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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.
Thursday, July 28
6:13 a.m. 100 block of Chennault Street; Com-plaint.
8:11 a.m. Keith Street; Animal complaint.
8:14 a.m. 200 block of Halsey Street; Reckless operation.
8:59 a.m. 1500 block of Front Street; Traffic incident.
9:11 a.m. Kentucky/Fifth streets; Traffic incident.
9:38 a.m. 500 block of Bowman Street; Complaint.
11:19 a.m. 700 block of Myrtle Street; Civil.
12:17 p.m. 300 block of Terrebonne Street; Burglary.
12:52 p.m. 7200 block of La. 182; Mental patient.
1:45 p.m. 900 block of Ninth Street; Alarm.
2:02 p.m. Egle Mill Lane; Found property.
2:12 p.m. 2600 block of Elm Street; Animal complaint.
2:15 p.m. 900 block of Second Street; Animal complaint.
2:19 p.m. 700 block of Freret Street; Animal complaint.
2:30 p.m. Patterson Police Department; Warrant/arrest.
3:34 p.m. 400 block of Adams Street; Com-plaint.
4:02 p.m. 1100 block of Marguerite Street; Complaint.
4:17 p.m. 600 block of General McArthur Street; Medical.
5:53 p.m. 3000 block of Helen Drive; Medical.
8:05 p.m. 700 block of Everett Street; Alarm.
8:14 p.m. 7200 block of La. 182; Medical.
8:33 p.m. Area of Vet-erans Boulevard; Patrol request.
11:20 p.m. 300 block of Fifth Street; Complaint.
Friday, July 29
12:13 a.m. 7300 block of La. 182; Building check.
12:49 a.m. 3100 block of Lake Palourde Road; Assistance.
12:53 a.m. 1400 block of Second Street; 911 hang up.
1:29 a.m. 600 block of Martin Luther King Boulevard; Patrol request.
2:52 a.m. 2400 block of Tiger Drive; Building check.
5:08 a.m. 6400 block of La. 182; Building check.
5:40 a.m. 7400 block of La. 182; Complaint.
8:45 a.m. Allison near Justa streets; Animal complaint.
10:49 a.m. 400 block of Adams Street; Theft.
10:56 a.m. 1000 block of La. 70; Vehicle accident.
12:21 p.m. 400 block of Adams Street; Com-plaint.
12:25 p.m. 1000 block of Clothilde Street; Animal complaint.
12:45 p.m. 7200 block of La. 182; Complaint.
1:20 p.m. 8400 block of La. 182; Battery.
1:48 p.m. U.S. 90 Westbound; Arrest.
2:27 p.m. Fifth Street Store; Criminal trespassing.
15:23 p.m. 1100 block of Hickory Street; Fire.
6:31 p.m. 1100 block of Marguerite Street; Complaint.
7:27 p.m. Area of Bowman and Sixth streets; Traffic stop/arrest.
7:46 p.m. Area of Gar-ber Street; Patrol request.
7:50 p.m. 700 block of Myrtle Street; Resisting officer.
8:48 p.m. 1400 block of Railroad Avenue; Complaint.
8:52 p.m. 2300 block of La. 182; Patrol request.
9:49 p.m. 1500 block of Walnut Drive; Assistance.
10:49 p.m. 500 block of Roderick Street; Loud music.
10:25 p.m. Area of Aucoin Street; Loud music.
11 p.m. 1000 block of Marguerite Street; Alarm.
11:45 p.m. 700 block of Fifth Street; Loud music.
11:58 p.m. Area of U.S. 90 East; Complaint.
Saturday, July 30
12:01 a.m. 600 block of Brashear Avenue; Disturbance.
1:16 a.m. Area of U.S. 90 East; Complaint.
3:22 a.m. Area of Hilda and Mayon streets; Suspicious vehicle.
8:15 a.m. 900 block of Seventh Street; Theft.
9:04 a.m. 500 block of Louisa Street; Medical.
10:18 a.m. 7000 block of La. 182; Complaint.
10:48 a.m. La. 182 near Sixth Street; Complaint.
1:32 p.m. 1000 block of La. 70; Medical.
1:59 p.m. 1600 block of Terrebonne Street; Complaint.
3:03 p.m. 4000 block of Railroad Avenue; Alarm.
3:07 p.m. Eleventh Street; Complaint.
3:23 p.m. Lakeside Subdivision; Suspicious vehicle.
3:53 p.m. La. 182; Fire.
6:28 p.m. Area of Greenwood Street; Disturbance.
7:19 p.m. 7400 block of La. 182; Suicidal subject.
8:11 p.m. 7400 block of La. 182; Complaint.
8:55 p.m. 700 block of Bush Street; Complaint.
9:45 p.m. 400 block of Halsey Street; Disturb-ance.
10:40 p.m. 1000 block of Ditch Avenue; Com-plaint.
11:46 p.m. Area of Seventh Street and Brashear Avenue; Traffic stop/arrest.
Sunday, July 31
1:55 a.m. 200 block of South Railroad Avenue; Alarm.
3:03 a.m. 900 block of Martin Luther King Boulevard; Building check.
3:12 a.m. 800 block of Brashear Avenue; Building check.
3:20 a.m. 7200 block of La. 182; Traffic stop/summons.
6:20 a.m. 1200 block of Victor II Boulevard; Complaint.
3:28 p.m. 700 block of Belanger Street; Suspicious vehicle.
3:58 p.m. 3000 block of Karen Drive; Complaint.
5:31 p.m. 600 block of Railroad Avenue; Welfare check.
5:35 p.m. 100 block of Railroad Avenue; Disturbance/arrest.
7:12 p.m. 6400 block of La. 182; Animal complaint/arrest.
7:38 p.m. Area of Roderick Street and La. 182; Complaint.
9:05 p.m. 3200 block of Tammy Drive; Com-plaint.
9:18 p.m. 3100 block of Wytchwood Drive; Complaint/three arrests.
Monday, Aug. 1
1:26 a.m. 6000 block of La. 182; Building check.
3:08 a.m. 6300 block of La. 182; Traffic Stop/arrest.
4:14 a.m. 900 block of Youngs Road; Building check.
4:55 a.m. 500 block of Belanger Street; Complaint.
5:16 a.m. 1500 block of North First Street; Complaint.

