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GRETNA ITALIAN IRISH PARADE

BY DREW BROACH | Contributing writer

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ä See CHANGE, page 6A

Hurricane experts using new tools to predict rapid intensification

BY KASEY BUBNASH | Staff writer

Constitutional changes were supported by Gov. Jeff Landry

BY ALYSE PFEIL | Staff writer

Louisiana voters soundly rejected all four proposed amendments to the state constitution on Saturday, shutting the door on changes to courts, government ﬁnances, teacher pay increases juvenile crime and elections for judicial seats. With nearly 100% of the precincts in, all four amendments had received less than 40% of the vote. The defeat of Amendment 2, a sprawling revision of the section of the constitution that deals with state taxes and budgeting, was a loss for Gov Jeff Landry, who had stumped across the state in support of the change. He couched it as part of his larger effort to make Louisiana’s tax system more attractive to business investment. Its failure also means teachers will likely not get a planned pay raise, and it may disrupt state lawmakers’ plans for the state budget they will soon need to craft for the upcoming ﬁscal year

With the failure of Amendment 3, Louisiana will not see an increase in the number of felony crimes for which teenagers can be charged as adults, a change that had been sought by some tough-on-crime lawmakers but decried by youth and criminal justice advocates.

ä See election results in the N.O area. PAGE 8A

ä Voters elect new members to Jefferson Parish, city of Gretna and Westwego councils. PAGE 1B

Louisiana will not see the creation of new regional or statewide specialty courts with the rejection of Amendment 1. And the rejection of Amendment 4 means that the timing of elections to ﬁll vacant or newly created judicial seats will not change.

ä See AMENDMENTS, page 8A

Louisiana ports weighinvestment

Regaining market share a challenge, report says

BY ANTHONY McAULEY | Staff writer

“If you’re a forecaster, you have to communicate that change really fast,” Dunion said. That kind of fast-paced strengthening, which in Milton’s case famously brought one Florida meteorologist to tears on air, has long posed a problem for forecasters and hurricane-prone states like Louisiana, where residents are often left with little time to prepare.

ä See TOOLS, page 4A

Shortly after Hurricane Milton formed in the Gulf of Mexico in October, forecasters watched in horror as the storm underwent explosive rapid intensiﬁcation and made its way toward Florida, strengthening from a Category 1 to a Category 5 hurricane in a day Milton’s wind speeds increased by 90 mph in 24 hours, which Jason Dunion, a University of Miami meteorologist specializing in hurricane research, said is the third highest rate of rapid intensification in recorded history

to government and port ofﬁcials in Baton Rouge.

ä See PORTS, page 10A

PHOTO PROVIDED By NOAA StreamSondes are tiny weather stations that are dropped into tropical storms and hurricanes to gather data.

Taliban release woman held in Afghanistan

WASHINGTON An American woman detained for weeks in Afghanistan by the Taliban has been released from custody according to a person familiar with the matter and a social media post Saturday from a longtime U.S. diplomat.

Faye Dail Hall, who was detained in February on charges of using a drone without authorization, was released as part of a deal that Qatari negotiators helped broker, said the person, who spoke on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the negotiations.

The person said that Hall was taken to the Qatari Embassy in Kabul, the Afghan capital, and was in good health, and that arrangements were being made for her to return to the U.S.

In a post on X, a former U.S. ambassador to Afghanistan, Zalmay Khalilzad, conﬁrmed Hall’s release and said she would “soon be on her way home.”

Few details were immediately available Saturday, including why she was in Afghanistan or how long or the circumstances of her detention

Musk sells X to his own xAI for $33B in stock

Elon Musk has sold social media site X to his own xAI artiﬁcial intelligence company in a $33 billion all-stock deal, the billionaire announced on Friday

Both companies are privately held, which means they are not required to disclose their ﬁnances to the public.

Musk said in a post on X that the move will “unlock immense potential by blending xAI’s advanced AI capability and expertise with X’s massive reach.”

He said the deal values xAI at $80 billion and X at $33 billion Musk, who serves as CEO of Tesla and SpaceX as well as an adviser to President Donald Trump, bought the site then called Twitter for $44 billion in 2022, gutted its staff and changed its policies on hate speech, misinformation and user veriﬁcation and renamed it X.

He launched xAI a year later

FCC commissioner opens probe into Disney, ABC

President Donald Trump’s Federal Communications Commission chief said Friday he’s opening an investigation into the Walt Disney Co. and its ABC television network to see whether they are “promoting invidious forms of DEI discrimination,” referring to its diversity, equity and inclusion policies.

FCC Commissioner Brendan Carr announced the probe in a letter to Disney CEO Robert Iger on Friday The company said it was reviewing the letter and looking forward to answering the commission’s questions.

“For decades, Disney focused on churning out box ofﬁce and programming successes,” Carr wrote to Iger “Disney has now become embroiled in rounds of controversy surrounding its DEI policies.”

Last month Axios reported that Disney had made some policy changes, including eliminating a website designed to highlight personalities and stories from underrepresented communities.

Disney also softened messages that appeared before movies like “Dumbo” and “Peter Pan,” Axios said. Instead of warnings that the ﬁlms include “negative depictions and/or mistreatment of peoples or culture,” the messages changed to “this program is presented as originally created and may contain stereotypes or negative depictions.” Carr’s letter linked to an article by conservative activist Christopher Rufo describing Disney as “the wokest place on Earth.”

Some examples Carr cited go back several years, such as a one-time policy at ABC that at least 50% of characters in TV pilots be from underrepresented groups.

CORRECTION

A story that ran in the Business section on Saturday incorrectly stated the Gulf’s share of energy production. It is responsible for 97% of U.S. offshore oil and gas production.

Serbians rally outside pro-government station

Informer

BY JOVANA GEC Associated Press

BELGRADE, Serbia Thousands of people rallied outside a progovernment television station in Serbia on Saturday accused of a propaganda campaign against university students behind months of anti-corruption protests rattling populist President Aleksandar Vucic.

Informer TV is among mainstream media outlets in Serbia loyal to Vucic and his right-wing government. Informer TV and tabloid newspaper have repeatedly branded student protesters as extremists during nearly ﬁve months of almost daily street demonstrations.

Protests have been peaceful, but pro-government media have accused organizers of fueling violence and seeking to overthrow the government under orders from abroad. They have provided no evidence to support those statements.

“For months now, ever since the blockades started we have been their target, we have been constantly smeared in the media,” student Ivona Markovic said.

The protests started after a concrete canopy collapsed in November at a train station in northern Serbia, killing 16 people. The tragedy drew focus on rampant government corruption, triggering demands for accountability and political changes.

Protests have put pressure on an increasingly authoritarian Vucic, who is formally seeking European Union membership for Serbia but maintains close relations with Russia and China.

Vucic has promised a “counterrevolution” against the protests. Authorities have threatened legal action against university professors, including calls for the arrest of Vladan Djokic, the head dean at Belgrade University

On Saturday, Vucic visited a camp of his loyalists outside the presidency building, including a group of pro-government university students He said that “those who introduced anarchy” at the university would be held to account.

Student protests have drawn hundreds of thousands of people, striking a chord among citizens who have been largely disillu-

sioned with politicians.

Wearing protective white suits, several students symbolically staged a “decontamination” performance outside the Informer TV building A “wall of shame” displayed Informer’s headlines about the protests in the past months, including one alleging protest plans for a “bloody coup.”

Students also launched a petition to limit the television station’s access to broadcasting frequencies. The protest dubbed “DisInformer” was set to last for six hours.

“This is a media war between Informer and students, between lies and truth, abuse of power and resistance,” the students said. “They (Informer) do not inform, they persecute.”

Informer on Saturday received support from top government ofﬁcials, including the defense minister The newspaper described the protest outside its building as a “hostage crisis.”

Informer is widely watched and read in Serbia, where independent media have faced limited visibility and where critical journalists have complained of pressure, hate campaigns and lawsuits.

Top vaccine official quits, criticizes ‘misinformation’

Dr. Peter Marks coined ‘Operation Warp Speed’

BY MICHAEL CASEY and MATTHEW PERRONE Associated Press

WASHINGTON The top vaccine ofﬁcial with the Food and Drug Administration has resigned and criticized the nation’s top health ofﬁcial for allowing “misinformation and lies” to guide his thinking behind the safety of vaccinations.

though during his Senate conﬁrmation hearings he seemed to say he would not undermine vaccines.

Since becoming secretary, Kennedy has vowed to scrutinize the safety of childhood vaccinations, despite decades of evidence they are safe and have saved millions of lives.

Marks oversaw the agency’s rapid review and approval of COVID-19 vaccines and treatments during the pandemic.

Doctor cites the pope’s ‘surprising improvement’

BY COLLEEN BARRY and TRISHA THOMAS Associated Press

ROME Pope Francis has shown “a truly surprising improvement” since returning to the Vatican to convalesce after surviving a life-threatening bout with double-pneumonia, the doctor who coordinated the pontiff’s ﬁve-week hospitalization said Saturday “I find him very lively,” Dr Sergio Alﬁeri said, after visiting the pope at his apartment in the Santa Marta Domus on Wednesday, three days after his release from Rome’s Gemelli hospital. “I believe that he will return if not to 100%, 90% of where he was before.”

Alfieri said the pope’s voice was regaining strength, and that his reliance on supplemental oxygen has decreased. The limited mobility of his arm was due to an unspecified trauma he sustained before being hospitalized, and that will take time to heal, Alfieri said.

The 88-year-old pope was hospitalized on Feb. 14 after a long bout with bronchitis that left him breathless at times, and which quickly developed into double pneumonia and revealed a polymicrobial (viral, bacterial and fungal) respiratory infection Throughout the ordeal, doctors emphasized the complexity of his condition, given his age, lack of mobility requiring a wheelchair, and the removal of part of a lung as a young man.

Alﬁeri repeated that he didn’t think the pope would make it after a severe respiratory crisis a week after being hospitalized, and he informed the pope that a “decisive” treatment necessary to save him would put his organs at risk.

“He gave his consent, and then he looked a Massimiliano Streppetti, whom he named his personal health assistant who assumed the responsibility to say, ‘We approve everything,” said Alﬁeri.

Alﬁeri preferred to describe the treatment as “decisive,” and not aggressive, and emphasized that no extraordinary, lifeextending measures were ever taken.

While Francis beat the double pneumonia in the hospital, Alfieri said he is continuing to treat the fungal infection, which he said will take months to resolve.

Dr Peter Marks sent a letter to Acting FDA Commissioner Sara Brenner on Friday saying that he would resign and retire by April 5 as director of the Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research In his letter, which was obtained by The Associated Press, Marks said he was “willing to work” to address the concerns expressed by Robert F. Kennedy Jr about the safety of vaccinations. But he concluded that wasn’t possible.

“It has become clear that truth and transparency are not desired by the Secretary, but rather he wishes subservient conﬁrmation of his misinformation and lies,” he wrote.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services did not respond to a request for comment.

Marks was offered the choice of resigning or being ﬁred by Kennedy according to a former FDA official familiar with the discussions, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he didn’t have permission to discuss the matter publicly

Kennedy has a long history of spreading anti-vaccine misinformation, al-

Marks is credited with coining the name and concept for “Operation Warp Speed,” the effort under President Donald Trump to rapidly manufacture vaccines while they were still being tested for safety and efﬁcacy The initiative cut years off the normal development process.

Despite the project’s success, Trump repeatedly lashed out at the FDA for not approving the ﬁrst COVID shots even sooner Trump told conﬁdants after his 2020 loss that he would have been reelected if the vaccine had been available before Election Day

The resignation followed news Friday that HHS plans to lay off 10,000 workers and shut down entire agencies, including ones that oversee billions of dollars in funds for addiction services and community health centers across the country

In a post on social media Thursday, Kennedy criticized the department he oversees as an inefﬁcient “sprawling bureaucracy.” He also faulted the department’s 82,000 workers for a decline in Americans’ health.

Marks, who could not be reached for comment, also raised concerns in his letter about “efforts currently being advanced by some on the adverse health effects of vaccination are concerning” as well as the “unprecedented assault on scientiﬁc truth that has adversely impacted public health in our nation.”

Belgrade, Serbia

Earthquake death toll rises above 1,600

BY GRANT PECK and JINTAMAS SAKSORNCHAI Associated Press

BANGKOK A unilateral partial ceaseﬁre to facilitate earthquake relief efforts was announced on Saturday by Myanmar’s shadow National Unity Government, which coordinates the popular struggle against the ruling military The country’s death toll from the disaster soared to 1,644.

The figure was a sharp rise compared to the 1,002 announced just hours earlier, highlighting the difficulty of confirming casualties over a widespread region and the likelihood that the numbers will continue to grow from Friday’s 7.7-magnitude quake. The number of injured increased to 3,408, while the missing figure rose to 139. In neighboring Thailand, the death toll increased to 10. The quake rocked the greater Bangkok area, home to around 17 million people, and other parts of the country Many places in the north reported damage, but the only casualties were reported in Bangkok, the capital.

Nine of the fatalities were at the site of the collapsed high-rise under construction near Bangkok’s Chatuchak market, while 78 people were still unaccounted for.

On Saturday, more heavy equipment was brought in to move the tons of rubble, but hope was fading among friends and relatives.

“I was praying that that they had survived, but when I got here and saw the ruin — where could they be?”

said 45-year-old Naruemol Thonglek, sobbing as she awaited news about her partner, who is from Myanmar, and five friends who worked at the site. In Myanmar, rescue efforts so far are focused on the major stricken cities of Mandalay, the country’s No. 2 city, and Naypyitaw, the capital.

But even though teams and equipment have been ﬂown in from other nations, they are hindered by damage to airports. Satellite photos from Planet Labs PBC analyzed by The Associated Press show that the earthquake toppled the air trafﬁc control tower at Naypyitaw International Airport as if

the People’s Defense Force, will implement a two-week pause in offensive military operations starting Sunday in earthquake-affected areas and it would also collaborate with the U.N. and international nongovernmental organizations “to ensure security, transportation, and the establishment of temporary rescue and medical camps,” in the areas it controls.

The resistance organization said it reserved the right to ﬁght back in defense if attacked.

blocked off by authorities on Saturday

sheared from its base. It wasn’t immediately clear if there had been any casualties from its collapse. Another major complication is the civil war roiling much of the country, including the quake-affected areas. In 2001, the military seized power from the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi, sparking what has since turned into signiﬁcant armed resistance.

Government forces have lost control of much of Myanmar, and many places

are incredibly dangerous or simply impossible for aid groups to reach. More than 3 million people have been displaced by the fighting and nearly 20 million are in need, according to the United Nations.

The interplay of politics and disaster was demonstrated Saturday night, when Myanmar’s shadow National Unity Government announced a unilateral partial ceasefire to facilitate earthquake relief efforts. It said its armed wing,

The earthquake struck midday Friday with an epicenter not far from Mandalay, followed by several aftershocks, including one measuring 6.4. It sent buildings in many areas toppling to the ground, buckled roads and caused bridges to collapse.

In Naypyitaw, crews worked Saturday to repair damaged roads, while electricity, phone and internet services remained down for most of the city The earthquake brought down many buildings, including multiple units that housed government civil servants, but that section of the city was

An initial report on earthquake relief efforts issued Saturday by the U.N. Ofﬁce for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said that it’s allocating $5 million from a Central Emergency Response Fund for “lifesaving assistance.” The immediate planned measures include a convoy of 17 cargo trucks carrying critical shelter and medical supplies from China that is expected to arrive on Sunday, it said. It noted the severe damage or destruction of many health facilities, and warned of a “severe shortage of medical supplies is hampering response efforts, including trauma kits, blood bags, anaesthetics, assistive devices, essential medicines and tents for health workers.”

Myanmar’s friends and neighbors have already brought in rescue personnel and relief materials. China and Russia are the largest suppliers of weapons to Myanmar’s military, and were among the ﬁrst to step in with humanitarian aid.

La. native, 108, believed to be oldest surviving WWII paratrooper, dies

ther did.”

BY HALLIE GOLDEN Associated Press

Sgt. Joe Harris, believed to be the oldest surviving World War II paratrooper and a member of the U.S. Army’s ﬁrst all-Black parachute infantry battalion, has died. He was 108. Harris died March 15 in a hospital in Los Angeles surrounded by family grandson Ashton Pittman told The Associated Press. He will be honored with a full military funeral Saturday “He was a very loving, loving, loving man,” said Pittman. “That was one of the things that he was very strict upon was loving one another.”

Robert L. Bartlett, a retired Eastern Washington University professor who specializes in the 555th. In 1944 and 1945, the Japanese launched thousands of the balloons to be carried by the Paciﬁc jet stream to the U.S. mainland to explode and start ﬁres.

During World War II, Black Americans were often relegated to more supportlevel jobs in the racially segregated military and President Franklin Roosevelt faced pressure to put them in combat units. As a result, the military recruited Harris and hundreds of other Black men, trained them and sent them into blazes on the West Coast Bartlett said. Throughout their time in the military, they faced overt racism, including being barred from going to the base commissary and officer’s clubs unless they were speciﬁcally for Black people.

man, who said his grandfather was brave enough to serve the U.S. “during a time when the country didn’t love him, honestly, didn’t care about him.”

