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Senior/Teen Mixer will be Tuesday

Wed, 02/21/2018 - 11:25am

The next Berwick Senior Citizen/Teen Mixer will be at 6 p.m. Tuesday at the Berwick Civic Center.
Participants will have the opportunity to "Sit and Get Fit."
This program promises to be fun and informative.
The session will feature fun ways to exercise from your very own easy chair and toe-tapping music for even more fun.
And, as always, the hour-long program will include a time of sharing between senior citizens and teenagers.
The program is sponsored by the Berwick High School Interact Club, St. Mary Parish Council on Aging, and the Berwick mayor and town council members.
Door prizes and refreshments included.

Hams will run amateur radio station for Eagle Expo

Wed, 02/21/2018 - 11:23am

The Bayouland Emergency Amateur Radio Service, BEARS, will be working a special event station Saturday for the 13th annual Eagle Expo this weekend in Morgan City.
This is the 13th annual expo featuring speakers talking about birds of prey. The Feb. 22-24 event extends to 4 p.m. Saturday. Also included are boat excursions into the marshes and swamps to allow participants to actually see the eagles in their habitat here.
The Saturday theme is Water and Nature Expo and there will be 20 booths in the Morgan Citiy Municipal Auditorium. All hams and the general public are invited to visit the radio station on the second floor at 201 Everett St.

Maitland and Norman Readers of the Month

Wed, 02/21/2018 - 11:18am

Julia B. Maitland and M.E. Norman elementary schools.

Gift for the AARP

Wed, 02/21/2018 - 11:15am

Submitted Photo
St. Mary Parish AARP member Carroll Bertaut is presented with a donation from Patterson State Bank Vice President Donna Thibodaux. Patterson State Bank sponsors the local AARP chapter, helping defray the cost of helping seniors throughout the community.

Jim Brown: Why Louisiana didn't get Amazon facility

Wed, 02/21/2018 - 11:11am

By JIM BROWN

In the current competition to land a new Amazon second North American headquarters, Louisiana pulled out all stops.
It would have been quite a coup for a Louisiana location to land this big prize with some 50,000 new jobs to the winner.
But from the beginning, the Bayou State never had a chance.
The state continued its long tradition of trying to buy new companies, by offering “over the top” financial incentives. Amazon was offered $6.56 billion, a sum much higher than a number of other states that made the most recent cut. But Amazon had listed a host of requirements it would consider in picking its new $5 billion location.
A flagship research university consortium was deemed an important component for any serious bidder.
In North Carolina, for example, where two locations are still under consideration, a private-public partnership among Duke, North Carolina State and the University of North Carolina has developed a working syndicate offering private companies a world-class research triangle.
Louisiana has been plagued by long standing rivalries and turf battles between LSU, Tulane and other universities in the Greater New Orleans area. As the anointed flagship university in the state, LSU has failed to gain any serious recognition as a major research facility.
As this column related just a few weeks ago, the latest hit to LSU was a report from Kiplinger’s financial magazine published recently citing how public universities rank when it comes to academic quality.
LSU ranked at 270th, far behind every other SEC school with the exception of Mississippi State.
Offering top-notch university research capabilities were a key component of Amazon’s requirements, and Louisiana colleges could not meet the Amazon standards.
Airport and airline availability was also a key component listed by Amazon. New Orleans has improved on its non-stop op-tions to a number of major cities, but trips still often require stopovers in Atlanta, Memphis or Dallas.
From Baton Rouge, nonstops outside of major hubs are nonexistent. Amazon prides itself on quick deliveries, so numerous nonstop options are of paramount importance.
Public transportation infrastructure was also a top tier item on Amazon’s list. We all have horror stories about traveling on Louisiana roads, particularly through New Orleans and Baton Rouge.
State legislators continue to refuse facing up to the necessity of toll roads, particularly individual toll lanes similar to those found all over Texas.
The one lane I-10 bridge crossing into Baton Rouge continues to be a national disgrace.
No serious discussion of a bypass or a monorail between Baton Rouge and New Orleans puts Louisiana at a disadvantage.
But the biggest handicap for the state is a lack of a large tech talent pool.
We all would like to think of Louisiana as “Silicon Bayou,” but the fact remains that the current talent pool of tech workers is far below other competing cities and states across the country.
In fairness, New Orleans is seeing millennial tech growth, but it will take another 10 years to build a pool of workers that will make Louisiana competitive.
DXC Technology, a global IT firm is bringing 2000 jobs to New Orleans, and that’s a good start.
Amazon listed in a recent press release that it needed an average tech talent pool over over 100,000.
The whole state of Louisiana has a good ways to go to reach anywhere close to such a number.
Then there is the question of how much is too much to give in order to buy new jobs.
As I discussed in a recent column, local governments had lost $16.7 billion in revenue over the past decade in giving business tax breaks throughout the state.
And the cost per new job? An astronomical $535,000.
Maybe Louisiana will acquire the reputation of being “Silicon Bayou” one day.
But until research, infrastructure and lack of high tech jobs are addressed, the state won’t be taken seriously by Amazon or other expanding national companies.

