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Berwick man arrested on battery, weapons charges

Wed, 06/08/2022 - 4:33pm

(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 arrested a man Tuesday on charges that include battery of a dating partner and two weapons violations.

Berwick
Police Chief David S. Leonard Mreported these arrests:

—Lavontre Johnson, 23, La. 182, Berwick, was arrested at 5:27 p.m. Tuesday on warrants alleging battery of a dating partner, theft of a firearm and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.

—About 11:51 a.m. Tuesday, the Berwick Police Department received a call in reference to a domestic dispute. During the course of the complaint, it was learned that Johnson committed a battery on a female victim.

It was also learned that during the altercation, Johnson stole a firearm from the victim and is a convicted felon. Warrants were issued for his arrest, and he later turned himself in to the Patterson Police Department.

Officers went to the Patterson Police Department, and Johnson was transported to the Berwick Police Department, where he was booked on the Berwick Police Department warrants.

—Brady Rodriguez, 30, Onstead Street, Morgan City, was arrested at 11:51 p.m. Tuesday on a charge of violation of a protective order.

About 11:19 p.m. Tuesday, a traffic stop was conducted on U.S. 90, where Rodriguez was identified as a passenger in the vehicle. During the course of the stop, it was learned that Rodriguez had an active protective order against him for the driver of the vehicle.

Rodriguez was placed under arrest and transported to the Berwick Police Department, where he was booked.

Morgan City

Interim Police Chief Mark Griffin Jr. reported that the Morgan City Police Department responded to 34 calls for service over the last 24-hour reporting period and made these arrests:

—Brock Elix Williams, 42, Oak Street, Morgan City, was arrested at 12:16 p.m. Tuesday on charges of disturbing the peace and entry or remaining after being forbidden.

—Passion Monae Harris, 25, 11th Street, Morgan City, was arrested at 5:22 p.m. Tuesday on five counts of failure to appear for arraignment (6th Ward Morgan City Court).

-Johnny Lee Ayro, 58, Short Street, Morgan City, was arrested at 9:28 p.m. Tuesday on charges of driving while intoxicated (first offense) and obstruction of a public passage.

Assumption
Sheriff Leland Falcon reported this arrest:

—Jacob Geisler, 29, Andras Street, Bayou L’Ourse, was arrested Saturday on charges of resisting an officer, bicycle (front and rear lamps, side and rear reflectors required between sunset and sunrise), and obstruction of justice.

A uniformed patrol deputy observed a bicycle in the area of Aristle Road and Andras Street without proper lighting or reflector material, which is required.

The deputy attempted to stop the individual, but he continued on. While pursuing the suspect, the deputy observed the suspect dispose of certain items by throwing them.

At some point, the deputy was able to arrest the suspect, identified as Geisler. He was arrested and booked into the Assumption Parish Detention with bond set at $10,000.

Franklin

Police Chief Morris Beverly reported that the Franklin Police Department responded to 13 complaints over the most recent 24-hour reporting period and made these arrests:

—Clarence Darby, 40, Second Street, Franklin, was arrested at 6:21 p.m. Tuesday on the charge of driving under suspension. Darby was booked, processed and released on a $1,000 bond.

—Anthony Wells, 70,Antigo Alley, Franklin, was arrested at 11:05 p.m. Tuesday on a warrant dated Feb. 17 alleging theft and a warrant dated March 24 alleging theft and remaining where forbidden. Wells was booked, processed and held on a $3,000 bond.

—Jonathan Small, 37, Third Street, Franklin, was arrested at 11:29 p.m. Tuesday on a warrant dated Sept. 1, 2017, alleging domestic abuse battery. Small was booked, processed and released on a $2,500 bond.

Ribbon-cutting for the river: Port says it's open for business

Wed, 06/08/2022 - 3:26pm
BILL DECKER
bdecker@daily-review.com

A traditional ribbon-cutting ceremony welcomes a new business or other enterprise, not the opening of a river that has flowed to the Gulf since before people were here to see it.

