|
||
|
|
 |
|
 |
|
December 31, 2003
2003: The Year in Review Complied by the Herald-Guide Staff • Jan. 6 -- The St. Charles Parish Council, in its first meeting of the new year, approved a construction contract to help place a culvert in a canal in Ormond Trace subdivision to help quell erosion. • Jan. 8 -- The St. Charles Parish Rotary Club officially celebrated its 25th anniversary. The Rotary Club, a chapter of the international organization, is the sponsor of the annual Alligator Festival and is responsible for many charitable and community projects throughout the parish. • Lloyd Sensat, a retired art teacher from Hahnville High School, was declared a “Flower Teacher” in a book by Candace Stout spotlighting 30 exceptional art teachers from across the country. • Jan. 9 -- Cynthia Rogers, a former payroll clerk with St. Charles Parish hospital, was arrested in connection with the discovery of payroll irregularities at the hospital. Rogers was accused of stealing approximately $700,000 from the hospital over a 7-year period. Jan. 11 -- St. Charles Parish Public Schools announce good news for financial year 2002, saying the annual audit showed a surplus of $6 million for the school board. • Jan. 14 -- Sean M. Hunter, 20, of Jefferson turned himself in to the Sheriff’s Office to face charges that he had sex with a juvenile girl from St. Rose over a period of several months. • The Destrehan Lady Cats basketball team beat the Hahnville Lady Tigers 49-33, maintaining their lead in the district. The same night, the Tiger’s boys team beat the Wildcats 60-40. • Jan. 18 -- “An Evening With the Notables” was held at the Destrehan Plantation Mule Barn. Local business, political and community leaders took part in the performance, which re-created the history of St. Charles Parish. The evening was part of the Louisiana Purchase Bicentennial Celebration. • Jan. 20 -- Dozens of local people gathered at the West Bank Bridge Park for the annual Martin Luther King Day March. The grand marshall was American Legion 2nd District Commander John Clark. • Jan. 22 -- The School Board voted to approve an ordinance allowing itself to collect a tax on all hotel and motel rooms in the parish, intended to help promote tourism. • Jan. 23 -- Calvin Williams of New Orleans was convicted of robbing the First American Bank in Boutte on Aug. 28, 2001. • Jan. 25 -- In their second showdown of the season, the HHS Tiger soccer team beat the DHS Wildcats 4-0. • Jan. 27 -- The parish council approved the re-zoning of the former K-Mart Store in Boutte’s St. Charles Plaza. The rezoning, from C-2 to C-3, still allowed retail space, but also allowed the owner to lease it for types of storage if so desired. The building is still currently empty. • Jan. 29 -- A fire at the Orion Refinery in New Sarpy injured two people and shut down half the plant, sending a column of smoke into the air that spread across half the parish. • The United Way of St. Charles Parish announced its final fundraising total for 2002: $1,458,574.49. • Jan. 31 -- A 27-year-old woman was approached by a man at the Boutte Wal-Mart and conned out into withdrawing $1,800 from her banking account. The Sheriff later put out a warning against this “pigeon drop” scam. • Feb. 1 -- Wilton and Elaine Hue were named King and Queen of the 2003 Krewe of Des Allemands Parade. • Feb. 2 -- Four siblings, Rachel, Samantha, Allen and Alandra Washington, died when their vehicle flipped into a canal alongside Airline Drive. This was the first of several incidents over the year that brought greater scrutiny on the canal, which in some spots is as much as 30 feet deep. • Arthur R. Morris, accused of carjacking two vehicles and engaging in a high-speed chase across three parishes, was captured in Killona when shot in the neck by police. He was treated for his injury and released into police custody. • Feb. 4 -- 30 St Charles Parish residents assembled at Hahnville High School to speak on their positions on the proposed Donaldsonville to the Gulf Hurricane Protection Project, which was to encompass parts of the West Bank Hurricane Protection Levee. • Feb. 7 -- In their second match-ups of the season, the HHS Tiger basketball team beat the DHS Wildcats 55-43, while the Lady Cats beat the Lady Tigers 56-31. • Feb. 10 -- Three inmates, Raymond King, Calvin Couvillion and Lamont Gross, escaped from the Nelson J. Coleman Correctional Center in Killona by breaking into a video visitation station in their pod and climbing out through the walls. The inmates were re-captured the next morning in Edgard. • The Madere Children’s Advocacy Center opened in Luling, providing a place for traumatized or victimized children to get help, treatment and counseling. • Feb. 14 -- Wayne Guidry Jr. of Luling was arrested in connection with the murder of West Monroe woman Stephanie Pepper Sims. • Joining forces with