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Head Start begins Aug. 28

Mon, 08/21/2017 - 10:48am

For hundreds of excited boys and girls, Aug. 28 marks the first day of school for the school year at all 13 St. Mary-Vermilion CAA Head Start centers throughout St. Mary and Vermilion Parishes.
“Head Start is a place where dreams are awakened, and the classroom is the stage where the script is full of positive learning in an environment where mental magic happens and lives are changed every day,” Chief Executive Officer Almetra J. Franklin said. “Our teachers have spent the past couple of weeks in training on CLASS, TS Gold etc. to ensure that they understand the importance of instilling school readiness goals in all classroom activities.”
Franklin added that the education provided give the children and families educational building blocks they need to be prepared for kindergarten, elementary and beyond.
Education Supervisors, Dana Comeaux and Melanda Butaud expressed excitement for the upcoming school year. “The staff here at Head Start is determined to think outside of the box, and use different strategies to keep our students engaged and interested in new ways of learning,” Comeaux said. “This is going to be the best year yet, because our staff is excited and eager to meet the new families and students. We have been preparing all summer to hit the ground running.”
Butaud said nearly 80 percent of the teaching staff has their degree in childhood education or are in pursuit of their degrees. “We are proud to assure our parents that from the very first day your child walks through our doors, they will be loved, cared for, and taught by the very best qualified teachers Head Start has to offer,” Butaud said.
The dates of mandatory parent orientations for the 2017-2018 school year are:
—Aug. 22 at the Patterson Civic Center beginning at 5:00 p.m. for parents whose children are attending any of the east end centers (Cinderella, Yogi Bear, Tweety Bird, Winnie the Pooh and Baby Bear)
—Aug. 23 at the Broussard Harris Recreation Center at 5:00 p.m. for parents whose children are attending any of the west end Centers (Snow White, Mickey Mouse, Bambi and Peter Pan)

'Deputy of the Quarter' recognized

Mon, 08/21/2017 - 10:47am

Sheriff Mark Hebert has announced the “Deputy of the Quarter” for the second quarter of 2017.
Uniformed Patrol Section Deputy Jimmy Stinnett Jr. accepted the award from Sheriff Hebert at St. Mary Parish Sheriff’s Office headquarters in Franklin. Sheriff’s deputies are occasionally called to act in a manner beyond routine expectations. The Deputy of the Quarter award is presented to an employee of the St. Mary Sheriff’s Office who exemplifies that standard. Sheriff Hebert recognizes Stinnett for his outstanding service above and beyond the call of duty.
One morning in June, on his way to work, Stinnett responded to a medical emergency call in Bayou Vista. Along with his fellow deputies, he administered cardiopulmonary resuscitation to a woman in medical distress. Stinnett then volunteered to ride with medical personnel in an ambulance in order to help continue CPR while transporting the patient to an area hospital. Another deputy provided an escort for the ambulance. Because of Stinnett’s and his fellow deputies’ quick actions, the woman survived.
Also in June, Stinnett worked as the lead diver for the St. Mary Parish Sheriff’s Office Dive Team during a property recovery operation. Stinnett recovered several items from the murky depths of Bayou Teche that were reported stolen from a residence.
Hebert commended Stinnett for these outstanding acts and for the professionalism and courtesy he demonstrates daily in his interactions with the people of St. Mary Parish. Hebert and Chief Deputy Scott Anslum presented Stinnett with the award certificate and a challenge coin.

