The Advocate 02-20-2025

OLYMPIC EFFORT

Ascension students take to the track for Special Olympics Time Trials

Lewis removed as PSC vice chair

Move comes after coarse criticism of Gov. Jeff Landry

BY MATTHEW ALBRIGHT Staff writer

BY MEGHAN FRIEDMANN Staff writer

Louisiana’s state-run youth detention centers have reported significant decreases in assaults, something officials attribute to a new detention facility for particularly at-risk youth and enhanced therapeutic approaches in the juvenile prison system. In the juvenile justice system, a therapeutic model

ä See ASSAULTS, page 5A

The state Public Service Commission on Wednesday removed Commissioner Davante Lewis as its vice chair after he called Gov. Jeff Landry an “a**hole” on social media. On a 3-2 vote, the commission chose to replace Lewis with Commissioner Eric Skrmetta in that role on the board. The vote followed public comment from a line of people arguing the move violated Lewis’ right to free speech. Sharon White, a retired state employee from Ascension Parish, said she was “just in disbelief at this point that you’re willing to remove an official because of their freedom of speech.”

ä See LEWIS, page 4A

Some Trump policies creating uncertainty for Louisiana CEOs

Business leaders remain largely supportive of president

BY STEPHANIE RIEGEL Staff writer

In his first month in office, President Donald Trump has enacted a series of executive orders aimed at fundamentally changing some of the nation’s foreign, domestic and economic policies. Business leaders in Louisiana, a deep red state that Trump carried with 60% of the vote, say the changes have created a sense of uncertainty, making it hard to predict what the world will look like in six weeks, let alone six years.

In more than a dozen interviews over the past week, CEOs and executives at many of the state’s

ä See POLICIES, page 4A

Judge upholds rejection of St. James solar farm

Vacherie project would have been among largest in La.

BY DAVID J MITCHELL Staff writer

A state district judge has upheld St. James Parish’s decision last year to reject a 2,200-acre solar farm that would have added to Entergy Louisiana’s renewable portfolio, finding the local government acted with “appropriate and well-founded concerns” about how the large facility would fit with the parish land-use plan. The ruling on the Vacherie project, which would have been one of the largest solar farms in the state, comes as renewable projects face

new headwinds under the Trump White House’s scrutiny of billions of dollars in loans, grants and tax credits offered under the Biden administration to power the nation’s transition away from fossil fuels.

Even before the new administration took power in January though, solar and other renewable projects with big footprints or visual impacts have seen resistance from local governments across the nation. In Louisiana in recent years, several parish governments have sought to slow things down until they could adopt their own landuse rules, though, unlike in St. James’ case, many of those projects later were approved.

STAFF FILE PHOTO By MICHAEL JOHNSON

STAFF PHOTOS By JAVIER GALLEGOS

Student athletes sprint together with their scorekeepers in the 50-meter sprint during the Special Olympic Time Trials at Dutchtown High School on Wednesday.

Student athletes and friends Lester Nevai, left, and Dylan Bailey hug after finishing first and second respectively in the 100-meter sprint during the Special Olympic Time Trials at Dutchtown High School on Wednesday.

Kaiden Schilling competes in the long jump during Wednesday’s event.

Google to pay $340M to settle tax evasion case

MILAN Italian prosecutors said Wednesday they will seek to drop a tax evasion investigation against Google after the tech giant agreed to pay a $340 million settlement.

Milan prosecutors had opened an investigation against Google for failure to pay taxes on earnings in Italy from 2015-19. The investigation focused on revenues from the sale of advertising, and cited the presence of servers and other infrastructure in Italy Google acknowledged the settlement in statement, saying it resolves “a tax audit without litigation.” Tech giant Google previously paid over $1 billion to French authorities to settle a yearslong dispute over allegations of tax fraud.

Ship to become world’s largest artificial reef

The historic, aging ocean liner that a Florida county plans to turn into the world’s largest artificial reef departed from south Philadelphia’s Delaware River waterfront on Wednesday, marking the opening segment of its final voyage.

The SS United States, a 1,000foot vessel that shattered the transatlantic speed record on its maiden voyage in 1952, is being towed to Mobile, Alabama, for planned prep work before officials eventually sink it off Florida’s Gulf Coast.

The move comes about four months after the conservancy that oversees the ship and its landlord resolved a years-old rent dispute. Officials initially planned to move the vessel last November, but that was delayed due to concerns from the U.S. Coast Guard that the ship wasn’t stable enough to make the trip.

Officials in Okaloosa County on Florida’s coastal Panhandle hope it will become a barnacleencrusted standout among the county’s more than 500 artificial reefs and a signature diving attraction that could generate millions of dollars annually in local tourism spending for scuba shops, charter fishing boats and hotels.

Officials have said the deal to buy the ship could eventually cost more than $10 million. The lengthy process of cleaning, transporting and sinking the vessel is expected to take at least one and a half years

Mexico requested U.S. surveillance flights

MEXICO CITY — Mexico President Claudia Sheinbaum said Wednesday that surveillance drone flights by the U.S. government over Mexico are occurring in collaboration with and at the request of her government.

They come as U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration has increased pressure on Mexico to do more to stop the production of the synthetic opioid fentanyl that is smuggled north to the United States.

Earlier this month, Trump threatened, then postponed 25% tariffs on Mexican imports that he said were meant to push Mexico to take more action against its drug cartels. Trump also ordered on his first day in office the designation of some of Mexico’s drug cartels as foreign terrorist organizations. Those designations will be published in Thursday’s edition of the Federal Register, according to a notice Wednesday.

Mexico responded to the tariff threat by sending 10,000 National Guard troops to the northern border The drone flights were reported Tuesday by the New York Times as a Central Intelligence Agency program aimed at locating fentanyl labs in northwestern Mexico The flights follow U.S military statements that it had increased surveillance capabilities along the countries’ shared border The CIA declined to comment in response to questions about the drone flights.

Mexico’s Defense Secretary Ricardo Trevilla addressed the flights by U.S. military planes last week, saying that they had not entered Mexican airspace, but that he couldn’t rule out they were spying because he didn’t know what they were doing. Sheinbaum on Wednesday presented a more detailed explanation.

U.S.-Ukraine relations sour over Russia war

BY HANNA ARHIROVA and JUSTIN SPIKE Associated Press

KYIV, Ukraine Relations between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and U.S. President Donald Trump deteriorated rapidly Wednesday as Zelenskyy said Trump was living in a Russian-made “disinformation space” and Trump called Zelenskyy “a dictator without elections” in comments that were sure to complicate efforts to end the war

Zelenskyy also said he would like Trump’s team “to be more truthful” as he offered his first response to a series of striking claims that Trump made a day earlier, including falsely suggesting that Kyiv was to blame for the war, which enters its fourth year next week.

The comments were a staggering back-and-forth between leaders of two countries that have been staunch allies in recent years under Trump’s predecessor

While former President Joe Biden was in the White House, the U.S. provided crucial military equipment to Kyiv to fend off the invasion and used its political weight to defend Ukraine and isolate Russia on the world stage.

The Trump administration has started charting a new course, reaching out to Russia and pushing for a peace deal. Senior officials from both countries held talks Tuesday to discuss improving ties, negotiating an end to the war and potentially preparing a meeting between Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin after years of frosty relations.

Trump lashed out at Zelenskyy in a so-

cial media post that apparently referred to the fact that Ukraine has delayed elections because of the invasion and the subsequent imposition of martial law in accordance with the Ukrainian Constitution. Trump suggested Ukraine ought to hold elections.

Trump also called Zelenskyy “a modestly successful comedian” who “talked the United States of America into spending $350 Billion Dollars, to go into a War that couldn’t be won, that never had to start, but a War that he, without the U.S. and ‘TRUMP,’ will never be able to settle.”

The president went on to say that the only thing Zelenskyy “was good at was playing Biden ‘like a fiddle.’ ” He advised Zelenskyy to “move fast or he is not going to have a Country left.”

Meanwhile, Putin said he would like to meet with Trump.

Russia’s army crossed the border on Feb. 24, 2022, in an all-out invasion that Putin sought to justify by falsely asserting that it was needed to protect civilians in eastern Ukraine He also accused the U.S. and its allies of ignoring Russia’s demand to prevent Ukraine from joining NATO and to offer Moscow security guarantees Ukraine and its allies denounced the assault as an unprovoked act of aggression “I would like to have a meeting, but it needs to be prepared so that it brings results,” Putin said Wednesday in televised remarks. He added that he would be “pleased” to meet Trump but noted that Trump has acknowledged that a Ukrainian settlement could take longer than he initially hoped.

Pakistan steps up arrests of Afghans without papers

BY MUNIR AHMED Associated Press

ISLAMABAD — Authorities have stepped up arrests of Afghan citizens in Pakistan’s capital and a nearby city in an effort that the Afghan Embassy in Islamabad described on Wednesday as a push to force the expulsion of all Afghan refugees from the country Pakistan’s foreign ministry promptly dismissed the allegation, saying that the authorities were only trying to facilitate conditions for the swift return of Afghans to their home country

Pakistan has long threatened to deport Afghans living in the country illegally

Separately, Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif last month approved a March 31 deadline to deport those awaiting relocation to third countries unless their cases are swiftly processed by the governments that have agreed to take them, according to a document obtained by The Associated Press. More than 800,000 Afghans have returned home or have been expelled by force from Pakistan since 2023, according to the International Organization for Migration, a U.N. agency that tracks migra-

tions.

In a strongly worded statement on Wednesday, the Afghan Embassy which represents the Taliban-run government of Afghanistan criticized “the short timeframe” given by the authorities in Islamabad and “the unilateral nature of Pakistan’s decision.”

Afghans in Islamabad and the nearby garrison city of Rawalpindi have been subjected to arrests, searches, and orders from police to leave the two cities and relocate to other parts of Pakistan, the embassy said.

It further claimed that for all Afghans, “expulsion is imminent” — something the embassy said Pakistani authorities had

Palestinian families flee homes as Israel confronts militants

BY ISABEL DEBRE Associated Press

FAR’A REFUGEE CAMP, West Bank By car and on foot, through muddy olive groves and snipers’ sight lines, tens of thousands of Palestinians in recent weeks have fled Israeli military operations across the northern West Bank — the largest displacement in the occupied territory since the 1967 Mideast war

After announcing a widespread crackdown against West Bank militants on Jan. 21 — just two days after its ceasefire deal with Hamas in Gaza — Israeli forces descended on the restive city of Jenin, as they have dozens of times since Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel.

But unlike past operations, Israeli forces then pushed deeper and more forcefully into several other nearby towns, including Tulkarem, Far’a and Nur Shams, scattering families and stirring bitter memories of the 1948 war over Israel’s creation.

During that war, 700,000 Palestinians fled or were forced from their homes in what is now Israel. That Nakba, or “catastrophe,” as Palestinians call it, gave rise to the crowded West Bank towns now under assault and still known as refugee camps.

“This is our nakba,” said Abed Sabagh, 53, who bundled his seven children into the car on Feb 9 as sound bombs blared in Nur Shams camp, where he was born to parents who fled the 1948 war

Humanitarian officials say they haven’t seen such displacement in the West Bank since the 1967 Mideast war, when Israel captured the territory west of the Jordan River, along with east Jerusalem and the Gaza Strip, displacing another 300,000 Palestinians.

“This is unprecedented When you add to this the destruction of infrastructure, we’re reaching a point where the camps are becoming uninhabitable,”

said Roland Friedrich, director of West Bank affairs for the U.N. Palestinian refugee agency More than 40,100 Palestinians have fled their homes in the ongoing military operation, according to the agency Experts say that Israel’s tactics in the West Bank are becoming almost indistinguishable from those deployed in Gaza. Already President Donald Trump’s plan for the mass transfer of Palestinians out of Gaza has emboldened Israel’s farright to renew calls for annexation of the West Bank.

“The idea of ‘cleansing’ the land of Palestinians is more popular today than ever before,” said Yagil Levy, a professor and head of the Institute for the Study of Civil-Military Relations at Israel’s Open University The Israeli army denies issuing evacuation orders in the West Bank. It said troops secure passages for those wanting to leave on their own accord. Over a dozen displaced Palestinians interviewed in the last week said they did not flee their homes out of fear, but on the orders of Israeli security forces. Associated Press journalists in the Nur Shams camp also heard Israeli soldiers shouting through mosque megaphones, ordering people to leave.

Some displaced families said soldiers were polite, knocking on doors and assuring them they could return when the army left. Others said they were ruthless, ransacking rooms, waving rifles and hustling residents out of their homes despite pleas for more time.

“I was sobbing, asking them, ‘Why do you want me to leave my house?’ My baby is upstairs, just let me get my baby please,’ ” Ayat Abdullah, 30, recalled from a shelter for displaced people in the village of Kafr al-Labd “They gave us seven minutes. I brought my children, thank God. Nothing else.”

CustomerService: HELP@THEADVOCATE.COMor225-388-0200

not communicated to Kabul “ through any formal correspondence.”

More than half a million Afghans who fled the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan in 2021 have been living without papers in Pakistan, thousands of them waiting for resettlement in the United States and elsewhere.

There are also some 1.45 million Afghan refugees, registered with the U.N. refugee agency, most of whom fled during the 1979-89 Soviet occupation of their country Last July Pakistan extended the stay of refugees registered with the UNHCR until June 2025, saying they will not be arrested or deported at least until the extension expires.

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By AMATTHIAS SCHRADER

From right, U.S. Special Envoy Keith Kellogg, Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio meet with Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference in Munich, Germany, on Friday.

ASSOCIATED PRESS FILE PHOTO By ANJUM NAVEED Afghan refugees hold placards during their meeting to discuss the situation after President Donald Trump paused the U.S refugee programs, in Islamabad, Pakistan, on Jan. 24.

Frank not yet eligible for execution

Ex-NOPD officer has not exhausted appeals, officials say

BY JOHN SIMERMAN Staff writer

Advocates for death row inmates and Attorney General Liz Murrill have sparred over the past few days about the pool of condemned prisoners in Louisiana who may be eligible to be executed.

But one thing they now seem to agree on: Antoinette Frank, the former New Orleans police officer who is the only woman among the 57 occupants of Louisiana’s death row, is not among them.

Murrill’s office has pulled back on a claim the attorney general made this week to WDSU-TV that Frank was “one of the handful of cases where they’ve exhausted all of their post-conviction relief and we can set the date.”

A spokesperson said the attorney general maintains that “four to five” condemned prisoners are eligible to be executed, with Gov Jeff Landry recently announcing that the state had established a protocol for the newly approved method of execution by nitrogen gas. But that list doesn’t include Frank.

District Attorney Jason Williams, who must ask a judge for an execution warrant, pointed to the court record, saying in a statement that he couldn’t seek a death warrant for Frank.

“Since her initial conviction and death sentence, Antoinette Frank’s defense counsel has exercised the right to challenge the sentence against her Section D of Criminal District Court is now reviewing Frank’s application for post-conviction relief and has not yet ruled,” the statement read. “There can be no effort to proceed with an execution of Ms. Frank during postconviction review by the court.”

A hearing has been set for March 31, 2025, on Frank’s postconviction application.

Lester Duhe, a spokesperson for Murrill’s office acknowledged Wednesday that Frank “has to have exhausted all her appeals before” she can be

killed.

The four inmates who Murrill has said are eligible for execution include Christopher Sepulvado, of DeSoto Parish; Jessie Hoffman, of St. Tammany Parish; Larry Roy, of Rapides Parish; and Darrell Robinson, also of Rapides.

Louisiana judges recently ordered execution dates that remain in effect for Hoffman and Sepulvado

Sepulvado, death row’s oldest prisoner at 81, was ordered executed on March 17. Hoffman was ordered to be killed the following day.

Attempts to reach officials with the state Department of Public Safety and Corrections this week about their preparations under the recent orders have been unsuccessful

In Sepulvado’s case, his attorneys say he’s taken a turn for the worse and has been recommended for palliative care.

In the meantime, civil attorneys for Sepulvado, Hoffman and others are appealing to a federal judge in Baton Rouge to revive a long-running lawsuit about death row practices in Louisiana.

They say their clients have not been provided execution protocols

Murrill has named two other condemned men, both from Rapides Parish, that she has maintained are also eligible.

But a state judge revoked the death warrant he’d signed for Roy after his attorneys argued he had not yet completed the legal process.

The judge then declined a second attempt by District Attorney Phillip Terrell to secure an execution warrant for Roy Roy’s attorneys are asking 9th Judicial District Judge Chris Hazel to reaffirm the prisoner’s right to be heard on his longdormant post-conviction claims before he’s executed.

Hazel has set a hearing date for April 14.

The other condemned man from Rapides Parish, Robinson, won a reprieve last year from the Louisiana Supreme Court, only for the court to reverse itself in December.

That case remains pending a

request for another rehearing at the state Supreme Court.

Court records do not show a request from Terrell for an execution warrant for Robinson. Terrell did not respond to a request for comment Tuesday

Frank was a New Orleans police officer when she killed Cuong Vu, 17, and Ha Vu, 24, two members of a Vietnamese-American family during an armed robbery inside their restaurant in New Orleans East.

Frank’s fellow 7th District officer and one-time partner, Ronald Williams II, also was gunned down in the melee.

Frank’s co-defendant, Rogers Lacaze, was removed from death row and resentenced to life without parole after a legal fight, in an agreement with Leon Cannizzaro, the former Orleans Parish district attorney who now works for Murrill.

In her most recent plea for relief, Frank argues that years of physical and sexual abuse at the hands of her father, a Vietnam War combat veteran, left her traumatized; that she was a distinctly bad choice to be a New Orleans police officer and was susceptible to manipulation by Lacaze; and that her lawyers badly failed her Murrill told WDSU during an interview early in the week that Frank was eligible to be killed by the state, while urging Williams to seek a death warrant. But court records show that Frank’s post-conviction relief application, filed in 2009 and supplemented last summer, has remained unheard.

“She’s firmly in the middle of the mandatory appeals process,” said her attorney Matilde Carbia of the Mwalimu Center for Justice, which represents many of the 57 people on death row in Louisiana. “There is active litigation.”

Carbia said prosecutors have not acted in Frank’s case in almost 15 years.

“It’s been their turn,” she said. Investigative reporting is more essential than ever, which is why we’ve established the Louisiana Investigative Journalism Fund, a nonprofit supported by our readers.

Kennedy says panel to examine childhood vaccine schedule

BY AMANDA SEITZ Associated Press

WASHINGTON To earn the vote he needed to become the nation’s top health official, Robert F. Kennedy Jr made a special promise to a U.S. senator: He would not change the nation’s current vaccination schedule.

But on Tuesday, speaking for the first time to thousands of U.S. Health and Human Services agency employees, he vowed to investigate the childhood vaccine schedule that prevents measles, polio and other dangerous diseases.

“Nothing is going to be off-limits,” Kennedy said, adding that pesticides, food additives, microplastics, antidepressants and the electromagnetic waves emitted by cellphones and microwaves also would be studied.

Kennedy’s remarks, which circulated on social media, were delivered during a welcome ceremony for the new health secretary at the agency’s headquarters in Washington as a measles outbreak among mostly unvaccinated people raged in West Texas The event was held after a weekend of mass firings of thousands of HHS employees. More dismissals are expected.

In his comments Tuesday, Kennedy promised that a new “Make America Healthy Again” commission would investigate vaccines, pesticides and antidepressants to see if they have contributed to a rise in chronic illnesses such as diabetes and obesity that have plagued the American public. The commission was formed last week in an executive order by Donald Trump immediately after Kennedy was sworn in as the president’s new health secretary That directive said the commission will be made up of cabinet members and other officials from the administration and will develop a strategy around children’s health within the next six months. Kennedy said it will investigate issues, including childhood vaccinations, that “were formally taboo or insuf-

ficiently scrutinized.”

While Kennedy did not directly call for changes to the vaccination schedule on Tuesday, his plan to investigate it raises questions about his commitment to Republican Sen. Bill Cassidy, a Baton Rouge physician who harbored deep misgivings over the health secretary’s anti-vaccine advocacy Cassidy ultimately voted to send Kennedy’s nomination to the Senate floor after he said Kennedy gave him assurances that he would not alter the federal vaccine schedule.

“On this topic, the science is good, the science is credible,” Cassidy said during a Senate floor speech earlier this month explaining his vote. “Vaccines save lives. They are safe.”

Rigorous studies of thousands of people followed by decades of real-world use have proven that the vaccines approved by the Food and Drug Administration for both children and adults safely and effectively prevent diseases.

Cassidy said during his Senate speech last month that Kennedy had made a number of promises that stemmed from “intense conversations” to garner his support. Specifically, Cassidy said Kennedy would “maintain the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices’ recommendations without changes.”