Harris was born on June 19, 1916, in West Dale, Louisiana, according to Tracie Hunter, spokesperson for WWII Beyond The Call, a nonproﬁt organization that works to document veterans’ accounts. After ﬁlling out his draft registration card, he began his military service in 1941 when he was 24.

to follow in his grandfather’s airborne footsteps.

For a week, he did paratrooper jump training in Corsicana, Texas, through the Liberty Jump Team, an organization that works to preserve the memory of veterans.

“When I got my wings, I actually broke down and started crying because everything in that moment just resonated with me,” he said.

“It was like, dang, I’m literally doing what my grandfa-

Shortly before Harris’ death, he got a landing zone, in Tuskegee, Alabama, dedicated in his name. Pittman said he plans to be the very ﬁrst person to jump in the Sgt. Joe Harris Dropzone.

Harris was among the last surviving members of the historic 555th Parachute Infantry Battalion, nicknamed the Triple Nickles. The battalion helped protect the U.S. from deadly Japanese balloon bombs, according to

“This unit had to fight to be recognized as human beings while training to fight an enemy overseas, fight in their own country for respect even within the military,” Bartlett said That was not lost on Pitt-

By the time he was honorably discharged in November 1945, he had completed 72 parachute jum ing to Hunter After the war, for the U.S. Bor He also spent mo years in Compton, where Pittman sa the neighborhood a man everyone on knew and gravitat

“His life is to be ed,” Pittman said. Pittman said that father would someti him if he would e out of a plane. In Pittman had the opportuni

TheW.R.IrbyCommittee and theBoard of Directors of theLouisiana State Museum areoffering ﬂoor space for Commercial Rental at 537StAnn St in the Historic Lower Pontalba Building in Jackson Square, NewOrleans, LA.All Applicants interested are encouraged to visit thewebsite: louisianastatemuseum.org and complete theﬁllable PDF form. The deadline to submit proposals is: WEDNESDAY,APRIL 16,2025 AT NOON. Forany additionalquestions, please email us at: LowerPontalba@crt.la.gov

a positive work environmentand asupportive culturefor all. Senior leadersshare theirthoughts aboutwhatthisrecognition meansand thekeysto theNOENMCC’s continuedsuccess. Howdoyoudeﬁneyourorganization’smission andvalues?

“Our missionistodeliver unrivaledresults forour internal andexternalcustomers in safe hospitable,exceptionally well-maintainedfacilities throughinnovativeand collaborativeefforts that contributesigniﬁcantbeneﬁtstothe NewOrleans andLouisiana economy,”saidAlita Caparotta, InterimPresident andCEO.“Throughinnovation andcollaboration,wehelpdrive economic opportunities across local, regionaland statelevelswhile championingthe vibrantculture of NewOrleans.” Howwouldyoudescribeyour organizationalculture?

“Our cultureempowersour teamstoexecute ourvision: to be aleading-edgeorganization knownfor innovative delivery of exceptional eventexperiences in aworld-class destination, Caparottasaid. Whatadvicewouldyougivetootherorganizationswho want to improvetheir ownculture?

Caparottanoted that enhancingworkplace culturerequiresbotha commitment from leadership andactiveengagementfromemployees.One good startingpoint is for organizational leadersto clearlydeﬁne andcommunicate theircorevalues, then ensure thoseare reﬂected in dailyoperations anddecision-making

“Investing in professional development, recognizingachievementsand promotingworklife balanceare also keytomaintaina positive culture,” shesaid. “Encouraging collaboration andteam-building strengthensconnections and enhances overallworkplace satisfaction.Byprioritizingthese aspects, organizations cancultivate an environment whereemployees feel fulﬁlled, motivatedand committedtolong-term success.

of People Services andInnovation. “Inreturn, we strive to provideanenvironment whereemployees canthrivebothpersonallyand professionally.Our cultureisdedicated to fosteringa positive and inclusiveworkplace,while ouriCollab innovation laboffersemployees aplatformtoexplore new ideasand take bold creative risks.

TumminelloaddedthateventsliketheSPICE-tacular CrawﬁshCook-off bringemployees together in aspiritoffunandcamaraderiewhilestrengthening team bondsand celebratingsuccess.

Beyondworkplaceculture,NOENMCCiscommittedtobroaderworkforcedevelopment,investing$12 millionineducation andtrainingprograms.

“Thisincludessupportinginstitutionslikethe NewOrleans Culinary andHospitality Institute, ensuring that employees andaspiringprofessionals have access to valuable learningopportunities Tumminello said Howare youabletohireand retain strong employees?

TumminellosaidtheworkofNOENMCCrequires adedicated andskilled workforce.The venuehas more than 1.1million square feet of space, more than 780,000annualvisitorsand hostsmorethan 100eventsper year.Toattract andretaintop talent to meet thedemands of that scaleofoperations, NOENMCCoffersdynamic career opportunities, professionalgrowthpathwaysand acompetitive compensation andbeneﬁtspackage that includes paid time off,paidholidays, life insurance, longterm disability coverage andparking

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XINHUA NEWS AGENCy PHOTO By MyO KyAW SOE Locals pass by a collapsed building Saturday in Mandalay, Myanmar, after an earthquake.

Harris

While researchers understand the large-scale environmental factors that help fuel the phenomenon — warm sea-surface temperatures, low wind shear, moist air — much of the process remains a mystery

“What’s harder to predict,” Dunion said, “is how fast the inner core, that heart of the storm, can change in a short period of time.”

Part of the problem is that it’s not easy to get to the core of the hurricane. But experimental tools that researchers think could help improve rapid intensiﬁcation forecasting showed promise during the 2024 Atlantic hurricane season. And it was a good season for testing — it saw a boom in episodes of rapid intensiﬁcation, nearly double the average of the past 10 years.

A few standouts in a vast ﬁeld of ever-evolving technology are aimed at collecting data from within the hard-to-reach parts of a storm, where Dunion said researchers believe answers to the rapid intensification riddle could be hiding.

“That’s the part that we still need to understand better,” Dunion said.

Three pieces of new technology came up repeatedly in conversations with Dunion and other hurricane specialists: the tail Doppler radar, StreamSondes and drones.

“flying laboratory” that allows researchers to fly into hurricanes to create a 3D X-ray of a storm, the tail Doppler radar consists of a dish inside a cone on the tail of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Hurricane Hunter aircraft, Dunion said It continuously measures wind speeds and rainfall as researchers fly through storms. Hurricane Hunters can safely fly through only the tops of storms, generally at around 10,000 feet, but Du-

nion said the tail Doppler radar allows researchers to gather data from deep within a hurricane, as low as just above the ocean’s surface. With a 3D rendering of the entire storm, researchers can better see things like whether its inner core is tilting, which happens when the center of a storm’s circulation in the lower and middle levels of the atmosphere are not vertically aligned. Stronger hurricanes tend to have aligned centers, while weaker storms tend to tilt Researchers think tilting, or the lack thereof, could have some correlation to rapid intensification, Dunion said. The tail Doppler radar could help them ﬁnd out for sure.

Joseph Cione, the lead meteorologist for emerging technologies with NOAA’s Hurricane Research Division, said his team is focused on closing that same data gap with the lower core

of storms, which, really, are the parts that impact people and land.

“No one lives at 10,000 feet, right?” Cione said. “We all live down here.”

Tiny weather stations called StreamSondes, which are about the size of a jar of tomato sauce and weigh just 14 grams, are dropped out of Hurricane Hunter airplanes directly into storms. StreamSondes measure temperature, humidity, pressure and wind speeds as they fall, transmitting the data back to researchers on the plane.

Cione said StreamSondes, which were released in high volumes for the ﬁrst time in 2024, are significantly smaller and lighter than previous generations of similar technology, allowing them to hover in the atmosphere for nearly twice as long. And longer hang time means more data.

Researchers also found last season that if they re-

leased multiple StreamSondes at once into a storm, a process known as “swarm deployment,” they recorded varying wind speeds and other atmospheric measurements, even from within small sections of the same storm.

“So we learned that, wow, there’s more variability than we thought,” Cione said. Cione’s specialty, though, is drone technology. His niche interest for the past 20 or so years, Cione said drones always seemed like an obvious way for researchers to get to the most dangerous parts of hurricanes.

In 2005, Cione led the first successful unmanned aircraft flight into the core of a mature tropical storm, Ophelia. Two years later, he flew a drone into Hurricane Noel.

Researchers have come a long way since then, Cione said: His team conducted 19 drone deployments into

storms last season alone, breaking records for wind speeds, communication distance and durability The air-deployed drones Cione is testing now weigh about 3 pounds, have some steering capabilities and can ﬂy through a storm’s most intense winds for over an hour

Come June, Cione said he hopes to get that time up to two hours.

“So this hits the data void,” he said “This is an area we can’t get information.”

Despite strides in technology, the 2024 season proved to be a tough one for forecasters to nail down. Errors in the National Hurricane Center’s storm intensity forecasts were up in 2024 compared to years prior, thanks in part to an explosion in episodes of rapid intensiﬁcation.

John Cangialosi, a senior hurricane specialist at the NHC, said there were 34

episodes of rapid intensification which the NHC defines as an increase in sustained wind speeds of 35 mph in 24 hours recorded last year That’s compared to an average of 18 episodes per season over the past 10 years. Still, NHC trends suggest hurricane intensity forecasting has become increasingly accurate since 1990. There’s other evidence of movement in the right direction, too. When Cangialosi started his career at the NHC 19 years ago, he said forecasters might have guessed a storm would undergo rapid intensification, they might have discussed it with their colleagues, but they never would have said so in an official forecast. Now, they can forecast rapid intensification, and despite the phenomenon’s unpredictable nature, those forecasts are getting better

From 2010 to 2014, Cangialosi said NHC intensity forecasts were generally about 25 to 30 mph too low for storms that rapidly intensiﬁed. So if forecasters predicted a storm would peak with winds of 100 mph, it would end up with winds of 125 mph. Cangialosi called that a “big miss.”

“Today that error has been cut in half,” he said.

Cangialosi said that kind of progress in forecasting, which translates to lives and property saved, wouldn’t have been possible without advancements in data gathering and storm hunting technology, which some experts worry could be threatened by the Trump Administration’s cuts to NOAA.

“Any decrease in data at all would hurt,” Cangialosi said. “From a perspective of data ﬁrst, the more data you can get, the better your ability is to analyze the current state and make predictions. And the Hurricane Hunter data set is still the best for hurricane analysis and predictions.”

Email Kasey Bubnash at kasey.bubnash@ theadvocate.com.

PHOTO PROVIDED By NOAA

Hurricane researcher Jason Dunion works during a mission aboard a Hurricane Hunter, an aircraft that can safely fly through the tops of storms, generally at around 10,000 feet.

Hidden gems:

How nine Louisianamuseums attract global visitors,preservehistory and boost localeconomies

By Amanda McElfresh,amcelfresh@theadvocate.com

Thisarticle is broughttoyou by theLouisiana SecretaryofState’s

Last year,Secretary of StateNancy Landry was on avisit to theDelta MusicMuseuminFerriday when shemet agroup of visitors from Norway.The travelers hadmadetheir wayacrossthe Atlantic Oceantothe smalltownonthe MississippiRiver forone reason –toexplore themuseumthatpays homage to bluegrass, gospel,blues androckabilly.

“I thoughtthatwas agreat example of theimpactthese museumshave on theircommunities,” Landry said.“In addition to beingagreat placefor localchildrenand adults to learnabout Louisianahistory they attractvisitorsfromall over theworld.Those visitors eatinthe localrestaurants andshopinlocal stores.That’sgoodfor theeconomies inthese areas, especially since many of thesemuseums areinour smaller towns.

In fact,upto40percent of thevisitors to theDelta MusicMuseumare from othercountries,saidmuseum director ShaunDavis.The museum centersits exhibits around cousins andFerridaynatives JerryLee Lewis, Mickey Gilley andJimmy Swaggart,eachofwhombecame famous musicians. Davissaidmost visitors arefansofatleast oneofthe performers,but endupleaving the museum with newfound knowledge aboutother popularartists

“Onceyoustarttodigalittledeeper, youunderstandhow much music, especially earlyrockand roll,was generatedfromthispartofLouisiana,”Davis said.“People come here forone exhibitthey’ve read about online,but they arealwaysamazed at ourdiversity.Anyonewho hasan interest in music, no matter where they arefrom, arecomingbecause they want to seeanimportant birthplaceofAmericanmusic.”

TheDelta MusicMuseumisone of nineinLouisiana that operate underthe SecretaryofState’s office becausetheyalign with itsmission to preserve,present andmakeaccessiblegovernmentinformation.The office hasamuseums division,led by Thomas Carmody. Each museum hasanindividualdirector, and many have localvolunteer groups that commit themselves to regular upkeep,fundraising andmarketing Each museum hasfreeadmission, andsomerentthe venues for events to createastreamofself-generated funds. Donationsare also accepted

“I can’t tell youhow many times people come to amuseumand the ﬁrst thingtheyask is theadmission price. That blowsthemawaywhen we sayit’sfree,”Carmody said.“Once they tour thesite, they askwhere the donation boxis. That creates anice senseofaccomplishmentbecause thevisitorsrecognizethatthisisa placeworth supporting.”

askfor in termsoffunding, coordinating between themuseums andstate agenciesand workingwith thelocal groups aboutwaystoenhance theirexhibits andeducation.”

At theGermantownColonyMuseum, many volunteerswho overseethe site,which includes several original buildingsthatdatebacknearly200 years,

Office

In BatonRouge,the OldGovernor’sMansion is anothersitethatdraws visitors from around the world, many of whom have heardofthe exploits of Huey Long andwanttosee thehomethatwas built forhim in theearly 1930s. Thebuildingwas home to nineLouisiana governors, includingLong, and features ahiddenstaircase,grand ballroom,watercooled solarium,RoseGarden and areplica of theOvalOffice

Exhibits at theDelta MusicMuseuminFerriday, La.showcasethe historyofvarious genres, including rock,blues andcountry

TheGermantownMuseumnearMindenoffersinsight into earlycommunallivingwith originalbuildingsand artifacts.

“Therearesomanystoriesabout Huey Long andwhata character he was. We ﬁndthatthe interest people have in him is agateway forthemtowanttovisit andlearn aboutmoreLouisianahistory,”said Dr.Sinella Aghasi,who oversees themansion.“We’retryingtotap into that more by building more educationalprograms, including alecture series foradultsand sessions tailored for K-12 students Oneofour goalsistoattract more families andhelpparents instill aloveofmuseums andhistory in theirchildren.”

Landry said theSecretary of State’sofficeregularly receives positive feedback on themuseums’ management,quality andoverall operations.While some otherstate leadershavediscussed moving the museumsfromthe Secretaryof State’soffice to another department,Landrysaidshe feelsthis wouldbeamistake,one that may notresultinany ﬁnancial savings andmay requirethe hiringofmore than 200new employees

“I thinkitwould be adisservice to thetaxpayers of Louisiana,” Landry said.“We manage these museumswell. Theemployees visitors andcommunity members arehappy with howthingsare now.I haven’theard of anyofthem wantingtomovetheir museum to anotheragency.”

Rather,the museum directors andsupportersare lookingfor ways to expand theirsites’impact on theircommunities.Davis said he waspleased with thedesignation of theFerridayDowntown EntertainmentDistrict, apolitical subdivisioncreatedforcooperative economic developmentpurposes. Hishopeisthatthe DeltaMusic Museum will become acatalyst in that district to spur investment andspendinginother businesses

Located in Lake Providence,the LouisianaCottonMuseumhas artifacts, farming tools, and exhibitsoncotton production’s impact on theeconomy andculture

AsidefromtheDeltaMusicMuseum, theother sitesunder theSecretary of State’sOffice arethe EddieG Robinson Museum in Grambling, theGermantownColony Museum in Minden,the LouisianaState Cotton Museum in Lake Providence,the LouisianaState ExhibitMuseumin Shreveport, Louisiana’sOld StateCapitolinBaton Rouge, theLouisiana StateOil andGas Museum in OilCity, theMansﬁeldFemaleCollege Museum in Mansﬁeld andthe OldGovernor’sMansion in BatonRouge

“Thisisnot aproﬁt-drivenventure,” Carmodysaid. “These aremuseums establishedbypeoplewho live in thesecommunities andoperatedthemuntil the job became toobig forthem.That’swhere we come in.The statelegislature,inits generosity,appropriates fundstooperate andstaff thesemuseums.The Division of Administration hasdonea good job in thelastfew yearsinaddressingdeferredmaintenance. My role includes determiningwhatwecan

aredescendants of theoriginalsettlers. LarryHock, wholeads theFriends of theGermantownColony Museum,saidthe grouphandles minorrepairs and beautiﬁcation, whilethe statepitches in forlarger work like grass-cuttingand majormaintenance projects,including recently putting newroofs on twobuildings

“Wesee tourists from alloverthe worldand alot of people from differentstates,”Hocksaid. “You just don’t seea lotoflog cabins from the1830s in Louisiana. It’s averyuniquepiece of history. Theback porchofthe museum is probably oneofthe most scenic spots in NorthLouisiana.It’ssopeaceful andquiet.You look across thebig pastureand get asense that maybe this is what it waslikebackin the1800s whenthe original settlers were on this same land.”