LAFAYETTE – Louisiana homeowners are paying more for their property insurance this year, and not just because of hurricanes.

Insurers are paying more for insurance, too.

That’s from Louisiana Insurance Commissioner Jim Donelon, who has been on his annual "Storm Tour," reminding residents to make sure their coverage is in order before the peak of hurricane season.

Elsewhere, federal officials and international insurers are taking actions that can have an impact on how much you pay to protect your home against natural disasters.

Donelon, who was preparing Friday to drop in on a Louisiana Municipal Association meeting in Lafayette, offered two bits of advice:

--Understand your homeowners policy, particularly provisions related to a relatively recent development, the hurricane deductible.

Those deductibles are the amount you must pay before your insurance company will begin paying for your losses.

Pay particular attention to your coverage of household contents. Donelon said homeowners often underestimate the value of what's in a home and what it will cost to replace those contents.

--Take advantage of your cellphone's capability to video carpeting, televisions, appliances -- "anything that can be damaged in flood," Donelon said. The documentation can be invaluable when it's time to settle up with your insurer.

Louisiana homeowners saw their premiums increase an average of 6.7% after five consecutive years of 1% increases, Donelon said.

This year's hike showed the lagging impact from the horrendous 2020 hurricane season, when Laura, Delta and Zeta, all major hurricanes, hammered Louisiana's coast. Laura hit the Lake Charles area and points north with 150 mph winds, and Zeta, the weakest of the three, was a Category 3 storm.

Then came Ida, another 150 mph hurricane that landed at Port Fourchon last year.

Together, Donelon said, those four storms caused damage to privately insured property estimated at $22.7 billion from 800,000 claims.

Another source of upward pressure on insurance premiums isn't a flood or hurricane, although it is largely offshore.

It's the global reinsurance market, two-thirds of which is outside the United States and unregulated.

Reinsurance is a kind of insurance for insurance companies. The companies buy coverage that can cover their losses after unexpectedly large payouts from events such as hurricanes or floods.

Along with the severe tropical weather in 2020 and 2021, the cost of reinsurance helped drive the 6.7% increase in home insurance premiums, Donelon said.

Flood insurance is becoming another headache for federal officials and homeowners who are required by their mortgage companies to buy the coverage if they're in flood-prone areas.

Until 2021, National Flood Insurance Program premiums had been averaged at the ZIP Code level, largely according to a measure called the base flood elevation.

But starting with new policies in October and renewals as of April, FEMA is using a new system called Risk Rating 2.0, in which rates are based on the situation for individual properties.

Theoretically, the system can be more fair because each homeowner pays according to the risk for his or her own property. It also gives the federal government some leverage to require remediation, such as increased elevation, when it comes time to rebuild improvements after a flood.

