These Central Catholic High School students received year-end scholarships. Commencement ceremonies were conducted May 21 at Holy Cross Church with Diocesan Administrator P.J. Madden officiating. Class of 2022 award-winners will appear in coming editions.
Sweetie Bailey Mire, a resident of Amelia, passed away Saturday, June 18, 2022,at Ochsner St. Mary.
Sweetie was born October 5, 1933, in Simon Pass, the daughter of Ambrose Bailey and Irma Verret Bland.
She enjoyed traveling, camping, fishing, bird watching, making a garden, cooking and seeing her family all together.
She was an only child but was always surrounded by many cousins. When she married Donald, she gained an even larger family with which to make memories.
Her delight was always with her children. Nothing made her happier than having her house full of family and sharing food and laughter together.
She will be sadly missed and lovingly remembered by her four children, Ronald Mire and wife Lisa of Morgan City, Kenneth Mire of Amelia, Brenda Youngblood and husband Charles of Patterson, Janet LeBlanc and husband Johnny of Arlington, Texas; seven grandchildren Jake Youngblood, Lindsey Young blood Bond and husband Casey, Caitlin Mire Nunez and husband, Jared, Evan Mire, Michael Ryan LeBlanc, Jeremy LeBlanc, Daniel LeBlanc; two great-grandchildren, Murphy and Baylor Nunez.
Sweetie was preceded in death by her husband of 66 years, Donald Joe Mire; and her parents.
A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 11:00 a.m. Thursday, June 23, 2022, at St. Andrews Catholic Church in Amelia. Visitation will be held at St. Andrews Catholic Church from 9:00 a.m. until the time of Mass. After Mass, Sweetie will be laid to rest in the St. Andrews Catholic Cemetery.
Maurice Lee Delaune, age 86, a lifelong resident of Morgan City, Louisiana, passed away on Friday, June 17, 2022, at his residence. Maurice was born September 26, 1935, to Lee and Violet Boudreaux Delaune.
Maurice graduated from Morgan City High School. He was a Master Barber at Lee's Barbershop for over 60 years and he was also a Master Gunsmith. Maurice was an avid outdoorsman and he enjoyed hunting and fishing.
Maurice is survived by his four 1st cousins, Patricia B. Bergeron of Gretna, Louisiana, Margaret Battaglia of Thibodaux, Louisiana, Dorothy Hernandez of Denham Springs, Louisiana, Barbara Flowers of Morgan City, Louisiana; one godchild, Kent Ledet, Jr.; a dear friend, Carlton Moncada and a host of other relatives and friends. He is preceded in death by his parents, Lee and Violet Boudreaux Delaune; grandparents; 2 uncles, Andrew and George Boudreaux.
The family of Maurice would love to thank The Thibodaux Cancer Center for the care given to him during his time of need.
A time of remembrance and reflection will be observed Wednesday, June 22, 2022, at Sacred Heart Catholic Church from 10 a.m. until Funeral Mass at 11 a.m. Maurice will be laid to rest in Morgan City Cemetery.
In lieu of flowers, please make a donation to The American Cancer Society. Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.hargravefuneralhome.com for the Delaune family.
Conrad Industries Inc. announced Monday that Great Lakes Dredge & Dock Corp. has exercised its contract option to build a second 6,500-cubic-yard-capacity trailing suction hopper dredge with its subsidiary, Conrad Shipyard LLC.
The dredge will be constructed at the Deepwater South shipyard in Amelia, with expected delivery in the first quarter of 2025.
“Great Lakes has been a valued customer of Conrad for decades,” said Johnny Conrad, chairman and CEO. “Over the years, we have developed a great working relationship based on mutual trust, respect, and a shared focus on quality and safety.
“The dredge market has always been a key focus for Conrad, and we have extended our design portfolio and increased our product development resources to help meet our customers’ needs across the dredge market product categories. We look forward to working with the Great Lakes team to safely deliver yet another vessel to serve the US dredging market.”