But the Port of Morgan City, Brice Civil Constructors and officials from other agencies snipped a ribbon Tuesday to mark the opening of the Atchafalaya River. More specifically, the event marked the opening of the Port of Morgan City's channel after seven years of fighting sediment and mud.

The event was designed to call attention to the fact that the port's channel is back at something close to its authorized dimensions of 20 feet deep and 400 feet wide. Port officials are hoping shipping companies will notice, too, and return import-export trade and the commercial spinoffs to the place they once held in the local economy.

"We're sending the feelers out," port Executive Director Raymond "Mac" Wade said. "We're advertising. This is a big day for us."

Keeping the entire channel open between Morgan City and the Gulf has been a challenge since about 2015, thanks to a series of floods that deposited sediment all along the waterway. But the spotlight Tuesday was on the last 18 miles from Eugene Island south, where the specially built Brice Civil Constructors dredge Arulaq has been at work for more than two years.

Once described as a "science experiment," the Arulaq was specially designed to deal with sticky fluff mud that can foul vessel propulsion systems. When the idea was conceived, in the middle of the last decade, the funding was in place for only one dredging per year in that area, and the mud can accumulate up to 3 feet per month.

"Everchanging river conditions warranted continuous fluff management 24 hours a day, 7 days a week," according to the program for Tuesday's ribbon-cutting.

In the middle 2010s, the Port of Morgan City went through one six-month period in which the port handled 22 import-export vessels, Wade said. The fluff mud put a stop to that level of trade.

Even the large vessels that could make it through the channel would have to limit their cargo to lessen their draft, operating less efficiently.

So they went to other ports, including New Orleans, instead.

The port approached the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, which funds dredging in federally authorized waterways, for help with finding a way to keep the Bar Channel, the lower portion of the channel, open. The Corps insisted on an industry day to seek solutions from private companies.

At the industry day, the big companies didn't want to touch the problem, Wade said.

"Then," he said, "I heard someone behind me say, 'We can build it.'"

That was Jon McVay, president of Brice Civil Constructors, based in Alaska.

Brice proposed a dredge that works by agitating the mud and separating it from the water column through a series of pipes. The name Arulaq comes from a native American word meaning agitation.

The Corps of Engineers went along with the plan and offered a contract capped at $21.8 million. Halimar Shipyard in Morgan City handled the vessel conversion needed to put the dredge in action.

And in December 2019, the Arulaq was ready to go to work between Eugene Island and the Gulf.

Only "ready" turned out to be premature. For monthly port board meeting after meeting in 2020, McVay arrived to report mechanical problem after problem. Those problems were made worse by the debris, such as old shrimp nets, on the bottom of the channel.

"The whole year was tough," McVay said.

But at each meeting, McVay pledged to stay with the work. The down time diminished gradually until, by January 2022, the channel was open to 20 feet deep and 250 feet wide and the Arulaq was operating reliably.

At Tuesday's ceremony, the Arulaq ran back and forth along the Port of Morgan City dock, showing what it can do, handling 65,000 gallons of water a minute -- not full speed, just for show.

Lee Dragna, a port board member before he became Morgan City's mayor in 2021, joked that he witnessed "a lot of headache and heartache and fighting over" plans to develop a fluff mud solution.

Like port board President Joseph Cain, whose eight years on the board have been dominated by the fight to keep the channel open, Dragna said he was originally a doubter.

But now the Arulaq works, and the cooperation that made it possible drew praise Tuesday from speakers including Berwick Mayor Duval Arthur, Col. Stephen Murphy of the Corps, and Renee Lapayrolerie, a commissioner with the state Office of Multimodal Commerce.

McVay praised the efforts of the port, the Corps and Halimar.

"We couldn't have done it on our own," McVay said.

Patterson council takes up issues with animals

Wed, 06/08/2022 - 1:57pm
BILL DECKER
bdecker@daily-review.com

PATTERSON — The City Council on Tuesday took a detour from the usual municipal challenges to deal with animals. It turns out animal problems can be complicated, too.

