RSS Feed

St. Mary Parish Sheriff’s Office has issued a reminder of holiday crime patterns, and tips on prevention.
SMPSO says that along with the holiday shopping season comes an elevated rate of opportunity for crime.
Vehicle burglary is statutorily defined as the unauthorized entering of a vehicle with the intent to commit theft, and Sheriff Mark Hebert said, “The majority of vehicle burglaries worked by the investigators of our office—are crimes of opportunity involving unlocked vehicles.
“As we continue our community policing efforts to deter crime, we ask for your assistance in eliminating these crimes of opportunity. I strongly urge residents to get into the routine of locking your doors and placing valuables out of sight in a secure location.”
SMPSO also provided three common misconceptions they have noted about vehicle burglaries, along with explanations of how those misconceptions could put the public at risk.
The first misconception is that if the burglars want to get in to a vehicle, they will find a way in.
According to SMPSO, burglaries that involve forced entry, such as the breaking of windows, do not occur randomly. They say that most thieves will not take the time to break in, if there is nothing to tempt them.
SMPSO also says that without a clear goal in sight, a locked vehicle will likely be bypassed by the would-be thief, for an easier target.
It is further emphasized by the SMPSO that one can likely take away a thief’s desire to enter a vehicle, by removing valuables and any signs that there may be something of value in the vehicle—that includes removing: docking stations, charging or connecting cables, garage door openers, empty shopping bags, backpacks and other bags. If valuables must be left in a vehicle, the SMPSO advises to lock them in the trunk.
The second misconception, is the belief that being gone for only a few moments from one’s automobile, does not leave enough time for a theft to occur.
The SMPSO says that it only takes seconds for a thief to steal one’s belongings. A particular common practice that thieves use is that of walking down rows of parked vehicles, pulling on each door to see which ones are unlocked.
SMPSO urges citizens not to leave any window open or cracked open, including vent or wing windows and sunroofs; and never to leave one’s vehicle unattended with the engine running and keys in the ignition.
The third of the three common misconceptions is the view that after a vehicle burglary has occurred, there is no need for the victim to report the crime to police, as the likelihood of catching the thief and retrieving the stolen property, is minimal.
SMPSO wishes to remind citizens that their investigators are skilled in collecting evidence from vehicle burglary scenes, and solving those crimes. They also say that the information a victim has, may aid in solving other crimes under investigation, as well.
Reporting all crimes allows the SMPSO to track criminal trends, respond to those trends and alert the public.
Any suspicious activity should be reported to your local law enforcement agency. Dial 911 in an emergency. The St. Mary Parish Sheriff’s Office can be reached at 337-828-1960 or 985-384-1622.

As road work on U.S. 90 nears completion from Calumet to Berwick, state officials are about to start a two-month project to make roadway repairs from Morgan City to Amelia.

U.S. 90, from the east side of the Atchafalaya River bridge in Morgan City to the west side of the Bayou Boeuf bridge in Amelia, will have alternating lane closures in the east and west lanes beginning at 7 a.m. Tuesday until Jan. 30, 2018, weather permitting, according to a Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development news release.

Alternating lane closures are necessary to allow crews to perform roadway repairs to improve safety.

The road will be open to regular traffic with a 12-foot lane restriction on oversized loads passing through the work zone.

As part of a routine roadway maintenance project, workers will replace asphalt in two areas and regrade the asphalt to eliminate hydroplaning, said state Rep. Sam Jones, D-Franklin.

Additionally, workers will improve the ride along the highway where there was some differential settlement, Jones said.

Officials are also adding rumble strips to reduce crashes due to vehicles running off the roadway, he said.

The outside lane and shoulder on U.S. 90 east, between Duhon Boulevard and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard, will be closed Monday for tree trimming, a news release said.

Additionally, the outside lane and shoulder on U.S. 90 west, between Duhon Boulevard and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard, will be closed Tuesday for tree trimming.

These closures are estimated to take place from 8 a.m. until 4:30 p.m., weather permitting. There are no restrictions for permit loads.

Work to install temporary traffic safety features, known as J-turns, is scheduled to finish by the end of the year. Construction on the J-turns from Calumet to Berwick began in early 2017. The $16.5 million project included construction of 32 J-turns.

The J-turns are intended to reduce the most severe types of vehicle crashes, referred to as T-bone or right-angle crashes, Jones said.

