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Coast Guard, AgCenter pitch in at J.S. Aucoin garden

Fri, 10/28/2022 - 6:51am

Like many schools, J.S. Aucoin Elementary had to put extracurriculars like garden club on the back burner during the height of COVID-19 pandemic.

Members of the U.S. Coast Guard, from Marine Safety Unit Morgan City, answered the call when St. Mary Parish LSU AgCenter was looking for volunteers to bring the seven garden beds back to working condition.

Students have been eager to resume garden-based nutrition lessons.

Through LSU AgCenter SNAP-Ed lessons, students get to see their food go from seed to plate. Students learn healthy recipes, try new foods, and expand their gardening skills.

“J.S. Aucoin is excited to start our garden club this year after a 2-year hiatus with COVID restrictions. We are looking forward to planting, cultivating, and harvesting crops this year,” said Principal Shantell Toups, J.S. Aucoin Elementary.

“We would not be able to get started without the help of our friends from the U.S. Coast Guard. We are grateful for the help they provided to clean up our garden beds and get them ready for planting.”

Treats for Bayou Vista readers

Fri, 10/28/2022 - 6:47am

Submitted Photo
Bayou Vista Elementary students who read Spotlight books and passed AR quizzes received tickets for a drawing of McDonald’s gift certificates. The lucky winners are Andi Bienvenu, Alan Dole, James Welch and Eva Floyd. Gift certificates were donated by the local McDonald’s.

Jurassic pork: Feral hogs cost ag, timber producers $91M a year

Fri, 10/28/2022 - 6:43am

OLIVIA McCLURE, LSU AgCenter

From rooting up crops to destroying farm infrastructure, Louisiana’s growing population of feral hogs causes $91.1 million in damage to agricultural and timber lands each year, according to a newly released LSU AgCenter estimate.

Based on responses to a 2021 survey, the study found that hog damage costs landowners $66.2 million in crop losses and $24.9 million in other expenses annually. More than 950 people completed the survey, representing nearly 660,000 acres of crop fields, pastures and woods.

The hogs cause a myriad of problems to Louisiana agriculture, an industry worth about $12 billion annually. They root up, wallow in and trample crops, tree seedlings and wildlife food plots. They also are known to wreak havoc on pastures, drains, levees, fences and waterways.

“Feral swine continue to be a growing problem to farmers, ranchers, foresters and landowners in many areas of the U.S. and are considered to be one of the most damaging invasive species in existence,” wrote study authors Michael Salassi, associate vice president and program leader for plant and animal sciences; Melissa Cater, director of the Northeast Region; and Glen Gentry, director of the Doyle Chambers Central Research Station and the Bob R. Jones-Idlewild Research Station.

Feral hogs have been part of the American landscape since the 1500s, when early explorers and settlers imported swine as a food source. Free-range livestock management practices and escapes from enclosures led to the first feral hog populations taking hold.

In the 1900s, the Eurasian wild boar was introduced to some states for sport hunting. Modern feral swine are a combination of escaped domestic pigs, wild boars and hybrids of the two.

Found in all 64 parishes of Louisiana and at least 34 other states, feral hog populations have exploded in recent decades. In 1982, an estimated 2.4 million feral hogs lived in the United States. Today, experts believe that figure could be as high as 9 million.

The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries estimates between 700,000 and 900,000 of the animals live in the state. Many of the AgCenter survey respondents said they feel the number of hogs has grown on their properties in the past few years.

Feral hogs multiply quickly, with sows able to have two litters of five to six piglets per year. They have few natural predators and can thrive in almost any habitat, whether it be a tidal marsh or a hardwood forest. Their rapid reproduction and resilience make population control difficult.

“Statisticians have estimated that approximately 70% to 75% of the population must be harvested to control feral swine numbers,” the authors wrote. “In Louisiana, hunters harvest less than half so populations continue to grow.”

The study indicates annual production losses were greatest for sugarcane, rice, corn, hay, soybeans and timber. Those losses ranged from $6.9 million for timber to $14.8 million for sugarcane.

About a quarter of the 952 respondents reported damage to pastures, something the study leaders estimate to cost $5.4 million statewide annually.

Some other loss estimates of interest include replanting damaged crop fields at $5.6 million, damage to drains and levees at $4.3 million and redisking damaged fields at $2.3 million.

