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Nicholls State University celebrated the naming of the Boysie Bollinger Commons at a ribbon-cutting event in the Donald G. Bollinger Memorial Student Union. The Boysie Bollinger Commons is the central area of the Student Union where many students gather for social interaction, to grab a bite to eat or to study with friends.
Donald “Boysie” Bollinger, former chairman and CEO of Bollinger Enterprises, LLC and chairman of the Nicholls Foundation Board, and his family have provided significant support to the university for many years, especially in renovating the interior of Nicholls’ Student Union. 
Bollinger and his sisters, Charlotte and Andrea, donated the first $1 million endowment in Nicholls history in 1997. In 2000, the building was named after Boysie’s father and founder of Bollinger Shipyards, Donald G. Bollinger. Charlotte and Andrea also contributed to renovating the Student Union’s Cotillion Ballroom and adjacent conference rooms, making those spaces the Bollinger Suite in 2018. 
In 2019 alone, Bollinger contributed $1 million to the university with $300,000 dedicated to renovations at the Donald G. Bollinger Memorial Student Union and $700,000 contributed to an endowment with the Nicholls Foundation. Like his father, Boysie was recognized for his support of Nicholls with an honorary doctorate. 
“I am a people person, and I inherited that from my father,” Bollinger said.
“To have this common area where people meet and exchange ideas just makes it that much more special to me.
“This space will allow students to relax and put away some of the stress of studying and enjoy the camaraderie of campus life. For 30 years, I have served as the Foundation Board’s chairman, and I am happy to keep serving this university.”
The Donald G. Bollinger Memorial Student Union is the community center for Nicholls, offering programs, services and facilities that supports the university’s academic mission, student development and the quality of campus life. 
The Nicholls Foundation, an independent 501(c)3 corporation, exists to support the mission of Nicholls State University by seeking gifts and grants and by managing those funds and other assets to support Nicholls through endowed chairs, professorships, scholarships and other enhancement efforts. To learn more about donating to Nicholls, visit nichollsfoundation.org.

Conrad Industries Inc. (OTC Pink: CNRD) announced net income of $1.5 million and earnings per diluted share of $0.30 for the first quarter of 2024, compared to a net loss of $5.1 million and loss per diluted share of $1.01 during the first quarter of 2023.
The company’s financial reports are available at www.otcmarkets.com. 
During the first three months of 2024, Conrad signed $51.8 million in contracts in its new construction segment compared to $47.0 million added to backlog during the first three months of 2023.
Conrad’s backlog was $247.3 million at March 31, 2024, $253.8 million at Dec. 31, 2023, and $221.8 million at March 31, 2023. Since the end of the first quarter, the company has signed an additional $25 million in contracts. 
Conrad Industries Inc., established in 1948 and headquartered in Morgan City, designs, builds and overhauls barges, dredges and dredge support equipment, tugboats, ferries, dry docks, lift boats, offshore supply vessels, and other steel products for both the commercial and government markets.
The company provides both repair and new construction services at its five shipyards located in southern Louisiana and Texas. 

(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.)

A Franklin man faces marijuana distribution and racketeering charges after his arrest Wednesday by the St. Mary Sheriff’s Office Narcotics Section.

St. Mary

Sheriff Gary Driskell reported that over the last 24-hour reporting period, the Sheriff’s Office responded to 34 complaints and made these arrests:

--Terrance Robinson, 27, Franklin, was arrested at 3:25 p.m. Wednesday on two warrants alleging to appear on charges of reckless operation of an off-road vehicle, improper lane usage, no turn signal, stop sign violation, no brake lights, no license plate, no motor vehicle inspection, no driver’s license, distribution of marijuana and racketeering. Bail was set at $80,000.

--Kellie Sue Boudreaux, 41, Patterson, was arrested at 5:53 p.m. Wednesday on a warrant alleging failure to appear for the charges of driving under suspension and improper lane usage. Bail has not been set at this time.

