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SISTER SHIRLEY MAE SWEET

Thu, 12/16/2021 - 9:31am

Sister Shirley Mae Sweet, 82, a resident and native of Berwick, La., passed away peacefully on Monday December 13, 2021 at 11:38 p.m. at her residence.
Visitation will be observed from 11 a.m. until funeral services at 1 p.m. on Tuesday, December 21, 2021 at the Berwick Civic Center. (All visitors are asked to adhere to the CDC-local regulations by wearing masks and practicing social distancing). Services will be accessible by viewing the Jones Funeral Home, Inc. Facebook Page at 1 p.m. on Tuesday December 21, 2021. Burial will follow funeral services in the Berwick Cemetery.
Memories of Sister Sweet will forever remain in the hearts of her husband, Brother Francis L. Sweet, Jr. of Berwick, La.; two sons, Ricky James (Kathleen) Nunn of Morgan City, La. and Shirwin LaMond Sweet of Berwick, La.; two daughters, Mrs. Whitney (Mary Jacquelyn) Broussard of Broussard, La. and Mrs. Jack (Vicky) Evans of Terrell, TX; five grandchildren, ten great-grandchildren and a host of other relatives and friends.
Sister Sweet was preceded in death by her parents, and her mother-in-law and father-in-law.
Arrangements entrusted to Jones Funeral Home of Morgan City-Jeanerette-Franklin and Houma. Visit www.jones-funeral-home.com to send condolences to family.

Public meeting Thursday on boat launch improvements, resilience lab proposal

Thu, 12/16/2021 - 6:15am

St. Mary residents have a chance to learn about three projects proposed by parish government using funds received through the federal Restore Act.

The projects, which include improvements at two boat launches and a new resilience lab in Morgan City, will be the subject of an informational meeting at 5 p.m. Thursday at the Parish Council's meeting room on the fifth floor of the Courthouse in Franklin.

The plans would be financed with $876,000 from the the federal Restore Act trust fund.

The projects are:

--Improvements at the Fontenot Boat Launch, located where the west bank of the Atchafalaya River and the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway intersect.

Phase I calls for a 40-by-80-foot steel frame pavilion and 10-by-20-foot steel frame fish-cleaning station.

Phase II would create a hard-surfaced access road across the Atchafalaya Basin levee.

Phase III would create a timber fishing pier.

The plan is to make the launch more accessible to RV users.

--Quintana Boat Launch improvements. The launch is north of Cypremort Point on the west side of La. 319.

The project would replace and elevate more than 2,300 square feet of timber dock, and to raise a portion of the concrete boat ramp and parking area, all so the launch isn't inundated at high tide.

--The Morgan City Resilience Lab. The lab was one of the recommendations in the 2018 Urban Land Institute study, commissioned by St. Mary Excel and exploring development opportunities in Morgan City and Berwick.

The parish would partner with the Water Institute of the Gulf "to enhance job creation and reduce population loss through St. Mary Parish and the Tri-City Region."

The 2012 Restore Act -- officially, the Resources and Ecosystems Sustainability, Tourist Opportunities, and Revived Economies of the Gulf Coast States Act -- created a trust fund supported by penalties and settlements resulting from the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill.

Morgan City police radio logs for Dec. 14-15

Wed, 12/15/2021 - 3:52pm

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, Dec. 14
7:20 a.m. 2300 block of Clements Street; Stand by.
7:30 a.m. Old Bridge top Eastbound; Stalled vehicle.
8:43 a.m. 900 block of Marguerite Street; Juvenile problems.
9:14 a.m. 700 block of Myrtle Street; War-rant/arrest.
11:43 a.m. 900 block of Marguerite Street; Complaint.
12:19 p.m. 700 block of Myrtle Street; War-rant/arrest.
1:22 p.m. 1300 block of Lakewood Drive; Disturbance.
1:28 p.m. 300 block of Oriole Street; Assist.
2:08 p.m. Overpass Assumption Pass; Assist.
3:04 p.m. 700 block of Willow Street; Hit and run.
4:46 p.m. 800 block of Fourth Street; Frequent patrol.
7:29 p.m. 100 block of Oak Street; Criminal damage to property.
8:21 p.m. 800 block of Florida Street; Com-plaint.
9:15 p.m. 6400 block of La. 182; Hit and run.
9:48 p.m. 6000 block of La. 182; Traffic incident.
10:18 p.m. 100 block of Mallard Street; Disturbance.
11:32 p.m. 600 block of Kentucky Street; Patrols.
Wednesday, Dec. 15
3:12 a.m. 500 block of Bowman Street; Disturbance.

