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(UPDATED 2:58 P.M.) St. Mary schools, Young Memorial closed Wednesday

St. Mary Parish public schools,Central Catholic High and Holy Cross Elementary will be closed Wednesday.

Young Memorial and Nicholls State University have also announced that they have called off classes for Wednesday.

The closures were because of the threat of winter weather.

St. Mary schools were closed Tuesday, and Young Memorial and Nicholls State closed early Tuesday afternoon.

Police: Man ingested marijuana to destroy evidence

A 21-year-old Morgan City man was charged with obstruction of justice after police discovered that he tried to destroy evidence of marijuana by ingesting the drug, Morgan City Police Chief James Blair said in a news release.

— Somoa K. Scott Jr., 21, of Hilda Street in Morgan City, was arrested at 8:07 p.m. Sunday on a charge of obstruction of justice.

Patrol officers responded to the area of Mallard Street in regard to a narcotics complaint. The responding officer received a description of a vehicle and located it. The officer initiated a stop, and Scott was identified as an occupant in the vehicle.

Police found evidence that Scott destroyed suspected marijuana by ingesting it, Blair said. Scott was jailed.

Blair reported that officers responded to 121 calls and reported the following arrests:

—Marcus T. Gray, 33, of First Street in Morgan City, was arrested at 2:57 p.m. Friday on a warrant charging him with failure to appear to pay a fine.

Gray was located and arrested in the area of Willard Street on a city court warrant. Gray was jailed.

—Wiltz Grow, 51, of Adelle Street in Morgan City, was arrested at 2:08 a.m. Saturday on charges of DWI first offense, improper lane usage and possession of an open alcoholic beverage.

Patrol officers observed a vehicle being operated in the area of La. 70 in an erratic manner. A stop was initiated, and Grow was identified as the driver, Blair said.

Grow was in an intoxicated state and performed poorly on field sobriety test, Blair said. Grow was also in possession of an open alcoholic beverage in the motor vehicle, Blair said. Grow refused to submit to a chemical test for intoxication, Blair said. Grow was jailed.

—Ronald Grow, 45, of Union Street in Morgan City, was arrested at 2:36 a.m. Saturday on charges of driving under suspension and improper lighting.

Patrol officers observed a vehicle being operated in the area of Seventh Street without proper lighting. A stop was initiated, and Ronald Grow, the driver, had a suspended driver’s license, Blair said. He was jailed.

—Jonathan C. Murray, 33, of Railroad Avenue in Morgan City, was arrested at 2:50 a.m. Saturday on a warrant charging him with failure to appear for revocation and improper lane usage.

Patrol officers observed a vehicle being operated in the area of La. 182 in an erratic manner. A stop was initiated, and Murray was identified as the driver. Murray was had an active arrest warrant through 16th Judicial District Court, Blair said. Murray was jailed.

— Cayd Hatch, 20, of Prairie Road in Franklin, was arrested at 6:25 p.m. Saturday on charges of driving under suspension, disregard of traffic controls and improper equipment.

Patrol officers observed a vehicle being operated in the area of Brashear Avenue disregard a red light. The vehicle was also observed not to have a license plate displayed, Blair said.

A stop was initiated, and Hatch was identified as the driver, Blair said. Hatch’s driver’s license was under suspension. Hatch was jailed.

—April Thompkins, 28, of Bowman Street in Morgan City, was arrested at 8:10 a.m. Saturday on charges of no insurance and improper lighting, on warrants charging her with failure to appear for review, failure to appear to pay a fine and on a Thibodaux police warrant charging her with contempt of court.

Patrol officers observed a vehicle being operated in the area of La. 182 with improper lighting. A stop was initiated, and Thompkins, the driver, was operating a vehicle that didn’t have proper insurance, Blair said.

Thompkins was arrest warrants through Morgan City Court and Thibodaux Police Department. Thompkins was jailed.

—Richard K. Hawkins, 42, of Terrebonne Street in Morgan City, was arrested at 9:33 p.m. Saturday on a charge of simple battery.

Patrol officers responded to the area of Sixth Street in regard to a battery that had been committed. Officers arrived, and Hawkins was identified as one of the people involved.

Hawkins allegedly struck the victim during an altercation, Blair said. Hawkins was located a short time later in the area of Terrebonne Street and admitted to striking the victim, Blair said. Hawkins was jailed.

—Bryce P. Balfantz , 18, of Nichole Lane in Berwick, was arrested at 10:22 p.m. Saturday on charges of possession of marijuana, possession of drug paraphernalia and improper lighting.

Patrol officers observed a vehicle being operated in the area of La. 182 with improper lighting. A stop was initiated, and Balfantz, the driver, was in possession of suspected marijuana and drug paraphernalia, Blair said. Balfantz was jailed.

