News

RECORD

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As a service to its readers, The Plaquemines Gazette reports arrests and suits filed in Plaquemines Parish. Information listed here is obtained from sources believed to be reliable, but due to the possibility of human or mechanical errors in filing, entering, and transcribing documents, this information is not guaranteed. Before acting on this information, please consult the official records.

Lawns in the Drought: Avoid Doing More Harm

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I’ve been out to quite a few lawn SOS calls in the past few weeks, and regardless of turfgrass type, problems are out there and getting worse thanks to persistent dry conditions. St. Augustine, zoysia, Bermudagrass, and centipede are our four warm season grasses here. Of all four, Bermudagrass is the most drought tolerant, but only to an extent. Zoysia will hold it’s color and stay green in short drought periods, but Bermudagrass will beat it out in the longer term as it is more resilient and has deeper roots than zoysia. St. Augustine is pretty tough but will start to go downhill if there are higher, crowned areas of the lawn that dry out more quickly, or if the mower blades are set too low, scalping it and opening it up to heat damage. Centipede is the least hardy in hot, dry weather, and I’m beginning to see a lot of dead and dying sections in lawns locally.

Sheri_ Turlich and PPSO Implement Live Trac Cam in Belle Chasse

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Sheriff Turlich and PPSO have implemented a Live Traffic Cam in Belle Chasse for the general public to monitor the current traffic conditions. This cam is available 24/7. Now you'll have a little cheatsheet to view prior to hitting the road... especially during peak traffic hours. The live camera feed will automatically rotate Highway 23 from Woodland Highway to Croatian Way and it will also zoom-in to show the flow of traffic on the Belle Chasse Bridge and current situation at the Belle Chasse Ferry landing. The Live Traffic Cam can be accessed at https://myearthcam.com/ sheriffturlich or on the PPSO website at https://www.ppso. net/links.

In 15 Years as Superintendent, Rousselle Built One of the Best School Districts in Louisiana

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Lifelong educator and Plaquemines Parish school district Superintendent of 15 years Denis Rousselle o ially retired on August 18, citing a need to focus on his health as the reason for his retirement. Despite the fact that Rousselle’s retirement occurred quietly— with only a brief email sent to Plaquemines school district students and faculty to announce it—his 42-year-long career in education contains numerous achievements few can boast.

Vallee Seeks District 105 Seat

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Donald “Don” Vallee has deep roots in District 105. Donald grew up hunting and _shing on both banks of the river in Plaquemines Parish. Don has owned High Point Shooting Grounds on Walker Road in Belle Chasse, for over 30 years. He has been invested in the community from a young age. Mr. Vallee studied _nance at Tu- lane University; he served our country in the Army National Guard while working his way up the ladder in the banking, real estate, _nance and marine industries.

Council Holds Special Meeting to Address Shrimp Imports

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e Plaquemines Parish council held a special meeting on Wednesday, August 30 to approve a resolution that implores Governor John Bel Edwards to declare the current state of the Louisiana shrimp industry as an emergency in need of immediate attention from the state and federal governments. Speci_cally, the resolution (which passed unanimously) requested Edwards “use all of his constitutional and statutory powers” to lessen the harm being caused by the “foreign dumping” of shrimp.

PPSB Prepares for Next Steps in Selecting New Permanent Superintendent

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On August 31, the Plaquemines Parish School Board held a committee of the board meeting to discuss potential next steps in the process of finding the next permanent Superintendent. Though school board members have appointed Shelley Ritz to the position of Interim Superintendent at their August 21 meeting, the board must still engage in a lengthy search and selection process to determine who will be the person to replace Denis Rousselle after his sudden retirement.

BCMS Welcomes Faculty and Sta

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Belle Chasse Middle School was happy to welcome back their faculty and staff on August 7. This year, on picture day, two special pictures were captured that speak to the longevity of its teachers and their commitment to Belle Chasse Middle School (BCMS).