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Memorial Day closings
Memorial Day will be a holiday for local municipal, parish and state offices.
The Harold J. “Babe” Landry Landfill in Berwick will close at noon Monday in observance of the holiday.
Progressive Waste Solutions and Pelican Waste & Debris will collect routes as usual. However, some routes may be collected earlier than usual.
The office at The Daily Review will be closed on Memorial Day. Monday’s paper may be delivered earlier than normal in some areas.
Chef from Patterson wins education award
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Woman accused of cultivating marijuana
A 43-year-old Morgan City woman was charged with cultivating marijuana after police found the drug packaged for sale during a search of her home, Police Chief James Blair said in a news release.
—Loretta Moore, 43, of Roderick Street in Morgan City, was arrested at 8:27 p.m. Wednesday on charges of possession of marijuana with intent to distribute, cultivation of marijuana, possession of methamphetamine, possession of drug paraphernalia, violation of uniform controlled dangerous substance law-drug-free zone and illegal use of a controlled dangerous substance in the presence of persons under 17 years old.
Narcotics division detectives conducted a search warrant at a Roderick Street home. When officers entered, they came into contact with Moore and a child under 17 years old.
Officers searched the home and located suspected marijuana packaged for sale, suspected marijuana plants and suspected methamphetamine. Investigators also found items used to smoke illegal narcotics. The location of the home is located within 2,000 feet of an elementary school, which is a drug-free zone. Moore was jailed.
Blair reported responding to 44 calls and reported the following arrests:
—Patrick D. Guarisco, 53, of Front Street in Morgan City, was arrested at 3:33 p.m. Wednesday on charges of possession of marijuana, violation of uniform controlled dangerous substance law-drug-free zone and possession of drug paraphernalia
Officers responded to a home on Front Street in regard to someone smoking marijuana on the property. The witness pointed out the individual, who was identified as Guarisco.
Officers located suspected marijuana on Guarisco and items used to smoke illegal narcotics. The location of the residence is within 2,000 feet of an elementary school, which is a drug-free zone. Guarisco was jailed.
—Brandon L. Boudreaux, 31, of Franklin Street in Morgan City, was arrested at 8 p.m. Wednesday on a St. Mary Parish Sheriff’s Office warrant charging him with criminal neglect of family and a warrant for two counts of failure to pay fines.
Boudreaux was located in the area of Federal and Brashear avenues. Boudreaux an active warrants for city court and district court. Boudreaux was jailed.
—Brandon Poole, 30, of Garber Street in Morgan City, was arrested at 9:08 p.m. Wednesday on charges of seatbelt violation, no driver’s license, possession of marijuana with intent to distribute, possession of drug paraphernalia, obstruction of justice and violation of uniform controlled dangerous substance law-drug-free zone.
—Anthony Dixon, 27, of Everett Street in Morgan City, was arrested at 9:08 p.m. Wednesday on charges of possession of marijuana with intent to distribute, possession of drug paraphernalia, obstruction of justice and violation of uniform controlled dangerous substance law-drug-free zone.
A patrol officer in the area of Federal Avenue and Egle Street observed a vehicle with a driver not wearing a seatbelt. Prior to the vehicle stopping, the officer observed an object thrown from the passenger side window and conducted a traffic stop.
The driver, Poole, didn’t have a valid driver’s license. The passenger inside the vehicle was identified as Dixon. Officers retrieved the item thrown, which they found to be a large amount of suspected marijuana packaged for sale. Police received consent to search the vehicle and found items used to smoke illegal narcotics.
The location of the traffic stop was located within 2,000 feet of an elementary school, which is a drug-free zone. Both Poole and Dixon were jailed.
St. Mary Parish Sheriff Mark Hebert reported responding to 37 complaints in the parish and reported the following arrests:
—Jeremy Hall, 26, of Roussel Street in Patterson, was arrested at 6:43 a.m. Wednesday on a warrant charging him with possession of marijuana fourth offense and failure to appear on the charge of possession of marijuana.
Hall was transported from the Patterson Police Department jail where he was already incarcerated to the St. Mary Parish Law Enforcement Center for booking.
