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Members of the class of the Citizens Police Academy take part in the graduation ceremony at Nunez Community College the night of April 29. Steve Cannizaro Photo.

Apr 30, 2009 - Mona Serpas of Chalmette said she enrolled in the first Sheriff’s Citizens’ Police Academy class held since Hurricane Katrina because she wanted to learn about the criminal justice system and “help clean up this parish for the children and the elderly.’’ As she and more than 40 others who took the 8-week course graduated in ceremonies the night of April 29, Serpas said, “I’m so proud of the St. Bernard Sheriff’s Office’’ for the job it does and its commitment to the community by putting on the classes that helps members understand what law enforcement is about.

Barbara Manuel of Violet said it was her second time taking the course, including once years ago, and said she wants to do what she can to assist law enforcement and help St. Bernard.

The community responded so well to the class, the 10th overall for the Sheriff’s Office to offer but the first since the storm,  that the next class has already been announced. Capt. Charles Borchers, who coordinates the classes for the Sheriff’s Office, said the next class will be held starting Sept. 2 and end in November. To register, St. Bernard residents can call Borchers at (504) 278-7628.  
FBI Special Agent in Charge David Welker speaks to the class of the Citizens Police Academy

David Welker, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI in Louisiana, and Sheriff Jack Stephens praised the members of the first Sheriff’s Citizens Police Academy class as caring enough about their community that the took the time to come out in an effort to create a better relationship with law enforcement. “It’s important to have citizens come forward who are interested and willing to devote their time to learn about law enforcement,’’ Sheriff Stephens said. The sheriff said once people have taken the Citizens Police Academy class “I think they are vested in what happens’’ with law enforcement and the effort to suppress crime. Welker congratulated the group “on a wonderful show of support for your community. I applaud your participation.’’ Welker, a former police officers before joining the FBI and now heads the federal agency in Louisiana, said the Bureau relies on cooperation with local agencies such as he St. Bernard Sheriff’s Office.

Chief Deputy Sheriff James Pohlmann said the first citizens class since the storm was particularly successful and predicted the members “will become ambassadors for law enforcement in St. Bernard Parish.’’

Hundreds of St. Bernard Parish residents are alumni of the Citizens Police Academy, which was started in the early 2000s and had started it’s largest-ever class at the time the hurricane struck in 2005.

The class included information on all facets of the Sheriff’s Office and the criminal justice system and for the first time this year included boating safety tips, hands-on use of equipment including a firearms simulator that had citizens decide whether they would use a weapon in certain situations, as well as a SWAT Team equipment demonstration.

“I think the class was very interested in what we had,’’ said Borchers, who is also crime prevention director for the Sheriff’s Office.
 

Sheriff jack Stephens speaks to the class of Citizens Police Academy.

FBI Special Agent in Charge David Welker speaks to the class of the Citizens Police Academy

Apr 28, 2009 - Authorities recovered the body of a man from the Mississippi River near Chalmette Slip early Tuesday morning, April 28, and tentatively identified him as someone last seen on the Canal Street ferry on March 4 and who was afterward reported missing by his sister, Sheriff Jack Stephens said.

The body, recovered in the early morning hours of April 28 after being spotted in the water by a crew boat captain, is believed to be Perry Pilgrim, 40.  He was carrying an identification card with that name inside a wallet found on the body. Pilgrim had been staying at a Salvation Army shelter in Jefferson Parish where he allegedly worked, authorities said.

Officials at the Orleans Parish Coroner’s Office, where the body was taken, were working to make a positive identification and Pilgrim’s relatives out of state were notified that it was likely his body that was recovered. Preliminary results of an autopsy conducted the same day as the recovery showed the cause of death was consistent with drowning, St. Bernard officials said. The name on the I.D., which said the owner was from Alabama, matched that on a duffel bag found on the Canal Street ferry the night Pilgrim was seen there. He had spoken to someone and told them he was a former Navy Seal and could swim the river, authorities said.

St. Bernard Chief Sheriff’s Chief Sheriff’s Deputy James Pohlmann said the body was clothed in a white T-shirt and blue jeans and had obviously been in the water for some time when spotted. A crew boat captain reported seeing the body as he navigated near the Chalmette Slip in Chalmette, an area in the river where large vessels dock and unload cargo. The Harbor Police notified the Sheriff’s Office of the body, which was then recovered.

Apr 25, 2009 - A 20-month-old Chalmette boy who wandered out of his home after he was placed in bed to sleep on Thursday night, April 23, fell into a backyard swimming pool and drowned, Sheriff Jack Stephens said.

