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National Nights Out

Thu, 10/10/2024 - 11:18am

St. Mary Parish Sheriff's Office photo
Deputies Ashley Rodrigue and Tori Chatman handed out candy at the Franklin Police Department's National Night Out on Oct. 1. Morgan City police have a National Night Out planned for 5-8 p.m. Tuesday at Lawrence Park. Sheriff's Office Nights Out are scheduled for Oct. 28 at the West St. Mary Civic Center and Oct. 29 at the Patterson Area Civic Center. The Patterson Police Department's Night Out will be 6-8 p.m. Oct. 17 at the police station.

Louisiana National Guard deployed to Florida for Milton

Thu, 10/10/2024 - 11:15am
By CAPT. PETER DRASUTIS, La. National Guard Public Affairs Office

At the direction of the Gov. Jeff Landry, Maj. Gen. Thomas C. Friloux, adjutant general of Louisiana, has ordered the mobilization and deployment of over 500 Louisiana National Guard Soldiers to Florida through the Emergency Management Assistance Compact as Hurricane Milton approached.
“Supporting our neighbors in times of crisis is not only a priority for the Louisiana National Guard but also a reflection of our core values,” Friloux said. “In Louisiana, we know firsthand the overwhelming challenges that follow a hurricane, and we have relied on the support of others to help us through. That’s why deploying our Soldiers and resources to Florida is so important — ensuring that no community faces this hardship alone.
“We are committed to providing the assistance Florida needs, just as they’ve done for us in the past.” 
Two UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters with eight Louisiana Guardsmen departed Tuesday morning for staging sites near Tallahassee, Florida.
These assets were pre-positioned for rapid aerial search and rescue operations as soon as conditions allow.
Additionally, 500 Soldiers from the 225th Engineer Brigade were mobilized to assist Florida officials with immediate recovery efforts.
This includes 20 route clearance teams and six engineer work teams, who will focus on clearing debris and restoring essential infrastructure.
 Further support is also planned with a 60-Soldier Light Medium Truck Company to assist with search and rescue and the transportation and distribution of critical supplies.
 “The Citizen Soldiers and Airmen of the Florida Guard have come to Louisiana’s aid on many occasions, and we are proud to offer our support in their time of need,” said Lt. Col. William Saint, LANG joint director of military support.
 In addition to preparing units for deployment to Florida ahead of Milton’s landfall, LANG remains poised to send personnel and equipment to aid Hurricane Helene-affected states, contributing to ongoing efforts that have already seen thousands of responders and millions of pounds of aid delivered across the Southeast​.