Those recommendations are what pediatricians around the country use to decide the safest and most effective ages at which to offer vaccinations to children. The committee meets every year to review the latest data on both old and new vaccines to ensure there are no red flags for safety or other issues before publishing its annual schedule.

When contacted about Kennedy’s remarks, Cassidy’s office did not comment.

Kennedy gained a loyal following for his nonprofit by raising objections to COVID-19 protocols and doubts around the COVID-19 vaccine.

largest companies and financial institutions said that they expect some investments to be delayed and are concerned about the potential for scuttled projects. But they largely remain supportive of the new administration.

On one hand, some executives who agreed to discuss Trump’s moves said they welcomed his commitment to loosening federal regulations and lowering taxes, which they believe will benefit their companies and the economy

On the other, they said they are concerned about the threat of widespread tariffs and the impact that upending global trading networks will have on the supply chain and inflation.

“Business leaders look for stability, and we lack stability today,” said longtime Republican Dennis Stine, CEO of Sulfur-based Stine Lumber, which sells building materials to wholesale and retail customers. “We’re going to have chaos for four years, and we just have to prepare for that.”

Trump’s most ardent supporters in the state say it’s too soon to tell how it will all shake out, and they are cautioning fellow executives, many of whom voted for Trump, to withhold judgment, for now

“There will be some pain before the reward. Not everyone will be happy,” said Boysie Bollinger, the former CEO of Bollinger Shipyards and one of Trump’s biggest GOP donors in the state. “The question is, where do we end up?”

Tariffs and trade

Among Louisiana and national

business leaders, the greatest concern for now is centered on Trump’s threats to impose widespread tariffs. In late January, the president announced plans to impose 25% tariffs on imports from Since then, however, he has threatened reciprocal tariffs on every American trading partner in the world.

Many economists have said the move could drive up inflation.

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce, which has been broadly supportive of much of Trump’s economic agenda, has also come out against moves that could ignite a trade war, warning it will “raise prices for American families and upend American supply chains.”

Laitram CEO Jay Lapeyre, whose Harahan-based manufacturing company does business around the globe, said it’s “inevitable that

LEWIS

Continued from page 1A

“To me, to be honest with you, this is straight-up racism,” she said Lewis is the commission’s only Black member On the social media app X, Lewis responded last week to a post from Landry’s account showing a picture of Rachel Levine, who was assistant secretary of health in the Biden administration, next to a picture of Robert F Kennedy Jr., President Donald Trump’s pick for secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services.

“Major upgrade in the @ HHSgov Secretary department,” Landry posted. “Lots of work to be done, and excited for @RobertKennedyJr to get started. Let’s Make America Healthy Again!” Lewis fired back: “This tweet shows that conservatism right now is only about cruelty and chaos. They will find away to be cruel to someone just bc they can.”

He continued: “What a completely (sic) asshole you are, @LAGovJeffLandry.” Levine is a transgender woman, and critics accused Landry of mocking her because of her gender identity After the tweet, PSC board chair Mike Francis

added an item to the commission’s Wednesday agenda to replace Lewis with Skrmetta.

Like the chair the vice chair is elected by the commission’s members He or she presides over PSC meetings when the chair is absent, managing public comment, calling votes on agenda items and otherwise overseeing proceedings

During the public comment, a string of speakers urged the commission not to remove Lewis from the position, arguing it would violate his right to free speech

“I am not his mama And Mr Chairman, you are not his daddy,” said Melissa Flournoy, a former state legislator and chair of the advocacy group 10,000 Women Louisiana. “If you have an issue, you need to address it in a professional manner with Mr. Lewis on a professional basis.”

Some speakers suggested that Landry had pushed the commission to punish Lewis, something Francis denied.

“I haven’t spoken to Gov Landry since the election,” he said. “This is a decision that I felt like I had to make as chairman.”

Francis, Skrmetta and Commissioner Jean-Paul P. Coussan voted for the change. Lewis and Commissioner Foster Campbell

the arms race in tariffs will not go well,” and predicted that if Trump goes through with the tariffs as threatened, it will be harder for Laitram to get some of the components it uses in its factories.

“If you impose tariffs on steel and aluminum, you may create a few jobs in those industries,” said Lapeyre, a free trade advocate.

“But it is going to be tiny relative to the incremental cost for any business looking to invest here.”

Others are not completely opposed to tariffs but are concerned they could be imposed too broadly Civic leader Gregory Rusovich, who ran Transocean Shipping until selling the company to Kuwaitibased PWC in 2005, said he supports tariffs that are targeted on adversaries “for national security purposes,” though he doesn’t like them imposed across the board.

Stephen Toups, CEO of Baton Rouge-based Turner Industries, a $3 billion industrial services company said if tariffs are broadly imposed, it’s almost inevitable that they will drive up prices and impact new investment in the state and beyond.

“I keep hearing about all these deals being put on hold,” said Toups, who did not know of any specific projects that have been paused. “If someone puts a huge tariff on a particular item, that has got to factor into the conversation about whether a plant gets built or not.”

Maybe they’re safe?

In a state where the energy sector generates more than $54 billion

voted against it.

Campbell said it would be unfair to punish Lewis because others had taken inappropriate actions as well. He said he recalled one time when he was giving a speech and Francis, who was in the crowd, held up a sign saying “Bulls***.”

“I don’t think anybody needs to be preaching today,” Campbell said.

Before the vote, Lewis refused to apologize, saying Francis had allowed others to be rude to him during public meetings in the past.

“I’m not going to sit here and hold myself to a standard that you won’t hold yourself to,” he said. “I guess if you’re young, if you’re Black, if you’re outspoken, you gotta do whatever the White man tells you to do.”

After the meeting, Lewis posted on X a screenshot of a text message exchange in which he said Francis himself called him an asshole.

The PSC’s move follows a controversy at LSU over the past month regarding a law school professor who was removed from the classroom after using vulgar language to criticize Landry

Professor Ken Levy was recorded saying “f*** the governor” and “I can’t believe that f***** won” about the election of President Donald Trump. LSU sus-

annually, executives are also paying close attention to the future of Trump’s energy policy, particularly the rollback of funding for renewable energy projects.

$45 billion in clean energy over the past five years solar farms, EV battery plants, carbon capture facilities and cleaner burning hydrogen and ammonia plants. The state has also established itself as hub for the infrastructure that supports offshore wind turbines in the Atlantic Ocean.

Now, some of those projects are in peril.

“I think it is serious if they start paralyzing payments that have already been approved because people have made investment decisions based on that,” said Chris Kinsey, CEO of Kinsey Interests, a Shreveport holding company that develops and invests in energy infrastructure.

Lobbyists who represent business interests in Washington say while corporate executives are careful not to openly criticize the new administration in a politically charged climate, they are working behind the scenes to let congressional leaders know that killing major projects midstream will hurt voters in their districts back home.

Tim Barfield, whose Baton Rouge infrastructure consulting firm CSRS represents international investors trying to develop clean energy projects in Louisiana, said some of his clients have yet to make final investment decisions because they are concerned about changes to regulations and future funding.

“But the comfort I have gotten is that a lot of these clean energy projects benefit red states, so maybe they’re safe,” Barfield said.

Sitting back and waiting

For now, the uncertainty is what has business executives most on edge. Hancock Whitney Senior Regional President Robert Schneckenberger said he’s hearing from clients every day who are unsure whether to move forward with expansions and new construction.

“People were anticipating that less regulation would unleash business activity,” Schneckenberger said. “With all the uncertainty over tariffs, the less inclined people are to make long-term investments.”

pended him, saying it had received comments from students that the comments were inappropriate and intimidating.

Levy sued LSU, arguing the university had violated his rights to free speech and due process. LSU argued

“I am concerned this year will be a little challenging,” said Guidry, whose 42-vessel fleet supports oil and gas companies around the world. “Things were looking good. Now people are going to wait and see.”

While business leaders have very real concerns about some of the changes they’ve seen, several applauded Trump’s promise to lower taxes and his early orders green-lighting liquefied natural gas projects, several of which are in development off the coast of Louisiana.

And while some deals are on hold, others may get fast-tracked, due to a sense of urgency created from the chaos in Washington.

CSRS is working with a company that manufactures EV batteries and was considering an investment in the U.S. because of incentives under the Biden administration. Landis Construction CEO Anne Teague Landis said construction projects that are partially funded with federal money or incentives are also in a rush to break ground because of the uncertainty, which is a good problem in the short run.

“That comes with the caveat of assuming they can get the federal money in hand sooner rather than later,” she said.

The result will be a slow down in activity that will impact local companies, some predict Harvey Gulf Marine CEO Shane Guidry, a Trump supporter and close adviser of Republican Gov Jeff Landry, said he’s hearing that large companies will “sit back” for much of this year and have their capital ready to deploy when they have a better picture of the global economic outlook.

Email Stephanie Riegel at stephanie.riegel@theadvocate. com.

Levy violated its rules for professional conduct by professors.

After a seesaw legal battle, an appeals court allowed LSU to keep Levy out of the classroom while his case plays out.

LSU President William F.

Tate testified from the stand that it was his decision to suspend Levy, and said he “never talked to the governor” about it.

Email Matthew Albright at malbright@theadvocate. com.

Demand for the facilities is being driven by new and existing industries looking for power with low or no carbon impact, Entergy and other company officials and economic analysts have said.

In a 21-page, point-bypoint ruling, Judge Jason Verdigets found that developer D.E. Shaw Renewable Investments and Ten-R Company, the local landowner group, failed to prove that any of the eight reasons that the Parish Council had offered last June for rejecting the project were without good justification.

Verdigets, of the 23rd Judicial District Court, found the 4-3 council decision to reject DESRI’s project was narrowly tailored and rationally tied to the solar farm’s

ASSAULTS

Continued from page 1A

focuses on rehabilitation over punishment.

Overall, between 2023 and 2024, the system saw a 41% decrease in youth-onstaff assaults and threats of assault, from 249 to 145, officials reported during a January meeting of the Senate Women and Children’s Committee.

Meanwhile, there was a 20% decrease in youth-onyouth assaults and threats thereof, from 1,046 to 831.

The news comes after a difficult couple of years in which escapes and prison brawls frequently made headlines.

The statistics, which do not reflect youth assaults that take place in local jails, are based on code of conduct data, Deron Patin, deputy assistant secretary of the Office of Juvenile Justice, told legislators.

When youth violate the system’s code of conduct,

suitability with the land-use plan that calls for agriculture and future homes in the area. Even after DESRI came back with a 40% smaller version from earlier plans with visual and big land buffers — as well as a nearly $4.7 million community benefits package for local governments, education and recreation — the judge found the council acted well within its legislative discretion.

“The council was empowered to turn down the proffered financial benefits of the application, when it felt the negative impact on the land-use pattern of the parish outweighed the benefits,”

Verdigets concluded

He also rejected the idea that the council acted unreasonably in turning down the project when it had approved a 218-acre solar farm in the same area in 2019, saying the 2,200-acre project would be “radically differ-

the state keeps a record of it, he added. The data does not distinguish between actual assaults and threats of assault.

Officials said that opening a long-anticipated new facility, the Swanson Center for Youth in Monroe, in May was a driving force behind the change. It has far better security than the older campus there, according to the OJJ.

The facility has 72 beds and individual rooms for youths, and officials have long said that opening it would lower violence in the prison system by holding teens who were at the highest risk of committing assault.

There is a second location of the Swanson Center, in Columbia, which also houses youth in secure care.

“I’m kind of astounded by the change in the numbers,” state Sen. Beth Mizell, RFranklinton, told OJJ officials during last month’s meeting.

Mizell asked Patin if the change only had to do with

ent” in scale and the largest in the parish’s history

The solar farm would have sold 360 megawatts of power to Entergy Louisiana, generated $154.7 million in local taxes over 35 years and produced 400 temporary construction jobs with a $56.7 million payroll.

Some St. James residents and parish officials had aired concerns about the visual impact of acres of solar panels, their potential effect on the sugar cane industry and whether a project with three permanent jobs was the best use of a large tract of land along the Mississippi River

In an interview, parish land-use attorney Victor Franckiewicz Jr noted the judge’s sweeping support for the parish’s decision and the eight factors it used to justify the vote.

“He ruled in favor of the parish on every single point,” Franckiewicz said.

Among those reasons were

having individual rooms for youth.

Patin said a transition to a therapeutic model has played a role.

The state has been touting a therapeutic model for years, yet it often has struggled to pay for the staff and other resources needed to implement that model.

Still, Patin said, the agency has made strides toward improving it, especially in the past several years. The system now evaluates youths’ needs and risk factors, and it also requires additional training for staff, he said.

The OJJ also trains staff to use a therapeutic trustbuilding model with youth, and it has hired a director of education, Patin added.

Since then, “we have seen the school performance across the state blossom,” according to Patin.

But some legislators were skeptical that, in the long term, the state will be able to hold to its promises of a therapeutic model.

“Louisiana has adopted a model that it has not funded.

Everyonewants to avoidtax.Whenpeoplethink about avoiding taxes, they usually thinkabout avoiding income tax. But, Louisianaresidents have to be concernedwithseveraltypesoftaxeswhentheyareplanningtheirestates

FederalEstateTax–DidYouKnow?

Thefederal estate taxappliestoestates of peoplewho areresidents in anyof the50states. When it applies, it is significant. Essentially,whena person dies, we have to addupthe fair market valueofeverythingthe deceased owned–their house, cars, bank accounts, IRA’s, 401(k)’s,lifeinsurance, stock, businessestheyown,real estate andmore. Since2013, newfederal estate tax lawswerepassed.Theexemptionamountis$13,610,000fordeathsoccurringin 2024,andtheestatetaxrateis40%

WhatAboutTheSurvivingSpouse?

Before 2010, eachspousehad an estate taxexemption. If theestateofthe first spouse to diedid not usetheir exemption, it wouldbelostand thesurviving spousecouldnotuseanyoftheexemptionofthefirstspousetodie.Howeverin 2013,“portability”was kept in place –the survivingspousecan now increase theirexemptionbytheamountoftheunusedexemptionamount ofthedeceased spousewhodiedafter2010. Butportabilitymustbeexercisedtimely

HowToAvoidCapitalGainsTax

Thetaxthatoftencreepsuponpeoplepeopleiscapitalgainstax.Capitalgains is paid when you sell an assetthathas appreciated in value. Example: you buy astockfor$20,000andlatersellthestockfor$100,000.Youwillhave$80,000 ofcapitalgain,andyoumustpaytaxonthis.Howyoustructureyourbequests to your spouseand your familycan have asignificantimpact on how much capitalgainstaxyourheirswillhavetopay.Whenyoudie,yourassetswillbe “stepped-up”andyourheirswillgetanewvalue

Giftsof$19,000PerYearPerPerson (UsedToBe$10,000PerYearPerPerson)

Youmayhaveheardyoucandonateorgive$19,000eachyearperpersonwithout gifttaxconsequences.Typically,noonepaysincometaxonagiftregardlessof thevalueofthegift.Asizeablegiftwillhaveestateandgifttaxconsequences.

YOUAREINVITEDTOAFREEWorkshopToLearnHowTo:

•Minimizeoravoiddeathtax;

•Makesureyourestateutilizestheexemptionavailablefordeathsoccurringin 2024;

•ProperlysetupyourWillorLivingTrustsotherewillbenotaxuponthedeath ofthefirstspouseregardlessofthesizeoftheestate;

•Ensurethatyourheirsreceiveastep-upintaxbasis–notjustwhenthefirst spousediesbutagainwhenthesurvivingspousedies;

•Utilizethe2024annualgifttaxexclusiontomakegiftsof$18,000peryearper person duringyour lifetime to reduce your taxableestateatyour death…and MUCHMORE!

that large land buffers and a planned 12-foot-high bamboo screen were insufficient to hide the panels that could be 16 feet tall, that the solar project removed sugar cane land from production and traded its jobs for a few permanent ones, and that the project was targeted for land set aside for agriculture and homes when industrial tracts were available elsewhere in the parish.

“Thus, this industrial-style use is inconsistent with the parish’s land-use ordinance and comprehensive plan,” Verdigets wrote. “So, while the facility would represent growth by the addition of physical structures, that is not the growth the parish seeks in their goals and objectives for Vacherie, as a matter of public policy.”

It was not clear if DESRI and the landowners will appeal. A representative for DESRI said in a statement that the company is “disap-

In doing so it has overexposed our children to the risk of harm, and also our staff,” said state Sen. Katrina Jackson-Andrews, DMonroe. “If we’re not going to fund it, we need to find another model.”

Over the years, she has found that circumstances in youth detention facilities to be “transient,” she said.

Kenny Loftin, who heads OJJ, has supported the therapeutic model, though he has acknowledged the agency faces challenges, especially when it comes to staffing.

“Child psychologists and psychiatrists, which we desperately need, are very expensive,” he told the committee, adding that the department plans to request money for social workers.

Meanwhile, the state has taken a harsher approach toward juvenile justice under Gov Jeff Landry Last year it passed bills to send 17-year-olds to the adult system and implement tougher sentences for juveniles.

pointed in the decision” and “is currently evaluating options to advance our potential investment in St. James Parish.”

“Solar is low-cost and locally generated power that supports our economy We stand by this project,” the company statement added.

An attorney for the landowner group did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The landowners had filed a separate suit against the parish over the same issues and it was consolidated with the DESRI suit. Verdigets’ ruling, which was signed Feb 4, applied to both cases.

Several years ago, DESRI had originally proposed a much larger facility — about 3,900 acres — on some of the same sugar cane land, but the Planning Commission blocked it in 2022. The Parish Council then adopted a moratorium on solar farms

Legislators also placed a constitutional amendment on the March ballot that would allow them to more easily add to the list of crimes for which younger

until a new ordinance regulating those projects could be written. Once the ordinance was created with DESRI’s help, the developers came back in March 2024 with the 2,200acre proposal with buffers, screening and other measures called for in the new ordinance, plus the incentive package. The company had also done its own polling showing that 61% of residents in the parish were likely or very likely to support solar in St. James. But the new rules didn’t create a solar farm use, so the project was proposed on agricultural and residential land for which DESRI would need an exception, giving the council discretionary power to weigh factors for and against.

David J. Mitchell can be reached at dmitchell@ theadvocate.com.

Yes, knowledge is power,and thechoice is yours. Butyou MUSTACTNOW to put yourestateplaninplace. ItallstartsbyattendingoneofLauraPoche’sfreeeducationaleventswhich makesitclear that regardless of your networth,ifyou want to preserve your hard-earnedassets or have peopleinyour lifeyou need to protect or havecausesthatyouwanttopromote,EVERYPERSONNEEDSALEGALESTATE PLAN. LetLaura Pocheand herprofessionaland knowledgeable staffmakethis processaseasyaspossiblesoyoucanlivewithPEACEOFMIND.

Baton Rouge

MondayFebruary24th 2:00pm–4:30pm PocheLawOffice 4960Bluebonnet,Ste.C RefreshmentsProvidedAfter

TuesdayFebruary25th 5:30pm-8:00pm PocheLawOffice 4960Bluebonnet,Ste.C DinnerProvidedAfter

TuesdayFebruary25th 11:00am-1:30pm PocheLawOffice 4960Bluebonnet,Ste.C LunchProvidedAfter

WednesdayFebruary26th 9:30am–12:00pm PocheLawOffice 4960Bluebonnet,Ste.C LunchProvidedAfter

Allofour

workshops employ strict social distancing standardsfor everyone’s safety Workshops areopentoFIRST-TIMEATTENDEES ONLYand aregeared towards peoplewhowantorneedyourlegalestateplaninplacequickly.(*)Pleasehaveyour personalcalendarhandyat theworkshop soyoucan choosetostart yourplan NOW! Ifmarried,bothspousesmustattendaworkshoptoensurethatalldecision-makersare involvedinyour family’s coordinatedplan. Allpeoplewho attend will receive a FREEcopyoftheupdated2ndeditionofLauraPoche’sBook,“EstatePlanning Advice by aWoman forLouisiana Women:A Guidefor Both Men andWomen AboutWills,Trusts, Probate, Powers of Attorney,Medicaid, Living Wills and Taxes.” *Non-Louisianaresidentsmayattendforanominalfee.

teens could go to adult prisons. That amendment, Amendment 3,

Baton Rouge

Baton RougeBaton Rouge

BUSINESS

BRIEFS FROM STAFF AND WIRE REPORTS

Barnes & Noble to open in Towne Center

Barnes & Noble has signed a lease to open a bookstore in Towne Center at Cedar Lodge, which will replace its longtime Citiplace location in Baton Rouge.

