Daily Archives: July 7, 2017

GONZALES A Hammond man whom Ascension Parish prosecutors called a "DWI veteran" was sentenced to 18 years in prison after his conviction for a sixth driving while intoxicated arrest that happened while he was on parole for his fifth DWI, according to court documents.

Dylan E. Hart, 55, 44090 Millie Road,was involved in a minor two-vehicle crash with no injuries July 31, 2015,near the intersection of La. 70 and La. 3120 in Ascension Parish.

A breath-test found Hart had a blood-alcohol content of 0.16 percent, prosecutors with the 23rd Judicial District said in a statement.A blood-alcohol content of 0.08 percent is considered presumptive evidence of drunken driving in Louisiana.

A state district judge sentenced Hart to a 12-year prison sentence that came as part of a plea deal with Assistant District Attorney Phil Maples, prosecutors said.

But Hart's new prison sentence will be added to the remaining, unserved six years that he was sentenced to in 2011 for a fifth DWI conviction in Tangipahoa Parish, according to court documents.

Hart was given an eight-year prison sentence but six years were suspended, according to the court. He served the two-year sentence in an in-home incarceration and was ordered to participate in driver improvement and substance abuse programs.

In handing down the latest sentence for Hart last week, state Judge Thomas Kliebert Jr. of the 23rd Judicial District Court ordered that the six-year sentence from the 2011 conviction was to be served consecutively with the 12-year sentence.

Kliebert issued written reasons.

The judge noted Hart's history of crimes involving substance abuse and that he had been on parole at the time of his arrest in July 2015.

"The Court also notes that the defendant has been afforded the opportunity of rehabilitation and substance abuse assistance while on active probation on at least three occasions, failed to fully utilize the resources available to him, and continued to involve himself with substance abuse and operating a motor vehicle while intoxicated in total disregard of our laws," Kliebert wrote.

In addition to the prison time and other conditions, Kliebert also fined Hart $5,000.

Hart agreed to the plea deal March 13 after the judge planned to allow prosecutors to introduce at trial his five previous DWI convictions in Tangipahoa Parish going back to 2003, according to court documents.

Follow David J. Mitchell on Twitter, @NewsieDave.

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Sixth DWI conviction for Hammond man in Ascension results in nearly two decades of prison time - The Advocate

DONALDSONVILLE Ascension Parish government has extended its waiver of residential permit fees another six months for homeowners still rebuilding from the August 2016 flood.

But parish officials warned that residents must still apply and receive parish permits for their work, though the permits will remain free through Nov. 13.

Ken Dawson, chief administrative officer for parish government, said Thursday the parish is extending the waiver because some people are still working on rebuilding their homes nearly a year after the flood.

"Because it's such a long process, and as you know, going through what you need with insurance and what you need with FEMA and that kind of thing, some people were still at a point where they were not done," Dawson said in a brief interview.

An estimated 6,800 homes and businesses flooded in the parish and its municipalities in the August disaster.

Dawson spoke minutes after the Parish Council agreed to the 180-day extension to waive fees on residential occupancy permits, plan review, residential construction permits, and electrical, plumbing and mechanical permits.

The resolution brought forward by Dawson prompted little debate from the six of 11 council members present at Thursday's meeting.

But Parish Attorney O'Neil Parenton Jr. reiterated the warning that homeowners should still pull permits.

"Because if someone has a problem with a contractor and they don't have a permit and we go out there, we have no way to trace these people down," Parenton said.

He said he was asked about a case earlier Thursday in which the contractor performed substandard work but no one ever pulled permits for the job.

In other council action, the council agreed, 6-0, to drop its appeal of a court ruling upholding the Legislative Auditor's decision not to certify the 2016 property tax rates.

The effect of the Legislative Auditor's decision was that the Parish Council could not roll forward millage rates in the 2016 reassessment year. Property owners paid their taxes based on millage rates that were adjusted lower due to rising values from reassessment.

As a result, property owners got a small tax break that largely blunted the effect of the reassessment year.

The parish sued the Legislative Auditor, but a state district court judge in East Baton Rouge Parish upheld the state auditor's finding.

"We appealed that decision, but now looking into that further, if we actually won the appeal, it would cause us to go back to the constituents, to the residents of the parish, and re-bill them for the 2016 bill," Parish Council Chairman Bill Dawson said.

These extra bills would have been relatively small amounts for many homeowners. The added tax bill for a $200,000 home with homestead exemption, for instance, would have been between $12.50 to $28.75 depending on the area.

