Jindal Cuts St. Mary Community Action

A July veto by Gov. Bobby Jindal stung a 40 year old St. Mary Community Action Agency, a non-governmental organization whose work got the attention of Capitol Hill, after they took in more than 3,000 Hurricane Katrina evacuees and fed them their first hot meal in days.

Veto message No 198 was to provide $100, 000 to the St Mary Parish Community Action. The message that followed in a Jindal issued press release stated, “This is a Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) funding request which did not meet the criteria established in my letter of April 30, 2008. Therefore, I am vetoing this item.”

St. Mary Community Action Director Almetra J. Franklin said she was “startled” when she heard the news. “We were just one of 258 cuts. But all of the Governor’s cuts affected children and families, and that bothers me. I still don’t understand how he can talk about a new quality of life for Louisianians, and then turn around and do something like this,” she said.

“When you talk about social services and improving the quality of life of this state, and the need for employees and people to work, but more importantly helping to bring people from the bottom to the top, why cut the driving force who empowers, enriches and teaches life skills to these folk? Is that the kind of Louisiana we’re trying to build?” Franklin asked.

During Hurricane Katrina, the St. Mary Community Action Agency took more than 3,000 of the first wave of Hurricane Katrina evacuees, and gave them their first hot meal in days. They also placed 105 children into Head Start classrooms, and they sponsored an adoption program that led 23 families to take in displaced residents of New Orleans.

Jennifer Turner, found out about the St. Mary organization about 15 days after Katrina. She is a New Orleanian who, together with her family, drove to a friend’s home in Morgan City, who informed her of the agency. She had previously evacuated to North Louisiana, but later returned to her home.

“After living for about a week with no power, and no sleep, and watching my husband guard our home with a shot-gun because of looters, I was near the break of losing it,” Turner said.

“If it had not been for St. Mary Community Action, I know I would have lost my mind. With their assistance, I found my peace again. Then, I found housing, I got food stamps,” she said.

“With their help, you knew that things weren’t all right, but you also could see the light at the end of the tunnel,” Turner said. She has since returned to New Orleans, and has been able to re-open her business, which also was heavily damaged from Katrina.

St. Mary Community Action’s work during Hurricane Katrina also caught the attention of former Democratic Presidential hopeful Chris Dodd, who referenced the organization during speeches he made on the campaign trail.

Dodd called the work “…acts of justice. Although their work did not remove the stain of what happened, it can begin to tell us how the stain might be dissolved.”

Laura Meadows, legislative assistant for Senator Butch Gautreaux, said she too was baffled by the veto. “I call Ms. Almetra for everything, and 99 percent of the time, she either can help me with the problems I have, or she points me in the direction to go. This is one veto I believe was not researched properly,” she said.

“Our motto is people helping people, reaching families, touching lives,” Franklin said. “And we try to do that with programs like Head Start, Home Buying, Job Access, Jag, Utility Assistance, even transportation – yes we bring those with no transportation back and forth to the doctor, especially for things like kidney dialysis.”

Franklin is also in the planning stages of launching a Foreclosure Mitigation Program, to help people work with their mortgage lenders, instead of entering the foreclosure process where they would lose their homes.

“Our programs aid tax payers, and non-tax payers. We were planning to use this money for the expansion of services – particularly in emergency responsiveness. With all the good we did during Katrina, we checked ourselves and evaluated our weak points. That’s what this money was going to help us fix,” Franklin said.

State Rep. Sam Jones said he could not believe St. Mary Community Action was part of the Governor’s veto list.

“He’s such a big proponent of early childhood – and there’s no group I know who does it best like Mrs. Franklin and her staff. They do so much good, since 1963 or 64. And she’s been at the helm for the past 19 years,” Jones said.

(pictured above left - St. Mary Community Action Director, Almetra J. Franklin)

St. Mary Parish Sheriff's Office

Date: July 25, 2008

According to Sheriff David Naquin during the last 24 hours the Sheriff’s Office responded to 43 complaints and reports the following arrests:

Rickey L. Lantier 33 yoa of 107 Fox Glove Road, Patterson was arrested on 7-24-2008 at 10:50 am on warrants for Morgan City Police Department for Driving Under Suspension and Loud Music. Suspect was located in the Patterson area, placed under arrest on warrants and booked into the parish jail and later transferred to Morgan City Police Department.