Nearly 70% of survey respondents said feral swine had interfered in some way with their farming operations in the past year. And a majority expressed concern for the safety of themselves and their families, pets and livestock.

“Although feral swine generally prefer less interaction with humans, their rapidly expanding population and constant search for food sources is causing increasing interactions with producers and foresters on agricultural lands,” the authors wrote.

Jeremy Alford: State candidates keep investing in themselves

Fri, 10/28/2022 - 6:38am

Jeremy Alford

Candidates for state-sanctioned offices have so far put $2.6 million of their own money behind self-funding campaign bids this year, according to financial information maintained by the Louisiana Ethics Administration.

While that might sound like a lot of jingle, the pace of loans are slightly behind historic levels — but more borrowed cash (a lot more) is probably on the way. That’s because campaign loans traditionally peak during the last quarter of the calendar year, based on campaign finance filing patterns dating back 34 years.

During the last midterm election year in 2018, municipal- and state-level candidates borrowed roughly $4 million from themselves from January through
September. During October, November and December, though, loans topped an additional $10 million.

As such, the final run on bank accounts for this election cycle has begun. Last month alone, as the state marked its traditional start to campaign season on Labor Day, state-regulated candidates poured nearly $300,000 into their war chests.

Each loan tells a different story of a hot race or an ambitious personality or a consultant striking it rich or an extra push that’s sorely needed.

—SENATE DISTRICT 17: The special election in Senate District 17 in the West Baton Rouge area has a couple of candidates who aren’t afraid to spend big. Most recently, Caleb Kleinpeter of Port Allen put a $50,000 loan into his campaign four weeks ago. Prior to that, he already had $6,200 tied up in the race.

During August and September, Dr. Kirk Rousset of Oscar also invested $52,500 into his own run. That makes state Rep. Jeremy LaCombe, the Democratic, the financial outlier in this contest as he continues to rely solely on fundraising.

—SHREVEPORT MAYOR: The third largest one-time loan of the entire year (so far) belongs to state Sen. Greg Tarver, who put $100,000 into his bid for mayor of Shreveport in July. And he’s not the only one in the race making and taking loans. Attorney Tom Arceneaux threw in $20,000 of his own cash and Caddo Commissioner Mario Chavez ponied up $52,500.

—ALEX MAYOR: Many of the candidates for mayor of Alexandria have dipped into their own pockets, including incumbent Mayor Jeff Hall, a former legislator who dug deep for a $75,000 loan. Lorenzo Davis likewise put up $40,000 and Catherine Davidson was good for $5,000. Not taking loans in this race is former Mayor Jacques Roy.

—THIBODAUX MAYOR: Down the bayou in Lafourche Parish, Board of Elementary and Secondary Education member Sandy Holloway is running for mayor of Thibodaux and has so far moved $33,000 into her campaign. Also running is Parks and Recreation Director Kevin Clement, who has not reported a loan for this race.

—COURT OF APPEAL: During this past spring, three candidates for different Court of Appeal seats dropped large loans into their state campaign finance accounts, including $400,000 from Stephen Windhorst of Gretna, $205,000 from Page McClendon of Madisonville and $107,000 from Frances Pitman of Shreveport. A few months later, upon the close of qualifying, all three men were unopposed. So let that be a learning lesson. In Baton Rouge’s big Court of Appeal race, all three candidates have deposited loans, including $50,000 from Judge Hunter Greene, $40,000 from Judge Don Johnson and $589 from Judge Beau Higginbotham. In the competitive Court of Appeal race down the bayou, Judge Steven Miller of Thibodaux loaned his campaign $10,000 four weeks ago. His lone opponent, Speaker Pro Tem Tanner Magee of Houma, has made no such loans. In other news, former Congressman Joseph Cao of New Orleans transferred $10,000 in August to his campaign for the at-large seat in the 4th Circuit. Fellow candidates Karen Herman and Marie Williams have also loaned their campaigns $5,000 and $20,0000, respectively.

—PSC 4: Incumbent Public Service Commissioner Mike Francis put $15,000 into his campaign back in May. Fellow Republican Shalon Latour of Iowa responded in July with a $50,000 loan of his own. The only other contender in the PSC’s 4th District, Keith C. Bodin, has not followed suit.

