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Sheriff: Stolen gun found in Bayou Vista home

Wed, 05/03/2017 - 11:24am

Staff Report

A 40-year-old Bayou Vista man was caught Tuesday with a stolen gun and another firearm with an obliterated serial number after narcotics detectives searched his home, St. Mary Parish Sheriff Mark Hebert said in a news release.
—Terrance White, 40, of Pluto Road in Bayou Vista, was arrested at 5:56 p.m. Tuesday on charges of possession of marijuana, possession of cocaine with intent to distribute, possession of drug paraphernalia, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, possession of a firearm in the presence of a controlled dangerous substance, possession of a firearm with an obliterated serial number and illegal possession of stolen firearms.
Narcotics section detectives conducted a search warrant at White’s home and located cocaine and marijuana. Detectives also recovered two firearms, one with an obliterated serial number and one that was reported stolen out of Berwick.
White has a prior felony conviction. Following the investigation, White was jailed with no bail set.
Hebert reported responding to 43 complaints in the parish and reported the following arrests in east St. Mary Parish:
—Joshua D. Johnson, 25, of Friendship Alley in Amelia, was arrested at 3:02 p.m. Tuesday on two warrants for failure to comply with the terms and conditions of drug court.
Narcotics detectives patrolling Amelia observed Johnson standing in the yard of a home. Detectives knew Johnson was wanted on the warrants and took him into custody. Johnson was jailed with bail set at $200,000.
—Deonte Harris, 19, of Clines Lane in Amelia, was arrested at 2:37 p.m. Tuesday on charges of possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute, possession of cocaine with intent to distribute and possession of drug paraphernalia.
Narcotics section detectives conducted a search warrant at Harris’ home and located bags of cocaine, methamphetamine and drug paraphernalia, including a digital scale.
Detectives also collected evidence that Harris sold the illegal drugs. Harris was jailed with no bail set.
—Derrick Aucoin, 42, of Lima Street in Berwick, was arrested at 7:50 a.m. Tuesday on charges of stop sign and yield sign violation, operating a vehicle with a suspended driver’s license and no motor vehicle insurance.
A deputy investigating a two-vehicle crash in Bayou Vista found that Aucoin failed to yield to oncoming traffic as he turned off U.S. 90 onto La. 182. The deputy also found that Aucoin was operating the vehicle with a suspended license and without insurance. Aucoin was released on a summons to appear in court Aug. 15.
—James Austin Jr., 17, of Patti Street in Morgan City, was arrested at 10:35 a.m. Tuesday on a charge of assault on a school teacher.
A school resource officer responded to a report of a possible assault at the St. Mary Alternative Program school in Verdunville. Through investigation, the school resource offcer found evidence that Austin approached a school employee in a threatening manner. Austin was booked into jail and released on $1,000 bail.
—Abel Terrell, 22, of Sebby’s Lane in Bayou Vista, was arrested at 12:28 p.m. Tuesday on warrants for failure to appear on the charges of direct contempt, speeding, no proof of insurance, and failure to honor written promise to appear and for failure to appear on the charges of illegal use of weapons or dangerous instrumentalities, illegal possession of weapons in the presence of a controlled dangerous substance, and possession of Schedule I drugs.
Terrell turned himself in at the St. Mary Parish Sheriff’s Office in Morgan City. A deputy transported him to the St. Mary Parish Law Enforcement Center for booking. No bail is set.
—John Diggs Sr., 56, of Truman Circle in Thibodaux, was arrested at 4:19 p.m. Tuesday on warrants for failure to appear on the charge of disturbing the peace, for failure to appear for remaining where forbidden, flight from an officer, theft, and for failure to appear on the charges of criminal damage to property, simple battery, aggravated assault, and entry after being forbidden.
While responding to an unrelated complaint at a home in Amelia, a deputy made contact with Diggs and located the active warrants for his arrest. Diggs was jailed with no bail set.
—Terri Ganel, 50, of La. 182 in Morgan City, was arrested at 10:35 a.m. Tuesday on a warrant charging her with theft of goods.
On April 29, a deputy responded to a complaint of a shoplifter at Walmart in Bayou Vista. The deputy obtained video surveillance footage of the suspect concealing several bottles of alcohol in bags before leaving the store without paying for the items.
A picture of the suspect was released through the public information office. A short time later, detectives received multiple tips and information about the suspect’s identity. The detective positively identified the suspect as Ganel and obtained a warrant for her arrest.