Melba J. Welliver 49 yoa of 121 Emy Lane Lot # 57, Patterson was arrested on 7-24-2008 at 11:18 am on a warrant for Failure to Appear on the charge of Possession of Cocaine. Suspect turned herself into the Sheriff’s Office after learning of a warrant for her arrest. Suspect was placed under arrest and booked into the parish jail with a $13,500.00 bond at this time.

Caswick Clark 21 yoa of 290 Mallard St., Morgan City was arrested on 7-24-2008 at 9:24 pm for Resisting an Officer, Disturbing the Peace, Trespassing and warrants for Failure to Appear on the charge of Angling without a Fishing License and a Morgan City Police Department warrant for Failure to Appear on the charge of Disturbing the Peace. Agents of the Narcotics Task Force were patrolling Louisiana Ave. in the Morgan City area, when they observed several subjects walking in the roadway. Agents conducted an investigative stop when above suspect fled on foot. Agents gave chase apprehending suspect on Duke St. Suspect was placed under arrest on above charges and booked into the parish jail with no bond at this time.

Nicole Watson 38 yoa of 104 Bergeron Lane, Bayou Vista was arrested on 7-25-2008 at 2:58 am on warrants for Failure to Appear on the charge of No License Plate Lights and a warrant for Issuing Worthless Checks. Deputy was patrolling the Bayou vista area, when an investigative stop was made on Teche and Bergeron St. During investigation it was learned of warrants for suspect’s arrest. Suspect was placed under arrest and booked into the parish jail with an $883.50 bond at this time.

The St. Mary Multi-Jurisdictional Drug Task Force, consisting of St. Mary Sheriff Dept., Morgan City Police Dept., Patterson Police Department Franklin Police Dept., Baldwin Police Dept., Berwick Police Dept., and Chitimacha Police Dept., report the following arrests:

Francisco Ortega Hernandez 23 yoa of 510 Lucy St., Patterson was arrested on 7-24-2008 at 4:06 pm for Stop Sign Violation, Possession of Marijuana and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia. Agents of the Narcotics Task Force were called to Family Dollar Store in Amelia in reference to Deputy making a traffic stop and locating illegal narcotics. Upon Agents arrival it was learned from Deputy that a bag of marijuana and paraphernalia were located during an investigation of a traffic stop. After investigation suspect was placed under arrest and booked into the parish jail with a $3750.00 bond at this time.

Susan Gaudet 45 yoa of 124 Francis Lane, Patterson, Larry J. Marceaux 50 yoa of 124 Francis Lane Lot # 23, Patterson and Troy D. Mathews 39 yoa of 141 Parro Lane, Berwick were arrested on 7-24-2008 at 8:19 pm for Possession of Marijuana with Gaudet also being charged with Stop Sign Violation. Agents of the Narcotics Task Force were patrolling the Morgan City area when a traffic stop was conducted on Front St. During investigation a search of vehicle was conducted with a bag of marijuana being located. After investigation above suspects were placed under arrest and booked into the parish jail with Gaudet having a $2250.00 bond and the other two having a $2000.00 bond at this time.

Gregory A. Davis 21 yoa of 2008 Keith St., Morgan City and Corey J. Williams 22 yoa of 113 Avenue of Acadians # 6, Opelousas, La. were arrested on 7-24-2008 at 10:03 pm for Possession of Marijuana with Williams also being charged with Loud Music. Agents of the Narcotics Task Force were patrolling Federal Ave. in Morgan City when they conducted a traffic stop on above suspects for loud music. During investigation a search of vehicle was conducted with a bag of marijuana being located. After investigation both suspects were placed under arrest and booked into the parish jail with Davis having a $2000.00 bond and Williams having a $2250.00 bond at this time.

Benjamin J. Cornwell 31 yoa of 2748 Sixth St., Berwick was arrested on 7-24-2008 at 11:07 pm for Possession of Crack Cocaine, Obstruction of Justice and a warrant for Failure to Appear on the charge of Possession of Hydrocodone, Improper Turning and Speeding. Agents of the Narcotics Task Force were patrolling Second St. in Morgan City when they conducted an investigative stop on two subjects walking down the street. While Agents were conducting investigation above suspect was observed to have an item in his mouth. Agents retrieved a rock of crack cocaine from suspect’s mouth. After investigation suspect was placed under arrest on above charges and booked into the parish jail with no bond at this time.

