$1.50 March 15, 2024 | Vol. 3 Iss. 09
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‘Singin’ in the Rain’
MORGAN COUNTY NEWS
Classic musical makes a big splash at MHS
page 9
Covering Your Community Since 1929
NEWS BREAK Singular title cleans up at 2024 Oscars
RESIDENTS EMPHASIZED the importance of agriculture to the community in their feedback during the meeting.
Photo by Roger V. Tuttle
Residents provide input on Morgan City’s proposed general plan By Linda Petersen
F
or the first time in more than 25 years, Morgan City will soon have a new general plan. The final version of the plan was expected to be presented to and approved by the city council at their March 12 meeting. A general plan is essentially a broadstroke advisory document that helps city officials in planning for the future. What happens in specific areas is de-
termined by land sales and zoning that can be changed by city officials if they determine there is a need to do so, City Planner Jake Young told the city council Feb. 27. “In the past, we have amended the general plan to accommodate growth but a lot of that was because our general plan was last updated in 1999,” City Manager Ty Bailey said at the same meeting. “My hope is when we take people through our process that since we just recently updated the general plan that we're pretty sure
we're calling for what the community expects … so maybe it’s less likely that we have to amend the general plan right after we adopt it.” Reaction to the proposed plan was mixed among the close to 30 residents who attended a Feb. 20 Morgan Planning Commission open house and public hearing. While most did not seem opposed to the overall plan, several ex-
GENERAL PLAN on page 8
Third-grade students from MES mold themselves into ‘Biography Wax Museum’ M
organ Elementary third graders look forward to researching and reading a biography of a famous person, then creating a poster and a speech. On Friday, March 1, students dressed to represent the person they read about and presented a wax museum to their parents and the other students at MES. More photos on page 7.
TERRANCE MCCURDY as George Washington.
SEVEN PENTZ as Babe Ruth.
DAVIN ROBINSON as Stan Lee.
LILLY MARTINEAU a Sacajewae.
Courtesy photos
The Oscars held few surprises in 2024, with a few top-tier popular films duking it out for the coveted awards. As many had predicted, Christopher Nolan’s “Oppenheimer” took home the most awards, including Nolan’s first Oscars for best picture and best director. Audiences were treated to a performance by Ryan Gosling of “I’m Just Ken” from Greta Gerwig’s “Barbie”, and were shocked by a seemingly-nude John Cena presenting, ironically, the award for best costume. Many have viewed this year’s awards shows as a return to form following the dearth caused by the pandemic of 20202021.
Royal rumors run rampant
Some time ago, it was announced by Buckingham Palace that Princess Kate Middleton would be stepping back from public life for a time for a simple abdominal surgery and recovery. For whatever reason, this spurred many rumors that things may not be as rosy as the palace had painted them, some even postulating that the Princess was dead. In an effort to quell these rumors, Middleton herself posted a picture with her children. However, it soon became clear that the picture had been doctored in several apparent ways, spurring an apology from Middleton. The picture has since had the opposite of the intended effect, only fueling the fires that there is something the Royal Family isn’t sharing with the public.
US still struggling with inflation
Despite claims to the contrary, many in the United States are still feeling the effects of inflation. According to the Associated Press, inflation rose 0.4% from January to February and currently shows no real signs of swinging in the opposite direction. These prices have affected everything from food to fuel, and have put a pinch on the budgets of many families across the country. This comes on the heels of President Biden’s State of the Union address, in which the President touted the benefits of the Inflation Reduction Act, passed by Democrats in 2022. Experts predict that inflation will be a major sticking point in the upcoming presidential election which looks to pit Trump against Biden once again.
Alarming report on AI potential released
(CNN) A new report commissioned by the US State Department paints an alarming picture of the “catastrophic” national security risks posed by rapidly evolving artificial intelligence, warning that time is running out for the federal government to avert disaster. The findings were based on interviews with more than 200 people over more than a year – including top executives from leading AI companies, cybersecurity researchers, weapons of mass destruction experts and national security officials inside the government. The report concludes that advanced AI could, “pose an extinction-level threat to the human species.”