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Bergeron is M C Bank chief credit officer

Fri, 04/14/2023 - 8:02am

M C Bank has hired Steve Bergeron as chief credit officer.

Bergeron has been in the banking industry since 1980. He previously worked at Hancock Whitney and Regions Bank. For the last 12 months, Bergeron has been working in a consulting role with M C Bank.

“We have been so fortunate to have Steve’s experience and expertise during his consultant capacity with the bank and are thrilled to bring him on as our Chief Credit Officer,” said Christopher LeBato, M C Bank’s president and CEO, in a press release.

“He is a natural fit, and his extensive credit knowledge will bring M C Bank to the next level. Steve will also be an integral leader in
shaping the credit and commercial teams.”

“Steve’s 40+ years working on the credit side of both Community and Regional Banks will be a tremendous asset for M C Bank’s clients nd
bankers,” said Herb Blum of the M C Bank Board of Directors. “He is very familiar with all markets that the bank serves and will be invaluable in helping the bank to continue its successful growth strategy.”

Blum and Bergeron have worked together at various banks throughout their careers.

“I have enjoyed working with M C Bank the last several months and am excited to officially join the team,” Bergeron said. “It’s a solid bank with tons of history and growth potential."

M C Bank first opened its doors in 1955 in Morgan City. On April 1, 1991, MC Bancshares was formed as a one-bank holding company with its solely owned subsidiary being Morgan City Bank & Trust Co.

Simultaneous with the merger of the bank into the holding company, the bank’s name changed to M C Bank & Trust Co. The bank’s headquarters are in Morgan City, and they have eight banking centers and offices in Louisiana: Amelia, Bayou Vista, Houma, Lafayette, Metairie, Morgan City, New Orleans and Youngsville.

M C Bank is a locally and privately owned institution.

Meetings set to discuss NERR environmental impact study

Fri, 04/14/2023 - 7:59am

Public meetings to solicit input for a draft environmental impact statement the proposed Atchafalaya National Estuarine Research Reserve are scheduled for April 20 and April 25.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the Louisiana Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority will hold the following public meetings to receive public comments on significant issues related to the development of a environmental impact statement.

The in-person meeting will be at 5 p.m. April 20 at Morgan City Municipal Auditorium, 728 Myrtle St.
A virtual meeting is set for noon April 25 at https://www.youtube.com/@louisianacpra5300/streams
Written comments can be submitted by:

—Electronic Submission: Submit all electronic public comments via the Federal eRulemaking Portal. Go to https://www.regulations.gov/docket/NOAA-NOS-2023-0050, click the “Comment Now!” button, complete the required fields, and enter or attach your comments. Written comments must be submitted no later than Monday, May 15.

—Mail: Submit written comments to Kristin Ransom, Stewardship Division, Office for Coastal Management, NOS, NOAA, 1021 Balch Boulevard, Stennis Space Center, Mississippi, 39529; ATTN: LA NERR. Comments must be postmarked no later than Monday, May 15.
Detailed information on the proposed site[s] can be found on the following website: https://coastal.la.gov/our-work/key-initiatives/atchafalaya-national-est...

For questions regarding the hearings, please contact Kristin Ransom, NOAA Office for Coastal Management, 1021 Balch Blvd. Suite 1003, Stennis Space Center, Stennis, MS 39529 or Email: kristin.ransom@noaa.gov.

St. Mary Excel reports on first-quarter activities

Fri, 04/14/2023 - 7:55am

(Editor’s note: Here is a report on first quarter 2023 activities submitted by St. Mary Excel.)

St. Mary Excel continues to implement recommendations of the Urban Land Institute panel, "Morgan City and Berwick Louisiana: Building the Foundation for a New Economy Along the Atchafalaya River."

You can download a .pdf version of the institute’s report on this story at StMaryNow.com.

St Mary Excel:

—Hosted a Local Interest Group meeting Jan. 27. See https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0P2e-bHa08o

—Collaborated with Morgan City grant writer, Hannah Roy, to submit a $2.8 million federal grant to
complete the Bike Morgan City project.

Current awarded bike grants remain: 1) placing pedestrian head crossings on three intersections identified as dangerous; 2) placing trails from downtown Morgan City to the South Louisiana Community College, and 3) continuation of the trail from the Cajun Coast Visitors and Convention Bureau to David Drive.

The St. Mary Parish Council previously dedicated $100,000 in the 2023 budget to advance the work.

