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Hurricane season officially began Thursday, and coastal Louisiana residents should make sure they have all the essentials to be ready for a potential storm.

Forecasters at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Climate Prediction Center say the Atlantic could see another above-normal hurricane season this year, according to an article on the administration’s website. The season continues through Nov. 30.

They predict a 70 percent likelihood of 11 to 17 named storms with winds of 39 mph or higher, of which five to nine could become hurricanes with winds of 74 mph or higher, including two to four major hurricanes of a Category 3, 4 or 5 with winds of 111 mph or higher.

An average season produces 12 named storms of which six become hurricanes, including three major hurricanes.

St. Mary Parish Emergency Preparedness Director Duval Arthur recommends people keep a list of items, including food, personal items, paperwork and bedding, on hand to be ready for hurricane season.

If a storm warrants evacuation, Rapides Parish Coliseum in Alexandria is the designated shelter for residents of St. Mary Parish and lower St. Martin Parish.

Suggested food includes canned fruit, dried fruit, fruit roll-ups, canned vegetables, spam, beef jerky, canned chicken, canned tuna, canned soup, a gallon of bottled water per day per person, crackers and peanut butter.

Personal items to keep on hand include medicine for one week, a washcloth and towel, soap and shampoo, a toothbrush and toothpaste, deodorant, a hair brush, shaving kit, sewing kit, feminine hygiene supplies, paper towels, extra garbage bags, a flashlight with extra batteries and a battery-operated radio with extra batteries.

People should have any insurance policies, birth certificates, marriage licenses, death records, driver’s license, other identification, credit card info, a list of household items valued over $200 and medicine prescriptions with refill information easily accessible on a thumb drive or CD, Arthur said.

Bedding items such as sleeping bags, pillows and blankets, should be readily accessible, too.

The following timeline shows the evacuation schedule, if evacuation is deemed necessary, before a storm is forecast to hit St. Mary Parish.

—48 hours: Evacuate jails, hospitals and nursing homes.

—36 Hours: Evacuate those with no transportation to Rapides Coliseum and also evacuate those living in mobile homes and those living south of the Intracoastal Waterway.

—24 Hours: Mandatory evacuation of everyone else. The train bridge closes in the “down position.” Locks will shut down.

NEW ORLEANS — Are You Man Enough to Be a Girl Scout? Girl Scouts Louisiana East, in partnership with the Office of Lt. Gov. Billy Nungesser, is issuing a friendly challenge to fathers, father figures and business leaders, in a special day of outdoor activities planned from 9 a.m. to noon on June 17 at Fontainebleau State Park in Mandeville.
“The father-daughter bond is essential to a girl’s life development, and the Girl Scouts’ decision to have the event on Father’s Day weekend is a great way to honor that bond by allowing the two to spend a day together while furthering the Girl Scouts’ mission,” said Nungesser, who will be kicking off the event with a welcome at 9:30 a.m.
Activities for the dad and daughter duo include presentations with park rangers and other organizations as well as a nature hike, outdoor survival challenges, interactive museum displays and more. Put your skills to the test and show that special young lady in your life that you can tough it out like a Girl Scout.
Girl Scouts launched its Man Enough to Be a Girl Scout campaign last fall in an effort to engage more fathers and father figures in their girls’ lives as part of their Girl Scout adventures. With Girl Scouts emphasis of the importance of spending time outdoors, the partnership with the Lt. Governor’s office was a natural progression.
While the cost to attend the June 17 event is free, with the $2 park fee waived, joining Man Enough to be a Girl Scout is a $45 donation for individuals, and $75 for organizations. The donation includes a one year membership in the Girl Scout organization as well as Man Enough T-shirt for “that special guy” and a special patch for her.
In order to attend the event, male participants are encouraged to register for the Man Enough campaign at www.gsle.org/ManEnough. A registration link to the June 17 event can also available there.
Girl Scouts Louisiana East is a leadership development organization for girls, grades K-12, in 23 parishes of southeast Louisiana, including St. Mary. Chartered by Girl Scouts of the USA, in 2017 Girl Scouts Louisiana East served nearly 13,000 girls, with 5,500 adult members. Its mission is to build girls of courage, confidence, and character, who make the world a better place. For more information, please contact the council at 504-733-8220 or www.gsle.org.