“Thisdesignation meansmore potentialforgrantsandbondmoney to starttoredevelop some of the architecture here that is just waitingtoberevived,” Davissaid. “Our visitors arealwaysaskingabout places to eat nearby.We’dloveto help people developrestaurants perhaps an art gallery, or maybe even extend ourown museum There’sreasonfor optimism.We know we bringfolks downtown, so we want to take advantageof that to help therestofthe community.”

Carmodysaidheisworking with themuseums to ﬁndwaystoincorporate more technology into thevisitor experiences.Thatmay mean having QR codesinfront of artifactsand exhibits,which visitors couldscanwiththeir phones to learnmore details. Thereisalsothe option formoreinteractive exhibits andmultimediapresentations

“I wouldlovetosee themuseums be able to tell theirstory in amoreelectronicway becausesomuch of today’scommunication is acrossthatmedium,” Carmodysaid. “Whatwedoissoimportant because we arethe face of Louisianatothe people that walk into ourmuseums.Wewanttomakesureweare reachingthemina waythatismeaningful and accessible.”

changed in 200 years,” said Frank Borne Jr., former president of the Jefferson Historical Society “Jefferson is still anti-tax for the most part, and still tries to be the antithesis of New Orleans.”

As Jefferson Parish marks its bicentennial this year, officials are taking time to reflect with a series of special events and dedications, like a new pelican sculpture that was installed last month outside the parish building in Gretna. While much has changed in the last two centuries, including the demographic makeup of the parish, history shows that conflict has long defined attitudes on both sides of the Orleans-Jefferson line. Jeffersonians sometimes look down their collective nose at New Orleans’ failing infrastructure, political dysfunction and higher crime rate. In 1987, for example, the Parish Council ordered the erection of wood-and-steel barricades on two inter-parish streets, ostensibly to block access by New Orleans criminals Mayor Sidney Barthelemy promptly sent a bulldozer to raze the ramparts. From the other side, New Orleanians tend to stereotype Jefferson as a soulless, treeless expanse of concrete and cookie-cutter brick ranch houses, the residents of which benefit from New Orleans’ charms without paying its taxes. In 1978 and again in 1983, Mayor Dutch Morial tried to impose an earnings tax on commuters who worked in the city but lived elsewhere. Jefferson’s hackles were raised, and both attempts failed. Yet each side has been known to aid the other too. In 1907, when a fire raged down Sala Avenue, threatening to destroy every structure in Westwego, New Orleans ferried horse-drawn fire engines across the river to help suppress the flames, limiting the losses to 42

Early days

buildings, according to a 2000 Preservation in Print article by Tulane University geographer Richard Campanella. In the 1990s, during an especially alarming outburst

of violent crime in New Orleans, Jefferson Sheriff Harry Lee assigned deputies to help the city’s police force keep the peace. And the day after Hurricane Katrina struck in 2005, when

New Orleans Police Superintendent Eddie Compass called for help in his ﬂooded city, Lee sent over 200 semiautomatic pistols. Indeed, Jefferson Parish political and business leaders have often sounded a note of mutualism, saying

that as New Orleans goes, so goes Jefferson That might be more important than ever now, with both challenged by climate change and rising property insurance premiums as they seek to thrive again long after their populations peaked.

There is evidence of human civilization within what is now Jefferson Parish perhaps as far back as 500 B.C. in the form of Native American settlements. After Europeans arrived in the early 18th century, settlers began raising cattle, growing produce on truck farms, working at riverfront industries, ﬁshing and hunting in the territory The pirate Jean Laﬁtte made his headquarters at the southern tip of the territory on Grand Terre, just northeast of Grand Isle. Closer to the Mississippi River, some of the east bank plantations occupied what is now the Garden District, Uptown and Carrollton sections of New Orleans. In the first U.S. census after Jefferson Parish was created, in 1830, Jefferson’s population was 6,846, making it the 10th largest of the

ä See CHANGE, page 7A

STAFF PHOTO By SOPHIA GERMER

PHOTO PROVIDED By A. J TUDURy West Jefferson’s population growth was largely driven by the 1958 opening of the Greater New Orleans Bridge over the Mississippi River, now the Crescent City Connection, which kicked off large-scale housing construction.

state’s 31 parishes. Orleans Parish was No. 1, with 49,826 residents.

But as New Orleans’ population spread from the French Quarter across Canal Street into the American sector and beyond, and after today’s St. Charles Avenue streetcar line opened in 1833, the plantations were gradually subdivided and the land was sold for residential development.

Between 1852 and 1874, New Orleans clawed back some of its old territory, annexing three cities above Felicity Street — Lafayette, Jefferson and Carrollton — depriving Jefferson Parish of what today is considered some of the city’s most charming and valuable real estate.

The Jefferson City annexation, in 1870, provides another example of the clash between New Orleans and its suburb. Jefferson had strongly favored the Confederacy during the Civil War, and its White residents chafed afterward at federal occupation and the Reconstruction state government in Baton Rouge, Campanella says. Irked, Republican Gov. Henry Warmoth sought to replace the Jefferson City Council with his own appointees and dispatched the integrated Metropolitan Police. Over two days in 1869, the Metropolitan Police, backed by federal troops, fought with Jefferson City’s police and residents. Two people were killed and almost two dozen wounded.

“When the smoke cleared, Jefferson was an occupied city, and Warmoth’s appointees took power,” Campanella wrote in a 2017 article. By this time, canal digging had spurred more commerce on the West Bank, as did the arrival of railroads on both sides of the Mississippi. Land development also increased as automobiles grew popular early in the 20th century and cow paths became thoroughfares Fourth Street carried trafﬁc across six miles of the West Bank, and Jefferson Highway and Airline Highway stretched across the east bank. The draining of swampland triggered more development in East Jefferson.

Two of the big landowners who saw potential in Jefferson Parish were Henri Bonnabel and Louis H. Marrero Sr Bonnabel was a chemist from Paris who moved to New Orleans the year that Jefferson Parish came into being and, in 1836, bought a large tract of vacant land in Metairie. He and his descendants developed the Bonnabel Place and Old Homestead subdivisions.

Marrero was a Mississippi native and Confederate Army veteran who moved to Jefferson Parish in 1881 and soon entered politics.

Marrero was sheriff from 1896 to 1920, during which time he also was president of Jefferson Commercial & Savings Bank He began buying land and in 1904

formed Marrero Land & Improvement Association, which amassed hundreds if not thousands of acres. Marrero’s descendants still control the privately held family company, a major player in West Bank real estate circles.

The big boom It was after World War II that Jefferson’s population exploded, much as suburbs burgeoned across the United States when soldiers returned home and with new wives started the Baby Boom generation. Special loans for military veterans, rising living standards and a desire for more space combined with cheaper land and new, single-family detached houses to make it happen. Notably, housing discrimination was still legal at this time one reason that Jefferson grew to be a White middle class suburb. In 1946 alone, two big employment bases opened in East Jefferson. One was New Orleans’ new airport, Moisant Field, on the cane ﬁelds once owned by Minor Kenner The other was Ochsner Clinic, which opened its first hospital at Camp Plauche, a former military base in what is now Elmwood Jefferson’s population doubled in the 1940s, and doubled again in the 1950s. East Jefferson’s third major east-west thoroughfare, after Jefferson and Airline highways, opened in 1956, when Veterans Memorial Boulevard was completed. West Jefferson’s population growth was largely driven by the 1958 opening of the Greater New Orleans Bridge, now the Crescent City Connection, which kicked off large-scale housing construction. By 1960, Jefferson had ballooned to 208,769 people, No. 4 among 64 parishes. And it was the last year that Jefferson would give a majority of its votes to a Democrat running for president, John F Kennedy

That was also the year that New Orleans’ population peaked, at 627,525, and, fatefully, the year that the city began desegregating its public schools, prompting even more White families to move to the suburbs. That demographic wave, along with its internal population growth, came so fast that Jefferson could not build schools fast enough to accommodate everyone; some schools ran platoon schedules into the 1970s, with one set of students in the morn-

ing and another in the afternoon.

Because it played out in the political arena and in the courts, New Orleans’ school desegregation has often been seen as the major driver of Jefferson’s population growth. It was important, to be sure, but hardly the only stimulus.

“They absolutely were taking their kids out of integrated schools,” said Justin Nystrom, chair of the history department at Loyola University “But they also wanted two bathrooms and three bedrooms and a yard and a driveway They wanted the suburban lifestyle.”

The completion of Interstate 10 through East Jefferson in the 1960s made it even easier to live in Jefferson and work in New Orleans or elsewhere in the region.

But by the 1970s, Jefferson had shed some of its image as bedroom community It had its own private employment clusters in the airport (now named New Orleans International), Elmwood Business Park, Ochsner, Lakeside Shopping Center and major industry lining the Mississippi River and the Harvey Canal on the West Bank.

When the oil bust hit in the mid-1980s however Jefferson’s population actually decreased for the ﬁrst time in a century It fell to 448,306 by 1990, still No. 2 in Louisiana, and has not changed appreciably since then Jefferson closed six of its public schools in 2012 and another six in 2023, largely due to declining enrollment, and some of its public playgrounds see hardly any youths anymore.

Thirty years peaking, New Orleans’ population in 1990 was 496,938. Since Hurricane Katrina depopulated the city in 2005, it has never eclipsed 400,000. It’s now the third most populous parish, after East Baton Rouge and Jefferson.

The big gainer since 1960: St. Tammany Parish, which has climbed from No. 21 to No. 5 — in part as secondand third-generation Jeffersonians moved from the inner ring suburb where they grew up to the exurb across Lake Pontchartrain.

Older, more diverse

It’s not just the population numbers that have changed, however Jefferson is racially more diverse and relatively poorer, too. And the suburb is aging faster than the rest of the country Its median age, 39.9 years, is higher than and rising faster than that of the state and the U.S.

Jefferson’s poverty rate, 9.5% in 1980, has since risen to 15.2%. And in 1980, about 1 in 5 of Jefferson’s census tracts had a poverty rate higher than 20%; now it’s almost 1 in 2.

At the same time, Jefferson’s racial makeup has diversiﬁed. As late as 2000, two thirds of its residents identiﬁed as non-Hispanic White. In 2020, less than half did.

The major reason: An inﬂux of Hispanic/Latino residents. They made up 7% of Jefferson’s population in 2000, and 18% in 2020.

These shifts are reﬂected in inner-ring suburbs across the nation.

“While many of these communities are doing well or even thriving, others have encountered serious challenges with population loss, increasing poverty, declining household incomes, retail vacancies and dead shopping malls,” wrote Aaron M. Renn, a senior fellow at the Manhattan Institute, in a 2017 article in Governing magazine.

Max Krochmal, a U.S. history professor at the University of New Orleans, said inner ring suburbs that were established as havens for White ﬂight eventually saw their residents move even farther from the urban core.

“But they didn’t necessarily leave those spaces empty; other people moved into them,” Krochmal said. “And that included African Americans of a certain amount of means, White working class people who hadn’t been able to get into that housing stock previously and, since the 1980s in particular, immigrants from Latin America and elsewhere.”

Indeed, immigration has been a major factor in keeping Jefferson Parish’s overall population steady, instead of falling. Kenner for example, has become a magnet for immigrants from Latin America, to the point that it’s known throughout the region for its Hispanic restaurants and grocery stores.

“So looking at Jefferson Parish now, we have on the one hand places that you might think of as in decline or stagnating And certainly maybe from its ‘50s, ‘60s, ‘Happy Days’ White history,

that may be true,” Krochmal said. “But if you zoom out or switch perspective, we could think of Jefferson Parish as having become more accessible and more inclusive and more diverse, and that’s why the population numbers have stayed the same rather than dropping.”

“What we see from history is that efforts to maintain homogeneous areas haven’t worked and come at a great human cost in terms of our social relations as a community.”

Jeff Adelson contributed to this report.

Springtime in NewOrleans is synonymous with festival season —and nothingcan ruin a perfectday of music, food,and funfaster than uncomfortableshoes.That’swhy Orleans Shoe Co., whichhas beenserving thecitysince 2002,isdedicated to keepinglocalsand visitors comfortableastheydance theirway through Jazz Fest,FrenchQuarter Fest,and beyond With personalized fittings, custom-fit arch supports,and awideselection of comfortable designer shoes, OrleansShoeCo. helpsfestival goersstayontheir feet allday long

“Wereallytakecareofour customers. We gettoknowthemand work to understand what theirneeds aresothatwecan getthe proper ﬁt forthem. We want them to feel theirbest,”said Phil Piediscalzo, co-owner of OrleansShoeCo. OrleansShoeCo. hasfourphysicallocationsinthe NewOrleans metropolitan area whichinclude twolocationsinMetairie, alongwithone on Magazine Street,and one in theFrenchQuarter.The stores have alarge inventorywitha rangeofsizes—evensizes that arenot readily availableatmostshoestores, such as narrow,wide, anddeep. Customers’ favorite brands includeBirkenstocks, Hoka, theCloud collection from ON,and thenew Oncept line,which is knownfor itsinnovative andrelaxed design that utilizes recycled materialsand is manufactured viaenvironmentally sustainable practices

Alongwiththeir diverseinventory,Orleans Shoe Co.has developedits ownbrand of custom arch supports designed to providerelieffrom common foot issues like plantarfasciitis,heel spurs, andarchpain. Thesesupportscan be tailored to each customer’s unique foot shape andcomfort needs. AccordingtoPiediscalzo,popular brands the public knowsand loveslikeNew Balance, Cole Haan,andEccoarealwayskeptinstock.Inadditiontopopularcomfortbrands,OrleansShoeCo is committedtosourcingunique, high-quality products—includinglocallycrafteditems—that alignwiththeir focusoncomfort,ﬁt, andstyle

“Customerscan expect that we aregoing to take care of them andtreat them like afriend,” saidPiediscalzo.“Weofferthatold-schoolservice whereyou canactuallycomeintothe storeand talk to someoneand explainwhat’sgoing on.” OrleansShoeCo. seekstoconnect personally with each customer.Whenshopperscome to thestore,theyreceive acomplimentary ﬁtting consultation with atrained specialist.The evaluation consistsoftakingprecise measurements of both thelengthand widthofthe feet,aswellas usinga Bauerfeind Impression Padtogauge the height of thearches, pressure points andoverall foot alignment. Equipped with this information, staff membersare then empoweredtosuggest optimalshoebrandsand designs.

“Mydad hashis shoe storeonthe Northshore wheremygrandmotherand Iworkedwithhim formanyyears.So, Icomefromthe time when youwould lace up people’s shoesfor them,” Piediscalzosaid. “It’sabout really helpingthe customer,not just handingthema shoe and lettingthemput it on themselves.”

ThePiediscalzofamilyname,whichironically means“barefoot”inItalian,carries with it a legacy of down-to-earthcustomerservice and communityinvolvement that remainsatthe core of OrleansShoeCo. AccordingtoRenee Piediscalzo, co-owner of OrleansShoeCo owninga business in NewOrleans also means beinganactiveparticipant in thecommunity here.Whether it’s paying attentiontothe unique cultural celebrations,likeMardi Gras or spring festivals, or supporting localnon-proﬁtcauses such as theTimes-PicayuneDolland ToyFund or theTeamGleason Foundation,the Orleans Shoe Co.looks to fulﬁll theirdistinctive role in thelifeofthe city

Here is what the failed amendments sought to change in the Louisiana Constitution.

Amendment 1

State lawmakers would have gained the power to create regional and statewide specialty courts, examples of which include drug, mental health and veterans courts.

Currently legislators can only create specialty courts within a parish or a judicial district. Amendment 1 would have also clariﬁed that, under the Louisiana Constitution, the state Supreme Court has authority over disciplinary cases involving misconduct by out-of-state attorneys doing legal work in Louisiana. The current constitutional language says the Supreme Court has authority over “disciplinary proceedings against a member of the bar.”

Proponents said the amendment would give state lawmakers flexibility to set up needed legal forums like business courts and ensure the state can punish bad actors who don’t live here. Opponents, however, said those pushing for the broader jurisdictional limits for courts hadn’t revealed exactly which kinds of courts they wanted to create nor the real reason behind the change

Amendment 2

This amendment would have restructured one of the 14 articles of the Louisiana Constitution that governs state taxes and ﬁnance

The legislation itself included dozens of changes. But at a broad level, Amendment 2 would have given state lawmakers more power to decide which revenue streams should fund government and how to spend those funds.

This would have been accomplished by moving some of the state’s tax and budgeting policies out of the constitution, where any policy change requires voter approval, and into state statute,

PROPOSED AMENDMENT NO. 4

Changes the timing of ﬁlling a judicial vacancy or newly created judgeship so special elections coincide with regular elections. YES

JEFFERSON PARISH 271 of 271 precincts

which can be changed by lawmakers without a vote of the people.