several other law enforcement agencies, the St. Charles Parish Sheriff’s Department took part in “Operation: Deadbeat,” acting on 70 outstanding warrants for failure to provide child support. • Raymond King, one of the three inmates who escaped from prison earlier in the week, plead guilty to the escape charge, as well as to his original charge of rape. • Feb. 15 --Billie and Earl Simoneaux were named the King and Queen of the 2003 Krewe of Lul Parade. • Feb. 17 -- Based on a similar law in Jefferson Parish, the St. Charles Parish Council passed an ordinance banning the use of Silly String or laser pointers on the routes of the Luling and Des Allemands Mardi Gras parades. • Feb. 18 -- St. Charles Parish residents turned out in huge numbers at a public meeting at the Ponchartrain Center in Kenner, coming to oppose the proposed expansion of the Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport in St. Charles Parish. • Feb. 22 -- Rodney Madere was named the St. Charles Parish Sheriff’s Office Deputy of the Year in recognition of his part in foiling the robbery of a Boutte jewelry store in December 2002. • A Metairie man died in an accident at Shell Chemical’s Norco Facility. Henry Sutherland, 56, fell from a pipe rack at the East Site. He was rushed to River Parishes Hospital, but pronounced dead an hour later. • Feb. 23 -- Pastor Charles G. Clary of First Assembly of God Church in Des Allemands bid farewell to his congregation after 13 years. Clary retired and moved to his wife’s hometown in Mississippi. • Feb. 27 -- Lt. Governor Kathleen Blanco presented the St. Charles Parish Department of Economic Development and Tourism with a check for $7,500 to help promote Louisiana Purchase Bicentennial projects in the parish. • Two St. Charles Parish inmates died at a barge in Ama during a work release program. Darnell Lane, 31, fell off a barge he was cleaning. Jaques Allemand, 24, dove in after him to try to save him, but both were caught in the undertow and drowned. • An apparent murder/suicide in St. Rose left two dead. Police say that Charles Calimari, 42, bludgeoned his roommate, John N. Lambert, 52, to death before shooting himself. • March 1 -- The Krewe of Lul Mardi Gras Parade rolled in Luling. • March 2 -- The Krewe of Des Allemands Mardi Gras parade rolled. • LaVina Larkey and Joey Bourg of Luling were married on a float in the Corps de Napoleon Mardi Gras Parade in Metairie. The wedding was featured on the TLC program “A Wedding Story.” • March 7 -- The St. Charles Library opened its newest branch in St. Rose. • March 10 -- Students in St. Charles Parish, and across Louisiana, began the LEAP test, the high-stakes exam that determined whether they would advance to the next grade. Upper-level students took the Graduation Exit Exam, which determined if they would graduate with their classmates in May. • March 12 -- A new traffic light was installed at the intersection of Apple St. and River Road in Norco. The signal was intended to cut down on congestion at the intersection after the chemical plants let out at the end of the work day. • March 14 -- The annual two-day St. Charles Business Expo and Health Fair began at the Hahnville High School gymnasium. • March 16 -- David Mayfield and David Dinkins were arrested and charged with attempted murder after allegedly trying to run over a man walking through a parking lot in Boutte. • March 19 -- American forces in Iraq began the attack on the country that eventually deposed dictator Saddam Hussein. • March 20 -- Just 13 hours after the march on Iraq began, the St. Charles Parish government held a support rally at the courthouse in Hahnville. • March 21 -- The St. Charles Parish Humane Society added an on-site surgical room to its facility in Luling, allowing them to sterilize pets there instead of sending pet owners to outside veterinarians. • March 26 -- Brandon Stein was found guilty of murdering 17-year-old James Rogers on Feb. 12, 2002. • April 12 -- After months in Afghanistan, Staff Sgt. Bradley Beaty of Destrehan returned home. Beaty is a trained fire protection specialist in the United States Air Force. • April 16 -- Concerned residents of the west bank of St. Charles appeared at a meeting regarding the proposed I-49 that would cut through the parish. Most residents opposed all of the plans presented, favoring one that runs further south, away from more populated areas. • April 21 -- In a marathon session, the St. Charles Parish Council approved 17 bills aimed at improving drainage, water works and infrastructure across the parish. • The Council also agreed to enter into an anti-terrorism task force with five other parishes. • April 23 -- Norco native David Davis was inducted into the University of Louisiana at Monroe Athletic Hall of Fame for his baseball career at the school spanning from 1965 to 1969. Prior to his years at ULM, David