—Manuel Fuentes, 37, of Fourth Street in Morgan City, was arrested at 2:16 a.m. Sunday on charges of DWI first offense and improper lane usage.

Patrol officers observed a vehicle being operated in the area of La. 182 in an erratic manner swerving from lane to lane. A stop was initiated, and Fuentes, the driver, was in an intoxicated state, Blair said.

Fuentes performed poorly on a field sobriety test and refused to submit to a chemical test, Blair said. Fuentes was jailed.

—Johnny C. Berryhill, 37, of Federal Avenue in Morgan City, was arrested at 6:43 p.m. Saturday on charges of disturbing the peace intoxicated and open container.

Patrol officers responded to the area of First Street in regard to an intoxicated person beating on a vehicle, Blair said. Officers arrived, and Berryhill was identified as one of the people involved.

Berryhill was in an intoxicated state and observed by the officer consuming an alcoholic beverage, Blair said. Berryhill was jailed.

—Jesses R. Laboy, 41, of Ingalls Avenue in Pascagoula, Mississippi, was arrested at 2:42 a.m. Sunday on charges of DWI first offense, possession of an alcoholic beverage, disregard of traffic controls, possession of marijuana and possession of drug paraphernalia.

Patrol officers saw a vehicle being operated in the area of David Drive disregard a stop sign. A stop was initiated, and Laboy, the driver, was in an intoxicated state, Blair said. Laboy performed poorly on a field sobriety test and was also in possession of suspected marijuana and drug paraphernalia, Blair said.

Laboy registered 0.102 grams-percent blood alcohol content on a chemical test, Blair said. Laboy was jailed.

—Brennan N. Skinner, 25, of Grace Street in Siracusavlle , was arrested at 8:48 p.m. Monday on charges of driving under suspension, two headlights required, improper equipment and misuse of temporary tag.

Patrol officers observed a vehicle being operated in the area of La. 182 with only one operable headlight. A stop was initiated, and Skinner was identified as the driver. The vehicle did not have required registration or license plate, and the temporary tag was expired, Blair said. Skinner also had a suspended driver’s license, Blair said. Skinner was jailed.

—Damien Keller, 34, of Saturn Road in Bayou Vista, was arrested at 10:35 a.m. Monday on a charge of theft by shoplifting.

Patrol officers responded to a business in the area of Victor II Boulevard in regard to a shoplifter. Officers arrived, and Keller was found to have allegedly concealed items valued at $59.99 while in the store, Blair said.

When management was alerted, Keller removed a watch and left the store, Blair said. Keller was jailed.

—Carl J. Batiste, 54, of Taft Street in Patterson, was arrested at 3:01 p.m. Monday on charges of driving under suspension, possession of open container and expired license plate.

Patrol officers observed a vehicle being operated in the area of U.S. 90 with an expired license plate. A stop was initiated, and Batiste, the driver, had a suspended driver’s license and was also in possession of an open alcoholic container in the motor vehicle, Blair said. Batiste was jailed.

—Michael A. Bender, 44, of Cherry Street in Patterson, was arrested at 4:30 p.m. Monday on charges of driving under suspension and improper equipment and a warrant charging him with failure to appear to pay a fine.

Patrol officers saw a vehicle being operated in the area of Sixth Street with a windshield that was in a condition to obstruct the driver’s view.

A stop was initiated, and Bender, the driver, had a suspended driver’s license, Blair said. Bender also had an active arrest warrant through city court. Bender was jailed.

St. Mary Parish Sheriff Scott Anslum reported that deputies responded to 136 complaints in the parish and reported the following arrests in east St. Mary Parish:

—Travis Touchet, 36, of Arnould Street in Lafayette, was arrested at 4:12 p.m. Friday on a charge of hit-and-run driving.

A deputy investigating a December 2017 report of a hit-and-run crash found evidence that Touchet rear-ended another vehicle while driving on U.S. 90 in the Amelia area causing minor damage to the vehicles, Anslum said.

Touchet met with the investigating deputy and turned himself in at the parish jail. Touchet was released on $1,000 bail.

—Crystal Thompson, 39, of Field Road in Bayou Vista, was arrested at 5:20 p.m. Monday on a charge of theft.

In early January, a deputy began an investigation into a report of shoplifting at a store in Bayou Vista. On Jan. 15, a deputy received information from store security that the suspect in the shoplifting incident was in the store. The deputy positively identified Thompson as the suspect who left the store without paying for several items, Anslum said. Thompson was released on a summons to appear in court April 2.

—Brittan Boudreaux, 33, of Lizabeth Drive in Morgan City, was arrested at 9:30 p.m. Monday on charges of theft and criminal trespass.

A deputy investigating a report of a theft found evidence that Boudreaux stole two tool boxes from outside a home on Jupiter Street in Bayou Vista, Anslum said. Boudreaux was jailed with bail set at $2,500.

