<span style="font-weight: bold; font-family: ‘Lucida Sans’;" class="R~sep~ACopyBody">On my Entergy bill, what is the “PSC Case Credit,” why do I have to pay $4.46 a month for power outage text alerts when I have a landline and why do I pay $48.36 a month into a coffer for Entergy in case they should ever have a Rita-like storm again to help them deal with it?</span>

<span class="R~sep~ACopyBody">According to the bill explainer on Entergy Louisiana’s website, the case credit — sometimes a case charge — is related to a Federal Energy Regulatory Commission directive that is “designed to roughly balance the production costs of Entergy’s Operating Companies in Louisiana, Arkansas, Mississippi, and Texas.”</span>

<span class="R~sep~ACopyBody">“A credit for this line item would appear on your bill as a result of payments made to your electric service provider by other Entergy Operating Companies that had lower production costs in a given year,” reads the site.</span>

<span class="R~sep~ACopyBody">“A charge for this line item would appear on your bill as a result from payments made by your electric service provider to other Entergy Operating Companies that had higher production costs in a given year. The total credit or charge is based on the prior year and is listed on customers’ bills from June through December each year.”</span>

<span class="R~sep~ACopyBody">The $4.46 is called a “customer charge,” and it doesn’t cover text alerts, which are part of a free service the utility offers to customers who want to know about power outages, said Entergy Louisiana spokeswoman Kacee Kirschvink. The customer charge, which is the lowest amount that a bill can have, helps pay for maintenance.</span>

<span class="R~sep~ACopyBody">“There are two line items involving storm restoration on your bill. The storm restoration charge is to pay for bonds issued to finance the storm costs and reserves associated with Katrina/Rita, Gustav/Ike and Isaac,” Kirschvink wrote in an email.</span>

<span class="R~sep~ACopyBody">“There’s also a storm restoration offset line item that represents guaranteed customer savings realized because of the type of bonds sold to finance the storm costs and reserves.”</span>

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<span style="font-weight: bold;" class="R~sep~ACopyEditors~sep~endnote">Online:</span> <span class="R~sep~ACopyEditors~sep~endnote">www.entergy-louisiana.com.</span>

<span class="R~sep~AHeadBrief">Police chief in LC appointed by mayor</span>

<span style="font-weight: bold; font-family: ‘Lucida Sans’;" class="R~sep~ACopyBody">How is the chief of police chosen for the city of Lake Charles? Is this position appointed by the mayor, or is it an elected position?</span>

<span class="R~sep~ACopyBody">“The head of the police department shall be the police chief. The police chief shall be appointed by the mayor for a six-year term, in accordance with applicable state law,” reads Section 4-19 of the city’s code of ordinances.</span>

<span class="R~sep~ACopyBody">“Upon the expiration of the six-year term, the mayor may either reappoint the police chief to a subsequent six-year term or declare a vacancy in the position of police chief and appoint another person to that position in accordance with applicable state law. Both the original appointment of a chief and any subsequent re-appointment must be approved by a majority vote of the council. The six-year term shall commence upon appointment to fill a vacancy for any reason.”</span>

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<span style="font-weight: bold;" class="R~sep~ACopyEditors~sep~endnote">Online:</span> <span class="R~sep~ACopyEditors~sep~endnote">www.cityoflakecharles.com.</span>

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<span style="font-size: 8pt;" class="R~sep~ACopyEditors~sep~endnote">The I</span><span style="font-size: 8pt;" class="R~sep~ACopyEditors~sep~endnote">nform</span><span style="font-size: 8pt;" class="R~sep~ACopyEditors~sep~endnote">er answers questions from rea</span><span style="font-size: 8pt;" class="R~sep~ACopyEditors~sep~endnote">ders each Sunday, Monday a</span><span style="font-size: 8pt;" class="R~sep~ACopyEditors~sep~endnote">nd Wednesday. It is re</span><span style="font-size: 8pt;" class="R~sep~ACopyEditors~sep~endnote">searched and written by</span> <span style="font-weight: bold; font-size: 8pt;" class="R~sep~ACopyEditors~sep~endnote">Andrew Perzo</span><span style="font-size: 8pt;" class="R~sep~ACopyEditors~sep~endnote">, an</span> <span style="font-style: italic; font-size: 8pt;" class="R~sep~ACopyEditors~sep~endnote">American Press</span> <span style="font-size: 8pt;" class="R~sep~ACopyEditors~sep~endnote">staff wri</span><span style="font-size: 8pt;" class="R~sep~ACopyEditors~sep~endnote">ter. To ask a question, call</span> <span style="font-size: 8pt;" class="R~sep~ACopyEditors~sep~endnote">494-409</span><span style="font-size: 8pt;" class="R~sep~ACopyEditors~sep~endnote">8 and leave voice mail, or ema</span><span style="font-size: 8pt;" class="R~sep~ACopyEditors~sep~endnote">il informer@americanpress.com.</span>