pitched at Destrehan High School. • The St. Charles Parish School Board adopted the millage rates for the 2003 tax year. The rates remained the same as for 2002 -- 58.83 mils. • May 1 -- Students at Lakewood Elementary found working with shovels and trowels to be as rewarding as pencils and paper. Lakewood cut the ribbon on its new student-built Habitat Garden. • May 5 -- After some debate, the St. Charles Parish Council passed an ordinance which stated that the parish will install any culverts for property owners filling in open swail ditches. • St. Charles Parish took a step forward in health care with the opening ceremonies for the new St. Charles Community Health Center. • May 6 -- Michael Fasola, the Metairie man convicted of murdering his friend and dumping the body under I-10 nearly four years ago, was sentenced to life in prison by a St. Charles Parish jury. • May 13 -- A lawsuit was filed by Gilda Woods against New Sarpy Elementary first grade teacher Dani O’Hara and former principal Frederick Treuting claiming that O’Hara physically injured her son on two separate occasions. • May 14 -- Orion Refining Corporation announced that it had entered into an agreement to sell its refinery to Valero Energy Corporation. • The canal along Airline Drive, alias U.S. Highway 61, missed claiming its seventh victim of the year in the afternoon when two bystanders rescued a truck driver whose vehicle swerved into the water. • The lack of rain in the area for the past five weeks had officials worried about effects the drought would have on local crops as well as area lawns. The last recorded rainfall in the area took place in early April when a heavy deluge caused some street flooding. • Louisiana students fared better than ever this spring on the state’s high-stakes exams, showing improvement in overall scores and in the number of students achieving at higher levels. In all grades tested, math scores improved significantly and more students achieving at higher levels. • May 19 -- The St. Charles Parish Council voted to approve the annual subsidy for the Sunset Drainage District, but this year’s subsidy fell short of what the district has received in the past. • May 21 -- A bill to repeal a law requiring school board members in St. Charles Parish to resign their seats before running for other offices passed the La. Senate. The bill was filed by Sen. Joel Chaisson (D-Destrehan) in response to questions he had received in the past about the law, which only applied to St. Charles and Jefferson Parishes. • May 24 -- With the end of another school year and the graduation of another class of young adults in St. Charles Parish Hahnville High School named Hunter Sims its 2003 Valedictorian and Devin Naquin the 2003 Salutatorian, while Destrehan High School named Ronald L. Schumann III Valedictorian and Angela Graebert Salutatorian. • May 31 -- St. Charles Mosquito Control, Inc. notified St. Charles Parish officials that the Louisiana Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory reported that a mosquito pool confirmed positive for West Nile Virus. The pool was collected on May 5, from a Gravid Trap operated in Norco. • June 2 -- Mosquito control in St. Charles Parish got an added boost when the parish council voted to increase the year’s contract with Mosquito Control, Inc. by $57,750. • June 4 -- Brandon Stein was sentenced to life in prison at hard labor for the murder of LaPlace teenager James Rogers at a Mardi Gras party last year. • June 7 -- The German Coast Farmers Market was a big success with over 1,000 residents attending the inaugural market. The attendees shopped from twelve small farmers from the region who participated in the market. • June 14 -- In response to the public call for action regarding a stretch of Airline Drive bordered by a six-mile canal that claimed seven lives this year, the Louisiana Department of Transportation announced it was forming a task force to study the situation. • The Louisiana Crime Victims’ Coalition presented Greg Champagne with the “Sheriff of the Year” award at the Knights of Columbus Hall in Kenner. • June 16 -- Willie Mayeux, of Hahnville, who was accused of stabbing his wife to death in April, pleaded not guilty before Judge Kirk Granier during his arraignment. • Two people were hospitalized in the early morning after a gun was fired into a crowd at a G&G’s Bar in Luling. • A group of patients and employees of the west bank Dialysis Center went before the St. Charles Parish Council to ask for help in keeping the center open. • June 18 -- David Lynn Joseph pleaded guilty to manslaughter in the death of his former girlfriend's 19-month-old daughter, Derica. Joseph allegedly shook and strangled the girl last year while his girlfriend was at work. • A Destrehan man was in federal custody after trying to entice a 13-year-old girl on the Internet to meet him for