“How do I take our money off ‘subscription auto‑pilot’ and put it back under family control?”
 See what Ida says 

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EDITOR’S NOTE — The following was reported  by Gracie Thomas, Kylah Babin, AnnMarie Bedard and Dakota Laszlo of LSU Manship School News Service

BATON ROUGE — State Senate President Cameron Henry and House Speaker Phillip DeVillier have both expressed concern about a spate of bills that might give communities veto power over carbon capture projects in their areas.

The push for a local option follows growing concerns of residents, landowners and environmentalists in Louisiana about the possible health implications of having the carbon capture and storage projects nearby.

Carbon capture is the process of capturing carbon dioxide at emission sources, transporting it and then storing or burying it in a deep, underground location.

DeVillier, R-Eunice, said more than 20 bills have been filed in the House that he would consider “anti-carbon capture.” DeVillier said he wants to ensure that the new technology is handled safely but also in accordance with guidance from the Supreme Court, “that says states nor local governments should interfere with interstate commerce. I mean, that is exactly what local option is,” he said.

Henry, R-Metairie, said that “when you’re talking about an industry that’s going to come in and change not only a parish but could possibly change the face of Louisiana, I think having a group of five people go in and say, ‘Under no circumstances will I ever allow this here,’ that’s not practical,” Henry said.

The lawmakers made those comments at a lunch at the Baton Rouge Press Club on Monday.

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Have you ever wanted to use prescribed fire on your property for wildlife or forest management? We’re hosting an interesting meeting to kick off a Prescribed Burn Association in Winn Parish and other surrounding areas!

March 24, 2026
10:00 AM – 12:00 PM
Winn Parish Library
200 N St. John St, Winnfield, LA 71483

Prescribed burning is a commonly recommended land management tool, but can present challenges for landowners with limited experience and confidence to carry out without professional help. Prescribed burning associations (PBA’s) consist of landowners and other concerned citizens creating partnerships to conduct prescribed burns – Neighbors Helping Neighbors Getting Fire Back on the Ground. Through the sharing of knowledge, equipment, time, and experience the PBA can reduce risk, safely increase burned acres and help landowners accomplish their habitat management goals.

If you’re passionate about wildlife habitat, forest health, wildfire risk or overall land management, this is for you. Let’s work together to use good fire safely and effectively. 

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“Why do couples fight about the same things over and over?”
 See what Ida says about breaking the cycle.

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We have a great opportunity to begin transforming local economies by creating new jobs and developing the infrastructure to bring additional businesses to the Central Louisiana region. For this to happen, local elected officials and other stakeholders should support the development of the Beaver Lake Biofuels project and the Capture Point CO₂ sequestration site in Vernon Parish.

The posts being delivered mainly through Facebook about both these projects have been so full of misinformation and fear mongering that it is comical at times.

The new attack tactic is posting “CCS what-ifs.” The anti-CCS activists are attempting to place doubt and fear in the minds of people with “what-ifs.” It is a very common approach of many environmental activist groups across the nation. The “what-ifs.” It is hard to argue against what might happen. Imagine using this approach in other instances. You can fight against any kind of development with the “what-if” approach. Any industrial site could have an accident or something. What if this pipe leaks? What if someone gets hurt? What if I slip and fall on my way out the door? What if I wreck my car on the way to the store? There is a “what if” for everything in life.

It is precisely because of the “what-ifs” that there are rules and regulations surrounding industrial facilities and pipelines. Everyone must follow the rules and regulations regarding safety and construction, and they are substantial. As a testament to these rules and regulations, there has never been any deaths from CO₂ asphyxiation around a U.S. CO₂ pipeline or sequestration site or an enhanced oil recovery (EOR) field. Remember, CO₂ pipelines and EOR have been around for 50+ years. Can you say the same about other activities? Of course not. But the “what-if” crowd says they support industry and new jobs, but they make you believe someone is going to “take your land” or “poison your water” or scare you into believing that people near these sites are in danger. This is a pure, tried-and-true “what-if” approach used by environmental activists for decades. Take a kernel of information and blow into a “what-if.” If businesses and communities took that approach to every project, big or small, nothing would ever be built.

The Sierra Club and other groups use the exact same tactics. This is how we know some of their leaders are engaging with the “local” anti-CCS groups. They say they’re not affiliated or aligned but they took down the Zoom call from the internet that proved that some of their leaders were meeting with the Sierra Club.

I encourage you to read https://dcjournal.com/sierra-club-quietly-teams-with-conservative-groups-to-block-louisiana-energy-projects/

We know that in early 2025, some of the first anti-CCS meetings in Central Louisiana were sponsored by the Sierra Club. Sierra Club has been all over the country working to fight CCS in every state because they know that CO₂ sequestration could be a life extender for the oil and gas industry depending on future global and domestic rules surrounding carbon dioxide. In the near future, if the US wants to be a major producer of fuels and products to sell abroad, then carbon sequestration may be necessary for many markets.

Again, the anti-CCS groups in Louisiana say they are pro-oil and gas, but you can’t say you support a specific industry when you are fighting something that industry is supporting and may need to thrive in the future. You can’t have it both ways.

To be clear, if local elected officials are pressured into ensuring these two projects fail, the economic downturn will continue in Central Louisiana. Why is it that the forestry industry, business organizations, logging groups, Chambers of Commerce, and regional economic development organizations all support these two projects? Because they understand how they will positively impact the region now and into the future.

These projects will help bring prosperity to the area and no one is going to “take your land” or “poison your water!” That is the “what-if” crowd trying to scare you.

Don’t let them ruin this opportunity for Central Louisiana.

Desiree Lemoine
Executive Director, Industry Makes

Paid Content

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Residents have watched as Winn Community Health Center has grown from its 2,000 square foot building with a small client base in July 2009 to a multi-parish, nine-site health service with over 500 employees and last year surpassed its 1 million patient mark.