The council heard from a Twin Street couple who asked for better enforcement of the law governing potentially dangerous dogs. And the council remained split on a proposal that would effectively prohibit large livestock from being housed in the city limits.

Also Tuesday, the council adopted a 2022-23 budget that anticipates a $195,000 budget surplus and provides city employees with a 6% raise with some help from federal funding.

The vicious animal complaint came from Shelly and Juan Reyes, who live on Twin Street. A neighbor behind their home keeps a dog that Juan Reyes said bit him on the arm.

The city’s vicious animal ordinance requires a dog identified as dangerous to be kept indoors or in an area at least 4 feet by 7 feet surrounded by a 6-foot fence, which the neighbor’s property lacks.

“Where’s the enforcement on the dogs people have that are labeled vicious?” Juan Reyes asked.

The complications arose from the fact that the home occupied by the dog owners is rental property.

Mayor Rodney Grogan said that means the owner of the rental property would be responsible for installing the fence. But the owner of the property has a rule against allowing renters to have dogs.

The Reyes couple referred to the dog owned by their neighbors as a pit bull, but the dog turns out to be a boxer.

“When I saw that head on my arm,” Juan Reyes said, “it looked like a pit bull to me.”

The city’s ordinance does not limit the definition of a dangerous dog to any particular breed, City Attorney Russell Cremaldi said.

Also Tuesday, the council tabled discussion of a possible ordinance that would have the effect of banning livestock from property within the city.

The current ordinance requires at least an acre of land for the first animal and a half-acre for each additional animal, plus buildings such as barns for housing them.

But the city has fielded recent complaints about animals. Grogan has said the complaints centered on livestock including ponies and donkeys.

The Planning & Zoning Commission has recommended eliminating the provision allowing animals on an acre or more, which would prohibit large animals altogether. The ordinance doesn’t define the animals it targets, although it hasn’t been applied to poultry, and doesn’t seem likely to ban chickens.
Grogan said Tuesday that people are relying on eggs from their own chickens to bear rising food prices.

In the last few meetings since the Planning & Zoning Commission recommendation, the council has been divided on whether livestock should be banned.
Councilman Joe Russo, an agricultural science teacher, has said he doesn’t feel right about telling a property owner that livestock is banned. Councilman Travis Darnell said Tuesday that he wants to leave the ordinance as it is.

From the audience, former Police Chief Patrick LaSalle said he doesn’t think neighbors should be subject to the smells coming from a livestock pen.

The council will have to either make a decision on whether the ban or some other change is appropriate or whether the ordinance should remain unchanged.

Cremaldi suggested that livestock rules could be part of a redrawing of the city’s zoning map, which is currently underway. A public meeting on the remapping process is scheduled for 6 p.m. Thursday at Patterson City Hall.

The 2022-23 budget approved Tuesday anticipates revenue of $8.86 million and spending of $8.67 million, adding about $195,000 to the $14.3 million fund balance.

City employees will receive a 3% raise from city funds and another 3% from American Rescue Plan Act funding.

Morgan City police radio logs for June 7-8

Wed, 06/08/2022 - 1:29pm

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, June 7
8:06 a.m. 800 block of South Everett Street; Patrol request.
8:59 a.m. 6000 block of La. 182; Complaint.
10:27 a.m. 100 block of Glenwood Street; Notification.
11:39 a.m. 6000 block of La. 182; Complaint.
11:56 a.m. 500 block of Brashear Avenue; Complaint.
12:36 p.m. 6400 block of La. 182; Reckless.
2:16 p.m. 8100 block of La. 182; Complaint.
2:27 p.m. 1900 block of Federal Avenue; Complaint.
2:41 p.m. 600 block of Shannon Street; Complaint.
3:54 p.m. 600 block of Fourth Street; Medical.
3:54 p.m. 1200 block of North Prescott Street; Alarm.
3:57 p.m. 7300 block of La. 182; Hang up call.
4:42 p.m. 500 block of Bowman Street; Assistance/arrest.
4:51 p.m. 200 block of Mallard Street; Complaint.
5:26 p.m. La. 182 in Berwick; Assistance.
6:27 p.m. 2100 block of Federal Avenue; Complaint.
6:54 p.m. 200 block of Wren Street; Complaint.
7:13 p.m. 500 block of General McArthur Street; Complaint.
8:10 p.m. Youngs Road; Complaint.
8:29 p.m. 700 block of Duke Street; Disturbance.
8:48 p.m. Allison Street/Martin Luther King Boulevard; Disturbance.
10:54 p.m. Roderick/Allison streets; Traffic incident.
Wednesday, June 8
4:11 a.m. U.S. 90 Westbound; Stalled vehicle.