Jamil Attalah was pronounced dead about midnight at Tulane Medical Center after a sheriff’s deputy found him, unresponsive, at the bottom of the shallow end of an in-ground pool behind his home about 11 p.m.  The incident happened in the 3600 block of Palmisano Boulevard in Chalmette. The boy apparently slipped out of the bedroom and the house unnoticed by other adults and children in the home after he was placed in a bedroom to sleep. Family members called authorities when he was noticed missing.

When deputies, firefighters and paramedics arrived to help search for the boy, they concentrated on the swimming pool. Sheriff’s Deputy Sgt. Richie Barr jumped into the murky water and found the body of the child at the bottom of the pool's shallow end. He was taken to Tulane Medical Center in New Orleans but was pronounced dead about midnight.

Apr 25, 2009 - A man allegedly driving drunk early Saturday, April 25, crashed his pickup truck into an unoccupied Arabi building, managing to escape before a fire broke out that engulfed the building and truck, but causing the eventual demolition of the structure because of safety concerns, St. Bernard Parish and State Police officials said.

Bert Pomes Jr., 25, 254 Friscoville Ave., Arabi, was booked into the St. Bernard Parish Prison on charges of DWI, reckless driving and hit-and-run driving. Pomes, who fled the area after the incident, was found several hours afterward at his residence, where he was arrested.

The accident happened about 4:30 a.m. as Pomes allegedly tried to turn from St. Claude Avenue onto Aycock Street, according to State Police, who handled the investigation of the incident, which caused the Sheriff’s Office to close portions of St. Claude Avenue for several hours.

An unoccupied building at 6900 St. Claude, that formerly housed a dentist’s office and a barber shop, was heavily damaged in the fire and was demolished later the same day because of safety concerns.

St. Bernard firefighters, sheriff's deputies and State Police searched the scene after the fire was extinguished after a witness said they thought they heard screams coming from the vehicle when it was engulfed in flames. But no victim was found.

Authorities traced the vehicle’s registration to Pomes and when they got information about where he was living in Arabi they went to his residence. Pomes admitted being in the truck and escaping before the fire, authorities said.

Pomes was released from jail after posting bond.
 

Apr 23, 2009 - A Chalmette man was booked with attempted simple kidnapping of a 5-year-old girl on Wednesday afternoon, April 22, just minutes after he allegedly tried to lure her to his pickup truck, Sheriff Jack Stephens said. The girl, who was playing outside her home on Packenham Drive in Chalmette while her mother was inside, didn’t get into the vehicle and the man drove away when a neighbor who was backing out of a  driveway stopped to see what was happening.

Jesus Limberg-Jimenez, 38, who lives at 3232 Packenham Drive, which is several blocks from where the incident happened about 4 p.m., was arrested just minutes later when sheriff’s deputies saw his red Ford pickup bearing a For Sale sign - and matching the description of the vehicle from the incident - in the 4100 block of Jupiter Drive in Chalmette.  Limberg-Jimenez, who claimed not to understand what he was being questioned about, was identified as the man seen trying to talk with the girl from his truck and was booked into St. Bernard Parish Prison on a charge of attempted simple kidnapping. He is being held in lieu of bond set at $50,000.

In a separate incident on Tuesday, April 21, two New Orleans men were booked with theft after an agent from the sheriff’s Special investigations Division alertly spotted them get out of a vehicle and take a piece of granite counter top worth $100 outside a business in Arabi.  Donald Garcia, 47, and Tony Gaconi, 43, both of 1332 Andry St., New Orleans, are being held in St. Bernard Parish Prison on charges of theft and criminal trespassing. Garcia is held in lieu of $11,000 bond and Gaconi in lieu of $10,000 bond.  Sgt. Joseph Alfonso saw the men exit their vehicle and go to a fence on the west side of a business in the 6600 block of West Judge Perez Drive in Arabi near the Orleans Parish line about 2 p.m. on April 21. When the officer confronted he men one said they had received permission by someone at the business to have a piece of granite countertop that was about 4-ft. by 2-ft, worth about $100, the sheriff said. The property was in the rear of the pair’s pickup truck. The men were arrested after store representatives, and the owner when contacted by phone, said no one had permission to take the property, the sheriff said.

Apr 23, 2009 - Gov. Bobby Jindal has appointed St. Bernard Parish Chief Deputy Sheriff James Pohlmann to the state Crime Victims Reparations Board, which awards payments to valid applicants from a reparations fund. The board assists victims of violent crimes with unrecovered costs associated with a personal injury, death or catastrophic property loss. Money in the fund comes from assessments made to criminals.

Pohlmann, who lives in Meraux and is second in command under St. Bernard Sheriff Jack Stephens, will serve as an at-large member representing the 3rd Congressional District. “I am pleased to be appointed to this board and be in a position to try to help victims of violent crime in their time of need,’’ said Pohlmann. “I encourage St. Bernard Parish residents who have been victims of violent crime and as a result have legitimate expenses that meet the criteria to apply for consideration of reparations.’’