UPDATED WITH SHERIFF'S OFFICE ARRESTS: Five arrests reported by Morgan City police

Wed, 12/15/2021 - 11:15am

Staff Report

(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 reported five arrests Tuesday and Wednesday, four on warrants and the other on a charge of battery of a dating partner.
Morgan City
Police Chief James F. Blair reported that over the last 24-hour period, the Morgan City Police Department responded to 42 calls for service and made these arrests:
—Robert Dalgo Jr., 52, La. 182, Morgan City, was arrested at 9:18 a.m. Tuesday on warrants alleging simple battery and second-degree battery.
—Jeylun Francis, 24, Ciro Street, Morgan City, was arrested at 9:42 p.m. Tuesday on a 6th Ward Morgan City Court warrant alleging two counts of failure to appear for arraignment.
—James H. Jones, 36, First Street, Patterson, was arrested at 2:31 p.m. Tuesday on warrants alleging battery on emergency personnel, criminal damage to property and disturbing the peace (intoxicated).
—Myles A. Morgan, 34, Front Street, Morgan City, was arrested at 2:23 a.m. Wednesday on a warrant alleging failure to appear for criminal neglect of family.
—Donovan W. Mingo, 46, Bowman Street, Morgan City, was arrested at 3:26 a.m. Wednesday on a charge of battery of a dating partner.

St. Mary
St. Mary Parish Sheriff Blaise Smith reported that over the last 24-hour reporting period, the Sheriff's Office responded to 34 complaints and made these arrests:
--Christopher Joseph Pollard, 36, Monroe, was arrested at 12:06 p.m. Tuesday on two warrants alleging failure to appear on the charge of criminal neglect of family. Bail was set at $927.
--Dazjhalun Jakwanze Charles, 24, Jeanerette, was arrested at 12:45 p.m. Tuesday on a warrant alleging failure to appear on the charge of possession with intent to distribute marijuana. Charles is being held for another agency.
--Lacoryer Deshawn Nicholas, 35, Napoleonville, was arrested at 1:31 p.m. on a warrant alleging failure to appear on the charge of battery of a dating partner. Bail has not been set.
--Lance St. Blanc, 49, Charenton, was arrested at 11:51 p.m. Tuesday on charges of maximum speed limit and driving under suspension. St. Blanc was released on a summons to appear March 17.
--Deonnia Bourgeois, 23, Franklin, was arrested at 3:13 p.m. Tuesday by the Narcotics Section on charges of stop sign violation and possession of marijuana. Bourgeois was released on a summons to appear March 17.

Shell, foundation give to help Nicholls with hurricane recovery

Wed, 12/15/2021 - 9:49am

Shell and the Bayou Community Foundation have awarded Nicholls State University $77,760 to help with recovery following the impact of Hurricane Ida. The award of is being used by the university to meet the unmet needs of students and their families displaced from their homes by Hurricane Ida. Such needs include temporary housing, food insecurity and basic living essentials such as clothes, medication, toiletries, school supplies and more. The money will cover the housing, meals and living expenses for 20 students and their families. Hurricane Ida, which made landfall on the 16th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, brought devastating winds and storm surge to the Bayou Region. An estimated 25% of Lafourche and Terrebonne Parish’s homes were destroyed or are uninhabitable. Approximately two-thirds of the Nicholls community report that their homes were damaged by Hurricane Ida, with one in five students saying their homes were destroyed or uninhabitable. Additionally, more than half of students say they or their families lost access to reliable income from the storm, and another 16 percent reported that their car was damaged. In the photo, Shell Corporate Relations Advisor Joni Tuck, left, and Bayou Community Foundation Executive Director Jennifer Armand, right, pose with Nicholls First Lady Allison Clune and Nicholls President Dr. Jay Clune.

