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Baldwin Fall Fest sets court, booths

Wed, 07/26/2017 - 9:46am

Baldwin is gearing up for its annual festival.
The Baldwin Fall Fest will be held Sept. 23. Organizers are asking for parents to get their children involved by signing up for the festival’s royal court. The entry fee of $100 is due by Aug. 4 and will include participation in the children’s parade. Contact Iris Collins Tillman for more info at 337-577-6372.
Booths for the festival are on sale for $100, first-come, first-served on the choice of items to be sold. No two booths may have the same products offered. Reserve booth space and items to sale by contacting Sherise Henry at 337-940-2041 or Tillman.

Sheriff, state make juvenile porn arrest

Wed, 07/26/2017 - 9:46am

Jennifer McKaskle, 33, of 807 Guidroz St., Franklin, was arrested Monday at 11:39 a.m. on two warrants from the Louisiana Attorney General’s Office for 10 counts each of charges of pornography involving juveniles.
Detectives of the St. Mary Sheriff’s Criminal Investigation Section assisted the Louisiana Attorney General’s Office in serving the warrants. Detectives located McKaskle at her residence, took her into custody on the warrants, and transported her to the St. Mary Parish Law Enforcement Center for booking. McKaskle was released on a $10,000 personal surety bond.

Police Reports 7-26-17

Wed, 07/26/2017 - 9:45am

St. Mary Parish Sherriff Mark Hebert reported the following arrests:
Michael Williams, 53, of 407 Cypress Lane, Jeanerette, was arrested Monday at 6:06 p.m. on charges of possession of Schedule I (marijuana) and improper lane usage. Detectives of the Narcotics Section patrolling Four Corners observed a vehicle crossing over the center line of US 90 and conducted a traffic stop. Detectives identified the driver as Williams. While speaking with him, detectives received consent to search the vehicle and located a marijuana cigarette. Williams was released on a summons to appear in court on October 11, 2017.
Huey Bertrand Jr., 35, of 29644 South Palmetto Street, Walker, was arrested Monday at 11:15 a.m. on the charge of possession of Schedule I (heroin). A deputy responded to the Fairview Treatment Center after receiving a complaint of illegal drugs at the business. The deputy learned from the complainant that a small plastic baggie containing suspected illegal drugs was found and that the illegal substance belonged to Bertrand. The deputy examined the substance and found that it was a small amount of heroin. The deputy spoke with Bertrand who admitted that the illegal drug was his. Bertrand was transported to the St. Mary Parish Law Enforcement Center for booking. No bail is set.
Melissa Thomas, 38, of 217 Mars Road, Bayou Vista, was arrested Monday at 8:17 p.m. on the charge of disturbing the peace intoxicated. While the deputy was speaking to the subjects involved, Thomas began yelling at one of the subjects in the parking lot causing a disturbance. The deputy repeatedly ordered Thomas to leave the area. Thomas refused. She was released on a summons to appear in court on October 11, 2017.
Anthony Brooks, 37, of 125 Chandra Lane, Centerville, was arrested Monday at 9:10 p.m. on the charge of attempted aggravated arson. Deputies responded to a report of possible arson at a residence on Chandra Lane in Centerville. Deputies entered the residence, smelled the strong odor of gasoline, and escorted several subjects, including juveniles, out of the home for their safety. The Centerville Volunteer Fire Department also responded and used ventilation fans to help remove the fumes from the residence. Through investigation, deputies found evidence that Brooks poured gasoline onto the kitchen floor and then held a burning piece of paper over the gas while making threats to burn the house down. Brooks was transported to the St. Mary Parish Law Enforcement Center for booking. No bail is set.
Quijakius Johnson, 35, of 2426 Apple St., Morgan City, was arrested Tuesday at 9:43 p.m. on charges of improper lane usage, obstruction of justice, possession of Schedule I (synthetic cannabinoids), possession of drug paraphernalia and resisting an officer.
A deputy patrolling US 90 in Berwick observed a vehicle driving onto the shoulder of the roadway and conducted a traffic stop. The deputy identified the driver as Johnson. While speaking with him, the deputy received consent to search the vehicle and located synthetic cannabinoids. Johnson then attempted to flee on foot but was detained by the deputy. Johnson continued to attempt to pull away from the deputy several times. During the traffic stop investigation, the deputy found evidence that Johnson ate some of the synthetic drugs. Johnson was transported to an area hospital for evaluation. After being released from the medical center, Johnson was transported to the St. Mary Parish Law Enforcement Center for booking. No bail is set.