Hall was listed among those wanted in the Spring Cleaning operation conducted in March 2016. The warrants in that operation were obtained after conducting multiple long term undercover investigations led by the St. Mary Parish Sheriff’s Office Narcotics Division with the assistance of Vermillion and Assumption Parish Sheriff’s Offices, Louisiana State Police, and Patterson and Morgan City police departments. The undercover operations targeted mid to low level drug dealers.
—Tate Lirette, 35, of East Camilla Street in Thibodaux, was arrested at 12:55 p.m. Wednesday on charges of brake lights required, possession of marijuana and possession of drug paraphernalia.
Narcotics detectives patrolling Bayou Vista observed a vehicle with no brake lights on Southeast Boulevard and conducted a traffic stop on Belleview Street.
The driver was identified as Lirette. While speaking with him, detectives received consent to search the car and located marijuana and a grinder. Lirette was released on a summons to appear in court Aug. 15.
—Damien Keller, 33, of Saturn Road in Bayou Vista, was arrested at 6:25 a.m. Wednesday on charges of theft of goods and remaining where forbidden.
A deputy was dispatched to a report of shoplifting at a store in Bayou Vista. While en route, the deputy received information that the suspect was walking away from the store. Another deputy located a person matching the description of the suspect on Arlington Road.
The person was identified as Keller and was transported to the store pending the investigation. The deputy assigned to the case collected evidence that Keller took an item out of its packaging with the intention of stealing it.
Keller had been banned from the store due to a previous shoplifting incident. Keller was transported to the St. Mary Parish Law Enforcement Center for booking and was later released on a summons to appear in court Aug. 15.
Assumption Parish Sheriff Leland Falcon reported the following arrest:
—Robert Wyatt, 30, of Vivian Street in Bayou L’Ourse, was arrested on a charge of felony theft.
Responding deputies learned that a four-wheeler, welding machine and welding leads were stolen from a camp on Aristile Road in Bayou L’Ourse.
Detectives interviewed multiple people during an investigation, and Wyatt was arrested after detectives obtained a warrant based on their findings. Detectives were able to recover all of the stolen property.
Wyatt was already in jail for a previous arrest. Wyatt was on probation at the time of his arrest, and probation and parole has placed a hold on him. Wyatt was jailed at the Assumption Parish Detention Center with no bail set.
Berwick Police Chief James Richard reported no arrests.
Patterson Police Chief Patrick LaSalle reported no arrests.
WILLIAM CHARLES BROADHURST
Funeral services for longtime Louisiana attorney, lobbyist and political adviser William C. Broadhurst will be held at 10AM on Friday, June 2, at First United Methodist Church of Crowley. Mr. Broadhurst died unexpectedly in his sleep at his family home in Crowley, Louisiana. He was 77.
Born in Crowley to Marian Lewis Broadhurst and Robert C. Broadhurst, Sr. on December 31, 1939, William “Bill” Broadhurst was highly respected as a gifted attorney, skilled negotiator, trusted political advisor and effective lobbyist. His knowledge and integrity are legendary, and for nearly 60 years he worked alongside Louisiana’s top political leaders, including Governor Edwin W. Edwards.
“Billy had a natural ability for understanding and relating to people and effectively addressing some of the most complicated political issues,” Edwards said in an interview with USA Today Network. “He was instrumental in helping with the (1973-74) Constitutional Convention.”
Broadhurst served as President of the Board of Supervisors for the University of Louisiana System (1980), as well as the first chairman of the board of the Louisiana CAJUNDOME Commission (1985), and on the board of directors of the First National Bank of Lafayette, Louisiana. He was a member of the Louisiana Bar Association and the board of trustees of the First United Methodist Church of Crowley.
Broadhurst attended the University of the South in Sewanee, Tennessee, followed by Louisiana State University and LSU Law School, where he earned his law degree in 1961. Thereafter, he began a distinguished legal career as an attorney with the law firm of Edwards and Edwards (Edwin W. Edwards and Nolan J. Edwards). In 1965 the firm became known as Edwards, Edwards and Broadhurst.