Ganel turned herself in at the St. Mary Parish Sheriff’s Office in Morgan City. Ganel was released on a summons to appear in court Aug. 15.
—Carl Leblanc Jr., 28, of Country Boy Court in Houma, was arrested at 7:25 p.m. Friday for improper lane usage and possession of marijuana.
A deputy patrolling U.S. 90 in Berwick observed a vehicle crossing onto the shoulder of the roadway. The deputy conducted a traffic stop in Morgan City and spoke with the driver, identified as Leblanc.
While speaking with Leblanc, the deputy smelled the odor of marijuana coming from the vehicle and observed a marijuana cigarette inside the van. The marijuana was recovered. Leblanc was released on a summons to appear in court Aug. 15.
—Nicole Borja, 29, of Ann Street in Bayou L’Ourse, was arrested at 7:48 p.m. Tuesday on a charge of speeding. A deputy patrolling U.S. 90 in Berwick observed a vehicle traveling 73 mph in a posted 45 mph construction zone.
The deputy conducted a traffic stop and spoke with the driver, identified as Borja. She was released on a summons to appear in court Aug. 15.
Morgan City Police Chief James Blair reported responding to 53 calls and reported the following arrests:
—Curtis A. Richard, 40, of Glenwood Street in Morgan City, was arrested at 9:55 a.m. Tuesday on a warrant for failure to appear for revocation.
Richard was located and arrested in the area of Marguerite Street on a 16th Judicial District Court warrant. Richard was jailed.
—Robert J. Gussman Jr., 44, of Bush Street in Morgan City, was arrested at 12:51 p.m. Tuesday on two warrants for failure to appear to pay a fine.
Gussman was located and arrested at the St. Mary Parish Law Enforcement Center on a city court warrant. Gussman was jailed.
—Brandon Poole, 30, of Garber Street in Morgan City, was arrested at 1:15 p.m. Tuesday on a charge of resisting an officer.
Officers located Poole while conducting patrols in the area of Garber Street. Poole was allegedly acting in a suspicious nature and made gestures that he had a firearm. During the encounter, Poole allegedly began to pull away and resist officers. Poole was jailed.
—Rebecca Martin, 45, of Terrebonne Street in Morgan City, was arrested at 1:48 p.m. Tuesday on a warrant for failure to appear for arraignment.
Martin was located and arrested in the area of Clothilde Street on active warrants issued by 32nd Judicial District Court in Terrebonne Parish. Martin was jailed.
—Christian A. Brown, 39, of Mark Street in Pierre Part, was arrested at 3 p.m. Tuesday on a warrant for failure to appear for arraignment. Brown was located and arrested at the Morgan City Police Department on a city court warrant. Brown was jailed.
—Sydnie Wainwright, 21, of New Horizons Drive in New Iberia, was arrested at 3:25 p.m. Tuesday on a warrant charging her with illegal possession of a stolen firearm.
Wainwright was located and arrested at the Morgan City Police Department on active warrants held by the Berwick Police Department. Wainwright was jailed.
—Kyler A. Ross, 30, of Broken Arrow Road in New Iberia, was arrested at 6:57 p.m. Tuesday on a warrant for failure to appear for arraignment. Ross was located and arrested in the area of Garber Street on a city court warrant. Ross was jailed.
—Eddie B. Norman, 38, of Railroad Avenue in Morgan City, was arrested at 9:36 a.m. Tuesday on charges of possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute, distribution of methamphetamine, possession of drug paraphernalia and violation of uniform controlled dangerous substance law-drug free zone.
While patrolling the area of Federal Avenue, narcotics division investigators saw a man conducting a hand-to-hand transaction with a person in a vehicle.
The vehicle then left the area and a stop was initiated. The subject observed by investigators was identified as Norman.
Norman was found to be in possession of suspected methamphetamine. During the investigation, evidence was uncovered the suspected methamphetamine was intended for sale and Norman allegedly admitted to selling suspected methamphetamine to the subject that investigators first observed.
The investigation led to a Railroad Avenue home where drug paraphernalia items were located. The incident took place in a drug free zone. Norman was jailed.
Berwick Police Chief James Richard reported the following arrests:
—Sydnie Wainwright, 21, of New Horizons Drive in New Iberia, was arrested at 4:30 p.m. Tuesday on a warrant charging her with illegal possession of stolen firearm. No bail is set.
—Ruth Chataignieur, 37, of Cypress Drive in Berwick, was arrested at 11:58 p.m. Tuesday on a Pike County, Mississippi, Sheriff’s Office warrant charging her with felony bad checks. No bail is set.
Patterson Police Chief Patrick LaSalle reported the following arrests:
—O’Neal S. Price, 52, of Fifth Street in Patterson, was arrested at 12:11 p.m. Tuesday on a charge of aggravated battery. No bail is set yet.
—Jeremy Jamarcus Hall, 26, of Patterson, was arrested at 7:56 p.m. Tuesday on charges of simple escape and theft and on 16th Judicial District Court warrants. No bail is set yet.