The chain will take up spaces in Towne Center that had formerly been occupied by Morgan Claire Boutique and Pigtails & Crewcuts, said Doris Volentine, the property manager for the mixed-use center

Volentine said she suspects the store will open by the end of the year

This will be the second store Barnes & Noble has opened locally in the past two years. In July, the chain opened a store in Denham Springs at the Juban Crossing shopping center

The chain has been on a winning streak since 2019, when Barnes & Noble started to focus back on books, by promoting staff recommendations and a selection curated to meet community interests.

Barnes & Noble has operated a store in the Citiplace shopping center for nearly 30 years. But that 34,325-square-foot building is available for sale or lease.

S&P adds to record; Wall Street drifts higher

The S&P 500 added to its record as U.S. stock indexes drifted through a quiet Wednesday on Wall Street.

The S&P 500 rose after setting an all-time high the day before. The Dow Jones Industrial Average and the Nasdaq composite both inched up.

Microsoft was the strongest force pushing the S&P 500 upward. It rose 1.3% after saying it had developed what it calls the world’s first “quantum processing unit,” which could lead to the development of much more powerful computers.

New iPhone costs more than old low-end model

Apple has released a sleeker and more expensive version of its lowest-priced iPhone in an attempt to widen the audience for a bundle of artificial intelligence technology that the company has been hoping will revive demand for its most profitable product lineup.

The iPhone 16e unveiled Wednesday is the fourth generation of a model that’s sold at a dramatically lower price than the iPhone’s standard and premium models. The previous bargain-bin models were called the iPhone SE, with the last version coming out in 2022.

Like the higher-priced iPhone 16 lineup unveiled last September the iPhone 16e includes the souped-up computer chip needed to process an array of AI features that automatically summarize text, audio and create onthe-fly emojis while smartening up the device’s virtual assistant, Siri. It will also have a more powerful battery and camera.

All those upgrades will translate into a higher starting price for an iPhone 16e at $600, a 40% increase from $430 for the last iPhone SE. But iPhone 16e will be more affordable than the cheapest standard iPhone 16 at $800. The new phone will be available in stores Feb. 28, but can be preordered beginning Friday

Angler advocate moves on

Cresson set to become primary voice of La.’s chemical industry

BY DAVID J MITCHELL Staff writer

The longtime head of one of Louisiana’s premier advocacy organizations for recreational fisheries and coastal conservation will be leaving to become the primary voice of the state’s chemical industry

the Louisiana way of life.”

Cresson, 53, a Metairie native who has lived in Baton Rouge for years, has worked for CCA of Louisiana for 17 years.

manufacturing companies in the state and LCIA represents more than 600 companies that supply products and services to the chemical and manufacturing sector, according to the groups.

David Cresson, who leads the Coastal Conservation Association of Louisiana, has been named president and chief executive officer of the Louisiana Chemical Association and its sister organization, the Louisiana Chemical Industry Alliance, according to the groups.

“LCA and LCIA have a rich history, and these organizations are essential to the success of so many valuable industries in Louisiana,” Cresson said in a statement. “We aim to build on that legacy while identifying new opportunities to promote and advocate for the workforce and businesses that are so critical to our communities and

When Cresson takes the job at LCA on March 24, he will succeed Greg Bowser He has worked at LCA for 34 years and has been its face for nine years as president and CEO. According to an LCA statement, he is expected to stay on through the end of the year to help with the transition.

The fisheries and chemical industry groups are familiar voices at the State Capitol in shaping government policy but have significantly different areas of interest.

CCA has advocated for policies to protect sport fisheries and conserve the state’s coast. Under Cresson’s leadership, the group has promoted reef building, redfish stock enhancement and other conservation efforts, according to the nonprofit. It also successfully advocated in 2023 and 2024 for expanded limits on nearshore commercial fishing of menhaden, a food source for redfish and other sport fish species.

LCA represents 70 chemical

The chemical industry directly employs 29,000 people in Louisiana in high-wage jobs, spurs eight indirect jobs for every job in the industry and contributes hundreds of millions of dollars to the state treasury and to public schools, sheriff’s offices and other local governments, according to the groups.

Despite this impact, the industry often finds itself at odds with groups focused on conserving the environment and protecting public health due to their members’ pollution impact on air and water

Along with other business organizations, the groups are often enmeshed in tax and other significant state policy decisions because of their widespread reach across the state.

When asked in an interview about leading two organizations as different as the fisheries and industry groups, Cresson said they actually have plenty of overlap.

Saying they both represent leg-

acy industries that are culturally and economically important to the state, he pointed out that members of CCA often work in the chemical industry and that industry has helped CCA through the years in its conservation efforts.

Cresson, who worked on Gov Jeff Landry’s transition team and is no stranger to giving congressional and legislative testimony said he looks forward to meeting with community members, political leaders and others to make the chemical industry’s case.

He added that he believes he will be working in an environment, both at the state and federal level, that is supportive of the business community. He said he plans to take an active role at the Capitol in advocating for the industry

Danny Cedotal, LCA’s board chairman and vice president of Shintech Louisiana, called Cresson “a strong and proven leader,” as LCA officials noted Cresson’s work managing a board of more than 200 members across the state

David J. Mitchell can be reached at dmitchell@ theadvocate.com.

Unions seek shipbuilding boost

Labor leaders call on Trump to act against increasing Chinese dominance

BY JOSH BOAK Associated Press

WASHINGTON — The heads of four major labor unions on Wednesday called on President Donald Trump to boost American shipbuilding and enforce tariffs and other “strong penalties” against China for its increasing dominance in that sphere.

The presidents of the United Steelworkers, International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, International Brotherhood of Boilermakers and International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers argue that China’s efforts have hurt American workers and national security.

In the letter obtained by The Associated Press, they urged Trump to “impose tough penalties against vessels built according to the plans, policies, and actions of the Chinese Communist Party and to adopt complementary policies that rebuild America’s shipbuilding capacity and workforce.”

Last year under President Joe Biden, the unions filed a petition seeking to address China’s shipbuilding under Section 301 of the 1974 U.S. Trade Act, hoping to start a process by which tariffs and other measures could be enacted.

The letter notes China manufactured more than 1,000 oceangoing vessels in 2023, while the United States made fewer than 10 ships. It adds that the Chinese shipbuilding industry received more than $100 billion in government support from 2010 to 2018, such that Chinese shipyards accounted for the majority of worldwide orders last year

“As a shipyard worker myself, out of Bath Iron Works in Maine, I have seen firsthand the crippling impacts of China’s predatory actions on our domestic shipbuilding industry,” Brian Bryant, the machinists and aerospace workers union president, said in a separate statement.

“For decades, we’ve seen everything from

layoffs to shipyard closures to atrophy of our domestic shipbuilding industrial base.

Trump has made control of the Panama Canal and resetting the global terms of trade with tariffs a key priority But many of his concerns have been directed at U.S. allies such as Canada Mexico and the European Union, while he has imposed an additional 10% tariff on imports from China due to its role in making the opioid fentanyl.

The White House has said it is considering all available options to push back against China’s practices in the maritime, logistics and shipbuilding sectors.

In January, Trump floated the possibility

of more shipbuilding in an interview with Hugh Hewitt, the conservative radio talk show host.

“We don’t build ships anymore,” Trump said. “We want to get that started And maybe we’ll use allies, also, in terms of building ships. We might have to.”

In a Fox News Channel interview that aired Tuesday night, Trump noted the decline in American shipbuilding and indicated he wanted that to change.

“We don’t build the way we used to build. Yeah, we used to build like a ship a day, and now to build a ship is like a big deal,” he said. “And we’re going to get this country back on track.”

Cresson

STAFF FILE PHOTO By CHRIS GRANGER

A worker takes part in shipbuilding work at Bollinger Shipyard in Lockport

BY JOSH BOAK Associated Press

WASHINGTON President Donald Trump is moving to give the White House direct control of independent federal regulators such as the Securities and Exchange Commission, the Federal Trade Commission and the Federal Communications Commission.

The executive order that Trump signed Tuesday gives the president more power to shape the oversight of the financial system and lay out criteria for transportation safety, basic consumer protections and wireless, broadcast, satellite and broadband communications.

It is part of a broader push by the Trump administration to assert greater authority over the government, possibly limiting the spending of congressionally approved funds in ways that could set up lawsuits and lead courts to weigh in. Past administrations saw public benefit in having regulators that could operate in the long-term interests of the country without the daily machinations of politics. Presidents could exercise informal control by whom they appointed to lead the agencies without necessarily requiring those agencies to submit strategic plans to the White House and lose access to funding initiatives as the order lays out.

But the Trump White House maintains that independent regulators could undermine the president’s agenda and the will of the voting public.

“For the Federal Government to be truly accountable to the American people, officials who wield vast executive power must be supervised and controlled by the people’s elected President,” said the order signed by Trump. The move generated criti-

cism that it could ultimately lead to abuses by the Trump administration.

“This action will serve only to politicize and corrupt independent agencies, which will now be subject to the political whims of those in power,” said Alexandra Reeve Givens CEO of the nonprofit Center for Democracy & Technology “For a century, these agencies have been independent for a reason Congress needs these experts to interpret the laws it passes, and to initiate investigations and enforce those laws without political favoritism.”

Independent agencies go back to 1887 with the creation of the Interstate Commerce Commission, which initially existed to deal with railroad monopolies and the rates they charged. Multiple other regulators were built on this format and operated through presidential appointments and congressional oversight.

Roger Nober, a professor at George Washington University and director of the GW Regulator Studies Center, called the order “very significant.” The rule goes beyond existing requirements that regulations with an economic impact of more than $100 million or more go through a review by the White House Office of Man-

agement and Budget

“The intent of this is to significantly scale back the independence of independent regulatory agencies,” said Nober, who was previously chair of the U.S Surface Transportation Board, an independent regulator, during George W. Bush’s presidency

Nober stressed that he could understand why Trump might wish to bring a stock market regulator such as the SEC under greater White House control. But, he said, “we’ll have to see if this is the right approach in the long run to make independent agencies more politically responsible.”

The executive order covers the regulatory responsibilities of the Federal Reserve, but it would specifically keep its independence on setting short-term interest rates that can influence inflation rates and employment levels.

A Fed spokesperson declined to comment Wednesday on the executive order

The order may have only a limited practical effect, at least in the short term. The Fed’s vice chair for supervision, Michael Barr, a Biden appointee, said last month that he would step down Feb. 28. The Fed also said it would pause any major rulemaking until Barr’s successor is confirmed.

Trump throws Senate GOP budget bill in turmoil

BY LISA MASCARO and KEVIN FREKING Associated Press

WASHINGTON No sooner had Senate Republicans voted to begin work on $340 billion budget bill focused on funding the White House’s mass deportations and border security agenda than President Donald Trump threw it into turmoil.

Trump on Wednesday criticized the approach from the Senate Budget Committee chairman, Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., and sided with the House GOP’s broader, if politically difficult, plan that includes $4.5 trillion in tax cuts and other priorities. Senators wanted to address those later, in a second package.

Vice President JD Vance was on his way to Capitol Hill to confer privately with Republican senators.

“Unlike the Lindsey Graham version of the very important Legislation currently being discussed, the House Resolution implements my FULL America First Agenda, EVERYTHING, not just parts of it!” Trump posted on social media.

Trump wants the House’s version passed as a way to “kickstart” the process and “move all of our priorities to the concept of, ‘ONE BIG BEAUTIFUL BILL.’”

The Senate’s Republican leadership is scrambling after being blindsided by the post.

“As they say, I did not see that one coming,” said Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D. Thune had engineered the two-bill approach as a way to deliver an early victory for the White House and had pushed the Senate forward while the House is away on recess this week, saying it was time to act. Thune was meeting privately in his of-

fice with Graham.

“We’re planning to proceed, but obviously we are interested in, and hoping to hear with more clarity where the White House is coming from,” Thune said.

The sudden turn of events means more upheaval in the difficult budget process.

Republicans have majority control of the House and Senate, but face big hurdles in trying to put the president’s agenda into law as Democrats prepare to counter the onslaught of actions from the White House.

Late Tuesday, Republicans had pushed ahead on the scaled-back budget bill, on a party-line vote, 50-47, in what was supposed to be the first step in unlocking Trump’s campaign promises — tax cuts, energy production and border controls and dominating the agenda on Capitol Hill.

But it also comes as the administration’s Department of Government Efficiency effort is slashing costs across government departments, leaving a trail of fired federal workers and dismantling programs on which many Americans depend. Democrats, having floundered amid the initial upheaval coming from the White House, have emerged galvanized as they try to warn the public about what is at stake.

“These bills that they have have one purpose — and that is they’re trying to give a tax break to their billionaire buddies and have you, the average American person, pay for it,” Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer of New York told The Associated Press.

Schumer convened a private call over the weekend with Democratic senators and agreed on a strategy to challenge Republicans for prioritizing tax cuts that primarily flow to the

wealthy at the expense of program and service reductions in health care, scientific research, veterans services and elsewhere.

“This is going to be a long, drawn-out fight,” Schumer said.

The Senate’s budget process begins this week, with an initial 50 hours of debate followed by an expected all-night session with lots of attempts to amend the package.

The Republican package would allow $175 billion to be spent on border security, including money for mass deportation operations and building the U.S.-Mexico border wall, in addition to a $150 billion boost to the Pentagon and $20 billion for the Coast Guard.

Republicans are determined to push ahead after Trump border czar Tom Homan and top aide Stephen Miller told senators privately last week that they are running short of cash to accomplish the president’s immigration priorities.

Trump met with Republican senators last month, expressing no preference for one bill or two, but just that Congress “get the result.”

The Senate Budget Committee said its package would cost about $85.5 billion a year, for four years of Trump’s presidency, paid for with new reductions and revenues elsewhere that other committees will draw up.

Eyeing ways to pay for it, Republican senators are considering a rollback of the Biden administration’s methane emissions fee, which was approved by Democrats as part of climate change strategies in the Inflation Reduction Act, and hoping to draw new revenue from energy leases as they aim to spur domestic energy production.

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO

President Donald Trump speaks at Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach, Fla., on Tuesday.

Library nding fight continues

BR officials differ o approach after faile millage renewal

BY PATRICK SLOAN-TURNER Staff writer

With the Baton Rouge library sys funding in limbo after a failed millage newal last week, the skirmish contin over the mayor’s proposal to redirect library funds for police raises.

While Mayor-President Sid Edwards’ office insists the library system would remain well-funded, library leaders argue the cuts would force major reductions in services.

though both sides face pressure to find a compromise, fundamental disagreements over funding control could stand in the way, as deadlines approach for eito get a millage on balin 2025. a special Library Board on Tuesday night, EdAdministrative Officer Charlie attendance that the maydedicate the library’s funding system operate on an annual $40 million and $50 mil-

“There’s plenty of money to have the bestfunded library system in the southeastern

ä See LIBRARY, page 2B

New top prosecutor set for BR court region

Hospital racks up $1M in fees for lawsuit

Trump fired U.S. attorneys appointed by Biden BY

CHRISTOPHER CARTWRIGHT Staff writer

Prevost Memorial Hospital in Donaldsonville is racking up

nearly $1 million in fees connected to a lawsuit, while at the same time solidifying plans to build a new hospital and reach a management agreement with Our Lady of the Lake Health in Baton Rouge. The developments follow the 2023 ousting of the hospital’s board, which had been working toward an extensive renovation of the existing hospital. After those plans were scrapped, Henry Chauvin Architects sued over the

board’s alleged refusal to pay the architectural firm. The hospital is funded via a halfcent sales tax on the parish’s west bank.

The former Prevost board had crafted plans for an estimated $28 million to $30 million in hospital renovations. A significant portion of that money might be used for the planned new hospital, although Prevost’s current board members said they did not have a

total budget for the development project.

The hospital spent $319,550 for 5.58 acres in December, according to records filed with the Ascension Parish Clerk of Court. Board Chairman Bill Dawson said equipment and other costs might be reduced through the tentative agreement with Our Lady of the Lake, which will likely be

BY MATT BRUCE | Staff writer

One day after President Donald Trump ordered the U.S Department of Justice to remove all Biden-era U.S. attorneys, April Leon was promoted to ting U.S. attorney for the Middle District Louisiana. Trump’s order removed dozens made by former Biden, Trump’s the Oval Office.

BY HALEY MILLER

STAFF PHOTO By HILARy SCHEINUK

Darryl Hurst, center, speaks during the East Baton Rouge Parish Library Board of Control meeting at the Main Library on Wednesday.

STAFF PHOTO By JAVIER GALLEGOS

N.O. murder rate falls in January

Downward trend in crime continues despite terror attack

BY MISSY WILKINSON Staff writer

Even the mass casualties from a vehicle attack on Bourbon Street that kicked off 2025 couldn’t reverse a downward trend in New Orleans crime, with murder down 16% from the same time last year amid a broader slide in crime across the city, Police Department Superintendent Anne Kirkpatrick said Wednesday.

“With all due respect about the tragedy a terrorist attack in any city is a very unique event,” Kirkpatrick said.

The 14 people killed on Jan. 1 died from blunt force trauma when a U.S. Army veteran plowed through reveling crowds in a pickup, she said. Four other people were killed in January, all from gunshot wounds.

Excluding the attack, Kirk-

patrick said, January killings in the city would have declined a dramatic 72% from 2024, when the city continued a precipitous drop in violent crime that began in 2023.

Those reductions brought murders in New Orleans to one of the lowest levels in the past 50 years, a welcome whipsaw following a historically murderous 2022 in New Orleans.

NOPD figures show that overall crime in the city dropped by 23% in 2024. Crimes against persons declined by 29%, while property crimes fell by 22%. Carjackings, which shot up with the pandemic and gripped the city in fear, plummeted by 66% Nonfatal shootings dropped by more than half.

“We’re right now probably one of the safest cities in America,”

Kirkpatrick said “That drop is not by accident. We’re not following the coattails of a national trend, because if the national trend is 16%, and we are at 72% — it’s probably not a trend. It is by intentional strategy.”

According to data that crime

analyst Jeff Asher tracks through a Real-Time Crime index, murder dropped 16% nationwide last year

Asher said that New Orleans, along with perennial murder capitals such as Philadelphia and Baltimore, are seeing similarly massive declines in gun violence.

Asher cautioned against “spiking the football” in early spring over the gains. He pointed to the historic snowstorm on Jan. 21 that all but shut down New Orleans and put crime on ice. January also saw a surge of state and federal law enforcement after the Jan. 1 attack and leading up to Super Bowl week.

“Overall, the trends have been great and continue to be great through January,” Asher said.

“But one month of data is not very much, and to understand a crime trend over a year, you need to wait for a month that ends in R.”

Nevertheless, Kirkpatrick credited NOPD officers and local, state and federal partners for targeting the most violent offenders for arrest, or to quell retaliation.

Kirkpatrick pointed to nationally renowned Ceasefire strategy, which offers those people support and a viable path out of the criminal justice system.

“We know who commits the crimes,” Kirkpatrick said. “We focus on the few who commit 80% of the crimes.”

Strategic deployment of a slimmed-down police force that now hovers at 900 commissioned officers has led to decreased response times as well.

In the sprawling 7th District, which encompasses New Orleans East and where 911 emergency response times historically have skyrocketed, there were 44,012 fewer calls for service last year than in 2021, when violent crime began to surge.

“While data showcases our progress and highlights ongoing challenges, we must always honor the real lives impacted by these figures,” Kirkpatrick said “These individuals are forever woven into the fabric of New Orleans’ story, and our hearts go out to their families and loved ones.”

Security rules planned for Gallier Hall in New Orleans

Measures in force through Carnival season

BY SOPHIE KASAKOVE Staff writer

Paradegoers planning to toast the kings and queens of Carnival at Gallier Hall this year must bring clear bags and pass through metal detectors under new Mardi Gras security measures enacted after the Bourbon Street attack on New Year’s Day

The rules will be enforced from Feb. 20 through March 4, city officials said Wednesday, after the Jan.

1 vehicle attack left 14 people dead and dozens more wounded.

“The City of New Orleans remains committed to prioritizing public safety while maintaining an enjoyable experience for all,” officials with Mayor LaToya Cantrell’s administration said in a statement.

Only clear plastic, vinyl or PVC bags no larger than 12 by 6 by 12 inches will be allowed at Gallier Hall on St Charles Avenue Clear backpacks and fanny packs are not allowed.

Small clutch bags no larger than 4.5 by 6.5 inches are allowed, however Guests must also pass through a metal detector for entry

During Carnival, the mayor and other public employees, officials

and invited guests often gather at Gallier to toast Carnival royalty and watch parades as they roll. The directive did not appear to apply to adjacent parade viewing stands, which are open for a fee to the general public.

“Attendees are encouraged to plan accordingly and adhere to these guidelines to expedite security screenings,” city officials said.

A heavy police presence and street closures are expected along and near parade routes starting Friday, when Carnival parades are set to get into full swing.