sex. • June 23 -- Calvin Couvillion, 21, and Raymond King, 26, plead guilty to charges of simple escape from the Nelson Coleman Correctional Center. • June 24 -- Two Luling men were arrested when they opened fire on another man while in traffic. • June 28 -- After eight months of construction, Randa Corp. moved into its new headquarters in St. Rose’s James Business Park in the afternoon. • June 30 -- As Tropical Storm Bill hovered around the Gulf of Mexico, dumping rain along the Louisiana coastline, St. Charles Parish remained in fairly good shape. • July 5 -- The stabbing death of Catherine Mayeux of Hahnville in April prompted a grass-roots effort to amend the state’s criminal code as it pertains to first degree murder. Family and friends of Catherine successfully lobbied the legislature to add the violation of a restraining order to the code, which would allow offenders who break the order and commit murder to be charged with first degree murder. • Four people were in St. Charles Parish Hospital after a shooting at a bar in Edgard in the evening. • July 8 -- The first phase of the East Bank Bike Path officially opened at a ceremony in the morning in St. Rose. • July 9 -- Chemical industry veteran Jonathan Stewart was named General Manager at Valero St. Charles Refinery. • July 13 -- The weekend’s rain did not dampen the spirits of the St. Gertrude Catholic Church Catfish Festival. Organizers said that large crowds turned up each day to take part in the local festival centered around Des Allemands catfish. • July 15 -- The school board unanimously passed a $79 million budget for fiscal year 2004. The board had delayed voting on the budget in June after several board members complained about some of the additional expenses. Also at the meeting School Superintendent Rodney Lafon agreed to serve another four years in that position. • July 19 -- All three hospital bond proposal on the ballot were approved by voters, although by a very small number of them. • A Luling man was in prison after stealing a total of about $65 from two convenience stores during the week. • The U.S. House of Representatives called for the Corps of Engineers to report on permitting compliance of barge activity around St. Charles Parish. The measure was included in the Energy and Water Appropriations bill, which passed out of the House Appropriations Committee during the week. • July 21 -- The parish council unanimously approved two resolutions requesting the grants to continue work on both banks of the Mississippi River. The council also unanimously approved an ordinance to construct a walking track around a park in Bayou Gauche. • July 24 -- The St. Charles Parish Sheriff’s Department arrested 18 people in connection to an eight-month undercover operation. All were suspected on various illegal drug charges. Others were arrested for a variety of charges ranging from theft to resisting arrest during the operation. • July 29 -- A LaPlace teenager was arrested for robbing a woman delivering pizza in St. Rose. • Aug. 2 -- Jeffrey Salas, 16, underwent a successful heart transplant at Ochsner Hospital. Salas had been in the hospital’s P.I.C.U. since July when he suffered heart failure. • Aug. 6 -- Crondell Flowers of Luling was sentenced to 13 years in prison on cocaine charges. • The owner of Evangeline Ormond Nursing Home in Destrehan was indicted by a federal grand jury on fraud charges. • Aug. 9 -- Reports of crime in St. Charles Parish showed a decrease of 3.8 percent compared to the second quarter of the previous year. • Aug. 11 -- Shell Norco and St. Charles Parish Public Schools continued their partnership in the Norco community with the presentation of a $250,000 check from Shell to continue funding the Norco Adult Education Program. • Aug. 12 -- In what petrochemical industry leaders were calling an emergency for America, the skyrocketing cost of natural gas was the focus of a town hall meeting at the Dow Chemical Plant in Hahnville. Leading the discussion was U.S. Rep. Billy Tauzin (R-Chackbay). • Aug. 13 -- St. Charles Parish Sheriff Greg Champagne was elected Sergeant-at-Arms of the Louisiana Sheriff’s Association for the 2003-2004 term. • The St. Charles Parish Safe Call Program was declared ready to begin distributing cellular phones to needy residents. • Aug. 18 -- Local businessmen who operate out of their homes were limited to one company vehicle from now on, thanks to a bill passed by the St. Charles Parish Council. • Aug. 19 -- Qualifying began for the Oct. 4 election in St. Charles Parish. • Aug. 20 -- The Corps of Engineers ordered the parish to cease and desist work done on a levee in Paradis in response to flooding during last year’s hurricane season. The 7,000 foot levee was one aspect of the hurricane protection system, which was being built for the west bank of St. Charles Parish. • Eleven teachers and