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ERATH — Three years ago, members of the Erath council and Mayor Taylor Mencacci ran their election campaign with the promise of lowering electricity rates for Erath residents. Well, they may have finally figured out a way to make that promise come true.
At the last two aldermen meetings, the aldermen and mayor have been looking into building the town’s electrical substation.
It would cost the town around $3 million, and the town would borrow the money to build the facility. In addition, an extra amount would be added to Erath residents’ electrical bill, which would go towards paying off the $3 million loan.
According to Erath Mayor Taylor Mencacci, by the town having their own electrical substation, the town could buy electricity at a cheaper rate, which is good news for Erath residents. There would be no middle man, he said.
He used the example of Abbeville. Abbeville is buying electricity from a company in Maryland. Abbeville also has one of the cheapest electrical rates in Acadiana.
Abbeville residents also do not have a “fuel charge” on their electricity bill. They have a flat rate. If Erath builds its own electrical substation, the words “fuel charge” would go away on people’s bills, Mencacci said.
“This should have been done 10 years ago,” said Mayor Mencacci about building an electrical substation. “There would be a fixed rate.”
There is a small electrical substation located in Erath, but Entergy owns it. The main job of a substation is to transform voltage from high to low or vice versa.
Before the power reaches the consumer from the generating station, the electric power is likely to flow through several substations at different voltage levels.
Today, Erath buys electricity from Cleco. Erath then marks up the price and sells it to the homeowner. Erath’s markup brings in around $1 million of the town’s $3 million budget.
In the past, municipalities like Erath, tried to negotiate the lowest rate possible with companies like Cleco, Slemco or Entergy.
That is where Erath is today. They are shopping around for the lowest electrical rate possible and running into a snag. Large electrical companies are not offering cheaper rates.
“They do not want to be in the wholesale business anymore,” the Mayor said.
At the last Erath Board of Aldermen meeting, the aldermen voted to hire Sellers and Associates to research what size electrical substation would be needed for Erath and the cost to build one.
Mencacci predicts it could take anywhere from 18 months to two years before an electrical substation is built.
The town also has to purchase land in Erath to build the electrical substation.

November 12, 1955 - February 10, 2022

Kent Davis Nunez, flashy dresser, entrepreneur, dance enthusiast, registered historian and world traveler, died unexpectedly on February 10, 2022, just in time to be named King of the New Orleans Box of Wine parade where he reigned posthumously.
He was a descendant of Spanish nobility Marques de Nunez, French colonial pioneer Pierre Chauvin dit Le Grand, governor of Acadia Charles de St. Etienne de La Tour y de Salazar, and American Revolutionary War artillery engineer Lt. Pierre Borel.
“The Marquis” as Kent liked to be referred to was born in Erath, Louisiana on November 12, 1955 where his family raised cattle from the Spanish colonial era until 1986. Kent attended Eaton Park Elementary where Homer’s Iliad was required reading in fourth grade, sparking his interest in recorded events, people and artifacts of the past. He graduated from Abbeville Senior High in 1973. During the 1970s and 1980s he majored first in Architecture and later in Communications at LSU in Baton Rouge, the University of Houston and Texas A&M. At that time and into the 2000’s he also raised cattle, worked for his stepfather’s oil field consulting company, was a Hollywood model and actor, hair dresser and salon owner, worked in conceptual art, was a New Orleans historical tour guide, and fundraised for New Orleans’ Bravo Ballet, Opera Ball, Symphony, Southern Rep Theatre, HHF Azucar Ball, Save our Cemeteries and Tulane Shakespeare Festival. After Hurricane Katrina he relocated from New Orleans to Lafayette to obtain his Bachelor of General Studies and later pursued a Master of Public History degree at UL Lafayette. After graduating, he seized an opportunity to co-own and establish the hair salon, All Cuts in Lafayette.
Kent’s hobbies included reading every history book he could get his hands on in almost any language, researching everyone’s family history, encouraging friends and strangers to dance to his “favorite song” which could be any song that came on the radio, restoring his historic 1800’s home, re-landscaping friends’ and family members’ yards into showcase gardens, and recalling historic facts about ANY place you happened to be visiting. He reveled in being a founding member of the New Orleans Box of Wine Krewe where he reigned in the past as King Larry VI and was the Krewe’s Flag Boy for Life.
Left with decades of colorful memories and sage advice are his siblings Troi Ann Nunez Reppart (Tom) of Germany, William Jason Massey of Lafayette, Michael Juan Nunez (Tammy) of Erath, Robin Massey LeBlanc (Chad) of Erath, Step-sister Cynthia Simon Noble of Georgia, numerous aunts, nieces, nephew, and cousins. He was revered by a myriad of friends, his business partner, employees, clients (aka his adoring fans), and of course, Webster, the neighborhood cat. He was preceded in death by his brother Shane Nunez, step-siblings Fred Simon and Jena Simon Dauphin, mother LeeOla Marie Chauvin Nunez Massey Lahasky, father Joseph Davis Warren Nunez, stepfathers William “Bill” Massey and Dr. Bernard Lahasky, stepmother Verna Boudreaux Nunez, grandparents Felicien Nunez, Marie Esmee Delcambre, Otto Marcel Chauvin and Elda Saltzman. We are confident he is presently reunited with his beloved, departed dogs Chewy, Caesar and Brutus.
The family will be holding a celebration of his life at 2 PM on Saturday, March 12, 2022 at 503 West Port Street in Abbeville where Kent has requested all of his favorite songs be played, memories immortalized and bubbly liquids flow.