—Collaborated with the city of Morgan City, the town of Berwick, and the Cajun Coast Visitors and Convention Bureau for the La. 182 bridge over the Atchafalaya Bridge to be accessible for hiking and biking (March 25, April 15, and May 6) before the bridge closes in late May 2023 for an approximate three-year period for painting.

—Followed the parish’s work toward a resilience lab with a soon to be signed contract with The Water Institute of the Gulf to involve stakeholders in resilience lab planning.

—Received industry endorsement on a maritime residential high school proposal as an economic diversification and coastal workforce development tool.

—Continued inquiry into the process for resurfacing La. 182 (making ADA sidewalks and turning lanes) as appropriate to local priorities.

—Drafted and shared a City Council neighborhood recognition challenge with Morgan City councilmen whereby homeowners and business owners are recognized for neighborhood and business revitalization efforts.

—Received an update that landscaping around the Atchafalaya National Heritage Area grant neighborhood signs has been done for neighbors to enjoy and for neighborhood leaders to maintain.

—Participated in a zoom meeting with THRIVE Allen County, Kansas, administrators on best practices administrative for sustaining and advancing St. Mary Excel community service.

—Posted YouTube clips on Atchafalaya National Estuarine Research Reserve 1: job possibilities (See: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o18RxSL1qFw), 2: stakeholder involvement (See: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hESKDOVSUyI), and 3: reserve administration (See: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UZxtkMzWbKQ).

—Worked with the PEW Institute to organize community readiness for engagement in the soon-to- be-released draft Atchafalaya National Estuarine Research Reserve management plan. The plan will include all facets on reserve operation in the Atchafalaya zone.

—Partnered with the Atchafalaya Intracoastal Coalition and with the Morgan City and Berwick administrations to host a ANERR leaders’ photo opportunity atop the La. 182 bridge during the April 15 and May 6 scheduled hiking/biking events.

Jim Brown: The wrong approach to the property insurance crisis

Fri, 04/14/2023 - 7:51am

JIM BROWN

The Louisiana Legislature begins its annual session this week, and insurance proposals will certainly be on the front lawmaking burner.

The current insurance commissioner made a really insightful statement last week: “We are currently in the midst of an insurance crisis."

Duh, you think?

An insurance crisis that has been going on in Louisiana for over 15 years, about as long as Rip Van Winkle was asleep, and it would seem that the Department of
Insurance and the legislature is just waking up to the fact.

One of the proposals is to pour more state tax dollars into an incentive fund to attract more insurance companies into the state.

When asked about this idea, the reaction from U.S. Sen. John Kennedy was: “We tried that one. It blew up in our face.”

The senator is right.

In a special session a few months ago, the legislature handed $42 million over to the Insurance Department.

Few companies applied for the funds, and the majority that did took the tax dollars then went belly up.

Now the department is asking for an additional $20 million for more incentives. So expect more bankruptcies.

Here is a partial list of proposed new laws. (Notice that I did not say proposed new bills.

A bill is something I get in the mail for a purchase of service. Why do these insurance officials and legislators speak in gibberish?)

Under another proposal, insurance companies could demand that policyholders have to go get a notarized sworn statement before they could even file a claim.

So a family is devastated by a hurricane with no local services available and searching for cover over their heads.

Before they can even get even basic help from their insurance company, they have to travel to who knows where to find a notary and also find an attorney or someone else to prepare a sworn proof of loss form, then hope the post office has not been shut down, send the form to the insurance company, and wait and wait to hear back.

What a terrible piece of legislation, which is proposed to let the company delay any payment.

Then there is another effort to shore up this state-run Citizens Property Insurance Corp.

You will remember that Kennedy has said Citizens was the worst mismanaged company in the state back when he was state treasurer.

The Insurance Department wants to prohibit any policyholder from receiving bad-faith fines when Citizens continues its habit of ignoring policyholders and failing to pay claims in a timely way.

Kennedy was right. Citizens has been a disaster from the get-go and should be abolished. It ought to tell us something that no other state has a state-run company like Citizens.

Policyholders need to keep the guard up when told by legislators that these proposed changes are going to keep insurance rates from going up.

Remember it was two years ago when the Legislature approved so-called tort reform that the insurance commissioner promised would reduce auto insurance rates by 25%. So what happened?

Have you checked your policy lately? Rather than rates going down, big rate increases continue to take place

Legislators were sold a bill of goods and they bought right into it. Now policyholders are paying the price. A big price.