Some constitutionally protected education trust funds would have been liquidated, and approximately $2 billion would have gone toward paying down a portion of debt in the Teachers’ Retirement System of Louisiana. Savings from that debt payment would have funded a $2,000 salary increase for teachers and $1,000 salary increase for support staff.

The amendment would have made it more difﬁcult for lawmakers to create new tax-break programs by requiring a two-thirds vote of the Legislature rather than a simple majority New property tax exemptions would have

PARISH COUNCIL, DISTRICT 1

Timothy Kerner Jr., R 36%(r)

Andrea Manuel, D 36%(r)

Ricky Templet, R 28%

GRETNA CITY COUNCIL, DISTRICT 4

Robert “Bobby” Black, R 45%

Randy Carr, R 55%

WESTWEGO CITY COUNCIL

DISTRICT 1

Maggie “May” Campbell, D 19%

Jason LeBlanc, R 23%

John I. “Johnny”

Shaddinger Jr., D 58%

DISTRICT 2

Timothy “Tim”

Matherne, R 27%

Johnny Nobles Jr., R..........73%

DISTRICT 5

Robert “Bobby B”

Bonvillian, R 50%

Larry Warino, R 50%

WEST JEFFERSON LEVEE

DISTRICT PROPOSITION

Renew 4.75 mills for 10 years starting in 2028 for construction and repair of levees and maintenance of the Bayou Segnette Complex, Harvey Sector Gate Complex and the

needed a three-fourths vote.

Seniors age 65 and older would have been eligible to double their standard income tax deduction.

A constitutional cap on the state individual income tax rate will not decrease from 4.75% to 3.75%, nor will a constitutional limit be placed on how much state government can increase spending from one year to the next.

Proponents said Amendment 2 would streamline government and allow legislators to change economic development policies that are holding back the state. Opponents argued the policy changes would hurt the average individual taxpayer, and voters couldn’t truly understand the policy implications of the

district’s share of the West Closure Complex. YES 37% NO 63%

ORLEANS PARISH

280 of 349 precincts

LAKEVIEW CRIME PREVENTION DISTRICT PROPOSITION Levees an annual ﬂat fee on each parcel within the Lakeview Crime Prevention District of up to $150 for 10 years beginning 2027 to be used for crime prevention and security, except for a 1% city collection fee. YES ........................................55% NO 45%

PLAQUEMINES

PARISH

17 of 17 precincts PARISHWIDE CHARTER AMENDMENT PROPOSITION

Amends the charter to create the Plaquemines Port Commission as the governing authority of the Plaquemines Port, Harbor and Terminal District for matters set forth in council ordinance No. 24-190.

YES 32% NO 68%

ST. JAMES PARISH 20 of 20 precincts LAW ENFORCEMENT DISTRICT MILLAGE RENEWAL Continues to levy

complicated amendment.

Amendment 3

This proposed amendment would have allowed state lawmakers to expand the list of crimes for which juveniles age 16 and younger could be treated as adults in the criminal court system. Currently, juveniles can only be charged as adults for 16 speciﬁc felonies listed in the constitution, most of which are violent offenses like murder and rape.

Amendment 3 would have thrown out that list and allowed lawmakers to choose

to have juveniles charged as adults for any felony offense.

Proponents said the change would help legislators respond more effectively to the state’s crime problems and make communities safer Opponents said sending more young people to adult prisons is not an effective crime prevention strategy

Amendment 4

This amendment would have changed the timeline for elections for vacant and newly created judicial seats. Under the amendment, elections for these seats

would have been held during a gubernatorial or congressional election happening within 12 months, or “on the election date first available pursuant to applicable law” passed by the Legislature. Currently, the constitution says they must be held within 12 months of a vacancy

Proponents said the change would potentially reduce the number of elections the state must hold as well as election administration costs. Some opponents said changes to

Twohundred SouthLouisiana families recently walked away with $50worth offreegroceries from Ralph’sMarket in Gonzales,courtesyofPelican State Credit Union.

ExcitedshopperslinedupforthePelican Pays giveaway as earlyas7 a.m. In addition to free groceriesand Pelicanbags, Pelicanteammembers greetedshoppers outsidethe storewithexclusive Pelican cups androuxspoons.

“Thisparticularevent requires alot of people to help out,”saidLeigh Porta, Pelican’sChief Growth Officer. “It’san exciting opportunity in particular for ourbackoffice teamstomeetwiththe public.Wehavea lotofteammembers from departmentslikecompliance, risk management andaccountingwho areabletoget outofthe office fora day, andtheylovethat. We’relucky to have greatpeoplewho arealwaysexcited to give back.”

Portasaidthe events nowknown as PelicanPaysbegan severalyears ago when employees andleaderswould stop into localrestaurants andcoffee shopsto buymeals for allcustomers. Today, the programhas been formalizedwiththe cooperationoflocalbusinesses, including Ralph’sMarket.

“One of thebestthingsabout working

for Pelicanisthatnoideaistoo big,” Portasaid. “Thisstarted with some folks sharingideas andthinkingthiswould be somethinggreat forthe community. We love this direct form of community supportthathas an immediateimpact on people.”

Portaadded that outreach events like PelicanPaysare aperfect example of thecompany’s “boots on theground philosophy when it comestocommunity support.

“Wefeelthatisthe bestway to earn thetrust of thecommunity,” shesaid “We’re neverjustgoing to sponsor an eventwhere ournameorlogoison a banner.Wewanttobethere volunteering andhelping out. We feel it is much more rewardingtoshowour dedication with action rather than just words.”

PelicanState Credit Unionserves membersacrossthenationandhasmultiple locationsthroughoutLouisiana.Pelican workswithmembers in everystage of theirlives with awidearray of ﬁnancial programs andcompetitive products.As a designated CommunityDevelopmental FinancialInstitution (CDFI),Pelican is committedtoprovidingﬁnancialsolutions to individuals, families,and communities in underservedmarkets.Tolearn more, visitpelicanstatecu.com.

While Martin’s report pointed to opportunities where ports can grow bulk and break-bulk cargo trafﬁc in energy forestry products and metals, it also concluded that it would take large infrastructure investments as well as big economic development wins before the region could begin to win back container ship market share that has been lost to Houston, Mobile, Alabama and other regional ports in recent decades.

“It’s difﬁcult because it’s highly emotional,” said Martin after his Baton Rouge presentation, speaking of the investment choices facing the ports.

Laying the groundwork

The ports on the lower Mississippi have a storied past and remain vital to trade in the U.S., handing almost two-thirds of the country’s grain exports. Collectively the ports also handle about 20% of the nation’s petroleum and other energy commodities. But volume overall has stagnated amid recurring droughts and floods affecting grain production and river levels Also, a lack of investment in infrastructure, including storage capacity, and disruptions from tariffs have stymied cargo growth, the report said.

A particular concern has been containerized shipping, where New Orleans has lost out as container vessels have grown to account for about half the value of U.S. imports and exports

Since 2000, Houston has seen its container volume triple to more than 4 million standard 20-foot units a year Mobile’s volume has gone from a negligible amount to more than 560,000 units, driven mainly by the Hyundai Motor plant that came online in 2005 in Montgomery and a large Walmart distribution center built in 2018 near Mobile. Over the same period, the

Port of New Orleans’ container volume has remained little changed, at about 500,000 units.

The purpose of the Martin report was to lay the groundwork for the Louisiana Waterways Investment Commission, a body set up last year by Gov Jeff Landry with the aim of stemming years of parochial inﬁghting over scarce resources and to set out a common strategy to make the state’s three dozen ports — especially the big ﬁve lower Mississippi River ports — more competitive.

‘Staying competitive’

The report comes as the state and ports are weighing billions of dollars in potential investment on a new downriver container terminal and related transportation infrastructure.

The focus has mainly been on the Port of New Orleans’ proposed terminal at Violet in Saint Bernard Parish. The cost of that project has been estimated at $1.8 billion, though it is currently under review to take account of an agreement in January with the International Longshoreman’s Association New cost estimates would also have to factor in higher materials and labor costs since the project was ﬁrst announced four years ago.

Port NOLA’s project — known as the Louisiana International Terminal — also would require a new road link connecting the terminal

with the interstate about 10 miles away Called the St. Bernard Transportation Corridor, it is still being studied by the Regional Planning Commission. The state has earmarked $230 million for the road project, though its final estimated cost hasn’t yet been determined.

The Plaquemines Port and Harbor Terminal, which last week renamed itself the Louisiana Gateway Port, recently revived its own plan to build a container terminal, which would be located about 35 miles downriver from Violet, on the West Bank of the Mississippi River The port has pitched that project as costing about $500 million, which would be a public-private partnership with APM Terminals. It would also require hundreds of millions of dollars of infrastructure investment on new road and rail links. Martin didn’t discuss either project directly but said a downriver container terminal is essential for New Orleans to stay competitive. Already, the larger container vessels cannot make it past the Crescent City Connection to dock at the Port of New Orleans’ Napoleon Avenue terminal, which handles almost all containers on the lower Mississippi River “If you don’t build it, you’re basically out of the game,” Martin said. “But you have to be very cautious how you do these investments and not just ‘build it

and they will come,’ but look at it from a pure market standpoint, from a rational cost-beneﬁt relationship.”

The Port of New Orleans is hoping to start construction on the Louisiana International Terminal this year and have the ﬁrst phase open in 2028. The plan is to ramp up capacity to 2 million standard units by 2040.

However, Martin’s report says that even under the “most aggressive scenario” for container growth, it is unlikely on current trends that volume would reach even the Napoleon Avenue’s current capacity a million units that period.

Charles Tillotson, head of Louisiana Gateway Port, their strategy would be to focus on Dallas and capture a shar of that mark which is currentl mainly from the les/Long Beach

the lower Mississippi River ports have advantages, particularly links via all six of the Class 1 rail operators, good interstate highway connections and connections by river barge, there are also major disadvantages that are difﬁcult to overcome.

Lots of challenges

Population size is one. Even the combined New Orleans-Baton Rouge area’s 2.4 million population is dwarfed by Houston’s 7.5 million people, which has allowed it to grow ancillary facilities like Cedar Port Industrial Park, the largest master-planned, rail-andbarge-served industrial park in the U.S.

Location is another Competition to supply the Dallas or Midwest markets is stiff even with New Orleans’ transportation links, Martin said. Sailing from China and other Asian manufacturing centers to West Coast ports takes about 12 days less than to Gulf ports, so it is still quicker to send them by rail from West Coast ports to destinations like Chicago. Another problem for New Orleans to overcome is a mismatch in its imports and exports, which adds to shippers’ costs. Coffee beans make up a large porof container imports, for example, while plastic resin minates exports

The Plaquemines strategy “has a distinct focus on connecting to the Dallas Inland Port via a West Bank Union Pacific Railroad container intermodal connection,” he said, adding that they would hope to capture 2 million units annually of the Dallas market’s total 19 million units over the ﬁrst decade. Martin is skeptical of a strategy based on capturing market share currently served by West Coast ports. His report notes that while

Both are relatively low-value commodities, and they are carried in differentsized containers. on already is well distribution cenHouston, Dallas and Mobile, so Martin cautions against pinning too much hope on attracting big retail distribution centers to New Orleans. Rather, economic development agencies should try to attract higher value manufacturing to the area, especially in sectors like medical devices and battery production, he suggests. Martin also points out that investment by Louisiana has been low and less focused than in neighboring states like Alabama, Texas, Geor-

gia and Florida. Savannah’s port on the Atlantic coast continues to see large investment from state and private sources, and its container volume has surpassed that of Houston’s.

Port ofﬁcials largely welcomed Martin’s sober assessment.

“We’re encouraged by the ﬁndings of the need for additional funding for the state’s public maritime infrastructure,” Baton Rouge port’s chief Jay Hardman said via email. Baton Rouge has a small volume of container shipping, mostly via barge, and will “continue what has been our successful pursuit of liquid and dry bulk commodities,” he said.

The Port of New Orleans “agrees with the challenges and opportunities that were laid out in the report,” said Matthew Gresham, chief governmental affairs ofﬁcer

“We know we’re a small population center that will have to collectively work with our economic development folks toward building a strong trade ecosystem,” he added.

Napoleon Avenue

On the plus side, the report suggested that new uses could be found for the Napoleon Avenue terminal, which recently had $112 million of investment on wharf upgrades and four new gantry cranes added.

One of the bright spots for lower Mississippi River trade are new projects to build liquefied natural gas plants, biofuels

Bill takes aim at terms of service

U.S. Sen. Bill Cassidy, RBaton Rouge, has sponsored a bill that would rein in what he calls onerous and unwieldy terms of service agreements. Customers sign the agreements for virtually all technology from using Google services or an iPhone to downloading the Uber app to streaming Netﬂix or Disney Plus. But a 2017 Deloitte survey showed only 9% of users read them before they click the “agree” box ProPrivacy.com believes that number is closer to 1%.

LOUISIANA POLITICS

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By JACQUELyN MARTIN

U.S. Sen. Bill Cassidy’s bill is called the Terms-ofService Labeling Design and Readability Act.

And the agreements are often lengthy: The New York Times has reported that some of these agreements are 20,000 words long, roughly the length of Ernest Hemingway’s “The Old Man and Sea.” “A number of years ago, I was getting an Apple product, and I decided I wanted to read the terms of service. And it was written by an attorney, clearly designed to keep a nonattorney from reading. And sometimes it repeated itself,” Cassidy said. “

On several occasions, they cut and taped it and kept putting it in the same words again and again and again. It was designed so that I would not read it. That is wrong.”

CAPITOL BUZZ staff reports

Cassidy’s bill is called the Termsof-Service Labeling, Design and Readability Act, or “TLDR” — a common internet acronym for “Too Long, Didn’t Read.” The bill would require all terms of service agreements to have a “truthful and nonmisleading,” shortform summary statement available to all levels of

Climate change can speed up water cycle, trigger extreme weather

BY TAMMY WEBBER and DONAVON BRUTUS Associated Press

Prolonged droughts, wildfires and water shortages

Torrential downpours that overwhelm dams and cause catastrophic ﬂooding.

Around the globe, rising temperatures stoked by climate change are increasing the odds of both severe drought and heavier precipitation that wreak havoc on people and the environment

Rainfall can disappear for years only to return with a vengeance, as it did in California in 2023, with recordsetting rain and snowfall. That led to heavy vegetation growth that provided fuel for the devastating January wildﬁres in Los Angeles after drought returned.

But how can global warming cause both drier and wetter extremes? Here’s what experts say

All about the water cycle

Water constantly moves between the Earth and its atmosphere. But that system — called the hydrological cycle is speeding up as global temperatures get hotter, primarily due to the burning of fossil fuels like coal and gas.

A hotter atmosphere sucks up more water vapor from

ABC’s “This Week”: Sen. Mark Warner D-Va.; Rep. Mike Turner, R-Ohio. NBC’s “Meet the Press”: Sens. Markwayne Mullin, R-Okla., and Michael Bennet, D-Colo.; Jeffrey Goldberg, editorin-chief of The Atlantic.

CNN’s “State of the Union”: Sen James Lankford, R-Okla.; Gov. Wes Moore, D-Md.; state Sen. Mallory McMorrow, D-Mich.

CBS’ “Face the Nation”: Warner; United Auto Workers

bodies of water and vegetation and soil.

Over land, this atmospheric demand and loss of surface moisture leads to longer and more intense droughts, even causing some arid areas to expand. Though rain falls less often, when it does, it’s often in intense and destructive deluges. That’s because the atmosphere holds 7% more water vapor for every degree Celsius.

“Basically, global warming is turning the atmosphere into a bigger sponge so it can soak up more moisture and then when the conditions are right for rainfall, it’s like squeezing that sponge,” said Jonathan Overpeck, a climate scientist at the University of Michigan. “You get more moisture coming out faster.”

Oceans play outsized role

Oceans absorb most of the planet’s extra heat That causes the water to expand and ice to melt at the poles, raising sea levels. The warmer water also provides fuel for larger hurricanes and cyclones that can dump massive amounts of water in a short time.

In 2023, for example, heavy one-day rains from Mediterranean storm Daniel caused massive ﬂooding

President Shawn Fain; Rep. Jodey Arrington, R-Texas; Sue Gordon, former principal deputy director of national intelligence; retired Gen. Frank McKenzie, former commander of U.S. Central Command “Fox News Sunday”: Warner; Rep. Byron Donalds, R-Fla.; Brad Schimel, Wisconsin Supreme Court candidate; White House trade adviser Peter Navarro. The Associated Press

across eastern Libya that overwhelmed two dams, sending a wall of water through the coastal city of Derna that destroyed entire neighborhoods and swept bridges, cars and people out to sea. Climate scientists say climate change made that storm far more likely Snowpack is diminishing

Climate change also is affecting snowpack, a critical part of the hydrological cycle.

Melting snow helps fill reservoirs and waterways, including for drinking and agriculture. But less snow is falling in general, and what does often is absorbed by thirsty soil.

