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The Coast Guard medevaced a 37-year-old crewmember from a towing vessel approximately 60 miles south of Southwest Pass on Tuesday, the Coast Guard said Wednesday.

Coast Guard Sector New Orleans watchstanders received a call at 3:18 p.m. on VHF-FM Channel 16 from the crew of the towing vessel Tenner C, stating a crewmember was experiencing severe abdominal pain. Watchstanders coordinated the launch of a Coast Guard Air Station New Orleans MH-60 Jayhawk aircrew to assist.

The aircrew arrived on scene, hoisted the crewmember, and transferred him to University Medical Center in New Orleans.

The crewmember was last reported to be in stable condition.

(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.)

Local authorities reported three arrests on drug-related charges, including heroin, methamphetamine and cocaine possession.

Berwick

Chief David S. Leonard reported these arrests:

--Jonathan Mayea, 37, Chestnut Drive, Morgan City was arrested at 10:37 p.m. Tuesday on charges of possession of heroin, possession of methamphetamine, possession of drug paraphernalia and violation of controlled dangerous substance law (drug-free zone).

About 10:26 p.m. Tuesday, officers made contact with a vehicle at a closed business. Officers made contact with the driver, Mayea, and during the course of the stop, he admitted to having methamphetamine inside his vehicle.

Methamphetamine was located inside the vehicle along with heroin and items of drug paraphernalia. Mayea was placed under arrest and transported to the Berwick Police
Department, where he was booked.

--Jim Businelle, 63, Carol Road, Morgan City, was arrested at 03:15 a.m. Wednesday on charges of red light violation, proper equipment required for bicycles and resisting an officer.

About 2:57 a.m. Wednesday, officers in the area of La. 182 observed a male subject on a bicycle traveling on the roadway and disregard a traffic light, nearly causing a traffic accident. Officers also observed the cyclist to not have any lights on his bicycle.

Officers attempted to stop the subject regarding the violations, but he refused. The subject was identified as Businelle, and officers were able to make contact with him and he was placed under arrest.

Businelle was transported to the Berwick Police Department where he was booked.

Morgan City

Chief Chad M. Adams reported that the Morgan City Police Department responded to 57 calls for service over the last 24-hour reporting period and made this arrest:

--Gerald McCracken, 44, Railroad Avenue, Morgan City, was arrested 7:08 p.m. Tuesday on charges of possession of cocaine, resisting an officer by false information and operating motorized bicycles.

St. Mary

Sheriff Blaise Smith reported that over the last 24-hour reporting period, the Sheriff’s Office responded to 31 complaints and made these arrests:

--Brandi Snyder, 36, Anacoco, was arrested at 10:58 p.m. Tuesday by the Narcotics Section on charges of improper lane use, driving under suspension, possession of marijuana, possession of a legend drug and possession of a controlled dangerous substance in the presence of a minor, and on an Adams County, Mississippi, warrant.

--Exzaria M. Stewart, 24, Houma, was arrested at 9:04 a.m. Tuesday on a warrant alleging failure to appear on the charges of possession of heroin and possession of drug paraphernalia. Bail has not been set at this time.

--Ben Anthony Joseph, 40, Thibodaux, was arrested at 2:52 p.m. Tuesday on two warrants alleging failure to appear. Bail has not been set at this time.

--Hope Michelle Chettiyar, 44, Morgan City, was arrested at 3:42 p.m. Tuesday on four warrants alleging failure to appear. Bail has not been set at this time.
Bail has not been set at this time.

Franklin

Chief Tina Thibodeaux reported these arrests:

--Ivory Fine, 34, Ninth Street, Franklin, while incarcerated at the Franklin Police Department, was arrested at 1:01 p.m. Monday on a warrant for 16th Judicial District Court alleging failure to appear on charges of possession of Schedule II drugs and possession of marijuana. Fine was booked, processed and held on a $10,000 bond.

Fine had been arrested March 31 on the charges of possession of marijuana, tail lamps and driving under suspension, and on a warrant dated Jan. 6 alleging theft. Fine was additionally arrested on a 3rd Ward City Court warrant for failure to appear on the charges of hit and run, careless operation, failure to report an accident, no insurance and driving under suspension.

--Joseph Thomas, 60, Myra Street, Franklin, was arrested at 12:08 a.m. Tuesday on charges of remaining where forbidden, disturbing the peace and simple criminal damage to property. Thomas was booked, processed and held on a $2,500 bond.

--Mar'Keisha Hamilton, 28, Oneal Chube Street, Franklin, was arrested at 4:23 p.m. March 31 on a 3rd Ward City Court warrant alleging failure to appear on the charges of speeding, no driver's license and no insurance, and on warrants for the Fort Bend Sheriff's Office on the charges of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and criminal mischief. Hamilton was additionally charged with simple escape.

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

--Sabrina Darby, 26, Iberia Street, Franklin, was arrested at 5:43 p.m. Saturday on a warrant dated Jan. 7 alleging battery of a dating partner. Darby was booked, processed and held with no bond set at time of press release.