There are a few other proposals being offered by the insurance commissioner and legislators but most of them are little more than putting a finger in a collapsing dike.

So are there any significant changes that could be made outside of praying for no hurricanes? Yes, and I have listed a number of ideas in past columns.

But the single most important concept is to have the governor join in with other Gulf Coast state governors to form a joint insurance pool. Louisiana has huge weather exposure but is just too small to go it alone.

None of this is original or rocket science. It’s a matter of emphasis. And the governor obviously has to become involved.

In all but 12 states, the insurance commissioner is appointed. So Congress will look to governors to aggressively pursue these important concepts.

There are ways to resolve this major insurance crisis.

But it will take more focus and much stronger leadership.

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. You can also listen to his regular podcast at www.datelinelouisiana.com.

Morgan City police radio logs for April 12-13

Thu, 04/13/2023 - 1:25pm

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.
Wednesday, April 12
5:41 a.m. 1100 block of Brashear Avenue; Arrest.
8:16 a.m. Area of Justa Street; Suspicious person/arrest.
8:51 a.m. Area of Willard and Sixth streets; 911 hang up call.
9:23 a.m. 1300 block of Second Street; Assistance.
9:24 a.m. 7300 block of La. 182; Patrol request.
10:49 a.m. 600 block of Everett Street; Complaint.
11:31 a.m. 300 block of Chennault Street; Animal complaint.
11:45 a.m. 1300 block of Victor II Boulevard; Complaint.
12:26 p.m. Area of Robin and Mallard streets; Disturbance/arrest.
1:20 p.m. 700 block of Myrtle Street; Arrest.
2:40 p.m. 1300 block of Second Street; Complaint.
2:51 p.m. 1100 block of General Clark Street; Suspicious person.
3:09 p.m. 500 block of Roderick Street; Subject removal.
3:58 p.m. Area of Mount and Birch streets; Animal complaint.
4:10 p.m. 700 block of General Patton Street; Complaint.
4:24 p.m. 6300 block of La. 182; Civil complaint.
4:39 p.m. 1100 block of Seventh Street; 911 hang up call.
5:27 p.m. 1700 block of Filmore Street; Civil complaint.
5:40 p.m. Area of U.S. 90; Stalled vehicle.
6:20 p.m. 500 block of Roderick Street; Juvenile problem.
7:40 p.m. Veterans Extension; Traffic complaint.
8:03 p.m. 500 block of Roderick Street; Trespassing.
8:39 p.m. Fourth/Duke streets; Suspicious subject.
9:21 p.m. Fourth/Arenz streets; Traffic complaint.
11:34 p.m. Front/Ann streets; Traffic complaint.
Thursday, April 13
1:17 a.m. 7400 block of La. 182; Mental patient.

Nine arrests reported by local police agencies

Thu, 04/13/2023 - 1:16pm

(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.)

Area police reported nine arrests Wednesday on charges that included drug possession and assault.

Morgan City

Chief Chad M. Adams reported that over the last 24-hour period the Morgan City Police Department responded to 40 calls for service and made these arrests:

--Ken B. Liemkeo, 21, Broussard, was arrested 5:41 a.m. Wednesday on a charge of possession of marijuana.

--Shydee Marks, 26, Mallard Street, Morgan City, was arrested at 12:51 p.m. Wednesday on charges of disturbing the peace (fighting) and resisting an officer.

--Breionne Dedrick, 29, Railroad Avenue, Morgan City, was arrested at 12:51 p.m. Wednesday on a charge of disturbing the peace (fighting).

Berwick

Chief David S. Leonard reported these arrests:

--Jaye Bliss, 33, Deprima St. Berwick was arrested at 1:47 p.m. Wednesday on a charge of possession of marijuana (under 14 grams), on a St. Mary Parish warrant alleging criminal damage to property and on a hold for the Morgan City Police Department.

About 1:30 p.m. Wednesday, officers in the area of Deprima Street observed Bliss. A warrants check was conducted, at which time it was learned that Bliss had active warrants through the St. Mary Parish Sheriff’s Office as well as the Morgan City Police Department.

Officers placed Bliss under arrest without incident. During this time, marijuana was located on his person. Bliss was transported to the Berwick Police Department, where he was booked on the possession charge and the St. Mary warrant.

In Morgan City, he was booked on three counts of failure to appear for arraignment (6th Ward Morgan City Court).