administrators from St. Charles Parish will be providing services in other districts this school year. The local educators were been selected by the La. Board of Elementary and Secondary Education as Distinguished Educators and will be sent to assist academically unacceptable schools out of parish in meeting their growth targets. • Two Marrero men were arrested and charged with breaking into a home in Luling while a child was inside. • Aug. 21 -- Qualifying ended for all state and local races to be decided on the Oct. 4 ballot. • David Lynn Joseph, who in June pleaded guilty to manslaughter in the death of his former girlfriend’s 19-month-old daughter, was sentenced to 20 years in prison. • Aug. 22 -- Five people were arrested on drug trafficking charges in the morning when St. Charles Parish Sheriff’s deputies acted on an investigation that had been ongoing since February. • Aug. 27 -- A man was arrested and charged with attempted first-degree murder after allegedly throwing a plastic pipe bomb into a group of strangers. • Sept. 3 -- A car crashed into a school bus on Hwy. 90 in Des Allemands leaving one man dead. The crash occurred after the bus dropped off a load of children to Allemands Elementary. The bus was turning off WPA road onto Highway 90 when it was hit by a 2000 Ford Focus. The driver of the car, Joseph Saia, 76, of Lockport, reportedly did not see the police officer directing traffic. Witnesses say his car sped into the intersection without breaking and hit the bus. Saia later died at West Jefferson Hospital from injuries suffered in the crash. • A St. Rose man is in custody after deputies responded to a call about shots fired found 19 grams of narcotics in his home. Aaron K. Smith, 25, was arrested and charged with possession of crack cocaine with intent to distribute, possession of marijuana, possession of a firearm in the presence of a controlled dangerous substance and possession of drug paraphernalia. • Sept. 8 -- Mobile homes were the hot topic at Monday Parish Council meeting, with the council voting down a measure that would have allowed mobile homes in parts of St. Charles Terrace subdivision and removing a measure that would have banned them from Wenger Road. • Sept. 10 -- The East Bank of St. Charles Parish moved closer to the next degree of hurricane protection when the ground was broken for the Bayou Trapagnier Pump Station. This is the first of five proposed stations that will be built into the east bank hurricane protection levee as part of the Southeast Louisiana Flood Control Project. The cost of the project is about $8.6 million, with 50 percent of that being paid by Shell Chemical Norco and Motiva Norco Refining. • Sept. 11 -- Students and teachers at St. Rose Elementary held a tribute to the fallen heroes of 9-11. Firefighters, police officers and local veterans were invited to the event which featured patriotic songs, ringing of the bells, and moments of silence. • St. Charles Parish marked the second anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks with a quiet, somber ceremony on the front lawn of the Courthouse Thursday morning. Tab Troxler, director of emergency operations for St. Charles Parish, served as master of ceremonies, introducing members of the American Legion to lead the crowd in the Pledge of Allegiance and 10-year-old Bianca Pierre from Carver Elementary, who sang the national anthem. • Sept. 17 -- St. Charles Parish Sheriff’s Deputies arrested two men and a third on Sept. 18 following a string of vehicle break-ins. A resident of the Mimosa Park area called police in the early hours in the morning to report seeing burglars fleeing from his car. Police began searching the area and arrested Trevor Ripp, 117 Early St., Paradis. Ripp told police he and another young man, Samuel Deslatte, 15308 Highway 90, Paradis, found an unlocked vehicle and took several items from it. Police say the two men went on to take items from a dozen vehicles, ten of which were unlocked. Eventually Ripp and Deslatte allegedly brought the items to the home of Bryan Lee, 331 Mimosa Avenue, Luling. Lee told police the others had called him to pick them up, claiming a broken-down vehicle, and that he did not know the items they stored at his house were stolen. Property recovered included a large speaker box, two amplifiers, a flip-down television monitor and lots of stereo equipment. • The St. Charles Parish Sheriff’s Office held a press conference regarding Terry Baraglia, a man accused of attempting to kill a detective with the St. Charles Parish Sheriff’s Office, saying he may not face trial. The District Attorney’s office, in return, said that the problems in the case were caused by missteps by the police and an “election ploy” by the sheriff. • Sept. 20 -- With October just around the corner, the great pumpkin patch in Montz made preparations for what was expected