In 1975 Broadhurst was appointed chief counsel to the State of Louisiana Division of Natural Resources and Energy, Department of Conservation. Two years later, he became founding partner of Broadhurst, Brook, Mangham and Hardy law firm in Lafayette, Louisiana. The firm expanded to Baton Rouge, New Orleans and Washington, D.C., representing corporate clients in complex commercial cases and concentrating in matters of banking, oil & gas exploration, environmental litigation, newspapers, food industry, intrastate and interstate gas pipelines, regulatory law, real estate law and lobbying.
Broadhurst served as general counsel for First National Bank (FNB) of Lafayette, Trans Louisiana Gas Distribution Company, and as Louisiana general counsel for The Williams Companies in Tulsa, Oklahoma. He pioneered the Lignite Mining Law in Louisiana as the chief redactor and lobbyist for successful passage of the Louisiana Surface Mining and Reclamation Act, representing Phillips Coal Company. He also played a pivotal role in successfully opening the door for statewide banking in Louisiana as a lobbyist for the Louisiana Intrastate Banking Law, representing clients such as FNB of Lafayette, FNBC New Orleans, BNO New Orleans, and Hibernia Bank of New Orleans.
In 1984, Governor Edwin W. Edwards and Attorney General William J. Guste, Jr. appointed Broadhurst chairman of the advisory team and as chief negotiator for the State of Louisiana in connection with the then-pending 8(g) litigation against the federal government. Working pro bono with the Louisiana Department of Natural Resources, Office of Conservation, Attorney General’s Office, the Attorney for Federal Affairs, and the Louisiana congressional delegation, Broadhurst was instrumental in securing a $583 million settlement. Administered by the Louisiana Board of Regents, the considerable interest earnings funded 8(g) projects in Louisiana, designed to foster excellence in education, research and service.
Other notable clients included Columbia Gulf Transmission Co., Intrastate and Interstate Gas Pipelines, Michigan Wisconsin Pipeline Co., Tennessee Gas Transmission Co., Transco Louisiana, Intrastate Gas Co., Williams Gas Pipeline, Louisiana State Newspapers, CLECO and CSX Railroads.
In recent years, Broadhurst worked tirelessly as an attorney, advisor, and strategist for Entergy New Orleans.
In January 2017, Broadhurst was inducted into the Louisiana Political Hall of Fame, receiving the “2017 Friend of Edwin Edwards Award,” acknowledging his longtime friendship and support of the former governor.
Broadhurst was widely known as a charismatic yet tough negotiator in settlement talks and for skillfully navigating complicated oil and gas transactions. A steadfast friend and confidant, he earned a reputation as a brilliant political strategist as well as a fun-loving Louisiana historian and raconteur. He also enjoyed hunting, fishing, and LSU football.
“Billy was one of the brightest people I ever met in government,” said Louisiana Senate President John Alario, R-Westwego. “He was the type of guy who could solve almost any problem. He also had a great sense of humor and kept everyone on their toes.”
Bill Broadhurst was a devoted husband, father, and grandfather. He is survived by his wife of twenty-four years, Nancy de la Houssaye Broadhurst of Crowley, Louisiana; daughter Alison Broadhurst Mouton (Joey) and their children William and Mason; daughter Michelle Broadhurst Andrus (David) and their children Whitney, Tyler, Layne and Avery; three great grandchildren; and one brother, Robert C. Broadhurst, and his children Trey and Jamie Broadhurst.
A two-part eulogy will include remarks by Clancy DuBos, political analyst for WWL-TV New Orleans and columnist for Gambit newspaper; and former Louisiana Governor Edwin W. Edwards. Pallbearers are William Mouton, Joseph Mouton, Alan de la Houssaye, John Williford, Rod West, William Kearney and Gregory Reggie. Honorary Pallbearers are Broadhurst’s close friends from “The Summit Group” — Braxton (B.I.) Moody III, Billy Trotter, Rocky Robin, Milo Nickel, Kenneth Privat, and Fred Reggie.
In lieu of flowers, the Broadhurst Family is grateful for donations to Lafayette General Foundation for the Acadia General Hospital Emergency Room, 1214 Coolidge Street, Lafayette, LA 70503 or on-line at www.Lafayette General.com/Foundation.