The state is sending the Louisiana National Guard, Department of Wildlife and Fisheries agents and state probation and parole officers

to the city through Mardi Gras, under an emergency order Gov Jeff Landry issued after the Bourbon Street attack. The federal government has also newly designated Mardi Gras a Level One Special Event Assessment Rating, which will drive federal aid to the city, too. That includes air patrols, cybersecurity checks and tactical response teams. Bomb-sniffing dogs, drones, fire and explosives investigators, and engineers will also be on-hand, officials familiar with those plans have said.

The Orleans Parish Sheriff’s Office will be joined by other local law enforcement agencies to patrol streets throughout the French Quarter

PROSECUTOR

Continued from page 1B

The housecleaning included Ron Gathe Jr., who had been the top federal prosecutor for the courthouse anchored in downtown Baton Rouge.

Gathe, a Baton Rouge native, was nominated by Biden and took over as the Middle District’s first Black U.S. Attorney in December 2021.

HOSPITAL

Continued from page 1B

presented to the organization by the end of March.

A spokesperson for Franciscan Missionaries of Our Lady Health System, parent organization of nonprofit Our Lady of the Lake, said this week it has no comment on the potential agreement with the hospital in Donaldsonville.

Costly hospital renovation plan

The ongoing lawsuit involving the Prevost Memorial hospital board stems from a 2018 contract with local architect Henry Chauvin who has worked on projects in Louisiana, ranging from Ascension Parish schools to the Superdome in New Orleans.

Continued from page 1B

United States like we do today,” Davis said.

The library system budgeted around $61.1 million for 2025, and a $10 million to $20 million decrease would cause major changes, board President Candace Temple said.

“That would look like reducing the hours that we operate, possibly cutting staff, definitely cutting programs and cutting all the capital projects that we have projected,” Temple said.

On Feb. 8, Edwards announced a pitch that would rededicate the library’s independent funding to the city-parish’s general fund, in hopes of using much of that money to secure historic raises for the Baton Rouge Police Department. Members of the public then erupted in opposition to the mayor’s plan last week in front of the

He selected Leon as his second in command, naming her the First Assistant U.S. Attorney in October 2023. She brings with her to the top job 15 years of prosecutorial experience in state and federal courts.

In a Wednesday statement announcing Leon’s appointment, officials from the U.S Middle District did not mention Gathe’s firing.

“I am honored to continue my commitment to public service as acting United States Attorney and fulfill the mission of the department by collaboratively working

The Donaldsonville hospital hired Chauvin to oversee planned renovations, and spent $2.43 million on construction and equipment through mid-2022

Some residents challenged the hospital’s renovation plans in 2023, with former mayoral candidate Glenn Price calling for a new hospital that he said could be built for roughly the same amount as doing renovations.

Since then, Baton Rouge General has opened a $30 million, 10-bed hospital in Prairieville in 2020, as other major hospital chains have moved into the Ascension Parish.

Provost CEO Shelton Anthony said the Prevost hospital now has 25 beds

The 2023 push resulted in the Parish Council appointing a new board, with Dawson as chairman and Price as vice chairman. Price

Metro Council, with many saying it would be wrong to rededicate funds that voters specifically approved for the library’s operations.

On Tuesday, District 5 Metro Council member Darryl Hurst — who also serves on the Library Board of Control — said the Mayor’s Office has had the wrong approach in how it has proposed rededicating the library’s funds.

“They’ve approached this like they don’t live in Baton Rouge,” Hurst said. “They’ve approached it like a national corporation that just sees us on a piece of paper based on some statistics.”

Hurst said library officials should have been a part of the conversation, which may have made it easier to “put a collective plan together.”

“You can’t see just an agency on a piece of paper and cut heads,” Hurst said.

Several members of the public in attendance at Tuesday’s meeting said they were concerned the

with our federal, state, and local partners,” Leon said.

When new presidents take office, it’s common practice for them to select new top federal prosecutors around the country

The Middle District covers nine parishes with a combined population of about 1 million people. The region sits between federal court districts anchored in New Orleans to the east and Shreveport in the state’s northern territories.

The office oversees federal criminal prosecutions and civil litiga-

has faced controversy lately after the Ascension Parish Sheriff’s Office arrested him in October, alleging he bought stolen copper wire and sold it for more than $25,000. He has denied the accusations.

Lawsuit filed by firm

The architectural firm’s lawsuit filed by Chauvin’s attorney, Timothy Pujol, seeks more than $790,484 in legal fees the firm says weren’t paid.

According to conversations with board members and meeting minutes, Chauvin sent the bill to the Prevost hospital in early November 2023 and laid out his calculations in an email to hospital management.

Prevost hospital board chair Dawson said the new board viewed the legal bill as a surprise and “wanted to make sure that it was proper to pay.”

Mayor’s Office wasn’t interested finding some compromise with the library Falon Brown, the mayor’s communications director said Tuesday the mayor’s staffers have been in contact with library officials since last week’s Metro Council meeting, and the “administration is committed to collaborating with library stakeholders to reach a mutual solution, and we are continuously working toward that goal.”

One deal-breaker for library officials is losing control of the system’s funding Temple said the library is not willing to agree to anything that would put the system back in the city-parish’s general fund.

After last week’s Metro Council meeting, the mayor said he is still open to the library operating separately from the city-parish general fund Davis, the mayor’s chief administrative officer, did not explicitly say otherwise Tuesday night but told those in attendance at the

Pedestrian struck by police car in critical condition

A pedestrian was struck by a police car Tuesday night near the intersection of Florida Boulevard and Kenwood Avenue. Baton Rouge Emergency Medical Services responded to the call at 6:42 p.m. and transported the pedestrian in critical condition to a hospital.

The Baton Rouge Police Department confirmed the vehicle was a police car A police spokesperson said the area is known to be unusually dark. House catches fire during remodeling

Oily rags and a can of mineral spirits left behind by a construction crew working on a kitchen remodel led to a house fire Tuesday night, the Baton Rouge Fire Department said.

Firefighters called to a home in the 3400 block of Twelve Oaks Avenue shortly before 9 p.m. found the front left corner of the carport in flames, the department said in a statement. After the fire was extinguished, firefighters learned from the homeowner that a construction crew remodeling the kitchen had been using woodstaining materials during its recent work.

Investigators found the remnants of oily rags and a can of mineral spirits in the remains of a plastic trash can near the corner of the carport.

“The cause of the fire was ruled spontaneous combustion,” the department said.

tions in East Baton Rouge, West Baton Rouge and Iberville, among other parishes.

Trump on Tuesday announced the firing of the U.S. Attorneys on his Truth Social platform, saying the Department of Justice was “politicized” during Biden’s presidency

The abrupt shake-up was still evident on the Justice Department’s website, where 70 of the 93 U.S. Attorneys were marked Wednesday afternoon as “acting,” including Leon.

“We’re brand new We’re stepping into this one month and the next month almost, you know, we’re handed that,” he said. “The board just didn’t feel comfortable putting out $800,000 of the district’s money without better documentation on exactly how much of that can be applied or not. I don’t know the answer to that.”

Chauvin presented construction documents and blueprints to the board at its Dec. 6, 2023, meeting, according to minutes obtained via a records request Those minutes have not been posted on the hospital’s website.

Along with its bill for architectural services for the hospital, Chauvin’s lawsuit seeks interest bringing the total it says the hospital owes to $870,978. The Prevost hospital board disputes that it owes the Chauvin that much money

meeting that Baton Rouge has “kicked the can down the road” for too long.

“It’s time for the for the leadership of the city-parish to reorient the priorities,” Davis said. He also said “plenty of time” remains for the library, Metro Council and Mayor’s Office to find an agreement.

“The sky is not falling,” Davis said.

But library leadership disagrees, as it is virtually too late for the system’s millage to return before Metro Council in time to be approved for voters’ ballots in October and the clock is winding down for November’s election.

“We want to get on the November ballot,” Temple said. “We know that the citizens they’re gonna vote for our dedicated tax as long as it’s there. We’re confident in the community.”

Email Patrick Sloan-Turner at patrick.sloan-turner@ theadvocate.com.

“Proper disposal of oily rags and other combustible substances is crucial in preventing fires caused by spontaneous combustion,” the department said.

One booked on suspicion of DWI

One person was booked into the East Baton Rouge Parish Prison between noon Tuesday and noon Wednesday on suspicion of driving while intoxicated.

Those booked and the counts against them:

n Breanna Sonait, 20, of New Orleans, was booked on a count each of operating a vehicle while intoxicated, first offense; driving without carrying a license; and careless operation of a vehicle.

HOUSING

Continued from page 1B

and rising insurance and interest rates brought on by COVID-19 delayed the completion of the Cypress River Lofts phase of the project, he said.

“It was absolutely a lot,” Daniels Jr said. “(We’re) truly just celebrating the completion.” Amenities include stainless steel appliances, granite countertops, finished concrete floors and in-unit washer and dryer The complex began preleasing three months ago and is currently 100% leased, Daniels Jr said.

Email Haley Miller at haley miller@theadvocate.com.

LOTTERY

TUESDAY, FEB 18, 2025

PICK 3: 6-7-5

PICK 4: 1-9-4-6

PICK 5: 5-1-0-8-2

MEGA MILLIONS: 1-20-25-58-61

MEGA BALL: 22

MEGAPLIER: 2

Unofficial notification, keep your tickets

CRIME BLOTTER staff reports

Betty Harvey Bagent passed away on Monday, February 17, 2025. She was born in St. Francisville, LA, on July 6, 1941, and wasa resident of Baton Rouge LA. Betty is survived by her beloved husband of 62 years, Jack Louis Bagent, two daughters, Sherri Bagent Casey (Richard) and Michelle Bagent Coleman (Hugh), and one son, Michael Brian Bagent (Shannon). She is also survived by nine grandchildren: Rachel Eastman (Luccas), Austin Casey, Eleanor Casey, Jennifer Casey, Sean Bagent (Kalie), Ian Bagent (Sarah), Erin Bagent, Taylor Coleman and Hope Coleman; four great-grandchildren: Declan Bagent, Chester Bagent, Jack Eastman, and AvaBagent; and one sister, Virginia Pearl Harvey Gross. Betty was agraduate of LSU with adegree in education, and she taught at Redemptorist High School. She was preceded in death by her parents, Fletcher Ford Harvey and Lillian Leota Richardson Harvey; asister, Mary Lillian Harvey Gross; and her grandson, Andrew Bagent. Visitation will be on Friday, February 21, 2025, from 911 am with religious service to follow at 11 am at Rabenhorst Funeral Home, 825 Government St, Baton Rouge. Services will be conducted by Jeff Day and Betsy Irvine. Burial willimmediately follow at Star Hill Cemetery in St. Francisville. Pallbearers willbe Brian Bagent, Rick Casey, Hugh Coleman, Sean Bagent, Ian Bagent and Austin Casey.

Brown, Mary Lee

Mary L. Brown, entered into eternal rest on February 13, 2025. Alongtime resident of Baton Rouge LA, Mary lived alife filled with grace and kindness. She dedicated 34 years of service to the EBRP School System. Mary was an avid cook,gardener and crafter. She loved to travel and had akeen eye for fashion. Acelebration of her life will be held on Friday, February 21, 2025, at 10:00 AM at Rock Zion Baptist Church, 3996 Billoups Street, Baton Rouge, LA 70802, with aviewing beginning at 9:00 AM.She will be laid to rest at Roselawn Memorial Park.

Foster, Robert Gray

Robert Gray Foster, of Hammond, Louisiana passed away on Sunday, February 9, 2025, at the age of 81. He was born on Sat‐urday, November 13, 1943 in New Orleans, Louisiana, the son of the late Thomas Rigby Foster Jr and the Etta Mae Gray Foster. Robert was a loving hus‐band, father, grandfather, great-grandfather and brother. He graduated from Hammond High School in 1961 and proudly

February 9, 2025, at the age of 81. He was born on Sat‐urday, November 13, 1943, in New Orleans, Louisiana the son of the late Thomas Rigby Foster Jr and the Etta Mae Gray Foster Robert was a loving hus‐band, father grandfather great-grandfather and brother He graduated from Hammond High School in 1961 and proudly served in the U.S Air Force from 1962 to 1966. He worked for IBM for 32 years until his retirement in 2000 In his retirement, Robert was involved in countless hobbies and activities in the community He was a member of the Masonic Lodge No. 160 for over 50 years held a black belt in Karate and was also an in‐structor and was an avid traveler and RV'ed with his wife all over the country for over 12 years. Robert was also a hunter, pilot, golfer, whittler and auc‐tioneer He was adventur‐ous loved the outdoors and was talented in so many areas. Robert touched many lives and he will be missed by all who knew him. Robert is sur‐vived by his wife of 19 years, Kathy Kolp Foster; brother, Mayson Foster (Connie); children, Tammy Foster Breiding (Peter), Shelly Foster Graves (Jimmy), Nicole "Nikki" Rinker, and George "Chip Rinker (Jessica Linton); grandchildren Tara Unruh (Cody), Matthew Breiding (Kayla Adams) Kaycee Sells (John Littleton), Allyssa "Ally" Beatty, Kait‐lyn Bunch (Kenneth), and Macy Rinker; great grand‐sons, Cooper and Carter Unruh; and numerous nieces and nephews. In ad‐dition to his parents, Robert was preceded in death by his brother, Thomas Rigby Foster, III, and sister, Carolyn Foster Lemings. Family and friends will be received at Harry McKneely & Son Fu‐neral Home, 2000 N. Morri‐son Blvd., Hammond, Louisiana 70401 on Friday February 21, 2025 from 10:00 am until 2:00 pm. A Funeral Service with Ma‐sonic and Military Honors will be held at 2:00 pm, with Bro. Carlin Sanders of‐ficiating In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made in Robert's memory to your favorite veterans assistance organization or the Livingston Masonic Lodge No. 160, 153 S. Cy‐press St., Hammond, LA 70403. Arrangements have been entrusted to Harry McKneely & Son Funeral Home and Crematory of Hammond and Poncha‐toula An on-line guest book is available at www harrymckneely com.

Gills Jr., Charles Jules 'Bubbie'

Come to Me all you who are wearyand heavy burdened and Iwill give you rest... MatthewII CharlesJules "Bubbie" Gills, Jr. was the eldest son of Mattie Sue Meyer and CharlesJules Gills, Sr. He was born on April 1, 1947, in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, where he lived until his passing on February 11, 2025, at the age of 77. Bubbie was amultifacetedindividual, accomplished in various fields, including horsemanship, leather craftsmanship, big rig driving, and mastermechanics (gas and diesel). He was also askilledcarpenter. Well-versed in history, he read the entire worldencyclopedia at an early age and could engage in meaningful conversations on a wide range of topics. Bubbie was truly awealth of knowledge and traveled extensively around the world. An animal lover and atrue outdoorsman, Bubbie enjoyedriding hismotorcycle and fishing. AFuneral Mass of Christian burial will be heldatSt. Francis XavierCatholic Church, located at 1143 S. 11th Street, on Saturday, February22, 2025, at 8:00 AM, celebrated by Father Henry Ihuoma. He is survived by his stepdaughter, Ashley Crosby; hisgrandchildren, Liam, Katie and Lucy Tarver; four sisters: Peggy (Robert) Porche of Stockton, NJ; Linda Gills Beshears; Debra (Curtis) Johnson of Austin, TX; and Mona (Damian) Collinsof Erwinville,LA. He is also survivedbyhis brother, Terry (Marie) Gills,Sr., as well as ahost of nieces, nephews, and greats. Bubbie was predeceasedby his loving parents, asister, Beverly Gills Rice,and a brother-in-law, EricPaul Beshears. Throughout his lifetime, Bubbie meant different things to different people, and we were all blessed to have experienceda piece of him. The family would like to extend their heartfelt thanks to his neighbor Ruby and Bubbie's angel without wings, Louis "Pie"Dilworth, for their unwaver-

enced apiece of him. The family would like to extend their heartfelt thanks to his neighbor Ruby and Bubbie's angel without wings, Louis "Pie" Dilworth, for their unwavering friendship. In lieuof flowers, please consider donating in Bubbie's name to St.Francis Xavier Catholic Church.

Clarence 'Nacky Billy'

Entered intoeternal rest on February 3, 2025 at the age of 78. Survived by his wife, BenitaGray; son, Corey; daughters, Courtney, Carmen(deceased), Christian, Toi; sister, Brenda Gray; brother, Maxie Gray; 7grandchildren. Preceded in deathbyhis parents, Wilbert and Elva Gray. Visitation Thursday, February 20, 2025, Hall's Celebration Center, 9348 Scenic Highway, Baton Rouge, LA., 4:00 pm to 6:00 pm. Visitation continues, Friday, February 21, 2025, Living Faith Christian Center, 6375 Winbourne Avenue, Baton Rouge, LA 9:00 am until religious service at 11:00 am. Bishop Raymond Johnson. Interment Mount Pilgrim Baptist Church Cemetery, Maringouin, LA.Funeral Service Entrusted to Hall Davis and Son. www.halldavisandson.com

Gary Joseph Guidry, a beloved husband, father, grandfather, great-grandfather, and brother, passed away on February 11, 2025, at the age of 74 at his home in Denham Springs, Louisiana, surrounded by his family. Born in Raceland, Louisiana in 1951, Gary's life was an inspiring story of devotionand love. He leaves behind alegacy of cherished memories and enduring love. Gary was immensely proudofhis 50year career as aMaster Captain and Pilot on towboats navigating the MightyMississippi River and inland waterways. He retired from Golding Barge Lines in 2017 butcontinued 'tripping' for several years because theriver was in his blood,and it frequently called him back. He was equally proud of his family and loved spending time with them. Many evenings, you could hear laughter and stories emanating from the Guidry household over games of Bourré or poker. An avid LSUfan, he loved hosting game days and was renowned forhis beloved Paw-Paw's gumbo.His Cajun stories and adventures from his early childhood and life growing up on Bayou Lafourche in Lockport, Louisiana never got old. Gary is survived by his devoted wife of 36 years, Jean Kennison Guidry. His memory will forever be cherished by his two daughters, Dana Schiele (and husband Max), Lana LeBlanc (and husband Ron); and son, Neil Hoover (and wife Paula). Garywas aproud grandfather to seven grandchildren, Alan Schiele (and wife Delcie), Brennan LeBlanc (and wife Kristine), Blake LeBlanc (and wife Chloe), Bryce LeBlanc (engaged to Jordan), Sadie Hoover, Lacie Hoover, and Mollie Hoover. He was also adored by his two great-grandchildren, Jude and Nash Schiele. The family is looking forward to celebrating Brennan and Kristine's new additionin May and the upcoming wedding of Bryce and Jordan in October 2025. Gary is also survived by his loving siblings, who played a significant role in his life, two brothers, Ed Guidry (and partner Gail), and Tommy Guidry (and wife Mel); and his sister Donna St. Pierre. He was preceded in deathbyhis parents, Edward and Doris Guidry; and brother,AlanGuidry. Gary's legacy of love, laughter, and dedicationto both his family and his career will be fondly remembered by allwho knew him. Visitation will be held at Resthaven Funeral Home (11817 Jefferson Hwy, Baton Rouge, LA 70816) on Saturday, February 22nd,

reer will be fondly remembered by allwho knew him.

Visitation will be held at Resthaven Funeral Home (11817 Jefferson Hwy, Baton Rouge, LA 70816) on Saturday, February 22nd, at 9:30 AM, followed by a Celebration of Life at 10:30 AM. In lieuofflowers, donations can be madeto Heart of Hospice (10528 Kentshire Ct., Baton Rouge, LA 70810) or to acharitable organization of your choice.

Bonnie Stokeld Marshall born in Glenmora, LA on February 28, 1936, passed away February 17, 2025 She is amember of Zoar Baptist Church in Baton Rouge. She is survived by her children, Mitchell Marshall (Paige) and Stephanie Mayberry (CW). Grandchildren Jeffery Brice, Micah Brice, Ben Brice, Patricia Cotton (Justin), John Marshall Jr., Francesca Marshall and Mason Marshall and great grandsons Silas and Hudson. Also survived by siblings Jack Stokeld,Jerry Stokeld,three nieces, three great nieces, and two great great nieces and a great great nephew. Preceded in death by, husband John J. Marshall, sister Jeannine Smith, in-laws Odell Smith, Betty Stokeld, and June Stokeld, niece Dianne Davis, nephew Marc Stokeld and parentsThelma and C.R. (Jack) Stokeld. Pallbearers are Owen Crowder, Jeffery Brice, Travis Berryman, Justin Cotton, John Marshall Jr. and Jeff Smith. Honorary pallbearer JB Crowder. A graveside service will be held on Friday, February 21, 2025 at 12:00PM at Roselawn Cemetery in Glenmora, LA.