Assumption Parish Sheriff Leland Falcon reported the following arrest relating to the area:

—William I. Fontenot Jr., 52, of La. 663 in Bayou L’Ourse, was arrested Sunday on charges of possession of methamphetamine and drug paraphernalia.

A deputy on patrol in Bayou L’Ourse observed a vehicle commit a traffic violation and proceeded to stop the vehicle. The deputy stopped the pick-up truck and identified the driver as Fontenot.

The deputy proceeded to interview Fontenot. Based on that interview and personal observations, the deputy requested a K-9 unit at the scene. The K-9 unit arrived and conducted an open-air sweep of the vehicle which alerted to the presence of illegal substances, Falcon said.

As a result of the search of the vehicle and Fontenot, deputies found methamphetamine and drug paraphernalia, Falcon said.

Fontenot was placed under arrest, transported to the Assumption Parish Detention Center. Fontenot was also issued two traffic related summonses and was jailed pending a bail hearing.

Berwick Police Chief James Richard reported no arrests.

Radio logs for Jan. 16

The following are the radio dispatch logs from the Morgan City Police Department. To report unlawful or suspicious activity, call the police department at 985-380-4605.
Monday, Jan. 15
8:03 a.m. South Railroad Avenue; Business burglary.
8:10 a.m. 1100 block of Federal Avenue; Reckless driving.
8:17 a.m. 6000 block of Railroad Avenue; Business burglary.
10:19 a.m. 1200 block of Victor II Boulevard; Complaint.
11:12 a.m. 2000 block of Keith Street; Accident.
11:26 a.m. 7200 block of La. 182 East; Disturbance.
11:45 a.m. 800 block of Levee Road; Assistance.
11:45 a.m.2000 block of Keith Street; Accident.
2:44 p.m. Sixth Street and Sacred Heart Drive; Fight.
3:15 p.m. 100 block of Garber Street; Disturbance.
4:05 p.m. 400 block of Fifth Street; Complaint.
5:52 p.m. 1800 block of Dale Street; Disturbance.
6:36 p.m. 2400 block of Cypress Street; Suspicious activity.
7:13 p.m. 1600 block of Front Street; Complaint.
7:35 p.m. 1300 block of Front Street; Narcotics activity.
11:25 p.m. 800 block of Brashear Avenue; Suspicious activity.
Tuesday, Jan. 16
4:36 a.m. Seventh and Duke streets; Disturbance.

Local warnings on freezing weather

Here are advisories from local governments and entities regarding hard freezes Tuesday night and Wednesday night:
Baldwin Mayor Donna Lanceslin announced prior to today’s freeze that Baldwin residents refrain from running water through their taps as a measure to prevent pipes freezing. Instead, Lanceslin asked that residents shut their water off at their homes’ shut-off valves and open the taps to allow for drainage.
Franklin and Water & Sewer Dist. 4 ask customers to conserve water and no let faucets run during the freeze.

AARP receives 'Commanders Award' at meeting

St. Mary Parish AARP Chapter 4435 held its monthly meeting Jan. 8 at the St. Mary Senior Citizen’s Center, home of St. Mary AARP, in Morgan City.
Bill Goessl and Richard LaCoste of the Marine Corps League, St. Mary Detachment spoke to the membership to thank St. Mary AARP for its contribution to the annual Toys for Tots campaign. Goessl and LaCoste presented the chapter with the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve “Commanders Award,” recognizing St. Mary Chapter AARP for outstanding support. The certificate is signed by Lt. Gen. Cdr. Rex C. McMillian, Marine Corps Reserve.
The meeting and meal sponsor for January was Gulf Coast Orthopedics.
Attendees were served a meal of spaghetti and meat sauce, peas, salad and fruit cocktail. The meal was prepared by the cooking team of Mac and Myrt McNemar, with the help of Pat Fryer and Lonnie LeBauve. The cake was donated by M C Bank.
Hannah Henry and Kayla DeGuzman, of the Berwick High School Interact Club, spoke to the membership about the upcoming “Self Defense for Seniors and Teens.” The Jan. 29 presentation will be by Capt. Sennett Wiggins of the St. Mary Parish Sheriff’s Office. Hosting the event at the Berwick Civic Complex is St. Mary Parish Council on Aging, Berwick Town Council, and BHS Interact Club.
Prior to the meeting, members and guests were entertained with dance music at 4 p.m. followed by bingo until 6:15 p.m.
Birthday and anniversary celebrants were also recognized at the meeting.

