Latest news with #Beauregard
American Press
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- American Press
DeRidder band to take final bow after 25 years
After 25 years of entertaining Southwest Louisiana, the swing band Beauregard's Courtesy will give its final performance at 7 p.m. Friday, Aug. 15, in the Wooten Theatre in DeRidder. Admission is free. Four guest vocalists will be making their return to the band for the final performance — Missy Dear, Leah Thompson, Tonia Cooley and Ericka Anderson. 'It has been a pleasure and a privilege to play with the members of Beauregard's Courtesy,' Ron Roberts said. The band was founded by Roberts and was named Beauregard's Courtesy after General Pierre Gustav Tousant Beauregard. According to Roberts, the night before Beauregard fired on Fort Sumter — which began the Civil War — he sent a supply of brandy and cigars to the Union officers commanding Fort Sumter. This is referred to as Beauregard's Courtesy. 'We named the band Beauregard's Courtesy because we play most of our performances without compensation — a 'courtesy,' ' Roberts said. The band played their first show on New Year's E ve 1999. Since then they have played everywhere from the Wooten Theatre to the Golden Nugget. They have also spread joy with their music at wedding receptions, Christmas parties, charity events and more. Roberts said the band has played more than 400 performances since 1999. The band started the Sundown Concert Series in DeRidder and also the Summer Concert Series. The band also started the Fourth of July Spectacular in DeRidder. 'They have done a fantastic job keeping that going but the first four years of the spectacular we were the band,' he said. The band has lost and gained members throughout the last two and a half decades but the heart of Beauregard's Courte sy has remained the same. Roberts spoke on the beauty of the bond between the members. He said he wishes there were more groups in the community like their's. 'When we come together for practice, we make music and we don't disagree and everyone will tell you practice is much more fun than playing,' he said. On the band coming to an end Roberts said, 'it's just time.' 'If we will all put a little more joy into life than we take out of it, this will be a better world for everyone,' Roberts said. It's something he has near the end of every performance Beauregard's Courtesy has had. l Wooten Theatre is located at 102 East 1st St. in DeRidder.
Boston Globe
13-06-2025
- Politics
- Boston Globe
Methuen mayor, School Committee divided over district budget
The city council is expected to vote on the budget on Advertisement The impasse prompted the committee to seek an emergency injunction in Essex Superior Court Thursday to stop the mayor from consolidating the school district's IT department with the city's, one of his cost-cutting measures. School Committee members said the district needs its own department to support student and staff devices, and that Beauregard doesn't have the authority to unilaterally combine the two departments. Beauregard, however said, he is just seeking such cuts to prevent further teacher layoffs. 'My mission here is to ensure that we limit the number of teacher layoffs to the maximum step possible,' Beauregard said. 'We simply cannot be reducing mission critical student-facing classroom positions.' The mayor's proposed budget has also rankled parents, teachers, and students, who gathered at a recent City Hall meeting, demanding the councilors reconsider the proposed budget. Advertisement Beauregard said his proposed budget ensures that other essential city departments, like fire and police, aren't cut. The Methuen Education Association said the city should prioritize school funding. 'What we are doing now is just going backwards in time again, and the mayor wants to move forward, well this isn't it,' said Kara Blatt, co-president of the Methuen Education Association. Like Methuen, school districts across Massachusetts — including Brookline, Milton, and Newton — have been Related : The Methuen school district serves about 6,500 students, about two-thirds of whom are classified as high needs, meaning they are low income, English learners, or have disabilities, according to the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. 'I think my son's social development and his behavioral development is a huge part of his education as well. So I don't think any position is expendable by any means,' said John Drew, a Methuen parent who spoke out at last week's city council meeting. Drew has a son who benefited from a district special needs program for two years before integrating into the Comprehensive Grammar School. The mayor also has proposed freezing contractual teacher raises to free up cash. While the district has seen a declining student enrollment, losing nearly 500 students in the past decade, new students who have been added to attendance rolls are largely high needs and require additional services that cost more, said Laurie Keegan, School Committee co-chair. Keegan said the per-student cost rose by about 25 percent from 2020 to 2023. Despite cuts to some staff positions, including 40 last year, staffing increased during the last five years to about 540 as of last school year. Advertisement 'The students that we're losing are not the students that we're gaining, all of these populations cost a lot more money to educate. So while our actual enrollment may look like it's slightly down, the per-pupil cost is actually much higher because the needs of the kids are much greater,' Keegan said. Merging the city's IT department and other school utilities, would free up more than $800,000, Beauregard said, and would be enough to save more than 20 teaching positions. Parent Nicole Pereira said she is open to the idea of consolidating the IT department if it means saving staff positions and limiting class sizes. However, she added the current IT department is already overwhelmed, and that it took months for IT to fix her fourth grade son's Chromebook. 