Latest news with #Mandeville
Yahoo
24-05-2025
- Yahoo
Mandeville man guilty on 500 counts of child porn
MANDEVILLE, La. (WGNO) — A Mandeville man was convicted on May 15 following an investigation that led to him being charged with 500 counts of pornography involving juveniles. According to the 22nd Judicial District Court, the Louisiana Bureau of Investigation received a tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children that pornographic images of children were being uploaded through a Tumblr account at a particular IP address. Another accused of helping Orleans Justice Center jailbreak inmates Officials say the IP address was linked to the Mandeville home of 38-year-old Jason Quinn Lee, which agents then executed a search warrant on. During the search, Lee was questioned and admitted to using a cloud-based storage site out of New Zealand to store the child sexual abuse material. Investigators say a 'vast' amount of the images and videos showed adults in sexual acts with children ranging from newborns to preteens. Others showed young children in explicit poses which often involved bondage. 450 of the counts against him involved children under age 13, of which each one yields a sentence of 10 to 40 years in prison. The remaining 50 counts each carry a sentence of five to 20 years in prison. Sentencing is scheduled for July ban on Harvard foreign students may come at a hefty price to the economy 'Vanderpump Villa' star asks for help finding missing dog in Las Vegas Mandeville man guilty on 500 counts of child porn Partially blind NASCAR fan uses his other senses to enjoy the Coke 600 $1 movies at Regal Cinemas this summer: 'Trolls,' 'Sonic the Hedgehog,' more Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Ottawa Citizen
01-05-2025
- Climate
- Ottawa Citizen
Modern living: You can just worry about flooding … or you can do something
Article content The Canadian Climate Institute observes that 'as climate change worsens, Canadians will experience a significant increase in the frequency and intensity of these kinds of flood events.' Article content Article content A prime example of such an 'event' was the 10 centimetres of rain that fell within the span of three hours in Toronto last year, flooding homes and leading to a power outage for 167,000 residents. Article content Article content In light of rising concerns over climate change, it should come as no surprise that 66 per cent of respondents in the just released Weather and Property Survey – commissioned by First Onsite Property Restoration say they now worry about flooding. Article content And certainly the financial impact of flooding can be devastating. The Government of Canada website shares that the average cost of a flooded basement is $40,000. Article content As a first line of defence against such a disaster, one action homeowners can take – as emphasized in my last column (Stay Warm, Keep the Lights On After a Power Outage) is to have a backup battery system in the event flooding causes a power outage. Article content First Onsite's senior vice-president Jim Mandeville says that even if you can't afford a whole home backup solution 'if you're going to be without power for several days, what's really critical, especially this time of year, is that you (at least) have power for your sump pump.' That alone he says 'could save you (from having) a really big mess in the basement.' Article content Article content Other easy to implement defensive measures homeowners can take Mandeville says, include 'making sure there's no snow or debris in the catch basin at the end of your driveway (where the water runs off) or at your neighbour's driveway (because) if the drain is plugged and it rains and the snow is melting, that water will back up and it will end up in your and your neighbours' homes. Article content Another precautionary measure he recommends is to 'take a quick walk around your house and make sure that there are no low areas where water is pooling up against the building. If there's a negative grade where water is running towards the building, you're going to have a problem and you're going to need to contact a professional,' to help regrade the property so that water flows away from your home. Article content Mandeville is also a big proponent of adding a backflow preventer to your plumbing that prevents water from flowing backwards in your pipes which he says would cost 'in the neighbourhood of hundreds or a few thousand dollars depending on the way your house is built.'