CONGRATS TO MC 10'S AND 12'S

Morgan City 10 and 12 year olds
in the Dixie Youth Southern Regionals:

Sunday, July 20th:
12 year olds (3) vs. Gonzales Nationals (11)
10 year olds (6) vs. West Monroe North (14)

Scores from Saturday July 19th:
MC 12 year olds (8) vs Derrider (3)
MC 10 year olds (7) vs Ruston (4)

Scores from Friday July 18th:
Morgan City 10's (1) vs Gonzales Nationals (12)
Morgan City 12's (4) vs Girard Playground (7)

St. Mary School Board issues public notice on absences

The St. Mary Parish School Board will implement a new policy regarding student attendance during the 2008-2009 school year.

Also, the School Board will continue a small $20 stipend for parents to assist with school supplies.

St. Mary School Superintendent Donald Aguillard said elementary and junior high schools students will have to attend 160 days of school in order to receive full credit for classes.

Also, high school students will have to attend 81 days of school for full credit classes, and 40 days of school for half-credit classes.

Previously, all students from elementary through high school were allowed to miss 20 days of class per year. With the new revision, Aguillard said the maximum number of allowed absences is 14 days for elementary and junior high school students, and seven days for high school students.

Aguillard said the School Board will also implement a policy regarding student threats, harassment, intimidating and bullying, called, “cyber-bullying/electronic communication” on the internet. “We’re taking a zero tolerance policy,” he said. Violators could be thrown out of school.

On another matter, the School Board agreed to continue its practice from last year, of giving $20 to each student system wide, for the purchase of school supplies. The move will cost the Board and taxpayers $200,000.

However, the money is given to each school, who are asked to provide parents with a detailed accounting of school supplies or fees that have been offset by the $20 stipend.

In elementary schools, the stipends allow principals to provide students with crayons, glue and other supplies.

Middle and high schools utilize the allocation to help defray all or a portion of school fees for such items as identification cards, locker rentals or yearly planners.

“The St. Mary Parish School Board is keenly aware of the importance of equipping all students with the tools necessary for academic success, and the addition of a school supply fund is just one contribution in that endeavor,” Aguillard said.

St Mary Parish Sheriff's Office Release

Date: July 24, 2008

According to Sheriff David Naquin during the last 24 hours the Sheriff’s Office responded to 43 complaints and reports the following arrests:

Jason P. Domingue 23 yoa of 112 Griggs St., Lafayette was arrested on 7-23-2008 at 12:43 pm on warrants for Lafayette Parish for Failure to Appear on the charge of Driving Under Suspension and Failure to Appear on the charge of Possession of Marijuana 2nd. Deputy was called to Hwy 90 in the calumet area in reference to a vehicle accident. Upon Deputy’s arrival suspect vehicle was located partially in the ditch with missing tire. Upon deputy conducting investigation it was learned that suspect had warrants for his arrest. Suspect was placed under arrest and booked into the parish jail with no bond at this time.

Jesse Landry 18 yoa of 139 Big Bear Lane, Franklin was arrested on 7-23-2008 at 12:56 pm on warrants for Violation of a Protective Order and Criminal Damage to Property. Suspect came to the Sheriff’s Office in reference to another incident, when it was learned of warrants for his arrest. Suspect was placed under arrest and booked into the parish jail with no bond at this time.

Jarret S. Grow 18 yoa of 1081 Adell St., Morgan City was arrested on 7-23-2008 at 8:21 pm on a warrant for Failure to Appear on the charge of Littering. Deputy was patrolling the Bayou Vista area, when he conducted a traffic stop on Evergreen St. During investigation it was learned of a warrant for suspect’s arrest. Suspect was placed under arrest and booked into the parish jail with no bond at this time.