Judge denies man’s request to juggle during trial

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. — A Massachusetts judge has denied a man’s request to juggle during his trial to show jurors he was just clowning around when he allegedly tried to rob a convenience store with a toy gun.
The Springfield Republican reports that a Springfield judge on May 25 rejected Orlando Melendez’s request to juggle for jurors when the case goes to trial. He claimed in his written motion that he is a real clown.
The 20-year-old man, who is representing himself, asked that he be allowed to juggle three wads of paper for 20 seconds to show jurors that the alleged attempted robbery was a misunderstanding.

German biker loses bag of cash, raining bills over Autobahn

BERLIN — German police say a businessman on a motorcycle lost a plastic bag stuffed with his day’s earnings while driving along a southern highway, sending a shower of cash across the Bavarian Autobahn.
Ingolstadt police said Sunday the 36-year-old had been carrying about 9,000 euros ($10,000) in small bills Saturday night when he lost the bag on the A9 highway.
The man, whose name wasn’t released, stopped his motorcycle and tried to collect the cash himself and witnesses called police.
Authorities temporarily shut down the stretch of the highway and helped the man collect his cash, but an estimated 1,500 euros was taken away by the wind before it could be recovered, the dpa news agency reported.
Police say he was able to produce a slip showing the cash was his.

The following are the radio dispatch logs from the Morgan City Police Department. To report unlawful or suspicious activity, call the police department at 985-380-4605.
Tuesday, May 30
7:17 a.m. 1100 block of Seventh Street; Alarm.
9:02 a.m. 7800 block of La. 182; Theft.
9:22 a.m. 1200 block of Kenneth Street; Medical.
9:31 a.m. 1200 block of Victor II Boulevard; Medical.
9:55 a.m. U.S. 90 West; Stalled vehicle.
10:06 a.m. 6400 block of La. 182; Medical.
10:10 a.m. 2400 block of Tupelo Street; 911 hang up.
11:10 a.m. 1000 block of Fifth Street; Disturbance.
12:01 p.m. 1200 block of Victor II Boulevard; Accident.
12:25 p.m. McClellan Road; Accident.
1:58 p.m. 900 block of Railroad Avenue; Assistance.
3:24 p.m. 300 block of Wren Street; Removal of subject.
4 p.m. 500 block of Roderick Street; Disturbance.
4:40 p.m. Glenwood Street; Animal.
4:50 p.m. 1200 block of David Drive; Alarm.
5:41 p.m. 300 block of Wren Street; Officer stand by.
6:04 p.m. 200 block of Pecos Street; Disturbance.
6:18 p.m. 200 block of Railroad Avenue; Alarm.
6:26 p.m. 500 block of Franklin Street; Complaint.
6:30 p.m. 700 block of Myrtle Street; Animal complaint.
6:46 p.m. Glenwood Avenue; Animal complaint.
6:51 p.m. 200 block of Federal Avenue; Animal complaint.
8:58 p.m. 1100 block of Birch Street; Complaint.
9:31 p.m. 900 block of Cherry Street; Complaint.
9:43 p.m. 700 block of Myrtle Street; Warrant.
9:47 p.m. 700 block of Everett Street; Removal of subject.
10:08 p.m. La. 70; Assistance.
11:07 p.m. Aycock Street; Assistance.
Wednesday, May 31
12:11 a.m. Garber and Apple streets; Arrest.
4:33 a.m. 100 block of Oak Street; Disturbance.
4:57 a.m. 1000 block of Marguerite Street; Alarm.