Yahoo
01-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Bill to allow counties to terminate some zoning districts passing with significant support
The main stairway to the third floor of the Montana Capitol building is seen on Wednesday, February 12, 2025. (Nathaniel Bailey for the Daily Montanan) One member of the public said the bill is 'nothing short of tyrannical,' but the sponsor and a planner said it will help counties resolve zoning when numerous districts create an administrative challenge. Monday, the Senate Local Government committee unanimously passed House Bill 614 on a voice vote, and Chairman Forrest Mandeville, R-Columbus, said he believes it's a good bill. The problem, as described by supporters, is zoning districts initiated by residents, or 'part one' districts, can start piling up in a county. When residents want certain standards in place, commissioners may create a 'part one' district' when 60% of the property owners in an affected area, as small as 40 acres, petition for one. Each one might have its own definition and administrative standards. 'I think there's a lot of these 'part one' districts that kind of get abandoned, and there's no real way in statute right now for a county to clean those up,' Sen. Mandeville said. For example, bill sponsor Rep. Greg Overstreet, R-Stevensville, told the committee last week it used to be 'quite the rage' for citizens to petition and create their own districts in a county. But counties don't have a way to terminate 'zombie zoning districts,' and they become a patchwork that's difficult to manage, he said. 'Now, we have, for example in Ravalli County, 48 zoning districts, and they don't match up with countywide zoning,' said Overstreet, who also credited Mandeville with the idea for the legislation. But Kendra Keating, who lives in the Spring Hill district in Gallatin County, said she moved there specifically because of its protections. She said it scares her to think the state could give the county authority to take away the interests of the citizens who came together to form the district. 'The way this is written, where we can completely lose everything that we have, doesn't seem appropriate,' Keating said. The bill came from the Montana Association of Planners, and at its hearing last week, it drew support from that organization and from a county commissioner. However, roughly a dozen residents said the bill would negatively affect private property rights, and it would upend the ability of residents to manage development in a way they believe is best for their area. For example, one resident said the district in which he lives is prone to fire, and the district takes wildfire into consideration. The bill would give counties a way to terminate the zoning districts under a couple of circumstances, and it has earned a lot of support from legislators, although it lost some votes as it passed through the House. In February, it passed unanimously out of the House Local Government committee. It initially passed 94-4 on the House floor, although it lost some support on third reading, with 80 yes votes and 19 against. The bill would allow a board of county commissioners, after providing notice to the public of a hearing, to pass a resolution to terminate a zoning district under one of two circumstances. It could do so if the county decided to comply with provisions of the Montana Land Use Planning Act. Adopted in 2023, the Lane Use and Planning Act outlines steps, including public participation, for managing growth and development. It requires some cities to participate, and it allows other local governments to choose to comply. The commissioners could also take action to dissolve a district if they've established a larger district that encompasses the land that's up for termination. Mandeville said the bill doesn't allow county commissioners to strip a district of zoning altogether. He said the fear is that commissioners will make a change that, for instance, suddenly allows a nuclear plant in a neighborhood, or completely undermines the interests of residents. However, Mandeville said he doesn't believe that's realistic, especially given the public process. He said the bill means counties can consolidate similar districts in a way that retains the unique characteristics of each, but also makes administration more straightforward. 'It would be unlikely that this process would be used to completely subvert what the 'part one' district had required,' Mandeville said. At its hearing last week, the bill received harsh criticism from residents near Bozeman and a district in Gallatin County, who argued the benefits of the districts outweigh the administrative costs. At least a couple of them suggested the process for terminating districts should remain in the hands of the citizens, and commissioners shouldn't have the right to undo their work. Deanna Campbell raises sheep and chickens on her land, she grazes a few head of cattle, and she said she likes the country life. But Campbell said HB 614 is bureaucratic overreach, and it would affect people's property taxes and their retirements, all without a vote by the people. 