Eventually, state officials plan to build permanent overpasses at Red Cypress Road near Patterson, Southeast Boulevard in Bayou Vista, Thorguson Road in Berwick and Cotten Road in Patterson. Those overpasses will make the J-turns no longer necessary.

Jones said in September that all four overpasses may be in place within the next five to 10 years if the state Legislature prioritizes that work.

Other upcoming road work in the Tri-City area includes repairs on the U.S. 90 E.J. “Lionel” Grizzaffi Bridge, which will be let for bids by the end of 2018, and the La. 182 Long-Allen Bridge, which will be let for bids by the end of 2019, Jones said.

The state has $18 million to repair the Grizzaffi bridge and $16 million to repair the Long-Allen bridge.

NEW YORK — Shoppers rushing to find Fingerlings, the robotic monkeys that are a hot toy this holiday season, say they’ve been fooled into buying fakes through outside sellers on Amazon and Walmart.com.
The real Fingerlings, 6-inch multicolored monkeys, wrap around a finger, move, and make sounds. They usually cost about $15 but are sold out at many stores and websites. And counterfeiters have taken advantage of the shortage using the Amazon and Walmart.com platforms.
Keeping fake or objectionable merchandise off the sites’ third-party marketplaces is a long-standing issue, and toy sellers post warnings to beware of knockoffs, particularly with in-demand toys. In this case, though, the fraudsters have been quite successful: Postings for phony Fingerlings were on Amazon’s best-selling toys list several times in the last two weeks.
Shoppers say they don’t realize they bought knockoffs until they receive toys that don’t move or are poorly made. Counterfeit toys may also present safety issues, one expert said. And some people say they’ve had a hard time getting refunds from the sellers.
“I can’t give this to my grandkid,” said Amy Stepp, who paid $17 on Amazon for what she thought was a real Fingerlings toy.
What she got was a bright pink monkey that didn’t move at all. Instead, it lit up, which the real one doesn’t do. Stepp, who lives in Holden, Louisiana, said the box looked like it had been opened and taped back together again. When she told the seller she wanted to return it, she was told it may a take long time and was offered $10 back. Amazon gave Stepp a full refund after The Associated Press asked about her order, and the company said it will refund those who bought counterfeits if they contact Amazon customer support. Typically, refunds and returns are handled by the seller.
“Amazon does not tolerate fraud and counterfeit,” the company said, adding that it works to improve the way it detects and prevents fakes “from reaching our marketplace.”
Stepp is still looking to buy authentic ones online for her 2- and 4-year-old granddaughters for Christmas. “I am reading fine print from now on,” she said.
WowWee, the company that makes authentic Fingerlings, said it is aware of the counterfeit problem. The company sued 165 counterfeiters last month, and CEO Richard Yanofsky said the company has notified customs officials around the world to try and stop fakes coming from China, where the authentic ones are also made. WowWee’s website warns visitors about buying from third-party sellers, and “strongly” advises them to only make purchases labeled “sold & shipped” by Amazon.com or Walmart.com.
“We know Fingerlings is a high-demand toy, and we’re working very closely with our retail partners to ensure stores are stocked this holiday season,” WowWee said.
Counterfeiters typically focus on products that are sought after, knowing that they can sell them quickly on third-party marketplaces before they get caught, said James Thomson, a partner at Buy Box Experts, a consulting group that helps online sellers with marketing.
“It’s hard for retailers to detect,” Thomson said.
Counterfeiters may bypass safety standards, and the knockoffs could contain lead, have small parts that are choking hazards or have sharp edges, said Richard Gottlieb, a consultant at Global Toy Experts.
“The biggest danger is that it’s an unsafe toy,” he said.
Eva Veilleux of Danvers, Massachusetts, paid $66 for what she thought were three real Fingerlings on Walmart.com for a holiday fundraising auction for her 18-year-old grandson’s school. When they showed up, the brand wasn’t on the box, the packaging looked like it had been crushed and the instructions inside were only in Chinese.
“I knew right away it wasn’t authentic,” said Veilleux.
Wal-Mart Stores Inc. said it takes these issues “very seriously,” has removed sellers from its marketplace and is offering customers refunds.
Veilleux said the seller refunded only half of what she paid. She later bought authentic Fingerlings through a seller on Facebook. “Live and learn,” she said.

The Christmas lights were on Thursday night, draped across the Spirit of Morgan City shrimp boat in the Brashear Avenue median. Marcus Johnson, shown with mother Delia Walker and Mayor Frank "Boo" Grizzaffi, threw the switch that lit the lights.

The Daily Review Bill Decker