'I just don't know how a teacher is supposed to teach all 20 plus students effectively while making sure half of those students are receiving all of their accommodations,' Pereira said. Keegan raised doubts over how equipped the city is to handle the 7,000 plus devices in the students' one-to-one technology program. The mayor has also proposed consolidating the district's legal department, but Keegan said the district needs specialized legal counsel in working with students in special education that she believes the city cannot provide. State lawmakers five years ago Advertisement Parents and teachers said there needs to be changes to the way aid is distributed, like raising the minimum funding requirement of Chapter 70, the primary state funding program for Massachusetts public schools. 'When you hear that Massachusetts has the best schools in the United States, I would really be just shocked to see what happens in other states and other schools,' Pereira said, 'because I just feel really let down with the way that people talk about what we can offer at school and how much we can be willing to take away from our schools.' Maria Probert can be reached at
Time of India
12-06-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Pernod Ricard India pours AI into growth mix
New Delhi: With India emerging as Pernod Ricard 's second-largest market globally by value and the largest by volume, the French liquor major is placing bold bets on technology, particularly artificial intelligence (AI) to drive growth, sharpen premiumization, and strengthen operational efficiency, a company's official said. 'AI is helping us move from mass marketing to high-touch, curated experiences that build stronger consumer connections,' said Simon de Beauregard , chief transformation officer at Pernod Ricard India , in an interview with ETRetail. He added that the company has built fully in-house AI capabilities to retain end-to-end control and competitive advantage. Over the last four years, the company has implemented multiple digital platforms under its Key Digital Programs (KDPs), including Maestria, which maps consumption occasions to portfolio strategy; Matrix, which links marketing spends to ROI; and D-Star, which offers outlet-level retail intelligence. Personalization, Premiumization and Predictive Tech Beauregard emphasized that tech innovation is central to Pernod Ricard India's premiumization strategy . "Tools like Maestria draw insights from 18,000 consumer interviews to match SKUs with premium consumption moments," Beauregard said. "In India, we used D-Star to adjust bottle formats according to local preferences, leading to a conversion rate to 46%, compared to the usual 10-20%. This shows how AI helps us personalize our offerings to meet the specific expectations of each market," he shared. The company is also leveraging generative AI (GenAI) to scale personalization in campaigns, he added. From supply chain planning to demand forecasting, the company is deploying AI tools to improve market responsiveness in India's complex regulatory landscape. "In a market as diverse as India, precision in forecasting is critical,' Beauregard noted. 'Data helps us fine-tune everything from portfolio strategy to store-level execution." While Pernod Ricard India's January–March (Q3 FY25) performance was softer, reporting only 1% YoY sales growth in the quarter, it was attributed to what the company termed as 'phasing technicalities' including new customs clearance procedures impacting imported spirits and a temporary production interruption in Telangana, both of which have since been resolved. Its year-to-date (April–March 2025) sales were up 5%. In its last earnings report released in April, the company said it expect a strong recovery in Q4 with catch-up sales, supported by continued demand and premiumization trends. Strong performance in brands like Jameson, Ballantine's, and Royal Stag underlined consumer appetite, particularly in the premium segment.
Yahoo
14-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Will Medicaid changes ‘heal or hurt?' Kentuckians disagree in Louisville debate
From left, journalist Deborah Yetter, Jim Waters of the Bluegrass Institute for Public Policy Solutions and Emily Beauregard of Kentucky Voices for Health discuss Medicaid during a gathering of the Louisville Forum, May 15, 2025. (Kentucky Lantern photo by Sarah Ladd) LOUISVILLE — As Republicans in Washington advanced a proposed Medicaid work requirement Wednesday, two Kentucky advocates speaking in Louisville disagreed on the wisdom of the policy. A House committee chaired by U.S. Rep. Brett Guthrie, R-Bowling Green, approved a plan for trimming $625 billion in federal Medicaid spending over the next decade that includes new copays and work and reporting requirements. The vote is an early step in moving the changes, part of a massive tax and spending bill, through both chambers of Congress. The federal Medicaid work requirement would not take effect until 2029, under the bill approved by Guthrie's House Energy and Commerce Committee during a marathon session that lasted 25 hours. U.S. House panel passes GOP plan that cuts Medicaid by $625B, adds work requirement The federal-state Medicaid program pays for almost 1 in 3 Kentuckians' health care. The Louisville Forum already was planning to host a debate around the question: Will changes to Medicaid 'heal or hurt?' after Medicaid also took center stage in Kentucky's 2025 legislative session. Deborah Yetter, a Kentucky Hall of Fame journalist who writes for the Lantern, moderated the Wednesday panel between Jim Waters, president of the Bluegrass Institute for Public Policy Solutions, and Emily Beauregard, executive director of Kentucky Voices for Health. Waters and Beauregard spent a large chunk of the debate discussing the ins and outs of Medicaid work requirements. During the legislative session Kentucky lawmakers added a mandated work requirement for Kentuckians between the ages of 18 and 60 who don't have dependents and are both 'physically and mentally able to work.' Waters said that 'there's going to be some hurt whenever you try to rein in a program that's really exploded in cost' and said Medicaid 'was intended to be for the truly disabled, indigent.' District of Columbia 38% Alaska 36% New Mexico 36% California 35% New York 34% Louisiana 34% Kentucky 31% Oregon 31% Hawaii 29% West Virginia 29% 50 states and D.C. 24% Source: Center for Budget and Policy Priorities 'It was not meant to be a destination,' he said. 