RSS Feed

A new Water & Nature Expo will be held in conjunction with the Eagle Expo 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Feb. 24 at the Morgan City Municipal Auditorium.
The event will feature exhibits and presentations on outdoor recreation, wildlife, safety on the water and protecting St. Mary Parish’s resources.
The Wings to Soar Raptor Program will be held during the Water & Nature Expo at 10:30 a.m. Feb. 24. The Louisiana State UniversityWildlife Hospital’s resident birds and student from the veterinary school will be in attendance.
A photography exhibit by John Flores will be displayed on the east concourse.
Other confirmed exhibitors include the US Fish & Wildlife Service, Black Bear National Wildlife Refuge, the United State Coast Guard, the St. Mary Parish Sheriff’s office and more.
Attendance is free to the public. Concessions will be sold. The event is presented by the Cajun Coast Visitors & Convention Bureau with support from the City of Morgan City, Morgan City Rotary Club and Eagle Expo.

A 27-year-old Bayou Vista man was found unconscious with a bag of methamphetamine next to him and was later arrested after being treated at a hospital, St. Mary Parish Sheriff Scott Anslum said in a news release.

—Brad Derouen, 27, of South Road in Bayou Vista, was arrested at 5:15 a.m. Friday on charges of possession of methamphetamine and possession of drug paraphernalia.

A deputy responded to a call for service regarding an unconscious person at a home in Bayou Vista. The deputy identified the person as Derouen. While checking on Derouen’s well-being, the deputy observed a glass pipe used to smoke methamphetamine and a small plastic bag containing methamphetamine next to him, Anslum said.

Acadian Ambulance transported Derouen to Teche Regional Medical Center. Upon Derouen’s release from the medical facility, he was transported to parish jail with no bail set.

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

—Cindy Denman, 24, of Ninth Street in Austin, Texas, was arrested at 3:38 p.m. Thursday on charges of improper lane usage, possession of marijuana and possession of drug paraphernalia.

The K-9 Unit observed a vehicle cross over the fog line of U.S. 90 in the Patterson area and conducted a traffic stop. The detective identified the driver as Denman.

While speaking with her, the detective learned that Denman had marijuana in her possession, Anslum said. Marijuana was located in her purse along with multiple items of drug paraphernalia, Anslum said. Denman was jailed with bail set at $3,750.

—Daniel Edlin, 29, of Patton Street in Morgan City, was arrested at 6:58 p.m. Thursday on charges of operating a vehicle while intoxicated, improper lane usage and driver must be licensed.

A deputy responded to a call for service about a reckless driver on La. 182 in the Amelia area. The deputy located the suspect vehicle stopped in the lane of travel on Railroad Avenue in Morgan City.

The deputy then observed the vehicle accelerate and move into the opposite lane of travel before driving down the middle of the roadway. The deputy conducted a traffic stop and identified the driver as Edlin.

The deputy smelled the strong odor of an alcoholic beverage on Edlin and observed several other signs of intoxication, Anslum said. The deputy also found that Edlin did not have a driver’s license, Anslum said. Following the investigation, Edlin was jailed with bail set at $3,000.

Morgan City Police Chief James Blair reported that officers responded to 27 calls and reported the following arrests:

—Audreauxa Johnson, 36, of Bowman Street in Morgan City, was arrested at 9:50 p.m. Thursday on a warrant charging her with failure to appear for court.

Johnson was located and arrested in the area of U.S. 90 on a city court warrant. Johnson was jailed.

—Joshua N. Bertrand, 39, of Levee Road in Morgan City, was arrested at 10:47 p.m. Thursday on a warrant charging him with failure to appear to pay a fine. Bertrand was located and arrested in the area of La. 182 on a city court. Bertrand was jailed.

—Lamonta L. Thomas, 21, of Mill Road in Patterson, was arrested at 11:13 p.m. Thursday on a charge of possession of marijuana second offense.

Patrol officers observed a vehicle being operated in the area of Sixth Street without any operable headlights. A stop was initiated, and Thomas was identified as an occupant of the vehicle.

Thomas was in possession of suspected marijuana, Blair said. Thomas was jailed.

—Gannon T. Broussard Jr., 27, of Seventh Street in Morgan City, was arrested at 12:50 a.m. Friday on a charge of domestic abuse battery.

Patrol officers responded to a home in the area of Seventh Street in regard to a domestic disturbance. Officers arrive, and Broussard was identified as one of the people involved.

Broussard allegedly struck the victim during the altercation, Blair said. Broussard was jailed.

Berwick Police Chief James Richard reported the following arrest:

—Aaron Cage, 26, of Wise Street in Patterson, was arrested at 2 p.m. Thursday on a 16th Judicial District Court warrant charging him with failure to appear for an imposition hearing. Cage was transferred to parish jail.

