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(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.)

Battery, theft and drug possession were among the charges in weekend arrests reported by Berwick police.

Berwick

Chief David S. Leonard reported these arrests:

--Juvenile male, 14, Guzetta Drive, Berwick, was arrested at 2:07 p.m. Friday on a Berwick warrant alleging simple battery.

About 3 p.m. Thursday, the Berwick Police Department received a call from a parent about a battery on a bus after school. Video evidence was obtained in which the juvenile was identified. Warrants were prepared for his arrest, and he was located Friday and placed under arrest.

He was transported to the Berwick Police Department, where he was booked and released to a guardian pending a court hearing.

--Jordan Gant, 33, Cleveland Street, Patterson, was arrested at 3:21 p.m. Friday on charges of possession of methamphetamine, possession of alprazolam, illegal use of a controlled dangerous substance in the presence of a minor and improper lane usage, and on a St. Mary warrant alleging criminal neglect of family.

About 2:59 p.m. Friday, a traffic stop was conducted on a vehicle after it was observed nearly causing a crash due to lane violations. Officers made contact with Gant and learned he was named in an active warrant through the St. Mary Parish Sheriff’s Office.

Gant was placed under arrest. During a search of his person, methamphetamine and alprazolam pills were located. At the time of the stop, a juvenile was present. Gant was transported to the Berwick Police Department, where he was booked.

--Juvenile female, 17, Verdunville, was arrested at 10:22 p.m. Friday on charges of simple robbery, theft, simple battery and unlawful possession of tobacco products by persons under 21.

--Juvenile male, 16, Pacific Street, Berwick, was arrested at 10:22 p.m. Friday, on charges of simple robbery, theft, simple battery, possession of THC and possession of tobacco product by persons under 21.

About 9:05 p.m. Friday, the Berwick Police Department received a call about a robbery that took place at a local park. The caller stated that a juvenile arrived at her home saying she was beaten up by a group of subjects who took her belongings and left the area.

Officers responded and, after speaking with witnesses, were able to determine that the victim knew the suspects and was able to give a description of the vehicle. A short time later, officers located the suspect vehicle and a traffic stop was conducted.

During this time, two juveniles were present, and evidence linking them to the crime was obtained. Both were placed under arrest and transported to the Berwick Police Department.

During this time, it was further learned that the two juveniles were directly involved in the incident. Following the booking process, they were released to guardians pending a court hearing.

--Bryan Guillory, 56, Capri Court, Houma, was arrested at 4:19 p.m. Sunday on charges of possession of methamphetamine, possession of marijuana, possession of drug paraphernalia and careless operation of a motor vehicle (with crash).

About 3:52 p.m. Sunday, the Berwick Police Department received a call about a two-vehicle crash on U.S. 90. Officers responded and made contact with Guillory.

A strong odor of marijuana was detected coming from his vehicle. A search was conducted at which time methamphetamine, marijuana and items of drug paraphernalia were located. Guillory was placed under arrest and transported to the Berwick Police Department, where he was booked.

--Edward Farbe, 38, Winnsboro Drive, Denham Springs, was arrested at 12:30 a.m. Monday on charges of driving while intoxicated (second offense), reckless operation of a motor vehicle and no insurance.

About 12:24 a.m. Monday, the Berwick Police Department received a complaint of a reckless driver in the area of U.S. 90. Officers responded and located the vehicle.

A traffic stop was conducted, and contact was made with Farbe. He showed several signs of impairment. Standardized field sobriety tests were conducted, and he performed poorly.

Farbe was placed under arrest and transported to the Berwick Police Department, where he submitted a valid breath sample of 0.213 G% BAC. Farbe was booked.

Morgan City

Chief Chad M. Adams reported that over the last 72-hour period, the Morgan City Police Department responded to 104 calls for service and made these arrests:

--Deamren Joseph, 22, 10th Street, Thibodaux, was arrested at 2 p.m. Friday on charges of theft ($1,000-$5,000) and monetary instrument abuse.