Patterson Garden Club meets

Wed, 06/08/2022 - 10:46am

Members of Patterson Garden Club held their final meeting of the garden club season recently. Members attending the meeting at The Atchafalaya Clubhouse were, from left, Rosa Butler, Donna Ruffin, Juanita Bienvenu, Ginger Griffin, Sharon Larson, Iris Roy, Linda Thomas and Evelyn Estay. The next meeting will be held in September.

Get It Growing: Salvias offer super summer color

Wed, 06/08/2022 - 10:45am
By HEATHER KIRK-BALLARD, LSU AgCenter Horticulturist

Here at the LSU AgCenter, we choose new Louisiana Super Plant selections each fall and spring. Usually, only a particular cultivar or variety of a plant receives this prestigious designation. But this year, we couldn’t pick just one.
Salvias are an excellent addition to warm-season landscapes, and with a wide range of colors and sizes available, it was hard to decide on a favorite. So we gave the summer 2022 Louisiana Super Plant title to all of the salvias.
Louisiana Super Plants are university-tested, industry-approved plants that not only are beautiful but also can stand up to Louisiana’s climate. Salvias fit the bill perfectly.
Salvias are the largest member of the sage family, with thousands of species found all over the world. Hundreds of species are native to the Americas. Salvias are herbaceous, flowering plants with both annual and perennial types. They are profuse bloomers and highly attractive to pollinators.
Flowers are tall spikes called racemes or panicles and come in bright colors of blue, pink, purple and red — and sometimes white and yellow. The flowers are often tubular or bell shaped, making them attractive to pollinators such as hummingbirds, butterflies and bees. All salvias have high nectar content.
Salvias are most prolific when they are planted in full sun and in well-drained soils. Because of their height, salvias are best planted towards the middle or back of flowerbeds. They are stunning when planted en masse. Salvias also do well in container plantings alone or paired with a spiller. They make a great addition to pollinator and cottage-themed gardens.
Many salvias are drought tolerant once established. They have few pests or disease problems. Fertilize in early spring with a slow-release granular fertilizer or with a liquid feed a few times during the extended flowering season.
Salvias come in a wide range of heights and spreads. Most of them reach heights of 2 to 4 feet with the same spread. Space plants at 24 to 36 inches for best growth.
Salvias grow quickly and will provide color and greenery for a full look in no time. Keep them looking tidy into the fall by lightly pruning. Many varieties do not require deadheading; however, doing so will encourage new flowers. Many are perennials and will come back each spring after freezing temperatures. Plants with freeze damage can be trimmed in spring before new growth emerges.
Annual salvias are warm-season performers, while perennial types will bloom year-round if not killed back by frost or freezes and come back year after year from hardy roots. Salvia often self-propagates, so you might find seedlings you can use in other parts of your landscape.
The colorful, slender, tubular blooms of these plants make great cut flowers and will last for several days in a vase indoors. With so many colors to choose from, include a wide variety to add dimension to your gardens and provide options for pollinators.
The LSU AgCenter has recommended some selections based on excellent performance in trials at its Hammond Research Station. You can use some of them to create a red, white and blue display just in time for July 4 celebrations.
Roman Red has showy, crimson flowers on upright, compact plants. It looks stunning in a mass planting and can be used as a border accent. A native red salvia is scarlet sage, also known as red sage (Salvia coccinea). It attracts hummingbirds and butterflies with its rich red, tubular flowers that appear from spring through fall. It is fairly drought tolerant.
White Flame provides white flowers on a compact habit and has excellent heat performance. It matches Mystic Spires salvia in height. Mystic Spires Blue Improved is a great blue salvia in a compact form that produces tons of true blue flowers. It is heat and humidity tolerant and is “improved” because it sheds its dead petals, keeping a cleaner look. Blue Suede Shoes, a hybrid salvia selection from the Rockin’ series of salvias, has light blue flowers, each with a black calyx.
These tough plants are heat and drought tolerant, and the pollinators are smitten too. Add sensational salvias to your gardens this summer and enjoy the show.

