The COVID-19 pandemic has caused people to change many of their normal habits, and this holiday season is no different. The novel coronavirus has infected the season with the fear that traditional Christmas gatherings will send their families home with an unwelcome gift.
Opinions are mixed about Christmas gatherings among families in the two parishes. For some residents this year, Christmas was a choice between safety and family. Oh, you know I m going to be in the house watching the Saints, said Valarie Saulsbury, of Houma. Asked if she would be with the rest of her family, she responded, No, this pandemic s keeping us on lockdown.
Terrebonne Parish President Gordy Dove has accused council member Gerald Michel of harassing a local government employee.
During Wednesday night s council meeting, Dove claimed Michel has been harassing Chief Finance Officer Kandace Mauldin for roughly two years about a $3.1 million money transfer that occurred roughly four years ago.
Dove said the parish s Human Resources Department is investigating Michel s actions over the issue.
“He has repeatedly, for two years, harassed, intimidated and questioned the integrity of my CFO, which is the council’s CFO,” Dove said.
The issue stems from 2017 when the parish government transferred $3.1 million from the utilities fund to the general fund. It then transferred that money to the group insurance fund.
In a meeting Monday with local business people, U.S. Rep. Garret Graves addressed the future of oil and gas, the likelihood of a new federal stimulus package and acceptance of Joe Biden’s win in the presidential race.
Graves spoke during an online meeting of the Bayou Industrial Group, which includes about 15 businesses in Terrebonne, Lafourche and surrounding areas.
Graves, R-Baton Rouge, said Biden’s win disappoints him, adding that Donald Trump was doing a good job. But until evidence arises to show otherwise, “Biden is the president-elect at this point and we’re going to have to move forward under those conditions.”
Homeless in the time of COVID: Making do as winter approaches
Colin Campo
As winter approaches, and the coronavirus pandemic continues, staying indoors and waiting for the vaccine to arrive is a popular choice.
But for those who are homeless, shelter in place simply isn t an option. But those who find themselves without a home make the best of their situation.
Homeless comes in many forms, according to Captain Bobby O’Brien of the Houma Police Department, who operates the Bunk House Inn, a homeless shelter in Houma. Those who are homeless often have spent time in the justice system, have lived in the elements, and have spent time without work. Accumulating items is nearly impossible with no place to store them. For many, families have either moved on or passed away.
Two days after the Lafourche Parish Council announced that the Mardi Gras parades in Thibodaux were canceled due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, the Terrebonne Parish Council decided not to decide the fate of its Carnival celebration Wednesday night.
The issue was placed on the agenda prior to the meeting by councilmember Gerald Michel, but was tabled for the next meeting because Terrebonne Sheriff Tim Soignet had another function to attend.
The issue will be taken up in a week, at the council s scheduled meeting on Dec. 16, its last of the 2020 calendar year.
Soignet said the current spike in cases isn’t looking promising for Mardi Gras 2021, but the decision on whether parades will roll in Terrebonne in 2021 will be made after the first of the year,