Peace and Justice
Jim Brown

Jim Brown’s syndicated column appears each week in numerous newspapers throughout the nation and on websites worldwide. You can read all of his columns at www.jimbrownusa.com.

Stephen Waguespack: Ohio online 'checkbook' would be just the thing for Louisiana

Wed, 02/21/2018 - 11:09am

By STEPHEN WAGUESPACK

It has become a new national pastime for folks to spend time bemoaning the rise of “partisanship” and to complain about how divided the country has become.
This mantra has been bought hook, line and sinker by both the left and the right. Partisanship and petty politics are often blamed for all that ails us, even though the unsolved societal problems usually referenced as proof have been around for generations.
Ironically, the political figures that tend to rail the loudest against partisanship are those that seem to practice it the most.
It is a common refrain for liberals to say how easy it would be for new taxes of any kind to solve most of our long-standing problems and that anyone who refuses to rubber stamp this concept is a partisan hack.
On the opposite end of the spectrum, many conservatives preach ad nauseam about how easy it is to slash our way to prosperity and that any government program with an ounce of waste is essentially garbage just as worthy of some back-alley dumpster as yesterday’s crawfish shells. Both sides have passion and conviction behind their arguments and see little reason to consider any other option than the one to which they loyally subscribe.
People in the real world are forced to pick a side and usually have limited trustworthy information on which to do so. Perhaps it is time to smoke out both sides and see once and for all who is right and who is full of it. Technology can help pave the way.
The state of Ohio implemented a new website a few years ago called www.OhioCheckbook.com. This groundbreaking site uses an affordable and user-friendly software system that puts all state (and most local) government spending online in an easy to use format. The information can be accessed and understood by anyone with a computer or phone and shared via social media with one click of a button. As a result, taxpayers in Ohio can not only buy a movie ticket on their phone in the carpool line. They can also see in real time governmental balances, contracts, salaries, debt, pension obligations and other spending units. Governmental accountability has evolved with the times in Ohio. It’s time for Louisiana to do the same.
The Louisiana Association of Business and Industry (is part of a growing coalition pushing hard for this to happen here also. All the information needed to learn more about the topic and how you can help can be found at www.LouisianaCheckbook.com. Check it out today and make your voice heard by taking that first step of signing the petition.
This issue should be good politics for everyone. It should be the one issue that finally breaks through the partisan gridlock and settles once and for all where the rhetoric stops, and reality starts.
Liberals should be excited to implement the checkbook.com model here in Louisiana because it should factually show how efficient government is today and how desperate it is for more money. Pension systems should want these details online to show how affordable they are just as much as local government should want to embrace this to justify their next tax referendum on the ballot. Conservatives should cherish the opportunity to identify those long-elusive specific cuts they hope to find and see this technological solution as the way to do so. The media should be going hog-wild to get this done as it would provide ample fodder to fill their pages and generate clicks. The only folks that should be opposing it are those that benefit from government spending your money in the dark of night.
Let’s let the facts speak for themselves. No more hide-and-seek and spin-laden press releases to explain how government uses the money we give them. Put it all out there in an easy to use website and let the people decide once and for all who is right.
This special session, bills will be filed to implement the checkbook.com model in Louisiana. LABI, along with many other business and good government groups, will be working hard to get it done… but we need your help to do it.
The status quo and other advocates addicted to that tired old “partisanship” excuse will find every reason under the sun to kill this without being honest about their rationale for doing so. Stories of it being too expensive are already being sold, though the architects of the Ohio model have made it clear those talking points are bogus. The Governor’s executive order calling for the special session seemingly tried to limit the ability to implement this reform with fidelity, but these obvious attempts to shield government spending at local, judicial, legislative, and boards/commission levels from taxpayer scrutiny should be rejected.
Accountability is the new normal. With technology, no one can hide from anything anymore. Camera phones are everywhere, and everyone knows secrets are one click away from becoming common knowledge. Regular people in the real world have learned to live under this new reality. It’s time for government to get with the program.
No excuses. The politicians need to quickly and vigorously implement www.LouisianaCheckbook.com or finally come clean with what they are hiding if they refuse to do so. It’s time to demand this level of accountability for government at all levels. It’s time to smoke ‘em all out.
Stephen Waguespack is president of the Louisiana Association of Business and Industry.