Science Says: Kimmel baby’s heart defect is common, fixable

Wed, 05/03/2017 - 11:17am

By MARILYNN MARCHIONE, AP Chief Medical Writer

The hole-in-the-heart problem that plagues comedian Jimmy Kimmel’s newborn son is one of the most common heart-related birth defects, and it usually can be fixed with surgery.
Some people even live with it for several years before it’s detected although the Kimmel baby’s is the most severe form and was noticed just a few hours after his birth in Los Angeles on April 21.
On his show Monday night, the comedian tearfully described the emergency operation needed after his son, William John, was found to have tetralogy of Fallot.
A quick take on the condition.
—Tetralogy means four, a cluster of that many defects. The main one is a hole or opening in the wall separating the two sides of the heart. In a normal heart, the right side pumps oxygen-depleted, or blue blood from other parts of the body to the lungs to get more oxygen. The left side then pumps this oxygen-rich, red blood to the rest of the body.
These types of blood should stay separated, but a hole in the heart wall lets them mix, so some blood without enough oxygen winds up getting pumped out into the body.
This can be complicated by a second problem the Kimmel baby has — pulmonary atresia, a severely blocked heart valve, which prevents enough blood from reaching the lungs.
—Usually the cause isn’t known, although it is more common in children with certain conditions such as Down syndrome.
In some cases, genes may play a role. Or it may just be a fluke, the result of abnormal development in the womb.
—Kimmel said the open-heart operation was to open the blocked valve so there’s better blood flow. It’s not known what else was done to address the other problems. Billy came home six days after that and is “doing great,” his father said. The baby will need a second surgery within six months to fix the hole. Doctors often place a patch to close the opening, although there are a couple other possible solutions.
“They are getting him bigger until he can do a more comprehensive repair,” explained Dr. Peace Madueme, a pediatric cardiologist at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center. He has no knowledge of the Kimmel case and just discussed what’s usually done.
Kimmel said his son would need a third operation in his teens.
“That usually is a pulmonary valve replacement,” which sometimes can be done through blood vessels rather than in an open-heart operation, Madueme said.
—“Lifestyle-wise, kids with tetralogy do really well, normal daily activities,” Madueme said, citing Shaun White, the Olympic gold medal snowboarder with the same defect. White appeared on Kimmel’s show Monday night to talk about his case.
—This Associated Press series was produced in partnership with the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Department of Science Education. The AP is solely responsible for all content.