What’s more, because winters are becoming warmer overall, the growing season is longer, meaning snowmelt also is being lost through evapotranspiration of plants.

But, just like rain, climate change also can cause more intense and sometimes damaging snowstorms.

“All this stuff is related to warming, which we know with perfect confidence is almost all due to human activity,” Overpeck said. “The good news is, we know how to stop it if we want to.”

literacy and persons with disabilities.

It must clearly include a summary of what legal rights the user is waiving, show all past changes to the TOS, clearly say how the user can delete their sensitive information and give a list of data breaches for the previous three years.

In addition, the TOS must not require any new contractual obligation.

Landry renews cybersecurity pledge

Gov Jeff Landry has renewed a state of emergency that his predecessor, former Gov John Bel Edwards, instituted after a series of high-proﬁle cyberattacks on Louisiana government agencies.

Landry’s order says the state continues to face “se-

vere, intentional cybersecurity breaches.”

Edwards ﬁrst declared the state of emergency in December 2023 after a series of major attacks.

In June 2023, hackers breached the Louisiana Ofﬁce of Motor Vehicles, potentially gaining access to driver’s license information and other data for all residents with a state-issued license, registration or other paperwork — at least 6 million people.

Earlier that year hackers struck several universities.

In one case, Southeastern Louisiana University’s computer systems went down entirely for weeks, locking students out of email and other crucial tools.

Responding to and defending against cyberattacks costs state government millions of dollars annually, an

amount that has soared in recent years. The state of emergency allows the Governor’s Ofﬁce of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness — which Landry recently announced would be moving under the purview of the Louisiana National Guard — more ﬂexibility to respond to cyberattacks. It eases some of the purchasing and procurement rules that state agencies typically follow and requires agencies throughout the state to cooperate with GOHSEP on cybersecurity

NO BALLARD COLUMN

Mark Ballard’s column will return next week.

THE GULF COAST

Restaurant faces swift backlash for anti-LGBTQ+ stance

Owner apologizes for ‘couples special’ Facebook video

BY POET WOLFE and JUSTIN MITCHELL Staff writers

A Mississippi Gulf Coast restaurant faced quick backlash from the surrounding community, business leaders and LGBTQ+ groups after posting a now-viral video offering a meal special for only couples who “can produce a child.”

Darwell and Nettie Mechelle Yeager a married couple who run Darwell’s Happiness Cafe in Long Beach, posted the video promoting a Celebration of Couples Day to the restaurant’s Facebook page on Wednesday In the video, the business owners stand in the cafe’s kitchen, and Darwell says the special only applies to “the real kind of couple.”

“If you’re a couple — husband, wife, boyfriend, girlfriend, guy and girl. Couple,” Darwell emphasized.

“We don’t do the trans or the lesbians or gays. I’m sorry That’s down the street,” Nettie said, wearing a pair of oversized sunglasses. The video has since been deleted, but it circulated again on social media after a nearby business, Trax Bar and Grill, posted a screen recording of the clip Wednesday afternoon, criticizing the Yeagers for not being inclusive to gay couples and for suggesting that any couple who could not conceive children also were not welcome.

Darwell’s video sparks outrage

A string of enraged responses

ﬁlled the comment section, almost all of them decrying the opinions of the Yeagers.

The Gulf Coast Equality Council, a nonproﬁt organization for the LGBTQ+ community and its

allies, released a statement about the video Thursday morning, stating that “no one should be made to feel unwelcome simply for being who they are.” Local food inﬂuencers Your Barefoot Neighbor and Mississippi Kween also responded, voicing their disapproval.

Angela Singletary, president of the anti-bullying organization The Society was planning on leading a peaceful protest outside of the restaurant Friday, but decided to cancel it due to safety concerns.

“It’s important that we don’t allow this kind of discrimination and these kinds of comments to... just go. We can’t just let them go,” Singletary said Thursday afternoon, before the cancellation.

“They have to be addressed, and people have to be held accountable.”

Owner’s apology On Thursday morning, Nettie made a statement on her personal

Facebook account, apologizing to anyone who was offended by their comments. The Yeagers had maintained throughout the controversy that their comments were based upon their religious beliefs.

“I’m not perfect and I get my feelings hurt too,” the post read.

“Not always right. But I’m human too. I’m truly sorry if you got offended or misunderstood something not meant to hurt anyone... .”

Darwell reposted the apology on his Facebook page six times, after releasing his own statement where he said he was “tired of being bullied by the Left” and said his business was not going to fail. He added that others will support him because of his beliefs. Below the statement was a photo of Darwell, his arms crossed as he grimaced at the camera with a chef’s knife in hand.

Darwell’s Happiness Cafe prides itself on serving “real food for real people” and gained trac-

tion after its shrimp creole dish was featured in Guy Fieri’s “Diners, Drive-ins and Dives.” In 2016, Forbes magazine named it one of the best restaurants of the year

The Yeagers declined to comment when asked for a statement at their restaurant on Thursday

Other restaurants speak out Mississippi House Bill 1523 — better known as the Religious Liberty Accommodations Act — was passed into law in 2016, giving organizations the legal right to deny services to members of the LGBTQ+ community based on religious views.

The legislation was passed in a state where 3.5% of the population identiﬁes as LGBTQ+, according to the Williams Institute, and 34% of the community raises children.

The passing of the law under then-Gov Phil Bryant shocked the Mississippi Coast, a place that largely votes conservative but is

known for being socially liberal. HB 1523 prompted the creation of the “If you’re buying, we’re selling” campaign, which gave local businesses the opportunity to place a decal in a noticeable place to let shoppers know all were welcome.

Bay St. Louis photographer Ann Madden went a step further, creating “All Are Welcome” signs that many businesses across the city used. The sign eventually became a mural outside of The Mockingbird Cafe, a popular downtown restaurant and coffee shop.

Madden resurrected her signs on Thursday, offering them up again to Long Beach businesses.

“How sad that we are here again,” Madden said.

Other business and restaurant leaders also spoke out this week.

Jessica Notter owner of Trax Bar and Grill, said she was hurt by the words she heard in the video.

Trax often hosts drag shows, which have become more and more popular on the Mississippi Coast.

“The disgust I feel for statements made in this video is immeasurable; and, if you watch it and ﬁnd yourself agreeing with this lowlife, then I suggest you not set foot into Trax Bar,” she said on Facebook.

William Rester, who owns several restaurants in downtown Long Beach not far from Darwell’s, encouraged Coast residents to

Lauren

“I wasn’t going to say

but all in all, you reap what you sow,” she said on Facebook. “Hate gets you nowhere.”

Biloxi Sun Herald reporter Anita Lee contributed to this report.

It’s

Critics say Trump trying to sanitize racism in history

Activists rebuke order targeting Smithsonian

BY BILL BARROW Associated Press

ATLANTA President Donald Trump’s order accusing the Smithsonian Institution of not reﬂecting American history notes correctly that the country’s Founding Fathers declared that “all men are created equal.”

But it doesn’t mention that the founders enshrined slavery into the U.S Constitution and declared enslaved people as three-ﬁfths of a person for the purpose of the census.

Civil rights advocates, historians and Black political leaders sharply rebuked Trump on Friday for his order, titled “Restoring Truth and Sanity to American History.” They argued that his executive order targeting the Smithsonian Institution is his administration’s latest move to downplay how race, racism and Black Americans themselves have shaped the nation’s story

“It seems like we’re headed in the direction where there’s even an attempt to deny that the institution of slavery even existed, or that Jim Crow laws and segregation and racial violence against Black communities, Black families, Black individuals even occurred,” said historian Clarissa Myrick-Harris, a professor at Morehouse College, the historically Black campus in Atlanta.

The Thursday executive order cites the National Museum of African American History and Culture by name and argues that the Smithsonian as a whole is

engaging in a “concerted and widespread effort to rewrite our Nation’s history.”

Instead of celebrating an “unparalleled legacy of advancing liberty, individual rights, and human happiness,” the order argues that a “corrosive divisive, race-centered ideology” has “reconstructed” the nation “as inherently racist, sexist, oppressive, or otherwise irredeemably ﬂawed.”

It empowers Vice President JD Vance to review all properties, programs and presentations to prohibit programs that “degrade shared American values” or “divide Americans based on race.”

Trump also ordered Interior Secretary Doug Burgum to determine if any monuments since January 2020 “have been removed or changed to perpetuate a false reconstruction of American history” or “inappropriately minimize the value of certain

historical events or ﬁgures.”

Trump has long criticized the removal of Confederate monuments, a movement that gained steam after the May 2020 murder of George Floyd.

Critics argued the order is the latest move by the Trump administration to quash recognition of Black Americans’ contributions to the nation and to gloss over the legal, political, social and economic obstacles they have faced.

Trump’s approach is “a literal attack on Black America itself,” Ibram X.

Kendi, the race historian and bestselling author said.

“The Black Smithsonian, as it is affectionately called, is indeed one of the heartbeats of Black America,” Kendi argued, and “also one of the heartbeats” of the nation at large.

The African American museum, one of 21 distinct

Smithsonian entities, opened along the National Mall in 2016, the last year that President Barack Obama held office as the nation’s first Black chief executive. The museum chronicles chattel slavery Jim Crow segregation and its lingering effects, but also highlights the determination, successes and contributions of individual Black Americans and Black institutions throughout U.S history

“I’m deeply proud that we now have a museum that honors the millions of African American men and women who built our national heritage, especially when it comes to faith, culture and

the unbreakable American spirit,” Trump said in 2017 following a tour that included Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina and then-Housing and Urban Development Secretary Ben Carson, both of whom are Black.

Trump won his comeback White House bid with a notable uptick in support from non-White voters, especially among younger Black and Hispanic men. He ratcheted up attacks during his campaign on what he labeled “woke” culture and diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives, not just in government but the private sector He also used racist and sexist tropes to attack Democratic nominee and Vice President Kamala Harris, the ﬁrst Black woman and person of South Asian descent to hold national ofﬁce, and regularly accused her and other liberals of “hating our country.”

Since his Jan. 20 inauguration, Trump has banned diversity initiatives across the federal government. The administration has launched investigations of colleges — public and private that it accuses of discriminating against White and Asian students with race-conscious admissions programs intended to address historic inequities in access for Black students.

The Defense Department, at one point, temporarily removed training videos recognizing the Tuskegee Airmen and an online biography of Jackie Robinson. In February, Trump fired Air Force

Gen. CQ Brown Jr a champion of racial diversity in the military, as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Brown, in the wake of Floyd’s killing, had spoken publicly about his experiences as a Black man, and was only the second Black general to serve as chairman. The administration has fired diversity officers across government, curtailed some agencies’ celebrations of Black History Month, and terminated grants and contracts for projects ranging from planting trees in disadvantaged communities to studying achievement gaps in American schools. Civil rights advocates and historians expressed concern about a chilling effect across other institutions that study Black history Kendi noted that many museums and educational centers across the country — such as San Francisco’s Museum of the African Diaspora, The Legacy Museum: From Enslavement to Mass Incarceration in Montgomery, Alabama, and the International African American Museum in Charleston, South Carolina — exist with little to no federal or other governmental funding sources Some already are struggling to keep their doors open.

“To me, that’s part of the plan, to starve these institutions that are already starving of resources so that the only institutions that are telling America’s history are actually only telling political propaganda,” Kendi said.

BY GARY FIELDS and MATTHEW LEE Associated Press

WASHINGTON Most employees at the U.S. Institute of Peace, a congressionally created and funded think tank now taken over by Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efﬁciency, received email notices of their mass ﬁring, the latest step in the Trump administration’s government downsizing

The emails, sent to personal accounts because most staff members had lost access to the organization’s system, began going out about 9 p.m. Friday, according to people familiar with the matter who spoke on the condition of anonymity because of fear of reprisal

are regional vice presidents who will be working with the staff in their areas to return to the U.S., according to one employee who was affected.

An executive order last month from President Donald Trump targeted the organization, which seeks to prevent and resolve conflicts, and three other agencies for closure. Board members, who are nominated by the president and conﬁrmed by the Senate, and the institute’s president were ﬁred. Later, there was a standoff between employees who blocked DOGE members from entering the institute’s headquarters near the State Department. DOGE staff gained access in part with the help of the Washington police.

email Saturday that the institute “has failed to deliver peace” and that Trump “is carrying out his mandate to eliminate bloat and save taxpayer dollars.”

The letter to employees said that as of Friday, “your employment with us will conclude,” according to one longtime employee who shared part of the communication. A second email, obtained by the AP said the terminations were at the direction of the president.

George Foote, a former institute lawyer fired this month who is with one of the ﬁrms providing counsel in the current lawsuit, said lawyers were consulting Saturday to discuss possible next steps. He said employees are not part of the pending lawsuit, so they would have to ﬁle a separate case. U.S.

One former senior ofﬁcial at the institute said among those spared were several in the human resources department and a handful of overseas staffers who have until April 9 to return to the United States. The organization has about 300 people. Others retained for now

A lawsuit ensued, and U.S District Judge Beryl Howell chastised DOGE representatives for their behavior but did not reinstate the board members or allow employees to return to the workspace.

A White House spokesperson, Anna Kelly said in an

Since1923, Woodward Design+Build hassignificantly influencedthe NewOrleans skyline. Today, thefirm offerscomprehensive services in construction management,pre-construction, development support, architecture andengineering acrossthe Gulf Coast. Whetherthe projectcalls forspace for healthcare,education,liteindustrial, hospitality, or mixuse,the Woodward team is ready to servewith integrityand quality.

thepeopleputting in theworkevery dayare thestars of show,and we’reheretogivethemwhattheyneed to do theirjobswell.”

Howdoyouattractandretainqualityemployees?

Kennedynoted that threeWDB employees have been with thecompany for more than 50 years, and many more have at least15years of service. Several of them continue to attend in-house training sessions to furtherhonetheir skills andleadership abilities.

WoodwardDesign+Buildhasbeennamedanational 2025 TopWorkplace winner by USAToday for that unwavering commitment to qualityaswellascreating a companyculture that attracts andkeeps thebest people in thebusiness. WDBPresident KenFlower andDirectorofOrganizationalDevelopment Riley Kennedysharedtheir thoughts aboutthe keys to the company’ssuccess.

“Ifyoukeepgivingpeopleopportunitiestogrow,they willwanttostaywithacompany,” shesaid. “People stay here becausetheyfeelchallenged, appreciated andlikethere is always somethingnextfor them.” Flowersaidemployeegrowthisconsideredone of thehallmarks of thesuccessful completion of a WDBproject

What does this national recognitionmeanto Woodward Design+Build?

Kennedysaidthehonorisvalidationofthecompany’s efforts to ensure employees areengaged,challenged andfeelrewardedintheir work.While WDBisinthe construction business,it’sﬁrstand foremost in the business of serviceand helping people achievetheir goals, whethertheyare clients or WDBemployees lookingtogrowtheir skills

“Everythingwedoispeople-driven,”Flower said.“Throughout thelifeofa project, everybody is workingtowardcreatingahigh-qualityproduct that they canpassontothe next team in theprocess. That only workswellifeveryoneiscommitted to doingthe best they canand communicatingwith oneanother.Itreallycomes down to having great people around you.

What aresomeofthe company’scorevalues or philosophies?

“One of ourmainfocuses is to beginwiththe end in mind.Thatmeans we providealot of supporttothe people on thefront linesofour work –the laborers carpenters,electriciansand otheremployees that yousee on ajob site everyday,” Kennedysaid. “That givesusafocalpoint to putour attentionand make sure we areserving them.It’simportant to us that

“I consider aproject successful if we have met theclient’sgoals andtheywantustodotheir next project, if it is aﬁnancialsuccessfor theclientand for us,and if we have developedthe employeeswho worked on it,” he said.“We look at whethertheyhave advanced theirskillsand become even better at what they do. Aproject for us isn’tcompletelysuccessful if that doesn’thappen.

What advice do youhavefor companiesthat want to improvetheir ownculture?

Flower andKennedy said astrongculture begins with communication, transparency andcreating high expectations for everyone

“Ifyou setthe barhigh, you’ll seepeopleexcel every time.Theywanttorisetothe occasion,” Kennedysaid “Peoplereallyrespond when youshowyou believe in them andtrust them to do good work.”

Flower said ahealthy meetingrhythm, whether amongteams,departmentsorthe entire company, is also away forleaderstoreinforce acompany’s vision andcorevalueswhile highlighting individuals’ key successes.

“You cannever overcommunicatehow youwant your employees to behave andfeel, as well as acknowledge when people do really great work,” Kennedy added. “Thatgoesa long waytowardmakingpeople feel valued.”

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By MARK SCHIEFELBEIN

The National Museum of African American History and Culture is seen Friday on the National Mall in Washington.

EDUCATION

Parent

It

could lead to less enforcement of special education laws

BY PATRICK WALL Staff writer

Kathleen Cannino feared this day was coming.