Nicholls State Photo

Chamber donates for SLCC scholarships

Wed, 12/15/2021 - 9:42am

The St. Mary Chamber of Commerce donated $1,000 toward South Louisiana Community College scholarships at the Dec. 9 Business Breakfast at the Petroleum Club. Shown from left are Anthony Baham, Tammie Moore and Lana Fontenot of SLCC; SLCC Chancellor Dr. Vincent June; Ed "Tiger" Verdin and Jason Watson of the Chamber; and SLCC Vice Chancellor Bryan Glatter.

St. Mary Chamber Photo

Christmas ribbon-cutting

Wed, 12/15/2021 - 9:31am

A ribbon-cutting ceremony marked the opening of the Bernice Street Christmas by Candlelight event on Saturday. Shown from left are Leslie Baham and Mata Tellman of the St. Mary Chamber, Mayor Lee Dragna, Courtney Driskell and Virginia Smith of Bernice Street, Sheila Hue of the Chamber and Brenda Pittman of Bernice Street.

St. Mary Chamber Photo

Entergy gives to Nicholls coastal education effort

Wed, 12/15/2021 - 8:48am

Entergy Lousiana is donating $40,000 to the new Coastal Center at Nicholls State University to enhance the center’s coastal education and outreach initiatives.
The grant will support the Coastal Center Coast, Cli-mate, and Culture Literacy Program, which will bring exhibits to the center as well as organized presentations, group tours, publications and an additional webpage dedi-cated to the coast, climate and culture.
“We’ve seen firsthand how important it is for Louisiana to preserve its coast,” said Phillip May, Entergy Louisi-ana president and CEO. “Our partnership with Nicholls State University will help ensure future generations continue to understand and work to bolster our coastline for years to come. This is not just a project for today, but one that will have a lasting impact.”
Louisiana loses a football field of coastal islands and wetlands every 100 minutes and has experienced more coastal land loss than any other state in the nation since 1930 with more than 1,800 square miles turned to open water.
The Terrebonne Basin has the highest rate of coastal land loss in the state with more than 30,000 acres of wetlands lost since 1932. Meanwhile, the Atchafalaya Basin gained 4,000 acres of wetlands while every other basin in the state has lost land.
Dr. John Doucet, dean of the College of Science and Technology and distinguished service professor, said the exhibits will center around the significance of climate change, the importance of coastal restoration and protec-tion, the historical and cultural impacts and the connection between the community and the coast.
“This program will show communities the connections between the coast and their culture, between climate change and the coast and how the work of the Nicholls Coastal Center helps protect and preserve Louisiana’s coastal wetlands,” said Dr. Doucet, who also authored the grant. “We are grateful to have the support of Enter-gy Louisiana in establishing this program. Entergy is our region’s utility company, and they see firsthand the impacts of coastal land loss, especially following hurricane landfalls.”
For more information on the Nicholls Coastal Center, visit nicholls.edu/coastal-center.

Edwards overrules committee, will require COVID vaccinations for students

Wed, 12/15/2021 - 8:45am

WILLIAM PATRICK, The Center Square

Gov. John Bel Edwards announced Tuesday he is overriding a bipartisan House committee vote that strongly opposed adding COVID-19 vaccines to Louisiana K-12 school immunizations lists.

Edwards sent a letter Tuesday to the House Committee on Health and Welfare, notifying chair Rep. Larry Bagley, R-Stonewall, he is authorizing the Louisiana Department of Health to proceed with the effective school vaccine mandate.

“While I understand that any issue around COVID-19, especially those that involve our children, can be divisive, I ask that you and your colleagues work with me to get more people in Louisiana vaccinated,” Edwards wrote.

The committee voted 13-2 last week in opposition to the governor and Health Department’s student immunization plan.

Nearly two dozen legislators testified before the committee, along with House Speaker Clay Schexnayder, R-Gonzales; Attorney General Jeff Landry; Massachusetts vaccine skeptic Robert Kennedy Jr.; and an estimated 200 parents and state residents who submitted public comment requests – the vast majority of whom opposed the vaccine mandate.

Edwards, a Democrat, strongly supports COVID-19 vaccines and said children will not be forced to receive them “if their parents object in writing.”

Edwards' letter likened the vaccinations to those that eradicated diseases that harmed children in the past and now are part of the required immunization list for attending school.

