Tuesday, March 31, 2020

District Attorney Don Burkett told Observations Monday he knows of at least four confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Sabine Parish and there are more tests pending. He believes that more cases will be confirmed in Sabine Parish as the week progresses.

The District Attorney has taken the lead in being the spokesman concerning the coronavirus in Sabine Parish. In many areas, this lead is taken by the Sheriff.

There have been a lot of reports over the weekend about the number of people who have come from South Louisiana into Sabine Parish and their disregard for social distancing. Burkett said he met Monday morning with a group of political leaders and the Police Jury agreed to adopt an Emergency Order concerning the people from south Louisiana who have come into the parish. “We are trying to clean out the parish,” he stated. “These are strange and critical times.”

He explained, “We are concerned about the people who are escaping South Louisiana bringing the coronavirus into Sabine Parish. Second, we are concerned about the possible overload of our health care facilities. If it comes to medical care, we can’t take care of a lot of people. In addition, many of our store shelves are vacant and our local residents can’t buy the grocery and other items they need.” 

Burkett said the Emergency Order will not apply to folks from out-of-parish who own property on Toledo Bend Lake, but to people who have come and are renting facilities. He said people who are working in the parish, like those now on the pipeline, can stay.

“I made a tour of the lake area Saturday afternoon and was surprised at all the people who have flocked here,” he said. “Some places I went it looked like a July 4th picnic. This is serious and people need to stay at home. If a person has been here 14 days and have rented a place for 30 days, we will allow them to stay.”

“We are trying to quieten down the parish,” he explained. “People need to stay at home.”

He said they are also looking at putting a limit on the number of people who can be inside a supermarket at one time. He said it might be 25 or 35. In addition, they are considering setting a special time for senior citizens to shop.

The District Attorney said Director Linda Curtis-Sparks of the Sabine Parish Tourist Commission will let the lake businesses know of the Emergency Order, which will give out-of-parish folks 48 hours to vacate. Concerning enforcement, Burkett said state law provides a fine of $500 or six months in jail for anyone who violates the order. He said Sheriff Ronny Richardson and his Chief Deputy John Adair were at the meeting and said they would see the order was enforced.

Burkett said he talked to Lt. Gov. Billy Nungesser Friday night and he agreed to close the State Parks in Sabine Parish. The Louisiana Sabine River Authority had earlier closed all the parks it operates.

At the meeting Monday with Burkett were Rep. Rodney Schamerhorn, Sheriff Richardson and Deputy Adair, Homeland Security Director David Davis (by phone), Ms. Curtis-Sparks and from the Police Jury, Secretary Bill Weatherford, Charlie Brown, President Mike McCormic and Kenneth Ebarb.

The Public Health Emergency Proclamation follows:

Many Mayor Ken Freeman, in an effort to ensure that citizens and merchants are aware of the federal benefits under the two-trillion dollar plus Federal Relief Act for COVID-19, has delivered to businesses an outline of what benefits are available.

He explained, “Be aware the Town of Many has hired a grant writer to research benefits our citizens may be entitled to and in the near future we will do a live stream video on our Facebook page and other sites to explain and answer questions.”

The grant writer, Suzanne Williams, in the near future will be available by phone to answer questions and assist persons in filling out any necessary forms for the benefits.

The information on the COVID-19 Resources and the Federal Relief Update is available for viewing on the Town of Many Facebook page. The document contains 12 pages.

The midstream arm of Detroit-based DTE Energy recently acquired an existing natural gas system and a gathering pipeline under construction that would move Haynesville Shale supply to the Gulf Coast. DTE Midstream paid $2.65 billion to acquire the assets of Momentum Midstream LLC and private Hayesville producer Indigo Natural Resources LLC. Right-of-way for 36-inch pipeline is currently underway in Sabine Parish.

According to the agreement, DTE would pay $2.25 billion cash for the existing gathering system and other assets, as well as $400 million when the 150-mile gathering pipeline is completed in 2020. “This acquisition significantly enhances the strength and diversity of DTE Midstream, adding premium assets in one of the fastest growing and best positioned U.S. shale formations,” said CEO Jerry Norcia.

