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Two people were arrested Tuesday on La. 182 in Morgan City after one of them allegedly discharged a gun while he was intoxicated, Police Chief James Blair said in a news release. No one was hit by the gunfire.
—Brandon Reeves, 23, of Mockingbird Lane in Walker, was arrested at 11:31 p.m. Tuesday on charges of disturbing the peace intoxicated and discharge of a firearm in the city limits.
—Angel Strickland, 25, of Honey Lane in Morgan City, was arrested at 11:31 p.m. Tuesday on a charge of disturbing the peace intoxicated.
Patrol officers responded to a business in the area of La. 182 in regard to shots being fired. Officers arrived, and Reeves was identified as a suspect and found to be in an intoxicated state, Blair said. Reeves stated that he obtained a firearm from his vehicle and discharged it. Police found evidence corroborating Reeves’ account, Blair said.
During the investigation, a woman became involved and began yelling and using profanity. The female was identified as Strickland, who was found to be in an intoxicated state, Blair said. Reeves and Strickland were jailed.
Blair reported responding to 34 complaints and reported the following arrests:
—Kelly M. Verdun, 46, of Lincoln Drive in Patterson, was arrested at 2:37 p.m. Tuesday on a charge of domestic abuse battery.
—Stacy G. Verdun, 47, of Lincoln Drive in Patterson, was arrested at 2:37 p.m. Tuesday on a charge of domestic abuse battery
Patrol officers responded to a business in the area of Greenwood Street in regard to a domestic disturbance. Officers arrived where Kelly Verdun and Stacy Verdun were identified as the parties involved in the dispute, Blair said. Officers learned that the duo had struck each other while engaged in an argument, Blair said. Both suspects were jailed.
—Tagger M. Rosson, 20, of Dawn Drive in Morgan City, was arrested at 3:30 p.m. Tuesday on a warrant for probation violation
Rosson was located and arrested at the police department and arrested on a city court warrant. Rosson was jailed.
—Joseph J. Thibodeaux, 19, of Wes Ivert Street in Franklin, was arrested at 3:38 p.m. Tuesday on a warrant for probation violation.
Thibodeaux was located and arrested at the police department on a city court warrant. Thibodeaux was jailed.
—Erick Deleon, 23, of Duke Street in Morgan City, was arrested at 4:15 p.m. Tuesday on a warrant charging him with contempt of court.
Deleon was located and arrested at the police department on a city court warrant. Deleon was jailed.
—Magan R. Gaudet, 26, of Parro Lane in Berwick, was arrested at 3:10 a.m. Wednesday on a warrant charging her with two counts of failure to appear to pay a fine.
Gaudet was located and arrested at the police department on a city court warrant. Gaudet was jailed.
St. Mary Parish Sheriff Mark Hebert reported responding to 34 complaints in the parish and reported the following arrests relating to east St. Mary Parish:
—John Buck Jr., 30, of Ricohoc Drive in Ricohoc, was arrested at 2:33 p.m. Tuesday on a warrant for failure to appear on the charge of criminal neglect of family.
A deputy assigned to the warrants section located Buck at the St. Mary Parish Courthouse in Franklin on the warrant. Buck was jailed with bail set at $2,140.76
—Nathan Lovell III, 24, of Riverview Drive in Patterson, was arrested at 11:08 p.m. Tuesday on a charge of possession of marijuana and on a warrant for failure to appear on the charges of criminal damage to property and criminal trespassing.
Lovell was also arrested on a warrant from Assumption Parish for failure to appear on the charge of theft. A deputy located Lovell at a home on Ledoux Circle in Patterson on the warrants. While searching Lovell, the deputy located a small amount of marijuana, Hebert said. Lovell was transported to the St. Mary Parish Law Enforcement Center for booking. Bail is set at $12,200.
—Magan Gaudet, 26, of Ledoux Circle in Patterson, was arrested at 11:08 p.m. Tuesday on a warrant for unauthorized use of a motor vehicle.
A deputy went to Ledoux Circle to locate a person wanted on warrants. The deputy came into contact with Gaudet and located the active warrant for her arrest. Gaudet was jailed with bail set at $15,000.
Patterson Police Chief Patrick LaSalle reported the following arrest:
—Tiffany K. Vice, 31, of Charlotte Drive in Patterson, was arrested at 8:18 p.m. Tuesday on charges of possession of marijuana first offense, possession of drug paraphernalia, possession of a Schedule II drug and three counts of possession of Schedule IV drugs. Vice was jailed with no bail set yet.
