Edward “Ed” Paul Jr. passed away Tuesday at his residence in Franklin.
He was a veteran of the United States Air Force, and a staunch supporter of racial equality and desegregation during the tumultuous civil rights era and one of the founders of Teche Action Clinic.
Paul’s full obituary can be found on the "Obituaries" section of this site.
The U.S. Coast Guard Marine Safety Unit Morgan City joined the St. Mary Parish Sheriff’s Office Marine Section and K-9 Unit to conduct a water patrol operation focusing on the enforcement of state and local boating regulations and promoting safe boating practices. Above is Lt. Nick Rogers, and the sheriff’s water patrol boat is shown below.
LSU’s Louisiana Animal Disease Diagnostic Lab has confirmed a West Nile positive sentinel chicken within the city limits of Franklin.
Jessie Boudreaux, Cajun Mosquito Control, the contractor in the local area, said the company now following the cdc expanded transmission protocol measures for West Nile virus in this area.
Residents are encouraged to wear insect repellant, preferably one containing DEET. Always read repellant labels carefully, especially for younger children. Also, try to wear light colored, long sleeve clothing and socks.
Repair or replace broken screens on windows and doors, and avoid using perfumes or colognes. Residents should remove any standing water around their homes or businesses. Clogged rain gutters and pet water bowls can produce thousands of mosquitoes per week and something as small as a coke can or bottle cap can produce a brood of mosquitoes. Please remove any stagnant water.
Avoiding mosquitoes and their peak activity times of dusk and dawn is highly recommended, but if one must be outside, please wear a repellant. Personal protection and yard sanitation is recommended and encouraged.
During the evening hours ULV truck-mounted sprayers will be assigned to spray the City of Franklin in an effort to reduce/maintain the vector population below critical levels as noted in the CDC expanded protocol measures. Spraying will be conducted for three consecutive evenings in the affected areas, weather permitting.
The efficacy of these truck spraying operations will be determined through the use of Gravid traps that are scheduled for operation immediately following the completion of the mosquito control activities. The number of mosquitoes collected will serve to quantify the adult population and provide specimens to be submitted for testing at Louisiana Animal Disease Diagnostic Lab.
Links with helpful information are provided through the website at: cajunmosquitocontrol.com.
A 31-year-old man was booked on battery and false imprisonment charges after he repeatedly struck a woman’s head against a wall at a Bayou Vista home, St. Mary Parish Sheriff Mark Hebert said in a news release.
—John Williams III, 31, no address given, was arrested at 9:48 a.m. Sunday on charges of second-degree battery, domestic abuse battery and false imprisonment.
Deputies responded to a call for service about a possible battery at a home in Bayou Vista. Deputies located a female victim with severe injuries to her head and face inside the home. The victim was transported to Teche Regional Medical Center for treatment.
A detective developed Williams as a suspect in the battery. Deputies located Williams riding a bicycle in Morgan City and detained him. During the investigation, the detective found evidence that Williams repeatedly struck the victim’s head against a wall and refused to allow her to leave the home, Hebert said. Williams was jailed with no bail set.
Hebert reported responding to 124 complaints and reported the following arrests in east St. Mary Parish:
—Toni Bourgeois, 35, of Verdun Lane in Verdunville, was arrested at 5:40 a.m. Saturday on charges of criminal damage to property.
A deputy was dispatched to a report of a disturbance at a home on Verdun Lane. While speaking with the people involved, the deputy found that Bourgeois cut the tires on the victim’s vehicle during an argument between the two, Hebert said. Bourgeois was booked into jail and released on $250 bail.
—Drew Baugher, 27, of Rizzo Street in Patterson, was arrested at 12:34 p.m. Saturday on a warrant for operating a vehicle while intoxicated, operating a careless operation of a motor vehicle and operating a vehicle with a suspended driver’s license.
