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EDDIE “POKEY” E. BROUSSARD

Wed, 04/12/2017 - 9:30am

Eddie “Pokey” E. Broussard, 78, a native of Berwick and resident of Morgan City, died on Sunday, April 9, 2017 at 1:45 a.m.
No services will be held.
He is survived by his sons, Eddie Broussard Jr. of Orlando, Fl., Gregory Broussard of Baton Rouge, Lance Broussard of Gonzales and Edward Johnson of Morgan City; three daughters, Sheila (Wayne) Broussard Johnson and Deborah (Stanley) Broussard Jones, both of New Orleans and Shelly Broussard of Midland, Texas; stepchildren, Lawrence Brooks of Morgan City, Theron Brooks of Ontario, Canada, and Sherrie Brooks (Kevin) LeMelle of West Covina, Calif.; 10 grandchildren; a niece; caretaker, Lanette Banks of Morgan City; three daughters-in-law; three nephews; and a host of great-grandchildren and other relatives and friends.
He was preceded in death by two sons, his parents, two brothers and a sister.
Arrangements have been entrusted to Jones Funeral Home of Morgan City/Franklin/Jeanerette/Houma.

JOANN POPE PORTER

Wed, 04/12/2017 - 9:30am

JoAnn Pope Porter, 77, a native of New Orleans and resident of Berwick, died on Sunday, April 9, 2017 at 5 p.m.
Visitation will be on Thursday, April 13, 2017 at the Living in the Light Ministries Church, 2106 LA 182 in Bayou Vista, from 8 a.m. until funeral services at 10 a.m. Burial will follow in the Rest Haven Memorial Park in New Orleans, 70186. Apostle Sherman Ledet will officiate services.
She is survived by her son, Joseph Pope Jr. of Berwick; sister, Mable Patterson of Chicago, Ill; three grandchildren; three nieces; one nephew; her Living in the Light Church family; and a host of other relatives and friends.
She was preceded in death by her husband, her parents, a step-mother and one brother.
Arrangements have been entrusted to Jones Funeral Home of Morgan City/Franklin/Jeanerette/Houma.

LYDIA CAFFERY HILLIARD O’REILY

Wed, 04/12/2017 - 9:29am

Lydia Caffery Hilliard O’Reily died Saturday, April 8, 2017 in Houston, Texas.
She was preceded in death by her husband Henry Townsend Hilliard, her parents John Murphy Caffery and Mary Frere Caffery, her brothers John Murphy Caffery Jr., Donelson Thomas Caffery, Clegg Caffery and her sister Mary Caffery Jones. She is survived by her husband James O’Reily, her children Henry Townsend Hillard Jr. and his wife Sally, John Caffery Hilliard and his wife Christine Bruce, Mary Temperance Hilliard and Susan Emily Hilliard, her grandsons Henry Picton Hilliard and his wife Cara, Townsend Wise Hilliard his wife Megan and Scott Caffery Hilliard and his wife Carrie. In addition she is survived by her great grandsons Henry, Grant, Charles Harry and Caffery, her great-grand daughters Leah and Blair and many nieces and nephews all of whom loved their Aunt Lydia.
Lydia was born October 5, 1925, at Columbia Hall, her-family home in Franklin, Louisiana. She graduated from Newcomb College in New Orleans, Louisiana in 1947. While at Newcomb she was president of the Newcomb Honor Board, president of Pi Beta Phi and a member of Who’s Who in American Colleges and Universities. She was an aviatrix taught to fly for $75 by Edna Gardner, a friend of Amelia Earhart. Following her graduation from Newcomb Lydia moved to Houston where she met Bill Hilliard. They married April 16, 1949 at Columbia Hall in Franklin. Lydia lived in Houston for 70 years and was an active member of several organizations: The Junior League of Houston, The Garden Club of Houston, serving as its president in 1978-1979 and as a horticulture judge for many years. She received the Garden Club Appreciation Award and Horticulture Award. She was a dedicated volunteer at the Guild Shop, a charitable arm of St. John the Divine Episcopal Church. She was a tireless worker, an enthusiastic leader and a devoted friend. She loved to quilt, to cook, to garden and to entertain at her beach house in Galveston on the Fouth of July and at her horde in Houston on New Year’s Eve. She will be remembered for her kindness, her humor and her loving heart.
Her graveside service will be held June 17, 2017 at 12 noon at the Franklin City Cemetery. Following the service a reception will be held at Dixie, the home of her great nephew and his wife, John and Kate Werner. All friends and family are welcome. The family is grateful to Ernestine Evans for her dedication to and care of Lydia.