House panel takes up Landry's flat-tax proposal

Thu, 10/10/2024 - 11:10am
NOLAN McKENDRY, The Center Square

On Tuesday, the House Ways and Means Committee met to consider Gov. Jeff Landry’s recent tax reform proposals, which could overhaul the current tax system in the most significant way in decades.
Landry’s proposals include a flat tax for individuals and businesses alike, while expanding the list of taxed goods and services. Landry hopes the proposals will not only make Louisiana a more competitive state for business, but to also address the projected $1.5 billion budget deficit.
In a news conference last week, Landry said the current tax structure is failing residents and called the frequent budget deficits faced by the state a “disease.”\
The legislation, which spans a hefty 500 pages, is the project of the Louisiana Department of Revenue, and models a number of different states, most notably North Carolina, according DOR Secretary Richard Nelson.
“The plan has something for everyone,” Nelson said. “There’s the increase in standard deduction, and the flat rate which makes it better for everyone.”
Under the plan, the standard deduction will increase from $4,500 to $12,500 for a single filer, or $25,000 for filing jointly. The plan will also enact a flat tax rate of 3%, which Nelson said “it gives every resident in Louisiana more money in their pockets.”
Nelson also said that the plan will benefit the bottom 20% of taxpayers, who will have their income tax liability “wiped out.” Nelson estimated that those filers pay $20 million dollars to the state.
“The top 10% currently pay 55% of all income taxes,” Nelson said. “The changes will result in the top 10% paying 61% of all income taxes, and that’s mostly because those bottom payers are all wiped out, and so their share of it actually goes up.”
Other changes include repealing the additional $1,000 deduction for persons age 65 and older, blind and independents and repealing deductions for net capital gains expenses.
Should the constitutional amendment pass, Louisianans would see an additional 0.2% rate reduction and double the standard deduction for persons age 65 and older, from $12,500 to $25,000.
According to Nelson, the proposed reforms are meant to be permanent. Nelson said that the often temporary nature of Louisiana’s tax structure makes budgeting difficult and hard to project.
“It puts everybody in a position of having to reinvent the wheel every couple of years,” Nelson said.
The plan could also help address the massive budget deficits projected over the next three years. With the lost income tax revenue, teacher stipends and the projected deficit the total revenue needed for a balanced budget is approximately $1.5 billion, according to the DOR.
The plan appears to address the majority by maintaining the current sales tax of 4.45%, the expansion of taxed goods and services, the elimination of some exemptions, business utilities and tax incentives are expected to balance the budget, according to the Revenue Department.
Some revenue is projected to be unable to meet teacher stipends.
“Let’s call that what it is: A pay cut,” Jan Moller, the executive director of Invest in Louisiana, said. “It’s a pay cut for public school teachers and Louisiana keeps falling farther and farther behind.”
“The marginal decrease in their state income tax is going to make up for the loss of $1,500, $2,000 payrolls,” Moller continued.
“I want to see an independent fiscal analysis of how this adds up for the state budget and how this is going to affect different groups of taxpayers,” Moller told The Center Square. “We know that in general, sales taxes tend to be regressive and that they hit people harder at the bottom of the income scale than at the top.”
The Public Affairs Research Council has hired Greg Albrecht to conduct an independent analysis of the proposals and determine how they would impact taxpayers. Albrecht worked at the Louisiana Legislative Fiscal Office from 1985 to 2022, serving as the office’s chief economist from 1991 until his retirement from state service.
Goods and services already account for a good portion of the middle class’s expenses, begging the question of whether the savings in lower income taxes is offset by taxes levied on a wider range of goods and services.
Assistant Secretary of Revenue Luke Morris said the corporate franchise tax acts as a deterrent to business growth in Louisiana., “It’s a kind of wall around Louisiana, prohibiting investment...especially if you’re a very highly profitable, highly capitalized company.”
The goal, according to Morris, is to create a tax environment that is more attractive to businesses by repealing the corporate franchise tax, potentially costing the state $400 million in revenue.
To offset that lost revenue, the DOR is proposing to repeal the inventory tax, while also eliminating related incentives, could streamline the system and make Louisiana more competitive.
“Eighty-six percent of inventory tax incentive claims go to people who also pay the inventory tax,” Morris explained, meaning that much of the tax revenue from the inventory tax is lost to tax credits, rebates or other incentives.
Landry is expected to convene a special session to pass the bills. Moller worries that this is too much to ask in such a short amount of time.
“You think all 144 legislators are going to read and absorb all the details, including a full rewrite of Article Seven of the Constitution, the longest and most complex of the articles of the Constitution? You think they’re going to have time to digest and evaluate and come to a full understanding of what they’re being asked to do in that time period?”
“Is that conservative?” Moller asked.

Amelia man booked in 2022 vehicle theft

Wed, 10/09/2024 - 3:42pm
Staff Report

(Editor’s note: The charges listed here and the narratives that go with them are provided by the police agencies that made the arrests. Guilt or innocence has not been determined in court.)

Assumption Parish authorities were at last able to book a Houma man nearly two years after he became a suspect in the theft of two utility vehicles from an Amelia business.

Assumption

Sheriff Leland Falcon reported these arrests:

--Stephen Sheppard, 52, Country Estates, Houma, was booked Monday on charges of two counts of theft of a motor vehicle (valued at $26,000) and simple criminal damage to property, and on a detainer for Union Parish on charges of simple burglary, felony theft, simple criminal damage to property, criminal trespass and failure to appear.

The charges arise from an incident Dec. 9, 2022, near Amelia.