Louisiana Politics: Gas tax hike still on agenda

Wed, 05/03/2017 - 10:40am

By JEREMY ALFORD

While House and Senate leaders contend a proposed increase to the state gasoline tax still has a long road ahead in the ongoing regular session, supporters aren’t letting up on their push to generate more money for Louisiana’s overwhelming transportation needs.
Still, it’s not the kind of political assessment supporters want to hear as the session nears its midway point, with adjournment scheduled for June 8.
Throwing the issue for a new curve this week was President Donald Trump, who told Bloomberg News that he would “certainly consider” supporting a hike in the federal gas tax if the revenue were directed to infrastructure spending.
The federal retail gasoline tax is already 18.4 cents and on the state level the levy is 20 cents. Neither has been increased since the early 1990s.
Republican consultant Roy Fletcher of Baton Rouge said Trump’s statement, which stopped short of an endorsement or an announcement of any real plan, may introduce a new variable into the debate in the Louisiana Legislature.
While some conservatives might think Trump’s words of encouragement offer them some political cover to increase a tax that’s still seeking to gain footing at the Capitol, Fletcher said the possibility of gasoline being double-taxed is something to consider as well.
“If the feds possibly increase their rate — and we don’t know if that’s even the case — does someone want to do something here before that happens?” Fletcher asked.
Or, he added, does it become an issue that’s worth putting on hold, at least temporarily?
Prior to Trump’s statement, and even as he was giving it to Bloomberg News on Monday, the ongoing shotgun approach to increasing the state’s gas tax was looking tougher with each passing day.
Attention turned weeks ago to getting at least one of the related bills introduced out of the tax-writing Ways and Means Committee and onto the House floor, but little progress has been made.
Many committee members believe that an increase upwards of 17 cents, as proposed in one measure, will be a challenging sell.
As such, other options are starting to appear on the table, like the possibility of a different funding source, like a small portion of the state sales tax. But those options appear to be taking a back seat to the public discussion over the gasoline tax.
There have likewise been very informal discussions — talks that core supporters aren’t necessarily a part of — about fallback positions, such as making sure, at the very least, certain legislative elements of the various proposals out there stay intact, like scaling back administrative costs; prioritizing projects; and indexing current and future revenue.
That said, none of the teams behind the push for a greater gas tax in Louisiana are throwing in the towel.
There are still rays of hope to be found on the issue, with supporters promising more outreach and education.
There are also some hardcore politics at play. Some Republicans, with an eye to 2019, don’t want to give Gov. John Bel Edwards the benefit of having orange barrels all over the state’s highways when he runs for re-election.Corporate tax overhaul
pushed to next week
Legislation that started to get a closer look by Capitol players late last week, due to its intent to lower the corporate income tax rate, failed to get a full hearing on Monday before the House Ways and Means Committee because its author asked for more time to tweak the proposal.
Rep. Kenny Havard, R-St. Francisville, said his HB 648 was incomplete as drafted and that the amendments he needed to get the legislation into the right posture were still being put together. He added that his goal is to get back in front of the committee by next week at the earliest with the finalized measure.
With his legislation Havard wants to lower the top corporate rate of 8%, which he called the “highest in the nation,” and move the state toward a flat tax. Havard is calling his concept the “Business Flat Tax” and he told committee members that it would not apply to sub-chapter S-Corps or limited liability companies.
The idea came under fire last week by Stephen Waguespack, the president of the Louisiana Association of Business and Industry, who called it the “governor’s backup plan.”
It was a clear reference to Gov. John Bel Edwards’ failed commercial activity tax on gross receipts.
Havard’s bill deals instead with gross margins.
“It will apply to profit and not receipts, making it completely different from the governor’s plan or the CAT tax,” said Havard. “Its going to be completely different than that.”

Political History:
Louisiana on canvas
Did you know that our state has an official painting?
It’s oil on canvas from a father-and-son duo, Johnny O. Bell and Johnny F. Bell.
It took the Bells 10 years the develop the full idea and to complete the painting, before the enacting legislation was authored by late state Sen. Mike Cross and approved by the Legislature in 1995.
There was an early version of the painting, now in the possession of the Cross family, that included slaves in a cotton field, but it was rejected by senators and the Bells had to start over.
When a final version was approved, three duplicate paintings were made, with the governor’s office, lieutenant governor’s office and the late Sen. Cross each getting one.
The canvas is dominated by images of a magnolia flower, a Catahoula Leopard cur, an alligator, a pelican and our state flag.

They said it
“That was really cool how that happened. Now the devil really is in the details.”
—Rep. Sam Jones, D-Franklin, on how one of his legislative proposals was assigned the infamous number of HB 666
“As you can see, we are hungry for any good news.”
—Commissioner of Administration Jay Dardenne, on recent news that the state had saved money on early debt repayments
For more Louisiana political news, visit www.LaPolitics.com or follow Jeremy Alford on Twitter @LaPoliticsNow.
_