“It is worth noting that while many of the diseases on the public health immunization schedule were once both rampant and deadly, they are no longer serious risks for school age children in Louisiana,” he said. “This is true because almost everyone was vaccinated against these diseases, many as a condition for attending elementary school.

“One can only imagine where we would be as a state if the same overheated rhetoric from last week’s meeting was applied to Polio or Measles,” Edwards added.

The House committee hearing was the first public opportunity lawmakers had to confront the governor’s administrative rule. Many charged Edwards was improperly bypassing the Legislature by attempting to enact an overly broad regulation.

The rule process quietly began in September and managed to avoid any previous public hearings or public comments during the required comment period, despite its controversial nature. Critics alleged the process was designed to avoid backlash.

If finalized, the regulation would apply to 16- and 17-year-olds and extend to students as young as age 5 pending FDA approval. Rep. Julie Emerson, R-Carencro, said the way the rule is written, the Legislature would not have an opportunity to weigh-in in the future.

Edwards said he is taking action to save lives.

“First and foremost, I am allowing this rule to go into effect because it will save lives and help Louisiana to emerge from this pandemic,” he said. “This rule explicitly provides that any student may be exempted by submitting ‘a written statement from a physician stating that such vaccination is contraindicated for medical reasons, or the individual or his parent or guardian submits a written dissent.’ ”

Many lawmakers said they were pro-vaccine last week but adamantly opposed vaccinating children. Some questioned whether the written opt-out exemption would be too narrow to opt-out in practice.

When Rep. Kenny Cox, D-Natchitoches, pressed for specific COVID-19 statistics regarding children, a Health Department epidemiologist testified that 125,000 children had tested positive in Louisiana during the pandemic. Eighteen had died, she said, of whom 14 had comorbidities.

If the rule is finalized, Louisiana will join California as the only states to require COVID-19 vaccinations for K-12 in-person learning.

Ochsner: 14,000 people vaccinated in Bayou Region in a year

Tue, 12/14/2021 - 5:27pm

Ochsner Health has given COVID-19 vaccinations to more than 14,000 people in its Bayou Region, which includes Ochsner St. Mary in Morgan City, since the system administered vaccine for the first time Dec. 14, 2020.
Ochsner said in a press release that it was the first health care facility in Louisiana and one of the first in the United States.
The first vaccinations went to health care workers.
In its Bayou Regional facilities — Ochsner St. Mary, Ochsner St. Anne and Chabert Medical Center — Ochsner said it has:
—Administered 31,371 vaccine doses to eligible patients.
—Fully vaccinated 14,584 individuals.
—Provided additional protection through the administration of 2,533 booster doses.
—Vaccinated 45 children under the age of 12.
Across the system, Ochsner administered nearly 650,000 vaccine doses and hosted 1,343 community vaccination events.
“Receiving my COVID-19 vaccine alongside my colleagues was a moment that I will always remember," said Debbie Ford, chief nursing officer at Ochsner Medical Center in New Orleans and the first vaccine recipient in Louisiana.
“Vaccines deliver protection and they also delivered hope to those of us fighting the pandemic. The vaccine allowed me to visit my grandchildren, go to Saints games and meet with other nursing leaders from across the country. Our fight isn’t over but with a safe and effective vaccine and booster shots, we remain optimistic and hopeful for a healthy and safe future for all.”
“I am a first-time grandmother, and it feels great to hold my little man in my arms,” said Mia Yepez, RN and intensive care unit supervisor at Ochsner New Orleans. “New Year’s is going to be the hardest for me, as it’s the time of year I reflect upon the most. This year was unlike any other in my 47 years.
“ I lived with constant fear that myself or one of my loved ones would end up on my unit dying from COVID-19, but now there is hope. I would tell myself a year ago that I’m proud of you, you can do this, and everything is going to be all right.
“This past year has definitely had its ups and downs,” said Steven Lee, critical care pharmacy specialist. “Since being vaccinated, I’ve felt much safer going to work, then coming home even amid the additional COVID-19 waves we’ve experienced this past year. At home, my wife and I celebrated the birth of our first child this year!”
Louisiana has lost 14,884 lives to COVID-19, Ochsner said. As the highly contagious Omicron variant continues to spread locally and globally, it is recommended that every eligible community member get vaccinated, Ochsner said.