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Melvin Brown, a native of Terrebonne Parish, passed away peacefully at 6:02 p.m. on Friday, March 3, 2017.
Visitation will be at New Magnolia Baptist Church, 427 La. 311 in Schriever, on Saturday, March 11, 2017, from 9 a.m. until funeral time at 11 a.m. Burial will follow in Halfway Cemetery.
He is survived by his wife Gracie “Grace” Williams-Brown of Thibodaux, La.; son, Kodi Brown of Morgan City, La.; a daughter, Kanika Brown of Franklin, La ; three grandchildren; mother, Odeal Victor-Brown of Thibodaux, La.; brother, Earl Brown, Andrew Brown, Junius Brown, Jr. and Calvin Brown all of Thibodaux, La.; sisters, Mrs. Wilfred (Carolyn) Joseph and Jacqueline Jackson of Thibodaux, La. and a host of relatives and friends.
He was preceded in death by his father; three brothers.
Arrangements entrusted to Jones Funeral Home of Morgan City-Franklin-Houma-Jeanerette.

The Krewe of Galatea charter members gathered for a luncheon recently at the home of Carolyn Fondren. Charter members in attendance were, front row from left, Rosemarie Vinning, Muriel Manuel, Mary Catherine Gray, Marina Lee and Fondren. Back row from left are Geri Bourgeois, Dez Knapp, Honorine Abel, Claire Cheramie and Ellen Ruiz. Also attending was charter member Katherine Distefano. The group was founded in 1969 by the late Adrienne Engel.

LEAVESDEN, England (AP) — The wizarding world held a reunion of sorts Wednesday as some veterans of the blockbuster “Harry Potter” film series gathered at the site just north of London where the films were made.
There was Jason Isaacs, who played Lucius Malfoy, Evanna Lynch, aka Luna Lovegood in the films, and Aragog — the machine which made a very convincing, somewhat sinister giant spider.
The event was a preview for the new Forbidden Forest wing at the Warner Brothers Studio Tour London, the “Harry Potter”-themed attraction developed after the last of the original films was completed.
Nick Dudman, the chief special effects makeup artist for all eight “Harry Potter” movies, said the goal was to create a place that captures the mood of the forest that was supposed to be off-limits to the fictional young wizards studying at Hogwarts academy.
“You’re entering the creepy, dangerous place,” Dudman said. “It’ll be colder and spookier and nasty things could happen to you. Nothing will eat you, but there might be a moment when you might perhaps suspect that something might.”
Isaacs said he will not allow his daughter, who is afraid of spiders, to see the exhibit until she is more comfortable with arachnids.
“For younger people, whose imaginations are still alive to the world of Harry Potter, they will feel like they’re in the forest,” he said.
Lynch said she is not surprised that Harry Potter remains popular so many years after his creation by author J.K. Rowling
“Personally, growing up I felt closer to a lot of the characters than I did with my friends,” she said.
The exhibit opens March 31.

16th Judicial District indigent defender spokesperson Cecelia “Beanie” Bonin approached the parish council on Wednesday in regards to her financially struggling public defender’s office.

Bonin asked that the council “support us morally and legislatively” and to confer with Louisiana legislators to direct funds to the public defender’s office in St. Mary, St. Martin and Iberia Parishes.

“ I don’t know about you, but it’s pretty tough to run these three offices, to pay for attorneys who for, I want to say, work for pretty much nothing,” Bonin said of the office’s $1.7 million budget.

“ Right now, we’re not at the end of the [fiscal] year,” Bonin continued. “We used up over $1.5 million.”

Bonin said the “huge number of multiple defendant clients” puts stress on the public defender’s office and its 17 attorneys, who are scattered throughout the three parishes.

The adoption of the resolution will be discussed at the next parish council meeting in April.

Beverly Domengeaux, executive director of St. Mary Council on Aging, spoke to the council on behalf of the Intergenerational Group. The group will be host a meeting with seniors and students from Berwick High School at the Berwick Civic Center today at 6 p.m. The Intergenerational Group plans to meet every other month.

Carolyn Bowser, a business teacher at Franklin Senior High School and co-adviser of the school’s Future Business Leaders of America club, asked for a financial contribution from the council so that her students could attend FBLA’s state competition in Lafayette on March 26-28. The budget for the trip runs at $1,700, and it will cover lodging, transportation and food.

Councilman Rev. Craig Matthews allocated $2,000 from Districts 1, 2, 3, 7 and 10 to the St. Mary Parish School Board, which will in turn give the money to the high school’s FBLA. The resolution passed unanimously.

Councilman Mathews spoke about his opportunity to attend a conference in Washington D.C. during Mardi Gras. Councilman Mathews hopes to “that we’re moving in the right direction that’s going to ensure healthcare benefits for the good people of Louisiana and this entire country.”

Councilman Mathews also visited the National African American Museum of Arts and Culture, which he recommends everyone to visit.

“ It’s an overwhelming story that every American needs to hear and see,” he said.

In other business, the council:

— Introduced a specific use permit granting a specific use ordinance

— Introduced a rezoning, or zoning map amendment ordinance

— Adopted three rezoning, or zoning map amendment ordinances

— Adopted a specific use permit granting specific use ordinance

— Adopted a rezone property, or rezoning ordinance in Garden City