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Radio logs for Jan. 11

Thu, 01/11/2018 - 8:57am

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.

Wednesday, Jan. 10

7:26 a.m. 700 block of Fig Street; Suspicious subject.

9:18 a.m. La. 182; Traffic complaint.

9:59 a.m. 600 block of Willow Street; Phone harassment.

11:44 a.m. 1100 block of Walnut Drive; Disturbance.

12:50 p.m. 1200 block of Victor II Boulevard; Intoxicated subject.

2:40 p.m. U.S. 90 West; Aggravated assault.

3:24 p.m. Patterson; Warrant arrest.

4:12 p.m. 200 block of Patton Street; Disturbance.

4:19 p.m. 900 block of Railroad Avenue; Medical.

5:05 p.m. 1000 block of Eighth Street; Complaint.

Thursday, Jan. 11

2:23 a.m. 6400 block of La. 182 East; Alarm.

4:11 a.m. U.S. 90 West; Complaint.

5:16 a.m. 3000 block of Allison Street; Suspicious person.

The Morgan City Tigers defeated New Iberia 50-41 in nondistrict action Morgan City Tuesday. Morgan City led 16-8 after a quarter, 33-14 at halftime and 42-29 after three quarters. Tywaun Walker led Morgan City with 13 points. Other Tigers scorers were Jared Singleton and Taaj Daniels nine each; Morrquise Charles, eight; Deondre Grogan, seven; and Ke’Sean Francois and Kerwin Francois, two each. Morgan City (14-4) will return to action Friday when it travels to face Mentorship Academy at Sports Academy Baton Rouge. Junior varsity action will begin at 6 with varsity to follow. Berwick routs Erath The Berwick Panthers snapped a four-game losing streak ...

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Jones gets Patterson magistrate appointment

Wed, 01/10/2018 - 12:56pm

By BILL DECKER

bdecker@daily-review.com

PATTERSON — The city lost a longtime mayor’s court magistrate when J.P. Morella died Christmas Day. A lawyer with long experience defending people who can’t afford a lawyer will take his place.
The city council approved Mayor Rodney Grogan’s appointment of attorney Edward Bernard Jones as magistrate at Tuesday’s meeting.
Morella was appointed to four-year terms as magistrate in Patterson and Berwick for more than three decades. In a Daily Review story on Morella’s death, Grogan called him “an awesome magistrate.”
“It’s unfortunate that J.P. Morella left us,” Jones told the council Tuesday.
Grogan praised Jones and said he was impressed by discussions with the prospective appointee.
“If someone can’t pay a fine, we will have community service,” Grogan said. “We will make sure a defendant doesn’t live off the taxpayers’ dollars without some service.”
Jones spoke to the council briefly after his appointment was confirmed.
“We’re in the business of serving the people and not a particular interest,” Jones said. “That’s what I’m praying for.”
The mayor’s court at which the magistrate presides handles traffic and some misdemeanor cases.
Jones, a Patterson native, received his law degree at Southern University and has practiced since 1997.
He served more than 15 years with the 16th Judicial District Indigent Defenders Office, which serves St. Mary, Iberia and St. Martin, and now works part-time with the indigent defender program in the 23rd Judicial District, which covers Assumption, Ascension and St. James.
Also Tuesday, the council:
—Heard Grogan say a trash pickup fee increase of 62 cents, based on the Consumer Price Index, will be imposed by Pelican Waste & Debris. The increase will raise the monthly charge to $16.71.
—Granted permission for a Martin Luther King Jr. Day march on Monday, the holiday in honor of the martyred civil rights leader. The march will begin after the 9:30 a.m. service at St. Luke Baptist Church, 1709 Harry St.
—Heard Grogan ask residents to take precautions against another blast of cold weather. The forecast is for a low of 32 degrees Saturday morning and 30 degrees Sunday morning.
The mayor said residents with broken pipes should call a plumber immediately.
“We will work with you on the bill,” Grogan said.

