Latest news with #Deshotel
Yahoo
21-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
‘Kind of a shock': Bishop of Lafayette surprised by Pope Francis' death
LAFAYETTE, La. () — The Bishop of Lafayette, the Rev. Douglas Deshotel, was taken by surprise by the . Deshotel said despite his recent health issues, he had resumed some of the normal daily tasks of being Pope. 'He , I think, and then also gave a blessing from the balcony of St. Peter's,' Deshotel said. 'The usual one they give every Easter. So it was it was kind of a shock, you know, at the time.' Deshotel said the Pope spent almost 90 days in the hospital with double pneumonia, which he said gave us a lesson of dealing with sickness. Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now 'One of his great messages was for us to live with the the hope of and the message of these as Christ that our end does not start with our physical death, but that we're called to live forever,' he said. Deshotel noted the importance of Francis having been the first Pope from the Americas. Francis was a native of Argentina. 'It's significant, in my view,' Deshotel said. 'It shows the universal city of the church, you know, that the church doesn't belong to a country or to one continent or to one population or race, but is truly universal.' Who is eligible to be the next pope? Deshotel said the Holy Spirit guides the College of Cardinals in the selection process of the new Pope. 'They're going to make predictions, of course, all over the place about who the next pope should be,' he said. 'But there's an Italian saying: 'The cardinal who goes in as pope comes out as the cardinal.' So you never know who it's going to be.' The bishop said Pope Francis' ultimate message and legacy are simple. 'God's mercy is welcome and extends to every human person.' 'Kind of a shock': Bishop of Lafayette surprised by Pope Francis' death The surprising brands behind 'American made' cars Alert issued for pork product that may contain metal White House holds annual Easter egg roll Trump defends Hegseth: 'Ask the Houthis how he's doing' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
09-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Governor would appoint two members to expanded La. Public Service Commission under proposal
From left, Louisiana Public Service Commissioners Mike Francis, Jean-Paul Coussan and Eric Skrmetta during a Feb. 19, 2025, PSC meeting. (Photo credit: Wes Muller/Louisiana Illuminator) State lawmakers will consider a proposal this spring to let the governor add two at-large members to the Louisiana Public Service Commission, meaning voters would no longer elect all members of one of the state's most powerful political institutions. House Bill 364, sponsored by Rep. Daryl Deshotel, R-Marksville, is a proposed constitutional amendment to allow the governor to hand select two additional members to the commission that regulates utilities in Louisiana. LPSC currently has five members, each elected from their respective multi-parish districts. The two gubernatorial appointees would be able to serve two consecutive four-year terms. The five elected commissioners are currently limited to three consecutive six-year terms. The five LPSC districts are larger and more populous than Louisiana's six congressional districts, giving the commissioners significant influence on matters of everyday concern to residents, though an at-large commissioner would have far greater influence than the current five. The commission determines how much utilities can charge their customers for their services that include electricity, water, gas, cable television, phone and internet service. A utility provider needs LPSC approval before raising rates or adding any kinds of fees to customers' bills. The most important election in Louisiana that many don't even know about The commission oversees major investor-owned utilities such as Cleco and Entergy Louisiana, as well as smaller, member-owned power cooperatives such as DEMCO. Its regulatory umbrella covers the entire state, save for a handful of city-owned utilities and private service providers in New Orleans and other cities, which fall under the jurisdiction of local governments. LPSC members also have oversight of intrastate oil pipelines, tow truck services and moving companies. Each commissioner is also supposed to represent constituents in their districts in any disputes they have with utility companies. 'It only takes three members to control rates over the entire state,' Deshotel said, referring to the three-vote majority needed for a measure to pass on the five-member panel. 'I just think we need more representation.' Some are skeptical of the proposal. Commissioner Jean-Paul Coussan, a Republican and former state senator from Lafayette, said he has great respect for the legislative process and his former colleague but doesn't think the addition of two appointed members would accomplish Deshotel's stated intention of increasing representation. 'They wouldn't be answerable to a constituency, so it kinda defeats the purpose of his goal,' Coussan said. 'I don't see how two appointees who only answer to the governor would accomplish that.' Coussan said Deshotel's proposal would drastically overhaul an institution that works with companies and residents through regulatory processes that have been relatively consistent over the years. Such changes would send a discouraging message to the major stakeholders investing in Louisiana who are familiar with and rely on the LPSC's stable regulatory environment, he added. Commissioner Davante Lewis, D-Baton Rouge, questioned Dehotel's motives, saying the governor is the only person who would gain representation and power under the proposal. 'It truly dilutes the people's will by reducing their vote,' Lewis said. 'If it was truly about representation, wouldn't he just make the districts smaller by adding [elected] members?' Louisiana's largest industries tired of waiting for renewable energy During the most recent round of redistricting in 2022, the legislature chose to keep the number of LPSC members at five. There were no proposals to add elected members to the commission, but there were some that sought to redraw the map to include a second majority-Black district. Lawmakers ultimately rejected those measures. Deshotel said adding appointed rather than elected members would keep out the vast amounts of campaign cash that special interests have used to influence LPSC elections, though he hedged his statement by saying he doesn't think that it has affected any of the current commissioners. 'These are extremely expensive elections, and most of the donations come from the same people that they're regulating,' Deshotel said. He added that he plans to file a campaign finance reform bill targeting LSPC elections in the future if his constitutional amendment stalls at the Capitol this year. Constitutional amendments require two-thirds support from each chamber of the legislature and final approval from Louisiana voters during a statewide election. The 2025 legislative session starts Monday. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Yahoo
06-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Mamou Police warned city about Mardi Gras safety weeks before
MAMOU, La. () — Mamou police pleaded for the city to change Mardi Gras plans weeks before the celebration started. Chief of Police Charles 'Pat' Hall said he presented various safety plans at a February city council meeting over concerns the New Orleans, New Years terror attack would repeat itself in Mamou. 'What we did, me and my assistant chief of staff, created contingency plans and courses of actions. And we brought it in front of the councils, and it went the way it went,' Chief Hall said. 'So, my thing was, I wouldn't be the person I am if I didn't come on the drawing board and bring things out and point out some of the infrastructure and the things we need, the resources to make sure that we are safe. So, I put the ball in their court.' Their first strategy to secure the town was to block the streets. They added barricades to the North side of Sixth Street, where both shootings happened. Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now On the opposite end of Sixth Street, there was a separate Mardi Gras celebration happening, but no barricades were there. Mayor Leisa Deshotel said barricades were not needed on the South side of the street because the string of buildings blocked people from driving onto the street. The other major concern was lack of police presence. At the council meeting, police asked the city to combine the two separate events into one space to consolidate police presence, making more police in one spot. Mayor Deshotel said this decision never needed to be voted on by the council. She said it was discussed by the council and members of town in attendance. It was decided they would not condense the events because they tried it in the past with no success. Deshotel said a few years ago, they tried to move the two events into one space, but the event was 'not successful' because 'people wanted to attend the two separate events.' Mamou mourns after Mardi Gras festivities turn deadly Mamou Police warned city about Mardi Gras safety weeks before Former Southside football coach and family injured in vehicle accident Last second shot ends JS Clark girls hoops chance at repeat GOP plows forward with government funding plan despite Democratic opposition Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
