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Franklin Police Chief Sabria McGuire reported the following arrests:
Chester Barber, 61, of Paul Frederick Street, Luling, was arrested Thursday at 8:48 a.m. on a warrant for St. Charles Parish Sheriff’s Office for charges of simple battery, false imprisonment and theft of a motor vehicle. Barber was booked, processed, and transported to St. Charles Parish Sheriff’s Office.
Sabrina Darby, 20, of Iberia Street, Franklin, was arrested Thursday at 11:29 p.m. on a warrant for 16th Judicial District Court for failure to appear on the charge of theft. Darby was booked, processed, and held with no bond set at the time of press release.
Lonny Baker Sr., 52, of Anderson Street, Franklin, was arrested Friday at 10:40 p.m. on a warrant for 16th Judicial District Court for failure to appear on charges of operating a vehicle while license suspended, operating a vehicle without proper required equipment and possession of marijuana. Baker was booked, processed and released on a $500 bond.
Michelle Brown, 45, of Eighth Street, Franklin, was arrested Saturday at 8:13 a.m. on the charge of domestic abuse battery - second offense. Brown was booked, processed, and transported to St. Mary Parish Law Enforcement Center.
Joshua Dinger, 32, of Palfrey Street, Franklin, was arrested Saturday at 9:12 p.m. on the charge of domestic abuse battery - first offense and on a warrant for probation violation. Dinger was booked, processed and held with no bond at the time of press release.
St. Mary Parish Sheriff Mark Hebert reported the following arrest:
Marquis Brown, 25, of 109 Edward Lane, Jeanerette, was arrested Thursday at 9:09 a.m. on a warrant for failure to appear on the charge of principal to unlawful use of an ID to gain access to a gaming establishment and on a warrant for failure to appear on the charge of illegal use of weapons or dangerous instrumentalities.
A deputy investigating a vehicle crash on Cypriot Road identified a passenger as Brown and located the active warrants for his arrest. The deputy transported Brown to the St. Mary Parish Law Enforcement Center for booking. No bail is set.
Juvenile male, 16, of Berwick was arrested Thursday at 2:25 p.m. on a warrant for the charge of curfew violation.
The warrant was issued after a patrol deputy encountered the juvenile walking after curfew on Clarke Road in Bayou Vista. The juvenile turned himself in at the St. Mary Parish Sheriff’s Office in Morgan City. He was released to a guardian pending juvenile court proceedings.
Amanda Larive, 31, of 410 La. 317, Franklin, was arrested Friday at 5:28 a.m. on the charge of aggravated battery domestic.
A deputy responded to Franklin Foundation Hospital in reference to a male subject who sustained injuries during a battery. The investigation led the deputy to Genevieve Street in Baldwin, where the battery occurred. The deputy found evidence that Larive struck the male victim in the arm with a stick. The victim sought medical attention and was later released from the hospital. Larive was transported to the St. Mary Parish Law Enforcement Center for booking. No bail is set.
Tyeisha Barnes, 23, of 1300 Jole Louis Drive, Port Arthur, Texas was arrested Friday at 8:36 a.m. on a City Court of Morgan City warrant for failure to appear on the charge of simple battery.
Deputies came into contact with Barnes while investigating a disturbance at a business off US 90 in Bayou Vista and located the active warrant for her arrest. Barnes was transported to the St. Mary Parish Law Enforcement Center for booking. She was later transferred to the Morgan City Police Department jail.
Kevin Moore, 36, of 337½ Southeast Blvd., Bayou Vista, was arrested Friday at 5:11 p.m. on a Patterson Police Department warrant for the charge of violation of a protective order.
A deputy came into contact with Moore on Southeast Boulevard in Bayou Vista and located the active warrant for his arrest. Moore was transported to the St. Mary Parish Law Enforcement Center for booking. Moore was released on a $2,500 bond.
Huntar St. Germain, 17, of 194 Shady Grove Drive, Patterson, was arrested Saturday at 9:57 p.m. on a Morgan City Police Department warrant for charges of domestic abuse battery and attempted criminal damage to property.
A deputy came into contact with St. Germain in Amelia and located the active warrant for his arrest. St. Germain was transported to the St. Mary Parish Law Enforcement Center for booking. No bail is set.
Antonio Collins, Jr., 33, of 101 Pluto St., Bayou Vista, was arrested Friday at 2:46 p.m. for criminal damage to property and on a warrant for failure to appear on charges of resisting an officer and criminal trespass.
The warrant for criminal damage to property was issued following a deputy’s investigation at a residence in Bayou Vista. The deputy found evidence that Collins threw items at a victim’s vehicle, causing dents. Collins turned himself in at the St. Mary Parish Law Enforcement Center for booking. Collins was released on a $2,000 bond.
Wallace Williams, 47, of 1147 La. 70, Pierre Part, was arrested Saturday at 10:29 a.m. on a warrant for failure to appear on charges of driving under suspension, expired inspection sticker and possession of open alcoholic beverages in motor vehicles. During booking at the St. Mary Parish Law Enforcement Center, a correctional deputy located the active warrant for Williams’ arrest. No bail is set.
Joseph Perro, 28, of 1012 Oakdale St., Franklin, was arrested Saturday at 8:03 p.m. on a warrant for failure to appear on the charge of possession of Schedule I drugs.
During booking at the St. Mary Parish Law Enforcement Center, a correctional deputy located the active warrant for Perro’s arrest. No bail is set.
Chitimacha Police Chief Hal Hutchinson reported the following arrests:
Scott Louviere, 33, of Jena Street, Charenton, was arrested Friday on charges of driving under suspension and unauthorized use of a movable. He was transported to the parish jail.
An officer patrolling the reservation performed a traffic stop on the vehicle Louviere was driving. During the investigation, Louviere was arrested.
On Friday, officers responded to a tribal business in reference to suspicious activity. After officers made contact with the subjects, the Chitimacha K-9 was deployed and the following were arrested:
Brooklyn Westley, 19, of C L Smith Road, New Iberia, on the charge of possession of marijuana.
Ellijah Westley, 18, of C L Smith Road, New Iberia, on the charge of possession of marijuana.
Both Westleys were released on summons.
Joseph Perro, 28, of Oakdale Street, Franklin was arrested Saturday on the charge of battery of a dating partner. He was transported to the parish jail.
An officer responded to a residence in reference to a fight. During the investigation, it was learned that Perro committed the battery, and he was arrested.