Conrad Industries, Inc., established in 1948 and headquartered in Morgan City, designs, builds and overhauls tugboats, ferries, lift boats, barges, offshore supply vessels and other steel and aluminum products for both the commercial and government markets.
The company provides both repair and new construction services at its five shipyards located in southern Louisiana and Texas
FRANKLIN -- Now that St. Mary Parish Council members now have had a look at three proposed remapping plans, a couple of issues have emerged.
One is about how big the African American majority should be in District 1. The other is about which dis-trict all or part of Berwick should be in.
At special meetings June 13 and 15, a consensus among west St. Mary council members formed around a new District 1. The Berwick issue may prove more contentious.
The new map is still a work in progress. A public hearing at a date yet to be determined will be conducted before the council votes on a final district map.
Redistricting occurs after each U.S. Census in most local political entities to account for population changes. The 2020 Census found that the parish's population had decreased by 9.6% since 2010.
The Parish Council hired the South Central Planning and Development Commission to develop a map for the eight geographic council districts. Three other members run at large for the 11-member council.
To pass muster, the proposed districts must be close to equal in population and must be contiguous, with no district divided into parts that do not touch.
Under the 1965 Voting Rights Act, the maps also are required to protect minority voting strength from being diluted. The U.S. Supreme Court's 2013 Shelby County decision means Louisiana governments are no longer required to submit proposed voting law changes to the U.S. Justice Department in advance.
But South Central CEO Kevin Belanger told the council June 13 that he plans to submit the plan approved by the council to the Justice Department as well as the Louisiana Secretary of State's Office "in the case you may receive a challenge, legally, of the plan that we will help you derive."
South Central submitted three mapping proposals for the council's consideration, all of which have three districts completely west of the Wax Lake Outlet and five to the east. That means the council can use the west St. Mary districts from one alternative map and the east St Mary districts from another.
The flexibility may turn out to be important.
Here are the major changes proposed in the three alternatives. You can download a .pdf all three alternatives at the link below.
Alternative 1
In the west, the big change is in District 1, now represented by Councilman Craig Mathews of Jeanerette. District 1 would expand around Franklin and move southeast into Verdunville.
The change makes the district less compact. But it also increases the African American share of the district's population from 51% currently to 54.5%. District 2, represented by J Ina, would have an African American population of 56.8%. Those are the largest percentages in any of the three proposed alternatives.
In the east, District 8, now represented by Mark Duhon, would lose its current share of Berwick and would be completely to the east of the Atchafalaya, extending east through Amelia.
Alternative 2
In the west, District 1 wouldn't go into Verdunville but would pick up some residents in the northwest portion of Franklin, resulting in a smaller African American majority.
In the east, Duhon's District 8 would move farther into the Berwick-Bayou Vista area.
Alternative 3
In the west, it's Ina's District that goes into Verdunville, while District 1 makes a smaller move into Franklin than in Alternative 2.
In the east, District 8 picks up Lakeside Subdivision in Morgan City while Councilman Patrick Hebert's Dis-trict 6 gets more of Berwick.
Mathews spoke up in favor of Alternative 1, which creates larger African American majorities in District 2 as well as District 1.
"That's of particular interest to me ...," Mathews said June 13. "I won't accept anything else."
Mathews may not have to do much insisting. Ina spoke up for Alternative 1.
"I can live with it," said the third west St. Mary councilman, Rodney Olander of Franklin. He represents District 3, which has a white majority.
The east St. Mary difficulties may prove tougher to work out.
Hebert likes the fact that Alternative 3 gives his District 6 more of Berwick.
He also said at the June 13 meeting that having District 8 stretching from Amelia across the river into Berwick doesn't make for a compact district.
After the June 15 meeting, Duhon said he won the support of 65% of the voters in the Berwick portion of District 8 in his last election. He takes that as a sign
that the voters there like the job he's doing.
Hebert moved June 13 to focus further deliberations about the east St. Mary district on Alternative 3. The vote was four yes, three no, with two abstentions and two absent council members.