Sheriff's Dept. drug arrest
St. Mary Parish Sheriff Mark Hebert reported that Narcotics Section agents conducted a search warrant at the residence of Rondell Landry, 25, of 224 Freetown Road, Glencoe, who was charged with warrants Wednesday on charges of possession of marijuana with intent to distribute, transactions involving drug proceeds, possession of Lortab with intent to distribute and possession of drug paraphernalia. Agents reportedly located 23 bags of marijuana in a shed on the property. The bags weighed in at around a pound each. Detectives also reportedly located a small amount of marijuana, over two dozen Lortab pills and $1,375 in cash inside the residence. Through investigation, detectives reportedly found evidence that the marijuana, Xanax and cash belonged to Landry and that the money was gained from the sale of the illegal drugs. Landry was not at the residence at the time the search warrant was carried out. A warrant was issued for his arrest. Landry turned himself in at the St. Mary Parish Law Enforcement Center. Landry was released after posting $23,000 bond.
Police Reports 5-25-17
St. Mary Parish Sheriff Mark Hebert reported the following arrests:
Damien Keller, 33, 313 Saturn Road, Bayou Vista, was arrested on Wednesday at 6:25 a.m. for theft of goods and remaining where forbidden. Keller was released on a summons.
Dedrick Stevenson, 24, 449 Ben Hur Road, Apt. 5303D, Baton Rouge, was arrested on Wednesday at 11:33 a.m. on warrants for failure to appear on the charges of possession of a Legend Drug without a prescription, operating a vehicle with a suspended driver’s license and no motor vehicle insurance, warrant for failure to appear on the charge of possession of Schedule I drugs, warrant for failure to appear on the charge of speeding, expired motor vehicle inspection and failure to honor written promise to appear and warrant for failure to appear on the charges of careless operation of a motor vehicle and failure to honor written promise to appear. No bail is set.
Narcotics agents arrested Rondell Landry, 25, 244 Freetown Road, Glencoe, on Wednesday at 4:19 p.m. on a warrant for possession of Schedule I – marijuana with intent to distribute, transactions involving drug proceeds, possession of Schedule III – Lortab with intent to distribute and possession of drug paraphernalia. Landry was released on a $23,000 bond.
Jeremy Hall, 26, 120 Roussel Street, Patterson, was arrested on Wednesday at 6:43 a.m. on a warrant for possession of marijuana – fourth offense and failure to appear on the charge of possession of marijuana. Hall was transported from the Patterson Police Department jail where he was already incarcerated to the St. Mary Parish Law Enforcement Center for booking.
Tate Lirette, 35, 1212 East Camilla St., Thibodaux, was arrested on Wednesday at 12:55 p.m. for brake lights required, possession of Schedule I – marijuana and possession of drug paraphernalia. Lirette was released on a summons.
Franklin Police Chief Sabria McGuire reported the following arrests:
James Anderson, 53, Franklin, was arrested on Wednesday, at 12:47 p.m., on warrants for attempted theft and criminal trespassing. No bond is set.
Randolph Joseph, 25, Robert Street, Franklin, was arrested on Wednesday on a warrant for second degree battery. Joseph is held at the St. Mary Parish Law Enforcement Center
Ericka Willis, 36, Seventh Street, Franklin, was arrested on Wednesday for disturbing the peace by fighting. Willis was released on a $1,000 bond.
Dedrick Stevenson, 24, Ben Hur Road, Baton Rouge, was arrested on Wednesday, at 8:25 p.m., on a warrant for failure to appear on the charge of simple battery. No bond is set.
Mayor Donna Lanceslin is not giving up on Baldwin
By JANELL PARFAIT
The St. Mary Parish Chamber of Commerce hosted a luncheon at The Forest in Franklin on Wednesday for the parish mayors to give local updates from their respective communities.
Mayor Donna Lancelin of Baldwin was the first leader to speak.
“We have things going on, conferred from what you may have heard on television or what you may have read in the newspaper,” Lanceslin said. “There’s no way that Baldwin is filing for bankruptcy.”