Page Breaux of St. Gabriel and Bill Land of Lafayette fired a nine-under par 63 Sunday to win the 2017 Louisiana Golf Association Senior Four-Ball Championship by seven strokes over Kevin Morvant of Houma and Chad Soileau of Ville Platte at The Atchafalaya at Idlewild near Patterson.
This is the second LGA Senior Four-Ball Championship for Breaux and Land, although in their previous victories, they each had a different partner. Breaux and Land finished with a 36-hole total of seventeen-under par 127, the second-lowest score in LGA Senior Four-Ball history. They now hold the largest margin of victory record at seven shots.
For the weekend, Breaux and Land carded 18 birdies, 17 pars and one bogey.
Land got their final round off to a good start by making a par at the par 4 1st hole. Breaux then contributed a birdie at the par 3 2nd hole (181 yards).
Land then added another birdie at the par 5 3rd hole.
After two more pars, Land made back-to-back birdies at the par 5 6th and the par 5 7th.
After Land parred the 8th hole, Breaux made a birdie at the par 4 9th hole, and the formidable duo made the turn at five-under par 31.
Breaux started his back nine the way he finished the front nine, with a birdie 3.
Land added a par at the par 3 11th hole, and Breaux added another birdie on No. 12.
The 2017 Champions’ only bogey of the tournament came at the par 5 13th hole.
Land responded with a par at the par 4 14th, then Breaux made back-to-back birdies on holes 15 and 16.
Land tacked on another birdie at the par 4 17th hole, and they cruised in with a par on the par 4 18th to secure the win.
Rounding out the top 5 were:
No. 3. Robert Shelton and Ben Thibeaux of Lafayette (136), T4. David Duhon of Breaux Bridge and Larry Wood of Lafayette (137), T4. Brad Mosing and Dennis Smith of Lafayette (137).
The 2017 LGA Senior 4-Ball Championship was played at approximately 6,600 yards.
The LGA also conducted a Super Senior Championship for participants ages 65 and older, playing from a forward set of tees at 6,000 yards.
Henry Cole of Monroe and Wayne Peddy of Ruston won the Super Senior Division with a 36-hole total of 13-under par 131. Glenn Granger and Ben Holcombe of Sulphur finished second at 10-under par 134.
Next year’s championship will be held at The Bluffs on Thompson Creek in St. Francisville.
Thibodaux police have arrested a Morgan City man who's accused of attacking an ex-girlfriend, knocking her unconscious, and striking a child in the face during the incident, Police Chief Bryan Zeringue said in a news release. Police had asked for the public's help last week to find the suspect.
Omar Harvey, 38, of the 500 block of Egle Street in Morgan City, was arrested on charges of domestic abuse battery with child endangerment, send-degree battery and two counts of cruelty to juveniles with force or violence.
At 9:31 p.m. Sept. 16, Harvey allegedly attacked an ex-girlfriend punching her in the face which caused her to fall back and hit her head on an ice machine, knocking her unconscious and injuring her tailbone, Zeringue said.
One of the victim’s preteen children was then allegedly struck in the face by Harvey, knocking the child to the ground. The officer saw blood on the child’s face as well as swelling, Zeringue said. When Harvey struck the preteen child, he scratched the finger of another of his ex-girlfriend's preteen children, Zeringue said.
Upon further investigation, Police learned that the victim and Harvey once shared a relationship, but recently ended it. Harvey went to the victim’s home to drop off some of the victim’s belongings, but an argument ensued because the victim was not interested in getting back into a relationship with Harvey, Zeringue said.
The victim and her children left the home to go wait on someone to pick up her and her children. While waiting, one of the children yelled for their mother to run as Harvey rounded the corner of the building. This is when Harvey allegedly assaulted the victims.
Harvey was seen getting into a tan SUV and leaving the area. Warrants were obtained for Omar Harvey’s arrest.
NEW YORK — Tell your bae or your bestie: The mobile game Words With Friends is adding thousands of pop culture words as part of its largest dictionary update in the game’s eight-year history.
Game developer Zynga told The Associated Press on Tuesday that it is adding 50,000 internet slang words, including BFF, fitspo, delish, FOMO, hangry, kween, smize, TFW, turnt, werk, yas — as well as bae and bestie.
Gurpreet Singh, director of product for the Scrabble-esque game, said Words With Friends players are constantly reaching out — on social media and in the game itself, which has a submission feature — with words they’d like added to the dictionary. He said Zynga gets 5,000 suggestions a day, which formed the basis of the update.
“For us, it’s a way to listen to our players and also have a bit of fun,” Singh said. “The words that they’re requesting are really a reflection of what they’re doing in their day-to-day life and how they communicate with their loved ones.”
