New fire chief and city prosecutor named

Morgan City’s new fire chief is quite familiar with the position, while the new city prosecutor will be a prosecutor for the first time in his nearly 40-year law career.
On Tuesday, the City Council approved the appointment of Alvin Cockerham as fire chief and Leo Landry as city prosecutor.
Cockerham, 70, previously lead the department as chief from 1985-89 and went “back in the ranks” after that time until Tuesday. During his time with the department, he achieved the rank of captain. Cockerham was appreciative of the opportunity to serve as chief again, he said.
“I’ve been from the bottom to the top, halfway back down again,” Cockerham said. He has been assistant chief and fire prevention chief.
Mayor Frank “Boo” Grizzaffi recommended the appointment of Cockerham after interviewing nine candidates.
The fire department has more than 30 full-time firefighters and operates out of four stations in Morgan City.
Cockerham replaces Mark Stephens, who had served as substitute chief since November 2014 when former chief Morris Price stepped down as chief. Price officially retired from the department May 1.
Cockerham first began working at the Morgan City Fire Department in 1966. He left the department in 1968 but came back just a few months later in 1969 and has been there ever since, he said. Cockerham is a Winnfield native.
“I’m fortunate to come in here with a bunch of great young men that want to learn and a bunch of experienced officers that know full well what they’re doing,” Cockerham said. “So I’m inheriting a very, very good situation.”
Cockerham is open to any new ideas to help make the department better than it already is, he said. The new fire chief plans to evaluate the department before attempting to make any changes, he said.
Technology has drastically changed firefighters’ jobs for the better from the office to firetrucks, he said.
Leo Landry will replace Paul Landry as city prosecutor. Paul Landry stayed on as assistant city prosecutor and also as city attorney.
Paul Landry served as city prosecutor since November 2013 replacing former prosecutor Sostenes Ruiz III who retired after 33 years on the job.
After a couple months, Paul Landry realized that trying to serve as both city attorney and prosecutor was a lot to handle in addition to having an active law practice, Grizzaffi said. Therefore, the mayor asked Leo Landry if he was interested in becoming city prosecutor, and he accepted.
Leo Landry, 67, has practiced law since 1976 in Morgan City but has never been a prosecutor before, he said. He got his law degree from Loyola University in New Orleans and was born and raised in Morgan City.
City Court is held on Tuesdays and Thursdays and one Wednesday a month for juvenile court, so he will still be able to continue his civil law practice, he said.

This story was written by Zachary Fitzgerald of The Daily Review staff. Reach him at zfitzgerald@daily-review.com.