Deputies were dispatched to a business in the 100 block of East Service Road in Amelia in reference to the theft of two utility vehicles. Deputies made contact with the complainant, who advised that unknown suspects had cut the lock on a gated entrance and stolen the utility vehicles.

Detectives initiated an investigation and reviewed electronic surveillance footage, which led them to the Terrebonne Parish area. Detectives developed Sheppard and two other individuals as suspects.

On Jan. 4, 2023, detectives obtained arrest warrants for Sheppard and the two other suspects.

Sheppard was arrested in Lafourche Parish on March 13, 2023, on local charges there. Sheppard was transferred to the Terrebonne Parish Jail to face charges there on May 21, 2024.

Sheppard was transferred to the custody of the Assumption Parish Sheriff’s Office on Monday. Sheppard was booked into the Assumption Parish Detention Center and remains incarcerated with a bond set at $50,000.

Detectives recovered one of the stolen UTVs in Amelia.

The other two suspects, identified as Adam Carriere, 40, Bayou Blue Road, Houma, and Bryan Kelly Wright, 49, Ponderosa Cane, Gray, were previously arrested.

–Jason J. Matthews Sr., North Friendship Lane, Amelia, was booked Monday on a warrant alleging failure to appear in court in Assumption Parish on a charge of possession with intent to distribute a Schedule I drug.

Matthews was previously arrested in Assumption Parish and as a result of that arrest was ordered to appear in court Nov. 6. Matthews failed to appear as ordered resulting in a warrant being issued for his arrest on Nov. 8.

Matthews was arrested by the St. Mary Parish Sheriff’s Office on local charges there on Sept. 12. Matthews was released to the custody of the Assumption Parish Sheriff’s Office on Monday.

Matthews was booked into the Assumption Parish Detention Center and remains incarcerated pending a bond hearing.

Morgan City

Chief Chad M. Adams reported that the Morgan City Police Department responded to 94 calls over the last 48-hour reporting period and made these arrests:

--Reandra Wennddresse Taylor, 36, Railroad Avenue, Morgan City, was arrested at 2:36 p.m. Monday on two counts of failure to appear to pay fines (6th Ward Morgan City Court).

--Lubis Maldonado-Buezo, 31, Ditch Avenue, Morgan City, was arrested at 10:59 p.m. Monday on charges of driving while intoxicated (first offense, reckless operation of a vehicle, possession of alcoholic beverage container in a motor vehicle and no driver’s license.

--Cheyenne Harley Aucoin, 30, Main Street, Franklin, was arrested at 9:56 a.m. Tuesday on a charge of failure to appear for trial (6th Ward Morgan City Court).

--Marquise Craft, 22, Apple Street. Morgan City, was arrested on at 1:45 p.m. Tuesday on a charge of disturbing the peace (fighting).

--Christopher Sylvester Jr., 28, Short Street, Morgan City, was arrested at 1:45 pm. Tuesday on a charge of disturbing the peace (fighting).

--Randy Lee Hatcher, 45, Aucoin Street, Morgan City, was arrested at 4:12 p.m. Tuesday on a charge of disturbing the peace (language).

--Melvin Rene Gonalez-Euceda, 36, La. 182, Morgan City, was arrested 5:34 p.m. Tuesday on charges of unauthorized entry of an inhabited dwelling and disturbing the peace (drunkenness).

St. Mary

Sheriff Gary Driskell reported these arrests:

--John Serrano Garcia, 34, Franklin, was arrested at 1:14 a.m. Tuesday on charges of disturbing the peace (intoxicated) and criminal trespass.

Garcia also held a warrant for failure to appear for the charges of no vehicle registration, operating a vehicle while license is suspended, revoked, or canceled, and failure to maintain automobile liability insurance.

Bail was set at $6,000.

--Kaleb Shane Calloway, 27, Sealy, Texas, was arrested at 12:23 p.m. Tuesday on a parole violation. Calloway is being held for another agency.