Baldwin’s mayor and aldermen Thursday heard from local visitors at the regular monthly meeting.
The first visitor to address the council was Jennifer Lanceslin, with the St. Mary Parish Red Ribbon Committee, asking the board to proclaim Oct. 20-29 St. Mary Parish Red Ribbon Drug Free Week to “Lead the way to a Drug Free USA”, in the words of Abby Dugas, author of the Red Ribbon 2017-2018 campaign slogan.
“I ask that we all try to participate in some of the events,” Lanceslin said.
Also, Director of Outreach Ministries at UMCOR Sager Brown Benny Druilhet reminded the council that Sager Brown will be celebrating its 150th year of operation Oct. 21 at the Sager Brown campus in Baldwin, from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
Also Thursday, Tony Gibson appeared before the council to air grievances concerning the age and upkeep of the town’s water meters.
According to Gibson, the water bills generated from the readings on the meters are questionable, based on the age and condition of the meters.
The council heard his grievances and made it clear that the veracity of the meters could be looked into.
In other business, it was announced that Franklin will hold its annual Harvest Moon Festival Oct. 28, in downtown Franklin.
St. Mary Parish Special Olympics Champions’ Bowling Tournament will take place Oct. 27 at Charlie’s Lanes, Morgan City, with opening ceremonies beginning at 10 a.m.
The Baldwin Neighborhood Service Center will host a senior seminar Oct. 19. Franklin Foundation Hospital representatives will be on hand to speak about breast cancer awareness.
Several resolutions were brought before the council, for vote.
The first was a capital outlay resolution for the 2017-2018 application for $683,680 from the state, to be used for waste water treatment repairs and upkeep of the waste water system of Baldwin, including the erosion of the levees surrounding the waste water treatment pond.
A resolution was amended for a $20,000 grant from the state for funds to repair the town’s fire substation. The funds were requested to be rerouted from its original intended purpose, and to be made available to the betterment of the town’s water treatment and sewage plant, instead. The 2014-2015 CWEF grant from the state was resolved to change in accordance with the movement of the $20,000, leaving $9,012 to be allocated for the like purpose of repairing the town’s water system.
A $30,000 search grant application was voted in resolution to survey and conduct a study of the engineering particulars necessary to repairing Baldwin’s water system.
Baldwin’s Volunteer Fire Department rendered a town fire hydrant refurbishment packet, to propose that monies from the LGAP grant be apportioned for the purpose.
A FEMA grant and a Safer grant were proposed to be utilized for the recruitment and retention of volunteer fire department personnel. The BVFD also reminded the council of the availability to the citizenry, of free smoke alarms. The phone number for inquiries is 337-923- 6093.
It was announced, after acceptance of the resolution, that Baldwin’s Beautification Club will hold their annual Bucket Drive on Nov. 18.
It was also announced prior to acceptance, that the town’s Halloween trick or treat hours will be from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m., on Oct. 31.
The meeting closed on the business of the police department resolution of a cooperative endeavor agreement with Patterson, for the loaning of cruiser units. The resolution was accepted.