Indigo and Momentum jointly partner in MS Louisiana Gathering LLC, which had 1 Bef/d of throughput last April. The MS assets include 300 miles of gathering pipeline, 15,000 hp of compression, gas dehydration/carbon dioxide removal capability, multiple interconnects and centralized facilities near Logansport.

The Sabine Parish School system has applied for Emergency “Meals to You,” a partnership between the Baylor Collaborative on Hunger and Poverty, the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Louisiana Department of Education as an option for meal distribution during the COVID-19 school closures and the “stay at home” order from Gov. John Bel Edwards.

Sabine families who previously requested meals will receive five breakfasts and five lunches for each child under 18.  The kid-friendly meals will be delivered by mail weekly for the duration of the school closure.

Once approved, the Baylor Collaborative will begin sending meals. It is expected that meals will being shipping shortly after the registration process is completed.

Our friend and former Louisiana Gov. Edwin Edwards called late last week. He, wife Trina and son Eli are all doing well he reports and they plan to stay hunkered down for the remainder. We were happy to hear he and family are all good.

Bobby Hebert Sr., the father of former New Orleans Saints and Atlanta Falcons quarterback Bobby Hebert, died Saturday at the age of 81 after testing positive for the coronavirus. Hebert Jr. broke down crying in a recent appearance while describing his father’s battle with the virus. He described his father as a “fighter” who survived colon cancer, multiple strokes and a birth defect that required open-heart surgery. He said, “You can be tough and the virus can still overwhelm you,” adding that all people need to heed the advice of health officials because “It’s an unseen enemy.” Herbert Jr. has owned a home in Sabine Parish on Toledo Bend Lake for many years.

A Many man and his girlfriend were arrested Sunday in connection with an alleged kidnapping of a man from a Shreveport hotel. Wilbert Vanzant of Many and Kayla Owen of Mansfield (both 29) were charged with the aggravated kidnapping of Stephen Hatcher, 36. The two reportedly took Hatcher from a hotel around 1 a.m. Sunday morning.  Hatcher reported he was bound and beaten and taken to a location in Mansfield and forced to withdraw money from an ATM. Hatcher escaped and notified DeSoto Parish authorities.

Seems we had a few Sabine Parish elected officials who started obeying Gov. John Bel Edwards “stay at home” order for some time before it was issued.

The Cenla Report posted Observations on social media last week and it had 159 views, 112 comments and 177 shares as of Monday morning. A lot of people go to Cenla Report‘s Facebook page for news.

OBSERVATIONS FROM SOCIAL MEDIA:

JOE LANE:  Going fishing for food is much safer than going to a grocery store. In a store everything you touch has probably been handled by many people. Open spaces and good fishing are healthy pastimes. Seems that fits into Edwards’ mandate.

JAY MISANTHROPE TO D.A. BURKETT:  Lead by example. Hall monitors are not needed; the parish has law enforcement officers to handle this situation. It doesn’t need Gomer Pyle running around screaming “citizen’s arrest.” Are you saying the Sheriff’s Office is incompetent and unable to complete their assigned task? Thank the Maker they have a spotlight ranger like you around.

CALLIE COOK:  People, please stay home. Stay in your parish. This COVID-19 is serious.

ROBERT BREWER:  Well, Mr. Burkett, it’s just going to get worse with all these out-of-towners coming in like they’re on vacation.

SONYA ROGERS RICKY LEGGETT:  Texas governor asking Louisiana residents to quarantine if we go over there. How about we ask them to do the same or better yet, just stay home. We here in Sabine would prefer everyone to go home, even our South Louisiana visitors.

PHYLLIS WEDGEWORTH GREER:  We do have out-of-town people here, but the local people aren’t following the order either. The little park by the bridge on the Louisiana SRA side was full today and so was the fishing pier there.

SONYA ROGERS RICKY LEGETT:  Went to Market Basket for milk. When I left the store, I saw a white truck parked with a very nice sign on the door. It read “Cameron Parish District Attorney.” Wonder why someone representing the law and being a parish leader wasn’t following the Governor’s orders?