Ervin Fontenot 46 yoa of 163 Beadle St., Amelia was arrested on 7-23-2008 at 10:56 pm for Driving Under Suspension, Turn Signaled Required and a warrant for Theft. Deputy was patrolling the Amelia area, when Deputy conducted a traffic stop on Lake Palourde Road and Barrow St. During investigation it was also learned of a warrant for suspect’s arrest. Suspect was placed under arrest and booked into the parish jail with no bond at this time.
Date: July 24, 2008

The St. Mary Multi-Jurisdictional Drug Task Force, consisting of St. Mary Sheriff Dept., Morgan City Police Dept., Patterson Police Department Franklin Police Dept., Baldwin Police Dept., Berwick Police Dept., and Chitimacha Police Dept., report the following arrests:

Brandi Turner 19 yoa of 156 Sun St., Bayou Vista and Reginald Webb 25 yoa of 226 Universe St., Bayou Vista were arrested on 7-23-2008 at 2:44 pm for Possession of Marijuana, Possession of CDS in the Presence of a Juvenile and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia. Agents of the Narcotics Task Force received information of Illegal narcotics at Turner’s residence. Agents went to location and made contact with suspects and advised them of Information received. Agents received consent to search and recovered marijuana and drug paraphernalia. During investigation an infant child was also in the residence resulting in the additional charge. Suspects were placed under arrest and booked into the parish jail with no bond at this time.

St. Mary Parish Sheriff's Office Press Release

Date: July 23, 2008

According to Sheriff David Naquin during the last 24 hours the Sheriff’s Office responded to 45 complaints and reports the following arrests:

Don Bennett 20 yoa of 520 Dangerfield St., Patterson was arrested on 7-22-2008 at 7:30 am for Theft. Deputy was called to Wal-mart in Bayou Vista in reference to an employee stealing a cell phone. Upon Deputy’s arrival it was learned from store security that above suspect was observed stealing a phone from the store. After investigation suspect was placed under arrest and issued a summons to appear in court on 10-9-2008.

Jeanell Wesley 22 yoa of 106 Wedell St., Patterson was arrested on 7-22-2008 at 4:37 pm for Theft. Deputy was called to Wal-mart in Bayou Vista in reference to an employee stealing money from the register. Upon Deputy’s arrival it was learned from Security that above suspect was observed taking money from her register. After investigation suspect was placed under arrest and issued a summons to appear in court on 10-9-2008.

Antoine F. Jones 18 yoa of 136 Georgetown Road, Glencoe was arrested on 7-22-2008 at 8:47 pm for Resisting an Officer, Misrepresentation During Booking and a Failure to Appear on the charge of Possession of Drug Paraphernalia. Agents were patrolling the Charenton area when several subjects were observed standing in the middle of Mary Garrett Road. Agents attempted to conduct an investigative stop, when subjects fled on foot. Above suspect was apprehended and placed under arrest. During booking process it was learned that suspect had given a false name and was additionally charged. Suspect was booked into the parish jail with no bond at this time.

Property Taxes Going up in St. Mary

A move that will raise 2008 property taxes in St. Mary Parish has left three councilmen irked at their peers.

Councilmen David Hanagriff, Kevin Voisin and Logan Fromenthal all cast opposing votes; however, the measure was approved.

St. Mary Parish Chief Administrative Officer Henry "Bo" LaGrange said the hike was precipitated by a report that last year's property tax assessment had only increased 2.28 percent. Tax assessor Sherel Martin said the 2007 figure increased from $251.2 million to just over $255 million.

The council had the option of lowering, or "rolling back," property taxes or, conversely, raising the rates.

In 2007, the parish collected 7.25 mills, the maximum allowed by state law.

In order to collect the same amount of money as they did last year, and simultaneously not raise property taxes, they needed to roll back or decrease the assessed millage to 7.10 mills.

In order to collect the same amount of money as they did last year, and simultaneously not raise property taxes, they needed to roll back or decrease the assessed millage to 7.10 mills.

However, the council opted to roll back, but then roll forward taxes. Based on the $255 million assessment, that move will generate $27, 465 for the parish, bringing their total for property tax revenue to $1.849 million, La Grange said.

Hanagriff's beef with the decision to roll forward property taxes is that the public did not have a say. "I don't believe in any tax increase that is allowed without a vote of the people," he explained.

The continued swell in sales tax receipts, which are roughly $300,000 over last year's collections to date, lead Voisin and Fromenthal to oppose the decision. Last year, $19.8 million in sales taxes were collected in St. Mary.

With the money collected so far, the parish council will garner $3 million from sales tax receipts; Morgan City, $2.3 million; Franklin, $1.5 million; Patterson, $846,000; Berwick, $777,000;Baldwin, $424,000; and the St. Mary Parish Sheriff’s office, $1.3 million.