Franklin

Chief Cedric Handy reported that the Franklin Police Department responded to six complaints over the last 24-hour reporting period and made these arrests:

--Keenze Howard, 59, Ninth Street, Franklin, was arrested at 7:32 a.m. Tuesday the charges of one way roadways and flight from an officer. Howard was booked, processed and released on a $1,750 bond.

--Hunter Boudreaux, 23, Bigler Street, Franklin, s arrested at 5:25 p.m. Tuesday on warrants for 6th Ward Morgan City Court alleging failure to appear on charges of speeding and contempt of court. Boudreaux was booked, processed and held with no bond set at the time of press release.

--Gerald Dupas, 38, Iberia Street, Franklin, was arrested at 7 p.m. Tuesday on charges of violation of protective order, possession of Schedule I drugs and possession of drug paraphernalia. Dupas was additionally arrested on a warrant for 16th Judicial District Court alleging failure to appear on charges of battery of a dating partner resulting in serious bodily injury and violation of protective order. Dupas was booked, processed, and held with no bond set at the time of press release.

Morgan City police radio logs for Oct. 7-9

Wed, 10/09/2024 - 1:20pm

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, Oct. 7
7:35 a.m. Second/Wise streets; Animal complaint.
8:12 a.m. 1100 block of Walnut Drive; Complaint.
8:58 a.m. 1100 block of Arenz Street; Animal complaint.
9:24 a.m. 600 block of Arenz Street; Animal complaint.
9:26 a.m. 600 block of Arenz Street; Animal complaint.
10:13 a.m. 700 block of Myrtle Street; Complaint.
10:34 a.m. 1000 block of Eighth Street; Suspicious person.
10:47 a.m. 500 block of Belanger Street; Medical.
11:12 a.m. 900 block of Fig Street ; Alarm.
12:45 p.m. 900 block of Willard Street; Complaint.
2:11 p.m. 1600 block of La. 70; Vehicle accident.
2:15 p.m. 400 block of Federal Avenue; Animal complaint.
2:35 p.m. 500 block of Aucoin Street; Suspicious person.
3:29 p.m. 700 block of Federal Avenue; Welfare check.
3:37 p.m. 1100 block of Brashear Avenue; Vehicle accident.
3:44 p.m. 6300 block of La. 182; Vehicle accident.
4 p.m. Fed Ave Exit; Medical.
4:04 p.m. 2700 block of Sixth Street; Lost and found.
4:25 p.m. 800 block of Brashear Avenue; Vehicle accident.
4:30 p.m. 1100 block of Fourth Street; Officer stand by.
5:47 p.m. 100 block of Chennault Street; Loud music.
6:34 p.m. Greenwood/Fourth streets; Arrest.
6:37 p.m. 1000 block of La. 70; Crash.
8:38 p.m. 700 block of David Drive; Theft.
9:41 p.m. 700 block of Myrtle Street; Medical.
10:47 p.m. Belanger Street/Federal Avenue; Arrest.
10:59 p.m. 100 block of Wren Street; Complaint.
Tuesday, Oct. 8
3:01 a.m. 300 block of Brashear Avenue; Medical.
3:23 a.m. 600 block of Michigan Street; Suspicious subject.
4:21 a.m. 100 block of Chennault Street; 911 hang up.
4:53 a.m. 500 block of Hilda Street; Removal of subject.
4:57 a.m. 100 block of Glenwood Street; Alarm.
9:12 a.m. 1400 block of Bernice Street; Animal complaint.
9:57 a.m. 1900 block of Maple Street; Suspicious person.
9:59 a.m. 300 block of Fifth Street; Animal complaint.
10:09 a.m. U.S. 90 East; Road blockage.
11:33 a.m. 600 block of Kentucky Street; Theft.
11:56 a.m. Sixth Street; Complaint.
12:20 p.m. 500 block of Belanger Street; Medical.
12:30 p.m. 300 block of Karen Drive; Complaint.
12:48 p.m. Wytchwood Drive; Complaint.
1:29 p.m. Short Street; Disturbance.
2:15 p.m. Pecan Street; Road blockage.
2:22 p.m. 600 block of Aucoin Street; Complaint.
3:23 p.m. 800 block of Victor II Boulevard; Alarm.
3:33 p.m. 1100 block of Seventh Street; 911 hang up.
3:54 p.m. 700 block of Myrtle Street; Animal complaint.
4:08 p.m. 900 block of Cottonwood; Street; Disturbance.
4:54 p.m. 1500 block of Sandra; ; ; Lost and found.
5:25 p.m. 1646 block of Victor II Boulevard; Alarm.
5:44 p.m. U.S. 90 East; Road blockage.
6:02 p.m. 700 block of Myrtle Street; ; Arrest.
6:50 p.m. 400 block of Federal Avenue; Complaint.
6:50 p.m. 7500 block of La. 182; Suspicious subject.
7:05 p.m. 400 block of Sixth Street; Loud music.
7:12 p.m. U.S. 90 East; Stalled vehicle.
7:49 p.m. 900 block of Seventh Street; Complaint.
8:27 p.m. 500 block of General McArthur Street; Disturbance.
8:49 p.m. Justa Street/Mark Drive; Suspicious subject.
9:14 p.m. 1700 block of Elk Street; Removal of subject.
9:46 p.m. 100 block of Poncio Street; Fire.
10:48 p.m. Fourth/Freret streets; Open door.
10:50 p.m. 6300 block of La. 182; Medical.
11:05 p.m. 700 block of Belanger Street; Medical.
11:30 p.m. 7200 block of La. 182; Fire.
Wednesday, Oct. 9
1:23 a.m. 700 block of Belanger Street; Medical.
2:16 a.m. 6400 block of La. 182; Alarm.
5 a.m. Federal Avenue/Freret Street; Stalled vehicle.