In reassessment years, local governments must reset millage rates to a new adjusted property tax rate that accounts for changing values on the tax rolls.

When values are on the rise, adjusted rates are lowered but are set so they generate the same revenue as the year before.

Once local governments adopt the adjusted rates, often known as "rolling back," they can then vote to "roll forward" property taxes to the prior year's maximum rate, netting a windfall of additional revenue.

The Legislative Auditor's Office refused to accept the roll forward last year because of problems it found with public notice requirements.

Follow David J. Mitchell on Twitter, @NewsieDave.

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Ascension Parish extends waiver of permit fees for flooded homeowners, gives up on tax fight - The Advocate

GREEN BAY As underdog training-camp narratives go, Joe Callahans improbable run for a spot on the Green Bay Packers 53-man roster last summer has to rank among the more compelling since the teams renaissance began 25 years ago.

While there have been plenty of other out-of-nowhere stories cornerback Tramon Williams 2007 ascension is up there, too and other longshots who earned their keep with unexpectedly impressive preseason performances, Callahan was supposed to be little more than a camp arm last year.

Coach Mike McCarthy had decided to limit two-time NFL MVP Aaron Rodgers preseason snaps, and hed earmarked the extra exhibition playing time for young backup Brett Hundley not some 6-foot-nothin, Division III unknown.

But when an ankle injury limited Hundley to just seven preseason passes, Callahan shined so much so that McCarthy was telling everyone by camps end how Callahan had earned a spot on the team as the No. 3 quarterback. (How the hell does he not make the team? McCarthy asked rhetorically and forcefully after Callahan made it). And more than a few longtime observers couldnt help but see some Brett Favre-ian improv in the kids game.

A year later, Callahan is preparing for his second NFL training camp the Packers first practice is in three weeks, on July 27 with an eye on being more than just a heartwarming story going forward.

I still have to prove myself, Callahan said during organized team activity practices last month. I need to show how much Ive improved.

Callahan did just that during the spring quarterback school and OTA practices, and itll be interesting to see how good the Packers feel about Callahan if Hundley puts together an impressive enough preseason to attract trade suitors. It seems unlikely theyd turn the No. 2 job over to him if they moved Hundley when Hundley started drawing interest during the April NFL Draft, the Packers reportedly were planning to bring in a veteran to replace him but after what Callahan did last year, who can bet against him?

To know where he came from, trying just to get somebody to look at him, to see him go from there to where he finished and what he did, for me, knowing Joe personally, it was awesome, Hundley said. Knowing it was my playing time, its frustrating to a point. But its also intriguing to me when you can see somebody grow from where he started to where he finished. That was awesome.

As much as the Packers liked Callahan, they actually bid him adieu last Oct. 13 when injuries forced them to shuffle the roster. The team waived him with the intention of signing him to the practice squad when he went unclaimed, and McCarthy, who didnt want Callahan cut to begin with, was livid when the New Orleans Saints claimed his pet project.

Callahan spent just over a week with the Saints before being released, but then the Cleveland Browns claimed him and kept him on their 53-man roster for more than a month before cutting him on Nov. 29.

The Packers finally got him back on the practice squad on Dec. 2, then promoted him onto the 53-man roster again on Dec. 17, keeping him there through the end of the year.

As well as Callahan played last summer he completed 54 of 88 passes (61.4 percent) for 499 yards with three touchdowns and no interceptions (88.2 rating) he was playing mostly on the instinct and play-making knack he showed in college at Wesley College in Dover, Del. As a three-year starter for the Wolverines, Callahan went 33-7 and threw for 12,852 yards and 130 touchdowns, including 5,068 yards and 55 touchdowns in 2015, when he won the Gagliardi Trophy, the Division III equivalent of the Heisman Trophy.

Scrambling and making something out of nothing was a key part of Callahans college production, and the Packers coaches like that aspect of his game. But the next step is for him to make more plays while doing so within the framework of the offense.

Thats a big part of it. Second year, you can go through any read in the offense and hell spit the read right out to you. So hes picking it up, quarterbacks coach Alex Van Pelt said. He just has to continue to do what hes doing.

Hes growing. His footwork has gotten a lot better, his understanding of the offense has gotten better in his second year. Just continue to do that and then show it in the preseason when he gets to play.

Jason Wilde covers the Packers for ESPN Wisconsin. Listen to him with former Packers and Badgers offensive lineman Mark Tauscher weekdays from 9-11 on Wilde & Tausch on ESPNWisconsin.com.

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Green Bay Packers: Joe Callahan continues ascension at QB - La Crosse Tribune