging on to www.jones-funeral-home.com.

Police Reports 3-12-18

Franklin’s Third Ward Marshal Carla Weidenboerner reported the following arrest:
Cody Trosclair, 26, of 126 Boudreaux Lane, Baldwin, was arrested on a Franklin Third Ward City Court warrant for failure to appear for arraignment for charges of DWI second offence, careless operation and no insurance.
Trosclair was arrested on Martin Luther King Street in Baldwin after a Franklin deputy marshal along with a St. Mary Parish deputy located him. Trosclair was taken into custody without incident and transported to the Franklin Police Department for processing. He is being held on a $1,500 cash bond.
St. Mary Parish Sheriff Scott Anslum reported the following arrests:
Roger Sullivan, 55, of 4068 Irish Bend Road, Franklin, was arrested Friday at 10:01 a.m. on a warrant for failure to appear on charges of domestic abuse battery and disturbing the peace fighting.
A deputy assigned to the Warrants Section located Sullivan at the St. Mary Parish Sheriff’s Office in Franklin. Sullivan was transported to the St. Mary parish Law Enforcement Center and booking on the warrant. Sullivan was released on a $5,000 bond.
Carleese Minor, 35, of 771 Deforest Brown Road, Centerville, was arrested Friday at 5:41 p.m. on the charge of possession of marijuana.
A deputy investigated a crash involving two vehicles on Cypremort Road in Four Corners, and located marijuana inside one of the vehicles. The driver and sole occupant of the vehicle was identified as Minor. Minor was released on a summons.
Omar Fuentas, 26, of 808 Keller’s Lane, Bayou Vista, was arrested Friday at 8:22 p.m. on charges of operating a vehicle while intoxicated and reckless operation of a vehicle with a crash.
A deputy investigated a vehicle crash involving one vehicle on Lake Palourde Road in Amelia. The deputy identified the driver as Fuentas and smelled the odor of an alcoholic beverage on his breath. The deputy conducted a standardized field sobriety test. Fuentas performed the field test poorly and later registered a 0.117 grams percent blood alcohol concentration on a breath test. He was transported to the St. Mary Parish Law Enforcement Center for booking. Fuentas was released after posting a $5,000 bond.
George Jones Jr., 49, of 219 Mechanic St., Franklin, was arrested Saturday at 9:55 p.m. on charges of criminal damage to property and criminal trespass.
A deputy responded to a report of a suspect attempting to enter a residence in Charenton. The deputy identified the suspect as Jones. Franklin Police assisting in the investigation located Jones at his residence. Through the course of the investigation, the deputy found evidence that Jones entered onto private property and broke a glass portion of a door in an attempt to enter the residence. The deputy noted that Jones knew the victim and that the crime was domestic in nature. Jones was transported to the St. Mary Parish Law Enforcement Center for booking. Jones was released on a $1,500 bond.
Jennifer Mora, 41, of 220 Choctaw St., Charenton, was arrested Saturday at 9:22 p.m. on charges of operating a vehicle while intoxicated and improper lane usage.
A deputy assisted a Chitimacha Police Officer with a suspected drunk driver on Ralph Darden Memorial Parkway. The deputy conducted a standardized field sobriety test on Mora, the driver of the vehicle. Mora performed the field test poorly and later registered a 0.280 grams percent blood alcohol concentration on a breath test. Mora was transported to the St. Mary Parish Law Enforcement Center for booking. No bail is set.
Diego Zamudio, 27, of 201 Keller’s Lane, Bayou Vista, was arrested Sunday at 1:07 a.m. on the charge of operating a vehicle while intoxicated.
While assisting subjects on a separate call for service on Universe Street in Bayou Vista, a deputy observed a vehicle driving recklessly and conducted a traffic stop. The deputy identified the driver as Zamudio and smelled the strong odor of an alcoholic beverage on his breath and body. The deputy conducted a standardized field sobriety test on Zamudio. He performed the field test poorly and later registered a 0.141 grams percent blood alcohol concentration on a breath test. Zamudio was transported to the St. Mary Parish Law Enforcement Center for booking. No bail is set.
Lendell Riles, 28, of 1519 Cherry St., Patterson, was arrested Sunday at 10:52 a.m. on charges of obscenity and operating a vehicle with a suspended driver’s license.
A deputy investigating a complaint of obscene behavior located the suspect vehicle in Patterson and positively identified the suspect as Riles. The deputy found evidence that Riles exposed his genitals to a female victim in the parking lot of a business on La. 182 in the Patterson area. The deputy also found that Riles was driving the vehicle with a suspended license. Riles was transported to the St. Mary Parish Law Enforcement Center. No bail is set.
Franklin Police Chief Sabria McGuire reported the following arrests:
Chris Baptiste, 50, of Lee Street, Franklin, while incarcerated at the St. Mary Parish Law Enforcement Center, was arrested Friday at 11:09 a.m. on warrants for charges of failure to pay sex offender registration fee and failure to provide notification as a sex offender.
Baptiste was booked, processed, and remains incarcerated at the St. Mary Parish Law Enforcement Center.
Savanna Phillips, 20, of Plantation Teche Drive, Franklin, was arrested Saturday at 1:22 a.m. on charges of possession of Schedule I narcotics, possession of drug paraphernalia and contributing to the delinquency of a juvenile.
Phillips was booked, processed, and released on a $4,500 bond.
Devon Marks, 21, of Rod Lane, Baldwin, was arrested Saturday at 4:11 a.m. on charges of contributing to the delinquency of a juvenile, possession of Schedule I narcotics, and possession of drug paraphernalia –second offense.
Marks was booked, processed, and released on a $5,500 bond.
LaJoyce Perro, 18, of Bigler Street, Franklin, was arrested Saturday at 7:50 p.m. on charges of driver must secure a driver’s license and hit and run.
Perro was booked, processed, and released to appear in Third Ward City Court.
Blaine Case, 24, of La. 182, Franklin, while incarcerated at the St. Mary Parish Law Enforcement Center, was arrested Saturday at 9:18 p.m. on a warrant for the charge of theft by shoplifting.
Case was booked, processed, and remains incarcerated at the St. Mary Parish Law Enforcement Center.
Steven Mackey, 24, of Cherry Street, Cherokee, Iowa, was arrested Sunday at 5:00 p.m. on charges of resisting an officer by flight and theft by shoplifting.
Mackey was booked, processed, and held on a $4,000 bond.
Andre Broussard Jr., 27, of Cayce Street, Franklin, was arrested Sunday at 6:31 p.m. on a warrant for Jeanerette Police Department for charges of aggravated flight from an officer, reckless operation, obstructing highways of commerce, driving under suspension, violation of uniform controlled substance law, and prohibited acts - Schedule II.
Broussard was additionally charged on a warrant for Iberia Parish Sheriff’s Office for disturbing the peace. Broussard was booked, processed, and transported to Jeanerette Police Department.