Recalls this week: baby rattles, boots, batteries

Mon, 08/21/2017 - 10:45am

By The Associated Press

Baby rattles that pose a choking hazard to children are among this week’s recalled consumer products. Others include boots and batteries in refurbished phones.
Here’s a more detailed look:
BABY RATTLES
DETAILS: BRIO soft hammer baby rattle toys. They have a wooden handle with a white plastic teething ring at one end and a red, yellow, white and green hammer head at the other end. BRIO is stamped on the hammer head. The rattle is about 5 inches long. They were sold at Home Goods, Kidding Around, Nordstrom and other specialty toy and mass retailer stores nationwide and at Amazon.com, from March 2015 through June 2017.
WHY: The wooden rings on the hammer rattles can crack, posing a choking hazard to children.
INCIDENTS: Seven reports of the wooden ring cracking. No injuries have been reported.
FOR MORE: Contact BRIO, through North American distributor Ravensburger, at www.brio.us or call 800-886-1236 from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.
BOOTS
DETAILS: McRae Industrial brand steel-toe boots, static dissipative shoes and composite boots. There are seven styles of the McRae Industrial brand shoes included in the recall. The model numbers are MR85300, MR85394, MR47321, MR47616, MR87321, MR43002, and MR83310 printed on a tag on the lining of the boot or the tongue of the shoe. They were sold at Gerler and Son Inc., Grainger Inc., Safety Solutions Inc., Standup Rancher and other independent safety stores nationwide and online at Kohls.com, Steel-Toe-Shoes.com, Thewest erncompany.com, Work boots.com, from October 2013 through June 2017.
WHY: The boots and shoes can fail to protect feet when heavy or sharp objects fall on them, posing an injury hazard to consumers.
INCIDENTS: One report of a tire falling onto a consumer’s foot while he was wearing his safety boots; resulting in a broken foot.
FOR MORE: Contact Dan Post Boot Company Return Department at 866-301-4488 from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Friday, send email to dpreturns1@danpostboots.com or visit www.danpostboots.com.
DRESSES
DETAILS: Laura Ashley London Girl’s Floral Clip Dot dresses. The dresses have a set of three pink petal flowers at the waist and were sold in newborn to girl’s sizes 0/3M through 6X. “Laura Ashley London” and the size are printed on a tag attached to the inside back of the dress. Style numbers 17156300, 17156307, 17156344, 27156300, 27156307, 27156344, 47156300, 47156307, 47156344 are included in this recall. The style number is printed on a tag located on the inside seam on the side of the dress. They were sold at Dillard’s stores nationwide and online at Amazon.com, Dillards.com and Zulily.com from January 2017 through July 2017.
WHY: The flower petals can detach, posing a choking hazard to children.
INCIDENTS: One report of a flower petal detaching from the dress. No injuries have been reported.
FOR MORE: Call Pastourelle at 888-507-7275 from 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Monday through Friday, send email to info@pastourelle.com or visit www.pastourellerecall.com.
BATTERIES IN REFURBISHED CELLPHONES
DETAILS: Batteries placed into refurbished AT&T Samsung Galaxy Note 4 cellphones by FedEx Supply Chain and distributed as replacement phones through AT&T’s Insurance program only. FedEx and Samsung have determined that some of the recalled batteries are counterfeit and show anomalies that can lead the batteries to overheat. The batteries are non-OEM, which means they were not supplied as original equipment by the phone’s manufacturer, Samsung. The refurbished cellphones were distributed by FedEx Supply Chain and provided as replacement phones only through AT&T’s Insurance program between December 2016 and April 2017.
WHY: The cellphone battery can overheat, posing fire and burn hazards.
INCIDENTS: One report of a counterfeit battery overheating. There have been no reports of injuries or property damage.
FOR MORE: Contact FedEx Supply Chain at 800-338-0163 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday or visit www.exchangemybat tery.com.

Family would rather punish than praise recovering addict

Mon, 08/21/2017 - 10:43am

DEAR ABBY: I am a recovering drug addict. I have slipped, as many do, but I have been clean for four years now. The problem is my family. If I look tired, trip over my own two feet (I’m clumsy) or just don’t want to be around people, I get questioned, yelled at, accused, etc. Abby, they do random drug screens at my job. I have passed every one, and I have made amends for my past wrongdoings. But the last time I was accused, after trying to express my feelings calmly, I exploded and vented my frustration. Now my family ...

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Lookalike prison drama on ‘DOOL’

Mon, 08/21/2017 - 10:34am

THE BOLD AND THE BEAUTIFUL: Sheila is upset that Eric reconciled with Quinn. Eric called Dr. James Warwick to treat Sheila, who became unconscious during a fight with Quinn. Bill is determined to buy the Spectra property and build a skyscraper on it. DAYS OF OUR LIVES: At the prison, no one believed Adrienne, who said she isn’t her lookalike Bonnie (whom Hattie helped escape). Tripp apologized to Kayla for trying to ruin her medical career and kill her when he believed she murdered his mother, Ava. GENERAL HOSPITAL: Sonny, who was rescued by Carly and Dante, remembered Sam shot him and ...

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The Chambers of Health

Mon, 08/21/2017 - 7:30am

Teche Action Clinic rolls out new initiative, programs

Story and Photos by CASEY COLLIER

Teche Action Clinic and the St. Mary Chamber of Commerce hosted a “Rise and Shine” breakfast Wednesday morning to officially proclaim this week National Health Center Week.
The mayors of Franklin, Baldwin, Berwick and Morgan City were on hand to sign the official proclamations, and Dr. Gary Wiltz, chief executive officer of Teche Action Clinic, delivered remarks on Louisiana’s Chambers of Health initiatives and programs.
America’s Health Rankings were published for 2017, with Louisiana ranking 49th in overall health, 45th in physical activity, 47th in cancer deaths, 45th in diabetes, 43rd in smoking and 50th in obesity. Of the 64 parishes in Louisiana, St. Mary Parish ranks 34 in overall health.
Wiltz said of changing those rankings, “The answer lies within each one of us, on a local level.”
TAC’s “Chambers of Health” initiative is working to synchronize local culture around the goal of intervention through primary health education. This is to be done with cooperation from local and parish governments, schools, businesses, organizations and communities.
Wiltz pointed to Terrebonne Parish as an example of progress through local, synchronized education. Terrebonne ranked 23 of the 64 parishes, showing improvement following implementation of the kind of initiatives and programs TAC intends to model here, with newly procured state and private grants.
To that end, Wiltz made note of the TAC partnership with Jeanne Solis of the Terrebonne Chamber of Health Leadership Alliance. Solis said that Terrebonne Parish is launching its COH initiative right now, and as soon as they work the kinks out, they will bring it to St. Mary Parish. Of local organizations coming together, Solis said, “We are all citizens, we are all taxpayers. We need to pull together and move in the same direction on this.”
One particular implementation Wiltz addressed to improve parish health is the focus on smoking cessation.
Wiltz said he wants to ban smoking on public campuses using ordinances and policies adopted on local levels. He realizes there will be an unpopularity factor to such ordinances, but remains committed, nonetheless, and nodded to New Orleans as an example of such policies successfully in effect. The initiative is one that TAC will be “rolling out in the next few weeks.”
According to Wiltz, there was $200 million in state funds set aside some years ago for the purpose of assisting Louisianans to quit smoking. The expiration date for those funds is approaching, and according to Wiltz, there is approximately $180 million left to be used before the funds become inaccessible. Wiltz said he intends to make sure the available appropriations get drained, just as the “swamp” in DC is famously promised to be.
TAC board member Ed “Tiger” Verdin closed the breakfast with the unveiling of TAC’s new public awareness campaign, #IAMTecheActionClinic.
To learn more about the Chambers of Health and their programs, contact:
Gary Wiltz, MD, CEO, Teche Action Clinics, gwiltz@tabhealth.com, 337-828-2550,
Chip Riggins, MD, MPH, Administrator, LA Office of Public Health, Region-3, Chip.riggins@.gov, 985-447-0916 Ext. 332,
Jeanne Solis, CCO, Terrebonne Chamber of Health Leadership Alliance, healthyla202@gmail.com, 337-288-2225.