Mary P "Dear" Mattire entered eternal rest at The Crossing at Clarity Hospice on Friday, February 7, 2025 She was a 94-year-old na‐tive of Woodville, Missis‐sippi and a resident of Baton Rouge Louisiana Visitation at Mount Pilgrim Baptist Church on Satur‐day February 22, 2025, at 8:00 am until Celebration of Life Service at 9:30 am con‐ducted by Rev Floyd Matthews, interment at Southern Memorial Gar‐dens. Survivors include her children, Vallery Mattire, Dunwoody, Georgia, Gilbert F Mattire (Gail), Baton Rouge and Rev Phyllis Mattire Perry Atlanta Georgia; grandchildren, Christopher "Chris" Mat‐tire, Houston, Texas; Dr Demesha Perry Atlanta Georgia; Ashley Mattire Jefferson (Joshua), Arling‐ton, Virginia; and Johnathan Mattire, Baton Rouge; daughter-in-law, Drehr Mattire, Houston; sister Charity Steptoe Springfield, Maryland; pre‐ceded in death by her hus‐band, John Mattire, Sr ; son John Mattire Jr.; par‐ents. and six siblings Arrangements entrusted to Miller & Daughter Mortu‐ary

Petite, Althea K.

Althea K. Petite, 88, anative and lifelong resident of Gonzales, LA, passed away on Tuesday, February 18, 2025. Althea was a dedicated employee at Eatel and aproud graduate of Gonzales High School and Spencer Draughon College. She was an avid LSU Sports fan, enjoyed playing cards, visiting the casino, listening to music,and sharing her infectious sense of humor with friends and family. Althea loved cooking, indulgingin sweets, and cherishing the time spentwith herloved ones. Shewas preceded in death by her parents, Clifton and Thelma Petite; brothers Ronnie and Roy Petite; and brothers-in-law Robert "Bob" Martinez and Glen Villermerette; and sister in law, Billie Petit. She is survived by her children, Anthony Blake (Dona) Bourque, Alvin Bradley (Sharon)Bourque, Lance Michael (Wendy) Bourque, and Jason Paul Bourque; her grandchildren,Charlie (Kasey) Ducote, Sydney (Don) Disotell, Taylor (Matt) Naylor, Shelby (Chris) Warren, Connor Bourque, Jacqueline(Reid) Sheets, and Emily Bourque; and 7great-grandchildren She is also survived by her sisters, Betty Villermerette, Beverly Courtney, Glenda Murphy, and Debbie Harris; and her brother, John Petit. Visitation will be held at Ourso Funeral Home in Gonzales on Friday, February 21, 2025, from 5:00 PM to 8:00 PM. Visitation will resume at St. Theresa Catholic Church in Gonzales on Saturday, February 22, 2025, at 9:00 AM until the Mass of Christian Burial at 11:00 AM. Committal service will follow at Hope Haven Cemetery in Gonzales. Pallbearers honored to serve are Connor Bourque, Matt Naylor, Brad Bourque, Don Disotell, Chris Warren, and Reid Sheets.

An only child, TJ. Reid was preceded in death by a loving, devoted mother, Mattie Lea Beatty and her late father, Martin Gold‐stein of New York City. She is survived by her husband of years, Larry Reid of Amite, a son, Billy and Jeanne Reid of Florence AL, and a daughter, Laura Lea Reid and Marcello Benetti of Hammond and Italy. Her later life was cen‐tered on five precious grandchildren - Mattie Reid, Lilith Reid Abigail Reed, (husband, Nate Reed), Walton Reid, and Rocco Benetti In the last years of her life she dis‐covered her half-sister Ja‐clyn Goldstein Gantz of Weston, Florida. Tommy Jean Reid was an awardwinning author and re‐tailer, who was also a speaker a consultant and a QVC television personal‐ity She owned TJ.'s. for Her in Amite for over 20 years and was editor owner and publisher of FASHION ADVANTAGE mag‐azine for 28 years, retiring in 2017. She influenced thousands of retailers throughout her career A much-honored civic leader for decades, she was

Lois

"I have foughtthe good fight, Ihave finished the race, Ihave kept the faith. Now there is in store for me, the crown of righteousness, which theLord, the righteousJudge, will reward me on the day and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing." Lois Besson Romero, aloving wife, mother, grandmother, sister and friend, passed away peacefully at her home surrounded by her family on Wednesday, February 19, 2025, at the age of 96. She wasa resident and native of Plaquemine, LA. Visitation will be held at St. John theEvangelist Catholic Church, PlaquemineonFriday, February 21, 2025, from 8:30am until Mass of Christian Burial at 10am. Entombment will follow at Grace Memorial Park, Plaquemine. Lois is survived by her children, Cindy Michel, and Brian Romero and wife Jan; grandchildren,Travis Michel and wife Kendul, Trent Michel and wife Terri, Brian Romero, Jr., Brennan Romero and wife Rebecca, Baco Romero; ten great grandchildren; brother, Jerry Besson;and numerous nieces and nephews. Preceded in death by her husband of 66 years, Baco Romero; parents, Dewey and Louise Sicard Besson; sister, Mag Davis; identical twin sister, Lilith

and the U.D.C. a member of the Kentwood Garden Club, the Stem and Stamen

Bagent, Betty Harvey

Guidry, Gary Joseph

Romero,

Besson Bourg

Delapasse; brother,

Brother's Keeper and was amember of the Alter Society for many years. She

Mattire, Mary P. 'Dear'

Reid, Tommy Jean 'T.J.'

Significant public concern should attend the news that state regulators are allowing Mosaic Fertilizer in St. James Parish to expand its already-massive mound of slightly radioactive gypsum near marshes, neighborhoods and the Mississippi River The huge gypsum pile for now seems well designed and maintained. But this is Louisiana, where hurricanes rage, the water table is high and soils tend to be soft. The dangers of a leach or breach are obvious.

At some point, the dangers of processing the phosphate rock, from which phosphogypsum is a byproduct, will vastly outweigh the benefits Better an industrial plant shutdown and the loss of hundreds of jobs than a colossal release of contaminated material — radioactive and dangerously acidic that could harm the health of hundreds of thousands while killing plants and wildlife.

The point at which that stark choice presents itself hasn’t been reached yet, but public vigilance and regulatory aggressiveness are essential.

Mosaic’s plant crushes phosphate rock to make a fertilizer that substantially improves agricultural output nationwide. But for every pound of usable product, it leaves five pounds of waste.

The question of how to handle gypsum waste lends itself to no answers that are either easy or good.

After years of back-and-forth, the Environmental Protection Agency in 2020 approved gypsum’s use in road-construction projects, deciding that it “will be at least as protective of human health, in the short-and long-term, as stacking.”

The EPA under the Biden administration, however, quickly rescinded the approval, as environmentalists fear that roadway wear-and-tear or natural disasters could lead to radioactive materials escaping into groundwater

Meanwhile, the pile in St. James Parish kept growing. Even though it had begun shifting in 2018 due to a weak zone in the underlying soils supporting it, the pile right now is about 200 feet high — already 40 feet taller than Louisiana’s Avery Island, the highest natural spot on the Gulf Coast — and is projected to cover a whopping 1,300 acres with hundreds of millions of cubic yards of waste.

The latest approval would allow a new pile 160 feet high that also would serve as a buttress to stabilize the existing pile. Mosaic eventually wants that existing pile to reach as high as 310 feet.

The company, to its credit, continues to try to find other uses for the product Although the EPA continues to ban gypsum’s widespread use on public roads, it is allowing Mosaic to test it on a “small-scale road pilot project on private land in Florida.” Still, that’s a long way from an imminent solution.

State officials should not allow the pile to grow indefinitely Frequent inspections should continue and unless redoubled efforts are successful in finding other safe uses, the state should give Mosaic some sort of “stop-piling” deadline, even if it means the facility eventually would need to shutter

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR ARE WELCOME. HERE ARE OUR GUIDELINES: Letters are published identifying name, occupation and/or title and the writer’s city of residence The Advocate | The Times-Picayune require a street address and phone number for verification purposes, but that information is not published. Letters are not to exceed 300 words. Letters to the Editor,The Advocate, P.O Box 588, Baton Rouge, LA 70821-0588, or email letters@ theadvocate.com.

I am deeply concerned about our current political climate and the vitriol and division being sown not only at a national level, but also a state level. As a population, we have been goaded into a culture war that benefits only would-be oligarchs and their sycophants. Because we have been adequately distracted by tearing each other down, we have not noticed these same would-be oligarchs blatantly encroaching on our freedoms. Since the Trump administration took office, scores of executive orders have been put into place. These are largely, as predicted, designed to deepen divisions in our country and further marginalize people who have traditionally already been marginalized. There is no place in public policy for anti-woman, anti-gay/trans, anti-minority or anti-diversity law Aside from further suppressing these populations, President Donald Trump has also taken steps to block access to important public health information. As a practicing physician, CDC

guidelines play an important role in my practice, but these were quietly removed from the CDC website in the middle of the night. The American people work hard every day to provide for their families and support their communities. It is the responsibility of our elected officials to ensure we are provided with the freedoms and rights enshrined in our Constitution. An intelligent person can see that the current Trump administration is attempting to strip the rights of all Americans, one group at a time, and to turn our country into a personal piggy bank. An empathetic person must also see that the confusion, hate, disinformation and divisive tactics being used are damaging to the population. I implore every person in a position of power to stand up to the Trump administration and keep in mind the citizens of this country History and the world are watching.

JO BARRIOS Baton Rouge

I have enjoyed driving a BMW i3 electric vehicle for more than six years. My “range anxiety” quickly disappeared, and I have never had a problem. We usually run the AC. The heated seats and heater rarely During the “Bayou Blizzard,” power did not diminish.

TO SEND US A LETTER, SCAN HERE

Jimmy Carter was an exemplar

Years ago, I lived in Atlanta and suffered through many years of horrible Braves baseball. Finally, the Braves turned a corner and began to make the World Series. I was lucky enough to attend several Series games over the years. Outside Fulton County Stadium, there were many fan interactive exhibits. While enjoying the atmosphere, I saw President Jimmy Carter walking by. I yelled, “President Carter,” and

So the archbishop has fired the leaders of Second Harvest Food Bank allegedly for not contributing $16 million toward settling clergy sex abuse claims. Wow, are you kidding me? I find it absolutely abhorrent that the archdiocese has the audacity to do this against the food bank that is one of the best charities anywhere.

of civility

raised my hand and walked toward him. He stopped, saw me and took a step forward. As I approached and extended my hand, he extended his. After introducing myself, we talked for three or four minutes. As we parted company he smiled and said, “Nice meeting you,” and waved goodbye. His simple civility gave me wonderful lifelong memories.

TOM LEWIS Baton Rouge

The act of firing these individuals is disgusting and disrespectful to the fine people on this nonprofit board — as if the archdiocese needs more negative press. This decision should be reversed, and they should be reinstated. Second Harvest does great work.

MIKE AVOCATO Lacombe

My electric “fuel” costs around $.022 per mile. To compare: For an internal combustion engine vehicle getting 30 miles per gallon with gas at $3 per gallon, it costs 10 cents per mile. Other than buying new tires, my other costs are minimal. No oil or transmission fluid. We chose to install a convenient level 2 home charger which cost $700 six years ago. Many cost less now The only time we evacuated for a hurricane, every gas station we passed was out of gas for our internal combustion SUV Nothing is perfect. Each year I am glad to contribute $110 for the state of Louisiana road tax which I pay with my state income tax returns. With oil companies everincreasing record profits, maybe the oil companies should pay for our roads instead of charging consumers a gas tax of $0.2093 per gallon. In 2018, the 2017 BMW i3 cost $29,400 ($31,000 with tax title, license and after the generous tax credits available in 2018). In 2024, Carvana paid $15,500 to buy the 2017 i3. We bought a 2021 i3 for $24,750, with no tax credits. EVs are not for everyone, but my EV may be the most fun vehicle I have experienced over a lifetime as a car lover, starting with muscle cars of the ‘60s. It is unquestionably the most economical Although we were not eligible for vehicle credits in 2024, many buyers are. Check the site rewiringamerica.org to determine available federal tax credits, as they may disappear soon.

JAN DAVIS

Metairie

Solving the property insurance crisis by creating self-insurance groups is perfect if well done. To say it’s a new idea is not true. Thirty years ago, the majority of school districts in Louisiana were pooled under an entity called NASBAT, the National Association School Business Administrators Trust. I was its regional insurance managing agent for Louisiana and Texas.

SAM GALLO Baton Rouge

ON THE RECORD WITH STATE SUPERINTENDENT OF EDUCATION CADE BRUMLEy

‘Every kid deserves an education that fits for them’

Louisiana Superintendent of Education Cade Brumley has seen a lot of things in his four-plus years in office: two governors, a pandemic, several hurricanes and storms, a blitz in school-related reforms and the recent rise in national rankings for Louisiana’s schools.

Columnist Faimon Roberts and Deputy

Editor Arnessa Garrett sat down to talk to him about everything facing education today This conversation has been edited for length and clarity

Faimon Roberts: Let’s start with the good news. The Nation’s Report Card shows Louisiana made major gains, at least in terms of our ranking compared to other states. What factor is most responsible for these gains?

Cade Brumley: My first acknowledgment goes to the hardworking teachers of the state of Louisiana. I think it’s important to recognize them. And beyond that, I would say that we have endeavored to narrow the scope of what an elementary school is supposed to do and focus on teaching children to read and do math, and we’ve built a suite of policies that do just that. Roberts: What is outside that scope?

Brumley: To me, a school is ordained to teach academic content. It’s not established to be the parent or the nurse or the social worker And so, if we can focus on academic content, teaching kids to read and do math, love and appreciate their country in elementary schools, I think that sets them up for K-12 success.

Arnessa Garrett: Why do you think the math scores have not budged as much as reading?

Brumley: Across the country, from fourth to eighth grade, student outcomes decline in math So the longer the child is in school, the lower the outcomes across the entire country And we’re not immune to that Louisiana. We’re going to be the first state to flip that. And so, we’ve begun a process of mirroring math policy in the same way that we did reading policy

Teacher pay

Garrett: The other good news we have had is on hiring and retention of teachers. That has long been a problem in our state. Again, what moved the needle in that?

Brumley: Outside of the parent, there’s nothing more important to a child’s academic success than a teacher So we have tried to increase the supply of teachers, both through new and innovative pathways to the profession, but also our “Let Teachers Teach” work that is reducing trainings, removing onerous bureaucracy, focusing on eliminating classroom disruptions so that more teachers are willing to stay in the profession, and that’s what we’re seeing.

Roberts: Would you be supportive of more and more permanent increases in teacher pay?

Brumley: I am a champion of higher teacher pay I have consistently advocated for higher teacher pay, and I think that you have to lift the base pay for every teacher but also provide opportunities for merit pay, additional pay for hard-to-staff areas like high school science, math, K-12 special education and additional compensation for teachers that are teaching in communities that are more difficult to staff. Roberts: So let’s talk for a minute

about school performance scores, which this year, broadly, were up across the board. But tougher standards are coming. Why do we need the tougher standards?

Brumley: I think the present system has grown stale, and a lever we have as state government is an accountability system. An accountability system should be designed to be honest with the public about school quality, and it should also incentivize the activities that the state believes are important within a public school.

Roberts: What role do you think career and technical education needs to play in Louisiana public education?

Brumley: The previous system basically rewarded enormous amounts of points for simply walking across the stage. What we’re asking in terms of this is true career and technical education, where students are graduating with a credential of value. If you pull the most commonly earned credentials in the state of Louisiana over the last decade, they are low-level credentials: ‘Congratulations, you’re going into a job and a life of poverty.’ That’s what we’re trying to change. And so, our expectation is that if a school wants to show up well, students have to have college preparation, career preparation, high-value career preparation or a designation of going into the service.

I think Louisiana is uniquely positioned to meet the moment and meet the opportunity and obligation of transforming the high school experience. And that’s where I get pushback. I am demanding a re-imagined high school experience where students are truly ready for college or ready for a high-wage career, as opposed to just walking students across the stage with a diploma. I want them to walk across the stage with a diploma that has value.

School choice

Garrett: So let’s talk about education savings accounts. On March 1, parents can start applying. What are you expecting the demand will be? A lot of public school systems are very nervous.

Brumley: One either believes in educational freedom or they don’t. And I do. And I’ve been pretty clear on this for a long time, that while the overwhelming majority

of families select their neighborhood school, and that’s good, we need to have other options, like high-quality public charters. We need to protect the independence from government of home schoolers and their families.

Roberts: What do you expect the impact of the ESAs to be on the districts themselves?

Brumley: I think that competition will lift all the boats, and I think that responsive systems will use this as an opportunity to keep getting better, and a satisfied parent is not going to leave their school.

Garrett: But overall enrollment in the public schools in the state is down. So what do you attribute that to?

Brumley: First of all, Louisiana is the only state in the South that has seen population loss over the last decade. There is a Southern renaissance taking place of which Louisiana has previously not been a part. Over a 10-year period, the loss of students in the public system is around 5%. The loss of students in the private system is about 11%, so what that suggests to me is, while schools have to get better, it’s an economic issue. Families are leaving the state, or because the job market isn’t strong enough, families are no longer able to participate in private education. So it’s important that economic policies improve, that insurance rates go down, that health care is more accessible. And if we want Louisiana to experience that renaissance, these issues across all these sectors have to improve.

Roberts: Earlier this year, your name was floated in some publications as a potential nominee for federal secretary of education. What do you think the role of the federal government in education should be?

Brumley: I’ve always said education is best as a local enterprise, and count me in the number that believes the Department of Education should not exist. But at the same time, if that is true, states have to lead. States have to ensure that children get a highquality education.

Garrett: Another group of students that have specific concerns are students with special needs. And as you know, the Legislative Auditor criticized the way the state oversees those programs. What changes are you making? What can you tell those parents?

Brumley: So many of the special education policies had not been updated in 20 years, and we commissioned independent reviews of this. We worked with the Legislative Auditor, and we’ve made a number of shifts so that families are able to access support in a meaningful way For instance, we placed the state’s first-ever special education ombudsman where a family can call and get support. I’ve gone in and placed a special master in the EBR school system because of concerning activities, patterns of activities related to special education. If you look at the Nation’s Report Card, special education students in Louisiana outperformed the national average. So I think a combination of working with other agencies and families and educators has prompted the improvements, and I think it’s important, because every kid deserves an education that fits for them.

Roberts: The Ten Commandments bill has been much in the news, obviously What effect, if any, do you think the law is going to have on districts, on teachers and on students?

Brumley: So the Legislature overwhelmingly passed this bill, and I was present when the governor enthusiastically signed this bill. I agree with the governor and the attorney general that the Ten Commandments have played a role in the development of the country I agree that they’re good laws to live by, and we’ll see how it plays out in the court system, but we feel confident in our position.

Pandemic decisions

Roberts: You took this job when the pandemic was still very much an [ongoing concern]. What special challenges did you have then, and how did those effects linger in your job now?

Brumley: We’ve had the opportunity to lead through an unprecedented time in American history We faced a global pandemic, multiple catastrophic hurricanes, ice storms, social unrest, terrorism, and I believe that through all of those moments, my agency has been there for educators, families and students, and there certainly was not a playbook for leading through a global pandemic. I pushed to keep schools open. I pushed to end the unnecessary quarantine of children. I pushed

for vaccines to be voluntary based on the desires of a parent, and we pushed for academic outcomes to improve through that process. And I think that history will tell us that the decisions made in Louisiana relative to education through the pandemic were the right ones.

Political climate

Garrett: So you’ve worked through a number of different administrations in this job. Tell us what’s changed since we’ve gotten a new governor

Brumley: I’m really excited about this moment that we have, because you have a situation where you have a governor, a state Legislature, a state board of education and Louisiana Department of Education that are all aligned on what we’re trying to accomplish. And this year has been the first year that we’ve had that. That was not the case for the previous term. You had a Democrat governor, you had a Republican-controlled Legislature and you had a BESE split along party lines, and that fractured government made for complex navigation, whereas today you have a unique moment of alignment between multiple branches of government.

Garrett: So there’s no one stat that you are looking to move?

Brumley: We have to continue to expand freedom for families. I want more options for families. I want greater proficiency rates in academic content. I want higher graduation rates with diplomas of value, and I want the education system to be a catalyst for economic revival in the state of Louisiana.

Roberts: How do you take that increased freedom into [rural] parishes?

Brumley: I believe in the market. And I believe that the market will meet the demand. I don’t sit in an ivory tower and do this job. I’m a product of rural education. I led a rural system, but also led the largest, most urban school system in the state of Louisiana. So when I have conversations with individuals I can relate to what those challenges are. Heck, I can go drive the school bus, so I understand the system. Garrett: You can really drive a school bus?

Brumley: I can parallel park a school bus. I should take all the kids to school.