The motion failed failed because it required six votes.
Click here to find current St. Mary Parish Council Districts.
Larry Stephen Schexnaildre, 69, died Wednesday, June 8, 2022, at his home.
Larry was born on October 29, 1952, in Franklin, Louisiana to Dr. Chenet Jourdan Schexnaildre,Jr. and Barbara Dupre Schexnaildre. Educated in the Catholic schools in Franklin, he graduated from Hanson Memorial High School in 1970, continued his education at the University of Southwestern Louisiana in Lafayette before transferring to Louisiana Tech in Ruston, Louisiana to graduate in Aviation in 1974.
Larry always wanted to be a pilot. His pursuit of his career began at the Patterson airport where he took flying lessons before he was old enough to drive. His career included working for Fournet’s Flying Service in Lafayette and Royal Airlines in Shreveport. After obtaining his Flight Engineer certification, Larry was hired by American Airlines in 1977. Larry, being very goal oriented, attained his Captain status before he was 35 years old. When he retired from American, he was flying international flights in a 777.
Larry is survived by his daughter Erin Schexnaildre Besaw and her husband Jimmy of Flower Mound, TX; two granddaughters whom he adored, Myah Ashlyn Besaw and Adriana Alexa Besaw; three sisters, Karen St.Blanc and her husband Vincent of Franklin, LA, Chenette Cover and her husband Jack of Lafayette, LA, and Carla Gee and her husband Randy of Corinth,TX.
Larry is survived by many nieces and nephews.
He was preceded in death by his father Dr. Chenet Jourdan Schexnaildre, Jr.; his mother, Barbara Dupre Schexnaildre; one brother, Kim Michael Schexnaildre.
A Celebration of Life service will be held Sunday, June 26 at 2:00PM at the Lucas Funeral Home.
Arrangements entrusted to Lucas Funeral Home, 1601 S. Main St., Keller, Texas 76248. Phone (817) 753-6800.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to : The St. John-Hanson Foundation, 924 Main St., Franklin, LA 70538
(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 police arrested a suspected drunk driver on a hit-and-run charge and another man on a domestic violence charge involving strangulation.
Morgan City
Interim Police Chief Mark Griffin Jr. reported that the Morgan City Police Department responded to 107 calls fro service over the last 72-hour reporting period and made these arrests:
--Paris Nicole Bias, 31, Mallard Street, Morgan City, was arrested at 1:22 p.m. Saturday on a charge of failure to pay fine (6th Ward Morgan City Court).
--Joseph Noel, 44, La. 182, Morgan City was arrested at 4:28 p.m. Saturday alleging theft (under $1,000) and simple battery.
--Johnny Lee Ayro, 58, Short Street, Morgan City, was arrested at 11:48 p.m. Saturday on a charge of battery of a dating partner (strangulation).
--Ramos Filadelfo, 37, Roderick Street, Morgan City, was arrested at 4:46 p.m. Sunday on charges of driving while intoxicated (first offense) and hit-and-run driving.
St. Mary
Sheriff Blaise Smith reported that over the last 72-hour reporting period, the Sheriff's Office responded to 102 complaints and made these arrests:
--Juvenile male, 16, Franklin, was arrested at 1 a.m. Saturday on a charge of simple battery. The juvenile male was released into the custody of a guardian pending juvenile court proceedings.
--Juvenile male, 17, Centerville, was arrested at 1 a.m. Saturday on a charge of unlawful posting of criminal activity for notoriety and publicity. The juvenile male was released into the custody of a guardian pending juvenile court proceedings.
--Derrick Charles Brown Sr., 47, Baldwin, was arrested at 6:42 a.m. Saturday on a warrant alleging failure to appear on the charges of operating a vehicle while intoxicated, operating a vehicle while license is suspended and speeding. Brown was released on a $3,500 bond.