ALICE MOSS BLAND LAGRANGE:  People need to know about the cases of Coronavirus for our safety. I’m staying home and no company allowed, period. Our lake people with camps in Sabine need to get themselves back to South Louisiana at their home address. They have no business up here at all, as we want to keep this killer virus out of Sabine Parish. People, we may have to hurt some feelings if the South Louisiana people are going to bring this deadly virus up here to us. Some have already been told to go home.

JAMES ELMO SEPULVADO:  Mr. Don, we appreciate all your concern and assistance. Continue the good work and we’ll do our part. Just want to give you a little info on our Ebarb-Blue Lake area. The out-of-town fishermen have swarmed the area. We’re very concerned about this issue. We all welcome visitors, but now is not the time. People got to slow down and stay home or it’s gonna take forever to get past this. It wouldn’t hurt my feelings if they made a mandatory quarantine so that you don’t get out for nothing but food. Writ[ing] some tickets and mak[ing] some arrests would get their attention.

BRENDA LYDDY TO DON BURKETT:  Thank you for attempting to keep a sense of calmness in our parish. You have done a great job of posting updates. Keep them coming, please. And thank you for anyone else in leadership positions and all the first responders, medical personnel and numerous others I haven’t mentioned.

I invited my wife Laurie to share her following writing in today’s Observations. Hope you enjoy.

Lenten Observations

I was washing my hands the other day and it occurred to me:  everybody is observing Lent this year. Everybody. Nonbelievers and the faithful alike are making committed sacrifice. Not only is it good for the soul, but in these uncertain times, it is key to preserve health.

Who would have thought? Folks are truly placing others before self. What a novel, ancient concept – a once-golden rule thrown out a long time ago in some parts. How amazing to see it now being preached daily from the most powerful pulpits in our nation, and even more remarkable to see it taking hold.

And in this age of always seeking adventure, it is truly ironic that most are stuck at home.

For decades, the culture outside the home has increasingly outweighed the culture inside the home. And we’ve certainly seen that trend grow by leaps and bounds with the rising use of smart phones. Inevitable.

We’ve seen values and morals – qualities responsible parents have hoped to instill in their children throughout the ages – quietly diminish, replaced by a growing uneasiness to “impose” beliefs on children. We’ve also seen a nervous reluctance to expect our youth to follow any higher moral standards than whatever they may discover and decide to adopt on their own. Over the last century, what were once staple values of loyalty, respect, honesty, a strong work ethic, perseverance, integrity, love of God and country, service beyond self and more have progressively been replaced by lesser principles.

These core virtues, once foundational building blocks of loving, stable families, have often crumbled under the heavy new habit of placing self above all else.

Since the Enlightenment, it has been preached increasingly, “take care of you,” or in its latest form:  “Live your best life.” So what exactly qualifies as living “your best life”? Actions that put us ahead personally, actions that create the greatest good for all, or actions that grow our hearts to love as God loves? We should wash our hands and think about it. It wouldn’t hurt a thing to think about it every time we wash our hands.

Immediate families are now being “forced” to spend quality time together. If social media posts are any indication, this new togetherness is already proving beneficial. And, to be fair, staying at home could hasten the end of some ill-advised marriages and relationships. But most, I believe, are making the best of this unexpected situation. In the big picture, I think families will emerge much stronger from it overall.

Time spent together, in this particular context, will strengthen the teaching of important values in the most powerful way.

How unexpectedly refreshing in the middle of tragedy and loss, to see folks lift bleary eyes from the persuasive pull of their devices to look at family, friends and community in a new light with deeper, more caring concern.

Their daily acts of compassionate giving and sacrifice, of truly having someone else’s best interest and well-being as top priority are the very definition of love. How quaint. And how wonderful. 

At the moment there is fear. There is uncertainty. There has been and will be death. It’s an inescapable reality of this coronavirus pandemic as well as an inescapable reality of life.

I surely am hopeful, though. Despite the dark days we’ve seen, and whatever dark days may lie ahead, I see the light of a much greater good just beyond the horizon. We now have the time and opportunity to learn how sacrifice builds character and integrity in a way nothing else can. And we have the most perfect reason to grow sacrificial love in our families and throughout our communities.