Franklin 11U All-Stars

Wed, 07/26/2017 - 9:45am

Franklin Dixie Youth 11U Baseball team earned a third place finish in the semifinals of the 2017 World Series held in Jonesboro, Louisiana last weekend. Some of the team are pictured above during a visit to Franklin Health Care Center before they left for Jonesboro. This is the second year the team has taken the state championship title. The boys will be recognized at the parish council meeting tonight at 6 p.m.

Red Ribbon group offers booth space for fall show

Wed, 07/26/2017 - 9:44am

The Red Ribbon Committee is currently making plans for the annual Fall Bazaar to be held on Saturday, Dec. 2 at the Patterson Civic Center from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Patrons of the event can choose from a variety of items to purchase. Since the date is close to Christmas, this will be a good time to shop for the holiday season.
This annual fundraiser, with space for approximately 45 vendors, is sponsored by the parish Red Ribbon Committee. Proceeds go toward prevention activities, events and campaigns here in St. Mary Parish. Booth space is currently available now for school clubs, churches, civic organizations and individuals who want to raise money for their cause. A booth consists of three 8-feet long tables in a U-shape. The cost of a booth is $40.
Vendors may sell homemade items, garage sale items (with the exception of clothing), arts and crafts, antiques, baked goods and more. Vendors pay for booth space and parish sales tax. Since the event is held indoors, weather is not a problem.
Booth space will be sold on a first-come, first-served basis. For information and/or a registration form, call Gidget Everitt at 337-836-6029.
There will be a $2 admission at the door for all adults, children under 10 will not be charged. Concessions will be sold. Organizers of the event believe that this is a “win-win” event for both the committee and groups who participate.

Clean energy, economic shot in the arm in Cleco/Cabot project

Wed, 07/26/2017 - 9:43am

By CASEY COLLIER
In October of last year, the Central Louisiana Electric Company, Cleco, partnered with the Cabot Corporation, and broke ground on the St. Mary Clean Energy Center at the carbon black facility in Franklin.
Upon completion between April and June of next year, it is purported that the Clean Energy Center will be able to generate 50-megawatts of electricity, enough to provide 17,000 homes with clean, renewable energy.
Using a process called waste heat recovery, the new power plant will capture the heat produced by Cabot’s carbon black facility, turning heat to steam to run a turbine generator, which will generate the electricity. The process will be energy efficient enough to meet the standards of the Louisiana Public Service Commission’s Renewable Energy Pilot Program, making it a renewable resource.
Manager of Public Relations for CLECO Jennifer Cahill said of the project, “We are going to be at a new generation without increasing emissions, which includes carbon. We are taking advantage of an opportunity to create clean power that is reliably generated.”
As far as community job stimulation is concerned, once it is up and running, the Clean Energy Center will employ 12 full-time operators, and will have employed at its peak construction phase, 200 workers at one time. Cabot also intends to add eight full-time positions at the time of the center’s completion.
Apart from affecting local job growth, Cahill cited a projected $2.4 million growth in business sales in St. Mary Parish, with a likely increase of that impact over time. In addition to the $2.4 million in business sales, Cleco is also projecting they will spend $2.8 million in the parish, to operate the plant.
Though the effect of the Center will be economic, Cleco points to its impact on St. Mary Parish being environmental, as well. “It’s three most important points,” Cahill said, “are that it is a clean energy center, it is increasing economic development and it is a good way to plan for the future power needs of our customers while protecting the environment.”

PSB donates to Patterson 12U All-Stars

Wed, 07/26/2017 - 9:40am

Patterson 12U All-Stars Hailey Skiles, Ana Vaccarella and Emily Lipari accept a Patterson State Bank donation for their team’s trip to play in the Babe Ruth World Series in Jensen Beach, Florida. Also pictured are Assistant Coach Patrick Skiles and PSB Senior Vice President Robert Marin.

