July 2018

AgCenter expert stresses importance of food safety

BATON ROUGE — A recent recall of processed foods brings to light the importance of food safety.

LSU AgCenter food safety expert Wenqing Xu said all food carry risks, but so much depends on how we manage the risks.

Consumers are often surprised to learn about salmonella in processed foods, she said.

“Those are the foods you wouldn’t think of having foodborne pathogens, but bacteria are opportunists and find any chance to get in our foods,” Xu said.

Dont't let poison ivy hurt you

I recently came across some poison ivy as I was working in an out-of-theway area of my landscape. Poison ivy is very abundant in urban, suburban and rural landscapes. I keep a sharp eye out for this plant as I’m quite allergic, and I promptly and ruthlessly deal with any as soon as I see it.

Recognizing poison ivy

FSA county commission nominations face August 1 deadline

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Farm Service Agency (FSA) Executive Director for Jefferson Davis Parish, Beau Fontenot, today reminded farmers and ranchers that they have until Aug. 1, 2018, to nominate eligible candidates to serve on local FSA county committees.

County committees are made up of farmers and ranchers elected by other producers in their communities to guide the delivery of farm programs at the local level. Committee members play a critical role in the day-today operations of FSA.

City school bus routes proposed

The Jeff Davis Parish School System’s central office has proposed the following school bus routes within the city of Jennings for the 2018-2019 year.

• BERTHA BENOIT - Bus 270 - GREEN FROG

Morning Pick-up

Patriotic Ride

Spirit Riders Christian Motorcycle Association carried an American flag through Elton Thursday afternoon in a motorcade led by the Jeff Davis Parish Sheriff’s Office before heading to Baton Rouge. The ride is part of Nation of Patriots, a non-profit that supports wounded veterans and their families.

ARF in need of donations, fosters

This summer alone, the Jennings-based Animal Relief Foundation (ARF) has spent over $2,000 helping pups abandoned locally, but the group is in desperate need of about $1,500 to save two more dogs.

ARF volunteer Rebecca Chaisson said saving animals is an expensive task; too often, the cheapest solution is to euthanize a dog who just wants to love, and be loved.

JFD seeks volunteers

The city is currently seeking volunteers to help the fire department better serve and protect the lives and property of the people of Jennings.

Jennings Fire Department Chief Hulin Theriot said currently, the department has about half the full-time staff it once had, and volunteers are needed to help fill in the coverage gaps.

FIRST FISH WEIGHED BREAKS 46-YEAR TARPON RODEO RECORD

GRAND ISLE (AP) — The first fish weighed at a Louisiana tarpon rodeo broke a 46-yearold event record.

Houma angler Guy Cenac hauled in a tarpon weighing 208 pounds 14 ounces Thursday at the Grand Isle Tarpon Rodeo. The event’s previous record was 206 pounds, set in 1972.

Weighmaster Martin Bourgeois tells The Daily Comet it was a spectacular fish and a great start to the rodeo.

It took nearly three hours to get the tarpon into the boat Thursday.

JDP UNDER 30-DAY BURN BAN

The parish is under a 30-day burn ban as of Thursday, July 26. According to the Jeff Davis Parish Police Jury, the ban includes the burning of all trash and vegetation, as well as any other open burning. There is also an imposed immediate 30-day ban on the use, discharge or ignition of any and all projectile fireworks, including but not limited to bottle or stick rockets, missiles, roman candles, as well as all cylinderlaunched devices, in all unincorporated areas of the parish.

Avenatti: Three women paid ‘hush money’ for Trump relationships

WEST HOLLYWOOD, Calif. (AP) — Michael Avenatti, the attorney for porn actress Stormy Daniels, said Thursday that he now represents three additional women who he says had relationships with President Donald Trump and were paid “hush money” before the 2016 presidential election.

Avenatti disclosed the information at a community forum in West Hollywood, California, but he would not provide additional information.

Asked if he had evidence that the women had relationships with Trump, Avenatti said: “Yes.”