The multiplayer phone-friendly crossword game has been installed more than 200 million times since 2009, according to Zynga. This year, an estimated 57 million active Words With Friends games are being played around the world at any given time.
The 50,000 new words will be added to the existing dictionary of 173,000 words, which is always evolving. The game earlier this year added “covfefe” after President Donald Trump introduced the mysterious term and it spread like wildfire on social media, while twerk and selfie were added in 2014.
Singh said there’s no hard-and-fast rule for what constitutes a word and what doesn’t. The team leans toward ones that are inclusive and popular.
“We try to be very holistic in our thinking,” he said. “It’s a game based on connecting and if we feel our values are being adhered to by the word that we’re adding, then even if it’s not a proper word — as a standard dictionary would consider it to be — we would still go ahead and add those.”
Does Singh have some favorites? Yes, the high-point offering queso — “anytime I can use a ‘q,’ I’m happy,” he said — as well as turnt, which is a variation on “turn up” that means getting excited.
—Online: https://www.zynga.com/games/words-friends
Q: A huge portion of my income goes toward rent, and I already have a roommate and am not able to move right now. How can I manage other financial priorities, like paying off debt, with such high housing costs?
A: For some readers, this question might summon a vision of 20-somethings in New York or San Francisco eating avocado toast in sleek, outrageously priced apartments. But not all cash-strapped renters live in major cities. And not all city dwellers struggling to afford rent lead lavish lifestyles.
In 2015, almost half of all U.S. renters were cost-burdened, meaning they spent more than 30 percent of their income on housing, according to the Joint Center for Housing Studies of Harvard University. That’s largely because earnings haven’t grown at the same pace as housing costs. In New York, for instance, renters’ median household incomes rose 6.6 percent from 2005 to 2015, while median gross rents shot up 18.3 percent, according to the NYU Furman Center.
Maybe moving to a different apartment or city would be too expensive now. In the meantime, try these budgeting strategies so you can pay the rent, then make room to build savings and reduce debt.
FIRST COMES SAVING
The 50/30/20 budget recommends spending no more than 50 percent of your earnings on necessities like housing, food and transportation; 30 percent on wants; and 20 percent on debt repayment and savings. But when you enter your information into a budget calculator, rent might take up nearly the entire “necessities” category. That means you’ll likely have to cut back on your “wants” — but don’t scrimp on savings and debt repayment.
Saving now means building a cushion that prevents you from taking on more debt and that can help you afford to buy a place someday. To start, make sure you’ve got at least $500 in a rainy-day fund. That helps you avoid charging unexpected expenses to a credit card.
Next up is saving for retirement. If your employer offers a match on 401(k) contributions — say, up to 3 percent of your income — designate at least enough to capture the match.
THEN COMES SLASHING DEBT
Once emergency and retirement savings are on track, you’re ready to pay extra toward debt.
One way is to prioritize what to pay down based on interest rate. Aim to eliminate credit card balances first, which often have the highest rates. If you still have money left over, add to your rainy-day fund so it covers three to six months of essential expenses, and increase retirement savings.
CUT OTHER EXPENSES
Sure, you can try to cut back on boozy brunches or buying books to free up some cash. But limiting larger-ticket items, such as car-related costs, may get you further, says Eric Tyson, author of “Personal Finance for Dummies.”
The average loan payment for a new car was $509 a month in the first quarter of 2017, according to credit reporting agency Experian. You’ll save money by buying used, and by shopping around for cheaper car insurance. Often, larger cities have both pricey rents and solid public transportation. If that’s true of yours, take advantage of the latter by avoiding car ownership for now.
Searching for a better cell phone plan might also yield savings. Carriers often change their offerings, and plan prices are more and more competitive, Tyson says.
RE-EVALUATE YOUR CITY
Finally, think long term. Rent doesn’t have to be the expense you organize everything around forever. Every year, take stock of whether your location makes sense for your career, says Jessica Landis, assistant vice president of financial planning at Janney Montgomery Scott , a financial services firm headquartered in Philadelphia.
You may live in a place that has lots of opportunities for professional advancement.
“However, put a time frame on the high expense,” she said. “If the area or position is no longer serving you, consider looking for other options.”
—“Ask Brianna” is a column from NerdWallet for 20-somethings or anyone else starting out. I’m here to help you manage your money, find a job and pay off student loans — all the real-world stuff no one taught us how to do in college. Send your questions about postgrad life to askbrianna@nerdwallet.com.