BATON ROUGE — Louisiana’s Republican elected officials have targeted the Medicaid program as a behemoth that will suck up every available dollar if the state, which is struggling with continuing financial problems, doesn’t get it under control.

By fulfilling one of his major campaign promises, Gov. John Bel Edwards has given them more ammunition for their grousing, by boosting the program’s costs dramatically with his Medicaid expansion.

As in most budget debates, the numbers are complex — and can be bent to fit multiple narratives, depending on who’s doing the talking.

Republicans have called Medicaid unsustainable, suggested fraud is prevalent and criticized the program as offering too many free services. GOP U.S. Sen. John Kennedy lambasted Medicaid spending levels last week in a letter to the Democratic governor.

“He knows this is unacceptable and we can’t afford this, and what galls me is there’s absolutely no effort to control costs,” Kennedy said in an interview. “It’s just, ‘Give me more. Give me more. Give me more.’”

Edwards’ spokesman Richard Carbo responded that Kennedy was “spreading misinformation” and trying to strip health coverage from the needy while receiving a taxpayer-financed salary and benefits of his own.

“Sen. Kennedy believes Medicaid is a bad thing, and that the elderly, disabled and working poor people of Louisiana should be on their own,” Carbo said in a statement. “However, to hundreds of thousands of Louisianans without any other access to medical care, Medicaid is a chance at a better life, to find a job or fight an illness.”

Medicaid is an easy punching bag because of its sheer size.

Louisiana’s Medicaid budget is $12.5 billion in the current 2017-18 financial year, 44 percent of the total $28.3 billion state operating budget. Five years ago the program cost $7.7 billion.

That’s a growth of 62 percent.

The money isn’t coming straight from state coffers. Three-quarters of the Medicaid budget is financed by the federal government.

Most of the recent spike came when Edwards embraced the Medicaid expansion, giving government-financed health insurance to mainly the working poor, as allowed under President Barack Obama’s health law. Nearly 440,000 people have been added to Louisiana’s Medicaid rolls.

“We’re buying something very important with that money, which is health care for half-a-million people who were stuck in an outdated, inefficient charity hospital system model before the expansion,” said Jan Moller, director of the Louisiana Budget Project. Louisiana has 1.6 million
people receiving health coverage through Medicaid, more than one-third of the state’s population. Besides the expansion enrollees, other Medicaid recipients are elderly, disabled, pregnant women or children.

Medicaid spending grew by $1 billion this year alone, driven largely by the expansion.

Again, there’s a nuance: State general fund spending on the program actually dropped by nearly $400 million.

The federal government is paying most of the Medicaid expansion cost. Louisiana is paying a share that eventually increases to 10 percent. Lawmakers also passed items to help cover the state’s costs, including a tax hike charged on health maintenance organizations known as HMOs.

Louisiana also is saving millions by tapping into enhanced federal financing for coverage it already provided to the poor and uninsured that is now available because of Medicaid expansion.

State spending growth on Medicaid over the past 15 years actually is below the national average, about 6.7 percent compared with 7 percent nationally, according to a nonpartisan House Fiscal Division analysis. Kennedy said it doesn’t matter if the spending boom is financed by state or federal money.

Kennedy’s letter to the governor recommend that Louisiana try to rein in Medicaid costs by enacting work-requirements on some childless, able-bodied Medicaid recipients; requiring drug testing for some applicants; or charging monthly premiums or co-pays.
Melinda Deslatte has covered Louisiana politics for The Associated Press since 2000. Follow her at http://twitter.com/melindadeslatte

The Daily Review/Ivory Bibbins
Assistant Chief Joe Marino alongside Capt. Curley Dupuis and Operator Austin Ratcliff of the Morgan City Fire Department visited Presbyterian Pre-K on Friday to show support during their Fire Prevention Week. Pre-K teacher Lisa Breaux and Principal Linda Sue Webster stood by while Marino, Dupuis and Rafcliff gave demonstrations on what it means to be a firefighter.