Gas hike approved in Patterson

Wed, 05/03/2017 - 10:31am

Ivory Bibbins

ibibbins@daily-review.com

Patterson City Council adopted ordinances Tuesday to increase sewer and gas rates for the next 10 years. Rates for residential customers will increase annually, while commercial customer’s rates will increase biannually.
Concerns about the difference in rates for in-town and out-of-town residential and commercial customers sparked debate with citizens and the council before the adoption of the ordinances. Mayor Rodney Grogan said citizens who live outside of the city limit already pay a different gas and sewer rate from an ordinance that passed over 20 years ago.
“This council could have voted to go with a straight flat rate of $25,” Grogan said, “but we chose not to and will break it down into steps.”
Grogan stated that with the proposed sewer and gas rate increase, revenue for the city will not be seen until the year 2020.
City management also introduced ordinances to levy millage rates for general alimony tax and public improvement bond issues for water work for the 2017 tax year. The ordinances introduced proposed no increases in the millage rates.
Reginal Weary, Patterson city accountant, proposed a final draft of the 2017-18 operating and capital budget. Weary suggested that before the adoption of the budget, which could take place at the June 6 council meeting, all the council members should meet for a budget work-shop to explain in detail the proposed budget.
Grogan said that $100,000 of the budget will be used for street repairs for the city.
Councilmember John Rentrop brought up concern that the budget workshop would violate the Sunshine Law, but Grogan said the budget workshop would not be in violation.
Grogan and Chief Patrick LaSalle addressed the complaints about the construction on U.S. 90. Grogan said construction is proposed to be completed at the end of January 2018. LaSalle said the Patterson Police Department will not stop giving citations and that the police department will practice zero tolerance with people who illegally cross over U.S. 90.
In additional business, the council
—Adopted a resolution to proclaim May as Older Americans Month.
—Adopted a resolution to provide legislative support to fully fund the 16th Judicial District Public Defender Office to give competent and fairly compensated defense counsel to indigent citizens
—Patterson Summer Recreation Program will start June 16. Registration is $50 per child.
—Water Meter Re-placement Program has completed specifications and advertisements have been sent off.

Microsoft laptop takes aim at Google

Wed, 05/03/2017 - 10:00am

By BARBARA ORTUTAY, AP Technology Writer

NEW YORK (AP) — Microsoft is taking aim at Google as it introduced a Surface device for students and slimmed down Windows for the classroom.
The new Surface Laptop is the first Surface device without a detachable keyboard. Microsoft says the new laptop will have up to 14.5 hours of battery life, compared with 12 hours for the MacBook Air. The Surface Laptop will come out on June 15.
The laptop runs Windows 10 S, a streamlined version of the ubiquitous operating system. It will run only software downloaded from the Windows Store, a limitation that Microsoft touts as a security benefit. Microsoft’s previous effort at a slimmed-down Windows, Windows RT, wasn’t popular because it wouldn’t run older programs unavailable in the Windows Store.
The laptop comes at a rough time for the Surface line, which Microsoft blamed for the small revenue shortfall in its latest quarterly report. And it’s a clear effort by Microsoft to step up competition with Google and its inexpensive Chromebooks in the classroom, where the latter has made major inroads .
Microsoft said new education PCs running Windows 10 S will start at $189, a bit more than the cheapest Chrome-books. The Surface Laptop, though, will start at $999, the same as the MacBook Air.
Among Microsoft’s other education announcements:
—Microsoft is adding a coding feature to Minecraft Education, the offshoot of its wildly popular creator game. Called “Code Builder,” the feature combines Minecraft with learn-to-code tools such as Tynker and a new one from Microsoft called MakeCode.
—A classroom version of Microsoft Teams will let students (supervised by their teacher) chat and work together online. In classroom group chats, students can listen to guest speakers, interact and even send emojis and GIF images. If it gets too rowdy, teachers can mute individual students or the whole class, or delete individual comments. Microsoft hopes the tool will serve as a digital hub for classrooms, where teachers can personalize learning and communicate with students and their parents.

Law change prevents gun charge

Wed, 05/03/2017 - 9:53am

A 2016 change in state law prevented Patterson police from adding a weapons charge against a man found last week in possession of a semi-automatic rifle and a small amount of marijuana. Alonzo Henry, 22, of Patterson, was arrested April 25 on charges of possession of marijuana second offense, smoking in the presence of a juvenile and child restraint violation. An officer stopped Henry’s vehicle after allegedly smelling marijuana coming from the vehicle. During the stop, the officer also found a semiautomatic rifle capable of holding 60 rounds in the trunk of the vehicle, Patterson Police Chief Patrick LaSalle said. Authorities allegedly ...

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Karate exhibition

Wed, 05/03/2017 - 9:53am

Members of the LaGrange Karate Club under the tutelage of Instructor Murphy Armelin demonstrated their skills recently during the annual LaGrange Karate Club Exhibition. Members displayed their skills in board breaking, lying on a bed of nails and kicking in naming only a few of the demonstrations in the yearly exhibition.