--Donald Dupree, 24, Sere Street, New Iberia, was arrested at 1:52 p.m. Sunday on charges of cyberstalking and two counts of violation of a protective order. Dupree was booked, processed and held with no bond set at time of press release.

Assumption

Sheriff Leland Falcon eported this arrest:

--Aaron Aucoin, 27, La. 182 East, Morgan City, was transferred Monday to Assumption Parish and held on charges of probation violation and failure to appear on charges of prohibited acts (Schedule II controlled dangerous substances, producing, manufacturing, distributing dispensing or possessing a Schedule I drug, MDMA and Suboxone).

Aucoin was arrested on multiple felony drug charges on July 20, 2020, and was served notice to appear in court on July 5, 2022, and failed to do so. A warrant was issued for his arrest on July 14, 2022.

Additionally, a warrant for a probation violation was issued for the arrest of Aucoin in connection with a felony drug conviction in Assumption Parish. As a result of that conviction, Aucoin was placed on supervised probation and ordered to abide by specific conditions.

Aucoin’s probation was assigned to the St. Mary Parish Division of Probation and Parole as that was the parish he was residing in.

Aucoin violated the terms of his probation, resulting in ta warrant being issued on May 30, 2022.

Aucoin was arrested in St. Mary Parish on Feb. 28, 2023, on local charges in that jurisdiction.

Aucoin was transferred to Assumption Parish on Monday and booked into the Assumption Parish Detention Center. He was served notice with a new court date and released.

Elementary school recess, home insurance, asphalt for road projects and, as usual, taxes will be among the targets of legislators representing St. Mary Parish in the coming legislative session.

State Sen. Bret Allain of Franklin, state Rep. Beryl Amedee of Gray and state Rep. Vincent St. Blanc, all Republicans, spoke March 29 at a St. Mary Chamber Legislative Breakfast at The Forest restaurant in Franklin.

The 2023 session opens Monday and must end no later than June 8.

The session probably will be the last for a while in which St. Mary has its current level of clout in the Legislature. Allain, who has chaired the Senate Revenue and Fiscal
Affairs Committee during the last four years, is term-limited.

“Twelve years is a long time,” Allain said at the breakfast, “particularly the last four years when I was part of the leadership. …

“Everybody pulls at you, and the work never stops. I was glad to do it, but it’s time for a little break.”

Three candidates have announced plans to run for the District 21 Senate seat: Allain’s son, Robert Allain; parish Chief Administrative Officer Henry C. “Bo” LaGrange; and Morgan City businessman Stephen Swiber.

Incumbent Allain said his work up to now has focused on infrastructure and job training. Those goals came together with funding for the planned Coastal Center at Nicholls State, which Allain said will train those who guide $50 billion in coastal restoration work over the next 50 years, and millions more for nursing education at Nicholls State and the University of Louisiana at Lafayette.

COVID exposed a nursing shortage, he said.

“The goal is to double the output at those universities,” Allain said.

His other focus has been on Louisiana’s tax structure, which he said is not economy-friendly.

“One of the biggest impediments we have here in Louisiana is our tax structure,” Allain said.

Voters have already approved the lowering of the state’s top income tax rate from 6% to 4.75%. Allain hopes to get rid of state franchise and inventory taxes, which he says discourage investment.

Amedee said the five bills she pre-filed are among the 1,200 she expects to be taken up this session.

Her bills:

--A constitutional amendment enshrining parental rights as fundamental.

--A requirement that insurance companies experiencing financial trouble notify state officials as “they are beginning to wobble.” The move could help people avoid long waits to have their claims processed, she said.

--Two pathways to receiving a state plumber’s license, which Amedee said are needed to address a shortage. One measure allows a licensed plumber to have more than one apprentice. The other sets a number of working hours that can be used to avoid the apprenticeship requirement.

--A minimum of 15 daily minutes of unstructured recess time for elementary students. The time could still be counted against required instructional time.

--A bill crafted to see that “central bank digital currency does not take over Louisiana.”

Amedee also supports a resolution calling for a study of alternatives to agricultural burning.

St. Blanc says he has a bill easing limits on trucks carrying aggregate and cement trucks to speed road projects.

Louisiana parishes with the state’s biggest cities all witnessed significant population declines between July 2021 and July 2022, according to new U.S. Census figures.

The Census Bureau’s Vintage 2022 estimates shows a return to pre pandemic population trends, with domestic migration slowing from urban counties.
In Louisiana, some parishes with large cities accelerated population losses compared to the year prior, while others remained about the same.

“The migration and growth patterns for counties edged closer to pre-pandemic levels this year,” said Dr. Christine Hartley, assistant division chief for estimates and projections in the Census Bureau’s population division.

“Some urban counties, such as Dallas and San Francisco, saw domestic outmigration at a slower pace between 2021 and 2022, compared to the prior year.

Meanwhile, many counties with large universities saw their populations fully rebound this year as students returned.”

In Orleans Parish, home to New Orleans, the population declined by 7,314 between July 1, 2021 and July 1, 2022, driven primarily by domestic migration of 8,501, which was offset by births outpacing deaths by 204 and international migration contributing 806. The year prior, Orleans parish lost 6,311 residents. Since April 2020, 14,249 residents have left the parish.