--Theodore Martell Harris Jr., 35, Morgan City, was arrested on June 18, 2022, at 6:54 p.m. Saturday on a charge of possession of methamphetamine and theft. Bail has not been set.
--Markus Andre Francis, 38, Patterson, was arrested at 11:32 p.m. Saturday on charges of bicycle equipment required for night operation, obstruction of justice (tampering), possession of marijuana, possession with intent to distribute a Schedule II drug, possession of drug paraphernalia, and resisting arrest or officer.
Bail was set at $38,750.
--Jerral Wade Prestenbach, 33, Patterson, was arrested at 1:33 a.m. Sunday on two Morgan City Police Department warrants alleging failure to appear on the charges of misdemeanor theft,, possession of synthetic cannabinoids and contempt of court. Prestenbach was transferred to another agency.
--Joshua James Robert Jones, 34, Morgan City, was arrested at 1:37 a.m. Sunday on a Mississippi Department of Corrections warrant. Jones is being held for another agency.
--Jeremiah Jerald Owens, 35, Berwick, was arrested at 8:29 p.m. Sunday on charges of required position and method of turning at intersection, driving while intoxicated and driver must be licensed.
Bail was set at $3,000.
--Shannon Charles Conley, 34, Patterson, was arrested at 11:39 p.m. Sunday on charges of disturbing the peace (violent and tumultuous manner) and resisting arrest or officer. Bail was set at $3,500.
--Stephen Edward Taylor, 38, Bayou Vista, was arrested at 1:51 a.m. Monday on two warrants alleging failure to appear on charges of simple criminal damage to property, possession of methamphetamine, possession of a controlled dangerous substance in the presence of a person under 17 and possession of drug paraphernalia.
Taylor was also charged with resisting an officer by giving false information, possession of drug paraphernalia and possession of Schedule I drugs. Bail was set at $6,000.
Franklin
Police Chief Morris Beverly said the Franklin Police Department responded to four complaints over the past 24 hours and made this arrest:
--Traci Sauce, 35, Lee Charles Street, Franklin, was arrested at 10:40 a.m. Thursday on a war-rant for the Baldwin Police Department for violation of protective order. Sauce was booked, processed and transported to the Baldwin Police Department.
Record high diesel prices and competition from cheap, imported shrimp are hitting Louisiana shrimpers in the wallet and driving some of them out of business.
Acy Cooper Jr. is a shrimper in Plaquemines Parish and the president of the Louisiana Shrimp Association. He told The Center Square that shrimpers are having a “hell of a time” dealing with diesel prices and cheap imports that make their business unaffordable.
“Here in Louisiana, you can make a little bit of a living if you catch a few shrimp. We’re in between seasons now and once the shrimp starts slowing up, you can’t continue working at that price. A lot of folks are going to try to keep working, but once they see they can’t overcome it,” Cooper said of high fuel prices, “they’re going to shut down.”
According to the American Automobile Association, diesel is $5.30 per gallon in Louisiana, up 82.8% from a year ago, when the price per gallon was $2.90.
The Pelican State, like the rest of the Gulf Coast, has two shrimp seasons for brown shrimp (usually May to July) and white shrimp (mid-August into December).
The Louisiana shrimp industry accounts for 29% of all U.S. shrimp caught, according to data from National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Fisheries Division.
Louisiana’s shrimp harvest, according to data from NOAA, has been on a downward trend since 2005.
According to NOAA data, the shrimp harvest in Louisiana has declined from more than 145 million pounds in 2000 to only 65 million pounds in 2020, a decline of 54.85%. Even removing the pandemic year in 2020, the decline from 2000 to 2019 (83.3 million pounds) is a precipitous 42.7%.
Major hurricanes that made landfall in Louisiana such as Katrina and Rita in 2005, Laura in 2020 and Ida in 2021 have played a role in the declining harvests, along with the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill.
In the case of foreign shrimp imports, increased demand for the crustaceans is driving up imports. Shrimpers like Cooper say that heavily subsidized shrimp industries like India’s are “dumping” their product in the U.S. market. Since the U.S. shrimp industry isn’t subsidized like those overseas, they find it hard to compete since prices are lowered.