Davis: Pelicans look good on paper, tired of losing

Wed, 07/26/2017 - 9:30am

By BRETT MARTEL, AP Sports Writer

NEW ORLEANS — Anthony Davis says the New Orleans Pelicans are “tired of losing” and have the roster to do something about it.
That is, if they can find a new offensive scheme that suits their mixture of incumbent starters and recent acquisitions.
“We can’t wait for the season to come and try to make some noise here in the loaded West,” Davis said Tuesday afternoon while promoting a youth camp he’ll host in early August.
“We’re doing everything, whether it’s signing players, trading players ... whatever it is to just try to make sure that we try to be a winning organization,” he added. “We have the tools right now to be successful. ... Right now, I think we look good on paper. So we’ve just got to figure it out.”
The Pelicans will likely need the right scheme, good chemistry and good health to contend in the Western Conference, which features defending champion Golden State as well as Houston, Oklahoma City and San Antonio.
Davis is optimistic that could happen. He’s been working out this offseason with fellow All-Star big man DeMarcus Cousins, and he fully endorsed the recent signing of veteran point guard Rajon Rondo.
Davis said Rondo’s savvy play-making and defensive acumen will strengthen the New Orleans on both ends while also allowing Jrue Holiday to become more of a scoring threat from the shooting guard spot.
When the Pelicans re-signed Holiday to a five-year, $126 million contract to open free agency, general manager Dell Demps and coach Alvin Gentry mentioned the possibility of playing Holiday off the ball more, and the acquisition of Rondo should allow that, Davis said.
“When I first heard about Rondo, I thought it was a good situation for us,” Davis said. “He knows when to get guys involved, when to make that pass.”
Davis said Rondo and Holiday also will be a formidable defensive tandem along the perimeter, meaning the Pelicans’ All-Star big men should have more chances to protect the rim and rebound. He said Rondo’s long arms and big hands help him disrupt drives and passes as well as rebound.
“They’re going to give a lot of guards, this year, problems,” Davis said. “It’s always good when you can add a guy who knows how to play defense.”
By the time Davis hosts his clinic for kids Aug. 7-8 at the University of New Orleans, he’ll have spent a considerable portion of the offseason working out with Cousins, who was acquired in a trade after last season’s All-Star game.
As the fellow All-Stars prepare to enter their first full season together, Davis said Cousins is trying to adapt and further develop his game. Coaches and teammates have complemented Cousins this summer on how he looks after committing to a conditioning program than has helped him shed some weight and improve his endurance.
“We know we’re going to be the big focal points on every team’s scouting report, so we just wanted to get together and work at it together and figure out the things we like to do,” Davis said. “He’s trying to adapt. He wants to win for sure and we didn’t have that much time last year. ... He’s trying to do whatever the team asks him to do.”
Davis said he’s supposed to meet with new assistant coach Chris Finch soon to start discussing the offensive scheme he envisions when New Orleans’ top two front-court stars are playing together. Finch could be a good fit because of his recent experience on Denver’s staff helping versatile young big men Jusuf Nurkic and Nikola Jokic play effectively as teammates.
Davis said the Pelicans want to emulate “how they ran their offensive package with those two bigs who are very skilled.”