—PLAQUEMINES PARISH PREZ: Half of the candidates running for Plaquemines Parish president this fall have real skin in the game. Former Parish Councilman Keith Hinkley has underwritten $43,000 in funding for his own campaign and former Parish Councilman Burghart Turner, the loan Democrat, cut a check for $10,000.

More campaign loans are surely showing up in war chests across the state, but until updated reports are filed with the Ethics Administration, we won’t know exactly how many or how much. Based on current campaign finance trends, however, the borrowing and the spending will continue to escalate alongside the rising costs of politics.

For more Louisiana political news, visit www. LaPolitics.com.

One dead, two rescued by Coast Guard after helicopter crash

Fri, 10/28/2022 - 4:59am

One person died and the Coast Guard rescued two others Wednesday after a helicopter went down in the Gulf of Mexico near Atchafalaya Bay, the Coast Guard reported.

A U.S. Coast Guard Air Station New Orleans Jayhawk aircrew rescued the two crewmembers from the Westwind helicopter, which had flotation devices and a life raft deployed. The reported position of the downed helicopter, which went down about 6:35 p.m. Wednesday, was 46 miles from Morgan City.

Coast Guard District Eight watchstanders had received a call confirming a helicopter went down in the Gulf of Mexico with three people aboard. Sector New Orleans watchstanders issued an urgent marine information broadcast while District Eight watchstanders coordinated the launch of the Jayhawk aircrew and a U.S. Coast Guard Aviation Training Center HC-144 aircrew to assist.

A good Samaritan responded to the broadcast and reported the two crewmembers were in a lifeboat. WWL in New Orleans reported that the craft that responded to the broadcast
was the oil rig crew boat Captain Ron.

"We're grateful we were able to save two crewmembers but saddened from the loss of the third," said Lt. Cmdr. Sean DiGeorge, a District Eight search and rescue mission coordinator, "We'd like to extend our deepest sympathies to the crewmembers' family and friends during this difficult time."

The two survivors were hoisted and transferred to Houma Terrebonne Airport. The survivors were transferred to another MH-60T before being delivered to University Medical Center New Orleans and were last reported to be in critical condition,.

The Coast Guard listed these members of the rescue team:

Congratulations to LT Fonville for his first right seat hoist!
MH-60 Hoisting Crew:
AST2 Hoefle
AMT2 Goetsch
LT Fonville
LT Thomas
MH-60 Transport Crew:
AMT2 Monahan
AST2 Bridges
AMT2 Mize
LT Connell
CDR Koser

15-year-old arrested after bomb threat at Morgan City High

Thu, 10/27/2022 - 2:35pm

Morgan City police say they've arrested a 15-year-old male after a bomb threat was written on a bathroom wall.

The juvenile was arrested at 11:42 a.m. Wednesday on a charge of terrorizing.

Police said they were called to the school after the threat was discovered. They determined that there was no immediate threat to the school.

According to reports, evidence was uncovered linking the juvenile as the one who had written the message. The juvenile was arrested and transported to the Morgan City Police Department, where he was processed and released awaiting juvenile proceedings.