--Ronald Hudgeons, 51, Deprima Street, Berwick, was arrested at 4:27 p.m. Wednesday on a charge of possession of drug paraphernalia.

About 3 p.m. Wednesday, officers with the Berwick Police Department with the assistance of the St. Mary Parish Sheriff’s Office executed a search warrant at a residence on Deprima Street.

During this time officers made contact with one of the occupants at the residence, identified as Hudgeons. Through the course of the investigation, Hudgeons was found to be in possession of drug paraphernalia. Hudgeons was placed under arrest and released on a summons to appear in court.

--Angelo Viscardi 18, Renwick Boulevard, Berwick, was arrested at 6:24 p.m. Wednesday on warrants alleging carnal knowledge of a juvenile (misdemeanor) and contributing the delinquency of a juvenile.

About 6:24 p.m., Visacardi was arrested at the Berwick Police Department on a warrant for the charges of carnal knowledge of a juvenile and contributing to the delinquency of a juvenile.

The warrant stems from an investigation conducted April 3, when it was reported that Viscardi had sexual relations with a person under the age of 17 in March 2023. Through the course of the investigation, evidence was gathered corroborating the victim's statement linking Viscardi to the crime.

Viscardi was booked.

--Sonia Todd, 45, Shannon Street, Patterson, was arrested at 10 p.m. Wednesday on charges of license plate light required, windshield conditions, expired motor vehicle inspection and no insurance, and on a St. Mary warrant alleging criminal neglect of family.

About 9:30 p.m. Wednesday, officers observed a vehicle traveling with no lights illuminating the license plate area. A traffic stop was conducted and contact was made with Todd.

During the course of the stop, it was learned that Todd did not have insurance on the vehicle. It was also learned that Todd had an active warrant through the St. Mary Parish Sheriff’s Office for criminal neglect of family.

Todd was placed under arrest and transported to the Berwick Police Department, where she was booked.

Patterson

Chief Garrett Grogan reported this arrest:

--Joseph R. David, 79, Tiffany Street, Patterson, was arrested at 10:14 p.m. Wednesday on a charge of simple assault. David was incarcerated at the Patterson PD Jail.

Franklin

Interim Chief Tina Thibodeaux reported that the Franklin Police Department responded to eight complaints in the last 24-hour reporting period and made this arrest:

--Eddie Clausen, 62, Becky Drive, Franklin, was arrested at 8:39 p.m. Wednesday on a charge of simple criminal damage to property. Clausen was booked, processed and released to appear in 3rd Ward City Court.

Woman arrested on murder charge in second overdose case

Wed, 04/12/2023 - 2:36pm

A Belle Rose woman arrested Monday by Morgan City police on a failure-to-seek-assistance charge in a January overdose has been booked on a murder charge in a second case from August.

Christen Brown, 42, La. 308, Bell Rose, was booked at 1:20 p.m. Wednesday on a warrant alleging second-degree murder in the Aug. 11 death of Harold Allen Sheets, 37, according to Morgan City police. The department said that within the past few days, it developed and corroborated information alleging that Brown administered a toxic drug that led to Sheets' death. The St. Mary Parish Sheriff's Office helped develop that information.

Police had answered the Aug. 11 call to a Brashear Avenue address, where Sheets was declared dead at the scene. Sheets died of an apparent overdose, Morgan City police said.

On Monday, Morgan City police announced that Brown had been arrested on a charge of failure to seek assistance in another overdose case.

Investigators with the Morgan City Police Department Detectives Division began an investigation in January related to a potential overdose on opioids, the Police Department said.

According to reports, officers responded to Brashear Avenue regarding a subject who was overdosing on opioids. Officers arrived and located the subject, who was in dire need of medical attention and was showing signs of overdosing.

The subject was transported to a local medical facility and is still under medical care.

The investigation continued, and information was obtained that Brown allegedly failed to render aid to the subject overdosing, the Police Department said. Reports indicate that instead of calling for medical attention, Brown was looking for Narcan, which delayed medical attention that the subject needed. Warrants were prepared for Brown's arrest.

Brown was located in the area of Bayou Vista with the assistance of the St. Mary Parish Sheriff's Office. She was booked and processed in the Morgan City Jail and is awaiting court proceedings.

The police press release said Chief Chad M. Adams and the Morgan City Police Department "want to make everyone aware of the dangers of opioid use. The Morgan City Police Department has seen an influx of overdoses related to opioid use such as heroin and fentanyl. These two drugs are very deadly.