--Jose M. Lopez-Duenas, 30, Terrebonne Street, Morgan City, was arrested at 6:48 p.m. Friday on charges of driving while intoxicated (first offense), possession of alcoholic beverages in a vehicle, no insurance, no driver’s license and no registration.

--Tammy P. Dixon, 52, Apple Street, Morgan City, was arrested 7:30 p.m. Friday on a charge of contributing to the delinquency of a juvenile.

--Estrella A. Shamah, 34, Garber Street, Morgan City, was arrested at 11:18 p.m. Friday on a warrant alleging failure to appear for arraignment (16th Judicial District Court).

--Jackie J. Lewis, 36, Aucoin Street, Morgan City, was arrested at 2:38 a.m. Saturday on a warrant alleging failure to pay probation fee (6th Ward Morgan City Court).

--Devante Frank, 31, Dora Street, Morgan City, was arrested at 1:02 p.m. on warrants alleging criminal trespass and two counts of failure to pay fines (6th Ward Morgan City Court).

--Bryansheka S. Harris, 35, La. 182, Morgan City, was arrested at 4:07 p.m. Saturday on warrants alleging failure to pay fines and failure to pay fine and restitution.

--Hailey Mire, 21, Southwest Road, Morgan City, was arrested at 7:37 p.m. Sunday on a warrant alleging two counts of telephone harassment.

--Jerome Williams, 45, Second Street. Morgan City, was arrested at 9:22 p.m. Sunday on charges of telephone harassment, criminal mischief, resisting an officer and disturbing the peace (drunkenness), and on warrants alleging theft (under $1,000) and failure to appear (16th Judicial District Court).

St. Mary

Sheriff Blaise Smith reported that over the last 72-hour reporting period, the Sheriff’s Office responded to 96 complaints and made these complaints:

--Javorian Trevell Conner, 30, Franklin, was arrested at 2:29 a.m. Monday on a warrant alleging failure to appear on the charges of possession of alcoholic beverages in motor vehicles and possession of marijuana. Conner was released on a $700 bond.

--Stephanie Gaile Gober, 21, Morgan City, was arrested at 2:55 p.m. Friday on a warrant alleging failure to appear on charges of possession of schedule IV drugs; illegal use, consumption, possession, or distribution of a controlled dangerous substance in the presence of persons under 17; and possession of marijuana. Gober was released on her own recognizance.

--Adner Felix Laboy-Colon, 46, Berwick, was arrested at 4:18 p.m. Friday on a warrant alleging failure to appear charges of possession of Schedule II drugs (amphetamine/dextroamphetamine), possession of methamphetamine, possession of drug paraphernalia and theft.

Bail has not been set at this time.

Franklin

Chief Cedric Handy reported that the Franklin Police Department responded to two complaints over the weekend and made these arrests:

--Lynn Lovell Jr., 50, Kirk Street, Franklin, was arrested at 3:10 p.m. Saturday on charges of violation of a protective order and possession of Schedule II narcotics. Lovell was additionally arrested on a warrant alleging parole violation.

Lovell was booked, processed and transported to the St. Mary Parish Law Enforcement Center.

--Rebecca Causer, 50, Robert St., Franklin, was arrested at 7:52 p.m. Saturday on a charge of driving under the influence. Causer was booked, processed and held on a $2,500 bond.

Nearly nine in 10 voters voted for a half-cent sales tax Saturday for Morgan City police and firefighter pay and training.

According to complete but unofficial returns from the Louisiana Secretary of State's Office, 1,083 people, or 87%, voted for the new tax, and 165, or 13%, voted against.

The turnout Saturday, when the Morgan City tax proposition was the only item on the ballot and the only election in St. Mary Parish, was 17.5%.

Saturday's result was a rarity, a tax increase that drew little public opposition, let alone organized opposition.

"I was pleasantly surprised," said Fire Chief Alvin Cockerham after the votes were counted. "I think when people found out how low the starting pay was, they supported [the tax]."