Sheriff Stephens said, “It’s an honor for St. Bernard Parish and the Sheriff’s Office to have a representative on the Crime Victims Reparations Board’’ and said Pohlmann is a good selection. “Jimmy has the experience in dealing with crime victims because of his background in law enforcement that makes him the right choice.’’

Applications for reparations consideration are available from all Louisiana sheriffs' offices, Pohlmann said. The victim reparations coordinator for St. Bernard is Lt. Jennifer Turnage, at (504) 278-7656, and can provide assistance to victims of violent crime who ask for help in filling out application forms. Victims may also get an application directly from the Crime Victim's Reparations Office by calling 1-888-6-VICTIM (nationwide).

The Crime Victims Reparations Board has 11 members, including the executive director of the Louisiana Commission on Law Enforcement and Administration of Criminal Justice. The remaining 10 members are gubernatorial appointees. One member is selected from nominations submitted by the group Victims and Citizens Against Crime, Inc. and nine members serve at-large. Each congressional district must be represented and one at-large. One member must be at least 60 years old to represent senior citizens of the state. Other New Orleans area members of the board include: Sharon Rodi of Metairie, representing the 1st Congressional District; and Kenneth Jones of Harvey, who represents the 2nd Congressional District.

Here are basic facts about the Crime Victims Reparations Fund:

Residency
The crime must occur in Louisiana or involve a Louisiana resident who becomes a victim in another state that doesn’t have a crime victim compensation program for which they would be eligible.

Reporting the Crime
The crime must be reported to a law enforcement agency within 72 hours after the incident unless there is a valid reason it couldn’t be reported within this time period.

Filing for Compensation
The application must be filed within a year of the crime unless there is a valid reason it couldn’t be submitted within this time period.

Cooperation
The victim and/or claimant must cooperate fully with law enforcement officials in the investigation and prosecution of the case.

Who May Qualify
An innocent victim of a violent crime who suffers physical and/or emotional harm, death or catastrophic property loss; a person who legally assumes the obligations or voluntarily pays certain expenses related to the crime on behalf of the victim; immediate family members needing counseling as a result of the consequence of death of the victim.

Who is Not Eligible
A victim whose own behavior contributed to the crime; a victim or claimant who was engaged in illegal activity at the time of crime; an offender or an accomplice of the offender; anyone incarcerated in a penal institution when the crime occurred or who had a felony conviction in the last five years; victims of non crime-related traffic accidents.

What Crimes Are Covered
Covered are crimes involving the use of force or the threat of the use of force and result in personal injury, death or catastrophic property loss. The only motor vehicle-related crimes that are eligible are: DWI, Hit and Run, victim of a driver who is fleeing apprehension by law enforcement, or a victim whose injuries were intentionally inflicted with a vehicle.

What Expenses are Eligible
Reimbursement for property damage or loss is not an eligible expense. Approved claims may be awarded compensation for the following only if they are related to the crime: Reasonable medical and prescription expenses, dental expenses, mental health counseling, funeral expenses, loss of earnings or support, child care to enable a victim, spouse, surviving spouse of a deceased victim or guardian to continue employment, reasonable replacement costs for item or items taken as evidence or made unusable as a result of the criminal investigation.

What expenses aren’t eligible
Expenses which may not be reimbursed for any reason include: property losses except for a catastrophic property loss which is limited to the loss of your current residence provided it is owned and occupied by the victim/claimant, pain and suffering, attorney fees except when they are part of an order from a hearing or award by a court of law.

Limits on Awards
Total recovery may not exceed $ 10,000 unless the victim suffered total and permanent disability. Victims who suffer total permanent disability as a result of their victimization may qualify for up to $25,000.

Recoveries from Other Sources
The Crime Victims Reparations Fund is regarded as the "payer of last resort." It is a secondary source that pays for certain out-of-pocket expenses related to the crime that the victim has no other way to pay. Other sources that have to pay first include:

• HMO/health insurance
• Disability insurance/life insurance 
• Vacation time, sick leave or other types of leave paid by an employer 
• Worker's compensation benefits 
• Social security 
• Medicare or Medicaid

Apr 21, 2009 - Sheriff Jack Stephens is asking the public’s help to identify a man possibly involved in three related incidents within about 20 hours: a Chalmette home burglary in which he was confronted by a resident and two in which he was seen peeking into windows.

The burglary and one Peeping Tom incident happened within minutes from about 2:45 a.m. to 3 a.m. on Sunday, April 19, and the other Peeping Tom act was later the night of April 19, the sheriff said.

A bicycle with a yellow and red frame was recovered in the back yard of a home on Rosetta Drive where the burglary happened the morning of April 19. He was confronted by a resident inside the Rosetta Street home, there was a struggle, and the intruder was struck in the back of the head by the resident, leaving a blood sample, the sheriff said. 