Although most homeowners will pay only $1 more a year because of the state homestead exemption, Voisin said businesses will bear the brunt of the decision to raise property taxes.

"Our parish president wanted the increases because of the parish's rising fuel costs," Voisin said. "Well, what about the business owner? Who is paying for his rising fuel costs? I think everybody needs a break."

Fromenthal said his constituents asked him to oppose the roll forward decision."I just didn't see where we need the additional dollars. We could have rolled back and collected the same amount of money that we did in 2006 and 2007," he reasoned. "Even though (the previous property tax rate) isn't a lot of money, this would have not pinched anyone. People should have a voice when it comes to new taxes."

St. Mary Parish President Paul Naquin argued the move was necessary to ensure public services. "I am not about raising taxes," he said. "I've been told that if we didn't roll forward this year, we won't be able to do so for the next four years."

"We've got rising fuel costs ... and we know another hurricane is coming. We don't know when, but we know one is coming. "I just don't want to get caught with our pants down," Naquin said.

St. Mary Parish Sheriff's Office

Press Release

Date: July 16, 2008

According to Sheriff David Naquin during the last 24 hours the Sheriff’s Office responded to 35 complaints and reports the following arrests:

Shaun B. Chmielewski 28 yoa of 102 Billiot Lane, Bayou Vista was arrested on 7-15-2008 at 4:07 pm on a warrant for Simple Burglary. Warrant stems from an investigation into a burglary that occurred on 7-14-2008 at the Anchor Lounge in Bayou Vista. Suspect was located at his residence, placed under arrest and booked into the parish jail with a $250,000.00 bond at this time.

Gloria D. Verdine 23 yoa of 504 Williams St., Patterson was arrested on 7-15-2008 at 11:17 pm on warrants for Failure to Appear on the charges of Driving Under Suspension and Speeding, Failure to Appear on the charge of No Drivers License and Failure to Appear on the charges of No Drivers License and Improper Tint. Deputy was patrolling the Bayou Vista area, when a traffic stop was conducted at the Plantation Inn Parking Lot. During investigation it was learned of warrants for suspect’s arrest. Suspect was placed under arrest and booked into the parish jail with no bond at this time.

Sheriff David A. Naquin advises that on 7-16-2008 at 2:05 am the St. Mary Parish Sheriff’s Office was called to 4682 Chitimacha Trail in Charenton in reference to a small child drowning in a pool at the residence. Sheriff Naquin advises that upon Deputies arrival the child Hayden Ladmirault 5 yoa was located in the family pool unresponsive. Acadian Ambulance responded to the scene and transported the child to Franklin Foundation Hospital where attempts to revive him were unsuccessful. Sheriff Naquin advises that St. Mary Parish Corners Office was called and along with the Sheriff’s Office is currently conducting an investigation into the incident. No further information available at this time.

St. Mary Parish Sheriff's Office Press Release

The St. Mary Multi-Jurisdictional Drug Task Force, consisting of St. Mary Sheriff Dept., Morgan City Police Dept., Patterson Police Department Franklin Police Dept., Baldwin Police Dept., Berwick Police Dept., and Chitimacha Police Dept., report the following arrests:

Derek Gaskins 27 yoa of 150 Friendship Alley, Amelia was arrested on 7-10-2008 at 7:22 pm for Possession of Marijuana 2nd and Obstruction of Justice. Agents were patrolling Friendship Alley in Amelia when they observed several subjects in front of a residence. As Agents got closer to the location above suspect took off running to the back of the residence. Agents then exited their units and gave chase, with suspect running behind a tree line next to the railroad and hiding behind the bushes. Suspect was apprehended and an investigation was conducted. Upon Agents approaching suspect a large amount of money was located partially buried in the dirt next to suspect. Agents recovered $3088.00 in U. S. Currency. Upon further searching the area of suspect location a bag of marijuana was also located on the ground. After investigation Suspect was placed under arrest on above charges and booked into the parish jail with no bond at this time.

Larry L. Griffin 30 yoa of 124 Lydia St., Patterson was arrested on 7-10-2008 at 8:28 pm for Possession of Marijuana and Possession of CDS Inside of a Drug Free Zone. Agents of the Narcotics Task Force were patrolling Brownell Homes in Morgan City, when they observed above suspect exiting his vehicle on Mallard St. Upon suspect seeing Agents he began to flee on foot. Agents gave chase with suspect being apprehended behind the apartments. During investigation a bag of marijuana was located on suspect. Suspect was placed under arrest and booked into the parish jail on above charges with no bond at this time.