President Donald Trump signed an order this month calling for the U.S. Department of Education to be dismantled. Trump, who argues that the agency is wasteful and ineffective, already has overseen the layoffs of about half of its staff. Louisiana Gov Jeff Landry and state Superintendent of Education Cade Brumley have celebrated Trump’s plan, saying states should control education.

An outspoken advocate for special education in Louisiana whose 12-year-old son has a disability, Cannino is alarmed about what the Education Department’s demise could mean for children like hers. Without the agency monitoring states’ compliance with special education laws, Cannino worries that it will fall on parents to try to hold schools accountable.

“Their ﬁght is already difﬁcult enough,” she said, “and I knew it was going to get harder.”

Cannino is all too familiar with those struggles. After her son allegedly faced verbal and physical abuse by staffers at his St. Tammany Parish school in 2018, Cannino sued the district and started homeschooling her son, Noah. Since then, she has successfully pushed for cameras to be installed in special-education classrooms and helped fellow parents demand that schools accommodate their children with disabilities.

She also called attention to shortcomings in the state’s special education system, which the

Q&A WITH KATHLEEN CANNINO ADVOCATE FOR SPECIAL EDUCATION IN LOUISIANA

Louisiana Legislative Auditor conﬁrmed in a recent series of reports. The auditor found that the state education department failed to follow up on many parents’ complaints and provides minimal oversight of schools’ special-education programs. (State ofﬁcials say the agency complies with federal law and has hired additional monitors.)

Until now, the state has had to answer to the federal Education Department, which provides more than $240 million annually to Louisiana in special-education funding. The agency enforces the federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, or IDEA, which requires schools to provide services to students with disabilities. And its Ofﬁce for Civil Rights investigates parents’ complaints, including dozens in Louisiana.

Trump has promised to preserve that funding, but it’s unclear what will happen to the Education Department’s other functions, including its oversight of special education.

Cannino recently spoke with The Advocate | The Times-Picayune about why the department’s dismantling has her so worried.

The interview has been edited and condensed.

What’s going well with special education in Louisiana? And what isn’t?

The thing that’s going well is teachers who really care and people who really, truly want to improve special education.

As far as what could be improved, in my experience, I think it needs to come from the top. We have a lack of monitoring and enforcement. Our state pretty much allows self-reporting from school

districts but it doesn’t verify that information.

When there is a problem, or a child’s needs aren’t being met, there’s very limited ways for parents to improve that or correct that.

What was your reaction when President Trump issued his order to dismantle the Education Department?

I was extremely worried and disappointed and concerned. And upset for these families of children with disabilities because I know their ﬁght is already difﬁcult enough, and I knew it was going to get harder

My fear is that parents have less of a recourse if things don’t go right. There might be these (special education) laws, but without a way to enforce them, it doesn’t do parents any good.

Why do you think the U.S. Education Department is important?

The federal Department of Education is your checks and balance. Without them, you have loss of oversight, loss of enforcement of IDEA, loss of monitoring of state programs. Parents can write a complaint and they assign an attorney and investigate. They would hold the district accountable to correct the issue.

It was helpful because that seemed to be the only thing that school districts really paid attention to, that had any teeth. Now, if you don’t have that, what are you going to do if the state fails to enforce (the law)?

What else does the department do?

The federal Department of Education is also responsible for data collection. They can use that to improve policy, target resources where they see inequalities or a need for it.

reporter asked what IDEA stands for and she couldn’t even tell her She knew nothing about special education.

The Department of Education keeps posting on Facebook about “boys in girls sports.” They’re not focusing on these children with disabilities and their education.

Proponents say that abolishing the Education Department will restore authority to states and reduce restrictions on federal funding

Our state is already in charge of education, it’s in our Louisiana Constitution. So it’s not correct to say that education will go back to the states — it’s already at the states.

For instance, they collect the graduation rate of children with disabilities. If you’re not monitoring that and these kids start dropping out, how will you know there’s a problem?

They monitor factors such as the ability of these children to read. If they stop monitoring that, you don’t know if these kids can read.

There’s also things like restraint and seclusion numbers. If you have a school that is secluding one student 100 times, that needs to be looked at. That should be a red ﬂag.

Do you think the Trump administration has a clear plan for special education?

Absolutely not. Not when they cut the staff at (the Ofﬁce for Civil Rights), which is extremely important for oversight and enforcement.

Supposedly, they’re going to move IDEA under the Department of Health and Human Services. But they’ve also cut the health department staff.

[Trump’s Secretary of Education Linda] McMahon was on Fox News being interviewed and the

WE’RE ASKING EXPERTS ACROSS THE STATE HOW TO TACKLE THE BIGGEST CHALLENGES FACING LOUISIANA SCHOOLS.

Many Americans are fortunateto havedental coverage fortheir entire working life, through employer-provided benefits.When those benefits end with retirement, paying dental bills out-of-pocket can come as a shock, leading people to putoff or even go without care. Simply put —without dental insurance, there may be an importantgap in your healthcare coverage.

When you’re comparing plans ...



Ask about the Premier

To say they’re going to get the money without strings attached, that is scary If you accept funding, you’re agreeing to the assurances that you will provide a free and appropriate public education (to students with disabilities). If they don’t have to agree to that, they can do whatever they want with the money It would weaken the protections for students and parents as far as being able to hold districts accountable if they’re not meeting the child’s needs. What can parents of children with disabilities do in this moment?

I would make sure that your school district has a plan in place so

Anti-Musk protesters swarm Tesla showrooms

BY MICHAEL LIEDTKE Associated Press

SAN FRANCISCO Crowds protest-

ing billionaire Elon Musk’s purge of the U.S. government under President Donald Trump began amassing outside Tesla dealerships throughout the U.S. and in some cities in Europe on Saturday in the latest attempt to dent the fortune of the world’s richest man

The protesters are trying to escalate a movement targeting Tesla dealerships and vehicles in opposition to Musk’s role as the head of the newly created Department of Government Efﬁciency, or DOGE, where he’s gained access to sensitive data and shuttered entire agencies as he attempts to slash government spending. Most of Musk’s estimated $340 billion fortune consists of the stock he holds in the electric vehicle company that he continues to run while also working alongside Trump.

Earlier protests have been somewhat sporadic. Saturday marked the first attempt to surround all 277 of the automaker’s showrooms and service centers in the U.S. in

hopes of deepening a recent decline in the company’s sales. By early afternoon, crowds ranging from a few dozen to hundreds of protesters had ﬂocked to Tesla locations in New Jersey, Massachusetts, Connecticut, New York, Maryland, Minnesota and the automaker’s home state of Texas. Pictures posted on social media

accounts showed protesters brandishing signs such as “Honk if you hate Elon” and “Fight the billionaire broligarchy.”

The Tesla Takedown movement also hoped to rally protesters at more than 230 Tesla locations in other parts of the world. Although the turnouts in Europe weren’t as large as the crowds in the U.S., the

Man arrested over swastika on Tesla

BY JESSE BUNCH

The Philadelphia Inquirer (TNS)

The Philadelphia region is no exception to Tesla tension, and one recent incident — in which a Bucks County man allegedly keyed a swastika into the side of a Tesla SUV — set local social media circles ablaze.

In what’s become a feature of the polarized political climate, the online outrage cycle ended with social media vigilantes identifying the suspect before police even ﬁled charges.

And in the case of Teslas, the vehicle’s onboard cameras that record almost constantly are providing keyboard warriors and law enforcement alike with an up-close look at the mounting cases of vandalism.

On Thursday, the Central Bucks Regional Police Department issued an arrest warrant for 55-year-old Chadd Riten-

baugh, charging him with two misdemeanors and two summary offenses for damaging property, harassment, and disorderly conduct in the Monday incident.

Footage captured by the Tesla’s side camera in a Planet Fitness parking lot that morning shows a man police say is Ritenbaugh exit a gray Lexus, duck behind the vehicle, and scratch the neighboring car with an “unknown” object before walking out of frame.

The Tesla’s owner later left the gym to ﬁnd “what appeared to be scratches in the shape of a swastika” on the side of the vehicle, according to court documents.

When reached for comment, Ritenbaugh directed The Inquirer to his defense attorney, Paul Lang.

“My client is a proud father, longtime resident, and is currently undergoing cancer treatment,” Lang said in a text message. “We will reserve further comment pending the outcome of the case.”

Days before police sought Ritenbaugh’s arrest identifying him through security footage and his Planet Fitness membership — fans of Elon Musk, online MAGA supporters, even local Republican officials had taken to plastering Ritenbaugh across social media.

Doylestown Republicans went on to blame Ritenbaugh’s behavior on local Democrats in the upscale Bucks County community

In a statem ent, Connor O’Hanlon, chair of the Doylestown Democrats, said the group wholly denounces the destruction of private property and has never encouraged vandalism

“There’s been a real effort to conﬂate vandalism with protests, and they really don’t have anything to do with each other,” said Adam Sheridan, a progressive New Jersey activist who organized a recent Tesla dealership protest in Cherry Hill.

anti-Musk sentiment was similar

One of the signs displayed at a London protest showed a photo of Musk next to an image of Adolf Hitler making the Nazi salute a gesture that Musk has been accused of reprising shortly after Trump’s Jan. 20 inauguration.

A person in a tyrannosaurus rex costume held another sign with a picture of Musk’s straight-arm gesture that said, “You thought the Nazis were extinct. Don’t buy a Swasticar.”

“We just want to get loud, make noise, make people aware of the problems that we’re facing,” said Cam Whitten, an American who showed up at the London protest.

Tesla Takedown was organized by a group of supporters that included disillusioned owners of the automaker’s vehicles at least one Democratic Party lawmaker, Rep. Jasmine Crockett from Dallas.

“I’m going to keep screaming in the halls of Congress I just need you all to make sure you all keep screaming in the streets,” Crockett said during a Tesla Takedown organizing call held earlier this month.

Some people opposed to Musk have gone beyond protests and set the automaker’s vehicles on fire and committed other acts of vandalism that U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi has decried as domestic terrorism. Musk indicated he was dumbfounded by the attacks during a March 20 company meeting and said the vandals should “stop acting psycho.” Crockett and other Tesla Takedown supporters have been stressing the importance for Saturday’s protests to remain peaceful.

But police were investigating a fire that destroyed seven Tesla vehicles in northwestern Germany early Saturday morning. It was wasn’t immediately clear if the blaze, which was extinguished by firefighters, was related to the Tesla Takedown protests. A growing number of consumers who bought Tesla vehicles before Musk took over DOGE have been looking to sell or trade in their cars while others have slapped on bumper stickers seeking to distance themselves from the billionaire’s efforts to prune or shut down government agencies.

Tesla owner sues for $1 million after car keyed at DFW Airport

BY SASHA RICHIE

The Dallas Morning News (TNS)

A Dallas County resident is suing for $1 million in damages after a man keyed his Tesla while it was parked at DFW International Airport.

Jeff Nguyen ﬁrst posted about the vandalism on Facebook on March 16 and spoke with CBS News in an effort to identify the perpetrator

According to a lawsuit filed in Tarrant County District Court on Tuesday, the Tesla owner, identiﬁed as “J.N.” in the suit, parked his 2022 Tesla Model X at DFW Airport on March 13. When he returned to the car three days later, he noticed a “deep engraving or indentation” on the passenger side of the vehicle, according to the suit.

Videos from the Tesla’s built-in cameras showed a man drag what appeared to be a key across the side

of the car as he walked by Nguyen posted the video to social media, where it gained traction, including being ampliﬁed by president Donald Trump’s son Donald Trump Jr Tarrant County arrest records indicate Frisco resident Rafael Humberto Hernandez was booked into Tarrant County jail on March 22 and charged with criminal mischief causing pecuniary loss of $2,500 or more but less than $30,000. This is considered a state jail felony, according to the Texas Criminal Defense Group, and is punishable by 180 days to two years in a state jail facility and/or a ﬁne of up to $10,000. Hernandez is also named as the defendant in the civil suit but has not been served yet. The suit is seeking $1 million in damages, citing property damage, emotional distress, mental anguish and others such as attorney’s fees and court costs.

By The Associated Press

BOSTON A Tufts University doctoral student who was detained can’t be deported to Turkey without a court order, a federal judge in Massachusetts said on Friday.

Rumeysa Ozturk, 30, was taken by masked immigration ofﬁcials as she walked along a street in the Boston suburb of Somerville on Tuesday

Ozturk was quickly moved to an Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention center in remote Basile, Louisiana, before her attorneys could secure a judge’s order blocking the transfer On Friday, U.S. District Court Judge Denise Casper gave the government until Tuesday evening to respond to an updated complaint ﬁled by Ozturk’s attorneys

“To allow the Court’s resolution of its jurisdiction to decide the petition, Ozturk shall not be removed from the United States until fur-

ther order of this court,” the judge wrote.

Ozturk is among several people with ties to American universities who attended demonstrations or publicly expressed support for Palestinians during the war in Gaza and who have recently had visas revoked or been stopped from entering the U.S. A Department of Homeland Security spokesperson has conﬁrmed Ozturk’s detention and the termination of her visa, saying investigations found Oztruk engaged in activities in support of Hamas, a U.S.-designated terrorist group. The department did not provide evidence of that support Hamas invaded Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, in an attack that killed some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and during which about 250 hostages were seized. Israel’s retaliatory offensive has killed more than 50,000 people.

Ozturk was one of four

students who wrote an oped in The Tufts Daily last year that criticized the university’s response to student demands that Tufts “acknowledge the Palestinian genocide,” disclose its investments and divest from companies with direct or indirect ties to Israel.

BALTIMORE BANNER PHOTO By WESLEy LAPOINTE

Protesters gather Saturday at a Tesla dealership in Owings Mills, Md.

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graduated from Warren Easton, where he was drum major, and later pursued criminal justice studies. Aretired private investigator of 40 years and former New Orleans Police Officer, Dennis was known for his vibrant personality culinary skills, and love of fishing, horses,and motorcycles. He was amember of the Pearlington Catholic Church choir. He is survived by his beloved wife, Melinda "Moe" Hirstius, daughter Ariane Hirstius Farley, grandson Theodore Robles, and brothers Stacey, Briant, Gregory, Daryl, and Brandon. He was predeceased by his brother Dwayne. Acelebration of life will be held on April 5, 2025, at 2:00 p.m.,at 890 Robert Blvd, Slidell, LA 70458.

Gladys M Johnson, age 87, passed away Wednes‐day March 26, 2025, at her residence with family by her side. She was born April 15, 1937, in Venezuela to Armando and Carmen Noda. Gladys was a de‐voted parishioner of St Ann Catholic Church and a member of the Latin Amer‐ican Women’s Club. She had a fulfilling life in caring for her children and grand‐children, traveling other countries as well in the states, but most of all she had a very caring heart for others Gladys was pre‐ceded in death by her par‐ents; her first husband Yvar J. Torrealba in 1972; her second husband Richard “Dick” Johnson; two brothers Miguel Noda and Armando Noda; and two sisters, Alicia Oropeza and Olga Jimenez. She leaves her cherished mem‐ories to her two sons, Yvar Leonardo Torrealba (Scott Countryman) and Yvar Ar‐mando Torrealba (Patri‐cia); three grandchildren: Yvar M. Torrealba, Sofia Torrealba and Lucia “Lulu Torrealba; five stepchil‐dren: Rick Johnson, Mike Johnson, Mary Ann Hughes, Billy Johnson, and Shawn Johnson; as well as numerous nieces, nephews and other family members The family will receive friends 10:00 am - 11:00 am on Wednesday, April 2, 2025, at Garden of Memo‐

numerous eces s and other family members. The family will receive friends 10:00 am - 11:00 am on Wednesday, April 2 2025, at Garden of Memo‐ries Funeral Home, 4900 Airline Drive, Metairie, LA 70001. A Mass of Christian Burial will follow the visita‐tion starting at 11:00 am at the funeral home Entomb‐ment will follow the mass at Lake Lawn Metairie Cemetery In lieu of ﬂow‐ers the family wishes for memorial contributions to be made to The National Pancreatic Cancer Founda‐tion at www npcf us Ex‐pressions of love and sym‐pathy may be placed and viewed at www gardeno fmemoriesmetairie com.

Kraus, Bonny 'Bunny'

It is with great sadness that we report the sudden death of Bonny Kraus, a native of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and resident of NewOrleans for 22 year, on November7,2024. She was born on May 6, 1966, in Philadelphia, andspent most of her life there until 2003, when she movedto New Orleans. She remained in New Orleans during and after Hurricane Katrina, where she prepared meals and gave assistance to first responders and victims of the storm. She is survived by her daughter, Jessica Mawson, and son, David Mawson.

Although Bonny was very poor and hadnumerous health problems, she always looked out for others and helped numerous individuals during their timesofneed. In addition, Bonny rescuedand saved the livesoften cats, including Prince, Onyx, Lucy, Luna, Pinkie, and especially Big Head Todd, who slept in the bed with Bonny every night. She also rescued people and was always helping and feeding people less fortunate than herself. Herneighborsall knew about hermealsshe prepared for everybody on Sundays. Although she was neither rich norfamous, she improvedthe lives of many peopleand animals. Anyone wishing to rememberBonny should make acontribution in her name to any number of animal rescue organizations, particularly Trap Dat Kat, Spaymart, AnimalRescue of New Orleans, and/or Zeus Rescues. Also, anyone wishing to adopt one of Bonny'scat shouldcontact Spaymart: askfor the

Spaymart,Animal Rescue of New Orleans, and/or Zeus Rescues. Also,anyone wishing to adopt one of Bonny's cat should contact Spaymart:ask for the Coolidge Court Cats.