Dear Abby: Teen keeps door shut when friend visits

Wed, 10/09/2024 - 6:00am

DEAR ABBY: My 18-year-old stepdaughter has decided to date another female. She has dated boys in the past, but that’s not the issue. We have nothing against the LGBTQ community. (My husband’s brother is gay.)
My issue is, should my stepdaughter spend time with her girlfriend in her bedroom with the door closed?
If this were a boy, my husband would certainly have an issue with it — fear of sexual activity leading to getting pregnant.
We are both old school about that but have embraced her new relationship. But we definitely don’t want our house to be the hook-up point. It makes us uncomfortable. How should we handle this?
OPEN DOOR IN PENNSYLVANIA
DEAR OPEN DOOR: Handle this the same way you would if you were writing about the young woman having a boyfriend. Tell her you are uncomfortable with sexual activity going on in your home and prefer that if she entertains her girlfriend in her bedroom, she must leave the door open.

DEAR ABBY: My husband and I recently moved to a smaller town from a big city to be closer to our new grandbaby. This town is populated with a large number of older single women and, since day one, they have been drawn in droves to my husband, who is a very good-looking older man.
These women behave as if I am not even there. They move very close to us while we are shopping and flirt with him. I have had to physically insert myself between one of them and my husband on several occasions. Not only is this annoying while it’s happening, but I’m having a hard time making friends. More than one female friend has developed an unhealthy crush on him, so I no longer trust other women. What do I do?
JUST THE WIFE IN VERMONT

DEAR WIFE: You are going to have to decide to what degree you trust your husband not to stray, and concentrate your efforts on making friends with other COUPLES. It would also be nice if your husband could remind these women that he’s married and that you’re right there.

DEAR ABBY: My wife went on vacation with her best friend. While they were there, they visited a nudist resort. She admitted she took off her bathing suit and went swimming. Her friend also did.
I was fuming to think she would undress in front of strangers. I feel betrayed. It makes me sick to my stomach to think she did this to me. Am I wrong to be anxious and mad about the situation?
DRESSED IN MAINE

DEAR DRESSED: I would have to know more about the clothing optional resort your wife and her friend visited. The nudist lifestyle is not a swinging singles weekend. It is often enjoyed by entire families, and the atmosphere is healthy. Please get off the defensive and ask your wife to tell you more about her “adventure,” which may have been no more than innocent fun and had nothing to do with YOU. You do not “own” her body, just her heart — if you are lucky.