The U.S. Trade Administration is proposing lifting sanctions in April against a group of foreign shrimp export-ers for alleged dumping of shrimp into the U.S. as part of a five-year sunset of the sanctions.
NOAA data shows that after importing 326,074 metric tons of shrimp in 2021, the U.S. has imported 287,470 metric tons so far in 2022.
According to data from the Vietnamese Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, shrimp exports to the United States hit the $1 billion in sales mark for the first time in 2021. According to the VMARD, the U.S. purchases 28% of Vietnam’s exported shrimp. Those purchases were up 21% over 2020.
Cooper also says that a lot of those imported shrimp have illegal levels of antibiotics and steroids and that U.S. officials aren’t enforcing the laws designed to protect consumers from contaminated shrimp.
Earlier this month, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration published 74 bans on seafood importers, with five shrimp importers from Bangladesh and India blocked because they contained sanctioned antibiotics. The FDA also sanctioned five importers from Ecuador, India and Indonesia over shrimp that tested positive for salmonella bacteria and were filthy.
With all of the headwinds, Cooper says shrimpers – many of whom have worked Louisiana waters for genera-tions – are leaving the industry. He said once those boats are docked for the last time, they aren’t going back out again.
“You can’t just go buy a boat, and go on down work and think you’re gonna be a fisherman. Don’t work like that. No, no,” Cooper said. “ My dad taught me and his dad taught him.
“And you know, once you lose a vessel and you lose somebody that’s been working the waters for years and years and they don’t come back, you don’t just replace that when you need more shrimp.”
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
Sunday, June 19
8:15 a.m.: 1000 block Greenwood; complaint.
11:5 6a.m.: 700 Myrtle; lost and found.
1:01 p.m.: 300 block Leona; vehicle crash.
1:46 p.m.: 500 block Bowman; 911 hang up.
2:49 p.m.: 3000 block Susan Drive; animal complaint.
3:50p.m.: 6400 block La. 182; alarm.
3:54p.m.: 100 block Mallard; disturbance.
4:37p.m.: 500 block Roderick; arrest.
5:43 p.m.: 2300 block La. 70; complaint.
6:40 p.m.: TED; traffic stop.
7:57 p.m.: 4700 block La. 182; welfare check.
8:15 p.m.: Area of Garber; patrol request.
8:22 p.m.: 600 block Egle; suspicious person.
8:35 p.m.: Area of First and St. Clair; disturbance.
8:48 p.m.: 1200 block Victor II; subject removal.
9:17 p.m.: 1100 block Dora; complaint.
10:44 p.m.: 600 block Arenz; complaint.
11:45 p.m.: Patterson; complaint.
Monday, June 20
1:15 a.m.: 200 block Bowman; complaint.
1:19 a.m.: 1200 block David Drive; complaint.
2:20 a.m.: Area of Greenwood, overpass; reckless driver.
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, June 16
5:55 a.m.: TED; traffic stop..
8:19 a.m.: 100 block Mallard; complaint.
9:43 a.m.: 2700 block Sixth: arrest.
11:35 a.m.: 400 block Fourth; welfare check.
12:04 p.m.: 7200 block La. 182: complaint.
1:43 p.m.: 900 block Seventh; alarm.
2:01 p.m.: 7300 block La. 182: disturbance.
2:36 p.m.: Area of Roderick and Allison; complaint.
2:48 p.m.: 1000 block David Drive; complaint.
3:18 p.m.: 7200 block La. 182: complaint.
3:22 p.m.: 7200 block La. 182: theft.
3:27 p.m.: 2000 block Allison; complaint.
4:19 p.m.: 900 block Hilda; complaint.
5:17 p.m.: 7200 block La. 182: welfare check.
6:46 p.m.: 800 block Ditch: animal complaint.
7:16 p.m.: 300 block Second; disturbance.