Ledecky breezes to 3rd worlds gold, brash King wins again

Wed, 07/26/2017 - 9:20am

By PAUL NEWBERRY, AP National Writer

BUDAPEST, Hungary — U.S.’s Katie Ledecky breezed to her third gold medal of the world championships, backing off a bit on her most grueling night of the meet.
It was left to Lilly King, Kylie Masse and Adam Peaty to take down the swimming record book — and King to claim another impressive triumph over her Russian rival.
Ledecky captured the 1,500-meter freestyle by more than half the length of the pool on Tuesday, and returned just 49 minutes later to post the fastest time in the semifinals of the 200 free.
Long or short, it doesn’t seem to matter to the American star.
“It’s hard the other 364 days of the year,” Ledecky said, barely breathing hard. “It’s putting the work in for practice, so when I get to this day of the meet, I can just do it. It’s routine. Just get up and know that I have the work in the bank to get up and swim those times.”
While Ledecky sucked all the suspense out of her final — she was more than 19 seconds ahead of the runner-up — King made it 2-0 over Yulia Efimova in what has become one of swimming’s most compelling rivalries.
The finger-wagging American won gold at the Rio Olympics last summer after spurning Efimova and brazenly proclaiming the Russian star had no business being allowed to compete because of doping violations.
Efimova nearly broke Ruta Meilutyte’s 4-year-old record in the semifinals, giving her the prime lane in the middle of the pool.
But King, racing right beside her, was the one who came through again when it really counted. She got off to a blistering start and led all the way, touching in 1 minute, 4.13 seconds to shave 0.22 off the Lithuanian’s mark from the 2013 worlds in Barcelona.
King defiantly pounded the water when she saw the time, then turned to congratulate the runner-up — American teammate Katie Meili, who edged out the Russian for the silver.
King was especially giddy that the U.S. went 1-2, with Efimova relegated to a bronze.
“The rivalry is definitely there. I don’t think it’s going away anytime soon,” King said. “Obviously, it’s very awkward between the two of us. We’re competitors. We don’t really like each other too much.”
King’s bravado makes her stand out even more in the usually staid world of swimming.
“Her confidence is so impressive,” Ledecky said. “I think it’s infectious for the whole team.”
Efimova hung on the lane rope, all alone and managing a weak smile, as if she couldn’t believe the Indiana college student had beaten her again.
Still, this didn’t hurt as bad as the defeat in Rio.
“There’s still pressure from the media, but it’s more fun,” Efimova insisted. “The Olympic Games were the worst.”
Ledecky covered the metric mile in 15:31.82 — more than 6 seconds off her world-record pace from the world championships in Kazan, Russia, two years ago.
But she didn’t really have to push it, especially with another race to go in an event that will likely be the stiffest challenge of her bid for a record-tying six gold medals by a female swimmer at a single world championships .
She already became the winningest female ever at the worlds with her 12th career gold, breaking a tie with Missy Franklin and trailing only Michael Phelps and Ryan Lochte among all swimmers.
“I couldn’t really get my kick going into it that much,” said Ledecky, who waited 19.07 seconds for silver medalist Mireia Belmonte of Spain to finish, with the bronze going to Italy’s Simona Quadarella. “I just kind of stayed steady there.”
Ledecky had to expend more effort in the 200 free, posting a time of 1:54.69 that put her ahead of such stalwarts as Australia’s Emma McKeon, Italian world-record holder Federica Pellegrini and home-country favorite Katinka Hosszu heading into the final Wednesday night.
Peaty, Britain’s breaststroke lion with the tattoo to match, broke a pair of 50-meter breaststroke marks — one in the morning preliminaries, another in the evening semifinals.
Peaty’s initial time of 26.10 shaved 0.32 seconds off the standard he set at the 2015 worlds in Kazan. He went even faster a few hours later in the non-Olympic event, touching in 25.95.
When Peaty saw the time, he mouthed in disbelief, “No way.”
Masse took down another record from the rubber-suit era. She won the women’s 100 backstroke in 51.10 — 0.02 better than the mark set by Britain’s Gemma Spofforth’s at the 2009 worlds in Rome, the last hurrah for the performance-enhancing attire that allowed swimmers to essentially rewrite the record book.
“I knew I was close,” Masse said. “I was aiming to do it here.”
In all, five world records have been set in Budapest.
Masse was followed by Kathleen Baker of the U.S. and Australia’s Emily Seebohm.
The Chinese team had a big night, as well.
Sun Yang captured his second gold of the championships, adding the 200 free gold to his victory in the 400 free. He finished more than a half-second ahead of American Townley Haas, while the bronze went to Russia’s Aleksandr Krasnykh.
Xu Jiayu touched first in the 100 backstroke, beating Americans Matt Grevers and reigning Olympic champion Ryan Murphy, who settled for silver and bronze.