A deputy responded to a report of reckless driver moving too slowly on U.S. 90 in the Ricohoc area. The deputy conducted a traffic stop, spoke with Baugher, the driver, and located the active warrant for his arrest. The warrant was issued following a deputy’s investigation into a single vehicle crash on U.S. 90 in Siracusa on Sept. 11, Hebert said.
The deputy collected evidence that Baugher was under the influence of a drug while operating the vehicle at the time of the crash, Hebert said. The deputy also found that Baugher was driving with a suspended license. Baugher was booked into jail and released on $4,000 bail.
Morgan City Police Chief James Blair reported responding to 106 calls and reported the following arrests:
—William J. Allen, 46, of Everett Street in Morgan City, was arrested at 3 a.m. Friday on charges of DWI first offense and general speed law violation.
Patrol officers observed a vehicle being operated in the area of La. 182 traveling at a high rate of speed, Blair said. A stop was initiated, and Allen was identified as the operator of the vehicle. Allen was found to be in an intoxicated state, Blair said. Allen performed poorly on a field sobriety test and registered 0.086 grams-percent blood alcohol content on a chemical test, Blair said. Allen was jailed.
—Denise M. Garrett, 39, of Egle Street in Morgan City, was arrested at 1:30 p.m. Friday on a warrant charging her with simple assault.
Garrett was located and arrested at the police department on a warrant. The warrant stems from an April 26 investigation in which Garret allegedly threatened the victim, Blair said. Later the victim came to the police department wishing to pursue charges at which time warrants were prepared for Garrett’s arrest, Blair said. Garrett was jailed.
—Silva Doblado-Flores, 25, of Railroad Avenue in Morgan City, was arrested at 2:08 p.m. Friday on charges of careless operation of a motor vehicle and no driver’s license.
Patrol officers responded to the area of Railroad Avenue in regard to a crash. Officers arrived, and Doblado-Flores was identified as the operator of one of the vehicles involved. Police found evidence that Doblado-Flores operated her vehicle in a careless manner, which caused the crash, Blair said. She also did not have valid driver’s license and was jailed.
—Travis L. Gilmore, 25, of Leo Drive in Patterson, was arrested at 12:18 a.m. Saturday on a Lafourche Parish Sheriff’s Office warrant charging him with DWI second offense. Gilmore was located and arrested in the area of U.S. 90 on a warrant. Gilmore was jailed.
—Sidney L. Wainwright, 21, of Third Street in Morgan City, was arrested at 8 a.m. Saturday on a charge of simple battery.
—Janna Gilmore, 31, of Arcemont Lane in Morgan City, was arrested at 8 a.m. Saturday on a charge of simple battery
Correctional officers responded to a cell block in the city jail. Investigators found that Wainwright and Gilmore were involved in an altercation and began to strike each other, Blair said. Both Wainwright and Gilmore were booked on the charges.
Patterson Police Chief Patrick LaSalle reported the following arrest:
—James Knight, 48, of Andrew Street in Patterson, was arrested at 11:21 a.m. Saturday on a charge of violation of a protective order. Knight was released on $2,500 bail.
Franklin Police Chief Sabria McGuire reported the following arrests relating to east St. Mary Parish:
—Dominic Campbell, 37, of Leo Drive in Patterson, was arrested at 8:08 p.m. Saturday on a charge of driving under suspension. Campbell was booked into jail and then released on $2,200 bail.
—Robin Jackson, 49, of Beadle Street in Morgan City, was arrested at 3:32 a.m. Sunday on charges of battery on emergency service personnel and disturbing the peace. Jackson was booked into jail and then released to appear in Third Ward City Court.
Berwick Police Chief James Richard reported no arrests.
A 37-year-old Longville man has been charged with aggravated battery after he allegedly followed another man to Verdunville and shot the victim, St. Mary Parish Sheriff Mark Hebert said in a news release.
Bradley Pellerin Jr., 37, of Baldwin Loop in Longville, was arrested at 5:25 p.m. Saturday on charges of aggravated battery, aggravated assault with a firearm and possession of drug paraphernalia.