The same physical description of the msn was given in each of the incidents, Sheriff Stephens said, and St. Bernard sheriff’s detectives believe it is likely the same person in each.

The unidentified man is described as about 6-0, heavyset, with short hair on the sides and dark wavy hair on top and he spoke with a Hispanic accent when a woman who saw him outside her window on LaPlace Drive went out about 2:45 a.m. on April 19 and confronted him. He said something to her and left.

The third incident happened Sunday night, April 19, when a man was seen looking in a window on Juno Drive in Chalmette but fled when authorities were called.

Sheriff Stephens said anyone with information about the possible identity of the man involved should call the St. Bernard Parish Sheriff’s Office at (504) 271-2501.

This bicycle was recovered at the scene of a burglary on Rosetta Drive in Chalmette and possibly was left by the unidentified burglar. Anyone with information about the identity of the man who was confronted in the home by a resident, should call the St. Bernard Parish Sheriff’s Office at (504) 271-2501

Santana Percy

Santana Percy

Apr 21, 2009 - St. Bernard Parish sheriff’s deputies arrested two men only minutes after they carjacked a vehicle from a couple near Paris Road in Chalmette on Sunday night, April 19, and in the process also recovered a vehicle carjacked in Metairie some two hours earlier, St. Bernard Parish Chief Sheriff’s Deputy James Pohlmann said

Pohlmann complimented arresting officers on great reaction to the emergency call that came immediately after the incident, saying the Sheriff’s Office has long prided itself on quick response time to emergencies. “We hope this sends a message to criminal elements who want to prey on St. Bernard residents,’’ Pohlmann said. And it was a bonus that the arrests resulted in the recovery of another vehicle carjacked in Metairie the same night, Pohlmann said.

Jefferson Parish authorities said both men will also be booked with two carjackings that took place in Metairie, including the one in which one of the cars stolen there was recovered with the St. Bernard Parish arrests.

Santana Percy, 19, of Port Allen, and Jeremy Price, 18, of New Orleans, were in a Ford Crown Victoria stolen at 8:10 p.m. from a man in Metairie when they allegedly used it to carjack a Toyota Corolla in the 2800 block of Buffon Street near Paris Road in Chalmette about 10:30 p.m. on April 19, Pohlmann said.

Both are booked with carjacking, armed robbery, possession of a stolen vehicle and flight from an officer. Percy, who allegedly used the gun in the in the Chalmette incident, is being held in St. Bernard Parish Prison in lieu of bond set at $450,000, while Price is jailed in lieu of $300,000 bond.

“We’re glad to see how bonds set on these individuals,’’ Pohlmann said.

The suspects blocked a couple leaving their Chalmette driveway and took their Toyotas vehicle at gunpoint, Pohlmann said. The couple later said it was Percy who pointed the gun at them and demanded money and drove off in their car, with the man’s wallet inside.

The couple wasn’t injured.

Pohlmann said only minutes after the victims called the Sheriff’s Office, deputies spotted both the Crown Victoria and Toyota vehicles coming out of a side street onto Paris Road and tried to stop them.

Both stolen cars were driven into the parking lot of a fast-food restaurant on Paris Road and as deputies approached, the two stolen cars split ways.

Percy, driving the Corolla, was in the drive-through lane but jumped the curb once deputies turned on the sirens, Pohlmann said. He made it back on Paris Road, heading north toward New Orleans, but tried turning onto a cross street, Genie Street, but lost control and hit a fire hydrant, causing the car to flip on its side.

Percy climbed out and tried running away, eventually fighting with deputies but was pepper-sprayed, and taken to University Hospital for treatment of his injuries in the accident, then brought to jail in St. Bernard.

The Toyota that was stolen was damaged in the accident. Inside the vehicle, a gun allegedly used in the carjacking as well as the wallet of one victim was recovered.

Also, the other suspect, Price, parked the Crown Victoria in the fast-food restaurant parking lot and went inside, pretending to fill out a job application on a computer, Pohlmann said.

When deputies saw the wanted Crown Victoria parked, they went inside the restaurant which was closed but hadn’t locked up, Pohlmann said.

Price was the only person in the restaurant other than workers and he said he had walked there to fill out a job application. Deputies told him he was being detained on suspicion of the carjacking, Pohlmann said.

The restaurant manager told deputies Price walked in and sat at the job application computer but appeared nervous and kept looking out the window at the crash scene just up the street.

When deputies viewed the security camera videotape in the restaurant Price was seen entering a bathroom, Pohlmann said.

Deputies found a set of car keys in a bathroom trash can and Price was arrested.