Landry, Russell Charles

Russell Charles Landry passed away peacefully on March 25, 2025, at the age of 95. He was born on Octo‐ber 5 1929, in Lutcher, LA and was a longtime resi‐dent of Harahan, LA. He lived a long, happy life, making many wonderful friends and memories along the way He is pre‐ceded in death by his wife of 29 years, Marie Twickler, his parents, Clement and Edvige Landry, grandchild, Kayla Fabian, his wife, Ruth “Maxine” Jarrell, and sib‐lings Dorothy and Warren He is survived by his chil‐dren, Stephen Landry (Beth), Gordon Landry (Wendy) Susan Fabian (Robert), and Karen Smith (Todd) and his grandchil‐dren, Nicole, Kelly Stephen, Brandon, Eric, Emily Courtney, Cody, and Conner He is also survived by 8 great-grandchildren 1 great-great-grandchild, his best friend Vernon Fabre and many loving nieces and nephews Russell was a graduate of Lutcher High School and enlisted in the United States Army in 1947 He served as a military po‐liceman and was honor‐ably discharged in 1948. He got an operation job with Shell Oil Norco in 1954, later became a machinist and retired after 34 years In 1955 he met and married the love of his life, Marie Twickler and together they had 4 children Sadly Marie passed away in 1984 Years later he married Ruth “Maxine” Jarrell and they enjoyed life together until her passing in 2010 Russell enjoyed family life camping, and traveling the country. At home he liked to work on motors and ma‐chinery. He had a strong faith and attended daily Mass at St. Matthew the Apostle Catholic Church The family would like to give a special thanks to Carla and Cindy from St Matthew the Apostle Catholic Church Relatives and friends are invited to attend a funeral service on Monday, March 31, 2025, at

Carla and Cindy from St. Matthew the Apostle Catholic Church Relatives and friends are invited to attend a funeral service on Monday, March 31, 2025, at Lake Lawn Metairie Funeral Home, 5100 Pontchartrain Blvd. New Orleans LA Vis‐itation will be held from 9 a.m – 11 a.m. with a Mass to begin at 11 a.m. Inter‐ment will follow at Lake Lawn Park Mausoleum. An online guestbook is avail‐able at www LakeLawnMet airie.com

Lange, Leslie Legaux

Leslie Legaux Lange en‐

tered eternal rest on Sun‐day March 23, 2025, at the age of seventy-ﬁve She was born on August 21 1949, in New Orleans, Louisiana to the late Ig‐natius and Cherry RomainLegaux Sr She was the beloved wife of the late Desmond Joseph Lange Sr Leslie was a proud 1967 graduate of St. Mary’s Academy and an active member of its alumni asso‐ciation She lived a fulﬁlled life as a faithful parish‐ioner of St Raymond and St. Leo the Great Catholic Church serving as a de‐voted servant of God and a powerful prayer warrior Her presence brought joy to everyone she met, and her love for the New Or‐leans Saints was un‐matched cheering on her beloved team at every home game in the Super‐dome since 1967. She cher‐ished time with family and friends, especially during her well-known annual Hal‐loween gatherings and trips along the Mississippi Coast for birthdays and an‐niversaries. Leslie built a successful career at Bell‐South later Lucent Tech‐nologies where she worked in various depart‐ments and traveled inter‐nationally before retiring She was a pillar of the community, dedicating her time to numerous organi‐zations. She was a long‐time member and held leadership roles in the American Business‐women’s Association (ABWA), devoted over 30 years to the National Multi‐

time member and held leadership roles in the American Business‐women’s Association (ABWA) devoted over 30 years to the National Multi‐ple Sclerosis Society by or‐ganizing rest stops for their annual bikeathon and in 1994, became a mentor at Each One Save One, later serving as the program coordinator. Her mission was always to up‐lift and positively impact those around her Leslie is survived by her sisters Pam (John) Aubert and Hope (George) Cousin; brother Ignatius Legaux Jr ; daughter Ericka (Michael) Lewis; grandchildren Desmond Joseph Lange III, Leonard Singleton, and Nathaniel Singleton; greatgrandson Ramir Jackson; granddaughters Courtney Gill and Maleah Lambert; and Godchildren Brandon Moran of Arizona and Alexis Cousin of Ten‐nessee. She also leaves be‐hind a host of nieces nephews, extended family, and dear friends. Leslie is preceded in death by her husband, Desmond Joseph Lange Sr.; her parents Ig‐natius Legaux Sr., and Cherry Romain-Legaux; her sisters, Darnell (Anothony) Legaux Sayas and Cherry Legaux; and her sons, Desmond J Lange Jr and Jeffery Lange. Relatives and friends of the family are invited to attend a Mass of Christian Burial at St. Raymond and St Leo the Great Catholic Church, 2916 Paris Avenue on Mon‐day, March 31, 2025 at 11:00 am. Visitation will begin at 9:00 am Interment: Mount Olivet Cemetery. Arrange‐ments by D.W. Rhodes Fu‐neral Home, 3933 Washing‐ton Avenue Please visit www rhodesfuneral com to sign the guestbook

Michael "Mickey" LeMoine passed away Thursday, March 20, 2025, at the age of 73. He was a native of Lutcher, LA anda longtime resident of Gonzales, LA. His life's purpose was guided by his faith and commitment to

native of Lutcher, LA anda longtime resident of Gonzales, LA. His life's purpose was guided by his faith and commitment to family. He was a3rd degree member of the Knights of Columbus, Council 8147. He was the first born of eight siblings and atrue leader. He was an avid and award-winning cook. He retired after a35year career at Marathon Oil Company. He is survived by his wife, Deborah "Debbie" Haydel Creel LeMoine; daughters, Kressynda (Michael) Krennerich, Tabbitha (Jeremy) Moore, Charritye (Timothy) Green and Joshline (Christopher) Davis; stepsons, Scott (Jill) Creel and Brandon (Kristi) Creel; grandchildren, Cailey (Rayon) Thomas, Cassidy (Thomas Andrews) Moore, Jaden Green, Andrew Krennerich, Abigayle Krennerich, Quinn Davis, Anderson Krennerich, Cade (Grace) Creel, McKenzie Creel, Bailey Creel, Emery Creel, Krista (David) Wale and Mathew Mankopf; sisters, Mona Martin and Jody LeMoine; brothers, Ronald "Ronnie" (Nidia) LeMoine, Dave "Smoke" (Phyllis) LeMoine, and Steven "Buggy" (Suzanne) LeMoine; sisters in law, Claudia (Gordon) Terrell, Cindy Millet, Lori LeMoine and Diane(Danny) St. Pierre; brothers in law, Ken Haydel and Ray Haydel. He was preceded in death by his parents, Herman and Jeannette Perque LeMoine; wife, Shannon Millet LeMoine; sister, Patricia "P -Pat" LeMoine; brother, Calvin "Heavy" LeMoine; brothers in law, Randall "Randy" Millet and Clark "Chucky" Martin. Visitation will be at St. Mark Catholic Church Gonzales, LA on Tuesday, April1, 2025, from 10:00am until aMass of Christian Burial at 12:00pm. Interment to follow at Hope Haven Cemetery on Hwy 30, Gonzales, LA.

Johnson, Gladys M.

LeMoine, Michael Andrew 'Mickey'

Lisa Phillips Manale was born on March 27, 1955, in Weirton, West Virginia, to Eleanor and Joseph Phillips. Her family relocated to Texas and later to Kenner, Louisiana,where Lisa attended Grace King High School and was abrilliant student. After her mother left, Lisa was raised by her father, Joseph, who passed away in 1980, leaving her to navigate life on her own. Despite these challenges, Lisa remained strong and pursued acareer in healthcare, training as asurgical technicianatOchsner Medical Center. She spent many years working at the New Orleans Orthopedic Clinic, where she met the love of her life, Dr. Bernard Manale. They were married on December 8, 2002. Lisa continued her career at Orthopedicand Sports Therapy of Kenner, where she formed deep connections with Bernard's children—Cindy, Michelle, and Steve—and his sister, Vada Cazaubon, who became like family to her. A proud New Orleans resident, Lisa had alifelong love for the city and its culture. She cherished Mardi Gras, having been crowned Queen of Endymion in 1976. Traveling was one of her great passions, and she particularly enjoyed her annual trips to Las Vegas. In the wake of Hurricane Katrina, Lisa and Bernard relocated to Gonzales. She cared deeply for her pets, first Riley, her one-eyed dog, and later Vito, a Bichon with his own health challenges. Over the years, Lisa's childhood hip condition necessitated ahip replacement, and her health began to decline. In March 2025, Lisa became gravely ill. She passed away peacefully in the arms of her beloved husband and longtime friend, Danny Stockton. Lisa will be remembered for her warmth, kindness, and the love she shared with her family, friends, and countless patients who were touched by her compassion. A deeply spiritual woman, she believed in God andis now forever at peace with Him.

Simone Blazine

Simone Blazine Morlas passed away peacefully on March 26, 2025, at the age of 95. She was born in Mar‐rero, LA on October 27 1929, to the late Victor Francois Morlas Sr and Eugenie Dejean Morlas Survived by her brother Victor ‘Butsy’ Morlas, Jr (late Jackie) Preceded in death by her brother Noel ‘Buck’ Morlas, Sr. (late Mary Joyce) She was Aunt Monie to four nephews and two nieces: Victor Morlas III (Kathy), Noel Morlas, Jr (Antonette), Gary Morlas (Nikki), Perry Morlas (Kera Charpentier) Cathy Fallon (Glen), and Wendy Troc‐quet (Stephen). Great aunt to Katy Shannon (Robin), Holly Garcia (Martin), Dylan Morlas (Laura) Amanda Morlas, Jennie Hermann (David), Louis Trocquet, Eric Bishop (Kyrstyn) Abby Morlas (Ian Ockman, Sr.), Matthew Trocquet Connor Fallon Bertrand Morlas, and Anna Trocquet Also survived by eleven great-great nephews and nieces, many cousins and friends. Si‐mone retired from Pan American Life Insurance Company after forty-four years of service She was a lifelong parishioner of Our Lady of Prompt Succor Church in Westwego, LA where she was an honored recipient of the Order of St Louis Medalion from the Archdiocese of New Or‐leans In her earlier years, Simone enjoyed bowling traveling, and being a member of the Westbank Camera Club. Later she spent time reading doing jigsaw puzzles, crossword puzzles, sudoku and play‐ing rummikub. Family and friends are invited to at‐tend the Visitation at Our Lady of Prompt Succor

Camera Later spent time reading, doing jigsaw puzzles crossword puzzles, sudoku, and play‐ing rummikub. Family and friends are invited to at‐tend the Visitation at Our Lady of Prompt Succor Catholic Church, 146 Fourth St. Westwego, LA on Mon‐day, March 31, 2025, from 9:30 a.m. until 11:00 a.m followed by a Funeral Mass at 11:00 a.m Interment will follow at Metairie Ceme‐tery at 5100 Pontchartrain Blvd., New Orleans 70124 The family would like to thank the people of Sun‐rise of Metairie for their compassionate care and kindness. Mothe Funeral Home is assisting the fam‐ily during this difﬁcult time. The family invites you to share thoughts, fond memories and condo‐lences online at www mot hefunerals.com

JamesM.Murray passedaway peacefully at the age of 87, Saturday, March 15, 2025. Survived by his children, Gene Kolber (Jackie), Dawn Treuting (Rob), Jimmy Dean, Joe Arnone (Dennis) (Maria), the late David Murray; and stepchildrenYvette (Ron), Champ, Reisie (Danny) and Gary. Many grand and great grandchildren. BrotherofJoAnn Stieffel (Bill), Deanna Parsons, and the late Robert Gay, Junior, Johnny, Michael Murray, and Rita M. Giarratano. He was preceded in death by his wife Yvonne Murray, and motherMabel Ramsey and father Herbert P. Murray Sr. Jimmy was a jack of all trades. He had an outgoing personality and never met astranger. He was agreat storyteller, amemberofAARP, and served in the National Guard. Anative of New Orleans and resident of St Bernard. Daddy among many residents worked to rebuild St. Bernard Parish after Hurricane Katrina, with the University of Marquette Volunteers, and Operation Southern Comfort Group, N.Y.torebuild homes. You will be missed. Love you.

Murray, John Austin

John Austin Murray, a New Orleans native transitionedonFebruary 23, 2025 at his home in Phoenix, AZ. Interment was on March 8, 2025 in the Veterans Memorial Cemetery in Phoenix. John wasa proud 1976 graduate of John F. Kennedy High School and a retiredmemberofthe United States AirForce. John was precededin death by his parents Mary W. Murray and Herbert J. Murray, Sr. He is survived by his wife, children, grandchildren, siblings, other family members and friends.

Raymond Edward

Raymond Edward Paulhus, 81, passedaway peacefully at home on March 22, 2025, after along illness due to complications from Agent Orange exposure during his Army service in the Vietnam War. Ray was born in Woonsocket, Rhode Island and was anative of North Smithfield, borntothe late Lawrence Edward Paulhus and Pauline LefortPaulhus on October5,1943. After graduating from Rhode Island College, he attended the University of Rhode Island, receiving aMasters Degree in Political Science. Ray followed in hisfather's footsteps, spending decadesinvolvedinunion causes. This included work with the United Farmworkers in California and organizing textilemills in the 1970s. After living in several cities, hiswork brought him to Louisiana, where he met hiswifeand

with theUnited Farmworkers in California and organizing textile mills in the 1970s. After living in several cities, his work brought him to Louisiana, where he met his wife and was welcomed into her large extended family. He lived most of his life in Metairie, followed by his most recent years in Vancouver, Washington, near his daughter and her family. Ray retired after working 31 years as an Unemployment Fraud Investigator for theState of Louisiana's Department of Labor. While in that role, he served as aleader in his local chapter of the American Federationof State, County, and Municipal Employees (AFSCME). Ray was adevout Catholic and Boston sportsfan. He particularly loved watching games with his grandsons and playing with his granddaughters, even being known to don apink apron to cook with baby dolls. Ray was also agreat lover of animals and rescued many cats. He is survived by his beloved wife and tireless caregiver of 47 years, Betty Ann Meynier Paulhus; caring son Michael Edward Paulhus and his wife Marie-Elysse of Atlanta, Georgia; and his devoted daughter and nurse advocateMelanie Ann Brawley and her husband,Matthew, of Vancouver, Washington. He is also survived by his four cherished grandchildren: Benz Matthew Brawley, Boston Edward Brawley, Caroline Paulhus, and ElizabethPaulhus; his supportive brothers Robert Paulhus (Maria) of Terceira, Azores, and Gerald Paulhus (Lucille) of Smithfield, Rhode Island; and many loving nieces, nephews, cousins, friends, and neighbors. The family wishes to sincerely thank Commander Larry Jones and the US Department of Veterans Affairs, Dr. Ricky Jackson, Divine Home HealthCare, and all of his many caregivers for their compassion and diligent care over the past decade. Relatives and friendsof the family are invited to attend the Mass of Christian Burial at St. Agnes Catholic Church, 3310 Jefferson Hwy, on April 4at10am, with visitation beginning at 9am. Entombment will follow in LakeLawn Park Cemetery, 5454 Pontchartrain Blvd, New Orleans. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in his honor to his favorite non-profit cat rescue, Spaymart.org. To sign and view the Family Guestbook, please visit https://www.dignitym emorial.com/obituaries/ne w-o rleans-l a/raymondpaulhus-12307290.