Rate determinations will now include factors such as flood frequency; whether flooding is caused by river overflow, storm surge, coastal erosion or heavy rainfall; the distance to a water source; and property characteristics such as elevation and the cost to rebuild.

Those premiums now average $766 a year, according to FEMA, to cover 4.8 million properties with a covered value of nearly $1.3 trillion.

Donelon quoted FEMA figures that say:

--20% of properties covered by the NFIP will see premiums decrease.

--70% will see premiums increase up to $120 per year.

--7% will see premiums rise by up to $240 per year.

--3% will see premiums go up more than $240 a year.

The NFIP authorization currently contains an 18% cap on annual premium increases.

U.S. Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-Baton Rouge, argues that the new system will hit flood-prone Louisiana harder. The Lake Charles American Press quoted Cassidy at a February town hall as saying premiums will rise enough to lead 20% of NFIP policy-holders to drop their coverage.

That means fewer people will share risk, he said.

Cassidy, along with Bob Menendez, D-N.J., introduced legislation to delay implementation of Risk Rating 2.0 pending further study.

"For some, premiums may become unaffordable and could collapse the value of their homes," Cassidy said in a September speech on the Senate floor.

"These costs will be borne by middle class families. This clearly violates the president’s pledge not to increase costs on people making less than $400,000 a year.

"Congress never passed any law requiring that FEMA implement Risk Rating 2.0. President Biden alone is respon-sible. As president, he should direct FEMA to delay implementation of Risk Rating 2.0 if not reconsider it altogether. At the end of the day, flood insurance should be affordable and accessible."

FEMA says the NFIP is currently $20 billion in debt. Other sources say the debt is as high as $24.6 billion.

(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.)

A Franklin man already in custody in Morgan City faces additional charges, including attempted murder, in a January shooting in Siracusa.

In unrelated cases, the Sheriff’s Office Narcotics Section arrested a Franklin man for possession of three drugs, including heroin and methamphetamine.

And an undercover investigation by the Chitimacha Tribal Police resulted in the arrest of two Alabama men and the seizure of drugs in distribution quantities.

St. Mary

Sheriff Blaise Smith reported that over the last 24-hour reporting period, the Sheriff’s Office responded to 34 complaints and made these arrests:

--Jaicherydan Treel Gutter, 24, Franklin, was arrested at 11:35 a.m. Thursday on a warrant alleging illegal use of weapons or dangerous instruments, attempted first-degree murder, criminal conspiracy and aggravated criminal damage to property.

On Jan. 24, deputies were dispatched to a report of shots fired on James Street in Siracusa. The deputies arrived on the scene, blocked off the area and located casings and preserved evidence in the initial phase of the investigation.

The incident was handed over to the Investigations Section. Detectives proceeded with the investigation and subsequently, Gutter was developed as a person of interest. Simultaneous investigations were being conducted by detectives with the Morgan City Police Department and the Berwick Police Department, which led to Gutter’s arrest by the MCPD.

SMPSO detectives made contact with Gutter at the MCPD and transported him to the St. Mary Parish Law Enforcement Center for booking on the SMPSO charges. Bail has not been set at this time.

The Investigations Section thanked the Morgan City Police Department and the Berwick Police Department for their hard work which was crucial in this case.

--Byron Sonia, 42, Franklin, was arrested at 11:26 p.m. Thursday on a warrant alleging driver must be licensed, turning movements and required signals, possession of heroin, possession of marijuana, possession of methamphetamine, possession of marijuana and possession of drug paraphernalia.

Bail has not been set.

--Charles Earl Beverly, 29, Franklin, was arrested at 4:27 p.m. Thursday on a warrant alleging domestic abuse battery by strangulation, violation of protective orders and interfering with emergency communication. Bail has not been set.

Morgan City

Interim Police Chief Mark E. Griffin Jr. reported that over the last 24-hour reporting period, the Morgan City Police Department responded to 45 calls for service and made these arrests:

--Larry Washington, 43, Fourth Street, Morgan City, was arrested at 2:32 p.m. Thursday on warrants alleging two counts of failure to appear for trial, two counts of failure to pay fine and probation violation (6th Ward Morgan City Court).

--Christy Bordelon, 40, Fourth Street, Morgan City, was arrested at 2:32 p.m. Thursday on a warrant alleging failure to pay fine (6th Ward Morgan City Court).

--John A. Williams, 35, La. 182 Morgan City, was arrested at 5:59 a.m. Friday on charges of disturbing the peace (drunkenness) and criminal damage to property ($1,000-$5,000).