Change in plans: No drilling off Florida

Wed, 01/10/2018 - 12:52pm

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — The Trump administration said Tuesday it would not allow oil drilling off the coast of Florida, abruptly reversing course under pressure from Republican Gov. Rick Scott.
Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke said after a brief meeting with Scott at the Tallahassee airport that drilling would be “off the table” when it comes to waters in the eastern Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic Ocean off Florida.
The change of course — just five days after Zinke announced the offshore drilling plan — highlights the political importance of Florida, where President Donald Trump narrowly won the state’s 29 electoral votes in the 2016 election and has encouraged Scott to run for Senate.
The state is also important economically, with a multibillion-dollar tourism business built on sunshine and miles and miles of white sandy beaches.
Zinke said Tuesday that “Florida is obviously unique” and that the decision to remove the state came after meetings and discussion with Scott.
Zinke announced plans last week to greatly expand offshore oil drilling from the Atlantic to the Arctic and Pacific oceans, including several possible drilling operations off Florida, where drilling is now blocked. The plan was immediately met with bipartisan opposition on both the Atlantic and Pacific coasts.
Scott, who is expected to run for Senate later this year, came out against the Trump administration plan when it was first announced, saying his top priority is to ensure that Florida’s natural resources are protected.
Other Republican governors also oppose the plan, including Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan, South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster and Massachusetts Gov. Charles Baker.
“For Floridians we are not drilling off the coast of Florida, which clearly the governor has expressed that’s important,” Zinke said, adding that he knew when he announced the drilling plan last week that it would spark discussion across the country.
“Our tactic was open everything up, then meet with the governors, meet with the stakeholders so that when we shaped it, it was right,” he told reporters at a news conference Tuesday night. “The president made it very clear that local voices count.”
When asked what caused the administration to change its position on Florida drilling, Zinke said bluntly, “The governor.”
Scott said he was pleased at the administration’s change of heart.
“It’s a good day for Florida,” he said, adding, “I think it’s very important to continue our efforts to take care of our environment.”
Democratic Sen. Bill Nelson said the meeting with Zinke was “a political stunt orchestrated by the Trump administration to help Rick Scott,” who Nelson said has long wanted to drill off Florida’s coast.
“I have spent my entire life fighting to keep oil rigs away from our coasts. But now, suddenly, Secretary Zinke announces plans to drill off Florida’s coast and (five) days later agrees to ‘take Florida off the table’? I don’t believe it,” Nelson said in a statement. “We shouldn’t be playing politics with the future of Florida.”
Zinke said last week that the drilling plan called for responsible development that would boost jobs and economic security while providing billions of dollars to fund conservation along U.S. coastlines.
The five-year plan would open 90 percent of the nation’s offshore reserves to development by private companies, Zinke said, with 47 leases proposed off the nation’s coastlines from 2019 to 2024.
Nineteen sales would be off Alaska, 12 in the Gulf of Mexico, nine in the Atlantic and seven in the Pacific, including six off California.
Industry groups praised the announcement, the most expansive offshore drilling proposal in decades.
The plan follows Trump’s executive order in April encouraging more drilling rights in federal waters, part of the administration’s strategy to help the U.S. achieve “energy dominance” in the global market.
A coalition of more than 60 environmental groups denounced the plan, saying it would impose “severe and unacceptable harm” to America’s oceans, coastal economies, public health and marine life.

MARGUERITE C. DAVIS

Wed, 01/10/2018 - 12:49pm

Marguerite Cook Davis, 89, a native of Scotlandville and resident of Kentwood, died Sunday, Jan. 7, 2018, at her residence.
She is survived by two daughters, Ora Johnson and Denyce Moss; a son David Davis; 20 grandchildren; 23 great-grandchildren; eight great-great-grandchildren; and a host of other relatives.
She was preceded in death by her parents, her husband, three sons, a daughter, two grandsons and eight siblings.
Visitation will be from 10 a.m. until services at 11 a.m. Monday at Cross Memorial Funeral Home in Amite.
Cross Memorial Funeral Home in Amite, 985-748-7199, is in charge of arrangements.

Wheel House for Jan. 10

Wed, 01/10/2018 - 12:47pm

KNIGHTS
Patterson Knights of Columbus Council 1710 January meeting Thursday, Jan. 11. Meal before meeting.

DAD/DAUGHTER
King and Princess Gala for girls age 4-12 and their father or father representative 4 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 24, at St. Mary Senior Citizens Center, Chennault Street, Morgan City. Cost: $25 per couple, $10 each additional daughter. Registration at Lee Chapel, 609 Freret St., Morgan City, 2 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 13, with a mother/daughter tea. Registration of $10 can be paid at the tea or by calling Ruby Maize, 985-498-0050 or Ethel Morrison, 985-384-9580. Sponsored by Arise.

SELF-DEFENSE
Berwick High Interact’s Intergenera-tional Mixer at 6 p.m. Jan. 29 to feature Capt. Sennett Wiggins, St. Mary Parish Sheriff’s Office, discussing self-defense for senior citizens and teens. Free for teens and seniors at Berwick Civic Complex. Refreshments and door prizes. Hosted by St. Mary Council on Aging, Berwick Town Council and BHS Interact Club.

TGMC seeks volunteers for new advisory board

Wed, 01/10/2018 - 12:45pm

Staff Report

Teche Regional Medical Center seeks approximately 12 volunteers from the community to participate on ad advisory council. Duties include discussing how to improve the partnership between patients, their family and the healthcare professionals that care for them.
The goal of the Patient-Family Advisory council is to enhance the quality and safety of healthcare, leading to the best outcomes in patient care.
Patient-family centered care is an approach to health care founded on the understanding that the family plays a vital role in ensuring the health and well-being of patients of all ages.
“We want to provide services to our community in an environment that fosters healing. Our vision in doing this is based on the understanding that providing the best care includes the technical skills as well as the patient experience. Who better to help us define that experience that our patients, their families and community?” said Aphreikah DuHaney-West, Teche Regional Medical Center’s CEO.
As health care systems have become more complex and fragmented, and as providers feel more pressure to see more patients in less time, care has too often become centered not on the needs of patients, but around the needs of the system itself, the hospital said.
Those interested in participating on the board should call 985-380-4302.

