RSS Feed

The amended agenda for the April 20 meeting of the St. Mary Parish School Board, which includes two items related to the selection of a new superintendent, can be downloaded as a .pdf through the link below.

The newly named Southern University men’s basketball coach once played for Morgan City High’s Tigers.

A recent ceremony at Southern introduced Kevin Johnson as the selection to be the school’s 15th head men’s basketball coach. The candidate was to be voted on by the
Southern University system board Wednesday morning.

“I want to thank President-Chancellor Dennis J. Shields; Myron Lawson, Chairman of the Board of Supervisors; Domoine Rutledge, Athletic Chair Board of Supervisors; and Director of Athletics Roman Banks and the rest of the Southern University committee who welcomed me during the search process,” Johnson said in a press release.

“I am extremely honored to be named Head Men’s Basketball Coach at Southern and I’m excited about being a part of Southern University. The rich history, winning tradition and unbelievable support of Jaguar Nation will keep us working to restore the standard. I can’t wait to get to work with the current players, start forming relationships with the next generation of Jaguars student-athletes, and engage with our passionate alumni as well as the great people of Jaguar Nation. Go Jags!”

A native of Morgan City, Johnson prepped at Morgan City High School, where he was an all-district selection for the Tigers. His brother, Dave Johnson III, was an All-American at Syracuse and a first-round NBA draft pick of the Portland Trailblazers in 1992.

Possessing more than 28 years of experience coaching and recruiting the state of Louisiana and regionally, Kevin Johnson just finished his fourth season as an assistant coach for Tulane men’s basketball and helped guide them to a 20-11 record and American Conference Tournament Semifinals appearance. He joined Ron Hunter’s staff in April 2019.

Before joining the Green Wave, Johnson spent nine seasons as an assistant coach at Louisiana-Lafayette under head coach Bob Marlin, helping the program to 174 wins (19.33 per year) including a school record 27 victories in 2017-18. UL Lafayette reached the postseason five times including a bid to the 2014 NCAA Tournament, as well as a 2018 Sun Belt regular season title and NIT appearance.

The Ragin’ Cajuns won at least 21 games in four of his final six seasons in Lafayette, as the program averaged 22 wins per year during that span.
Johnson recruited, signed and developed nine different players who combined for 17 all-conference selections and four defensive player of the year winners at UL Lafayette, including four-time All-Sun Belt Conference honoree Shawn Long, who was also the league’s freshman of the year in 2013 and player of the year in 2016.

Another one of Johnson’s most noteworthy development successes includes Elfrid Payton, who was a lottery pick at No. 10 overall in the 2014 NBA Draft. Payton was a two-time first-team pick and the conference’s defensive player of the year in 2014.

Before his time at UL Lafayette, Johnson spent three seasons at Nicholls State, as the Colonels posted a 20-11 record and a 14-2 mark in the Southland Conference in just his second season in 2008-09.

That year, Nicholls reached the 20-win mark for the first time since 1994-95, and just the second time since the school transitioned to the Division I level in 1980. His main duties included overseeing the Colonels’ on-court defense and organizing recruiting efforts, which was highlighted by 2009 Southland Conference Freshman of the Year selection Fred Hunter.

With Johnson as the architect of Nicholls’ defense, the Colonels led Southland in rebounding defense during its 20-win campaign, holding teams to 29.5 rebounds per game. Nicholls was among the national leaders in two major categories that season, finishing 17th among NCAA Division I teams in steals per game (8.5) and 18th in scoring defense (60.2). Johnson recruited and coached two-time All-Southland choice and 2009 league co-MVP Ryan Bathie, as well as two-time all-conference selection Anthony Bose.

Johnson’s resume also included two years as an assistant at Louisiana Tech, one at Northwestern State, eight at Centenary, including six as head coach, and a year at Texas-Pan-American, his alma mater.

As a college athlete, Johnson scored 1,156 points for UT-Pan-American and averaged 16.1 points a game in his senior year.

After college, he played a year for England’s Leicester Riders and later became a player-coach for the Oldham Celtics, who won a league championship under Johnson, who averaged 33 points a game for the Celtics in 1990.

MAURICE — Chris P. Landry and his wife, Jade, are gathering more national recognition for their Cajun Kids Adventures book series.

The first volume, “Mystery at Indian Point,” won the Silver Mom’s Choice Award and was also finalist in the American Writing Awards as a Children’s Book International Finalist in three categories: Fiction, Adventure, and Chapter Series.

The Cajun Kids Adventures of Beth, Mark, Timmy, Annie, and Sam take place in Willow Hammock, as the siblings explore local marshlands, bayous, wildlife, artifacts and cultures.

“South Louisiana is my home,” explained children’s author Chris Landry, a resident of Maurice.

He is a descendant of French Acadians. His wife of 40 years, Jade (Walters) Landry shares a similar heritage, as the fifth generation to hunt, trap, and fish the marshes of the Atchafalaya River Basin.

“My great-great-grandfather settled that land,” she said.

Together, the Landrys taught their children to respect their Cajun heritage and their home.