According to Sheriff David Naquin during the last 24 hours the Sheriff’s Office responded to 37 complaints and reports the following arrests:

Jennifer L. Sauce 30 yoa of 707 St. Luke St. Patterson was arrested on 7-10-2008 at 9:15 am on a warrant for Failure to Appear for Probation Review Hearing. Suspect turned herself into the St. Mary Sheriff’s Office after learning of a warrant for her arrest. Suspect was placed under arrest and booked into the parish jail with a $50,000.00 bond at this time.

Martin G. Levine 46 yoa of 502 Freret St., Morgan City was arrested on 7-10-2008 at 9:40 am for Theft. Arrest stems from an investigation into a theft of a radiator taken from Bergeron Farms in Bayou Vista. Suspect was developed and after interview was placed under arrest and booked into the parish jail with a $1000.00 bond and was later released.

Rosemary Walker 41 yoa of 1712 Lisa Ave, Atlanta, Georgia was arrested on 7-10-2008 at 8:54 pm on warrants for Issuing Worthless Checks, two warrants for Failure to Appear on the charge of Issuing Worthless Checks and a Probation Violation warrant for Lafourche Parish. Deputy was called to the Amelia Belle in reference to Bondsman locating suspect who has warrants for her arrest. Upon Deputy’s arrival and speaking with complainant a warrants check was conducted with above suspect being placed under arrest and booked into the parish jail with no bond at this time.

TOWN HALL MEETING

SATURDAY, JULY 12TH

10AM

WEST ST MARY CIVIC CENTER

RESIDENTS OF FOUR CORNERS, GLENCOE, ASHTON AND SORRELL

GIVEN BY: ST MARY PARISH COUNCILMAN FOR DISTRICT 1

REV. CRAIG A MATTHEWS

OPEN DISCUSSIONS ON COMMUNITY CONCERNS

St. Mary Parish Sheriff's Office Press Release

Date: July 10, 2008

According to Sheriff David Naquin during the last 24 hours the Sheriff’s Office responded to 49 complaints and reports the following arrests:

Hope A. Rogers 22 yoa of 123 Jake St., Patterson was arrested on 7-9-2008 at 12:00 pm on a warrant for Failure to Appear as a Witness in a Criminal Case on 6-15-2008. Suspect was located in the courthouse, placed under arrest on warrant and issued a summons to appear in court on 7-10-2008.

Herbert Riley Sr. 71 yoa of 312 Laura St., Morgan City was arrested on 7-9-2008 at 1:47 pm on a warrant for Failure to Appear on the charge of Fishing without a Commercial Gear License. Suspect had come into the Morgan City Sheriff’s office for an unrelated incident when it was learned of a warrant for his arrest. Suspect was placed under arrest and issued a summons to appear in court on 10-9-2008.

Glen A. Johnson 49 yoa of 125 Cypress St., Baldwin was arrested on 7-9-2008 at 3:25 pm on warrants for Issuing Worthless Checks. Suspect had come into the Sheriff’s Office for an unrelated incident when it was learned of warrants for his arrest. Suspect was placed under arrest and issued a summons to appear in court on 10-9-2008

Jennifer M. Slate 47 yoa of 219 Jones St. # 6, Berwick was arrested on 7-9-2008 at 4:35 pm for Theft. Deputy was called to Smart Style Hair Salon in reference to a theft. Upon Deputy’s arrival it was learned from Manager that two deposits were missing that suspect was responsible for. After Deputy conducted an investigation into the incident suspect was placed under arrest and booked into the parish jail with a $500.00 bond and was later released.


