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DEAR ABBY: I’m a 38-year-old woman who used to be nice. Then I had a three-year affair. Knowing I’m one of America’s bigger fools — and for such a long time — is infuriating, but I finally saw the light. The only person I think is a bigger fool than me is his wife.
Some “highlights” of our romance: He gave me an STD during spring break, I found “Ally’s” phone number in his contact file, and I saw a blonde in a white convertible drop him off in front of his house at 9:15 in the morning, which, according to him, “never happened.” My eyes don’t lie. After I was struck by a car in a crosswalk, he never once called me to see how I was. After that, his teenage son followed me around town flipping me off and shouting obscenities at me. There’s more, but I’ll spare you.
Please warn your readers to stay away from affairs. They demean you, your mate will lose trust in you, and the person you’re having the affair with — can that person ever really be trusted? Won’t he cheat on you, too? This “wonderful” man is an elementary school teacher. (Think about what he is teaching your kids, folks!)
Like I said, I used to be nice. I used to care and trust. No more! This man changed not only my entire life but also my family’s. Will I ever forgive MYSELF?
P.S. I have spent thousands of dollars for counseling. It’s a lot of money, but I am worth it.
FINALLY SAW THE LIGHT

DEAR FINALLY: Love may be blind, but I’m pleased you finally saw the light. I’m also pleased that you realized you needed professional help to regain some self-esteem.
Your bitterness jumps off the pages of your letter. If you work on that with your counselor, too, it will be money well spent.

DEAR ABBY: I was widowed 10 years ago after 34 years of marriage. My late husband’s sister, “Barbara,” who is also now a widow with no children or other family, considers me her sister and friend. Abby, I have NEVER felt close to her. We are very different, and neither my husband nor I had any real contact with her other than occasional holiday gatherings.
Barbara is a domineering, self-pitying hypochondriac with no friends left she hasn’t alienated. We live fairly near each other, and I have the feeling since the loss of her husband three years ago that she’s expecting me to be her companion and caregiver going into her elder years. I’d slit my wrists first!
I married my husband “until death do us part,” not his family. I don’t want to hurt Barbara’s feelings; I just want to enjoy my own senior years. How can I gently remove myself from Barbara’s game plan?
DIDN’T SIGN UP FOR THIS

DEAR DIDN’T SIGN UP: “Gently” remove yourself from Barbara’s game plan by being increasingly less available. She may be strong-willed and domineering, but you do NOT have to knuckle under to her wishes or be a dumping ground for her problems.
If she asks to get together, be busy. If she’s depressed, suggest grief counseling, which has helped so many. If she suggests you help her going into her declining years, explain that won’t be possible because you plan to travel. You do not have to be cruel or heavy-handed about standing up for yourself. Just hang on to your sense of humor and keep your distance.
***
Abby shares more than 100 of her favorite recipes in two booklets: “Abby’s Favorite Recipes” and “More Favorite Recipes by Dear Abby.” Send your name and mailing address, plus check or money order for $16 to: Dear Abby, Cookbooklet Set, P.O. Box 447, Mount Morris, IL 61054-0447.

CENTERVILLE -- The St. Mary Parish School Board on Thursday took a step toward selling the historic M.D. Shannon Elementary School building to the Morgan City government.

By a voice vote without objection, the board approved a resolution in favor of the sale and authorizing Superintendent Dr. Teresa Bagwell to make it happen through a cooperative endeavor agreement with the city.

Shannon was one of two elementary schools closed in 2016 in response to declining enrollment. The board spends about $30,000 a month on utilities, insurance and other expenses related to the building. The board had hoped to get rid of that expense.

Morgan City Mayor Lee Dragna stepped up with a plan for the School Board to sell the school to the city, which already uses the Shannon gym for youth sports. The sale would include the city block on which the school sits. In the half of the block on the opposite side of the school from Brashear Avenue, a city authority would sell 16 lots for residential development, creating a small subdivision with landscaping amenities.

Bagwell told the board the sale price would be $100,000.

School Board member Michael Taylor of Berwick praised Dragna.

"When this was presented to the mayor," Taylor said, "he saw an opportunity and put together a plan to do this project."

Also Thursday, board members took part in a redistricting workshop with consultant Mike Hefner of Geographic Planning and Demographic Services.

The districts in state and local governments are generally redrawn after each Census. The 2020 Census showed a 9.6% drop in St. Mary's population from the 2010 headcount, a result that Hefner said is surely an undercount.

Even so, his latest proposed district map, put together so recently that Hefner didn't have time to produce paper maps to give to the board, has few dramatic changes from the current map.

The biggest change in Hefner's latest map would be in District III, represented by board President Kenneth Alfred.

His district currently runs along the parish's northeast border from the Charenton area to Berwick.

Hefner's latest map creates a more compact District III in the Berwick area.

The work on the new district map, incorporating comments from board members and the public, will continue. Hefner said the process could be complete and ready for board approval in June.