Brain disease seen in most football players in large report

Wed, 07/26/2017 - 9:10am

By LINDSEY TANNER, AP Medical Writer

CHICAGO — Research on 202 former football players found evidence of a brain disease linked to repeated head blows in nearly all of them, from athletes in the National Football League, college and even high school.
It’s the largest update on chronic traumatic encephalopathy, or CTE, a debilitating brain disease that can cause a range of symptoms including memory loss.
The report doesn’t confirm that the condition is common in all football players; it reflects high occurrence in samples at a Boston brain bank that studies CTE. Many donors or their families contributed because of the players’ repeated concussions and troubling symptoms before they died.
“There are many questions that remain unanswered,” said lead author Dr. Ann McKee, a Boston University neuroscientist. “How common is this” in the general population and all football players?
“How many years of football is too many?” and “What is the genetic risk? Some players do not have evidence of this disease despite long playing years,” she noted.
It’s also uncertain if some players’ lifestyle habits — alcohol, drugs, steroids, diet — might somehow contribute, McKee said.
Dr. Munro Cullum, a neuropsychologist at UT Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas, emphasized that the report is based on a selective sample of men who were not necessarily representative of all football players. He said problems other than CTE might explain some of their most common symptoms before death — depression, impulsivity and behavior changes. He was not involved in the report.
McKee said research from the brain bank may lead to answers and an understanding of how to detect the disease in life, “while there’s still a chance to do something about it.” Currently, there’s no known treatment.
The strongest scientific evidence says CTE can only be diagnosed by examining brains after death, although some researchers are experimenting with tests performed on the living. Many scientists believe that repeated blows to the head increase risks for developing CTE, leading to progressive loss of normal brain matter and an abnormal buildup of a protein called tau. Combat veterans and athletes in rough contact sports like football and boxing are among those thought to be most at risk.
The new report was published Tuesday in the Journal of the American Medical Association.
CTE was diagnosed in 177 former players or nearly 90 percent of brains studied. That includes 110 of 111 brains from former NFL players; 48 of 53 college players; nine of 14 semi-professional players, seven of eight Canadian Football league players and three of 14 high school players. The disease was not found in brains from two younger players.
A panel of neuropathologists made the diagnosis by examining brain tissue, using recent criteria from the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, McKee said.
The NFL issued a statement saying these reports are important for advancing science related to head trauma and said the league “will continue to work with a wide range of experts to improve the health of current and former NFL athletes.”
After years of denials, the NFL acknowledged a link between head blows and brain disease and agreed in a $1 billion settlement to compensate former players who had accused the league of hiding the risks.
The journal update includes many previously reported cases, including former NFL players Bubba Smith, Ken Stabler, Dave Duerson and Ralph Wenzel.
New ones include retired tight end Frank Wainright, whose 10-year NFL career included stints with the Miami Dolphins, New Orleans Saints and Baltimore Ravens. Wainright died in April 2016 at age 48 from a heart attack triggered by bleeding in the brain, said his wife, Stacie. She said he had struggled almost eight years with frightening symptoms including confusion, memory loss and behavior changes.
Wainright played before the league adopted stricter safety rules and had many concussions, she said. He feared CTE and was adamant about donating his brain, she said.
“A lot of families are really tragically affected by it — not even mentioning what these men are going through and they’re really not sure what is happening to them. It’s like a storm that you can’t quite get out of,” his wife said.
Frank Wycheck, another former NFL tight end, said he worries that concussions during his nine-year career — the last seven with the Tennessee Titans — have left him with CTE and he plans to donate his brain to research.
“Some people have heads made of concrete, and it doesn’t really affect some of those guys,” he said. “But CTE is real.”
“I know I’m suffering through it, and it’s been a struggle and I feel for all the guys out there that are going through this,” said Wycheck, 45.
In the new report, McKee and colleagues found the most severe disease in former professional players; mild disease was found in all three former high school players diagnosed with the disease. Brain bank researchers previously reported that the earliest known evidence of CTE was found in a high school athlete who played football and other sports who died at age 18. He was not included in the current report.
The average age of death among all players studied was 66. There were 18 suicides among the 177 diagnosed.