The St. Mary Multi-Jurisdictional Drug Task Force
Funded by the Louisiana Law Enforcement Commission
Through the Evangeline Law Enforcement Commission District

Press Release

Date: July 10, 2008

The St. Mary Multi-Jurisdictional Drug Task Force, consisting of St. Mary Sheriff Dept., Morgan City Police Dept., Patterson Police Department Franklin Police Dept., Baldwin Police Dept., Berwick Police Dept., and Chitimacha Police Dept., report the following arrests:

Danny Andorf 33 yoa of 211 Highway 182 Lot # 3, Morgan City was arrested on 7-9-2008 at 11:17 pm for Possession of Marijuana with Intent to Distribute 2nd, Possession of Drug Paraphernalia, Keeping a Disorderly Place and Possession of CDS in the Presence of a Juvenile. Deputy was called to above location in reference to a disturbance. Upon Deputy making contact with suspect an odor of burnt marijuana was emitting from the residence. Deputy received consent to search the residence and located marijuana and drug paraphernalia. Agents were called to the scene to conduct an investigation. During investigation a large bag containing several small bags of marijuana were also located. After investigation suspect was placed under arrest and booked into the parish jail with no bond at this time.

Letter to the Editor

Dear Editor:

On behalf of the Teachers’ Retirement System of Louisiana (TRSL) Board of Trustees and its executive management, we would like to express our appreciation to Sen. D.A. “Butch” Gautreaux for his commitment to the educators of this state, as well as his service on the TRSL Board and the Senate Committee on Retirement.

Through his leadership on the Senate Committee on Retirement, Sen. Gautreaux has positively impacted the educational community in a number of areas.

He has consistently supported legislation requesting that Congress repeal federal laws that reduce the Social Security benefits of retired public employees, such as teachers, police officers, and fire fighters, who have participated in public pension plans. The Government Pension Offset (GPO) and the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) routinely deny critical Social Security income to these former public employees who dedicated their careers to community service.

In the regular session ending on June 23, 2008, Sen. Gautreaux sponsored legislation that would give TRSL’s retired members and their beneficiaries a 3.0 percent cost-of-living adjustment (COLA). This is the second consecutive year our members have received a 3.0 percent increase in their retirement benefits to offset inflation. In fact, last year Sen. Gautreaux and Sen. Gerald J. Theunissen took steps to ensure that retirees received a full 3.0 percent increase when they supported legislation granting an additional 0.5 percent increase to the 2007 COLA. TRSL received a tremendous response from our retirees who thanked Sen. Gautreaux for enabling them to receive a full 3.0 percent COLA in 2007.

In response to attempts in this recent legislative session to seize retirement benefits of school employees for criminal offenses, without regard to constitutional rights or the impact to their innocent families, Sen. Gautreaux offered a sound plan in Senate Bill 27. While the bill did not reach passage, his ability to craft legislation on this controversial topic that addressed both due process issues and victims’ rights concerns illustrated his skill as a decisive legislator and a compassionate public servant.

Also during this session, he and his committee wisely requested that TRSL seek court guidance on House Bill 89 which allows TRSL members who are eligible to participate in the Deferred Retirement Option Plan (DROP) to choose how their DROP accounts earn interest. TRSL will now seek a declaratory judgment with regard to the constitutional rights of DROP members who may elect to have their DROP accounts decreased should the System experience a negative rate of return. Essentially, the Senate Committee on Retirement foresaw the need to have a definitive legal answer in the event of a court challenge to a signed document from a DROP member that waives his or her right to protection from a negative rate of return.

To provide you with more information on DROP, it was established in 1992 and allowed TRSL members to participate for up to two years at any time once eligible. DROP enabled members to continue to work and build a tax-deferred savings by depositing into a special account the regular monthly retirement benefit to which they will be entitled upon ending employment. In 1994, the legislature extended the DROP participation period to three years with a set window of opportunity for participation.

Currently, DROP accounts earn interest in one of two ways:

• For members who were eligible to participate in DROP before January 1, 2004, DROP accounts earn interest at TRSL’s actuarially realized rate of return, less a 0.5 percent administrative fee.

• For members who were eligible to participate in DROP on or after January 1, 2004, DROP accounts earn interest at the liquid asset money market rate of return, less a 0.25 percent administrative fee.

Under a state attorney general opinion in 2002, DROP accounts are protected benefits under the state Constitution, and cannot be decreased by negative rates of return.

This opinion prompted Act 962 of the 2003 Regular Session, establishing the mechanism by which members, who were eligible to participate in DROP on or after January 1, 2004, earn interest on their DROP accounts.

Tying DROP interest rates to the liquid asset money market rate was meant to prevent TRSL from incurring an unfunded accrued liability (UAL) in years when the System experienced a negative rate of return.

