Local briefs: Middleton dies; Swiftships contract extended; port firms to hire more

Educator, councilman
Butch Middleton dies
Retired educator and former St. Mary Parish Council District 2 member Charles “Butch” Middleton died Wednesday.
Middleton served as a principal, councilman, a member of the Save Our Children program and Kappa Alpha Psi, FraternityInc.
Visitation will be from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Saturday at Franklin High School. Fraternity final rites begin at 12:30 p.m.
The funeral starts at 1 p.m. with entombment following in the mausoleum section of Franklin Cemetery. Jones Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.

Navy extends
Swiftships contract
MORGAN CITY — The Pentagon says the Navy has extended a Louisiana company’s contract to operate and upgrade a repair facility for Iraqi patrol boats built in Morgan City.
According to a daily list of Pentagon contracts, the one-year extension means nearly $11 million for Swiftships Shipbuilders LLC.
The money covers labor and associated travel, life support services and force protection services for the facility at Umm Qasr Naval Base, Iraq.
Swiftships built and maintains a dozen 115-foot patrol boats for the Iraqi Navy.

Two Iberia port firms
will pick up hiring
NEW IBERIA Two fabrication companies say they have been awarded multiple projects that will put hundreds of people to work at the Port of Iberia.
Dynamic Energy Services International President Emile Dumesnil told port officials Tuesday that Sasol Ltd. has awarded Dynamic fabrication parts of its $8 billion ethane cracker project being built in Lake Charles.
Dumesnil says Dynamic is testing welders at its east yard at the Port of Iberia for work that by early 2016 should put 300 of all crafts to work.
He says the Sasol components will be barged to Lake Charles.
Dynamic’s second project will be piping for the deepwater Shell Appomattox project.
RamFab, a company new to the Port of Iberia, also has been awarded part of the Sasol ethane cracker project.
––Staff and Wire