Police Reports 4-12-17

Wed, 04/12/2017 - 9:29am

St. Mary Parish Sheriff Mark Hebert reported the following arrests:
Stephan A. Fontenet, 18, 2529 Pelican Court, Jeanerette, was arrested on Tuesday at 1:33 p.m. on a warrant for theft. No bail is set.
Ricky J. Hayes, 52, 1207 Railroad Ave., Morgan City, was arrested on Tuesday at 2:34 p.m. on a warrant for failure to appear on the charges of unauthorized entry of an inhabited dwelling and simple battery. Bail is set at $2,500.
Brad Wiggins, 34, 114 Long Wood Drive, Napoleonville, was arrested on Tuesday at 9:23 a.m. on a warrant for domestic abuse battery. Wiggins was released on a $100 bond.
Narcotics agents arrested Quentin K. Henry, 30, 7261 La. 182, Centerville, on Tuesday at 7:15 pm. For possession of Schedule II – methamphetamine – with intent to distribute, obstruction of justice, violation of controlled dangerous substance law and possession of drug paraphernalia. Bail not specified.
Charles A. Lodrigue, III, 37, 148 Jupiter Street, Bayou Vista, was arrested on April 11, 2017 at 7:15 pm for monetary instrument abuse. No bail is set.
Leroy Bailey, 31, Monroe, was additionally charged on Tuesday at 8:08 p.m. on a warrant for distribution of Schedule II – Norco. Bail is set at $10,000.
Chitimacha Police Chief Hal Hutchinson reported the following arrest:
Jennifer Shanahan Gaudin, 39, North Ira Street, Jeanerette, was arrested on Tuesday for resisting an officer by giving false information and a warrant for failure to appear for driving while intoxicated. Gaudin was released on a summons..

Festival time is coming!

Wed, 04/12/2017 - 9:27am

Bear Festival to again include tours of refuge

Bayou tours and “beary” fun activities on tap with the U.S Fish & Wildlife Service at the Franklin Bear Festival.
The U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service and the Friends of Bayou Teche National Wildlife Refuge will offer free pontoon boat tours, a canoe tour, and a variety of children’s activities during the 14th annual Franklin Bear Festival, April 21-23.
Live animals, bear skulls from around the world, children’s activities and refuge maps and information will be available on Saturday from 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. under the white U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service tent near the Willow Street Bayou Teche bridge. Be sure to bring the children to the “Beary Patch Game” kids activity located in the Willow Street parking structure near the bridge.
Refuge staff will host free pontoon boat tours of Bayou Teche National Wildlife Refuge on Saturday. Tours are at 9-10:30 a.m., 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m., 1-2 p.m. and 3-4 p.m. Tour registration is required, held on a first-come first-served basis, and will be located at the white U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service tent near Willow Street near the Bayou Teche Bridge. Boat tour registration hours are: Friday, April 21 from 6 p.m.-8 p.m. and Saturday, April 22 from 9 a.m. until full.
A free canoe tour of the refuge will be held Saturday morning from 9:30 a.m.-11:30 a.m. Canoes are provided or bring your own canoe or kayak. To register for the Saturday morning canoe trip, call 985-860-6681.
More information at www.fws.gov/refuge/bayou_teche
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is the principal federal agency responsible for conserving, protecting and enhancing fish, wildlife and plants and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people. The National Wildlife Refuge System, managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, is the world’s premier system of public lands and waters set aside to conserve America’s fish, wildlife and plants.