In the same way they’ve watched as ground was broken in spring 2024 on their Winnfield location between the 5-lane and East Lafayette St. and their spacious three-story building has slowly risen.  It’s an impressive structure that will house the multiplicity of services that will be handed there once opened as well as the management needs of all locations under the umbrella of Trinity Community Health Centers of Louisiana.

CEO Deano Thornton appeared before the Rotary Club of Winnfield and explained he cannot say for sure when the opening date will be, since finishing stages of any project always take longer than hoped.  “But this will be a proud part of this community for years to come.”  Looking at an edifice of this size and cost, he added that “people don’t know what WCHC has sacrificed through the years to get us to this point.”

Trinity opened clinics first in Winnfield then Colfax, Ringgold, Pollock, Ruston, Alexandria, Marksville, Dry Prong and Bossier, with others planned soon.  Their goal from the outset has been to provide quality professional healthcare to patients regardless their ability to pay.  This is vital in a low income area like north-central Louisiana, Thornton said, as some 63% of their 152,000 patients last year were Medicaid, while 11% were Medicare and 3% uninsured.

The speaker walked through a floor-by-floor slideshow of photographs and diagrams, showing what will greet patients as they enter the front door.  The lobby and the building as a whole will have “a very open feel to it.”  The health center is not simply primary care but many different specialty services as well, some of those varying from center to center throughout the Trinity organization.

The first floor will house general medical practices with 22 exam rooms, pediatrics, pharmacy, specialists, behavioral health, chiropractic, a spacious nurses’ station, radiology, labs, a warehouse and lots of office space.  It includes two elevators and an escalator to the second floor.  As big as the building appears from the outside, “it looks twice that size on the inside.”

Thornton explained that patients will be served through the same waiting area whether they arrive for an annual checkup, for behavioral services or other medical needs, thus eliminating worries of stigma issues.  For the children, a glass wall will separate the “sick” from the “well” patients, giving parents peace of mind.  Interactive boards are also installed to occupy the youngsters as they wait.

From the second floor, visitors will be able to look down from the common waiting area into the lobby.  That floor will include physical therapy as well as the dental and oral hygiene departments. 

The third floor will house support and administration for the entire Trinity organization.  Included will be offices for finance, IT, billing, records, company officials, board room, kitchen (there are more than 130 people in the building) plus an employee break room, as on each floor.  Thornton stressed that this does involve a number of people “but I’m old-school and want to hire local people who our clients can actually talk to rather than farm it out to businesses in other parts of the country.  It helps our people and helps our economy.”

There will also be a banquet room on the top floor large enough to seat 100 people banquet-style that can be used for Trinity functions and when the organization wants to host a community event.  He’s proud of the wood-look to many areas of the interior and exterior of the three-story.  “I wanted it to look like it belongs to the community where timber products are so important.”  He noted that TBA Studio is the architectural firm that made this happen, with Winn native Lisa Peddy Frontaura taking the lead role.

He also called attention to the center’s in-house 340D pharmacy serviced by pharmacists Steve Burnam and Chip Little.  The advantage to patients receiving prescriptions from Community Health Center providers is that costs will be based on household income.  He gave an example of a lady who had been paying $225 for one prescription who received the same for only $8 through the center’s pharmacy.

Be sure to watch the Journal for future details on the Grand Opening.

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Here’s my latest Q & A

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PUBLIC NOTICE

NOTICE OF DEADLINES TO FILE CLAIMS

DIOCESE OF ALEXANDRIA – CHAPTER 11 BANKRUPTCY

PLEASE TAKE NOTICE that the Roman Catholic Diocese of Alexandria (the “Diocese”) filed for relief under Chapter 11 of the United States Bankruptcy Code on October 31, 2025, in the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Western District of Louisiana.

By order of the Court, the following deadlines (the “Bar Dates”) have been established for filing claims against the Diocese:

• Governmental Unit Claims Bar Date: April 29, 2026

• General Claims Bar Date: June 8, 2026

• Sexual Abuse Survivor Claims Bar Date: June 8, 2026

Any person or entity that holds a claim against the Diocese that arose before October 31, 2025—including individuals alleging sexual abuse by clergy or other persons affiliated with the Diocese—must file a proof of claim by the applicable Bar Date or risk losing the right to receive any recovery.

Sexual Abuse Survivor Claims

Individuals who allege sexual abuse in connection with any parish, school, charitable institution, or other entity or activity associated with the Diocese are required to file a claim, regardless of when the alleged abuse occurred, whether the abuse was previously reported, or whether a lawsuit was previously filed.

The Bankruptcy Court has approved a confidential and sealed claim form for abuse survivors, and all information submitted using that form will be protected from public disclosure.

How to File a Claim

Claims may be filed:

• Electronically:
  https://cases.stretto.com/dioceseofalexandria

• By Mail or Delivery:
  Diocese of Alexandria Claims Processing
  c/o Stretto
  410 Exchange, Suite 100
  Irvine, CA 92602

Claims must be received by the Claims Agent by the applicable deadline. Mailing alone does not satisfy the requirement.

Claims cannot be filed by email or facsimile.

Additional Information

Claim forms, instructions, and additional information are available at
https://cases.stretto.com/dioceseofalexandria

Questions regarding the claims process may be directed to the Court-appointed Claims Agent, Stretto, toll-free at (855) 655-5795.

Important Notice

Failure to file a claim by the applicable Bar Date may result in the loss of any right to receive compensation from the Diocese through the bankruptcy process.

This notice is provided pursuant to an order entered by the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Western District of Louisiana in In re: Diocese of Alexandria, Case No. 25-31257.

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