It's fun and games at Trivia Night

And the 17th annual Chez Hope event supports a critical service to St. Mary Parish

Photos and story by
CASEY COLLIER
Chez Hope Family Violence Crisis Center will host its 15th Annual St. Mary Trivia Night, March 17, at the Legion on the Bayou, 1330 Irish Bend Road, in Franklin.
Doors will open at 5 p.m., the contest begins at 6 p.m. and there will be door prizes and a live auction, to boot.
The contest will consist of 10 rounds of 10 questions per round to be answered by teams comprised of no more than six players per team, of 18 years or older.
Entry fee is $120 to play. However, spectators are also invited to attend free of charge.
This year’s theme is: Superheroes.
Aside from the $500 cash to be awarded the winners of the competition, awards will be given to the teams with the best costumes and the best dressed table.
In a first, Chez Hope will be partnering with St. Mary Council on Aging, whose volunteers will operate the concession stand at the event. The proceeds of which, go to COA.
Each trivia round is expected to last 10 minutes, with a short break after five rounds for refreshments, door prizes and the live auction.
Chez Hope Community Advocate Tammy Rogers said the organization has received just over $5,000 in sponsorship donations so far, with more expected.
According to Rogers, the event raised $9,000 in 2016 and $12,000 last year; and if she has her way, the trend will continue this year with a target of $15,000 brought in from what is consistently Chez Hope’s biggest yearly fundraiser.
“I like those three thousand dollar increments,” Rogers said of her goal.
As for her target concerning participating teams, Rogers said she would like to see 30 teams signed up to play in the contest.
The panel of judges will consist of four, whom Rogers said were notoriously difficult to wrangle this year, as opposed to years past.
She attributes that difficulty to scheduling conflicts with previous years’ judges.
“You know,” Rogers said of new participation, “it is a fundraiser so of course bringing in the money is a big part of it, but we have made so many new contacts and new friends after they’ve played trivia and gotten to know us. So, people who may not have had too good an idea of what Chez Hope was all about—now will get a better idea of who we are.”
Not to lose sight of the reason for the affair, Rogers said, “Our work here is very important for domestic violence survivors, who we call survivors because once they come here, they’ve taken that first step toward getting out of the situation.
“It (trivia night) benefits them in the long run, because we’ll have more support. So, it is a social event in that we have a good time and it is a lot of fun, but it’s more for awareness.”
Anyone interested in participating in or donating to the trivia night fundraiser, can call Chez Hope at 337-828-4200.

