Adeline Guienze/Teche Health 26th Annual 5k Run/Walk - Oct 31 2026

Enjoy a morning run/walk through the Historic and Downtown district of Franklin, La., by signing up for Teche Health's  Adeline Guienze Breast Cancer Memorial Fund 5K Run/Walk.  Teche Health established the Adeline Guienze Breast Cancer Memorial Fund in memory of Adeline Guienze to support its Women’s Health Program.  Funds generated from the event will be designated to pay for mammogram screenings for women who fall within specific income guidelines and the program’s breast cancer awareness outreach and education initiatives. This event is being held as part of the City of Franklin’s Main Street Merchant Harvest Moon Fest activities. 

The 5K Run/Walk will begin at 8:00 a.m. in the Courthouse Square Downtown Franklin, on Saturday, October 31, 2026. Starting time is 8:00 am for both runners and walkers. 

                      Awards:

One hundred & fifty dollars ($150.00) will be awarded to the top 1^{st place} male winner and the top 1^st place female winner. 1^st, 2^nd, and 3^rd place medals will be awarded for the top male and female runners and the top male and female walkers (by official race clock).  

                                Runner Amenities:

All pre-registered participants will receive a commemorative T-shirt.  Late registration participants will not receive a T-shirt!          ***All entry fees are non-refundable. *** 

                               Download the form below 

                                          and enter. 

                               For more information, call:

Demitrias Guy at 337-828-2550 ext 2214

Keyonn Charles Williams  at 337-828-2550 ext 2213 

Lawsuit Abuse Reform Must Go Further in Louisiana

By Jeff Arnold, former Chair, Louisiana House Judiciary Committee

Anyone who drives a car in Louisiana surely welcomed last November’s announcement that state Insurance Commissioner Tim Temple had approved reductions in premiums for two AllState auto insurance companies. Over 12,000 drivers will see reductions that range (on average) from 7.6% to 15%.

These reductions represent a simple case of cause and effect – and a promising path forward.

AllState’s reduced rates follow the state’s efforts to rein in lawsuit abuse and insurance fraud. In a statement released by Insurance Commissioner Tim Temple, an AllState representative directly linked the premium reductions to the lawsuit abuse reform efforts. 

Before last year’s legal reform legislation, Louisiana drivers had endured years of steadily rising auto insurance premiums, with Louisiana remaining the least affordable state in the nation for personal auto insurance. The legal environment was so inviting for bad actors that many insurers left the state altogether, reducing competition and further driving costs higher.

A study by the Perryman Group calculated the economic impact of excessive legal costs at $1.9 billion statewide. The combination of frivolous lawsuits and fraud killed nearly 20,000 jobs and cost citizens a total of $1.2 billion – driving up the costs of goods and services so that every household in the state essentially pays a hidden “lawsuit tax” of more than $4000. Lawsuit abuse has forced the trucking industry to pay higher insurance premiums on fleet vehicles – an expense that shows up in cost increases for the goods those trucks ship.

Industry groups and policy analysts argue that Louisiana’s coastal litigation climate has discouraged investment in the state’s energy sector. Since the first wave of coastal lawsuits was filed in 2013, Louisiana has experienced significant declines in offshore reserves, production, and energy-sector employment relative to national trends, according to a 2025 report on the economic impact of coastal litigation.

While the 2025 lawsuit abuse reform legislation established a signal that Louisiana is taking the problem seriously, we must do more. Only by continuing to build on these reforms will we maintain the progress made and keep the momentum going.

Gov. Jeff Landry, along with Commissioner Temple, has proposed several measures to do so. For example, the civil legal system still suffers from a lack of transparency, particularly in terms of medical damages. Unclear medical treatment costs can drastically and artificially inflate awards and settlement amounts. Sensible reforms must ensure transparency in medical billing and damages calculations to ensure fairness in plaintiff awards.

Smart reforms must also crack down on third-party litigation funding – a process where attorneys work on contingency, financed by loans taken out on behalf of the plaintiff. This process ensures trial lawyers get paid, but plaintiffs can be left watching their settlement evaporate, paying off legal debt.

Further critical measures may include putting a stop to “venue-shopping,” a practice where trial attorneys try to change a trial’s location to ensure the most favorable jury. 