to be a busy year. Children from over 100 schools and day cares descended on Louisiana’s largest pumpkin farm beginning Oct. 7 and running to Oct. 31. • Sept. 22 -- In a relatively subdued meeting, the St. Charles Parish Council approved an ordinance to levy an assessment on the ad valorem tax bills of property owners who have not paid invoices for the removal of weeds, grass and debris from their yards. • An ad-hoc judge brought down from Baton Rouge denied the St. Charles Parish Sheriff’s Office request to have the District Attorney’s office recused from the Baraglia case. Judge Douglas Gonzales chastised both sides in the case Monday, saying the lack of cooperation between the offices was “abominable” and that the request for the recusal tainted the original case. • Sept. 25 -- The premiere entertainment event for St. Charles Parish returned with the 24th Annual Alligator Festival. • Sept. 27 -- Three horses from the Montz area looked for a new home after they were auctioned off at the courthouse. Pinto, Paint and Palimino were recently seized by the Sheriff’s office, along with two other horses, when officials were notified of a possible animal cruelty case. • Sept. 30 -- A law sponsored by Senator Joel Chaisson (D-Destrehan) lowering the DWI level in the state of Louisiana went into effect. The new law lowers the threshold of a DWI to .08 percent. • Oct. 4 -- Parish President Albert Laque and District 3 Councilwoman Darnell “Dee” Abadie won spots in the Nov. 15 runoff election. The two candidates edged out former Parish President Chris Tregre, who pulled in 25 percent of the vote. Laque took 44.6 percent of the vote against Abadie’s 30.3 percent. • Oct. 6 -- The Parish Council voted to lift a moratorium on mobile home permits for Wenger Road in Des Allemands. • Oct. 9 -- Terry Baraglia, the Des Allemands man whose trial for attempted murder of a police officer exposed a rift between the Sheriff and District Attorney’s offices, plead guilty to aggravated assault morning. • Oct. 11 -- The body of a Des Allemands woman whose body was found along Highway 632. According to police, a motorist traveling between Highway 90 and Old Spanish Trail found the body of 38-year-old Vickie B. Toups at approximately 7:30 a.m. • Oct. 15 -- Destrehan High teacher Dawn Jacobi was named the High School Teacher of the Year for the state of Louisiana. Jacobi had been one of 24 finalists in the 2004 Louisiana Teacher of the Year Program. Jacobi teaches mathematics in grades 9-12 at Destrehan High School. She has eight years teaching experience. • The school board approved a measure to make a one time deferred payment for employees of the school system. The three percent payment is based on the annual salaries of all school system employees with the exception of the superintendent and board members. • Oct. 18 -- It was announced that Destrehan’s Ormond Country Club would be up for sheriff’s auction in the next week unless management could convince the parish that it does not owe property taxes. • Oct. 20 -- Patients and family members who have been pleading with the St. Charles Parish Council for months to help reestablish a dialysis center on the west bank were given a welcome surprise when Parish President Albert Laque announced the administration will soon place a loan agreement before the council to help fund the center. • Oct. 22 -- Former Parish President Chris Tregre officially endorsed Councilwoman Darnell “Dee” Abadie in the Parish President runoff election for Nov. 15. • Students at St. Charles Borromeo School in Destrehan were visited by Captain Ross Parrish of the U.S. Marine Corps. Captain Parrish, a native of Destrehan, served in Iraq from April to September 2003. While in Destrehan visiting his parents, he stopped by to address the 5th through 8th grade students on his experiences in the Iraqi War. In his honor, the students dressed in patriotic colors and waved flags as he entered the gym to Marine March. Students waved American flags and banners stating “welcome home,” “thank you,” and “USA!" • Oct. 22 -- The Ormond Country Club’s tax problems were, for the moment, resolved when two Metairie-based real estate companies bid against a Destrehan Lawyer for what ultimately made it down to 1 percent ownership of the club. • Oct. 25 -- The release of the motion picture “Runaway Jury” had resident Norco resident Cheryl Waguespack Clay enjoying her minute in the spotlight. Clay played the part of Delores Kinnely, an occupational therapist who is on the list of potential jurors for a multi-million dollar lawsuit against a gun manufacturer. Though Clay’s character didn’t make the final 12-person jury, she did get to share the screen with Dustin Hoffman, Gene Hackman and John Cusack -- not bad for her first film. • A New Orleans man jumped from the Hale-Boggs Bridge in Luling. His body was recovered four days