Recall: High chairs with potentially faulty legs

Nearly 10,000 high chairs are being recalled because of potentially faulty front legs that can detach unexpectedly.
DETAILS: Charcoal-colored Tuo convertible high chair, which can be converted into a toddler chair. The style numbers are 304200 and 304200CN with a date code found on the back of the chair as follows: HH102016, HH11/2016, HH3/2017 and HH4/2017. The highchairs have a reversible seat pad, removable tray, 5-point harness, beechwood footrest and legs. They were sold at Babies “R” Us, Buy Buy Baby, Target, Kohls, Dillards and other children specialty stores nationwide and at Amazon.com and Skiphop.com from December 2016 through September 2017.
WHY: The front legs on the highchair can detach from the seat, posing fall and injury hazards to children.
INCIDENTS: 13 reports of the legs of the high chairs detaching, resulting in two reports of bruises to children.
About 7,900 in U.S. and about 2,000 in Canada.
FOR MORE: Call Skip Hop at 888-282-4674 from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. weekdays or visit www.skiphop.com.

Husband’s long beard is hard for wife to stomach at dinner

DEAR ABBY: My husband has a long, bushy, ugly beard, and although I don’t like it, I realize he’s entitled to wear his facial hair any way he likes it. The problem is, when he eats, his beard gets into his plate and in the food, which I find nauseating. TOO MUCH HAIR IN TEXAS DEAR TOO MUCH HAIR: If your husband’s beard is so long it drags his food off his plate, the first thing you should do is suggest that he sit up straighter when he’s eating. However, if he’s unwilling — or unable — to do that, perhaps he ...

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Patterson edges CCHS

The Patterson Lumberjacks outscored Central Catholic 22-13 in the second half for a come-from-behind 36-34 win in Morgan City Thursday in boys basketball action.
Trailing 21-14 at halftime, Patterson outscored Central Catholic 11-6 in the third period to cut its deficit to 27-25 heading into the final period. In the fourth quarter, Patterson outscored Central Catholic 11-7 for the narrow win.
Elijah Williams led Patterson with 12 points. Other Patterson scorers were Drew Lucas, nine; Tyrone Tillman, eight; Dajon Richard, six; and Reginald Talver, one.
Elijah Swan led Central Catholic with 11 points. Other Central Catholic scorers were Brooks Thomas and D.J. Lewis with eight apiece; Davidyione Bias, four; and Taylor Blanchard, three.
Patterson (15-3) will return district play Friday when it travels to face Erath. The Lumberjacks will play at approximately 6:45 p.m.
Central Catholic (6-11) will return to action Tuesday when it travels to face St. John.

LSU falls to the University of Alabama in women's basketball

The University of Alabama women’s basketball team defeated LSU 65-51 Thursday night in Coleman Coliseum to improve to 3-1 in Southeastern Conference play for the first time since the 1997-98 season.
“I really liked our team’s toughness tonight,” Alabama Head Coach Kristy Curry said in a news release. “There were moments where we struggled, but toughness isn’t just about getting knocked down. It’s about sprinting every possession. It’s about hands high. It’s about closing and boxing out every possession, and down the stretch, everyone did their jobs. I loved our toughness tonight. We have to defend our home court, and that’s important. I liked our growth from our first home game to tonight, and I am just really proud of our team.”
The Crimson Tide (13-4 overall, 3-1 SEC) used an 11-0 run during the last 4:06 of the game to push past the Tigers (10-5, 2-2 SEC). Alabama won its third consecutive Southeastern Conference game for the first time since 2011.
Senior leadership was key to the Alabama victory with Ashley Williams earning her 14th career double-double and second of the season with 14 points and 11 rebounds, while Hannah Cook also had 14 points along with a season-high five assists. Sophomore Jordan Lewis matched her career high in assists with eight. For the 15th time this season, eight or more Crimson Tide players scored. Alabama senior Meo Knight, a former Central Catholic standout, had three points, one rebound and two assists.
The Tide got off to a quick start by building a 13-3 lead within the first six minutes of the game. LSU battled back into the game with a buzzer-beating layup to cut its deficit to 19-16 at the end of the first quarter.
In the second quarter, LSU took the lead at 24-23 with 4:10 left in the half and pushed its advantage to 31-28 going into halftime.
Trailing 39-33 with 6:51 left in the third quarter, the Crimson Tide went on an 8-0 run to go up 41-39 with less than five minutes remaining in the third period.
LSU briefly went up, 45-44, before Williams knocked down a free throw and Cook drained a three-pointer to give the Tide a 48-45 edge heading into the last 10 minutes of play.
In the fourth, the two sides battled back-and-forth, with the Tide leading 54-51 with just more than four minutes to play. Alabama pulled away down the stretch, led by junior Shaquera Wade, who had seven of Alabama’s final 11 points to seal the victory.
The Tide will return to the road Sunday at 3 p.m. to face No. 4 Mississippi State in Starkville, Mississippi. The game will air live on ESPNU.
For the latest information Alabama, follow AlabamaWBB on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. General athletic news can be found at UA_Athletics on Twitter and Instagram and Alabama Athletics on Facebook.

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