Hospital names Olivier Leader of the Quarter

Wed, 01/10/2018 - 12:43pm

Staff Report

Terrebonne General Medical Center has named Dana Olivier, RN, the first Leader of the Quarter.
Olivier, informatics manager with the TGMC Information Technology Department, has worked for the hospital for over 32 years.
Recipients demonstrate outstanding and consistent commitment to the well-being of patients, their extended families and staff. They also must fulfill TGMC’s mission of providing exceptional healthcare with compassion while serving as strong role models to their peers.
Olivier oversees several software programs designed to provide efficient and accurate patient care and manages a team of 15. Olivier is credited by her team for her excellent leadership skills and for continuously providing her team with growth opportunities. These educational opportunities allow for the TGMC IT department to remain innovative in the advancing healthcare environment.
“I am completely overwhelmed and honored,” said Olivier. “I have had great mentors and a team of competent and caring staff that have taught me so much about being a leader. This award validates my personal growth and the goals I set along the way.”
TGMC Leader of the Quarter recipients are nominated internally by fellow staff members.

TGMC Ladies Auxiliary

Wed, 01/10/2018 - 12:38pm

Submitted Photo
Teche Regional Medical Center sponsored a Christmas social for its ladies auxiliary at the Morgan City Petroleum Club. President Sandra Ratcliff presided over the luncheon, and the guest speaker was Teche Interim CEO Apheikah DuHaney-West.

Jim Brown: The rise and fall of LSU

Wed, 01/10/2018 - 12:30pm

By JIM BROWN

There has been a lot of bad news out of LSU, Louisiana’s flagship university in recent weeks, and not just on the football field where the Tigers have completed a mediocre season, even though they have the highest salaried group of coaches in the nation.
Campus shortcomings have raised a number of troubling questions about poor administrative decisions being made.
Tolerance of fraternity hazing that led to one student’s death received national attention. So did the building of a “floating river” on campus in the shape of the school’s initials. The Wall Street Journal had this to say recently about this boondoggle: “There may be no better symbol of American higher education wasteful indulgence then Louisiana State University’s lazy River.”
The latest hit is a report form Kiplinger’s financial magazine published just last week citing how public universities rank when it comes to academic quality and getting “the best bang for your buck.” LSU ranked at 270th, far behind every other SEC school with the exception of Mississippi State.
So what’s happened to cause such a dramatic demise?
Huey Long was the best friend and supporter LSU ever had as he force-fed LSU with increasing appropriations. The Kingfish made no bones about his long-term goals for the state’s flagship university — “LSU’s going to be the Harvard of the South.”
LSU’s significant relevance as an educational pillar continued into the 1950s. Prominent writers like Robert Penn Warren made the Baton Rouge campus a gathering point for major literary figures. The Southern Historical Association began publishing its Journal of Southern History as well as the long respected Southern Review, all from LSU. And the LSU Press became the publishing beacon for serious fiction and non-fiction, rivaled only by the University of North Carolina Press.
Outstanding young academicians in a variety of fields were attracted to Baton Rouge, and the music department produced grand opera accompanied by its own symphony orchestra under directors of international acclaim. The efflorescence of so much creative and academic talent drew praise for Louisiana nationwide.
But that was then. What happened in recent years that caused Louisiana State University to be an “also ran,” not just nationally, but right here in the Deep South?
The 60s came along and other southern states did not have the huge reservoirs of oil and gas. Education became a key to their survival. But in Louisiana, who cared about having a college degree when an oil field worker with a 10th grade education could make as much or more than many professionals with graduate degrees? A college degree became less relevant. And that’s when politics came into the mix.
With the economy running on auto pilot in Louisiana and unemployment running way behind other southern states, the cry for “keeping the flagship university strong” fell on deaf legislative ears. Rural legislators were more concerned about beefing local colleges up to LSU status, and even building unneeded new colleges and trade schools. And LSU became its own worst enemy by not aggressively making their case of why a flagship university was, and is today, critical to the economic well-being and future of the state.
UNC is listed as the number one college in the new Kiplinger report. In North Carolina, there is one board for higher education. The centergy is around the flagship, my alma mater, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
When Louisiana’s constitutional convention was held in 1973, LSU was nowhere to be found, as it should have been, to lobby for a single college board. So now we have every college in the current four board system pushing to be a little LSU.
James Carville dismissed many of the state’s problems by saying that Louisiana is not just a way of life, “It’s a culture all its own.” But every state has its own special ambiance, or way of life that is unique. Maybe the others don’t throw Mardi Gras beads and use Tabasco sauce but saying Louisiana is “special in its own way” is a cop out if its leadership has not made the commitment to accentuate its best and brightest.
Louisiana is at a crossroads. If the state’s leadership does not work to protect and promote a high degree of excellent achievement at LSU, the best and the brightest students will leave the state or settle for a less challenging education offering them few opportunities in the future. The whole state will suffer from such a loss.
“Half the crowd in Tiger Stadium on a Saturday night can’t even spell LSU.”
— James Carville
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.