'It was meant to help along the way.' 'Contrary to maybe what some people think, there is not an automated taxpayer machine there in Frankfort,' he said. 'I mean, taxpayers are not an endless source of resources, so resources are limited, and they need to be spent in a way that actually helps people.' Beauregard said 'we don't need work requirements for Medicaid' and said reporting requirements often lead to administrative hurdles that keep people from being able to prove their employment, such as hard-to-prove seasonal work or literacy issues. Beauregard said work requirements are 'short sighted' because 'it is a prerequisite to work that you are healthy.' 'While we do spend a decent amount of money on Medicaid, the cost of being uninsured is much greater — and it's not only greater to the individual, it's greater to our entire economy and to our health care system,' she said. For Waters, Medicaid is 'unsustainable' as it is. 'Don't we want fewer people on Medicaid? I think that should be the goal,' Waters said. 'Fewer people on Medicaid means when people are in the private workforce getting coverage from employers, are independent, are experiencing the dignity of work and effort,' he said. 'If everybody, pretty much, is working …. that's receiving Medicaid benefits now, like I've heard, and then it's a very small percentage that aren't, what's the problem with implementing a program that gets the rest of those folks onto an employer's payroll and off of the taxpayers' benefit plan.' Lawmakers have cited fraud prevention as a motivator to more thoroughly oversee and rein in Medicaid. Beauregard said 'there's very little fraud for individuals' and that fraud is 'mostly in the provider arena, and it's not widespread.' 'Individuals aren't able to take advantage of their Medicaid coverage for nonmedical purposes,' she said. 'You can't take your Medicaid card and use it to purchase groceries or go on a vacation. Very few people are getting a root canal for the fun of it.' Waters believes 'there's more fraud that we even know right now' and called on the newly established Medicaid Oversight and Advisory Board to 'be aggressive in looking at what fraud is happening and the extent of it.' 'Taxpayers deserve to know what that is, and to have somebody looking at that,' he said. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Yahoo
13-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Health advocate concerned how proposed Medicaid cuts could impact Kentucky
FRANKFORT, Ky. (FOX 56) — The GOP cost-cutting bill has been unveiled in Washington, and billions in cuts are on the table for Medicaid. 'I think if the cuts that we are seeing in this draft legislation go through, hundreds of thousands of Kentuckians will become uninsured,' Emily Beauregard told FOX 56. Health advocate concerned how proposed Medicaid cuts could impact Kentucky Lexington gun violence could increase this summer Kentucky police searching for man who allegedly drove stolen church van into store It is shaping up to be the next big political fight in Washington, D.C., with high stakes for the Commonwealth; 31% of the state is enrolled in Medicaid—that's about 1.3 million people. The Congressional Budget Office said as many as 8.6 million people nationwide will lose coverage over the decade under the current proposal. 'While it is expensive to cover, folks, it's a lot more expensive for people to be uninsured, to have their health deteriorate, to not be able to work because they're not healthy enough to work,' Beauregard, executive director of the policy non-profit Kentucky Voices for Health, said. Health advocate concerned how proposed Medicaid cuts could impact Kentucky Lexington gun violence could increase this summer Kentucky police searching for man who allegedly drove stolen church van into store The plan, which currently includes work reporting requirements, she argues, will create more bureaucratic churn. 'We know that 96% of Kentuckians, with Medicaid coverage, are working. They're caregivers, they're students, they're retired, or they have a disability or illness that keeps them from working,' she said. 'Every time you submit this information, it has to be processed. If it's not processed in time. You could have done everything right. You still lose your coverage. We see that happening in Kentucky today.' Beauregard said the most recent data she's seen from the state shows at least 6 thousand households a month have to redo paperwork, and in the gap of time before it gets fixed, they sometimes go uninsured. She also worries that fewer insured people could result in rising medical debt and put added strain on rural hospitals. Health advocate concerned how proposed Medicaid cuts could impact Kentucky Senate GOP weighs safety, legal concerns over Trump Qatar jet gift Trump's Middle East trip: 5 things to watch 'You could see certain services being cut. You could see reimbursements being reduced. It could take many forms,' she said. President Donald Trump reportedly wants the bill delivered to his desk by July 4. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
