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Kemper Williams Park, Patterson
May 18
Class A
First place, Julius Lovell (tournament champion), Bayou L’Ourse, 4 wins-1 loss, 44.0 ringer percentage; second place, Tim Gilmore, Bayou Vista, 3½-1½, 56.5; and third place, Wanda Lantz, Marrero, 3-2, 38.0.
Class B
First, Larry Pertuit, Marrero, 5-0, 35.1; second, Mack Thibodeaux, Lake Arthur, 3-2, 29.5; and third, Dale Pearce, Patterson, 3-2, 30.5.
Class C
First, Charles Benoit, Lake Arthur, 7-1, 18.9; second, Randy Giroir, Berwick, 6-2, 22.1; and third, Joseph Thomas III, Port Allen, 5-2, 21.3.
Class D
First, Kris Prejeant, Franklin, 5-1, 13.3; second, Mark Jones, Patterson, 4-2, 16.3; and third, Ricky Pitre, Chauvin, 3-2, 16.5.

By STEVE WILSON
The Center Square
After being approved by the House Education Committee this week, a bill that would create a Louisiana education savings account program is closer to Gov. Jeff Landry’s desk.
The committee reported Senate Bill 313 favorably 8-4 on Tuesday and the measure is headed to the Committee on Appropriations. If it passes that hurdle, the bill will be headed to the floor for a potential vote. 
The bill was passed in the upper chamber 24-15 on May 16. 
SB313 is sponsored by Sen. Rick Edmonds, R-Baton Rouge, and would create the Louisiana Giving All True Opportunity to Rise program, better known as the LA GATOR. 
The program would provide the state per-student cost plus a special education weight of 150% for those children to parents for qualifying education expenses such as tuition. Accounts would range from $15,099 for disabled students, $7,550 for students in poverty and $5,190 for other students
Under the bill, the LA GATOR funds would have to be separate from the state’s constitutionally-mandated K-12 funding formula, the Minimum Foundation Program. The Board of Elementary and Secondary Education would also have to draft and pass rules if the bill is signed into law. 
Like House Bill 745 that passed the House in April, SB313 would replace an existing voucher program for students in failing schools with a universal three-phase program, covering those in poverty and with a disability first beginning in the 2024-25 school year before extending to all students in the next few years. 
The bill is supported by Landry, EdChoice, the Louisiana Conference of Catholic Bishops and Louisiana Family Formula.
Opposition to the bill centered on the fiscal impacts and accountability standards for participating schools. The fiscal note prepared by legislative staff for SB213 estimated the program’s cost at a minimum, annual price tag of $259.8 million. The Public Affairs Research Council of Louisiana released a report in March that put the annual cost to taxpayers at $519 million. 
“Given the posture of the bill as it now stands and the fact there is uncertainty regarding state budgeting issues, we have concerns with no cap on this program,” Mike Faulk, the executive director of the Louisiana Association of School Superintendents, told the committee. 
Janet Pope, the executive director of the Louisiana School Boards Association, told the committee that she was afraid of the fiscal impacts on the state’s finances and how it might impact the educational gains made by students.
She also said since private schools under the LA GATOR program would receive state funding at the same level as public schools, they should be held to the same accountability standards. 

Recently released data from the U.S. Census Bureau shows only four of Louisiana’s 15 largest cities had population growth, with the rest losing population.
New Orleans was the biggest loser, its population decreasing from 383,241 in 2020 to 364,136 in 2023, a loss of 19,015 residents or nearly 5% of the population.
Percentage-wise, Sulphur had the biggest loss – a net loss of 1,414 residents (6.5%) of its 21,814 population.
Second in terms of percentage loss was Lake Charles at 6.2%, where the population dropped from 84,879 to 79,633.
Houma in the southeast part of the state lost 1,322 residents, a 4.65% drop that reduced the city to 27,080 residents. 
Of the state’s four cities with 100,000 or more residents, none had any growth.
Lafayette gained 12 residents, going from 121,455 to 121,467.
Baton Rouge’s population shrank by nearly 3% to 219,573. Shreveport also lost 4.76% to 177,959.
Among the state’s other large cities, Alexandria in central Louisiana had a 3.6% decrease of 1,638 residents, with the city’s population down to 43,466. 
Monroe in west-central Louisiana lost slightly more than 2% of its population (993 residents), putting the city’s population at 46,616. 
On the Northshore, Hammond grew 14.4% (2,827 residents) to 22,527. It was the only one of Louisiana’s cities with population growth of at least 5%.
Neighboring Slidell had a slight drop of 0.64% or 184 fewer residents. 