***

Abby shares more than 100 of her favorite recipes in two booklets: “Abby’s Favorite Recipes” and “More Favorite Recipes by Dear Abby.” Send your name and mailing address, plus check or money order for $16 to: Dear Abby, Cookbooklet Set, P.O. Box 447, Mount Morris, IL 61054-0447.

Pet Talk: First-time pet owner? Here's info you need

Wed, 10/09/2024 - 6:00am

With the newfound independence and freedom a college student discovers, a desire to have a pet tag along for the adventure often follows. For these first-time pet owners, a furry friend can help them feel a stronger connection to their new home-away-from-home in the new chapter of their lives.
Dr. Erin Ray, a clinical assistant professor at the Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, offers recommendations for college students when adopting and caring for a pet for the first time.
Species
considerations
When making the important decision to become the caretaker to a pet, it is crucial to have the correct expectations in place for whichever animal you are considering giving a forever home.
The day-to-day care and activities vary greatly depending on the type of pet you commit to; these key differences also may impact the best species for a college student to adopt:
—Cats: are typically, yet not always, more independent. They often require multiple litter boxes and scratching posts. First-time owners living in apartments would be served well by adopting a cat as they need less space to play and happily live.
—Dogs: are typically, yet not always, more social and active. They often need to be played with or walked multiple times a day. Space needed depends greatly on their size and breed. When in the puppy stage, they also need a greater amount of attention devoted to training and activity to help them thrive as they grow.
—Pocket pets: can vary from guinea pigs, to snakes, to frogs and more and, thus, their care also depends on their species. Some are more independent while others prefer consistent interaction, which is why research is vital before adopting. Typically, pocket pets require a lot of enrichment of the environment and proper habitats to fully feel comfortable in their new home.
College miscalculations
Having a loving pet to return home to after a grueling school day may sound like a dream, but it can turn into a nightmare for the animal if its basic needs are not fully taken into account before adoption.
“The first big mistake first-time pet owners make is overlooking the commitment in caring for the physical, financial, and emotional health of the animal.” Ray said. “Another misstep in pet ownership includes not fully understanding the breed of the dog or cat they are adopting/purchasing.”
For example, an Alaskan Malamute puppy may weigh just 15 pounds when they’re adopted, but when they’re fully grown, they could weigh as much as 80 pounds or more. An active, 80-pound dog requires more space and more food than the 15-pound puppy a new pet owner originally brought home.
Other considerations for first-time pet owners should include:
—Feeding schedule — requires scheduling around/with classes
—Health risks by breed — requires the financial ability to pay for medications and routine check ups
—A yard for active or working dog breeds or appropriate space for enrichment and activity for cats — requires space
—The ability to walk and/or exercise the dog regularly — requires time
—Other animals in the household — requires the ability to safely socialize the animals
—Rental agreement stipulations about breeds — legal requirements
Relocation risk
Alternatively, students seeking a companion by their side may prefer the familiar face of bringing their family pets with them to school.
The hardest goodbye when packing for college can involve the confused, yet wagging tail of a furry friend that does not understand the duration of separation that is about to ensue from their favorite person.
An immediate solution may include bringing these pets to college alongside you, but Ray says age, personality, health, new environments, new animals, and the owner’s new schedule need to be considered before an animal is uprooted from its home.
Ray advises that owners consider the potential negative impact this move can have on the animal.
“For instance, imagine the anxiety for an elderly cat used to a quiet home being relocated to a loud, roommate-filled, apartment, or a college student’s schedule taking priority over the frequent veterinarian visits and medications required for a dog with heart disease,” Ray said.
“Some pets are very attached to their college-aged owners and would want to move with them, but you need to consider what is in the pet’s best interest to ensure it’s appropriate and safe for the pet to tag along,” Ray said.
Value in
veterinarians
In addition, Ray reminds first-time pet owners that regularly taking your pet to a veterinarian for wellness and preventative care — including vaccines, heartworm and flea/tick prevention – is imperative in becoming a responsible pet owner.
Many times, pet insurance can be helpful to offset the cost of medical care.
It is recommended that owners research companies to find the best fit and to make sure the specific insurance is taken by their veterinarian, according to Ray.
“It is recommended that a veterinarian be consulted before, and again soon after, any move to establish care and to make sure you have a relationship with a veterinary team in your home community in case concerns, sicknesses or emergencies arise,” Ray said.
“Pets are a life-long investment that require a lot of time, energy, love and financial support. Veterinary teams can make sure your pet is healthy and happy in their new environment.”
Pet Talk is a service of the College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences, Texas A&M University. Stories can be viewed on the web at vetmed.tamu.edu/news/pet-talk. Suggestions for future topics may be directed to vmbs-editor@tamu.edu.