Morgan City police radio logs for Oct. 26

Thu, 10/27/2022 - 1:56pm

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, Oct. 26
8:49 a.m. 3100 block of Karen Drive; Missing person.
8:49 a.m. 700 block of Franklin Street; Vehicle burglary.
8:51 a.m. 900 block of Marguerite Street; Complaint.
9:42 a.m. 500 block of Roderick Street; Medical.
9:46 a.m. 500 block of Roderick Street; Complaint.
9:50 a.m. 700 block of First Street; Medical.
9:57 a.m. 6000 block of Railroad Avenue; Traffic incident.
10:08 a.m. 300 block of Wren Street; Crash.
10:23 a.m. 2300 block of La. 70; Theft.
10:51 a.m. 7100 block of Park Road; Animal complaint.
10:58 a.m. 300 block of Third Street; Crash.
11:06 a.m. 1000 block of Second Street; Alarm.
11:27 a.m. Cypress Street and Levee Road; Traffic incident.
11:29 a.m. 7500 block of La. 182; Complaint.
11:41 a.m. 2400 block of Tiger Drive; Terrorizing.
11:43 a.m. 3200 block of Youngs Road; Suspicious vehicle.
11:55 a.m. Cherry and Short streets; Animal complaint.
12:38 p.m. 900 block of Marguerite Street; Fight.
12:54 p.m. 100 block of Wren Street; Medical.
2:10 p.m. 900 block of Marguerite Street; Fight.
2:29 p.m. 1500 block of Federal Avenue; Found property.
3:06 p.m. 1200 block of David Drive; Medical.
3:28 p.m. Cypress and Fig streets; Animal complaint.
3:32 p.m. Third and Greenwood streets; Complaint.
3:43 p.m. Diane Drive and Justa Street; Crash.
3:49 p.m. 6000 block of La. 182; Shoplifter.
3:53 p.m. La. 70/U.S. 90 Junction; Stalled vehicle.
4:09 p.m. 800 block of Brashear Avenue; Crash.
5:14 p.m. 100 block of Oregon Street; Frequent patrol.
5:32 p.m. 900 block of Marguerite Street; Battery.
5:46 p.m. Bernice Street; Traffic incident.
7:19 p.m. 1200 block of David Drive; Alarm.
7:44 p.m. 3000 block of Lizabeth Drive; Medical.
9:24 p.m. 900 block of Seventh Street; Complaint.

Women accused of entering home, making threat with knife

Thu, 10/27/2022 - 1:50pm

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.)

Berwick police have arrested a woman accused of entering a home uninvited and threatening the resident with a knife.

Berwick

Police Chief David S. Leonard Sr. reported this arrest:

--Brooke K. Carline, 30, Leo Street, Patterson, was arrested at 8:23 p.m.. Wednesday on charges of unauthorized entry of an inhabited dwelling, aggravated assault and simple criminal damage to property.

At 6:36 p.m. Wednesday, officers responded to a residence on River Road in reference to a disturbance involving a knife. Officers met with the victim, who explained that while inside, Carline arrived at her residence and entered the house without permission.

The victim retreated to a room where she locked herself inside. Carline grabbed a knife from the kitchen and began to threaten the victim and was able to force entry through the locked door.

As Carline was leaving the residence, she took the victim’s cellphone and destroyed it. The St. Mary Parish Sheriff’s Office and Patterson PD located Carline at her residence in Patterson and detained her.

Berwick officers responded to the residence and during an interview, Carline admitted to grabbing a knife, threatening the victim and damaging the phone. She was placed under arrested and booked into the Berwick Jail where she remains with no bond set.

St. Mary

Sheriff Blaise Smith reported that over the last 24-hour reporting period, the Sheriff's Office responded to 25 complaints and made these complaints:

--Brian John Klein, 41, Patterson, was arrested at 12:54 p.m. Wednesday on a Patterson Police Department warrant alleging possession of stolen things. Klein is being held for another agency.

--James Salone Austin Sr., 41, Verdunville, was arrested at 6:32 p.m. Wednesday on a warrant alleging charg-es of resisting arrest or officer and disturbing the peace (language). Bail has not been set.

--Holly Anne Cronan, 30, Ponchatoula, was arrested at 7:49 p.m. Wednesday on two warrants alleging fail-ure to appear on charges of theft ($1,000), simple criminal damage to property, disturbing the peace (offensive words), possession of alprazolam, possession of Suboxone, illegal use, consumption or
distribution of a controlled dangerous substance in the presence of persons under 17, and obstruction of justice (tampering).

Bail has not been set.

Morgan City

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

--Robert L. Lyles, 67, Kim Street, Patterson, was arrested at 4:14 p.m. Wednesday on a charge of theft (under $1,000).

Patterson

Police Chief Garrett Grogan reported these arrests:

--Bernard H. Oser, 31, East St. Bernard Highway, Meraux, was arrested at 5:17 p.m. Tuesday on a charge of possession of marijuana Oser was issued a summons.

Roses first, then running: Nungesser plans announcement after New Year's Day

Wed, 10/26/2022 - 5:48pm

BILL DECKER

bdecker@daily-review.com

FRANKLIN — Lt. Gov. Billy Nungesser will spend New Year’s Day in Pasadena, California. Sometime after that, Nungesser will announce whether he will run for governor.

The two events aren’t completely unrelated.