later near Ama. • Nov. 3 -- The St. Charles Parish Council approved an ordinance that will allow it to liquidate adjudicated properties and share the revenues with several other bodies. The measure is seen as a response to increasing concerns over blighted properties across the parish. The parish takes property from owners who fail to pay taxes and liens and which do not find buyer’s at a Sheriff’s tax auction. • Nov. 4 -- At a public meeting in Paradis, residents had the opportunity to see first hand the two alternatives being proposed for I-49 from I-310 to the Jefferson Parish line. Several residents expressed their opposition to the two proposals which would bring the interstate in close proximity to residential areas. • Nov. 5 -- The Ormond Civic Association filed a lawsuit against St. Charles Parish, saying that the parish illegally approved a new subdivision without proper drainage analysis. The lawsuit alleges that, on Sept. 4, the Planning and Zoning Commission of the parish approved construction of the Cypress Cove Subdivision in Destrehan, without acquiring a completed construction plan or receiving the necessary letters of no objection from the heads of the Department of Public Works and Wastewater, the Department of Waterworks and the Department of Parks and Recreation, as well as the contract monitor. • The Sheriff’s Department investigating a possible suicide that may have occurred on the Hale-Boggs Bridge in Luling, the second such suicide in two weeks. • Nov. 6 -- The National Marrow Donor Program held a bone marrow screening at St. Rose Elementary hoping to find a donor to help save the life of fourth grade student Lisa Carroll. • Nov. 12 -- Members of the St. Charles Parish School Board unanimously passed a resolution requesting state officials to reject the two alternative routes proposed for the I-49 Interstate through Luling. The routes are identified as “W” (Willowdale area) and “T” (Barton Avenue area). • Nov. 17 -- Bryan Vanacour, Jr. of Des Allemands was arrested in Lafourche Parish after confessing to killing his father Monday morning at a campground the family owns. • The St. Charles Parish Council passed a resolution requesting state officials to reject the two alternative routes proposed for the I-49 Interstate through Luling. The routes are identified as “W” (Willowdale area) and “T” (Barton Avenue area). • Nov. 15 -- The final three seats for the 2004 St. Charles Parish Council were won, returning two current council members and bringing in a new one. In District 3, current Councilman-at-Large for Division B G. “Ram” Ramchandran won the seat vacated by Darnell “Dee” Abadie. In District 5 incumbent April Black retained her seat. The new member of the council from District 4 is Derryl Wayne Walls. • Parish President Albert Laque won another term in office defeating Councilwoman from District 3 Darnell “Dee” Abadie with about 54 percent of the vote. • Dec. 5 -- The opening ceremony of the George Michael Hahn Exhibit was held at the courthouse. Hahn was the first governor of Louisiana after the Civil War. He was also the founder of the town of Hahnville and of the St. Charles Herald. • Dec. 11 -- Ninth grade physical science students at Hahnville High established what they hope is a new category for the Guiness Book of World Records. The six sections of Ken Oertling’s created a large periodic table of elements using 112 pieces of poster board. • Dec. 15 -- With the newly-elected parish council being sworn in at the beginning of January, this meeting was the last for two members, District 3’s Darnell “Dee” Abadie, and District 4’s Terry Authement. • Dec. 16 -- A four vehicle accident stopped traffic in both directions on US 90 in Paradis for several hours. The incident occurred at around 8 a.m. when an 18-wheeler heading east on US 90 collided with a truck heading south on La. 306 (Bayou Gauche Road). • Dec. 17 -- Scott P. Wolfe, formerly a senior reactor operator at the Waterford 3 nuclear power plant in Killona, was been banned from applying for or holding an operator’s license from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission for three years. The NRC took the action after Wolfe twice tested positive for an illegal substance during random “fitness-for-duty” tests administered by his former employer, Entergy Operations Inc. • Harold Falgout Jr., 60, of Hahnville, was indicted by a grand jury. The jury returned a true bill on nine counts of molestation of juveniles. Falgout was arrested Nov. 26 after allegedly inappropriately fondling three female juveniles between the ages of 10 and 14. The incidents occurred between 2001 and the present. • Dec. 20 -- After more than 20 years, the Cajun Paradise neighborhood in Paradis got a parish water line installed. The area was the only residential area in St. Charles without access to parish water.
|
|
||||
|
|
|
|