At 8:19 a.m. Saturday a dispatcher received a call from a St. Mary 911 operator regarding a man who had suffered a gunshot wound to the leg. Deputies located the victim at the Centerville Market off of La. 182 in Centerville. A deputy began rendering medical aid and gathered information that the victim had allegedly been shot by Pellerin, the sheriff said.
Deputies then observed Pellerin riding in a vehicle in the area, stopped the pick-up truck, and detained him. Deputies located a glass pipe used to smoke methamphetamine on him, Hebert said. During the investigation, detectives found evidence that the victim followed Pellerin to Levee Road in Verdunville, the sheriff said.
Pellerin then exited his vehicle to confront the victim when a round was fired from a handgun striking the victim in the leg, Hebert said. The victim was transported to Franklin Foundation Hospital where he was treated and released. Pellerin was jailed with no bail set.
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WASHINGTON — Medicare cards are getting a makeover to fight identity theft.
No more Social Security numbers plastered on the card. Next April, Medicare will begin mailing every beneficiary a new card with a unique new number to identify them.
“Criminals are increasingly targeting people age 65 and older for medical identity theft,” Medicare chief Seema Verma told The Associated Press. “We are committed to preventing fraud.”
Medicare revealedthe cards’ new design on Thursday as the government gears up for a massive transition that will involve coordination with 58 million beneficiaries and their family members, plus hospitals, doctors, insurance companies, pharmacies and state governments.
While the first mailings of new cards begin next April, Congress has set an April 2019 deadline for all beneficiaries to have received one.
One goal is to make sure seniors know what’s coming so they’re not confused by the change — and in the meantime, are reminded to guard their old cards that, if lost or stolen, can leave them vulnerable to financial and legal consequences. The government recorded 2.6 million cases of identity fraud involving seniors in 2014, up from 2.1 million in 2012.
Verma said one woman reported her Medicare card was stolen, got a replacement and thought no more about it until two years later when she learned she might be arrested: The thief had impersonated her to get opioid painkillers.
Medicare has set up a website — www.cms.gov/newcard — and is beginning ads to tell beneficiaries what to expect starting next spring. Medicare will automatically mail beneficiaries their new card. They’ll be instructed to destroy their old cards after they get a new one. New cards may be used right away.
Private insurers already have stopped using Social Security numbers on ID cards.
While the Medicare change is crucial for seniors, the transition period also is a time when crooks may pounce, warned AARP’s Amy Nofziger, a fraud prevention expert.
“If anyone calls you to say you need to pay for your new Medicare card, it is a scam,” she said. “If anybody is calling you and asking you to verify your Social Security number in order to issue your new Medicare card, it is a scam.”
WASHINGTON (AP) — Getting checked for cervical cancer isn’t one-size-fits-all: Millions of women may soon have to decide between a routine Pap or a newer test that detects if they have a cancer-causing virus.
Draft national guidelines released Tuesday for the first time say either option is reasonable for certain women — those ages 30 to 65.
Paps, a mainstay for women’s health for decades, can spot pre-cancerous abnormalities in time to prevent cancer. Newer HPV tests detect the virus that causes nearly all of that cancer, and while they’re widely used to confirm Pap results, most U.S. medical groups haven’t yet pushed them as a stand-alone alternative for screening.
Tuesday’s proposal doesn’t signal an imminent end to the Pap era. Paps, not HPV tests, still are recommended for screening women in their 20s, stressed the guidelines from the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force.
And don’t let the which-test debate blur the main message: “Screening for cervical cancer saves lives,” said Task Force member Dr. Carol Mangione of the University of California, Los Angeles.
Today, too many women still miss out. Some things to know:
CERVICAL CANCER STILL A THREAT
Cervical cancer has dropped dramatically over the past half-century thanks to Pap testing. Still, this year an estimated 12,820 U.S. women will be diagnosed with cervical cancer, and about 4,200 will die. Most haven’t been screened, or have gone too long between checks.