Talking to reporters Tuesday before speaking to the Franklin Rotary Club at The Forest, Nungesser said his announcement will probably come after the Tournament of Roses Parade.

The parade will include a float carrying 20 fair and festival queens from Louisiana, including Jordan Gallegos, queen of this year’s Shrimp and Petroleum Festival.

Nungesser anticipates media interviews in connection with that event, and said he doesn’t want to appear to be campaigning for governor at taxpayers’ expense.

Nungesser, a former Plaquemines Parish president, was in the media limelight even before his election as lieutenant governor. He was widely quoted and interviewed after Hurricane Katrina in 2005 and again after the BP oil spill in 2010.

Nungesser, a Republican, is considered a likely candidate to succeed Gov. John Bel Edwards, who will finish his second term in January 2024. Another
potential candidate is Attorney General Jeff Landry of New Iberia.

Republican members of the Louisiana congressional delegation are also reported to be considering gubernatorial campaigns, depending on the outcome of this year’s mid-term elections.

In the meantime, Nungesser is tending to the lieutenant governor’s most visible duty: promoting Louisiana culture and tourism.

The Rose Parade means exposure for Louisiana and its culture, Nungesser said, pointing to last year’s Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade in New York, when Louisiana’s alligator float was seen by an audience of nearly 1.5 billion people.

A promotional spot on Times Square TV screens showed a close-up of an alligator’s eye with the message Louisiana is coming.

That was a boost for a tourism industry that had grown in each of five consecutive years before COVID-19, Nungesser said.

“We could use a little shot in the arm, no pun intended, coming out of COVID,” Nungesser said.

Nungesser also promoted several grant programs that can help promote tourism:

—The Louisiana Main Street Restoration Program for buildings at least 50 years old in recognized Main Street districts.

—The Competitive Grant Program for fairs, festivals and other grants that bring people to the state.

—Competitive Marketing Program, which offers funds to convention and visitors bureaus for advertising and media.

—Music Ambassador Program, which offers a stipend for musicians who perform at qualifying events.

$10M grant will speed port's dock expansion

Wed, 10/26/2022 - 5:38pm

Staff Report

October has been a good month for the Port of Morgan City.

First, the Weeks Marine cutter-head dredge Capt. Frank made an unexpected appearance Oct. 17. The dredge has been removing sediment from troublesome areas of Berwick Bay.

Then the port office was notified that it will receive a $10 million federal grant to help pay for and speed up a dock expansion project.

“I’m on Cloud 9,” port Executive Director Raymond “Mac” Wade said Wednesday.

U.S. Rep. Clay Higgins, R-Lafayette, and Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-Baton Rouge, announced the grant in press releases Wednesday.

After a series of floods dumped silt into the port’s channel to the Gulf beginning in 2015, the port’s once-promising handling of import and export craft all but stopped. Now, after an unprecedented level of dredging over the last year, the channel is open, and the port is expanding its dock in hopes of attracting transshipments again.

The expansion is in two parts — one to the east, one to the west — that will expand the dock’s river frontage from 800 feet to 1,900 feet.

The east expansion, expected to cost $5 million-$5.5 million, has been funded with a grant from the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development Port Priority Program.

The port had also received a $15 million Port Priority grant for the west expansion, but that portion of the work was expected to cost $25 million-$30 million.

“We were going to start that late next year or early 2024,” Wade said. “We were going to do it in phases. Now we can go ahead with it.”

Mike Knobloch of the port staff prepared the grant application, but “a million people apply for it,” Wade said. “You have a one-in-a-million chance.”

Those odds paid off for the port.

The $10 million grant comes from the $1.2 trillion Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act passed in 2021. The act set aside $17 billion for ports.

Wade said thanked the Louisiana congressional delegation for helping secure the funding.
Cassidy helped negotiate the compromise that resulted in passage of the infrastructure bill. Higgins voted against it in the House, saying in a press release that it was “9% roads and bridges and 91% socialist garbage.”

The dredging also comes at an opportune time.

Low water in the Mississippi River has raised concerns about river transport. A third of the Mississippi’s flow is diverted into the Atchafalaya, which is also low but not enough to affect naviga-tion, Wade said.

The Atchafalaya at Morgan City has been hovering between 1.5 and 3 feet since Oct. 20, dipping below 1 foot Wednesday. Flood stage is 6 feet.