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From the St. Mary Parish Sheriff's Office Facebook page:

Sheriff Blaise Smith and the Patrol Division of the SMPSO are reminding motorists that the Bayou Ramos bridge on Highway 182 in Amelia is shut down at this time and according to the DOTD will be for some time.
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The DOTD is advising that the Bayou Ramos Bridge, which was struck by a marine vessel, is not safe to travel at this time.
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The Patrol Division is advising that there have been reports of people attempting to move the barricades in order to pass over the bridge as well as a vehicle that damaged barricades last night in order to pass.
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The bridge supports have been damaged severely and until the DOTD repairs and clears the bridge for travel, it is not safe to do so.
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***Special thanks to Jim Pierce with Cajun Drone Photography for the use of the images in this post.***

Marie Louise Clement Daigle Richard, 93, a resident of Morgan City, passed away peacefully, Sunday, December 26, 2021, surrounded by her loving family.
Marie was born August 4, 1928, in Morgan City, the daughter of Claiborne M. Clement and Florence Boudreaux Clement.
Marie was a devout Catholic who lived strong in her faith. She was a member of the Catholic Daughters for many years. She loved her children and grandchildren fiercely and protectively. Marie was always dressed her best, with her hair and makeup always done. Marie enjoyed cooking for her family. She also loved to be outside in her flower bed, or tending to her vegetable garden.
She will be sadly missed and lovingly remembered by three sons, Clay Daigle and wife Irma of Mexico, D.J. Richard and wife Martha of Baton Rouge, and Roy Daigle and wife Kathy of Mobile, AL.; two daughters, Billie Landry and husband Francis of Morgan City, Penny Dugas and husband Casey of St. Martinsville; two sisters, Elda Mae Anslem of Franklin, Jeanette Billiot of Texas; eight grandchildren, Christy “Tookie” LeBlanc and husband David, Travis Landry and wife Traci, Samantha Comeaux and husband Mark, Trinity Daigle and wife Kim, Christopher Daigle, Kevin Romero, Alyssa Romero, Ashley Malone and husband Patrick; 17 great-grandchildren, three great-great grandchildren.
Marie was preceded in death by her parents, Claiborne and Florence Clement; First husband, Placide Daigle; second husband, Joseph Richard; son, Ricky Daigle; daughter-in-law Mary Daigle; grandson, Clay Daigle Jr.; siblings, Ruth Duval, Buela Boddie, Albert Duval, and Eli Duval.
The family would like to give their sincere appreciation and gratitude to the Heart of Hospice nurses.
A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 12:00 p.m., Thursday, December 30, 2021 at Sacred Heart Catholic Church. Visitation will be held Wednesday, December 29, 2021 at Twin City Funeral Home from 5:00 p.m. until 9:00 p.m. and again Thursday, December 30, 2021 at Twin City Funeral Home from 9:00 a.m. until 11:30 a.m. After Mass, Marie will be laid to rest in the Morgan City Cemetery.

The Louisiana Department of Children and Family Services has announced landmark funding increases for several social programs beginning in January.

Eligible recipients for the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families ( program, Social Security and veterans’ initiatives will see the largest benefit increases and cost-of-living (COLA) adjustments in decades, the department said.

TANF cash assistance will increase for the first time since July 2000, as eligible recipients will receive about twice the previous cash amount in an effort to match the national average.

“We know there are many more families who could benefit from the programs, not only for the much-needed cash assistance but also for the valuable workforce development and educational opportunities these programs offer. We hope this increase in benefit amounts will attract more people and encourage them to apply,” DCFS Secretary Marketa Garner Walters said.

A department statement said the cash increase will apply to 1,484 households enrolled in the Family Independence Temporary Assistance Program (FITAP) and 1,338 households in the Kinship Care (KCSP) subsidies program.

“FITAP aims to decrease the long-term dependence on welfare assistance by promoting job preparation and work, while KCSP lifts the financial burden of qualified relatives caring for a child whose parents are not in the home,” the statement said.

The FITAP changes will allow a family of three to receive $484 in monthly cash assistance in January, as opposed to $240 this month. A family of five will see cash assistance jump from $327 to $654.

The KCSP monthly benefit will increase from $222 per eligible child to $450 per eligible child.

States have broad flexibility regarding how they spend TANF money. A recent Legislative Auditor’s report showed the DCFS received $1.6 billion in federal TANF funding since 2012, or $163 million per year.

More than half of fiscal year 2021 TANF funds were dedicated to pre-kindergarten and child welfare programs, auditors said, while cash assistance represented 8% of total funds, or $13 million out of $163 million.

The cash assistance portion of TANF funds could top 16% of program funds, or $26 million, in the coming year.

The department said inflation was a main reason for the historic cash assistance increase.

“Inflation has increased 61% since these benefit amounts were last increased in July 2000, meaning what could be purchased for $1 in 2000 now costs about $1.61 today according to the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics,” the statement said.

Inflation was also part of the reasoning that led to the largest COLA increase in 40 years in regard to Social Security and veterans’ benefits, according to the department.

Both federally funded program areas will see a 5.9% COLA increase in January based on the Consumer Price Index (CPI). The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported earlier this month the CPI, a key inflation measure, rose by 6.8% in November 2021 compared with November 2020.

The new monthly COLA adjustment will apply to Social Security Retirement, Survivors and Disability Insurance (RSDI), Supplemental Security Income (SSI) and Veterans Administration (VA) benefits.

“The 5.9% increase to benefits is the largest COLA increase since 1982,” the department said.

An unintended consequence, however, will be a reduction in Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits, formerly known as food stamps, for more than 75,000 Louisiana households, a statement said.

The COLA increases are considered income, which affects income-based eligibility requirements.

“In January, 75,122 households (about 18% of all SNAP households in Louisiana) will see an average reduction of about $31 in monthly benefits, due primarily to the COLA. Another 272 SNAP cases will close, as the increased income pushes those households over the eligibility limit,” the department said.

(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.)

St. Mary deputies reported four arrests over the long holiday reporting period.

St. Mary
Sheriff Blaise Smith advised that over the last 120-hour reporting period, the Sheriff’s Office responded to 160 complaints and made these arrests:
—Keiasa Davis, 19, Thibodaux, was arrested at 12:19 a.m. Friday on charges of speeding and driving under suspension. Davis was released on a summons to appear March 17.
—Tristan Hope Hanley, 24, Morgan City, was arrested at 2:36 a.m. Saturday on charges of domestic abuse battery and simple criminal damage to property. Bail was set at $3,000.
—Neal Patrick Goulas, 61, Patterson, was arrested at 8:25 p.m. Saturday on a charge of possession of drug paraphernalia. Goulas was released on a summons to appear March 17.
—Kay Vining, 37, Patterson, was arrested at 4:10 p.m. Monday on a charge of criminal damage to property. Vining was released on a summons to appear March 17.

Franklin
Police Chief Morris Beverly reported that the Franklin Police Department responded to 32 complaints over the holiday weekend and made this arrest:
—Vandimere Willis, 23, Texas Street, Lake Charles, was arrested at 6 p.m. Saturday on charges of possession of marijuana and driving under suspension. Willis was booked, processed and released to appear in 3rd Ward City Court.