Paps examine cells scraped from the cervix. HPV testing looks for high-risk strains of the human papillomavirus, the nation’s most common sexually transmitted infection. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, just about everyone will get at least one strain at some point in their lives. But only certain strains cause cervical cancer — and only if they linger long enough in the body.
AGE MATTERS FOR SCREENING
Otherwise healthy women need a Pap every three years from age 21 to 29, agree most U.S. physician groups and the draft Task Force guidelines. Cervical cancer grows so slowly that regular Paps can find a problem early enough to treat.
While the Food and Drug Administration has approved an HPV test for women as young as 25, national guidelines have long recommended Pap screening for 20-somethings. That age group is most likely to get HPV — and the vast majority of the time their bodies clear the infection before it harms.
WHAT CHANGES AT AGE 30?
The older you get, the greater the chance that an HPV infection is the yearslong, harmful kind. To better catch those cases, today what’s called co-testing is increasingly common for women 30 and over — a Pap-plus-HPV test combination. If the results of both tests are negative, women can wait five years to test again.
But both Paps and HPV testing can trigger false alarms, prompting unneeded, and sometimes harmful, additional care to rule out cancer. New studies show co-testing leads to more false alarms than either test alone, without adding benefit.
That spurred Tuesday’s Task Force proposal to let women 30 and over choose an HPV test by itself every five years — or a Pap every three years instead. The proposal is open for public comment through Oct. 9, before it will be finalized.
Some countries already are moving to make HPV testing the chief screening tool, including the Netherlands and Australia.
“Most experts in this area are in agreement that HPV testing alone is the future of cervical screening,” said Debbie Saslow of the American Cancer Society, who wasn’t involved with Tuesday’s draft guidelines.
WEIGH PROS AND CONS
Women in their 30s and older need to discuss screening options with their health providers, said Dr. Jason Wright, gynecologic oncology chief at New York-Presbyterian/Columbia University Medical Center, who also wasn’t involved with the new guidelines.
An HPV test can cost twice as much as a $40 Pap, but doesn’t require screening as often. Some data suggest HPV testing leads to more diagnosis of risky pre-cancer — but even by itself, an HPV test can spark more false alarms than a Pap, Wright said.
Also, some follow-up tests can alter the cervix in ways that may affect future pregnancies, a consideration for women still interested in childbearing, said Mangione.
WHO CAN SKIP CERVICAL CANCER SCREENING?
It’s not recommended for women younger than 21, or those who had a cervix-removing hysterectomy.
Women can stop screening after age 65 if proper checks until then show they’re healthy, current guidelines agree.
WHAT IF WOMEN RECEIVED THE HPV VACCINE AS AN ADOLESCENT?
Keep getting screened, following recommendations for your age. The first HPV vaccine hit the market about 10 years ago, too soon to know if it’s safe for the now-grown first recipients to be screened less often, and newer vaccine versions protect against more strains, said Saslow, the cancer society’s senior director of HPV-related and women’s cancers.
Eventually, if enough young women grow up fully vaccinated, screening recommendations may change, she said.
The Daily Review/
Zachary Fitzgerald
The St. Mary Chamber of Commerce recognized Acadian Ambulance Service for 46 years of doing business in St. Mary Parish during Wednesday’s business luncheon at the Petroleum Club of Morgan City. From left are Chamber Chairwoman Jo Anne Bergeron, Acadian Ambulance Regional Vice President Tim Burke and Chamber President Donna Meyer.
Submitted Photo
Over the past few months, the Morgan City Police Department participated in a weight loss challenge in partnership with Urgent Care of Morgan City to promote healthier living. Participants were weighed and measured weekly. In all, a total of 128 pounds and 148 inches were lost by all who participated. Officer Joshua Ashley took the first place with the most percentage of body weight lost. The Morgan City Police Department thanked the sponsors: Urgent Care of Morgan City, MC Paint & Body, Danny’s Fried Chicken, Tiger Island Hardware, Orange Leaf, and CC’s Coffee House.
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