According to Lanceslin, the town received financial assistance from state Sen. Bret Allain, State Rep. Sam Jones and St. Mary Parish President David Hanagriff.
“They’ve given us a grant to help beautify the boulevard that you see on highway 83,” she said.
The local chapter of the sorority Alpha Kappa Alpha helped clean the town park in preparation for the parish’s upcoming recreational baseball season.
West St. Mary High School’s basketball team managed to play in the state championship, which concluded in March, she added.
“West St. Mary has been here for 17 years, and we have never gone to state (championship) with our basketball team,” Lanceslin continued. “And that was something for Baldwin that lifted the spirit of the community together.”
“Whatever it is we’re doing in the town of Baldwin, we’re doing it especially for the children,” she said.
A summer enrichment program will soon take place at Raintree Elementary School. The program will help students prepare for standardize testing.
“But we are still trying to do our best with what we have,” Lanceslin said. “We’re not putting the blame on anybody or anything like that, because it’s my job; and I took the job saying that I’m going to do the best that I can for the town of Baldwin. Whether I have money or not, I’m going to try to do my best.”
RFPs may be the norm for parish
Requests for proposals when acquiring professional services may become mandatory for St. Mary Parish Government.
The parish council Wednesday approved a request by Councilmen Glenn Hidalgo and Kevin Voisin to issue a request for proposal (RFP) for management firms in the operation of Atchafalaya Golf Course at Idlewild in Patterson, not including the restaurant. The council approved that motion.
Chief Administrative Officer Henry “Bo” LaGrange said RFPs are standard forms that are sent out and analyzed upon return for presentation to the council.
Councilman Gabriel Beadle asked LaGrange if the council can add to the details of an RFP. LaGrange said he’d welcome suggestions from the council and the administration would consider them.
Beadle added that RFPs are “great” but that “we want to make sure we don’t single out one entity and we look everywhere to save, every entity to save in the parish, and continuously push requests for proposals because all we’re doing is getting the number to find out where the best price for the best service is out there.” He said every professional service should involve an RFP.
Councilman Craig Mathews asked if the council would take every professional service “on a case-by-case basis” or if a separate ordinance would be needed.
Legal counsel Eric Duplantis said the agenda item under action only applied to its specified parameters.
The council debated RFPs in recent years, Parish President David Hanagriff said, and Duplantis added that state statue limits or exempts some particular circumstances in requests for proposals.
Mathews asked the council to “seriously consider drafting legislation” requiring RFPs where possible and in line with state statute.
Also Wednesday, Hanagriff said a resolution on the agenda would authorize him to execute a contract with the lowest bidder for a new water treatment plant in Glencoe.
Hanagriff said the attended the Water District 5 meeting Tuesday, and while the original scope of that project was about $750,000, the lowest bid came in at $1.1 million. The parish has a grant for the initial amount.
The parish has contributed $150,000, and the commission agreed to fund $300,000, he said.
“This has been needed for a very long time in the Glencoe community,” Mathews added. “It’s a dilapidated, antiquated system that the district inherited.” He said Rep. Sam Jones and Sen. Sam Jones helped secure the grant.
He said that the district’s willingness to allocate the money, rather than keep it in their account, made him “extremely proud.”
The district will seek renewal of its special tax in the Oct. 14 election.
In other business:
—Hanagriff reported that Sen. Bill Cassidy will be visiting the parish sometime next week.
—An ordinance was introduced authorizing issuance of sales tax refunding bonds for solid waste to not exceed $750,000.
—And ordinance was adopted for a 5.72 mill and 0.31 mill tax renewal for the St. Mary Parish Library System, excluding the City of Morgan City which is not a part of the system.
—An ordinance was passed levying a 7.24 mill tax renewal in the unincorporated areas of the parish for local and parochial purposes, and a 3.62 mill renewal within the municipalities to defray costs of the criminal justice system.
—An ordinance for a zoning map amendment was approved.
—Water and Sewer Dist. 4 was approved for its tax renewal in the Oct. 14 election.
—Water and Sewer Dist. 5 was also authorized to present a tax renewal Oct. 14.
—Jason Vining was appointed to the Fire Protect Dist. 7 board in the Bayou Vista area.