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Two nursing schools in the region recently received a total of over $300,000 in donations from a Morgan City-based foundation after the board decided to dissolve the organization.
Lakewood Foundation Inc. was formed in 1965 to acquire and maintain buildings and property for the promotion of medical services and health care within Wards 6 and 9 of St. Mary Parish.
The foundation board recently voted to dissolve the foundation and donate its remaining $310,000 to the nursing programs at Nicholls State University and the University of Louisiana at Lafayette. Each university will receive $155,000, according to a news release.
An estimated $1 million in contributions have been made from the foundation in the past 30 years.
Nursing education has been the foundation’s longest funded project.
“One of the main missions of the Lakewood Foundation was encouraging nursing careers to support our area’s hospitals,” Foundation President B.A. “Red” Adams Sr. said in a statement.
The board chose to donate the money to the Nicholls and UL -Lafayette nursing programs because they are the two schools most attended by students from the area who receive their nursing degrees and then return to Teche Regional Medical Center in Morgan City to practice, Adams said.
“It’s a gift that’s going to last,” said Jeremy Becker, executive director of The Nicholls Foundation.
Nicholls State officials plan to invest the funds and use earnings only on the investments, he said.
“The impact is going to be seen for years and years and years to come,” Becker said.
The dean of the nursing school will be able to the funds on a yearly basis as needs arise, particularly to keep up with the latest technology to help students in their careers, Becker said.
“This very generous gift will be used to provide the UL-Lafayette Department of Nursing additional resources to improve the educational experience of our nursing students,” said Gail Poirrier, dean and professor of Louisiana-Lafayette’s College of Nursing and Allied Health Professions, in a statement.
“We are very grateful to the Lakewood Foundation for this investment in future nurses who will provide excellence in the delivery of health care in the Acadiana region and beyond,” Poirrier said.
In 1973, area residents approved a 10-mill ad valorem tax to finance a bond issuance for construction of the current seven- story Teche Regional Medical Center, formerly known as Lakewood Medical Center.
In December 2001, St. Mary Parish Hospital Service District 2 executed a lease agreement for Province Healthcare Corp. to begin operating Teche Regional Medical Center. Province merged with LifePoint Hospitals in 2005.
Through the years, the foundation undertook numerous upgrade projects for Lakewood Medical Center in addition to funding nursing and medical scholarships thru various fund-raising efforts. Supporters for the project were from the Tri-City area as well as various oil companies in New Orleans, Lafayette, Houston and Dallas area.
Lakewood Medical Center served the emergency needs of many Gulf of Mexico offshore operators. Since these individuals provided no tax base from which the hospital could operate, they generously participated in the fundraisers to help keep the medical facility strong, the release stated.
Adams, who assumed the foundation presidency from longtime president, Frank J. Domino, in 1986, stated that the foundation has had no operating or administrative expenses whatsoever. Ninety-nine percent of the contributions received were utilized for hospital improvements, as well as nursing and medical scholarships, he stated.
Members of the foundation say they are proud of the foundation’s contribution to the community during past 52 years and feel the founders would approve of the management, progress, and prosperity of their original endeavor, Adams said.
Other foundation members include Vice President R.E. “Bob” Miller, Treasurer Greg Roussel, Secretary Nick LaRocca, Scholarship Chairwoman Jodi Adams, Ben Adams, F.C. “Butch” Felterman, Thane Aucoin, Bill New, Carl Blum, Mike Domino, Sharon Howell, Michael Patterson, and Dr. Charles Parsiola.
The Franklin Hornets and the West St. Mary Wolfpack will clashing in the renewed version of Fire on the Bayou on Friday while the Hanson Memorial Tigers will host the Vermilion Catholic Eagles in District 7-1A action and the unbeaten Centerville Bulldogs will take their show on the road Friday in a non-district contest.
Both Franklin and West St. Mary are currently 0-3 on the season and looking for their first win of the 2017 campaign. Friday’s Fire on the Bayou will not only mark the renewing of the friendly rivalry between the neighboring schools, but it will also mark the opening of the 2017 District 7-2A season for both Franklin and West St. Mary squads.
According to Franklin Coach Brandon Small his Hornets will host the West St. Mary Wolfpack in the friendly rivalry known as Fire on the Bayou in a must-win situation.
“It’s a must-win situation and we have to approach it like that,” Small stated. Both teams are looking forward to playing the Fire on the Bayou game which hasn’t been played in years.” It’s the renewing of a rivalry but it’s also the district opener so it’s a very important game for us.”
West St. Mary Coach C. J. Armelin feels good about his team’s chances in the renewing of the Fire on the Bayou Classic which was last played in 2012.