Classic craft at boat show

Wooden boat owners and enthusiasts will gather along historic and scenic Bayou Teche in downtown Franklin for the seventh Bayou Teche Wooden Boat Show set for April 21-23.
This year’s show is the seventh event. The 2015 BTWBS would have been the sixth, but severe weather prompted cancellation. It was then held in 2016.
“It’s an idea that grew out of a breakfast table discussion at a local diner and has taken on a life of its own,” said co-organizer Roger Stouff. “We’re truly astounded at the growth and participation.”
Stouff, Gary Blum and Larry Couvillier began with 12 boats, half of which belonged to themselves, and the rest from both local residents and owners outside of St. Mary Parish. By the fifth show, participation had quadrupled, with boat owners from Louisiana, Mississippi, Arkansas, Texas, Oklahoma, Alabama and more in attendance.
The BTWBS has become one of the fastest-growing venues for wooden vessels both antique and modern in the Southeast, but has managed to remain a laid-back event held in conjunction with the Bayou Teche Black Bear Festival, both set along Parc sur la Teche in Franklin. “There’s nothing else like it,” Stouff said. “Gary, Larry and I started all this to share our love of wooden watercraft with this community, people who might never have seen these vessels and their outstanding craftsmanship. We’ve succeeded beyond our wildest expectations.”
Past shows have featured hand-crafted Cajun skiffs and bateaus of cypress, wooden sailboats, classic Chris Craft, Garwood, Correct Craft, Lyman and Thompson runabouts, cypress pirogues and dugouts as well as many other varieties of boats from various regions of the United States and abroad. “It’s astounding to see the variety,” Stouff said. “It really makes you realize how much the history of much of the world has been molded by vessels made of wood, far longer than boats and ships have been constructed of any other material.”
The show begins Friday, April 21, at 5 p.m. and continues through Sunday at about noon. Saturday is typically the best day to see the most boats, as many of our out-of-town and out-of-state guests arrive Friday afternoon and depart Sunday morning. Bayou Teche has recently been named an America’s Scenic Byway and part of the National Park Service Water Trails System.
Visit the BTWBS website at www.techeboatshow.com.

Patterson council OKs plan to scrutinize purchases

Wed, 04/12/2017 - 8:55am

The city council voted Tuesday to immediately implement procedures to rein in operating costs for the less than three months left in Patterson’s fiscal year, and then plans to lay off nine workers beginning July 1. City officials say the measures are necessary to address sharply declining revenues. Mayor Rodney Grogan called a special meeting to discuss recommendations to fix a projected shortfall in revenues for Patterson’s fiscal year ending June 30. The city had a $7.2 million budget for this fiscal year, and Grogan said Tuesday that the city was facing a $600,000 deficit for the rest of the fiscal year if ...