'To let elected officials change zoning without a vote, maybe just under pressure from developers or state mandates, is nothing short of tyrannical and a betrayal of Montana's tradition of local control and citizen participation,' Campbell said. 'Please don't let our country way of life become collateral damage to high density development and government overreach.' Wendy Dickson, who described herself as a fifth generation Montanan and property owner in Gallatin County, said some local governments used to respect property rights, but now they even want to dictate who occupies a home. Dickson asked legislators to respect the history of rural zoning and to keep self-governing powers with the people. She suggested counties be allowed to initiate termination, but citizens retain the ultimate authority to do so. 'Unfortunately, it seems the Montana motto of 'live and let live' is now lost in some parts of our state where newcomers love Montana so much, they want to regulate everything,' Dickson said. Charles Howe, who ranches in Spring Hill, said fire is a concern in the area, fueled by winds that blow into the valley. He said the zoning residents worked on, in place for decades, takes the fire and the landscape into consideration. Howe said he hopes anything the legislature passes will maintain similar protections to avoid blazes such as the Palisades fire in California. Monday, Mandeville said he considered amendments to the bill, but did not see one that would address everyone's concerns. He also said he believes county commissioners won't terminate a district if citizens have bought into it. At the hearing last week, Ross Butcher, a commissioner from Fergus County representing the Montana Association of Counties, spoke in support of the bill. Butcher said the bill offers a straightforward process to allow commissioners to end districts when commissioners are seeking a more comprehensive approach or if a county intends to opt into the Land Use Planning Act. Sean O'Callaghan, with the Montana Association of Planners and Gallatin County, said the bill doesn't cut out the public because it allows for a public process. O'Callaghan said it's challenging, time consuming and expensive for counties to maintain all the different zoning regulations that operate independently, with different definitions and administrative standards. 'Counties are looking for solutions to this situation,' O'Callaghan said. He said HB 614 allows counties to combine new zoning regulations over the top of existing ones, then dissolve old ones, and it is a simple solution.
Yahoo
21-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Senate resumes ethics investigation into Sen. Ellsworth, former Senate president
The main stairway to the third floor of the Montana Capitol building is seen on Wednesday, February 12, 2025. (Nathaniel Bailey for the Daily Montanan) Sen. Forrest Mandeville, R-Columbus, announced Thursday the Senate Ethics Committee will resume its investigation into ethical allegations against Sen. Jason Ellsworth, R-Hamilton, former Senate president. The Senate had earlier referred criminal and ethical allegations made by its Ethics Committee to the Department of Justice and temporarily paused its own internal probe. The DOJ said Wednesday it had launched an investigation into criminal allegations. However, the Attorney General said the department lacks the jurisdiction to investigate or enforce ethics complaints against a legislator, said Mandeville, chairperson of the Ethics Committee, citing a letter from the DOJ. In his letter, Knudsen also said the Montana Constitution 'confers exclusive authority' on the legislature to enforce the code of ethics against legislators. During announcements Thursday on the Senate floor of upcoming committee, Mandeville said the nonpartisan Legislative Services Division legal staff verified that the action he announced was proper. 'The suspension is over,' Mandeville said of the internal investigation. 'So the Senate Ethics Committee will now resume its work.' Mandeville also said the DOJ's open investigation is the result of a separate referral to the agency, one from the Legislative Auditor. The Legislative Auditor had found Ellsworth abused his power and wasted state resources when he signed a $170,000 state contract, since nulled, with a colleague as former senate president in December, before the 2025 session. Ellsworth's lawyer has called on the Legislative Auditor to retract the findings. Thursday, Ellsworth said Senate rules state the Ethics Committee's investigations must be related to actions 'during a legislative session,' and he argued the review would be improper. 'Obviously, this is political,' Ellsworth said. After the meeting, Minority Leader Pat Flowers, D-Belgrade, who made the earlier motion to refer both the criminal and ethical allegations outside the body, arguing Ellsworth would not receive due process within the Senate, said Thursday he supported the internal ethics investigation given the decision from the DOJ. The Ethics Committee will meet 10:30 a.m. Monday, Feb. 24, and 8 a.m. Friday, Feb. 28, Mandeville said. Mandeville said he anticipated the committee's work would take more than one week and less than one month. The Montana Legislature should complete its work by the first week of May.