When the recovered car keys were used to open the Crown Victoria, a business card was found bearing a number which deputies called, Pohlmann said. The man who answered, informed that sheriff’s deputies had found the car, told them it was a car from the business where he was employed and said the vehicle was carjacked from him in Metairie about 8 p.m. the same night.

Jefferson Parish sheriff’s officials confirmed a carjacking happened on Dorrington Boulevard  in Metairie.

On Tuesday, April 21, Jefferson Sheriff Newell Normand said Price and Percy, interviewed by Jefferson detectives after their arrests in St. Bernard,  will be booked with two counts of armed robbery and carjacking for incidents over the previous weekend in Metairie, including the one involving the car recovered in the St. Bernard arrests.

One Metairie carjacking happened Saturday night, April 18, in the 1300 block of Sigur Avenue and the other on Sunday night, April 19 in the 200 block of Dorrington. No one was reported injured.

Apr 16, 2009 - St. Bernard Parish President Craig Taffaro and St. Bernard Sheriff Jack Stephens said they believe the start of demolition of the Sheriff’s Annex Building on Thursday, April 16, and its subsequent construction is a major step in the recovery and growth of St. Bernard.

“It’s something that we believe will be the start of something special,” President Taffaro said. “We recognize the importance of a permanent home for the Sheriff’s Office.” Parish government is responsible for overseeing the demolition and construction of the new building which is being paid for by a combination of insurance proceeds and FEMA funds.

President Taffaro said he believes the partnerships among the officials from the parish, Governor’s Office and FEMA will speed the construction on the new and larger sheriff’s building, to be located behind St. Bernard Courthouse in Chalmette. It is projected to open in October 2010.

Sheriff Stephens said, “It’s an odd environment we live in when we are called together to celebrate the demolition of a building that has served this community so well. If we have learned any lessons from Hurricane Katrina, we have learned that you have to let go in order to move forward.”

“I think it’s a positive step, and I hope it helps spur people to make a commitment to return to the parish and to know we are here to stay and serve them,” Stephens said. “We think we will have a bright future” in the new building.

President Taffaro climbed into the excavator and took the first swipe at the building after a ceremony attended by officials including Clerk of Court Lena Torres, Assessor Marlene Vinsanau, state Sen. A.G. Crowe, and David Welker, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI in Louisiana. Other attendees included: Chief Deputy Sheriff James Pohlmann, Civil Sheriff JoAnn Lane, Col. Harold Hughes and Col. Pete Tufaro, all of the Sheriff’s Office; Col. Dave Dysart, Parish Homeland Security Director; Parish Attorney Mike Gorbaty, Parish Staff Engineer Rick Stierwald, Colin Kelley of FEMA, Amy Webbeking, FEMA Intergovernmental Affairs; Jeff Amering of the Governor’s Office of Homeland Security; Amanda Beyeht of Congressman Charlie Melancon’s office and former Parish President Charlie Ponstein.

The $105,000 demolition of the two-story annex that ultimately will be rebuilt to house the administrative offices of the Sheriff should be completed in about 45 days, Stierwald said.  Sheriff Stephens said the design is underway on the new building that is expected to cost $3 million and have 11,000 square feet. The Katrina-damaged building, completed around 1963, housed Police Jury officials until the late 1970s when the Sheriff’s Office functions moved into the two-story office complex connected to the St. Bernard Courthouse. Currently, the Sheriff’s administrative offices operate out of 8301 W. Judge Perez Drive in Chalmette in the Sidney Torres Plaza/Regions Bank Building. Clerk of Court Lena Torres, who has worked at the courthouse for more than six decades, said she had mixed feelings about losing the building, but the rebuilding “shows St. Bernard is progressing.”

Assessor Marlene Vinsanau said, “This is one more step in our recovery.” Sen. A.G. Crowe said he is working to get additional money from the state for the project, and he praised the efforts of local leaders, saying St. Bernard “is blessed to have leadership like the Sheriff, President Taffaro and the Parish Council.”Welker of the FBI congratulated local officials on the milestone, saying, “The relationship between the FBI, state and local law enforcement officials is absolutely critical. We want to make sure this relationship exists into the future.”Sheriff Stephens said the new administrative building will be more convenient for public and law enforcement because it will bring all the elements of the parish criminal justice system closer together.

For more information about the Sheriff’s Office, visit the website at www.sbso.org. For more information about Recovery and Growth in St. Bernard Parish, visit  www.sbpg.

Apr 16, 2009 - St. Bernard Parish Sheriff’s Deputy Tommy Duplessis stood with a weapon drawn and aimed at a large screen displaying a video of a scene police officers can face at any time: whether to fire at an armed  suspect.

The scene was a training session using a computerized virtual simulator, also called a firearms simulator, set up inside a trailer on loan from Louisiana Attorney General Buddy Caldwell’s office that can be brought to law enforcement agencies around the state.