The passage of House Bill 89 marks yet another change in the history of DROP. Sen. Gautreaux’s leadership and advice regarding this popular optional TRSL program is welcome and highly respected.

Under the guidance of Sen. Gautreaux, the Senate Committee on Retirement has worked hard to enhance and protect the benefits of TRSL’s retired members and their beneficiaries.

Sen. Gautreaux has consistently demonstrated his keen understanding of the nuances of retirement issues and has been a true advocate for pension legislation that not only provides a dependable source of income to retired educators, but also creates a meaningful difference in the lives of all TRSL members.It has been and continues to be a privilege to work with him and his staff on issues that impact the educators of this state.

Sincerely,

Sheryl R. Abshire, Ph.D.Chair, TRSL Board

Maureen H. Westgard, TRSL Director

St. Mary Parish Sheriff's Report

July 1, 2008

Date: 7-1-08

According to Sheriff David A. Naquin Deputies responded to 41 complaints in the past 24 hours and the following arrests were made:

Ashley Gaudet 52 of 3616B Lake Palourde Rd. Amelia La. was arrested on 6-30-08 on charges of Disturbing the Peace and illegal use of a Weapon. Gaudet was arrested after Deputies responded to a complaint in the Amelia area. Allegedly Gaudet fired his shotgun at an unknown animal and then had an argument with his neighbors using profane language. Gaudet was incarcerated in the Parish Jail and later released on a Recognizance bond.

Robert Anthony Norris 18 of 3327 2nd St. Berwick la. Was arrested on 6-30-08 on a warrant for Failure to Appear on charges of Telephone Harassment. Norris was incarcerated in the Parish Jail and his bond set at $3000.00 dollars.

Shawn Allen Lahman 41 of 490 Oregon St. Berwick La was arrested on 6-30-08 on a warrant charging him with one count of Issuing Worthless Checks. Lahman was processed and released on a Summons.

Norman Burke 61 of 126 Todd Ln. Morgan City La. was arrested on 7-1-08 on a warrant charging him with 3 counts of Issuing worthless checks. Burke was processed and released on a Summons.

Dang Phi Nguyen 39 of 1309 Arbor Circle Rd. Bayou Vista La., was arrested on 7-1-08 and charged with Bicycles must have Front lamp, Battery of a Police Officer, Resisting an Officer and Disturbing the Peace Intoxicated. Nguyen was arrested after Deputies on Patrol in the Bayou Vista area observed Nguyen and made a traffic stop. Nguyen appeared intoxicated, argued with officers and then committed a battery on an officer. Nguyen was incarcerated in the Parish Jail and no bond has been set at this time.

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Date: 7-1-08

The St. Mary Multi-Jurisdictional Drug Task Force, consisting of St. Mary Sheriff Dept., Morgan City Police Dept., Franklin Police Dept., Baldwin Police Dept., Berwick Police Dept., and Chitimacha Police Dept., report the following arrests:


Jeremie Harrison 18 of 988 Victoria Riverside Rd. Patterson was arrested on 6-3-08 and charged with Improper Lane Usage Possession of Marijuana 3rd offense and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia. Harrison was arrested by agents after a traffic stop in the Berwick area. Harrison was incarcerated in the Parish Jail and no bond has been set.

Kiethen K. Humphrey 19 of 1430 Dixie homes Morgan City La., was arrested on 7-1-08 on charges of Possession of Marijuana.
Humphrey was arrested by agents after an investigation conducted in the Amelia area. Humphrey was processed and released on a Summons.


Cyrilla Lyons 43 of 811 Sid St. Morgan City La. And Mark Champagne 47 of 615 Fifth St. Morgan City La. were arrested on 7-1-08 and charged with Failure to use turn signal, Possession of Cocaine and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia. Both were arrested by Agents after a traffic stop in the Morgan City area where a crack pipe and 2 rocks of crack cocaine were located in their vehicle. They were incarcerated in the parish Jail. Lyons bond was set at $1750.00 dollars and Champagne’s at $1500.00


Gillis Carbins 25 of 214 Mitchell St. Franklin La., was arrested on 7-1-08 and Charged with Open Alcoholic Container and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia. Carbins was arrested by Agents after they stopped him for the Container violation and found drug paraphernalia on his person. Carbins was processed and later released on a Summons.