“I feel good about my team’s chances after playing larger schools with good depth over the past three games,” Armelin said. “We were forced to play our without key players due to injuries. Now our guys have healed and we are looking forward to bringing back the rivalry while also bringing back the tradition of Fire on the Bayou where communities and families will be coming back together.”
Coach Armelin knows his Wolfpack can’t overlook the Franklin Hornets in Friday’s rivalry contest.
“Franklin will be ready as Friday’s game will be a rivalry game,” he said. “I can’t overlook Franklin because rivalry games are always intense.’
Franklin and West St. Mary clash in the Fire on the Bayou contest on Friday at 7 p.m. at J. C. Dry Stadium in the District 7-2A opener.
VERMILION CATHOLIC at HANSON MEMORIAL
Fresh off their first victory of the season under Coach Chris Sanders, the Hanson Memorial Tigers will play host to the Vermilion Catholic Eagles on Friday in District 7-1A action at McCloskey Field.
Hanson (1-2) earned a 26-19 road victory over the Westminster Crusaders last week in Opelousas.
Hanson will play host to the Vermilion Catholic Eagles on Friday at 7 p.m. in the 2017 District 7-1A opener at McCloskey Field.
CENTERVILLE at ECOLE CLASSIQUE
The undefeated Centerville Bulldogs will put their 3-0 record on the line Friday while traveling to play Ecole Classique in a non-district game at 7 p.m.
The Centerville Bulldogs (3-0) rolled past the Delcambre Panthers last week for their third win in a row.
Centerville (3-0) will travel to face Ecole Classique on Friday in non-district action with kickoff set for 7 p.m.
Tyra Terrell Yarber, 45, a resident of Verdunville, La. and native of Franklin, La., passed away on Sunday, September 17, 2017 at 7:28 a.m. at his residence.
Tyra was a passionate man that gave his all to his community through his passion for the Arts, seeking or requesting nothing in return. From his humble days with the Franklin High Thespian Society or Franklin High School Band and continuing through his tenure with the Teche Theatre for the Performing Arts he was always in front of the stage directing, guiding, counseling, nurturing and pushing you to give your very best, or next to you performing on stage giving a memorable performance. As President of the Teche Theatre for the Performing Arts Board, Tyra ensured that the theatre was a premier Arts venue in Acadiana that continued to perform cutting edge productions. From its inception, he was committed to the theatre having an annual African American production within its season and Summer Musical that usually allowed more than 30 kids and adults from across Acadiana to showcase their talents and have the same opportunities to experience the passion he shared on a daily basis. Tyra was an educator that believed in teaching the student as a whole as opposed to just teaching a subject. It was his belief that if he touched the lives of all throughout his daily life of constantly giving that they would find the opportunity to accomplish their dreams. This school year he had finally begun his dream of becoming a talented theatre teacher for the St. Mary Parish School Board Talented Program, working with the brightest students across our parish. Within just a few weeks he has touched the hearts and minds of those students unlike anyone before. Through it all, he ensured that families, including his own, worked hard and performed within his second home of the Teche Theatre for the Performing Arts. Logging countless volunteer hours year after year, show after show for the past 18 years he truly left a giant mark on the community of Franklin and throughout Acadiana.
Tyra will lie instate for public visitation on Saturday September 23, 2017 in the Teche Theater, 501 Main Street Franklin, La. from 11 a.m. until the beginning of a Memorial Tribute Celebration at 1 p.m. Ed “Tiger” Verdin will serve as the Master of Ceremony.
Memories of Tyra will forever remain in the hearts of his wife, Germaine Bogan Yarber; their children, Noah Alyxander Yarber, Aryn McKenzie Yarber, and Cameryn Milan Yarber all of Verdunville, La.; his mother, Claudette (Harvey Cathey) Yarber of Franklin, La.; three brothers, Nicholas (Franshall) Navarre of Youngsville, La., Quentin M. Ina of New Orleans, La., and James M. Ina of Lafayette, La.; two sisters, Kavita A. Wagner of Louisville, KY and Sharon Sorrell-Collins of Franklin, La., Tyra’s furry child, Morocco and a host of nieces, nephews, other relatives and friends.
Tyra was preceded in death by his father, James D. Ina and his maternal grandparents, Nelson and Eldora B. Yarber.
We ask that you continue keeping his family, theatre family and friends in your prayers as they continue trying to process this loss.
Jones Funeral Home of Morgan City-Franklin-Houma-Jeanerette in charge of arrangements.
Visit www.jones-funeral-home.com to send condolences to family.
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