Reforms might also establish strong minimum standards for the “expert witnesses” attorneys call during a trial. This would help foster verdicts based on a sound, scientific, and factual basis – rather than emotional appeals made by courtroom performers who play to a jury.

In addition to measures that close loopholes, Louisiana must also continue to track down those who exploit the system’s inherent laxity to commit fraud. The Department of Insurance (LDI) has started this process with a 30% staff increase to fight high-tech fraud and aggressive act
ions against companies associated with staged accident rings. LDI has also investigated out-of-state law firms and contractors who engage in fraudulent claims and deceptive trade practices.

For now, some Louisianans will get some measure of relief when they pay this year’s car insurance bills. After seeing such an impact of an important first step, why stop now?

Jeff Arnold

Former Chair, House Judiciary Committee

Louisiana Legislature

504-812-8651

jeffarno@yahoo.com

 

Waiver to participate in the 7th Annual Juneteenth Bicycle Ride in Morgan City June 20, 2026

PRESS RELEASE: MORGAN CITY POLICE RESPOND TO ACTIVE BURGLARY; ONE ARRESTED

🚨

On the night of May 26, 2026, officers with the Morgan City Police Department were dispatched to a residence on Headland Street in reference to a burglary that had just occurred. Upon arrival, officers made contact with the victim, who advised that a subject had knocked on her door before forcing his way into the residence. During the course of the investigation, it was learned that the subject began demanding firearms while inside the residence. Investigators determined that the subject subsequently located firearms inside the residence and armed himself with them. During the incident, the subject allegedly brandished a firearm at the victim. Shortly after the incident occurred, officers obtained information regarding the suspect and his location. During the investigation, a search warrant was executed at a residence on Poncio Street in Morgan City, where evidence related to the crime was recovered from the residence. The suspect was identified as Arrie Sam, 21 years of age, of Poncio Street in Morgan City. He was arrested and transported to the Morgan City Police Department Jail and booked on the following charges: • Aggravated Burglary of an Inhabited Dwelling • False Imprisonment While Armed with a Dangerous Weapon • Contempt of Court (6th Ward City Court)

Enter the Adeline Guienze Memorial 5k Run/Walk, Sat Oct 25, 2025

‼️SMPSO Investigating Fatal Shooting on Bray Lane‼️

‼️Breaking News - May 6, 2025‼️

‼️SMPSO Investigating Fatal Shooting on Bray Lane‼️

St Joseph – At approximately 7:14 PM on Tuesday evening, May 6, 2025, deputies with the St. Mary Parish Sheriff’s Office were dispatched to Bray Lane, in response to a report of a shooting.

Upon arrival, deputies located one victim who had been struck by gunfire. The individual was pronounced deceased. The area has been secured, and SMPSO detectives have responded and are actively investigating the incident.

At this time, we urge the public to avoid the area as the investigation remains ongoing. Additional details will be released as they become available.

Sheriff Gary Driskell is asking anyone who may have information regarding this incident to contact the St. Mary Parish Sheriff’s Office at 337-828-1960 or submit a tip via the SMPSO website at www.stmaryso.com/crime-tips.

St Mary Parish Sheriff Gary Driskell giving inmates a second chance

St Mary Parish Sheriff Gary Driskell is all about giving his incarcerated offenders a second chance
By: Howard J. Castay, Jr.
Morgan City -- Driskell held a press conference April 16, 2025, to share the details of an initial plan that began roughly four months ago, to graduate seven of his offenders from South La. Community College, and certify them as welders.
Seven offenders housed at the St. Mary Parish Law Enforcement Center successfully completed the program, marking the beginning of a promising transition from incarceration to gainful employment.
The graduating class is part of a groundbreaking pilot program designed to equip offenders with welding skills.
This initiative prepares them for participation in the Work Release Program, enabling them to secure jobs even before completing their corrections sentences.
The program not only provides vocational training but also serves as a critical step toward reducing recidivism.
By fostering practical skills and self-reliance, the initiative aims to support offenders as they reintegrate into society, thereby contributing to safer communities and more hopeful futures.
In the YouTube video, Driskell details the plan further and answers questions from local and statewide media that were present, including KBZE 105.9FM General Manager, Howard Castay.