JOSEPH “CARLTON” DOMINGUE

Wed, 05/03/2017 - 9:51am

Joseph “Carlton” Domingue, 62, a native of Franklin and resident of New Iberia, died at 5:40 a.m. on Thursday, April 27, 2017.

Visitations will be from 9 a.m. until burial at 11 a. m. on Saturday at Otis Mortuary Chapel on 501 Willow St., Franklin. Burial will take place at Perpetual Park Cemetery in Franklin.

He is survived by his wife, Evola Lively Domingue of New Iberia; mother, Charity S. Bolden of Franklin; one son, Rhimon Snipe of Charleston, S.C.; three brothers, Larry Bolden and Bobby Bolden, both of Franklin, and Mark Bolden of Klein, Texas; and two sisters, Carol Yvette of Franklin and Tammy Bolden of Klein, Texas.

Arrangements are entrusted to Otis Mortuary, 501 Willow St., Franklin.

JOHN BARABIN

Wed, 05/03/2017 - 9:50am

John Barabin, 69, a native and resident of Franklin, died at 4:29 a.m. on Sunday, April 30, 2017.

Visitations will be on May 6, 2017 at St. Jules Cathedral at 601 Magnolia St., Franklin, from 9 a.m. until burial at 11 a.m. Burial will be at St. Jules Church Cemetery on Ash Street in Franklin.

He is survived by his companion, Georgia Vincent of Franklin; two brothers, Albert (Savannah) Barabin Jr. and Henry Barabin, both of Franklin; and a host of nieces, nephews and other relatives and friends.

He was preceded in death by his parents and three uncles.

Arrangements have been entrusted to Otis Mortuary, 501 Willow St., Franklin.

WILMER “ZACK” SEREAL JR.

Wed, 05/03/2017 - 9:50am

A Celebration of Life for Wilmer “Zack” Sereal Jr. will be Saturday, May 6, 2017, 11 a.m., St. Mark Baptist Church, 2414 Fourth Street, Jeanerette, La. Pastor Eric Fondale Officiating.

Visitation will be Saturday, May 6, 2017, from 9 a.m. until the commencement of the funeral service at St. Mark Baptist Church.

Wilmer “Zack” Sereal Jr. was born February 15, 1951, to the late Wilmer Sereal Sr., and Louise Wesley Sereal. He departed this life peacefully, surrounded by his loving family on Wednesday, April 26, 2017, at his home in Jeanerette, La., after a lengthy illness.

Wilmer leaves to cherish his loving devoted wife, Verna M. Sereal of Jeanerette, La.; 3 sons: Roy (Terrie) of Chicago, IL; Travis and Terrence Sereal of Jeanerette, La.; 2 daughters: Malfrieda (Robert) Sereal of New Orleans, La.; and Markita Sereal of Jeanerete, La.; a great niece he raised as his own Briana Melacon of Grand Marias, La.; 3 grandchildren: Ja’Layia Cayou of New Orleans, La.; Ta’Jiahrae and Jessie Casimere of Galveston, TX; 1 special grandchild he raised as his own: Ja’Queria Sereal of New Orleans, La.; 3 sisters: Celestine Johnlouis, Lauren Sereal of Jeanerette, La.; and Christine (Abraham) Mitchell of New Iberia, La.; 5 brothers: Fred, Benny, Micheal, Larry, and Willie Sereal all of Jeanerette, La.; 5 sisters in law: Rose White, Rita Landry, and Betty Drexler all of Jeanerette, La.; Johnelle Johnson of New Iberia, La.; and Catherine Edwards of Houston, TX; 5 brothers in law: Calvin Johnlouis Sr. and Patrick Roberts of Jeanerette, La.; Larry and Harold Roberts of New Iberia, La.; Charles Roberts of Houston, TX; 2 aunts: Amy Davis and Louella (Raymond) Lumpkin; 2 uncles: Paul Sereal Sr. and Levy (Emma) Wesley; and a host of nieces, nephews, godchildren, cousins, and friends.

He was proceeded in death by his parents, Wilmer and Louise Wesley Sereal; 2 brothers: Wilfred Robinson Sr. and Wilmer Sereal; 2 sisters: Sarah R. Hebert and Geanetta Sereal Johnlouis; aunts, uncles, nieces and nephews, mother-in-law, father-in-law, and brothers-in-law.

MK DIXON Funeral Home is in charge of final arrangements, 337-940-9253, 211 Main Street, Baldwin, La. 70514, www.mkdixonfh.com.