Ricohoc man charged with murder in woman's death

A Ricohoc man has been charged with second-degree murder in connection with the October 2017 death of a woman in Franklin, Police Chief Sabria McGuire said in a news release.

The following arrest stems from an incident that occurred on Oct. 6, 2017. The Franklin Police Department along with the Franklin Fire Department and the Louisiana State Fire Marshal's Office assisted in investigation efforts and the investigation is ongoing, the release said.

Donald Hull Jr., 52, of Ricohoc Drive in Ricohoc, was arrested at 1:13 p.m. Friday on a warrant charging him with second-degree murder. Hull was booked, processed and held with no bail set yet.

Celina Hull, 40, was identified as the victim of the alleged domestic homicide, according to the Banner-Tribune.

At 2:23 a.m. Oct. 6, 2017, the Franklin Police Department received a 911 call of a subject that was injured at a home with smoke also coming from the home in the area of the 1700 block of West Ibert Street in Franklin, a news release stated. Police were investigating the case as a domestic homicide.

Special Olympics in Patterson

Friday was Special Olympics day at Patterson High School's track for scores of St. Mary young people with physical and developmental disabilities. Top photo: Ali Estay of J.B. Maitland Elementary rolls to the finish line with the help of Becky Price. Bottom photo: Daphne Lewis lends a hand to Kilan Peters of LaGrange Elementary.

The Daily Review/Bill Decker

School safety officials: 'We're on top of it'