On March 13 the Mom’s Choice Awards informed the Landrys that “Cajun Kids Adventures” was named among the best in family-friendly media, products, and services.

The Landrys received the MCA Silver Award, Honoring Excellence, after submitting their first fiction book, “Mystery at Indian Point,” to the committee. The Landrys launched the series Nov. 1, 2022, with their own Excaliber Publishing Services.

The Mom’s Choice Awards evaluates products and services created for children, families and educators. The program is globally recognized for establishing the benchmark of excellence in family-friendly media, products and services.

“Until a few years ago, I had not considered becoming a writer,” Landry explained. “At the age of eighteen I graduated high school and went to work in the oilfield. For the last 43 years I worked in the oil and gas industry and even owned a small service company.”

Now, he pursues writing. In his books, Landry creates storylines based on events that Chris and Jade’s own five children experienced at their camp along the mouth of the Atchafalaya River. The land his family owns is named Willow Hammock.

The Landrys’ adult children – Shelbie, Jake, Grant, Camryn, and Blake – selected the names for their own characters.

“Our children were all avid readers. They loved many of the classics, such as ‘Nancy Drew,’ ‘The Hardy Boys’ and ‘The Boxcar Children,’ Landry said.

The family’s goal is for children, as well as adults, to enjoy their “Cajun Kids Adventures” series, to laugh, to share in these adventures, to learn of different cultures, and to recall their own childlike joy

“We have always worked as a team with every venture we started,” Jade said, “so we locked arms and jumped right in.”

The Landrys’ book publishing enterprise is a group effort with each member involved.

Working together, Jade and her daughter Camryn produce the numerous illustrations printed inside the editions. Camryn also handles all design work and collaborates with the printers when formatting the books.

“My oldest, Shelbie, an English major, did the first edit,” Landry said. “She gifted me her copy of The Gregg Reference Manual.” Shelbie also set up their social media sites. Camryn handles online orders and shipping. The other siblings help with promotion and marketing.

“Jade works nonstop and deserves so much credit,” Chris emphasized. “In a typical day, she might organize book sales for festivals and conferences or meet with librarians and teachers.”

While writing his first manuscript, Landry’s main concern was being a storyteller. 
“I needed to know that I could tell a story that engaged the reader,” Landry said.

The Mom’s Choice Award confirms that he has succeeded.

The Volume Two book, “Adventure in the Wild,” and the Volume Three book, “The Cup, The Cap, and the Ring-Tailed Monkey,” are also available to order. The Volume Four book, “The Storm,” will be available this summer.

Artist Steve Shaumburger created the cover illustrations.

A prolific writer, Chris Landry is now working on his eighth manuscript. He and Jade plan to promote their Cajun Kids Adventures series at multiple homeschool conventions throughout the country.

For more information, visit www.cajunkids.com.

St. Mary Parish Council members heard a generally positive report on parish finances at their April 12 meeting. Members also learned that Economic Development Director Evan Boudreaux will be staying in that post.

The report on finances came from Tim Matte, a certified public accountant with Pitts and Matte. He delivered a report on an audit of parish finances for the year ending in December 2021.

The firm’s report gave parish finances an unmodified opinion, which Matte characterized as a clean report.

Parish operations brought in $108.5 million in revenue to cover $100 million in expenses.

The parish government received 13 federal grants totaling $7.2 million.

Matte said the audit found two instances on noncompliance. Two funds varied from their budgets by more than 5% without the required budget amendment. Those variances were “relatively minor in their dollar impact,” Matte said.

He offered one word of warning: The parish should put money aside for the eventual closure of the Harold J. “Babe” Landry Landfill.

Boudreaux has served as the parish’s economic development director since 2020. A Berwick High and University of Louisiana at Lafayette grad, Boudreaux worked on the staff of former U.S. Rep. Charles Boustany before being appointed to succeed Economic Development Director Frank Fink, who retired.

Boudreaux stepped away from the parish post for a private-sector job but has decided to return, Parish President David Hanagriff told the council.

“You don’t know what you’ve got until you leave ...,” Hanagriff said. “I’m really excited you’re back.”

The role of the parish economic development director might have changed had the results of a March 25 election been different.

A proposed parish charter would have given the next parish president a significant raise as a step toward making the post full-time. One reason put forward for having a full-time parish president is the need to attract potential employers.

But parish voters soundly rejected the amendment.

Also April 12:

—The council passed a resolution of respect for Clarence Robinson Sr. of Morgan City, who died Feb. 27. He was 90. A Korean War veteran and owner of a bartending business, Robinson was the Morgan City Rotary’s 2017-18 Citizen of the Year.

Among his survivors is his son, Clarence Robinson Jr., the director of the Berwick and Morgan City housing authorities.

—The council passed a resolution declaring April to be Second Chance Month. The month is dedicated to helping people who have completed jail or prison sentences to find work and rebuild their lives.

A Second Chance Job Fair was scheduled for 10 a.m.-noon Wednesday at Morgan City Municipal Auditorium.