—An allocation of $10,000 from the Wards 1, 2, 3, 4, 7 and 10 tax fund was approved for Franklin High School summer enrichment program, and $7,500 for the same program at Raintree Elementary in Baldwin.
—Gary A. Beadle was appointed to the Wards 5 and 8 joint sewer commission; Councilman Beadle abstained.
Minimum wage hike dies in Legislature
BATON ROUGE – The Senate Finance Committee, buttressed by challenged warnings that any mandated increase would cost jobs, killed, 7-3, a bill that would have raised the state’s mini-mum wage from the federal minimum of $7.25 to $8 in 2018, and to $8.50 in 2019.
Washington, D.C. and 28 other states have a minimum wager higher than the federal minimum of $7.25. Only three have a lower employment rate than Louisiana, according to Louisiana Budget Project Director Jan Moller. States must at least match the federal minimum.
“At the end of the day, the best feeling a person can have is caring for themselves,” Carter said. “A better-paid employee benefits Louisiana.”
Debate on Senate Bill 153 by Sen. Troy Carter, D-New Orleans, and the voting fell along party lines. Most Republicans argued businesses will make up for the increased expense by eliminating low-wage jobs or raising the cost of products.
“Instead of trying to raise the wage that could drive jobs away, we should be focusing on our economy,” Sen. Conrad Appel, R-Metairie, said. “If you raise the minimum wage, you might be jeopardizing those very jobs that earn that $7.25.”
Sen. Gregory Tarver, D-Shreveport, attempted to attach an amendment to the bill that would have put the measure before the voters in October. However, Louisiana does not have a referendum process, so residents can only vote on Constitutional amendments. The amendment was not attached.
“The only time we try and let the people decide is when we as a Legislature don’t want to take a stand,” said Sen. Wesley Bishop, D-New Orleans, who supported the bill and the amendment and said most Louisianans would vote in favor of the wage increase if it appeared on ballots.
“There is something fundamentally wrong when a minimum wage hotel worker can’t afford to sleep in the same bed he made last night,” he said. “It doesn’t take an economist to figure out what the right thing to do is.”
Sen. Sharon Hewitt, R-Slidell, argued that neither the government, nor the people, should tell business owners what to pay their employers.
“The people’s choice is to seek a job that fits their need.”
Carter retorted, saying the government already regulates wages and does not create any new precedent, it just “builds on what’s already there by a meager dollar and a quarter.”
About 85,000 Louisianans would have received a pay raise had Carter’s bill passed, according to the Economic Policy Institute. Carter said 78 percent of Louisianans believe the minimum wage should be higher.
“It’s hard to believe we don’t want to pay people right,” Tarver said. “If this dollar hurts the businessman, he shouldn’t have been in business anyway. Let’s help the little man, because we always help the big boys.”
Louisiana Association for Business and Industry Vice President Jim Patterson said raising the minimum wage would create “upward pressure,” forcing businesses to seek worker alternatives, like robotics. He also said employers would seek to hire more qualified workers, in lieu of hiring less educated workers.
“The least educated and the least skilled would be adversely affected by this legislation.”
Sen. Jack Donahue, R-Mandeville, stressed education’s role in alleviating Louisiana’s poverty problem, drawing nods of agreement from the committee and some responses regarding potential budget cuts to the system.
“The old adage of ‘pull yourself up by your boot-straps’ – What if you don’t have any boots?” Carter asked. “We’ve cut education so much. We’re blocking certain people from going to school.”
“We need to show people that we don’t live in these ivory towers where we’re sanitized from the issues our community deals with. I’m going to take this bill up every year until it gets done.”
Committee members voting against a raise in the minimum wage were Sens. Conrad Appel, R-Metairie, Bret Allain, R-Franklin, Jack Donahue, R-Mandeville, Sharon Hewitt, R-Slidell, Jim Fannin, R-Jonesboro, Ronnie Johns, R-Lake Charles, Bodi White, R-Baton Rouge.
Members voting for the raise were Sens. Regina Barrow, D-Baton Rouge, Gregory Tarver, D-Shreveport, Wesley Bishop, D-New Orleans.