CENTERVILLE — Three weeks after 17 students and staff members were killed at a Parkland, Florida, school, the people responsible for St. Mary Parish public school safety said the district has safety plans in place and is ahead of many parishes in taking precautions.
“I can promise you, we’re on top of it,” school resource officer Oscar West told the St. Mary School Board at Thursday’s meeting.
Also Thursday, the board heard a request for participation in a new way to award tax credits for manufacturers, approved the 2018-19 school calendar and took the first steps toward selling land where a new General Dollar store may be opened.
West and Gidget Everitt, who is in charge of at-risk intervention for the district, updated the board on school security.
The actions include plans for a safety summit; a planned meeting of elementary principals on security; exterior cameras and locks on school entrances; an annual safety summit; and a reunification plan for parents to connect with their children after a security incident.
Resource officers also review the final reports filed by authorities after school shootings around the country, West said.
Board member Kenny Alfred suggested that the people responsible for screening visitors to schools, usually school secretaries, should receive training for that task.
“Let’s be proactive and do all we can to make our schools as safe as possible, including this central office complex,” Alfred said.
He’d like to see active-shooter drills at all parish schools. And he brought up one of the most controversial measures proposed after Parkland: arming teachers.
“This is something we should at least start thinking about,” Alfred said.
Tax exemptions
Parish President David Hanagriff and Economic Development Director Frank Fink made a pitch for a resolution that would allow the parish president to award temporary exemptions from city, school board and parish property taxes to new or expanding manufacturers.
Hanagriff and Fink didn’t put a resolution forward, and the board took no action.
Until recently, property tax exemptions through the Louisiana Industrial Tax Exemption Program were awarded at the state level through the governor and the Board of Commerce and Industry with no input from the governments that would be giving up the tax income.
“I believe we left a lot of money on the table with the state controlling that,” Hanagriff said.
Gov. John Bel Edwards changed the process with an executive order giving local governments a say in the exemptions. But, according to Hanagriff and Fink, the order created another problem by requiring potential employers to go separately to the school board, cities, the sheriff and the parish council for approval of their exemptions.
“We will never know the businesses that don’t come, that bypass St. Mary Parish, because they say, ‘Nah, I don’t want to do that,’” Hanagriff said.
The proposed remedy is a resolution that would allow the parish president to grant exemptions of 100 percent for five years and 80 percent for the following three years for all levels of local government in the parish. That decision would follow a benefits analysis by Fink’s department using an economic model adopted by the state and by One Acadiana, the regional development organization.
If the benefits, including new sales tax revenue generated by the additional employees, outweigh the cost of the exemptions, the exemptions would be approved, Fink said.
The Patterson City Council rejected such a resolution Tuesday, when Mayor Rodney Grogan broke a 2-2 tie with a no vote. Fink said he believes Patterson will pass the resolution on a second try after the proposal was discussed earlier Thursday at a meeting of St. Mary mayors.
One development did move forward Thursday. The board agreed to get an appraisal for a small piece of property on La. 317 in Centerville, where Capital Growth Buchalter hopes to open a Dollar General store.
The St. Mary Parish Council, acting on a Planning and Zoning Department recommendation, rejected a proposal to open the Dollar General near Centerville High because of concerns about traffic.
Now Capital Growth wants to buy the La. 317 property from the school board, a process governed by state law that requires the appraisal.

School calendar
The board approved a calendar for the 2018-19 school year. Classes will begin Aug. 8 and end May 27, 2019, which will be Memorial Day and a report card day.
The fall session will end Dec. 21, and the spring session will begin Jan. 7.
The biggest change, Assistant Superintendent Teresa Bagwell told the board, is that the Easter break will be April 15-22 next year. The bulk of the break will be before Easter, not after Easter as it is now.
High-stakes LEAP tests will be April 29-May 3. The earlier break spares students from taking the tests as soon as they return from the break, Bagwell said.
Also Thursday, the board agreed to spend $75,000 to add and improve bleachers at the Centerville High football field; $35,000 to build a football practice field and improve drainage on the main football field at Patterson High; and $7,500 for top dressing and subsurface drainage repairs at the Berwick High football field.

GREGORY 'GREG' PAUL BOYLES

October 6, 1963 - March 7, 2018
Gregory “Greg” Paul Boyles, 54, a resident of Patterson, passed away Wednesday, March 7, 2018, at his home surrounded by his family.
Greg was born on October 6, 1963, in Morgan City, the son of Jerry Boyles and Harolyn Barr Boyles.
Greg enjoyed being in the outdoors fishing and camping with his wife. He served his country proudly, serving in the United States Navy. Greg loved spending time with his family, but had a special bond with his brothers-in-law.
He will be sadly missed and lovingly remembered by his wife, Patricia Guidry Boyles of Patterson; his mother, Harolyn Barr Boyles of Patterson; his father, Jerry Boyles and wife Angela of Morgan City; one sister, Jerri Lynn Sanders of Dallas, Texas; one brother, William S. “Billy” Boyles and wife Diane of Lafayette; one sister-in-law, Jennifer Mayon and husband Kirk of Denham Springs; and three brothers-in-law, James Guidry and wife Annette of Mamou, Ricky Guidry and wife Joan of Morgan City, and Gary Guidry and wife Phyllis of Verdunville. Greg is also survived by numerous aunts, uncles, nieces and nephews.
Funeral services will be held at 12 p.m. on Saturday, March 10, 2018, at Twin City Funeral Home with Pastor Mark Gowan officiating. A visitation will be held from 10 a.m. until the time of the service. Following the services, Greg will be laid to rest in the Patterson Protestant Cemetery with Military Honors rendered by the East St. Mary Veterans Funeral Squad.

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ST. MARY NOW

Franklin Banner-Tribune
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