Dozens of videos of various scenarios can be brought up on a screen for an officer to react to, such as a traffic stop, hostage rescue, a knife-wielding man in a bar, a domestic disturbance where the husband has a shotgun, or a man hitting someone with a weapon.

Split-second decisions must be made by an officer based on their training and individual law enforcement department’s policies on situations.

Sometimes, the officer must decide whether the only option is fire their weapon after the suspect doesn’t respond to verbal commands.

“I thought it was the most realistic training I’ve had’’ since the police officer training academy he underwent years ago, said Duplessis, who has been a sheriff’s deputy since 2001. “It’s a safe, effective tool’’ for refresher training on reacting to situations and “would be easier for training new people without going to a firing range’’ he said.

Several deputies said they found the simulator to be a realistic and interesting experience for a law enforcement officer.

St. Bernard sheriff’s deputies and detectives trained on the simulator throughout the week of April 13-17 and on Wednesday night, April 15, St. Bernard residents enrolled in the sheriff’s Citizens Police Academy used the simulator to get a feel for situations police officers must respond to.

St. Bernard Chief Deputy Sheriff James Pohlmann said, “Training opportunities like this are invaluable to sheriff’s deputies and is all  part of our emphasis on continued training. We appreciate Attorney General Buddy Caldwell’s office making the firearms simulator available to our department.’’

Pohlmann also said it’s good that parish residents enrolled in the Citizens Police Academy can see up-close the type of real-life situations that officers can face at any time.

Brian Cazes and Jason Nuccio, investigators with the Attorney General’s office, came to St. Bernard to show how to use the simulator.

Maj. David DiMaggio, director of training for the Sheriff’s Office, coordinated the training project.

Apr 15, 2009 - East St. Bernard Highway from Jacob Drive to Munster Boulevard will be closed during the day on Saturday and Sunday, April 18 and 19, while a contractor installs cable trays and wire across the highway for an electrical upgrade for the Murphy Oil refinery dock area.

The highway will be shutdown from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday, but may be able to be reopened before 5 p.m. on Sunday, officials at the refinery said.

The St. Bernard Parish Sheriff’s Office will be onsite to re-route traffic.

Apr 14, 2009 - About 1.5 pounds of marijuana, worth at least $3,300 on the streets, was seized in the search of a Violet residence and    
Jerrel Joseph, booked with possession with intent to distribute 1.5 pounds of marijuana in St. Bernard.
 Boyd Joseph, one of two brothers booked with possession of 1.5 pounds of marijuana with intent to distribute.
 
two brothers who lived there were arrested, Sheriff Jack Stephens said.

Boyd Joseph, 27, and Jerrel Joseph, 24, both of 11 Provincial Court in Violet, near Colonial Boulevard, were arrested the night of Thursday, April 9, when agents from the St. Bernard Sheriff’s Special Investigations Division - comprised of the Narcotics Unit and Streets Crimes Unit - served a search warrant at the residence.

Officers had information about alleged drug activity which enabled them to obtain a search warrant from a judge. A field test on the seized material tested positive for marijuana.

Chief Sheriff’s Deputy James Pohlmann praised the work of the SID agents, saying, “It’s this kind of aggressive action on narcotics enforcement that keeps this parish and residents safe from the problem of murders committed over drug turfs, which happens in other parishes.’’

Cracking down on drug distributors is a step in preventing them from killing each other on the streets, which leads to innocent victims caught in the middle, Pohlmann said.

The Joseph brothers were booked with possession of marijuana with intent to distribute and with possession of drug paraphernalia including a scale and packaging material for selling the marijuana. They are being held in St. Bernard Parish Prison in lieu of bonds set at $20,000 each.

Apr 14, 2009 - A ceremony will mark the beginning of the demolition of the St. Bernard Parish Sheriff’s Annex and rebuilding of new offices on Thursday, April 16 at 9:30 a.m. in the yard behind the St. Bernard Courthouse.

“We express our appreciation to everyone who has been able to help make this possible,’’ Sheriff Jack Stephens said. “We believe it’s a major step forward in the rebuilding of St. Bernard Parish. We are proud of the design of the new building and look forward to occupying it.’’

“This is another piece of critical infrastructure to assist the Sheriff’s Department in having first-class housing for its personnel,” Parish President Craig P. Taffaro Jr. said.

Officials will gather to mark the beginning of the demolition of the two-story annex that ultimately will be rebuilt to house the administrative offices of the St. Bernard Sheriff’s Office, which now are operating out of the Sidney Torres Plaza/Regions Bank Building at 8301 West Judge Perez Drive in Chalmette.

The FEMA-funded demolition, at $105,000, will take about 45 days. The design for the complex is underway. St. Bernard Parish Government is responsible for overseeing the demolition and the construction of the building for the Sheriff’s Office at #2 Courthouse Square in Chalmette.