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Radio logs for April 11

Tue, 04/11/2017 - 11:14am

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.
Monday, April 10
6:38 a.m. 500 block of Arenz Street; Suspicious vehicle.
8:07 a.m. 900 block of Marguerite Street; Fight.
8:12 a.m. U.S. 90 East; Traffic incident.
9:03 a.m. 200 block of South Railroad Avenue; Medical emergency.
10:02 a.m. 500 block of Bowman Street; Complaint.
10:40 a.m. 6300 block of La. 182 West; Stalled vehicle.
11:14 a.m. 7200 block of La. 182; Civil complaint.
11:45 a.m. 300 block of Terrebonne Street; Complaint.
11:55 a.m. Arenz Street; Suspicious per-son.
12:01 p.m. 700 block of Myrtle Street; Lost/found property.
12:04 p.m. Onstead and Sixth Street; Medical emergency.
1 p.m. 1000 block of Chennault Street; Complaint.
1:07 p.m. 900 block of Marguerite Street; Animal complaint.
1:14 p.m. 700 block of Myrtle Street; Suspicious activity.
2:18 p.m. 500 block of Garber Street; Juvenile problems.
3:21 p.m. 600 block of First Street; Complaint.
3:32 p.m. 700 block of Myrtle Street; Complaint.
4:10 p.m. 1000 block of La. 70; Complaint.
5:31 p.m. 100 block of South Railroad Avenue; Medical emergency.
6:13 p.m. 200 block of Robin Street; Narcotics complaint.
7:11 p.m. 1100 block of Chestnut Drive; Complaint.
9:13 p.m. 500 block of Levee Road; Remove subject.
9:25 p.m. Youngs Road; Traffic complaint.
9:58 p.m. 400 block of Fifth Street; Complaint.
9:12 p.m. U.S. 90; Complaint.
10:25 p.m. U.S. 90; Reckless driver.
11:09 p.m. 200 block of Aucoin Street; Patrol request.
Tuesday, April 11
12:52 a.m. 1100 block of General Clark Street; Suspicious subject.
2:07 a.m. Berwick; Assistance.

Governor: La. needs reform, not 'soundbites'

Tue, 04/11/2017 - 11:03am

BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — Responding to Republican resistance to his tax and spending plans, Gov. John Bel Edwards told lawmakers Monday he’s willing to consider other ideas but warned that Louisiana “cannot deliver critical state services on political soundbites.”
The Democratic governor said Louisiana’s leaders need to remedy the cycles of unstable state finances in this two-month regular session without falling into partisan talking points. The governor is pushing a tax overhaul that aims to end the budget gaps by more heavily taxing businesses.
“This is the big moment. The structural deficits have gone on for too long. The resistance to doing what is right and necessary to fix this problem once and for all is no longer acceptable,” Edwards told the House and Senate.
Republicans, particularly House GOP leaders, haven’t embraced Edwards’ ideas. Rather than support a tax plan to raise more dollars for the state treasury, they’re suggesting reductions in state government spending.
Edwards struck directly at them, without citing party affiliation or naming anyone. He said if lawmakers want to talk about “lower taxes and a more efficient state government,” they need to follow that up with “exactly what is it you intend to cut, what college or hospital do you want to close, what road in your district you’d rather not see built or repaved.”
“Criticism is only as valuable as the input and the action that follows it, but we have seen very little constructive input and practically no constructive action. It just isn’t helpful,” he said.
Edwards’ tax package is intended to replace $1.3 billion in temporary taxes set to expire in mid-2018, while also raising another $400 million for next year’s budget that the governor wants to spend on the TOPS college tuition program, K-12 education and other items.
The proposals would continue the planned drop in state sales taxes from 5 percent to 4 percent, while charging the tax on new items such as cable television and digital streaming services. Some tax breaks would be lessened. Individual income tax rates would drop. The corporate franchise tax would be phased out.
Many parts of the package would require hefty, two-thirds votes from lawmakers, including the centerpiece proposal, a new tax on gross receipts called a Commercial Activity Tax.
Rep. Stuart Bishop, a Lafayette Republican, said he’s willing to consider a tax plan to replace the temporary taxes — but he won’t support raising additional dollars, saying the state needs to “freeze government where it is.” He doesn’t believe the gross receipts tax will gain traction. He said in his region, the oil and gas industry slump has hammered companies and jobs.
“If there’s any time to help business, it’s right now,” he said.
Edwards said his tax plan is aimed at making sure businesses are paying “their fair share,” and he cites data that 80 percent of corporate income tax filers in Louisiana didn’t pay state income taxes in 2015.
“That means a CEO’s administrative assistant at some of the most profitable corporations paid more in state income tax than the companies he or she works for. That just isn’t right,” he said.
He said his proposals would lower the tax bills of 90 percent of personal income taxpayers.
Critics say the gross receipts tax would harm companies working on tight margins by not accounting for profit or expenses. They worry it could chase away business in a state with one of the nation’s highest unemployment rates.
Rep. Lance Harris, the leader of the House Republican delegation, said the tax would “devastate a lot of businesses.” Rep. Rob Shadoin, a Ruston Republican who often works with the governor, doesn’t see much support for the gross receipts tax so far.
“We don’t have a whole lot of time once we get to spinning and ginning down there to sit back and evaluate and analyze, especially a new idea like this,” Shadoin said.
Some lawmakers question whether any tax reform can win passage amid the divisions between Edwards and House leaders.
But Rep. Mike Danahay, a Democrat from Sulphur, hopes something is accomplished.
“We need to address how we operate fiscally. It’s antiquated, and in need of gross overhaul,” he said.
Lawmakers also will consider whether to raise Louisiana’s gasoline tax for the first time since 1990 to improve roads and bridges. And they’ll haggle over whether to rewrite criminal sentencing laws to end Louisiana’s tenure as the state with the highest incarceration rate.
The legislative session must end by June 8.