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 and Morgan City authorities reported arrests this week on drug possession charges that also nvolve weapons.

St. Mary deputies arrested a man accused of failing to appear in court to answer drug and gun charges.

Assumption

Sheriff Leland Falcon reported this arrest:

--Alex John Falgout, 23, Whippoorwill Drive, Bayou L’Ourse, was arrested Tuesday on charges of illegal carrying of a weapon in the presence of controlled dangerous substances, possession of marijuana, possession of drug paraphernalia and no seat belt.

A uniformed patrol deputy on special assignment observed a vehicle with an equipment violation and executed a stop of that vehicle. The deputy made contact with the driver and initiated an interview.

At the conclusion of that interview, the deputy made contact with a passenger now identified as Falgout. The deputy interviewed Falgout and at the conclusion of that interview, the deputy believed additional investigation was warranted
.
The deputy requested and was granted consent to search the vehicle. During the ensuing search, a firearm and a quantity of suspected marijuana was seized. The seized evidence was attributed to Falgout.

Falgout was arrested and booked into the Assumption Parish Detention Center pending a bond hearing.

Morgan City

Chief Chad M. Adams reported that the Morgan City Police Department responded to 69 calls for service over the last 48-hour reporting period and made these arrests:

--Geralyn Renee Garrett, 29, Bowman Street, Morgan City, was arrested at 2:44 p.m. Tuesday on a charge of telephone harassment.

—Devonta Terrell Grogan, 22, Fifth Street, Morgan City, was arrested at 6:51 p.m. Tuesday on a charge of unauthorized entry of an inhabited dwelling, possession of marijuana (first offense) and obstruction of justice.
—Christopher Dwayne Woods, 32, Mount Street, Morgan City, was arrested at 10:25 p.m. Monday on charges of possession of Adderall, possession of marijuana, illegal carrying of weapons, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, two counts of failure to appear for arraignment (6th Ward Morgan City Court), and as a fugitive from the Assumption Parish Sheriff’s Office.

St. Mary

Sheriff Gary Driskell reported that over the last 48-hour reporting period, the St. Mary Parish Sheriff’s Office responded to 89 complaints and made these arrests:

--Jameon Jontae Jack, 42, Franklin, was arrested at 9:10 a.m. Tuesday on a warrant alleging failure to appear for the charges of operating a vehicle while intoxicated, possession of alcoholic beverages in motor vehicle, and improper turn or failure to give required signal. Jack was released on a $6,000 bond.

--Donshea Ameche Amos, 36, Labadieville, was arrested at 9:15 a.m. Monday on two warrants alleging failure to appear on charges of possession of a firearm or carrying a concealed weapon by a person convicted of domestic abuse battery, possession with intent to distribute cocaine, possession with intent to distribute marijuana and disturbing the peace (fighting).

--Tahjell Blackburn, 19, Franklin, was arrested at 7:47 p.m. Saturday on a charge of theft. Blackburn was released on a $1,500 bond.

Franklin

Chief Cedric Handy reported that the Franklin Police Department responded to seven complaints over the last 24-hour reporting period and made this arrest:

--Kirsten Perro, 21, Martin Luther King Street, Baldwin, was arrested at 12:29 p.m. Monday on a warrant dated Oct, 6, 2022, alleging criminal mischief. Perro was booked, processed and released to appear in 3rd Ward City Court.