STAFF PHOTO By HILARy SCHEINUK

Louisiana Superintendent of Education Cade Brumley at the department’s headquarters in Baton Rouge.

Arnessa Garrett Faimon Roberts

continued from

"I have fought the good fight, Ihave finished the race, Ihave kept the faith. Now there is in store for me, the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will reward me on the day and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing." Lois Besson Romero, aloving wife, mother, grandmother, sister and friend, passed away peacefully at her home surrounded by her family on Wednesday February 19, 2025, at the age of 96. She was aresident and native of Plaquemine, LA. Visitation will be held at St. John the Evangelist CatholicChurch, Plaquemine on Friday, February 21, 2025, from 8:30am until Mass of Christian Burialat10am. Entombment willfollow at Grace Memorial Park, Plaquemine. Lois is survived by her children, Cindy Michel, and Brian Romero and wife Jan; grandchildren, Travis Michel and wife Kendul, Trent Michel and wife Terri, Brian Romero, Jr., Brennan Romero and wife Rebecca, Baco Romero; ten great grandchildren; brother, Jerry Besson; and numerous nieces and nephews. Preceded in death by her husband of 66 years, Baco Romero; parents, Dewey and Louise Sicard Besson; sister, Mag Davis; identical twin sister, Lilith Delapasse; brother, Dewey Besson, Jr.; and son -in-law, Lonnie Michel. Pallbearers will be Travis and Trent Michel, Brian, Jr., Brennan, Baco, and Brian, III "Trip" Romero. Lois' heart was in her home, she loved cooking for her family, especiallySunday dinners. She was atalented seamstress and made her high school graduation dress in 1946 and later made apageant dress for her daughter Cindy from that same dress. Dancing was afavorite pass timeof hers and her husband Baco learned to dance specifically for her. She was a faithful and lifetime member of St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church and ran the gift shop there. Lois volunteered at Our Brother's Keeper and was amember of the Alter Society for many years. She enjoyed having afternoon coffee with her lifelong best friend and neighbor Beverly Allain. In June of 1947 Lois and her twin sister Lilith had adouble wedding ceremony in St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church. Special thanks to athoughtful friend Jackie Dugas for always being there for her, JoAnn Tullier for bringing her communion, sweet and kind neighbor Addie for the sweet treats, her niece Lil Hulinghurstfor the Friday lunches and Comfort Care Hospice especially Jamie Denoux

Jr., Isaac Isaac Smith Jr. an Army veteran, retired service technician, native and resi‐dent of Donaldsonville, passed away on Wednes‐day, February 12, 2025, in Snellville Ga He was 74 Visiting 4-6 pm, Thursday, February 20, 2025 at Demby & Son Funeral Home, and Friday, February 21, 2025, 10 a.m. at Mt. Zion Baptist Church, 808 St Patrick St.,

Isaac Smith Jr. an Army veteran, retired service technician native and resi‐dent of Donaldsonville, passed away on Wednes‐day, February 12, 2025, in Snellville, Ga. He was 74. Visiting 4-6 pm, Thursday, February 20, 2025 at Demby & Son Funeral Home, and Friday, February 21, 2025, 10 a.m. at Mt. Zion Baptist Church, 808 St Patrick St , followed by religious ser‐vices at 11, conducted by Rev Darryl Smith, Jr. Pas‐tor Interment in the Protestant Cemetery Isaac is survived by a son, Ze‐gory A. McGalliard Jr., two daughters Dr Natalie and Nicole Smith, two grand‐sons, Marseyas and Ryan Smith, and two greatgranddaughters Seyani and Se’Nairi Smith. He was preceded in death by his wife Betty Skinner Smith, son Michael Isaac Smith mother Ophelia B Williams, father Isaac Smith Sr. and step grand‐mother Betty Singleton Smith Isaac was a 1968 graduate of Lowery High School Please visit www dembyandson com to sign the guestbook

Stanley, Albert

Albert Stanley was born July 31, 1950, inNew Orleans, Louisiana to Joseph and Odessa Stanley. He received his eternal rest on Tuesday, February 11, 2025. He graduatedfrom Capital Sr. High School in 1969. He was atruck driveruntilretirement from Martin Transport, Inc., transporting chemicals. Albert leaves to cherish hismemory, aloving and devoted wife Darlene M. Stanleyof 52 years, two daughters Shimetia Renea Gardner (Jamar), Dr. Dawn Marie Stanley, two grandsons Ja'Quan DeWayne Gordon and Jamar Tremann Gardner, Jr., one brotherHerbert Stanley, four sisters Rachel Vaughn, Mary Holliday, Peggy Theodore and Nancy Wallace, three sisters-in-law Anitha Zeno (Leo), Judy Stanley and Constance Saizon. Visitation Saturday, February 22, 2025, Mount Carmel Baptist Church, 5262 Prescott Road, BR, LA, 9:00AM until religious service at 11:00AM. FinalArrangements Entrusted to Capital Funeral Home, 3450 North

Albert Stanley was born July 31, 1950, in New Orleans, Louisiana to Joseph and Odessa Stanley. He received his eternal rest on Tuesday, February 11, 2025. He graduated from Capital Sr. High School in 1969. He was atruck driver until retirement from Martin Transport,Inc., transporting chemicals. Albert leaves to cherish his memory, aloving and devoted wife Darlene M. Stanley of 52 years, two daughters Shimetia Renea Gardner (Jamar), Dr. Dawn Marie Stanley, two grandsons Ja'Quan DeWayne Gordon and Jamar Tremann Gardner, Jr., one brother Herbert Stanley, four sisters Rachel Vaughn, Mary Holliday, Peggy Theodore and Nancy Wallace, three sisters-in-law Anitha Zeno (Leo), Judy Stanley and Constance Saizon. Visitation Saturday, February 22, 2025, Mount Carmel Baptist Church, 5262 Prescott Road, BR, LA,9:00AM until religious service at 11:00AM. Final Arrangements Entrusted to Capital Funeral Home, 3450 North Street, BR, LA.Interment Southern Memorial Gardens, 3012 Blount Road, BR, LA.

Richard A. Troullier Sr born August 28, 1935 in Slidell, Louisiana to the late Jane Galatas Dupre and Horace Phillip Troul‐lier, was called home by his Heavenly Father on Thursday morning, Febru‐ary 13, 2025. He was a graduate of Southern Uni‐versity in Baton Rouge, a member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, and retired from Exxon Corp. as well as his alma mater. He is survived by his wife of 60 years Di‐anne Cahn, three sons, Wendell Troullier (Monica) of Warner Robins, GA., Richard Troullier Jr and Kevin Troullier of Baton Rouge, three grandchil‐dren, Haley and Chance Troullier and David Cagney, one great-grandchild Corinne Cagney, a sister, Selma Harrison Peters of Slidell, LA., and a host of other relatives and friends Visiting 9am, Saturday, February 22, 2025 at St Catherine of Sienna Catholic Church, Donald‐sonville until Mass of Christian Burial at 11am Rev Raphael Asika, Cele‐brant Internment in As‐cension of Our Lord Catholic Cemetery, Donald‐sonville. Please visit www dembyandson com.

DEATHS

Smith Jr., Isaac

Stanley, Albert

Romero, Lois Besson Bourg

Troullier Sr., Richard A.

Smith

Williams ‘fantastic’ for LSU despite lack of time

BY TOYLOY BROWN III

Staff writer

Mike Williams was ready to let if fly from anywhere.

The LSU men’s basketball guard showcased his deep range on his first 3-point attempt against South Carolina on Tuesday night. The sophomore jab-stepped his defender who was hit by a ball screen, rose from 28 feet and drained the long-range shot

ä Florida at LSU 5 P.M. SATURDAy SECN

“It’s normal,” Williams said. “That’s me. That’s who I am.”

Williams’ outside shot was one of several aspects that allowed LSU to outplay South Carolina 81-67 at the Pete Maravich Assembly Center The Tigers have won back-toback games after dropping seven consecutive during Southeastern Conference play

LSU (14-12, 3-10 SEC) has risen from ranked 81st to 76th on KenPom as of Tuesday after having its first double-digit win since Dec. 29. Those are the effects of an offense that had a 50% field-goal percentage, 45.2% 3-point percentage and 13 made 3s — all highs in conference play Williams’ play had a lot to do with his team’s success against the Gamecocks (1017, 0-13). He had a season-high 13 points on 4-of-5 shooting and one turnover in 14 minutes. He was the team’s second-leading scorer, and his three 3-pointers were a teamhigh.

This positive showing is a stark contrast to his overall season, where he is scoring 3.3 points on 32.7% from the field and playing 8.1 minutes per game. Nine times he did not enter a game this season when he was active.

ä See WILLIAMS, page 5C

BY REED DARCEY Staff writer

One afternoon in September, Sa’Myah Smith sat on a folding chair, rubbed her surgically repaired knee and encouraged more than two dozen middle-school students to set goals.

A new season was only a few weeks away, but here was the LSU women’s basketball forward visiting a small, dark gym at Glasgow Middle School, only about 10 months into her recovery from suffering an injury that cut a promising sophomore year short Smith had decided to start a mentorship program, and this stop was her first.

“Keep reminding yourself why you’re doing it,” she told the kids.

That advice lifted Smith through the recovery process from the second major knee injury of her career, the

CFP seeding in crosshairs of SEC, Big Ten leaders

BY SCOTT RABALAIS Staff writer

Commissioners from the Southeastern Conference and Big Ten revealed little Wednesday of the agenda they have for the College Football Playoff going forward after meeting in New Orleans, other than they want an end to the automatic byes received by the top four conference champions in this past season’s expanded 12-team playoff. That proposal is expected to be met with opposition by representatives of the eight other conferences and Notre Dame, which with the SEC and Big Ten make up the CFP Management Committee. That group holds its meeting Tuesday in Dallas.

SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey and Big Ten Commissioner Tony Petitti wrapped up talks that began Sunday at the Windsor Court Hotel with their leagues’ athletic directors and football coaches. While both men stopped short of calling the meeting an “alignment” of the two conferences, their

discussions are expected to establish an agenda for how college athletics’ two most powerful conferences want football and other sports to be governed. Neither Sankey nor Petitti was willing to spell out his wishes for how the CFP will be structured in the future beyond their joint support for going to straight seeding for the playoff based on the selection committee’s rankings. “That’s something we owe our colleagues first,” said Sankey, referring to the upcoming meeting in Dallas “I think I’ve been consistent in that observation.”

However, reports widely have circulated that the two leagues support an expansion of the CFP to 14 or 16 teams, with at least four guaranteed bids for both leagues. One popular model reserves only two guaranteed bids for the Big 12 and ACC, one for the highest-ranked Group of Five conference champion and one for Notre Dame,

ä See CFP, page 5C

ACL, MCL and meniscus tears that shelved her for all but seven games of the 2023-24 season. This year — and the role she’s now filling for the No. 7 Tigers served as the light at the end of that long, dark tunnel that divided her from the game.

“That’s my life,” Smith said Wednesday “That’s the thing that I love to do. I do it every single day I work my butt off. Just being away from that, it was hard.”

It’s easy to forget what that injury derailed. Before her true sophomore season ended, Smith had posted two 20-point games, two 10-rebound games and two threeblock games. She had even started three of the seven contests next to Angel Reese and ahead of Aneesah Morrow, who’s now on pace to finish an illustrious career with the third-most rebounds in NCAA Division I history Then Smith had to start over

College

BY ERIC OLSON AP sports writer

The Division I baseball season is less than a week old, and coaches already are planning for 2026 when it’s all but certain scholarship limits will be removed, rosters downsized and players will have opportunities to make more money They expect the fallout to be fewer opportunities for high school recruits at the top level of the sport, especially if the NCAA adopts a proposal that would extend eligibility from four to five years They also predict a greater imbalance in competition. All is contingent on a federal judge approving the settlement of antitrust allegations against the NCAA and the nation’s biggest conferences. A hearing is set for April 7 and changes would go into effect July 1,

See BASEBALL, page 2C

LSU forward Sa’Myah Smith soars to the hoop against Auburn forward Taylen Collins in the fourth quarter of their game on Jan. 5 at the Pete Maravich Assembly Center STAFF FILE PHOTO By MICHAEL JOHNSON

STAFF PHOTO By HILARy SCHEINUK

LSU guard Mike Williams celebrates a 3-pointer against South Carolina on Tuesday at the Pete Maravich Assembly Center

AP FILE PHOTO By SEAN RAyFORD Clemson head coach Erik Bakich watches players from the dugout during a game against South Carolina on March 5 in Columbia, S.C.

NOTEBOOK

Saints make move to improve health

BY MATTHEW PARAS Staff writer

The New Orleans Saints were one of the most injured teams in the NFL last season, and they are making changes to their sports science staff in an attempt to get healthier

The Saints have hired Ted Rath as the team’s director of sports science, a source with knowledge of the situation confirmed Rath’s title previously belonged to Matt Rhea, who had been with the Saints since 2022. Rath joins the Saints after spending four seasons (2020-23) as the director of sports performance for the Philadelphia Eagles. He did not, however, overlap with new Saints coach Kellen Moore, who served as the Eagles offensive coordinator this past season Rath, 41, also has been a strength and conditioning coach with the Detroit Lions, Miami Dolphins and Los Angeles Rams. With the Rams, he was known as Sean McVay‘s “get back” coach, responsible for pulling McVay out of the way when he got too close to the referees or game action In 2019, Rath was found not guilty on three counts of misdemeanor sexual battery after he was arrested on Jan. 15. He was accused of touching a woman inappropriately while she was sleeping in June 2018, according to the Ventura County Star After his acquittal, Rath was reinstated from a leave of absence and was not disciplined by the NFL. Last season, the Saints saw numerous starters and key contributors lost for extended stretches because of injuries. Specifically, soft-tissue injuries such as hamstring and groin issues were a problem.

“Those are the things that you immediately think, well, there’s things you can do to prevent that,” Saints general manager Mickey Loomis said at the end of the season “I think that’s probably the first place we start. Those are things we have to really look at hard and say, ‘Hey, how can we do a better job keeping our guys on the field?’”

BASEBALL

Continued from page 1C

a few days after the baseball season. The framework for baseball would cap rosters at 34 with no scholarship limit for schools that opt in to the revenue-sharing model tied to the House settlement. Currently there’s a 40-man limit during the season and a maximum of 11.7 scholarships that can be spread among up to 32 players. I still think the majority of teams are going to be giving partial scholarships to at least part of their roster,” Nebraska coach Will Bolt said. “Reading the tea leaves, it doesn’t look like anyone is going to come up with 34 fulls.”

Auburn athletic director John Cohen, previously head coach at Mississippi State and Kentucky, doubted the new rules would shake up college baseball’s power structure. Only about half of the more than 300 Division I programs currently award 11.7 scholarships, and many of the ones that do could at least double that number next year Programs that don’t award 11.7 now still might struggle to offer that many going forward. With just a handful of programs generating a profit, financial constraints preclude big scholarship increases at most schools without additional fundraising.

The House settlement also would allow athletic departments to share up to $20.5 million in revenue among athletes across all sports starting next school year Football and men’s basketball

Galiano stays

The Saints are finalizing a deal with Phil Galiano to make him the team’s next special teams coordinator, a source with knowledge of the situation said

The deal would give Galiano a formal promotion, as he has been with the Saints since 2019, working as an assistant special teams coach But with Darren Rizzi leaving to accept a job with the Denver Broncos, New Orleans had a vacancy at the coordinator level. Moore opted to fill the role internally

Galiano is the second known member from last year’s coaching staff to stick around under Moore. New Orleans also has retained wide receivers coach Keith Williams

Last year, Galiano got the opportunity to oversee the Saints’

special teams after Rizzi was promoted to interim head coach. In that eight-game stretch, the unit had several blocked field goals.

Cap jump

For the second straight year, the NFL’s salary cap came in higher than expected.

The league informed teams Wednesday that the salary cap next year is expected to fall between $277.5 million and $281.5 million, a significant jump from last year’s $255.4 million.

The increase is a benefit particularly for a team like the Saints, who were projected to be more than $50 million over the cap and have to become cap compliant by the start of the new league year next month. Previous estimates had next year’s figure around $272 million.

Tennessee coach Tony Vitello, center, hoists

players would be expected to receive the lion’s share. How much is available to baseball players likely would be a fraction of what athletes in revenue-producing sports get and could amount to little or nothing for programs outside the Power Four.

Most players now receive partial scholarships and try to capitalize on opportunities allowing them to make money on their name, image and likeness. According to Opendorse’s 2024 annual report, the top 25-earning baseball players could expect to make just under $48,000 per year, based on deals tracked by the NIL platform from 2021-24. Cohen said that figure seems low

“What I know about NIL currently is there is no accurate way to illustrate who’s doing what,” he said, “so it’s hard to speak intelligently about NIL because what you’re relying on is third-party

information. You hear things and you just aren’t sure what to believe.”

Clemson coach Erik Bakich said he thought the $48,000 figure seemed high. Either way, he said, NIL money is not lucrative for the vast majority of baseball players.

“The majority of NIL in college baseball has been about paying your bills, not play for pay,” Bakich said. “College baseball players are using NIL dollars to pay for cost of attendance I’m for anything that reduces out-ofpocket cost for parents and anything that eliminates the need for any college kid to take out any type of loan debt.”

Coaches said an often-overlooked consequence of roster reductions would be the squeeze it puts on high school prospects, especially at the top end of Division I. Bolt said he had honest and difficult conversations with some of

LSU vs. Nicholls baseball games get rescheduled

LSU baseball’s matchups against Nicholls State have been rescheduled to Monday at Alex Box Stadium and April 8 in Thibodaux, LSU announced Wednesday Monday’s game and the rematch on April 8 are set to begin at 6 p.m.

The Tigers were supposed to face Nicholls on the road Wednesday but the game was moved “due to extremely cold and inclement weather in south Louisiana.” Nicholls’ trip to Alex Box Stadium originally was scheduled for April 8. With that game now being on Monday ticket-holders planning on attending must show their Game 23 tickets to be admitted into the stadium. LSU owns a 4-0 record after sweeping Purdue Fort Wayne on opening weekend and taking down Southern on Tuesday Nicholls is 2-2.

LSU running back Holly’s trial date set in shooting A trial date has been set for LSU running back Trey Holly, a significant development in his case after he was charged in connection with a shooting last year in Union Parish. Holly’s trial will begin July 7 in Farmerville, his attorney Mike Small told The Advocate after a hearing Wednesday He faces one felony count of illegal use of a weapon or dangerous instrumentality Holly and two others were arrested after a shooting took place Feb. 9, 2024, at the Union Villa Apartments in Farmerville. Two people were injured by gunshot wounds. Holly now a redshirt sophomore, has been indefinitely suspended from the team since his arrest in accordance with departmental policies, LSU said.

The NFL’s salary cap has increased by more than $53 million over the last two seasons.

Last year’s spike saw an unprecedented increase of $30 million, which the league said was the result of “full repayment of all amounts advanced by the clubs and deferred by players during the Covid pandemic” and an “extraordinary increase in media revenue.”

The Saints are facing several major decisions this offseason as they look to navigate the cap. Among them, the team has to decide what to do with starting quarterback Derek Carr — whose release would carry a $50 million dead-cap hit but would go a long way toward reshaping their books for 2026.

Staff writer Luke Johnson contributed to this report

his players last fall about where they fit in and whether they should consider transferring, perhaps to a lower division. Bolt typically has carried 45 or 50 players in the fall The NCAA fall roster limit remains fluid but coaches have recommended it be 38 with the cutdown to 34 on Dec. 1.

Bolt said it takes the typical freshman about three semesters to show whether he can be successful in Division I The window of opportunity probably will shrink after this year

“Unless you’re a top-100 (high school) prospect or unless you’re turning down significant money in the draft to go to college and it’s a no-brainer you can play at the Division I level as a freshman the junior college route does become a very desirable option,” Bolt said.

The shortening of the Major League Baseball amateur draft from 40 rounds to 20 beginning in 2021 has kept more players in college longer The transfer portal has allowed teams to fill immediate needs rather than roll the dice with young players. And teams would get older yet if there’s passage of a proposal now under consideration to extend athlete eligibility from four to five competitive seasons.

Oregon State coach Mitch Canham said all those factors mean promising high school players who don’t project to be an immediate starting position player or key member of the pitching staff will be passed over in coming years.

“With a roster of 34, you don’t have room to keep a whole bunch of guys around to develop, which is tough because that’s something we’ve done a lot of,” Canham said.

Eagles promote Patullo to OC to replace Moore PHILADELPHIA The Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles have promoted Kevin Patullo to offensive coordinator following the departure of Kellen Moore, the team announced Wednesday Patullo joined the Eagles’ staff as passing game coordinator in 2021 when coach Nick Sirianni was hired, and he became associate head coach in 2023.