"The Morgan City Police Department is equipped with Narcan, which has been deployed multiple times on overdose investigations. It is very important that anyone that is present of while someone is overdosing to immediately report it. It is required by Louisiana Law to do so. It my save their life."

Bail had been set at $100,000 in the January case. Additional bail was set at $250,000 after Wednesday's arrest.

Anyone with information on any overdose investigation is urged to contact the Morgan City Police Department Detectives Division at 985-380-4605.

Sen. Cassidy will host rural funding meeting Thursday in Morgan City

Wed, 04/12/2023 - 2:02pm

U.S. Sen. Bill Cassidy will host a Rural Community Funding Summit on Thursday in Morgan City for local leaders in St. Mary Parish and throughout the Bayou Region.

The meeting will be at 1 p.m. at Morgan City Municipal Auditorium, 728 Myrtle St.

The summit will highlight the funds available to rural communities from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. Representatives from the U.S. Department of Commerce, USDA Rural Development, U.S. Small Business Administration and various state agencies will take questions on how to apply for those funds. There are funds available for water and sewer upgrades, broadband, flood mitigation, housing and other priorities.

The event is not for the general public, but elected officials and community leaders in the region are welcome to attend. Members of the media wishing to attend must RSVP to Shawn_Hanscom@cassidy.senate.gov.

Morgan City police radio logs for April 11-12

Wed, 04/12/2023 - 1:27pm

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.
Tuesday, April 11
6:09 p.m. 900 block of Second Street; 911 hang up.
7:55 p.m. 500 block of Roderick Street; Arrest.
9:35 p.m. 900 block of Levee Road; Juvenile complaint.
10:14 p.m. 1000 block of Shaw Street; Juvenile complaint.
10:21 p.m. 700 block of Myrtle Street; Assistance.
10:47 p.m. 100 block of Chennault Street; Criminal damage to property.
Wednesday, April 12
12:17 a.m. 7200 block of La. 182; Complaint.
1:54 a.m. 1500 block of Sandra Street; Open door.
2:26 a.m. 7700 block of La. 182; Two arrests.

Morgan City, Franklin police make multiple battery arrests

Wed, 04/12/2023 - 12:48pm

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.)

Morgan City and Franklin police reported four arrests on battery charges this week.

Morgan City

Chief Chad M. Adams reported that the Morgan City Police Department responded to 92 calls for service over the last 48-hour reporting period and made these arrests:

--Fredy Moises Andrade Jurado, 24, Roderick Street, Morgan City, was arrested at 8:24 p.m. Tuesday on a charge of simple battery.

--Lashana Bennett, 42, Tiffany Street, Patterson, was arrested at 2:01 p.m. Monday on a charge of simple battery.

--Jacquelin Alaine Foster-Williams, 50, East Main Street, Houma, was arrested at 6:45 a.m. Tuesday as a fugitive from the Austin, Texas, Parole Division.

St. Mary

Sheriff Blaise Smith reported that over the last 24-hour reporting period, the Sheriff’s Office responded to 29 complaints and made these arrests:

--Nathaniel Albert Rollins, 27, Patterson, was arrested at 1:02 p.m. Tuesday on charges of theft and identity theft. Bail has not been set at this time.

--Shawn Case Lovell Sr., 45, Berwick, was arrested at 12:25 p.m. Tuesday on three warrants alleging failure to appear on charges of disturbing the peace (intoxicated), remaining where forbidden and theft (less than $1,000). Bail has not been set at this time.

--Joseph Jerome Jessie, 44, Franklin, was arrested at 1:39 p.m. Tuesday on charges of reckless operation (no accident). Bail has not been set at this time.

--Justin Leo Charles Bourgeois, 49, Morgan City, was arrested at 5:29 p.m. Tuesday on a charge of criminal trespass. Bail has not been set at this time.

Franklin

Interim Chief Tina Thibodeaux reported that the Franklin Police Department responded to 10 complaints over the last 24-hour reporting period and made these arrests:

--Cory Pierce, 36, Iberia Street, Franklin, was arrested at 8:28 a.m. Tuesday on a warrant dated March 27 alleging domestic abuse battery. Pierce was booked, processed and held with no bond set at the time of press release.

--Tynell Levine, 32, Willow Street, Franklin, was arrested at 7:02 p.m. Tuesday on a charge of domestic abuse battery. Levine was booked, processed and held with no bond set at the time of press release.