Morgan City

Chief Chad M. Adams reported that the Morgan City Police Department responded to 31 calls for service over the last 24-hour reporting period and made these arrests:

--Mathew James Miller, 30, Marshal Street, Morgan City, was arrested at 7:48 p.m. Wednesday on charges of monetary instrument abuse and possession of drug paraphernalia.

--Bethany Ruiz, 28, Fraternity Court, Gray, was arrested at 2:21 p.m. Wednesday on a charge of nonconsensual disclosure of a private image.

Franklin

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

--Missy Alexander, 37, Folsom Drive, Beaumont, Texas, was arrested at 9:45 a.m. Wednesday on a warrant dated April 2 alleging disturbing the peace (loud profane language). Alexander was booked, processed and held on a $1,000 bond.

--Breyonna Verret, 22, Anderson Street, Franklin, was arrested at 11:11 a.m. Wednesday on a charge of theft. Verret was booked, processed and released on a $1,500 bond.

--Danielle Edwards, 38, Robertson Street, Franklin, was arrested at 12:21 a.m. Thursday on charges of disturbing the peace, simple assault and battery of a dating partner. Edwards was booked, processed and held with no bond set at the time of press release.

--Kaliah Fusilier, 23, Pellerin Road, Jeanerette, was arrested at 1:56 a.m. Thursday on charges of operating a vehicle while intoxicated and reckless operation of a vehicle. Fusilier was booked, processed and released on a $2,750 bond.

Enmity gave way to amity, with a touch of brevity, at Wednesday’s St. Mary Parish Council meeting.
The council, which made news with a series of sometimes acrimonious debates in the first months of this term, was a model of polite discourse as it moved on two of the most contentious issues, courthouse security and a possible rewrite of the parish’s home rule charter.
The council also honored two West St. Mary residents with resolutions to mark their passing, all in a meeting that lasted just over an hour.
The council introduced an ordinance by Councilman J Ina of Franklin creating the St. Mary Parish Home Rule Charter Revision Commission.
The ordinance cites Louisiana law that says charter commissions must have seven to 11 members who will serve until their proposed charter or revision is either adopted or rejected by voters.
The commission will have 18 months to submit its proposal to the Parish Council, which is not allowed to change it.
At least two issues seem sure to come up in charter rewrite discussions.
One is the status of the parish president. Parish President Sam Jones and former state Sen. Bret Allain have both spoken publicly about their belief that a full-time president is needed to represent the parish.
The current post calls for a presidential salary of $1,000 a month, unchanged since the charter was adopted 40 years ago. Proponents have pointed to six-figure salaries for chief executives in nearby parishes.
The change to a full-time presidency would not affect Jones if he abides by his one-term pledge.
The other issue is minority representation. Ina has argued that the Parish Council’s 11 districts include only two with Black majorities, even though the parish’s population is about one-third African American.
Ina has warned that if the council doesn’t take action, some outside force like the U.S. Justice Department might.
The current charter requires 20 days to elapse between the introduction of an ordinance and a passage vote. The next scheduled meeting is June 12, the 21st day since introduction.
The council also unanimously passed an ordinance by Councilman Rodney Olander of Franklin creating “security procedures and guidelines relative to maintaining a safe and contraband-free environment for the St. Mary Parish Courthouse,” according to the agenda summary.
The ordinance creates a Courthouse Safety Commission and establishes penalties for violations.
A rarity among state and federal courthouses, the St. Mary Courthouse does not require routine screening by magnetometers on entry.
Security inside the council chambers has also been an issue. One of those contentious debates has been over whether a deputy should be assigned to council meetings.
The two resolutions of respect honored Lucy Rucker Watson, retired after 28 years as a St. Mary Parish teacher, who died May 14; and Cathy Grimm Eave, a longtime St. Mary/Vermilion Community Action Agency employee who died May 11.
Councilman Dean Adams of Morgan City also congratulated participants and fellow council members for the success of Monday's town hall meeting in Four Corners.
The event was organized by parish Economic Development Director Evan Boudreaux. More town halls are in the works on a schedule still to be determined.