The results were especially sweet for Chad M. Adams, who has been police chief for six months. He became chief as the department wrestled with a starting pay that was significantly lower than nearby departments and after three years of high turnover.

"It was awesome," Adams said Saturday night.

Adams' predecessor, James F. Blair, warned as he retired last year that low pay for officers was contributing to an unsustainable level of turnover. At the time, the starting pay was $12.09 per hour, or about $4 less than the average for surrounding departments.

The Morgan City Council passed a $1-an-hour raise for entry-level Police Department employees and pledged to find more. Saturday's tax proposition was the result of their deliberations.

Firefighters currently start at $8.39 per hour, Cockerham said.

As officers and firefighters departed, overtime pay and training costs worsened the fiscal situation.

Now police officers are due for a $3-an-hour, across-the-board raise. Firefighters, who didn't get the earlier $1 raise, will receive a $4 raise.

The 0.5% tax goes into effect in July. Last week, the City Council introduced an ordinance implementing the new tax. The ordinance could come up for a passage vote as early as May 22. Adams said the raises could be in effect as early as September.

Cockerham said some of his firefighters were waiting to see what happened in Saturday's election before applying elsewhere.

"It should help us a lot," Cockerham said. "It'll help us recruit people and retain the people we've got."

Adams expects the election result to be a boost for morale.

"You're looking at a situation where the morale issue is pay," he said. "You fix the money problem, and everything else fixes itself."

A rainy forecast led the St. Mary Chamber of Commerce to postpone Saturday's Lemonade Day, which was to celebrate entrepreneurship with 13 businesses run by children in Morgan City, Berwick, Patterson and Franklin. But business is business, and these youngsters set up their table to sell heart-shaped sunglasses, accessories for little girls and bags for boys. They are, from left, Jaci Jennings, J'Lei Jennings and Jaxton Singleton, the children of Danira J. Singleton. She owns J's Tribz, a resale shop at 112B Park St. in Patterson. The Chamber has rescheduled Lemonade Day for May 13.

The Review/Bill Decker

A long-sought goal, to be recognized as a city rather than a town, appears to be within reach after the Louisiana Municipal Association's recently published directory listed Berwick's population over the 5,000 legal threshold.

Now, Mayor Duval Arthur said, Berwick is waiting for Gov. John Bel Edwards' approval of the move up to city status. That step, plus the recognition that Berwick's population is greater than the 2020 Census indicated, would mean a bigger share of sales tax proceeds and grants, Arthur said.

There's also a matter of town pride. Make that city pride.

"Berwick has been a town since 1907," Arthur said. "I think it's time we became a city."

Under Louisiana law, municipalities with a population of less than 1,000 are classified as villages. If they have populations of 1,000-4,999, they're towns. Cities have populations of at least 5,000.

The 2010 Census put Berwick's population at 4,946 -- 54 people short of the city threshold.

"That was one of the things I wanted when I became mayor," said Arthur, who was elected in 2018.

But the notoriously troubled 2020 Census was a disappointment. The federal head count, hampered by legal challenges and the COVID pandemic, put Berwick's population at 4,771, down 3.5% from 2010.

Arthur was having none of it. And factors such as utility hook-ups were on his side. So were estimates by the Louisiana Treasurer's Office and the LSU Economics Department, which put the population over 5,000.

Arthur filed an official challenge to the 2020 Census result March 30, 2022. So far, the only result is that he has a phone number to call. It invites him to leave a recorded message.

Closer to home, a more populous Berwick developed more quickly.

Arthur said that a couple of weeks ago, a member of the newly formed Atchafalaya Intracoastal Coalition congratulated him because Berwick's population is now over 5,000. The mayor wasn't sure what he meant.

Then came the publication of the Municipal Association directory. And there it was, under the Berwick header: "Population 5,128."

That was the good part. The bad part was that the directory still lists Berwick as a town. Arthur has been assured that it will be corrected.

Arthur announced the association's new population figure for Berwick at an April 19 Chamber luncheon in Morgan City.

"When all this happened, I was surprised," Arthur said. "I'm going to run with it."