7:37 p.m.: Eastbound U.S. 90 bridge; reckless operation.
9:26 p.m.: 1500 block N First: complaint.
9:28 p.m.: 2300 La. 70; medical.
10 p.m.: 400 block Louisa: complaint.
Friday, July 17
2:10 a.m.: 500 block First: disturbance.
5:11 a.m.: 1100 block Walnut; complaint.
10:21 a.m.: 3000 block Susan; stand by.
12:49 p.m.: 1000 block Seventh; complaint.
12:51 p.m.: 7000 block La. 182: complaint.
12:56 p.m.: 2000 block OF Elm; medical.
1:52 p.m.: 7000 block La. 182: complaint.
2:13 p.m.: U.S. 90: complaint.
2:39 p.m.: Myrtle; vehicle accident.
3:06 p.m.: 1200 block Kenneth; fire.
4:11 p.m.: 1100 block Marguerite; complaint.
4:33 p.m.: Glenwood: complaint.
4:50 p.m.: 1100 block Marguerite; complaint.
5:32 p.m.: Basketball court; complaint.
7:49 p.m.: 700 block Myrtle; complaint.
8:09 p.m.: 500 block Aucoin; assistance.
8:31 p.m.: 200 block Robin; complaint.
8:36 p.m.: 700 block Sixth: complaint.
8:43 p.m.: 2300 block La. 70; patrol request.
8:46 p.m.: 7400 block La. 182: complaint.
9:05 p.m.: Area of Railroad; animal complaint.
9:18 p.m.: 1400 block Railroad; complaint.
11:16 p.m.: 1000 block Missouri; complaint.
11:27 p.m.: 1000 block Grace; assistance.
Saturday, June 18
1:46 a.m.: 6300 block La. 182: complaint.
2:05 a.m.: 600 block Brashear; disturbance.
3:54 a.m.: 2100 block Maple; patrol request.
5:59 a.m.: 1100 block Marguerite; complaint.
8:21 a.m.: 1000 block Marguerite; hit and run.
10:17 a.m.: 700 block Degravelle; assistance.
10:45 a.m.: 700 block Gen. Hodges; complaint.
11:29 a.m.: 6500 block La. 182:complaint.
11:51 a.m.: 300 block Greenwood; fire.
12:52 p.m.: 2000 block Allison; theft.
1:01 p.m.: 1000 block Brashear; complaint.
1:03 p.m.: 600 block Gen. Patton; complaint.
1:11 p.m.: 2300 block La. 70; complaint.
4:18 p.m.: 7200 block La. 182: warrant.
4:56 p.m.: 300 block Grizzaffi; complaint.
6:06 p.m.: 800 block Brashear; complaint.
6:20 p.m.: TED;traffic stop.
6:55 p.m.: 700 block Sixth; complaint.
7:06 p.m.: 100 block Frances; assistance.
7:25 p.m.: 7800 block La. 182: subject removal.
7:57 p.m.: 3000 block Diane; assistance.
8:26 p.m.: Westbound U.S. 90; complaint.
8:37 p.m.: 200 block Chennault; disturbance.
8:55 p.m.: 2300 block La. 70; patrol request.
9:12 p.m.: Westbound U.S. 90; complaint.
9:21 p.m.: 7000 block La. 182: vehicle accident.
11:07 p.m.: 2000 block Keith; complaint.
11:15 p.m.: 300 block Second; disturbance.
12:45 a.m.: 7400 block La. 182: medical.
1:52 a.m.: 1100 block Marguerite; complaint.
Sunday, June 19
2:32 a.m.: 100 block Wren; complaint.
3:14 a.m.:700 block Onstead; complaint.
Franklin Banner-Tribune
P.O. Box 566, Franklin, LA 70538
Phone: 337-828-3706
Fax: 337-828-2874
Morgan City Review
1014 Front Street, Morgan City, LA 70380
Phone: 985-384-8370
Fax: 985-384-4255