On Sunday, at approximately 12:05 a.m., officers with the Abbeville Police Department responded to a call that a person had possibly been shot at the Country Village Apartments on Coullee Kinney Street.
As officers arrived, they observed a female subject outside of the apartment with a gunshot wound to her neck. Officers learned that the victim and the suspect, identified as Demontrevon Chavis of Abbeville, got into an argument. Chavis produced a handgun and fired one round, hitting the victim in the neck. The victim stated that the suspect was still in the residence. The victim was transported to a local hospital for medical attention, and officers sealed off the area and contacted the Vermilion Parish Sheriff’s Office for assistance. While waiting for the Special Response Team to arrive, Chavis exited the apartment and was taken into custody without incident. Officers were able to retrieve the weapon used, and a routine check determined that the handgun was reported as stolen on the N.C.I.C. database.
Chavis was arrested on the following charges:
• Attempted 2nd Degree Murder
• Illegal Possession of a Stolen Firearm
The victim was treated and later released from the hospital.
Chief of Police William Spearman would like to thank the officers for a job well done. Chief Spearman would also like to thank the Vermilion Parish Sheriff’s Office for their assistance.
The Abbeville Police Department is asking that anyone who may have any information regarding this or any crime, to please contact the Abbeville Police Department by calling 893-2511. You may contact our “Tips” line at 892-6777. All callers may remain anonymous. Citizens may also send anonymous tips through CrimeStoppers of Vermilion by calling 740-TIPS or the P3 app, which can be downloaded through the Apple App Store or Google Play Store.

By Representative Daryl Deshotel (R-Avoyelles)

It’s almost springtime and for Louisiana that means crawfish boils, baseball and gardening, but this particular spring it means we will usher in the largest economic development opportunity in the history of our state: INCREASED INTERNET CONNECTIVITY.
This year we will begin to enjoy the harvest of groundbreaking legislative action found in the GUMBO grant program, a program that I authored which received bipartisan support within the legislature. This bipartisan legislation basically set the stage for a potential of nearly $300 million federal dollars to provide much needed internet connectivity to Louisiana families and businesses. Over 58 parishes throughout Louisiana applied to take part in the first round of grants totaling $90 million, and in just a few weeks the FIRST ROUND OF AWARDS WILL BE ANNOUNCED.
When I began to work on this fund, I knew it was a once in a lifetime opportunity for the people of Louisiana. While I recognized a limited window of opportunity, I am proud of how expedient, successful and transformative this program is proving to be. The GUMBO Fund will allow countless Louisianans to participate in the global economy while improving access to tele-healthcare, remote work and educational opportunities.
Local governments deserve due credit for recognizing the connectivity needs within the communities they represent and for seizing these grant opportunities. Local governments' decision to partner with private companies in applying for the GUMBO Fund will reap generational rewards. I am committed to working with the telecom industry, local governments and my colleagues to ensure every penny of this program is spent investing in broadband infrastructure that will improve the lives of our people and grow our economy. This is only the beginning of our work and we have a long way to go. I look forward to touring the state in the coming weeks as we carry the great news of a bright and modernized future for Louisiana.
To sign up to receive broadband updates go to www.daryldeshotel.com

Rep. Deshotel (from the Avoyelles Parish area) who authored the broadband legislation that passed last session. It’s huge for the state and is making broadband more accessible for local communities, like those in Acadiana.