DINAH SHORE PITTMAN

Tue, 04/11/2017 - 10:58am

ugust 4, 1944- April 5, 2017
A Celebration of Life for Dinah Shore Pittman will be held Wednesday, April 12, 2017, at 11 a.m. at New Zorah Baptist Church, 604 Julia Street, Morgan City, Louisiana. Pastor Terry Lee Joseph will officiate the service.
Visitation will be Wednesday, April 12, 2017, from 9 a.m. until the commencement of the funeral service at New Zorah Baptist Church.
She will be interred in Morgan City Cemetery in Morgan City.
Dinah Shore Pittman, a native and resident of Morgan City, passed away Wednesday, April 5, 2017. She was born Aug. 4, 1944, in Morgan City. She was the daughter of Willis Pittman and Marjorie Hill Pittman.
She is survived by one daughter, Chanell Colsden of Lafayette, Louisiana; one sister, Gertrude Bartley of Morgan City, Louisiana; one brother John (Brenda) Pittman of Morgan City, Louisiana; and a host of nieces, nephews and cousins.
She was preceded in death by her parents, a brother, brother-in-law, two uncles, three aunts, and paternal and maternal grandparents.
MK DIXON Funeral Home is in charge of final arrangements, 337-940-9253, 211 Main Street, Baldwin, LA 70514.

MARY LEE WALLACE

Tue, 04/11/2017 - 10:54am

March 28, 1931- April 9, 2017
Mary Lee Wallace, 86, a resident of Bayou L’Ourse, passed away on Sunday, April 9, 2017, in her home.
She was born in Stuttgurt, Arkansas, on March 28, 1931, the daughter of Charles Raymond Higgerson and Beulah Mae Liddell.
Mary was a devout Christian and spent much of her time dedicated to her church, Bayou L’Ourse Baptist Church. She taught both Sunday school and Vacation Bible School. She also had a “green thumb” and enjoyed gardening in her flower beds. Mary was a loving mother, grandmother, great-grandmother and friend who will be missed by all who knew her.
She will be sadly missed and lovingly remembered by her sons, Wilson Lee Hebert Sr. and wife Mary of Houston, and Robert “Bobby” Paul Hebert of Bayou L’Ourse; eight grandchildren, Wilson Lee Hebert Jr., Jason Hebert, Chad Hebert, Alicia Hebert, Jackie Hebert Ball, Mary Lee Raymond, Robert Hebert III and Crissy Hebert; many great-grandchildren; and her church family.
Mary was preceded in death by her parents, Charles Raymond Higgerson and Beulah Mae Liddell; son, Johnny Hebert; brother, Charles Raymond Jr; and great-grandson, Dustin Raymond.
A Memorial Service will be held Thursday, April 13, 2017, at Bayou L’Ourse Baptist Church at 6:30 p.m. with visitation preceding until 8:30 p.m.