Can't be there? How to watch solar eclipse on TV, online

Sat, 08/19/2017 - 7:54pm

By The Associated Press

If you can't witness the total solar eclipse in person, you can still see it online or via TV.
Here are some of the viewing options:
—NASA will offer hours of coverage online and on NASA Television beginning at noon. It plans livestreaming of the eclipse beginning at noon with images from satellites, research aircraft, high-altitude balloons and specially modified telescopes.
—CNN coverage will include reporting from Oregon, Missouri, Tennessee and South Carolina. In partnership with Volvo, CNN also plans two hours of livestreaming, 360-degree coverage accessible in virtual reality through Oculus headsets beginning at noon.
—The PBS science series NOVA is planning a quick turnaround with an hourlong eclipse documentary at 8 p.m.
—The Science Channel will broadcast its live coverage from Madras, Oregon, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., with commentary from educators and astronomers from the Lowell Observatory.
—David Muir will anchor ABC 's two hours of live coverage, with correspondents reporting from viewing parties across the country. NBC also plans live coverage, with Lester Holt hosting special reports at noon and 1 p.m. featuring correspondents reporting from Oregon, Illinois, Wyoming and South Carolina. Shepard Smith will break into typical broadcasting on Fox News Channel from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. to update viewers on the eclipse.
—The Weather Channel is kicking off its live coverage at 5 a.m. and continuing throughout the day with dispatches from seven locations.

(UPDATED) International Lighthouse-Lightship Weekend in Berwick

Sat, 08/19/2017 - 2:17pm

Amateur radio operators around the country look for amateur radio contacts.

(Updated) Police: Two arrests made in kidnapping of 7-year-old in Morgan City

Sat, 08/19/2017 - 7:31am

Child located safe in Houma

Two Houma women have been arrested in connection with a kidnapping of a 7-year-old child in Morgan City. The child was found safe in Houma, according to a Morgan City police news release.

—Leona Allen, 27, of Henderson Street in Houma, was arrested at 3:30 a.m. Saturday on a charge of simple kidnapping.

—Deona Jones, 29, of Edgewood Boulevard in Houma, was arrested at 3:30 a.m. Saturday on a charge of simple kidnapping.

At 9:16 p.m. Friday, officers responded to the area of Roderick Street in regard to a kidnapping. Officers arrived and learned that a 7-year-old child was removed from the home without the parent's knowledge, the release stated.

Investigators with the Morgan City Police Department Detectives Division responded to the location. With the assistance of the Terrebonne Parish Sheriff's Office, the child was located safe in Houma, police said.

The F.B.I. Joint Child Abduction Response Deployment Team was also activated along with resources from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. Investigators learned that the incident was a family abduction, the release said.
Allen and Jones were developed as suspects in the investigation. Allen and the child were located together in Houma where they were transported to the Terrebonne Parish Sheriff’s Office for further investigation, police said. Investigators traveled to the Terrebonne Parish Sheriff's Office when they learned that Allen and Jones were extended family members of the child taken, the release stated.

During interviews both Allen and Jones admitted to taking the child without the mother’s permission or knowledge, police said.

The child was released to his mother and warrants were prepared for both Allen’s and Jones’ arrest. Allen and Jones were arrested and transported Terrebonne Parish Detention Center. They were transported to the Morgan City jail. The investigation is still ongoing at this time and further arrest may occur.

Morgan City police seek identity of theft suspect

Fri, 08/18/2017 - 3:16pm

The Morgan City Police Department is seeking the public's assistance identifying a suspect in a theft investigation.

Police say the male subject depicted in the picture above entered a business in the area of La. 182 and allegedly took merchandise without paying for it. Anyone knowing the subject's identity is asked to contact the Morgan City Police Department Detectives Division at 985-380-4605.