Jim Brown: Louisiana can relate to disaster victims in the mountains

Wed, 10/09/2024 - 6:00am
JIM BROWN

 “Drive Faster. The Mountains are close by."
That’s a bumper sticker I’ve seen on a number of cars throughout western North Carolina.
Yes, living in the mountains is special. A lot of people are beach groupies or mountain devotees. I’d like to think I’m both.
North Carolina has become a second home for us.
I graduated from Chapel Hill, home of the University of North Carolina, back in 1962. We have had a home in the Blue Ridge Mountains as far back as I can remember.
In recent years, we’ve been at our mountain retreat generally from the end of May to the end of October. There is nothing prettier than to see the leaves change as the fall season arrives.
It’s like an artist taking a brush and painting each individual leaf a different color. Simply spectacular.
And one thing you never had to worry about. Hurricanes.
We lived through hurricane alley in Louisiana and concerns about tropical depressions in the Gulf makes us pay close attention.
History has taught us well.
When the hurricane warnings go out, anyone with a bit of common sense stocks up on supplies, boards up windows and doors, and has a disaster evacuation plan if necessary.
Hurricane Katrina was a real learning experience.
Don’t count on the government for immediate help. In 2005, both state and federal officials dilly dallied for days.
Our governor, Kathleen Blanco, sat on Air Force One with President George W. Bush, and they argued with each other over who would lead the relief program.
Neither could agree, and delays that hampered the recovery effort lasted for several days.
Let me tell you how bad it was. My brother-in-law at the time was sheriff of Plaquemines Parish, the lowest part of the state stretching into the Gulf of Mexico. He told me that the Canadian Mounted Police made it to his part of the state before the first federal official arrived. Simply unconscionable.
We learned some hard lessons about looking out for one another back then.
None of those problems affect you when you stay up in the mountains.
Flood insurance? Who would possibly need it? The occasional heavy rain just rolls down the cliffs and boulders, and into the numerous streams below.
Most people carry high deductibles or just bare-bones basic insurance coverage. Many buy no insurance at all.
They roll the dice that nothing damaging is going to happen to their homes, and most of the time they are right.
Then the unbelievable, the unthinkable happened.
It’s starting to rain. And it rained. And it rained. This went on for days.
Folks in these uplands love to live right by a mountain stream where they can fish and boat ride from their own backyard.
Fly fishing is a way of life in the mountains. But those streams began to overflow. And before they knew it, not only with their homes being flooded, but the massive downpours throughout the mountains cause mudslides and huge rocks to come loose and begin plunging down these high cliffs.
People who live in most of these mountain areas around western North Carolina only have one road in and out from their mountain retreats.
As rainwater kept pouring down and mudslides roared into mountain valleys, roads washed away and there was no way to make a retreat.
All the basics shut down. No electricity, no water, no phone service.
So many were caught in the crosshairs of gushing water, mudslides and boulders tearing down the mountains.
As I write this column, several hundred rural residents are still unaccounted for.
It’s too early to judge the federal and state response although criticism has already started. FEMA, the federal agency in charge of disasters, was apparently late in arriving on the scene.
So what’s new?
Remember during the Katrina days when George Bush praised then FEMA Director Michael Brown saying, “You’re doing a heck of a job, Brownie.”
He was fired a few weeks later, with full justification, for being incompetent.
We know all about FEMA here in the Bayou state. They generally have a hard time getting it right.
I’m hoping to get up to my Blue Ridge Mountain retreat next week.
Many of the roads are still impassable, and there’s no utilities of any kind to our home.
Here’s what I’ve learned.
No place in America is safe from natural disasters.
We all need to learn a lesson here and realize the implications of higher insurance rates and protecting our homes.
And none of us are going to be happy about it.
Peace and Justice
Jim Brown
Jim Brown’s syndicated column appears each week in numerous newspapers throughout the nation and on websites worldwide. You can read all his past columns and see continuing updates at http://www.jimbrownusa.com.