It looks to be a long while before we will join hands and hearts in person again, so until then we can video message, Zoom, FaceTime and whatever else these devices offer. And we can thank God for the good blessing of family.

Happy Lent.

A special thank you to Laurie for sharing her thoughts in the above article.

Pres. Trump and his coronavirus task force made the decision late Sunday to extend their “15 Days to Slow the Spread” campaign until the end of April. A peak in coronavirus cases nationwide is expected in two weeks – that’s shortly after Easter Sunday, and then it is hoped we will start to see a diminishing number of cases. It is anticipated there will be significant health improvements and a dramatic drop in the coronavirus death rate by June 1.

There is talk that in healthier parts of the nation, there may be precautions instituted for those at risk and that industries will slowly start to re-open if doing so does not pose added health risks in those areas. Sweden has done so successfully thus far, and their model is being studied, among others.

In the meantime, it cannot be stressed strongly enough:  FOLLOW THE GUIDELINES LISTED BELOW. These directions are the Centers for Disease Control’s best advice to avoid getting the coronavirus.    

WASH YOUR HANDS OFTEN with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, especially after you have been in a public place, or after blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing. If soap and water are not readily available, use a hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol. Cover all surfaces of your hands and rub them together until they feel dry.

AVOID TOUCHING YOUR EYES, NOSE OR MOUTH WITH UNWASHED HANDS.

AVOID CLOSE CONTACT with people who are sick. Put distance between yourself and other people. This is especially important for people who are at higher risk of getting very sick.

STAY HOME IF YOU ARE SICK, except to get medical care. Call your doctor first to describe symptoms, then follow your doctor’s directions. 

COVER COUGHS AND SNEEZES; cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when you cough or sneeze or use the inside of your elbow. Throw used tissues in the trash. Immediately wash your hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. If soap and water are not readily available, clean your hands with a hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol.

WEAR A FACEMASK IF YOU ARE SICK when you are around other people (e.g., sharing a room or vehicle) and before you enter a healthcare provider’s office. If you are not able to wear a facemask (for example, because it causes trouble breathing), then you should do your best to cover your coughs and sneezes, and people who are caring for you should wear a facemask if they enter your room.

IF YOU ARE NOT SICK: YOU DO NOT NEED TO WEAR A FACEMASK unless you are caring for someone who is sick (and they are not able to wear a facemask). Facemasks may be in short supply and they should be saved for caregivers.

CLEAN AND DISINFECT frequently touched surfaces daily. This includes tables, doorknobs, light switches, countertops, handles, desks, phones, keyboards, toilets, faucets, and sinks. If surfaces are dirty, clean them: Use detergent or soap and water prior to disinfection.

WE DO NOT ADVISE GOING OUT, but if you must, be aware Walmart is hosting a senior shopping hour every Tuesday morning until April 28 for customers age 60 and older. This special shopping time on Tuesdays – 6 a.m. to 7 a.m. (one hour before the store officially opens), is offered to help protect potentially vulnerable shoppers. They have announced their pharmacy and vision center will be open during that time as well. Walmart began a free grocery pick-up option some time ago as part of their normal services. A grocery order may be placed online, and then picked up at a reserved time at the store’s pick-up zone.

All local Many merchants are highly concerned about the public’s safety. Several have closed temporarily and several more are offering curbside or to-go service. All we know of are taking careful, extra precautions to sanitize and clean thoroughly.

If you have a special need or do not wish to enter a store, we would strongly suggest calling the store number and asking for delivery, drop-off or some other “no contact” method of purchase.

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has updated the mandatory 14-day quarantine order to include anyone traveling from Louisiana to Texas by road from any location in the state. The original order was issued last week to include anyone from New Orleans flying into Texas.

He said the update of the executive order does not apply to travel related to commercial activity, military service, emergency response, health response or critical infrastructure functions. The order will be enforced by the Texas Department of Public Safety at and near entry points from Louisiana.

Please call or write with your suggestions for future Observations. Call me at (318) 332-8653 or send an email to robertrgentry@gmail.com. To print, save or send today’s column, click on the appropriate icon below. To see columns of the past few years, follow the pages below. To see older Observations, visit our Facebook page where they are archived by date under Photo Albums.

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