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, Jan. 12
1500 block of North Third Street; Medical.
500 block of Leona Street; Animal com-plaint.
700 block of Myrtle Street; Suspicious per-son.
Veterans Boulevard; Frequent patrol.
Tiger Island Hardware; Medical.
Railroad Avenue and Mount Street; Battery.
Tiger Stadium; Disturbance.
1900 block of Elm Street; Medical.
1700 block of Park Road; Removal of subject.
400 block of Railroad Avenue; Harassment.
800 block of Federal Avenue; Suspicious person.
400 block of Brashear Avenue; Vehicle crash.
500 block of Fifth Street; Complaint.
U.S. 90 Eastbound near Martin Luther King Boulevard; Traffic incident.
600 block of Barrow Street; Complaint.
1400 block of Bernice Street; Complaint.
1000 block of Railroad Avenue; Disturbance.
700 block of Sixth Street; Loud noise.
300 block of Oriole Street; 911 hang up.
200 block of Belanger Street; Complaint.
700 block of Myrtle Street; Complaint.
500 block of Roderick Street; Disturbance.
7100 block of Park Road; Disturbance.
300 block of Egle Street; Complaint.
700 block of Sixth Street; Loud noise.
900 block of Federal Avenue; Traffic incident.
900 block of Federal Avenue; Complaint.
7400 block of La. 182; Alarm.
2300 block of La. 70; Fight.
Area General Hodges and General Clark streets; Complaint.
500 block of Second and Franklin streets; Assistance.
Area Louisiana Alley; Patrols.
600 block of Brashear Avenue; Complaint.
Area La. 70 and Veterans Boulevard; Complaint.
700 block of Myrtle; Complaint.
1200 block of Federal Avenue; Complaint.
Second Street; Com-plaint.
900 block of Marguerite Street; Fight.
Myrtle Street; Com-plaint.
Victor II Boulevard; Complaint.
500 block of Roderick Street; Removal of subject.
2300 block of Elm Street; Complaint.
400 block of Halsey Street; Removal of subject.
700 block of Brashear Avenue; Runaway juvenile.
2300 block of Elm Street; Removal of subject.
1400 block of Federal Avenue; Complaint.
1200 block of David Drive; Alarm.
1300 block of Second Street; Complaint.
300 block of Wren Street; Complaint.
500 block of Front Street; Complaint.
500 block of Brashear Avenue; 911 hang up.
600 block of Brashear Avenue; Alarm.
6000 block of La. 182; Complaint.
1300 block of Sixth Street; Complaint.
U.S. 90 West; Complaint.

Louisiana lawmakers are expected to have about $1.6 billion more in revenue to spend in upcoming budget cycles than previously projected, according to predictions from economists at a Revenue Estimating Conference.

Ben Vincent, chief economist at the Legislative Fiscal Office, told the conference revenues in 2021 came in 8% higher than a prior projection of $12.3 billion, resulting in $970 million in excess. For the general fund, revenues were $565 million above the previous projection of $9.9 billion, or about 5.5% above.

“The largest contributors are sales, personal income, and corporate tax,” Vincent said at Tuesday's meeting. “Roughly $300 million in personal income, $258 (million) in general sales (tax) alone. Combined corporate income and franchise – $255 million. And motor vehicle sales tax adding on another $36 million.”

Vincent pointed to a loss of about 15% of total nonfarm jobs, or roughly 285,000, during the pandemic that since has recovered to about 6% below pre-pandemic levels.

“Like a lot of tourism and or oil dependent states, we’re just doomed to suffer a little more for a little longer,” he said.

The situation means the state is expected to collect about $1.2 billion more for the general fund than projected for the current budget cycle and about $770 million extra for the budget cycle that begins July 1.

About $275 million is expected to be set aside for dedicated uses, while another $400 million will go to pay off a federal loan used to rebuild the New Orleans’ levee system from damages from Hurricane Katrina, leaving lawmakers with $1.6 billion for the current and next budget cycles.

“It just shows how conservative our forecast was previously when we last met, and how well the economy is performing in these key areas,” Commissioner of Administration Jay Dardenne said.

Those funds are in addition to $1.4 billion the state received in federal pandemic relief, as well as about a $500 million expected budget surplus from last year.

Senate President Page Cortez, R-Lafayette, who took over as chair of the four-member Revenue Estimating Conference on Tuesday, said he expects the Legislature to use some of the excess funding for road and bridge projects, as inflation and the increased cost of materials have driven up the cost of approved projects.

Cortez also pointed to a backlog of maintenance and infrastructure projects at state universities and colleges.

The Revenue Estimating Conference – comprised of Cortez, Dardenne, House Speaker Clay Schexnayder and economist Stephen Barnes – ultimately adopted Vincent’s forecast, the more conservative of two presented Tuesday, for a variety of reasons.

Officials expect economic activity to plateau as federal pandemic assistance tapers off, and the state is expecting a decrease in revenue in 2025 as the state’s sales tax is scheduled to revert from 4.45% to 4%, Cortez said.

Members of the conference are expected to meet with Gov. John Bel Edwards’ administration in the coming weeks to help draft a proposed budget for consideration during the 2022 legislative session.

The executive budget is due Jan. 25. The 2022 regular legislative session begins March 14.