Jim Bradshaw: Daughter saved father in steamboat disaster

Wed, 10/09/2024 - 6:00am
JIM BRADSHAW

A heroic daughter and a bale of cotton saved her father’s life when the steamboat Lessie Taylor sank just after leaving the busy St. Landry port at Washington on Feb. 3, 1878.
The boat had been running regularly to New Orleans for nearly a decade by then and was regarded as one of the better steamers operating on Bayou Courtableau before it ran into a streak of bad luck.
The late David Jasper McNicoll recalled in a memoir about Washington in the 1800s that the sinking was such a big deal that “folks used to mark time by that event.”
Max Kennison was the captain when the boat was introduced to the bayou in 1870.
It was advertised as newly built for the Courtableau trade, “with all modern improvements” and “extra inducements to passengers and shippers.”
The owners were Washington businessmen Elbert Gantt and Thomas C. Anderson. Gantt operated a sawmill on Bayou Courtableau and Anderson had been in the steamboat business since 1854.
An advertisement in 1872 noted that the steamer connected at Washington “with … [a] line of good barges … [that could reach] all points on Bayou Boeuf,” meaning that freight could be hauled almost to Alexandria, even  though the steamboats couldn’t go that far, and the Lessie Taylor was also popular with passengers.
In February 1877 the “Magnificent Passenger Steamer” advertised round-trip tickets for just $10 for an excursion to the New Orleans Mardi Gras celebration.
That would be the Lessie Taylor’s last Mardi Gras. It had just left the Courtableau on its way to New Orleans when it struck a sunken log in the Atchafalaya River, “near Glover’s Bend.”
 According to the Opelousas Courier account, the boat left Washington as usual on Saturday evening, “with a good load of freight and a considerable number of passengers, among whom were four ladies.
"About 5 o’clock the next morning, when in the Atchafalaya about four miles from the mouth of the Courtableau, she struck a snag or sunken tree and sunk in about 20 minutes.
"Most of the passengers were asleep when the log ripped a hole in the hull, “and though the boat was landed as soon as possible … some of them were unable to leave her before she began to settle down … and were compelled to swim ashore.”
One of the four ladies, a “Miss Newell, of Elm Bayou, in this parish,” was one of those swimmers. The news account said she was “ universally praised for the great heroism she displayed on this trying occasion.”
The boat was already half submerged and sinking quickly when “she secured a bale of cotton and, placing her aged father upon it, managed to push her clumsy ‘craft’ with its precious load ashore.”
That was no easy task. A water-soaked bale of cotton could weigh 500 pounds or more.
“Miss Newell” may have been Elizabeth Newell, who would have been about 20 in 1878.
Her family was listed in St. Landry Parish in the 1870 census. Elm Bayou is now in Evangeline Parish, generally northeast of Turkey Creek.
If the daughter was Elizabeth Newell, her father. Robert, would have been 58, which, no matter the newspaper’s account, isn’t “aged” to me.
Miss Newell  had barely reached the river bank when the boat sank completely into deep water leaving “only a portion of her smoke-stacks visible.”
The boat, valued at $15,000, was a total loss, and lost freight brought the total damage to $60,000. That would be nearly $2 million today.   
The newspaper reported  that “most of the valuables, books, papers, &c., of the boat were saved, but very few of the passengers saved anything.”
The hull, engines, boilers, “and appurtenances” of the boat were later salvaged and sold, but not for nearly enough to recover the losses.
You can contact Jim Bradshaw at jimbradshaw4321@gmail.com or P.O. Box 1121, Washington LA 70589.

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