First wife has second thoughts on polygamy

Wed, 06/08/2022 - 10:43am
By Jeanne Phillips, ©United Features Syndicate

DEAR ABBY: My husband and I are in our 40s. Last year, we decided to make a very big change in our lives. We decided to seek out a second wife (sister wife) for my husband. I was completely on board with it at first. He reached out to a woman he knew years ago and asked if she would consider joining our family. However, I started getting this feeling that she wasn’t the right woman to bring into our family. She ignored many of my in-depth questions about why she wanted to live this type of life.
I have expressed to my husband that I no longer want her in my life and it has reached the point that I no longer want to live a plural lifestyle. I felt bad that I’m the one who changed my mind, so I agreed to allow them to continue a relationship — as long as they keep me out of it, and he keeps her out of my home and my life.
I don’t understand how he can continue living this way, living two separate lives and be OK with it. We’ve been together more than 20 years and I don’t want to leave, but how can I continue loving a man with my whole heart and soul when he only loves me with part of his?
SISTER WIFE

DEAR WIFE: Relationships such as you describe can work out when all three of the parties involved feel they are equally valued.
Some women tolerate their husband having someone “on the side” because they derive some benefit beyond the emotional connection one associates with marriage. That said, in the final analysis, the only person who can answer the question you’re asking me is you.

DEAR ABBY: I am an 11-year-old girl. My 16-year-old sister has severe depression and an eating disorder. She has been to the hospital twice because of it, and now she has to go to the hospital every day to get her to eat more. Even though people are helping her, I don’t think she’s getting better. It makes me feel worried and sad.
My mom has me seeing a therapist, and she helps me to feel better, but it’s still hard knowing my sister is having such a hard time. I have never dealt with anything this hard in my life. I wish I could just not have to always think about how sad I am. I really want everything to be normal.
Can you tell me ways to not get so upset about everything that’s going on?
HAVING A HARD TIME IN IOWA

DEAR HAVING A HARD TIME: I’m glad you are seeing a therapist you can talk to about your sadness and worry. Being able to discuss them with someone you trust and who isn’t emotionally involved can be a blessing.
I do have a suggestion that might help you in addition to your therapy. Participate in sports activities and hobbies that keep your mind occupied. If you keep yourself busy, you will have less time to dwell on your sadness and worry. And please, write me again in a couple of months and let me know how you are doing, because I’m hopeful you will be feeling better than you do right now.
***
Good advice for everyone — teens to seniors — is in “The Anger in All of Us and How to Deal With It.” To order, send your name and mailing address, plus check or money order for $8 to: Dear Abby, Anger Booklet, P.O. Box 447, Mount Morris, IL 61054-0447.

Wheel House for June 8

Wed, 06/08/2022 - 9:48am

PARADE OF STATES
At New Salem Baptist Church, 1412 Cherry St., Patterson, 9:30 a.m. Sunday, June 12.

NEW SALEM
Baptist Church, 1412 Cherry St., Patterson, celebrating its 133-year anniversary at 9:30 a.m. Sunday, June 26. Speaker Evangelist Arnold Ray Joseph, Spirit of Liberty Missionary Baptist Church, Franklin.

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