Patullo takes over an offense that was second in the NFL in rushing under Moore, who was hired as the head coach of the New Orleans Saints two days after the Eagles beat Kansas City in the Super Bowl.

Patullo’s first job in the NFL was as an offensive assistant and quality control coach with the Chiefs in 2007.

Williams gets wild-card entry for Indian Wells

INDIAN WELLS, Calif Venus Williams received a wild-card entry Wednesday for the BNP Paribas Open, which would make next month’s tournament in Indian Wells, California, the seven-time Grand Slam singles champion’s first event in nearly a full year

The 44-year-old Williams hasn’t competed anywhere on tour since a first-round loss at the Miami Open on March 19, 2024. That was less than two weeks after she lost her opening match at Indian Wells. Her first appearance at Indian Wells came in 1994. Williams won five titles at Wimbledon and two at the U.S. Open in singles, along with 14 Grand Slam doubles titles with her younger sister, Serena. The BNP Paribas Open runs from March 2-16.

Chargers to play 2025 season opener in Brazil

LOS ANGELES The Los Angeles Chargers will play their 2025 season opener in Brazil, making the franchise the first to play on five continents, the NFL announced Wednesday The Chargers’ opponent is expected to be announced in May, when the NFL’s regularseason schedule is released. The Chargers

ASSOCIATED PRESS FILE PHOTO By REBECCA S GRATZ

STAFF FILE PHOTO By BRETT DUKE

New Orleans Saints safety Tyrann Mathieu, right, fist-bumps assistant special teams coach Phil Galiano during an organized team activity in Metairie on May 21. The Saints have promoted Galiano to special teams coordinator

Central, St. Michael name new volleyball coaches

BY ROBIN FAMBROUGH

Staff writer

One school chose to promote from within and the other looked beyond Baton Rouge. The net result is that Division I Central and Division III St. Michael both hired new volleyball coaches.

Longtime assistant coach Amy Rawlins is the new head coach at Central, while St. Michael hired Vandebilt Catholic’s Latashia Wise-Jackson.

“It was interesting when we told the team because some coaches from other sports were in there,” Rawlins said “(The players) did not understand that those coaches were there to support me.

“Once we got back in the locker room, they were excited. Later, I got texts from some of them telling me they expected it. The goal is that we continue to grow the program and hopefully take things to the next level.”

The 36-year-old Rawlins has been an assistant to Michele

Durant returns to Austin in matchup against the Spurs

BY TIM REYNOLDS AP basketball writer

Kevin Durant went back to the Bay Area last weekend. He’s now going back to school.

A nostalgic time for Phoenix’s All-Star forward continues Thursday, when Durant and the Suns play San Antonio in Austin, Texas — a home game for the Spurs and a homecoming for Durant, since the game brings him back to where he played his one college season with the Longhorns.

“It does mean a lot to me,” Durant said. “I’m excited that we get to go back to play a regularseason game there. Austin is a place where I kind of started this journey, and to have so many friends and family that are still there from, what, 16, 17 years ago is pretty sweet. So, I appreciate the NBA for setting this up. This is a unique time.” Durant’s lone season in Austin was 2006-07, and he was college basketball’s best player that year He averaged 25.8 points and 11.1 rebounds, finishing the season ranked fourth nationally in both of those categories on his way to being selected as player of the year by The Associated Press and a number of other outlets. He declared for the draft after that season, went No. 2 overall to Seattle in 2007 and the accolades keep piling up. Durant is the only men’s player in USA Basketball history to win four Olympic gold medals, he won two championships with Golden State returning to the Bay this past weekend after being selected as an All-Star for the 15th time — and just became the eighth player in NBA history to eclipse the 30,000-point mark.

“I think it’s an awesome opportunity for himself — and for the city of Austin to come out and support one of our great players who is still in the prime of his career right now,” Texas coach Rodney Terry said.

“He’s scored over 30,000 points, he’s one of the alltime scorers at the next level, one of the all-time

scorers at the collegiate level. But to have an opportunity come back where you played collegiately, to play a professional game against one of the best organizations in all of professional sports in the Spurs, you can’t ask for a better scenario.”

This is the third consecutive season where the Spurs have played two home games in Austin, about 75 miles northeast of San Antonio. The Spurs see Austin as part of a mega-region that they’ve been cultivating for years, even stretching into Mexico and this year’s home games help break up the annual rodeo road trip. The San Antonio Stock Show and Rodeo typically sends the Spurs on the road for much of February, so this year’s games in Austin break up that window

The Spurs also play in Austin on Friday against Detroit. The Suns got to Austin on Tuesday and one of Durant’s first stops was the Longhorns’ practice.

“I’m going to try to roam around the city a little bit,” Durant said this past weekend when asked if he had plans to check out some of his favorite places in Austin. “I don’t have a set schedule, but I’ve got some stuff I want to see.”

Austin is very much a Spurs town; the team’s G League affiliate plays there and plenty of fans at the Moody Center on Thursday and Friday will surely be wearing Victor Wembanyama jerseys. But there’s going to be a slew of Texas jerseys and Durant garb visible in the crowd on Thursday, for good reason.

“To have him come back here and be here this week and be around our guys and see our guys, I mean, you can’t ask for anything better than that,” Terry said. “A lot of our guys’ favorite player is Kevin Durant. Why they chose to come to Texas was Kevin Durant. He’s had an incredible impact not only on our basketball program but also on our athletic program as a whole. He’s an incredible ambassador for Texas athletics.”

LeBouef for 12 years. LeBouef

stepped down as coach after 14 seasons to focus on family/administrative duties at the end of the 2024 season. For Wise-Jackson, the move is family-based. Her husband is a Baton Rouge native. She has been head coach at Vandebilt of Houma for past two years.

Wise-Jackson, 37, takes over for St. Michael athletic director Rob Smith, who stepped away after 21 years as head coach to handle growing administrative duties.

“This past year, Vandebilt was in the same division for St Michael, Parkview, Hannan and E.D White,” Wise-Jackson said. “I kept

an eye on St. Michael all year and saw the team’s progression.

“This program has been successful over the years and there is a solid core group returning. I have a meet-and-greet planned. I can’t wait to get started, share my philosophy and show them my overall excitement to join the program.”

There are some common threads to each coach’s journey Rawlins played at Archbishop Chapelle and played for Smith at St. Michael her senior year following Hurricane Katrina. She also spent three years as an assistant to Smith at St. Michael. Wise-Jackson played basket-

ball and volleyball at Assumption and went on to play basketball at Xavier University She started her coaching career at Vandebilt in 2011 and was head volleyball coach at Central Catholic-Morgan City for seven years.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Wise-Jackson moved back New Orleans and was an assistant at Division I power Dominican. And also of note — Rawlins looks forward to facing her sister, St. Scholastica coach Lisa Cardinale in the fall.

“She was 2-1 against us up to now,” Rawlins said. “I told her we’re going to reset it 0-0 now that I am head coach.”

Nuggets’ Jokic getting better with age

BY PAT GRAHAM AP sports writer

DENVER The Denver Nuggets gathered around Nikola Jokic near the 3-point line Wednesday and belted out a rather off-key version of “ happy birthday ” in honor of him turning 30.

Usually so poised on the court, the three-time NBA MVP seemed almost bashful.

“I don’t like my birthday,” Jokic explained “Getting older.”

And better?

“Like wine,” he cracked. In a lot of ways, Jokic remains very much a kid at heart, right down to his new Peppa Pig-themed sneakers. But his game has certainly matured to the point where he keeps setting the bar higher and higher for himself and just might be in the midst of his finest season of them all. He’s averaging 29.8 points, 12.6 rebounds and 10.2 assists.

In addition, he’s posted a league-leading 25 tripledoubles, which is just four shy of tying the franchise record he set in 2022-23.

His coach, Michael Malone, was stumped by just what might be the ceiling for his big man?

“Geez, I don’t know He keeps on pushing the envelope,” said Malone, whose team will host Charlotte on Thursday night. “When you’re dealing with greatness, you never want to put a ceiling on that. We want to give him room to grow and and watch that, because it’s really fun to be a part of that process.”

Jokic began suiting up for the Nuggets as a 20-year-old kid who needed to improve his fitness and hone his footwork. Over the past decade, he’s blossomed into one of the league’s most hard-tocontain players and led the Nuggets to their first NBA championship in 2023.

He’s married now with two young kids. He has a bronze medal he earned with Serbia last summer at the Paris Olympics. His sponsor, 361 Degrees, is getting ready to launch his signature shoe, which is inspired by Peppa Pig, the character in the longrunning children’s series. (“They made it. I like it. They’re going to be cool,” Jokic said.)

This season, he’s showing off the latest wrinkle to his game — long-range shooting. He’s hitting a careerbest 45% from beyond the 3-point line.

“He is playing the best basketball of his life,” Malone said. “At his heart, he’s still the same person. He’s still Nikola Jokic from Sombor Serbia. He’s never forgotten where he’s come from, or who’s helped him get here.”

Given his style of play, Malone believes Jokic could last in the league at an elite level for a while.

“The way (Jokic) dominates the game is with intelligence and skill, not athleticism,” Malone said. “He’s not driving down the lane and dunking on people every night. So I think that bodes well for his longevity.”

That is, if the desire remains strong. He said that sticking around long enough

so his kids can see him play is, “not going to be a factor for me.”

Jokic returned to town after competing for Chuck’s Global Stars in the All-Star Game last weekend. He had two points in 10 minutes as his squad lost to Shaq’s OGs in the final. It wasn’t exactly his idea of rest and relaxation.

“Part of the business, part of the job,” Jokic said of his trip to San Francisco for the weekend festivities “I would rather be somewhere else it’s a blessing and a curse.”

Now, it’s back to work for the Nuggets, who have won eight in a row and are currently the third seed in the Western Confer-

ence. They’re returning to health, too, with Michael Porter Jr (hamstring), Russell Westbrook (hamstring) and Aaron Gordon (calf) all going through practice Wednesday. The only player missing was Peyton Watson (knee). They have 27 games remaining to tinker with lineups and find the right combinations for a playoff push.

“People say ‘Oh, that’s a tough decision,’ ” Malone said. “I look at it the opposite way I’m really fortunate to have a tough decision to make where you have quality players that have really impacted winning. It’s never about one player It’s about what’s best for our team.”

That’s the attitude of Jokic, too.

“He’s our heartbeat,” said Julian Strawther, who took part in the Rising Stars event over the weekend. “It’s not always being a vocal leader but leading by example with the things he does and how hard he works. Having him on our side, it makes us feel a lot better.”

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By GODOFREDO A. VÁSQUEZ

Phoenix Suns forward Kevin Durant shakes hands with Barry Bonds during the NBA All-Star Game on Sunday in San Francisco.

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By JED JACOBSOHN

Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic is introduced during the NBA All-Star Game on Sunday in San Francisco.

THE VARSITY ZONE

Parkview Baptist girls earn 3-peat

Theriot’s

two goals lift Eagles past rival U-High

BY MIKE GEGENHEIMER

Contributing writer

Macey Theriot wasn’t afraid to try her luck from far out Wednesday night. In order to win a third straight Division III state championship for Parkview Baptist, the senior knew she would have to take chances.

Twice Theriot fired shots from roughly 30 yards out and twice she found the back of the net, lifting the No. 1 Eagles to a 2-0 win over No. 3 University High.

“We’ve seen (U-High) in the regular season and we know how intense they are,” The-

riot said. “So coming out here and scrapping for any shot I could get, it didn’t matter if it was short or long, pretty or messy I wanted to get the goal and ensure we could stay in this game.”

The win stakes Parkview Baptist’s claim to three straight championships, making it the third program in Division III history to achieve the feat.

But perhaps even more sweet is that the win comes as revenge on a district rival U-High team that handed the Eagles one of only two losses this season. The Cubs beat Parkview 1-0 in the regularseason finale to take the Dis-

trict 5-III title.

Parkview coach Raphael Nunes said that while he didn’t want his team to think of the rematch as revenge, the loss served as motivation over the past few weeks.

“The one thing I asked of the girls after that game was being focused,” Nunes said.

“We do not ask for revenge. We do not try to go after them.

Things are going to happen if you do your job.”

Parkview dominated possession for most of the night, outshooting U-High 17-4. But the Cubs and their stingy defense that allowed only 10 goals going into the game

managed hold them in check early on.

“My team played and didn’t give up and worked their butts off until the bitter end,” U-High coach Melissa Ramsey said. “It was a great team and great chemistry Parkview just had two extra shots than we did.”

But in the 32nd minute Theriot pulled up from about 30 yards out on the left side of the field and slipped a shot past the U-High keeper as the ball barely rolled over the goal line to break the tie.

Theriot, the game’s Outstanding Player scored again in the 66th minute on a nearly identical shot from the right side of the field for her second goal.

RIGHT ON TIME

BY WILLIAM WEATHERS

writer

Contributing

The closer the ball bound toward the box in front of Loyola’s goal, University High soccer coach Chris Mitchell thought about the directive he’s given his team over the season

“That’s one of the pet peeves we talk about at every practice,” Mitchell said “It’s not so much the first ball in a game, but it’s the second ball and when it’s in the scrum, who’s going to get to it first? Are they going to get to it first and get it out, or are we going to get their second and score?” Junior forward Sie Parker had just the answer Mitchell was looking for. With Israel Hollie’s free kick into the box and a Loyola defender missing an attempt to clear the ball, Parker directed the ball into the back of the net in the 63rd minute, helping the Cubs to a 1-0 victory over Loyola Prep of Shreveport during the Division III boys state championship game at Strawberry Stadium in Hammond.

“We were fortunate enough to score in that situation,” said Mitchell, who concluded his 23rd season. No. 2 University (21-2-2) won its fourth state title and first since 2022 The Cubs also defeated the No. 1 Flyers (20-3-6) for the 2019 title.

“This time for me is bittersweet,” said Parker, named his team’s Outstanding Player “I didn’t get to play (in last year’s 2-0 final loss to Willow) I was on a mission. I did it for my family, I did it for this team. I didn’t want my seniors to go out like last year’s seniors It was a mission and we completed it.”

Conditions for the final were brutal from a soccer perspective. Temperatures were at 37 degrees at kickoff with a gusty 17 mph north wind

throughout.

U-High wasn’t deterred by the challenge of going into the wind during a scoreless first half. The Cubs had five of their seven shots on goal, forcing Loyola goalkeeper Hudson Moore into five of his 11 saves.

“Much credit to their goalkeeper,” Mitchell said. “I thought he played fantastic throughout the entire game and especially with some key saves in the first half.”

U-High’s defense, led by junior center back William May allowed three of four shots in the first half, but none of them were on target. Junior goalie Braden Brumley combined with defenders Jack Rouse, May, Vaughn Mieners and Ellis Daniels on the 15th

shutout of the season.

“We knew goals would be very scarce,” Loyola coach Paul Kyle said. “We kept it at 0-0 at halftime. We were building some stuff there in the first half and thought it would continue. Obviously, we got pinned back more than we should. That was important with the wind and the weather.” Parker was a center back for the first two-plus years of his career until switching to forward three games ago, Mitchell said. Parker scored in all three of those games, adding the gamewinning shot in the state championship game.

“I think I might have found a new position for him going forward,” Mitchell said.

Prairieville girls face familiar foe in postseason debut

state tourney in Hammond?

BY ROBIN FAMBROUGH Staff writer

Chase Delrie pondered the possibilities after Prairieville High School lost to Denham Springs in the final game of the girls basketball regular season last week.

Girls basketball

Soon, reality set in. The Hurricanes (159) would face Denham Springs again, this time in their playoff debut.

“It would have been nice to get on a bus and go to Slidell or someplace else,” Delrie said. “We can still do some of the things we have done if it was a longer trip. Making the playoffs was our biggest goal in the first year and we did it.”

Playing the same team twice in such a short period can be good or bad.

“In some ways, turning around and playing a team you just played can be a disadvantage,” Delrie said. “Also, we know what to expect. Physically we match up with them. It’s a matter who is going to step up.”

Prairieville, a No. 25 seed, plays at No. 8 Denham Springs (21-9) at 6 p.m. Thursday in Division I nonselect first-round game. The game will be played at Denham Springs’ Jacket Gym instead of the Hornsby Gym because of court repairs.

There is no shortage of storylines for this playoff opener Can the Yellow Jackets, the Division I nonselect runners-up a year ago, forge a path back to the

How will the Hurricanes fare in the rematch for their coach, a Denham Springs graduate who was a teammate of former LSU star Tasmin Mitchell while with the Yellow Jackets? Denham Springs beat the Hurricanes 68-52 in that regular-season finale six days ago. But the play of Prairieville point guard Marly Gatlin is one reason DSHS coach Rudy Smith has focused on defense this week.

“(Gatlin) is extremely fast and handles the ball well,” Smith said “She runs the show and has the ball in her hands 80% of the time.

“We had a hard time staying in front of her We put her on the line and she had free throws. We have to be disciplined on defense.”

The 5-foot-5 Gatlin averages 23.0 points per game. Cailyn Sheets (also 5-5) adds about 12 points per game and has 90 3-pointers — primarily on catch-andshoot passes from Gatlin. Another guard, Breanna Sanders, is a third scoring option. Sanders leads the Hurricanes’ seven-member freshman class. Smith’s daughter, Taylor, leads Denham Springs with a 16.0 scoring average. Prai Nelson adds 12 per game for the Yellow Jackets. Because Delrie was the girls basketball coach for District 5-5A rival Dutchtown before this season the coaches know each other and their respective teams well.

“You know his teams are going to be prepared,” Smith said of Delrie. “He is a very good attentionto-details coach. He knows how to get the most out of his players.

“We can’t take anything for granted.”

STAFF PHOTOS By MICHAEL JOHNSON

U-High midfielder Charles Word, left, and forward Sie Parker celebrate Parker’s goal against Loyola in the second half of the Division III state championship game on Wednesday at Strawberry Stadium in Hammond. The Cubs won 1-0.

U-High midfielder Samuel Ramsey slides to steal the ball from Loyola midfielder Graham Kyle during the second half. The Cubs got their 15th shutout.

STAFF PHOTO By MICHAEL JOHNSON

Parkview Baptist’s Macey Theriot makes a pass against U-High in the second half Wednesday in Hammond. Theriot’s two goals lifted the Eagles to a 2-0 win.

LSU forward

Sa’Myah Smith grabs the ball after being fouled in the first quarter of a game against UL on Dec. 15 at the Pete Maravich Assembly Center

STAFF FILE

PHOTO By MICHAEL

JOHNSON

LSU

Continued from page 1C

The injury knocked her career off its upward trajectory, sending it down a long, arduous path of recovery instead.

Smith had been down that road before: In high school, she tore the ACL and meniscus in her left knee. But this injury came with a fresh set of challenges, ones that took the form of extra competition — both internally and externally

While Smith rehabbed her knee LSU scooped up 6-foot-5 forward Jersey Wolfenbarger from the transfer portal, and the Southeastern Conference added Oklahoma and Texas, two teams with rugged front courts. Because they lost Reese to the WNBA, the Tigers needed to make sure they could throw out enough size and length to compete for rebounds at the top of a tougher league.

Only recently did Smith earn back those responsibilities and her role as the lead center, possibly for good.

Ahead of the Tigers’ home game against Georgia on Thursday (8 p.m., SEC Network), the redshirt sophomore has started each of the last eight games she’s played. On Sunday in a loss to Texas, Smith helped LSU defend 6-4 Taylor Jones and 6-6 Kyla Oldacre for 36 minutes, enough to tie her career-high.

“She battled,” LSU coach Kim Mulkey said. “She blocked shots. She didn’t have a lot of the bulk, but buddy, she battled in there.”

In the seven games LSU played from Dec. 15 to Jan. 9, the thin, wiry 6-2 Smith saw the floor for three fewer minutes per night than Wolfenbarger, the starting center for each of those contests Then something changed.

Mulkey put Smith back into the starting lineup before the Tigers beat Vanderbilt on Jan. 13, a move that has stuck in the eight games since. Smith now has seen more than twice as much run as Wolfenbarger has across the last seven games they’ve both played.

Smith still isn’t scoring much — just 3.4 points per game on 38% shooting since Jan. 13. But she has corralled 17 rebounds and blocked five shots across LSU’s last two matchups, a close win over No. 15 Tennessee and a tight loss to the No. 2 Longhorns.

“I thought Sa’Myah was excellent today,” Mulkey said after LSU beat the Lady Vols. “I thought she grew up. She got a deflection early in the game. She was altering shots. She didn’t just get pushed and shoved around. She could have played probably in some of those minutes that I gave the small lineup because I just thought she grew up today.”

CFP

Continued from page 1C

provided the Fighting Irish are ranked high enough.