Franklin

Police Chief Morris Beverly reported that the Franklin Police Department responded to six complaints over the past 24-hour reporting period and made this arrest:

--Charles Beverly, 30, Deforest Brown Lane, Franklin, was arrested at 10:58 a.m. Thursday on a warrant for 3rd Ward City Court alleging failure to appear on the charges of speeding and driver must be licensed.
Beverly was booked, processed, and transported to the St. Mary Parish Law Enforcement Center.

Chitimacha

Tribal Police Department Chief Hal Hutchinson reported these arrests:

--Michael J. Charpentier, 60, County Road 73, Foley, Alabama, was arrested Thursday on charges of possession with intent to distribute oxycodone, distribution of marijuana, possession of marijuana, possession of drug paraphernalia and possession of a legend drug without a prescription.

--William H Lane, 62, County Road 73, Foley, Alabama, was arrested on a charge of distribution of oxycodone.

After a seventh-month investigation, officers working undercover were able to arrange a purchase of illegal narcotics from the suspects. Both subjects were transported and booked into the St Mary Parish Law Enforcement Center.

Chitimacha Tribal Police have an active and ongoing investigation, and further charges are possible. If you have information about this case or any other illegal narcotics activities; anonymous tips can be sent to re-portit@chitimacha.gov or by calling 337-923-4964.

A randomly selected three-judge panel will decide the fate of Louisiana’s law that bans most abortions, but the state’s abortion clinics will remain open until a
decision is made.

Attorney General Jeff Landry is appealing a court order prohibiting the state’s abortion ban from taking effect amid an ongoing legal challenge.

East Baton Rouge District Judge Don Johnson on Tuesday denied Landry’s request to allow the state’s abortion ban to go into effect pending his appeal of a preliminary injunction issued by Johnson last week.

The ruling means abortion will remain available in Louisiana until the three-judge panel from the 1st Circuit Court of Appeal takes action. It’s unclear how long until the court — composed of 11 Republicans and one Democrat – rules on Landry’s appeal.

Johnson found Tuesday that plaintiffs in the case have “shown how such ‘trigger bans’ could unconstitutionally be reasonably understood and misapplied by health care professionals, and by interpretation of ordinary citizens.”

Last week, Johnson issued a preliminary injunction against the state’s abortion ban in a lawsuit challenging the law brought by Shreveport abortion clinic Hope Medical Group for Women and abortion advocates with Medical Students for Choice.

Louisiana’s trigger law took effect immediately upon the U.S. Supreme Court overturning Roe v. Wade and Planned Parenthood v. Casey in late June, but the plaintiffs immediately sued, arguing the law is unconstitutionally vague both in terms of exceptions and when the law takes effect.
Attorneys representing Landry and Louisiana Department of Health Secretary Courtney Phillips have argued the law clearly bans elective abortions and doctors won’t be held criminally liable if they use “reasonable medical judgment.”

Landry has said he expects the Louisiana Supreme Court will ultimately decide the case.
In the meantime, he’s optimistic the First Circuit Court of Appeals will lift the preliminary injunction as the case proceeds.

“We trust the First Circuit will apply the law properly and reverse Judge Johnson’s ruling,” Landry posted to Twitter on Tuesday. “Our laws are clear and we will prevail in defending them.”

Johnson’s ruling on Tuesday comes just days after the Louisiana State Bond Commission Landry’s call to halt funding for New Orleans following a vow from local officials to defy the state’s abortion ban.

The New Orleans City Council unanimously passed a resolution on July 7 that prohibits city officials and local law enforcement from using public funds or resources to enforce the state’s abortion trigger laws. Orleans Parish District Attorney Jason Williams also promised not to prosecute abortion providers, while Orleans Parish Sheriff Susan Hutson vowed to refuse to accept any person into custody at the Orleans Justice Center who is arrested for violating the abortion ban.

In response, the bond commission voted 12-2 last Thursday to delay preliminary approval for the New Orleans Sewerage & Water Board to borrow $39 million next year to continue a power plant project.

Justices with the Louisiana Supreme Court voted 4-2 earlier this month against a request by Landry to intervene in the case.

Justices Jefferson D. Hughes III, Piper D. Griffin, James T. Genovese, and Scott J. Crichton joined in the majority to deny Landry’s motion to reinstate Louisiana’s abortion ban “at this preliminary stage of proceedings,” while Hughes argued that intervening now is “procedurally premature.