Apr 14, 2009 - Screams from prom clothes-decked teen-agers who were trapped in wrecked cars mingled with the moaning sirens of vehicles from the St. Bernard Parish Sheriff’s Office, Fire Department and ambulances rushing to assist them.

Emergency crews found a gruesome scene: three dead high school students – one ejected through a windshield onto a hood – and three injured in a head-on collision, including a dazed drunk driver who would soon be arrested for vehicular homicide.

The scene played out Thursday, April 9, in the football stadium at St. Bernard Middle School, including: placing victims in body bags as a coroner pronounced them dead, cutting vehicles open to remove the injured and transport them for treatment, the arrest of the drunk driver and his arraignment before a judge who explained he could be sent to prison.

In the stands were seniors and juniors from Chalmette High, who seemed to be paying attention.

The dramatization was the first renewal of Project Prom Safety in St. Bernard since Hurricane Katrina and meant to convey the anti-drunk driving message that the choices people make will shape their future.

The program, which started in 1995 and was held every other year for junior and seniors in high school, was renewed by Parish Fire Chief Thomas Stone and Schools Superintendent Doris Voitier, with support from the Sheriff’s Office, Acadian Ambulance, Parish President Craig Taffaro and state District Judge Kirk Vaughn, who told students the story of his wife being killed years ago by a drunk driver in Chalmette.

The program held in the stadium for the students “is not a joke,’’ Vaughn said. “Please don’t drink and drive.’’ 

Stone, who told the students he has been to accident scenes where friends from high school and kids he had coached in recreation leagues were killed or injured, said the time was right to renew the safety program.

“If we can prevent one accident it makes it worthwhile doing,’’ said Stone. “We have had many students involved in accidents with fatalities over the years.’’

Voitier said, “We feel a responsibility to help our students make good choices,’’ and stress “awareness of the dangers they could face as they celebrate prom night and graduation.’’ She told students, “The choices you make today shape your future.’’

Lt. Mike Ingargiola of the Sheriff’s Office Traffic Division, told the assembled crowd he has had to investigate a number of accidents involving young people who were killed. “It’s so difficult to stand in front of parents and tell them their children have been killed,’’ he said. Afterward. Ingargiola said he believes the safety program can make a difference to high school students because, “It was dramatic and realistic.’’

Chalmette High students who played the roles included Matthew Menneses, Megan Alfonso, Paul Sampson, Miranda Duplessis, Justin Bennett and Britney Ruiz.

Some admitted the drama had an effect on them. “It was an awful feeling to be put in the ambulance,’’ Alfonso told the students.

	Workers from Meyers Warehouse of New Orleans are shown transferring diesel fuel from the leaking fuel tank of a company truck into barrels on Aycock Street at Royal Street in Arabi early Wednesday, April 8 after a truck driver was stopped for leaking diesel across parts St. Bernard.  Steve Cannizaro Photo

Apr 8, 2009 - A truck driver for a New Orleans company was cited in St. Bernard Parish for careless handling of hazardous material and failure to notify authorities of a diesel fuel spill after a pre-dawn incident in Arabi and Chalmette on Wednesday, April 8, Sheriff Jack Stephens said. A trail of diesel fuel lined sections of West St. Bernard Highway from Chalmette to Arabi and on Aycock Street to near the Mississippi River after the 5:45 a.m. incident. Westbound lanes on West St. Bernard Highway were closed to traffic for a period of the early morning due to the spill. Meyers Warehouse Inc. of New Orleans, owner of the truck, hired private contractors to clean up the roadways.

Driver Vincent Burton, 44, of Picayune, Ms., was stopped by St. Bernard Parish sheriff’s deputies on Aycock Street at Royal Street near the river as he was en route to the Domino sugar refinery in Arabi. He was questioned by deputies and Fire Department officials and held for State Police, who had been notified. Burton was cited by State Police for careless handling of hazardous materials and failure to notify authorities of the spill. Burton wasn’t booked with any criminal charges.

The driver said he heard something hit the tractor he was in New Orleans heading toward St. Bernard Parish and it was later determined its diesel fuel tank had been punctured, officials said. The truck's fuel tank had as much as 100 gallons of diesel fuel, owner Patrick Meyers said at the scene, but officials weren’t sure how much leaked onto the roadways.

A motorist signaled Burton on West St. Bernard Highway, just west of Paris Road, to draw his attention to the fact that something was leaking from his truck, sheriff’s officials said. Burton stopped, got out to investigate, but later said he believed he had halted the leak and he drove on. But the leak continued and there was a foot-wide slick of diesel fuel in places on the roadways as Burton traveled on to St. Claude Avenue and turned left on Aycock Street, headed to the sugar refinery.