This past summer, in early August, I spent a day fishing largemouth bass on Black Lake near Natchitoches.
There was one thing interesting about this trip. It was the first time I actually had seen a “drawdown,” on a lake designed to kill giant salvinia – an invasive plant species that chokes lakes and waterways.
It’s strange seeing water so low you actually can see the root system of cypress and tupelo trees. But, drawdowns are not uncommon, and through the years, lakes like Bisteneau, Saline Lake, Lake Martin, False River and others all have seen this method used to control salvinia.
By removing water, the idea is large expanses of the invasive plants will dry out and die. Moreover, it can be treated with chemical herbicides more easily.
The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries has an annual budget of $6.9 million that is spent controlling invasive plants. The budget is not limited to just fighting giant salvinia. There are other invasive plants that include cogon grass, hydrilla, Chinese tallo trees and water hyacinth that if not controlled, can wreak havoc on the environment.
Water hyacinth and giant salvinia not only clog bayous and canals, disrupting boat traffic, but also block light to native species plants. This degrades water quality and harms wildlife.
Herbicides control harmful invasive plants by blocking photosynthesis, rupturing plant cell membranes and blocking amino acids during their growth. However, depending on what herbicides, ratio of mixtures and extent of infestation, it can cost $100-$200 per acre to combat undesirable plants.
The problem with herbicides and also pesticides used to control weeds and pests is water pollution. If used improperly, they can contaminate ground and surface water.
There’s also safety to consider. Humans and animals can be exposed to the effects of chemical poisoning where it enters the body through the skin by indirectly swallowing or breathing. Accidental spills and spray-drift are big concerns.
For a number of years, the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries has utilized weevils to help control giant salvinia with varying degrees of success. On Lake Bisteneau this past year, the department released 180,855 weevils. The problem with weevils is they are susceptible to severe cold and die off.
It just goes to show sometimes it takes Mother Nature to step in and provide a little assistance to mankind.
For the past couple of weeks, much of Louisiana has seen quite a few days of subfreezing temperatures that have impacted invasive aquatic plants like giant salvinia and water hyacinth.
The first time I saw the effects of severe cold weather on invasive plants was in 1989 when the temperature never got above 32 degrees for three days and had fallen into the low teens overnight. What a mess that was on the St. Mary Parish populace, where schools were closed, roads were iced and pipes busted everywhere.
If there was one consolation, it was the marsh was almost void of water hyacinth the following spring and summer. In fact, it was a couple of years before the evil plants presented a problem again – at least in the region I frequented.
There have been other freezes since. The most recent back in 2010.
In a recent press release from the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries titled “Freezing Temps May Provide Temporary Reduction in Giant Salvinia,” LDWF Secretary Jack Montoucetm and state Rep. Gene Reynolds, D-Minden, noted they saw what appeared to be a die back of salvinia on Lake Bistineau. Great news for north Louisiana anglers, as Bistineau is an extremely popular fishery in that part of the state.
Invasive species like water hyacinth and giant salvinia are aggressive and often double in size during the peak of the summer, where temperatures are in the mid-90s. Unfortunately, you can do all the herbicidal spraying you like and put hundreds of thousands of weevils on them but you’re never going to eradicate them.
With another go-round of cold weather this week in the parish, I say bring it on. I might complain a little, but, in my mind, I say, give those invasive plants another dose of freezing temperatures. It’s nature’s way of leveling the playing field. Personally, I can bundle up with a few base layers of clothing.
Another thing I know is the cold weather didn’t come to stay. It came to pass.
EDITOR’S NOTE: Flores is The Daily Review’s Outdoor Writer. If you wish to make a comment or have an anecdote, recipe or story you wish to share, you can contact Flores at 985-395-5586 or gowiththeflo@cox.net or visit his Facebook page, Gowiththeflo Outdoors.

Another day of school cancelled in St. Mary Parish due to inclement meant, at the very least, the postponement of more high school sporting events that were scheduled for Thursday.
Games set for Thursday that won’t be played today include: a nondistrict contest between Morgan City High School boys basketball at McMain, Central Catholic’s girls’ basketball nondistrict contest at Patterson and Berwick’s District 8-3A girls and boys contests at home against Abbeville. No possible makeup dates have been announced for any of these games. The Berwick contests already were makeups from Tuesday’s game’s that were cancelled as students were out of school on the first of now three straight days out of school due to inclement weather.
Morgan City High School’s boys team’s originally scheduled game Tuesday at Lafayette High, and Morgan City’s girls’ game at Grand Isle Tuesday will not be made up.
However, Patterson’s District 8-3A boys’ and girls’ basketball contests against North Vermilion, originally set for Tuesday, have been rescheduled for Jan. 25. Girls’ varsity action will start at 5:15 p.m. with boys’ varsity set to follow at approximately 6:30 p.m.
Meanwhile, Morgan City High School’s boys’ and girls’ soccer matches at home against E.D. White have been moved to Friday. Girls’ action is set for a 4 p.m. start with boys’ play to follow at approximately 6 p.m.
Inclement weather also wiped out the first day of bowling for area high school teams as Berwick’s boys’ and girls’ matches against Central Lafourche at Charlie’s Lanes in Morgan City were not played as well as Morgan City’s boys’ and girls’ matches at Bowl South against Ellender and Central Catholic’s boys’ contest against South Lafourche at Creole Lanes.