Ole Miss athletic director Keith Carter told reporters, “I think there will be expansion.” Any changes to the CFP for the 202526 cycle ending with January’s national championship game in Miami require unanimous approval from all members of the CFP Management Committee. Beyond that, a memorandum reportedly exists granting the SEC and Big Ten the right to impose changes over the CFP format beginning in 2026, when a new six-year contract with ESPN is scheduled to begin. “The process going forward if we decide to make changes contemplates that the structure of that is led by the SEC and the Big Ten,” Petitti said. “It requires us to get a consensus to make a meaningful recommendation, if any, to our colleagues in other leagues. It also requires us to get their input on whatever it is we’re thinking about.

“By definition, we need to get to a consensus among the two leagues (SEC and Big Ten). That’s the beginning of that process.”

Regarding playoff seeding, Sankey said: “I’m prepared to vote for seeding change, but it has to be unanimous.”

The 12-team CFP, expanded this past season from four teams for the first 10 years of its existence, called for four conference winners to receive a bye. Those ended up being No. 1 Oregon (Big Ten), No. 2 Georgia (SEC), No. 3 Boise State (Mountain West) and No. 4 Arizona State (Big 12). ACC champion Clemson was seeded 12th. However, the top four teams in the final CFP rankings were Oregon and Georgia, followed by SEC runner-up Texas and Big Ten runner-up Penn State Texas and Penn State hosted first-round, on-campus games, while Georgia and Oregon started in the Sugar and Rose bowls, respectively An expanded playoff guaranteeing a spe-

MORROW QUESTIONABLE VS. GEORGIA

Aneesah Morrow might not play in the LSU’s Thursday home contest against Georgia.

The No. 7 Tigers listed Morrow as questionable against the Bulldogs on the availability reports the Southeastern Conference released Wednesday evening Morrow, a senior, hasn’t missed a single game in four seasons. She suited up for all 66 contests DePaul played across her first two years, then appeared in all 64 possible games in two seasons at LSU

This season, Morrow is averaging 18.1 points on 49% shooting and 14.4 rebounds per game. She has also posted 24 double-doubles, seven more than any other Division I player.

Morrow’s absence would thrust forward Jersey Wolfenbarger and center Aalyah Del Rosario into larger roles Thursday. Reed Darcey

Almost two months earlier, after a Nov 15 win over Murray State, Mulkey took a different tone, saying Smith has “got to get back to being the Sa’Myah of old.” She was still worrying about her knee, still trying to rediscover her lateral quickness and still committing too many fouls, Mulkey said.

LSU senior reserve Amani Bartlett wound up making her first career start over Smith three days later in a game against Troy, a decision Mulkey said she based on “focusing and paying attention in practice.” Smith still tallied nine points and eight rebounds in 16 minutes of action that night, then started the Tigers’ next six contests before ceding the job to Wolfenbarger for almost an entire month.

“I didn’t really want to put too much pressure on myself,” Smith said, “because I know I still had to deal with that, the injury and coming back, but I still had big goals. Still wanted to do what I can for this team.”

Smith’s role is now on more solid footing, and her knee is strong enough to handle heavy minutes in intense, physical games.

Yet she’s still making sure to remind herself, as she told those middle schoolers in September, that she wants to accomplish more.

“The goal,” Smith said, “is definitely to get back to being the explosive, aggressive player that I am.”

Email Reed Darcey at reed.darcey@theadvocate.com.

BY ROD WALKER Staff writer

The New Orleans Pelicans are moving on from one of their top role players.

The Pelicans and wing Javonte Green reached an agreement to a contract buyout, according to a Wednesday night ESPN report.

Green, after clearing waivers, is expected to sign with the Cleveland Cavaliers. It’s a move that will take him from the team with the worst record in the Western Conference to the team tied for the best record in the NBA.

Green, in his sixth NBA season, was in his first year with the Pelicans after signing as a free agent in August.

He played in 50 games this season, including 18 starts. His last start was right before the All-Star break in place of Zion Williamson.

Green played a big role in that overtime victory over the Sacramento Kings, showing the versatility that makes him so valuable. He finished with nine points, seven rebounds, five steals, two assists and a block With the Pelicans clinging to a 138-133 lead, he came up with his final steal of the night to help preserve the win.

“Javonte understands his role and how he can impact this team on both ends of the floor, and he’s doing that,” Pelicans coach Willie Green said after that game.

The five steals were a career-high for Green.

Green averaged 5.8 points and 3.6 re-

WILLIAMS

Continued from page 1C

As a freshman, he started 22 games and averaged 7.2 points in 19.5 minutes.

Williams has remained even-keel during the inconsistencies of his second season. He credits his work behind the scenes and his teammates for helping him remain ready when coach Matt McMahon calls his name.

“Not getting the time you want on the floor, you know, you might not be getting any reps, so practice in the gym is the biggest thing and keeping confidence high,” Williams said. “These guys do a good job keeping my confidence high no matter if I’m playing or not.” McMahon praised Williams’ play on offense and defense.

“I’m really proud of him,” the third-year coach said. “He’s had a challenging year disjointed at times. But, you know, I think he’s been really good for us here of late. He’s practiced at a high level. I think he’s

bounds. His best scoring game for the Pelicans was a 15-point outing against the Golden State Warriors in November, and his best rebounding effort was 10 against Oklahoma City

The Pelicans acquired a versatile player like Green right before the trade deadline when they received Bruce Brown as part of the Brandon Ingram deal. Brown will fill Green’s role. Brandon Boston also will get more minutes.

“I think you’ll see a lot of (Boston),” Pelicans executive vice president of basketball operations David Griffin said last week.

Boston, whose career started with the Los Angeles Clippers in 2021, has played in 42 games for the Pelicans this season, averaging 10.7 points, 3.2 rebounds and 2.2 assists. He scored a season-high 26 points against Orlando in November

“I think you’ve seen Brandon get an opportunity to prove he’s clearly an NBA rotational player,” Griffin said. “And one of the things with Brandon Boston when we brought him in, we claimed him and really intended him to be sort of the focal point offensive player on the G League team to a huge degree and thought he would be with us periodically What he’s shown is he might be the best on ball defender on our team.”

Email Rod Walker at rwalker@theadvocate.com.

invested time in the gym.

“Defensively, he’s gotten a lot better and has been really active on that end of the floor. So the four-guard lineup, with him a part of that, spacing helps him as well. Thought he was fantastic tonight.”

When Williams holds up on defense, he’s able to stay on the court longer and benefit the offense, which has been starving for shooters Even after the South Carolina game, the Tigers are 10th in 3-point shooting in SEC play (30.8%). They are 298th in the country in 3-point shooting percentage for the season (31.7%).

Improved outside shooting thanks to Williams and guards such as Vyctorius Miller, who made his second start of the season, elevate LSU’s ability to create open shots from all levels.

That development is LSU’s wild card. It’ll remain just that until the Tigers prove their consistency starting at 8 p.m. Saturday when they play No. 2 Florida at the PMAC. Email Toyloy Brown III at toyloy brown@theadvocate.com

cific number of CFP bids for the SEC could persuade the league’s membership to expand from eight to nine conference games.

The SEC adopted a modified eight-game format for the 2024 and 2025 seasons with the addition of Texas and Oklahoma, one that eliminated divisional play LSU athletic director Scott Woodward, a longtime proponent of a nine-game SEC slate, acknowledged that a decision on the nine-game schedule hinges on CFP expansion.

“We’re progressing, but we haven’t reached a final decision,” Woodward said.

“A lot will be determined by the CFP.”

SEC and Big Ten representatives also discussed the pending House settlement that is expected to lead to revenue sharing with athletes, as well as the future structure of NCAA governance Petitti stressed that while the two leagues are leading discussions about these issues, it remains a collaborative process across college athletics.

“Decisions will be made by everyone,” Sankey said, “not dictated by us.”

For more LSU sports updates, sign up for our newsletter at theadvocate.com/ lsunewsletter

AP FILE PHOTO By GEORGE WALKER IV

Big Ten Conference commissioner Tony Petitti, left, and Southeastern Conference commissioner Greg Sankey, right, hold a news conference after the two conferences held meetings on Oct. 10 in Nashville, Tenn.

Make a Cuban feast in Louisiana

I’ve still never been to Cuba, but I often find myself craving the food.

A Lafayette restaurant called Cafe Habana City holds the lion’s share of responsibility for my extreme love of Cuban food — one dish in particular On the menu, it’s called Parilla de Pollo, made with thin cutlets of chicken breast pounded flat, marinated in what’s called a mojo sauce. I always order the dish served with white rice, black beans and maduritos

When Susan Jones a Baton Rouge massage therapist, shared her Cuban mother’s recipe for something very similar to what Cafe Habana serves, I felt like I had struck gold.

“My mom had chicken marinating in the refrigerator always. It was a part of our lives,” Jones said.

Of course, as with most recipes along these lines, she had to do some thinking on proportions. Initially in a quest for exact measurements, we compared her notes and memory with other recipes. She went back and forth on whether or not I should include orange juice

“Growing up in Miami, my mom would send me over the fence to the neighbor’s backyard to pick a bitter orange from their tree of course, they knew we did that,” Jones said. “But I don’t know what the difference is between bitter oranges and what grows here in Louisiana except that bitter oranges are not sweet.”

ä See CUBAN, page 2D

GARDEN PARTY

BY APRIL HAMILTON Contributing writer

After getting my fill of luxurious chocolates in February, I look ahead to National Nutrition Month which spans the 31 days of March. Fortunately, the indulgence of Mardi Gras season wanes just days after the month begins, providing the perfect opportunity for a Lenten challenge.

I plan to embrace my inner vegetable lover with a mindful pledge to vary my veggies, an eating style I call “garden party.”

Research shows that consuming 30 different plant foods weekly fuels us with a spectrum of vitamins and minerals while also being good for our gut microbiome — a hot topic that seems to appear on every health page. If it sounds more like a task than a good, tasty time, fret not. Spring brings an abundance of vibrant produce to the markets and neighbors’ gardens. Forage and feast. There is no limit to the combinations. First source. Then, prep. Stroll a local farmer’s market, a favorite produce section, or co-op backyard harvesting with a neighbor and gather up the goods. Repeat weekly

STAFF PHOTO By JAN RISHER

Jan Risher cooked a Cuban feast of bistec de pollo en palomilla, white rice, black beans and maduritos (fried overripe plantains).

STAFF PHOTOS BY JAVIER GALLEGOS

Jan Risher THE DISH

Mediterranean Orzo Salad and Garden Party vegetable medley

GARDEN

Continued from page 1D

Pro tip: Shop with a friend and share the chopping duties to cut prep time in half or engage the kids to create memorable conversations in the kitchen. Fill the fridge with containers of halved Brussels sprouts, florets of broccoli and cauliflower, julienned carrots, diced bell peppers, sliced celery, chopped onion and rinsed and spun lettuce to create a kaleidoscope of color and the Holy Trinity. This up-front investment pays dividends when cooking time rolls around Vegetables can be spun into pure gold whether displayed raw in an artful collage or roasted, steamed,

CUBAN

Continued from page 1D

I ended up using nonbitter orange juice and lots of orange zest in mine. After I started making the marinade we discussed, she sent me a message saying I could go one of two routes one of which is super simple. I had already started making the more involved version, but next time I’ll try her simple ver-

sauteed or grilled with a kiss of smoke At my house, every grilling occasion includes the contents of the produce drawer. The extras encore in quesadillas fried rice egg scrambles, salads, soups, pizzas or pasta sauces. The sky is truly the limit. My next best tip is to stash vegetable scraps in the freezer to make vegetable stock to preserve the bounty for future enjoyment. Over time, fill a gallon freezer bag with onion and carrot peels, celery tops and trimmings, garlic, mushroom and herb stems to cook in a gallon of water with bay leaves and a few peppercorns. An hour on the stove equals three quarts or so of an incomparable soup starter and contributes to

sion: a combination of lime juice, lime zest, garlic powder, onion powder and salt.

“My mom would slice them really thin,” Jones said. “Out of one chicken breast, she probably got three steaks.”

I mistakenly bought chicken breast tenderloins (smaller pieces of the breast). Still, I was able to cut them in half one time, which worked fine.

I decided to go all out and make the chicken, white rice (cooked in chicken broth),

Bistec de pollo en palomilla

1/2

1/4

1

1.

(I

and

2. Place chicken in a container that will be used for marinating in

3. Mix the rest of the ingredients EXCEPT the sliced onion together in food processor and pulse until cilantro is fine and the mixture is blended well.

4. Reserve about 1/4 cup of the marinade Pour the rest of it over the chicken in a sealable container. Place in refrigerator.

5. Using a mandolin or knife, slice onion thin. Place on top of chicken in container in fridge and marinate for at least four hours.

6. In a skillet (we used a nonstick one),

the 30-plant goal.

For a fun form of motivation, chart the veggie progress and create a friendly competition. If 30 seems unattainable, think of each meal as a canvas to showcase a shower of herbs, nuts and seeds. And remember that dark chocolate is rich in antioxidants and counts in the plant category.

Lemon vinaigrette

Zest and juice of 2 lemons to make

3 cup 1 3 cup olive oil 1 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1. Add the lemon zest and juice to a narrow-bottomed bowl and whisk in the olive oil in a thin stream to help emulsify the dressing. Season with salt and pepper and dress the orzo salad.

black beans and fried overripe plantains, similar to Cafe Habana’s maduritos.

The end result was a meal that will become part of my family’s permanent rotation. The only thing I’ll do differently next time is make extra marinade to be saved for the table so that I’ll have enough to pour that deliciousness over my plate once I’m ready to eat.

Buen provecho!

Email Jan Risher at jan. risher@theadvocate.com.

cook the individual pieces of chicken about 2-3 minutes on each side.

7. In a separate skillet while chicken is cooking, caramelize the marinated onions.

8. Once chicken and onions are cooked, top the chicken with the onions and serve with white rice, black beans and maduritos.

Dear Heloise: I had to chuckle at but agree with Carol’s “requirement” that hotel executives stay in their own hotels. We’ve all been there. When we purchased and set up our first home together, my husband and I decided to stay in the guest room for a couple of nights and use the guest bathroom. Here’s what we did after we experienced being guests in our own home: We decluttered the tops of dressers, emptied several drawers and half of the closet, and made sure there were plenty of hangers. In the bathroom, we mounted hooks on the wall and the back of the door, replaced the shower head, removed clutter from the vanity top, and cleaned out part of the cabinet below We hung a bath organizer above the tub and stocked it with soap, shampoo, wash cloths, etc. Sheet sets, blankets and towels that are dedicated to the guest room and bathroom are stored in these rooms. Now we are ready to receive guests at any time without having to rearrange half of the house! —Anni,Colorado Springs,Colorado

Looking at your people

Dear Heloise: After seeing a picture in my guest room from my mother-in-law’s days, I intend to do the

TODAY IN HISTORY

By The Associated Press

Today is Thursday, Feb. 20, the 51st day of 2025. There are 314 days left in the year Today in history

On Feb. 20, 1962, astronaut John Glenn became the first American to orbit the Earth as he flew aboard Project Mercury’s Friendship 7 spacecraft, which circled the globe three times in a flight lasting 4 hours, 55 minutes and 23 seconds before splashing down safely in the Atlantic Ocean about 200 miles northwest of Puerto Rico.

On this date:

In 1792, President George Washington signed an act creating the United States Post Office Department, the predecessor of the U.S. Postal Service.

In 1862, William Wallace Lincoln, the 11-year-old son of President Abraham Lincoln and first lady Mary Todd Lincoln, died at the White House from what was believed to be typhoid fever

In 1905, the U.S. Supreme Court, in Jacobson v. Massachusetts, upheld, 7-2, compulsory vaccination laws intended to protect the public’s health.

In 1907, President Theodore Roosevelt signed an immigration act which excluded “idiots, imbeciles, feebleminded persons, epileptics, insane persons,” among others, from being admitted to the United States.

In 1939, more than 20,000 people attended rally held by the German American Bund, a pro-Nazi organization, at New York’s Madison Square Garden

In 1965, America’s Ranger 8 spacecraft crashed into the moon’s surface, as planned, after sending back thousands of pictures of the lunar surface.

In 1998, American Tara Lipinski became the youngest-ever Olympic figure skating gold medalist when she won the ladies’ title at the Nagano Olympic Winter Games; American Michelle

Kwan won the silver In

STAFF PHOTOS By JAN RISHER Cooking thin, marinated chicken cutlets with caramelized onions

By JAVIER GALLEGOS

2003, a fire sparked by pyrotechnics broke out during a concert by the rock group Great White at The Station nightclub in West Warwick, Rhode Island, killing 100 people and injuring more than 200 others. Today’s birthdays: Racing Hall of Famer Roger

PIscEs (Feb. 20-March 20) Exercise your body, mind and soul in ways that are exhilarating. Nothing happens without effort; do your part to ensure you manifest the life you desire.

ARIEs (March 21-April 19) Share a special moment with someone who can bring you joy or help you explore new possibilities. Refuse to let anger ruin your plans or get in the way of something that can help you

tAuRus (April 20-May 20) Refuse to let uncertainty leave you bewildered. Hiding out won't help you get ahead. Wrap your head around your options and pick a path Discover what's possible.

GEMInI (May 21-June 20) Say no to anyone complicating your life, and focus on what's important. Put what you hear in context with what you want to do and try to simplify your life. Proceed calmly but with determination.

cAncER (June 21-July 22) Size up your current situation, prospects and desires. It's time to take a chance and explore new possibilities. You may not welcome change, but to experience what life can offer, you must step outside your comfort zone.

LEo (July 23-Aug. 22) Promoting something you are working toward prematurely will be met with criticism and potential loss. Take one step at a time.

Focus on personal growth and gain, and finish what you start.

VIRGo (Aug. 23-sept. 22) Walk away from temptation or anyone trying to

push you. A well-thought-out plan is the only way to implement desirable change. Put relationships first, show concern and be sensitive to the needs of loved ones

LIBRA (sept. 23-oct. 23) Someone who excites you will grab your attention. A new adventure will spark your imagination and encourage you to change your direction, surroundings or pastimes

scoRPIo (oct. 24-nov. 22) You're in the driver's seat; refuse to stop, because attention will be necessary to reach your destination. Keep tabs on how much things cost and consider with whom you want to share life. A project will require dedication.

sAGIttARIus (nov. 23-Dec. 21) Observation will pay off. Don't give away your secrets. Allowing others to steal your thunder or exploit your naivety will set you back and lower your self-esteem

cAPRIcoRn (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) You're on the right track; focus on your goal. Forming good relationships with helpful people will encourage opportunities. Give yourself a chance to rejuvenate.

AQuARIus (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) Fix your surroundings, but don't go over budget. Put your energy to good use, and you'll get what you want at a price you can afford. Trust your instincts

The horoscope, an entertainment feature, is not based on scientific fact. © 2025 by NEA, Inc., dist By Andrews McMeel Syndication

FAMILY CIrCUS

CeLebrItY CIpher

For better or For WorSe

SALLY Forth

beetLe bAILeY

Mother GooSe And GrIMM

SherMAn’S LAGoon

Sudoku

InstructIons: Sudoku is a number-placing puzzle based on a 9x9 grid with several given numbers. The object is to place the numbers 1 to 9 in the empty squares so that each row, each column and each 3x3 box contains the same number only once. The difficulty level of the Sudoku increases from Monday to Sunday.

Yesterday’s Puzzle Answer

nea CroSSwordS La TimeS CroSSword

THe wiZard oF id

BLondie

BaBY BLueS

Hi and LoiS

By PHILLIP ALDER Bridge

RobertDuvallsaid,“Youjustcan’ttake a crash course to be a tango dancer in a movie.”

You can’t take a crash course to be an expertdeclarerinbridge.However,here is a chance to dance around a three-notrump deal. What should South do after West leads the heart jack?

Despite having only 20 high-card points, South’s hand is nearly strong enough to open two clubs and rebid two no-trump. All those aces and kings, along with the good five-card suit, make that hand worth some 22 points. (A two-notrump opening typically contains either three aces and one king or two aces and three kings. As this hand has two aces and four kings, it is over average.)

South starts with seven top tricks: three hearts, two diamonds and two clubs. Most days, he will get three more winners from clubs for an overtrick But it would be a good idea to sacrifice the potential extra trick to avoid crashing like the original declarer. He won the first trick and immediately took his two top clubs. When the queen did not drop, South continued with a third club. Now Eastdidwell,shiftingtothespadequeen. Whatever declarer did, he had to lose five spade tricks and go down two.

Sincethecontractisindangerofcrashing only if East gains the lead, South should have taken the first trick on the board and played a low club

By Andrews McMeel Syndication

“For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.” Hebrews 4:12

Bizarro

hagar the horriBle

Pearls Before swiNe

garfield