Apr 4, 2009 - On Saturday, April 4, the St. Bernard Parish Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness, in conjunction with the Louisiana National Guard and the Sheriff’s Office, will host a Point of Distribution (POD) exercise on the grounds of the parish government complex from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.  This exercise is an opportunity for all public agencies to practice their roles in an emergency situation.

During this exercise, hurricane evacuation information will be distributed by the Office of Emergency Preparedness in addition to information from Chalmette Refining and Murphy Oil. 

The public is invited to participate in this emergency exercise from 3-5 p.m.  There will be signs posted for the public to follow to line up for the POD distribution.  The entrance will be on West Judge Perez Drive between the Civic Center and the government complex at 8201 W. Judge Perez Dr. in Chalmette.

For more information about the exercise, contact the St. Bernard Office of Homeland Security at (504) 278-4268.

Apr 4, 2009 - Ten tablets of the drug MDMA, known as ecstasy and worth about $200 total, were seized and a New Orleans man arrested after a traffic stop in Chalmette early in the morning of Thursday, April 2, Sheriff Jack Stephens said. Michael Lonzo, 29, 8131 Fig St., was stopped about 4:30 a.m. by patrol division Sheriff’s Deputy Christopher Encardes, who caught Longo going 20 mph over the posted speed limit on West Judge Perez Drive in Chalmette. 

In a separate incident, four ounces of marijuana worth more than $500 and a digital scale for bagging and selling it, was found Wednesday, April 1 when a search warrant was executed at the home of a Chalmette man by agents of the sheriff’s Special Investigations Division.  Nicholas Smith, 30, 2000 Lena Drive, Apt. D, was booked with possession with intent to distribute marijuana, possession of drug paraphernalia and possession of the drugs in the presence of two minor children, a 3-year-old and a 4-month-old who were in the residence. The 112 grams of marijuana was found in two clear bags. The search warrant was obtained from a judge after an investigation by agents of the SID.

Smith was booked into the St. Bernard Parish Prison but has been released on bond. The amount wasn’t available.

In the case in which 10 ecstasy tablets were found, the motorist Lonzo, didn’t provide vehicle insurance documents after his traffic stop and said his card was in the vehicle’s middle console. When the officer went to retrieve the insurance card, he noticed in plain view a clear bag containing 10 tablets. 

Sheriff Stephens said a field examination of the pills showed positive results for the presence of MDMA, or ecstasy, which is rarely found in St. Bernard Parish. The tablets had a street value of about $20 each. Lonzo was booked with possession of MDMA with intent to distribute and with reckless operation of the vehicle. He is being held without bond in St. Bernard Parish Prison.

Apr 3, 2009 - Basketballs will fly for pride and a good cause at 7 p.m. on Saturday, April 4 when the Sheriff’s Office plays the Fire Department in Chalmette High gym in the Third Annual Gulf Coast Bank basketball rivalry, to benefit the nonprofit parish Recreation Corporation, which supports the parish Recreation Department.  

The series between deputies and firefighters is now tied at one win each, with the Sheriff’s Office winning last year.

The Recreation Corporation was established to help recreation services for the youth in St. Bernard Parish, acting “as kind of a booster club,’’ for the Recreation Department, said Dennis Bradley, president of the Recreation Corporation and a history teacher at Chalmette High. “This event is one of our major fundraisers for the year. ‘’

A special feature of the game will be an appearance by some members of the New Orleans Hornets’ Honeybees.

Tickets at the door will be $5 for adults and $3 for children 12 and under. Advanced tickets can be purchased at Olive Branch Emporium, 600 E. Judge Perez Dr. in Chalmette, for $4 for adults and $2 for children.

Also, two 14- by 18-inch prints –unique depictions of a sheriff’s deputy and a firefighter using a fleur-de-lis theme – that are valued at $99 each and signed by the artist Candice Alexander of the Lake Charles area, have been donated by the owner of Olive Branch Emporium Charlene Walsh to be raffled off. Tickets for the raffle of each print are being sold in advance at the store for $1 each or 6 for $5.

At the game, there will also be a 50/50 raffle, a prize raffle, a half-court shooting contest for cash prizes and concessions sold.

 “In the past we have used some of the funds raised (at the game) to purchase equipment, uniforms and trophies for Recreation Department teams, as well as funding for lights, backstops, grading of fields, and renovations of bathrooms and concession stands at some of the parks here in St. Bernard,’’ said Bradley. “The more we can raise at this event, the more we can do to help get recreation for our kids back to normal.’’

Walsh said she donated the prints for raffle “because I just wanted to contribute to our community.’’ But, along with the fund-raiser to help recreation services in St. Bernard, she said she wanted to show support for the Sheriff’s Office and Fire Department.

“They are both there when you need them,’’ Walsh said of the departments. “This is a safe community because of them.’’