FJHS Rattlers

Wed, 02/21/2018 - 9:54am

The Franklin Junior High School Rattlers finished the season with a 33-2 overall record and a 13-1 Parish record. FJHS finished as Co-Parish Champions. The Rattelers took 1st Place trophies home from the Jeanerette Middle Coca-Cola Tip Off, Anderson Middle Tiger Classic, Belle Place Cardinal Shootout, and FJHS Rattler Shootout Tournaments while finishing in 3rd Place in the Louisiana Middle School State Championship Tournament hosted at ULM. Kneeling L-R: Dalen Edwards, Jakylyn Payton, Tye Webb, Devul Lewis Jr., Tavon Ballet, Jayshaun Johnson, and Ashton Page. Standing L-R: Head Coach Scott Burdett, Willis Jenkins IV, J’Michael Gray, Durall Alexander Jr., Kim Provost III, Zylan Perry, Dalyn Bell, Erinn Landry, Courtlon Ina, and Asst. Coach Christen Bell.

HMS

Wed, 02/21/2018 - 9:53am

HANSON’S ALLYSSA YOUNG dribbles to the basket in an earlier contest. The No. 11 seeded Hanson Memorial Lady Tigers will travel to face No. 3 seed Vermilion Catholic in the Louisiana High School Athletic Association Division IV quarterfinals Thursday at 7 p.m. at the VCHS Gym in Abbeville.

Centerville Lady Bulldogs take 26-3 victory over Lady Hornets

Wed, 02/21/2018 - 9:52am

Riley Candella pitched the Centerville Lady Bulldogs to a 26-3 victory over the Franklin Lady Hornets Tuesday in an abbreviated contest at the FSHS Softball Field.
Candella recorded the win in the circle while working three innings, allowing one earned run on two hits with seven strikeouts and one walk.
Candella also led the Lady Bulldogs at the plate with a 2 for 3 effort with a double, 2 RBI and 2 walks.
Leading hitters for the Lady Bulldogs were: N. McDaniel, 2 runs, RBI, walk; C. Hebert, 1 for 4, 4 runs, 3 RBI, 2 walks; R. LeBlanc, run, 2 RBI, walk; N. Darden, 1-1, 2 runs, 4 RBI, 1 walk; G. LeBlanc, 2 for 2, 3 runs, 5 RBI, 3 walks; D. Darden, 1-1, 2 runs, 4 RBI, 3 walks; I. Finley, run, RBI, walk; N. Lofton, run, RBI, 2 walks; M. Darby, run, RBI, walk; A. Lombas, run, 2 RBI, 2 walks and L. Arcemont, RBI.
Noel Guillotte and Gyjada Milton worked in the circle for the Lady Hornets. Guillotte hurled one inning, giving up 13 runs on two hits with 11 walks. Milton pitched two frames, surrendering 13 runs on with 11 walks.
Leading hitters for the Franklin Lady Hornets were: M. Woods, run, walk; K. Marcott, single, RBI; Daijia Jones, single, RBI and Victoria Walker, 1 for 2, 2 RBI.

Druilhet is pastor at Triune Church

Wed, 02/21/2018 - 9:50am

Bishop James W. Proctor, Prelate of the Louisiana First Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction Church of God in Christ Inc. will install Elder Benny J. Druilhet as pastor of the Triune Church of God in Christ in Franklin Sunday, Feb. 25 at 3 p.m.
The installation service will be held at the church, 1118 Barrow St., in Franklin. Bishop Proctor will deliver the charge to the pastor and congregation.
Elder Druilhet previously served as Pastor of Bethlehem COGIC in Patterson for 13 years, and prior to that, he was an associate minister at Triune Church of God in Christ. He and his wife, Valarie, have six children: Delores, Glenda, Benny Jr., William, David (deceased) and Daniel. Elder Druilhet was trained in the Charles Harrison Mason System of Bible Colleges and was ordained as an elder in the Church of God in Christ in 2002. Elder Druilhet is also a graduate of the Louisiana Technical College, Young Memorial Campus in Franklin. He preaches and teaches, the Word of God with no reservations for he says that he is “not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ for it is the power of God unto salvation to everyone who believes.”
His message is that living a life according to the Word of God and with the aid of the Holy Spirit is the answer to the problems in today’s society.
Triune COGIC is a part of the Church of God in Christ Inc. which has a worldwide membership of over 6.5 million and is one of the largest Pentecostal denominations in the world. The church is led by Presiding Bishop Charles E. Blake.