Edwin Stanton Peters Jr., 80, of Abita Springs, LA, passed away peacefully on March 22, 2025. Edwin was born on December 23, 1944 to Florence and Edwin Stanton Peters, Sr. in Abita Springs, LA Edwin was the seventh child of eleven in the Peters family After graduating from St Paul's School in Covington, LA in 1962, he enlisted in the United States Air Force and served his country in Viet‐nam as a cargo pilot. He went on to study Botany and Zoology at Southeast‐ern Louisiana University Edwin served as Mayor of Abita Springs 1974-1979, a member of the City Council in the mid-1980s, and sub‐sequently, President of the St. Tammany Municipal As‐sociation. In 1963, he re‐connected with his child‐hood sweetheart Linda Ann Goldate and they wed in 1967, going on to have two children Eric and Keri Edwin was a force of na‐ture, determined to pro‐vide for his family and give them the life he felt they deserved His family meant more to him than anything else in the world some‐thing he often mentioned He was unendingly proud of Eric, Keri and his grand‐daughter Averi Grace and always endeavored to sup‐port them Edwin was also a passionate gardener and proliﬁc speaker, as many of his friends and family can attest Anyone who knew Edwin knew that he was the most loving father and husband a family could ask for His deep Catholic faith provided his strong foundation and sus‐tained him during difﬁcult times. Edwin was prede‐ceased by his father, Edwin Stanton Peters Sr his mother, Florence Happich

H Catholic faith provided his strong foundation and sus‐tained him during difficult times. Edwin was prede‐ceased by his father, Edwin Stanton Peters, Sr. his mother, Florence Happich Peters, his brothers, Gerald Peters Raymond Peters and Bernard Peters as well as his sisters Barbara Ann Peters, Connie Peters Mail‐hos Marion Peters, Carol Ann Peters Darbonne He is survived by his wife Linda Goldate Peters, his son, Eric Stanton Peters (Tracy Peters), his daughter, Keri Peters Truitt (Trey Truitt), his granddaughter Averi Grace Truitt, his siblings, Rosalie Peters Phillips, Sr Benita Peters, OSB, and Harold Peters (Carol Pe‐ters) and numerous nieces and nephews In lieu of flowers, the family re‐quests that donations be made to St. Jude Children s Hospital. A private service will be held at a later date E.J Fielding Funeral Home has been entrusted with funeral arrangements. The Peters family invites you to share thoughts, fondest memories, and condo‐lences online at E J. Field‐ing Funeral Home Guest Book at www ejfieldingfh com

We are deeply saddened to announce the passing of Robert Ray Ruhlman, born in New Orleans on January 26, 1960 to the late George J Ruhlman, Jr. and Alice R Ruhlman. Rob passed away on March 24, 2025 after a long battle with cancer He is survived by his loving partner Charles M. Barbier; siblings Margaret R Mang (Fabien) Bernice R DeCorte and John R Ruhlman (Eileen); nieces and nephews, George J Ruhlman IV Amanda M Weaver (Dustin), Melissa A Mang, Jessica D. Reeg (Steven), John R. Ruhlman Jr. (Kaitlin), Joel Ray Ruhlman (Amanda), and Dara R. Greene (Jordan). He was preceded in death by his brother George J Ruhlman III. Rob graduated from St John Preparatory School in New Orleans and went on to Saint Joseph Seminary College in St Benedict, La where he achieved a BA in psychol‐ogy and philosophy He also completed graduate studies at Notre Dame Seminary in New Orleans where he received a Mas‐ters of Divinity. Rob’s work experience began as a psych tech at Jo Ellen Smith Hospital. His varied experiences there helped him decide to join the mili‐tary. He served six years in the U.S Navy, mostly spent on the USS Independence Aircraft Carrier as a com‐bat systems tech After his military service ended, he worked at Tulane Univer‐sity in the Psychology De‐partment as a computer tech. and troubleshooter Post Katrina, Rob started a repair and remodeling company with Charlie Bar‐bier. They offered Handy‐man Services and helped repair and rebuild many damaged properties after the hurricane He was al‐ways available when fam‐ily members called He will be dearly missed for his mechanical electrical plumbing and technical ex‐pertise. Rob’s real love was found when he discovered quilting His interest in quilting began as another hobby or craft but he quickly became obsessed with the art of quilting Rob worked at the Quilted Owl shop on Jefferson Hwy for many years, teaching classes and entertaining customers with his stories He became an artist with the Long-Arm Quilting ma‐chine He sewed quilted and ﬁnished quilts for many people and contin‐ued his successful busi‐ness until his recent ill‐ness. Rob’s family would like to thank the doctors nurses, and staff who cared for him during his years long battle with can‐cer and his 5 week stay at the VA Hospital A special thanks to Heart of Hospice and their staff who cared for Rob so lovingly at home. Also, thanks to a special “Angel” who was a constant presence during his illness and so greatly appreciated. In lieu of ﬂow‐ers, please consider a do‐nation in Rob’s name to a cancer research organiza‐tion of your choice Family and friends are invited to a Memorial Mass at St. Mary Magdalen Church 6425 W Metairie Ave. Metairie, LA 70003 on Wednesday April 2, 2025. Visitation will begin at 9:30 am followed by Mass at 12:00

Memorial Mass at St. Mary Magdalen Church, 6425 W Metairie Ave Metairie LA 70003 on Wednesday April 2, 2025. Visitation will begin at 9:30 am followed by Mass at 12:00

Michael "Mike" E. Teague, dedicated husband and father, passed away on March 14, 2025. He was 82 years old. Born in Langley, South Carolina, Mike was the fourth of six siblings. At theage of six, Mike's family relocated to Old Fort, asmall townin the mountains of North Carolina. Agraduate of Old Fort High School--Class of 1960--Mike excelled academically and athletically, finishing fifth in his class while starting at both quarterbackand point guard on the school's football and basketball teams, respectively. Imagine the pride that Mike's teen sons felt when they accompanied their father on what was otherwise expected to be aubiquitoustrip to the Old Fort barbershop. The old-timers present that day, having not seen Mike for decades, gushed over their Dad's gridiron exploits. Every child should be fortunate enough to experience such amoment regarding aparent. Despite receivinga partial scholarship, Mike was unable to afford thecosts associated with attending college immediately after high school. This financial constraint was ablessing in disguise, however, and led Mike to the path he was meanttotravel. Following high school, Mike enlisted in theU.S. Navy, having completed boot camp at the Naval Training Center in San Diego. It was early in his naval career, that Mike was assigned aduty station in Charleston, South Carolina. Here, Mike would meet the love of his life-Brenda Carolyn Belvin--and the two would be wedin 1963. Brenda predeceased Mike roughly amonth before their 60th wedding anniversary; aloss that Mike truly never overcame. Mike andBrenda had two boys--Keith and Alan. While Mike's naval career spanned some 30 years, Brenda obtained an Honorable Discharge and settled into what can sometimes be the difficult role of amilitary housewife, moving from oneduty station to the next without theability to putdown roots. Mike served aboard the U.S.S. Ozark and the U.S.S. Repose, and was a proud Vietnam War veteran. Having begun his military career as an enlisted serviceman, Mike rose through theranks to that of Chief Petty Officer before ascending even further to that of acommissioned officer, respectfully referred to as a"mustang" in military vernacular. In 1974, Mike completed the Navy's Medical Services Technician course, having graduated as "Honor Man" in aclass of 46 graduates. This would be the beginning of future endeavors in higher education.Mike would go on to obtain degrees from George Washington University, the University of theState of New York, andTroy State University, all of which he would earn with honors. During hismilitary career, Mike would be awarded numerous medals/ribbons for his exemplary service, including the JointServices Commendation Medal, the Navy/Marine Corps Commendation Medal, and the expert pistol marksmanship ribbon (thelatter to appease his youngest son). He was assigned to the Medical Services Corps, havingserved as an administrator and managementservice head at various Navy hospitals and clinics. Upon retirement, Mike held the rankof Lieutenant Commander. Retirementfrom the Navy was not an end to Mike's professional endeavors, however, and he spent the next 15-plus years as apublic servant with the State of Louisiana. Most of this service involved mental healthcare, cumulating in Mikehaving served as the Chief Executive Officer of Southeast Louisiana Hospital. Mike's greatest satisfaction--after that of his wife, children,grandchildren,and great-grandchildren--came from knowing that his servicehelped so many others within our community and that his military servicehelped guarantee thefreedoms

children,and great-grandchildren--came from knowing that his servicehelped so many others within our community and that his military servicehelped guarantee thefreedoms we often take for granted. Indeed, even after asecond retirement, Mike would often serve as a consultant, including within the private sector, and even had atenure as an executive with UnitedHealthcare before retiring for afinal time. But what broughtMike the most joy in life was his family. Brenda andthe boys were his world. Whether he was coaching their youth sports, helping out with their scouting activities, or simply playing all-time quarterbackfor the neighborhood touch football game, Mike loved spending time with his boys. Mike andBrenda were so very proud of their sons, both of whom went on to obtain advanced degrees. That love and pride extended even further to their two grandchildren Justin and Kelly--andseven great-grandchildren.Asan added bonus, with retirement from the Navy came the opportunity for Mike and Brenda to finally put down the roots that had always been out of reach. The couple built their dream home in Lacombe, Louisiana, having shared this home until Brenda's death some 23 years later. Notably, Brenda had an immense love for Christmas and the decorations that accompanythe holiday, and in particular, an affinity for Hallmark ornaments. During thelast decade of her life, the family would often decorate four fullsized Christmas trees. Mike kept his promise to Brenda, and decorated four such trees the Christmas following her death. Of course he did. Following Brenda's death, Mike moved to Texas to be near his oldest son and daughter-in-law, as well as his grandchildren and great-grandchildren. He livedinanover-55 community, having made many good friends. During the last fourmonthsofhis life, Mike faced many health challenges, including cancer(lymphoma), kidney failure, and ultimately, COVID. He fought as he lived, with dignity and resolve, never complaining or shying away from the fight. In his last days, Mike told his boys he was ready to be reunited with their mother andwas ready to meet his Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. While we selfishly wanted him to stay longer, we knew he was right. He almost always was. We know Dad is looking down with Mom and it brings us comfort. A life well lived. Mike is predeceased by his lovingwife, Brenda. He is survived by their son Keith Teagueand his wife of more than 30 years, Kristin Teague, as well as their son Alan Teague. Mike is also survived by his grandson Justin Teague and his wife Crystal Teague, his granddaughter Kelly Graham and her husband, Jeff Graham, and his great grandchildren Wesley Teague, Cameron Teague, Miles Graham, Jett Graham, Katie Graham, and the twins, Mia and Mandy Graham. Mike is also survived by his sisters Marion and Toni. He is predeceased by both parents (Robert and Dorothy), as well as three siblings (Andre, Venie, and Mona). Funeral Services will take place at the Southeast Louisiana Veterans Cemetery on April 4, 2025 at 11:00 a.m. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made to MD Anderson Cancer Center.

home on her 9th birthday, ahome she wouldreturn to in 2005 for the remainder of her life. Music andperforming was always afundamental part of her being. She re-

as "the person who changed her life." She said, "He gave me amicrophone, and said,

Teague, Michael E. 'Mike'

Murray, James M

Ruhlman, Robert Ray

Morlas,

Peters Jr., Edwin Stanton

Paulhus,

White, Judith Kay

Judith (Judy) Kay England White, beloved mother, grandmother and wife, passed away peacefully of pancreatic cancer with her daughters by her side at herhome in Houston, TX on March23, 2025, at the age of 75. Born in Houston to London Thurman England and Mary Anna Seibel England on June 1,1949, Judy returned to Houston after briefly living in Ohio with her family in herearly childhood. Her family moved into her newly built Westbury

ferred to her theatre teacher, Mr. A. E. Davis at Johnston Junior High,

'Sing.'"

and Mary Anna Seibel England on June 1,1949, Judy returned to Houston after briefly living in Ohio with her family in her early childhood. Her family moved into her newly built Westbury home on her 9th birthday,a home she would return to in 2005 for the remainder of her life.

Music and performing was always afundamental part of her being. She referred to her theatre teacher, Mr. A. E. Davis at Johnston Junior High, as "the person who changed her life." She said, "He gave me amicrophone, and said, 'Sing.'" In 1967, White graduated from Westbury High School where she performed as FifeCaptain on the Rebelettes and served as Vice President of the Drama Club. She was afinalist in the 1966 Miss Teenage Houston contest. Upon graduation, she attended the University of Houston where she studied voice and served as Rush Chairman of Chi Omega Fraternity. She began her musical career in Houston with Theatre Under The Stars (TUTS) and later HITS Theatre. Aradio commercial featuring her voice eventually led to her fronting numerous local rock bands and eventually forming her own, Judy England and Union Jack. She performed all over Houston, including NASA's celebration of the first lunar landing in 1969 and at arelease party with John Denver for "Take Me Home, Country Roads,"in 1971.

In 1975, she married Charles (Charlie) Loy White, afellow musician who performed in bands around the city, including Southwest Freeway and The FamilyTree. In 1979, the couple welcomed afirst daughter, Ashley England White, and in 1985,the family of three left Houston to begin a new chapter in New Orleans. The following year, 1986, the family welcomed asecond child, Bethany Marie White. Shortly after relocating, the couple joined the Jimmy Maxwell Orchestra with Judy as the lead vocalist, and performed around the country, playing for events like the 1988 Republican National Convention, the 1990 PresidentialGala at Kennedy Center and the 1990 inauguration of the Governor of Virginia, Douglas Wilder. The band was the premier orchestra for the Mardi Gras season in New Orleans, performing for several balls and th of Mardi Gras night.

Douglas Wilder. The band was the premier orchestra for the Mardi Gras season in New Orleans, performing for several balls and the Meeting of TheCourts of Rex and Comus on Mardi Gras night. In 1993, Judy was inducted into the Louisiana TreasuresHall of Fame and recognized by the St. Elizabeth'sFoundation and the Jerusalem Temple for donating her talent for charitable events. She began performing with Harry Connick, Sr., travelingall over the US as aduo. Judy performedasa guest artist with the Houston SummerPops Orchestra, the New Orleans Summer Pops Orchestra, and the Nelson Riddle Orchestra. In1992, Harry Connick, Jr. invited Judy to performasa special guest with himand his orchestra at the renaming of the New Orleans Convention Center. He accompanied Judy on piano while Charlie conducted his full orchestra.Itwas a highlight of their careers. Following Hurricane Katrina in 2005, Judy and Charlie returned to Judy's childhood Westbury home in Houston. That same year, she began performing at Ovations with pianist/vocalist Glennie Scott, acollaboration that lasted nearly 20 years. She also spent that time performing at her home church, Willow Meadows Baptist Church, with their praise band. Herfinalperformance was this past Christmas Eve, 2024. The truest source of joy in Judy'slife was family: her daughters Ashleyand Bethany and four grandchildren. Every family gathering was nothing short of an extraordinary celebration where friends and neighbors were always welcome.A lifelong fan of West Highland Terriers, Judy wasa proud memberofthe West Highland White Terrier Club of Southeast Texas and loved with herfull heart Jasper, Max, Patty, GiGi, Pallas and Holly. Judy was preceded in death by herfather, London Thurman England; mother, MaryAnna (Seibel) England; brothers, London Thurman England Jr.and Frederick James England and belovedhusband CharlesLoy White. She is survived by daughters Ashley England White Fryer(Jeffrey)and Bethany MarieWhite Magalhaes(John), and grandchildren Jackson Charles Fryer, London Jane Fryer, Eliana Delta Magalhaesand Joseph Charles Magalhaes. Av

Funeral

grandchildren Jackson Charles Fryer, London Jane Fryer, Eliana Delta Magalhaes and Joseph Charles Magalhaes. Aviewing and visitation will be held at Woodlawn Funeral Home on Monday, March 31 from 5-8 PM. Funeral service will be celebrated on Tuesday, April 1atWillow Meadows Baptist Church at 11 AM, followed by aluncheon, procession to Woodlawn Cemetery for burial, and a final celebrationoflife at the family home. In lieu of flowers, the family asks for donations to the Westie Foundation of America.

With much sadness, we announce the early pass‐ing of Haydel J. White Jr a father, brother, uncle, cousin and friend who de‐parted to be with the Lord in September 18, 2024, at the age of 68. Haydel “Del” was born January 13, 1956 in New Orleans, LA to the late Haydel and Agatha Henry White Haydel re‐tired 2 years ago as a Clerk and Checker for The Inter‐national Longshoremen’s Association He was also the Financial/Grievance Committee Ofﬁcer for Local 1497. Haydel is sur‐vived by his daughter Lind‐sey I White, son Jacob Pouncey his sister Wendy White Adcock (Frank Ad‐cock), and nephews, An‐drew, Zachary and Ryan Adcock and a host of cousins friends and ex‐tended family. Haydel “Del” graduated from Holy Cross High School He was a 3rd generation graduate from Xavier University He en‐joyed playing golf with his friends and family He loved attending NOLA fes‐tivals and was a faithful Saints & Pelicans fan A Celebration of Life and Memorial Mass for Haydel Joseph White, Jr. will be held on Saturday, April 5, 2025, at 10:30 a.m Our Lady of Guadalupe Church & International Shrine of St. Jude, 411 N. Rampart St , New Orleans, LA 70112 Professional arrangements entrusted to Majestic Mor‐tuary Service, Inc (504) 523-5872.

way, Marrero, LA on Mon‐day, March 31, 2025, at 10:00a.m. Visitation will begin at 8:30a.m until ser‐vice time at the parlor To view and sign the guest‐book, please go to www davismortusryservice

Wilson and a proud grandmother to Jourdan Weysham, Jadin Weysham, and Drucilla Pat‐terson Her joy extended to her great-grandchildren, Jai’Lani Weysham, Jiraiya Weysham and Ja’Myra Bush,

Vanessa F Wilson, a life‐long resident of Jefferson Parish, Louisiana, passed away peacefully on the evening of March 24, 2025 after a long-term illness

She was surrounded by love and care, including that of her devoted com‐panion, Roger Nunnery Vanessa was born on Feb‐ruary 8, 1959, in New Or‐leans Louisiana, to her lov‐ing parents, George R Fields and Edna M Fields, who preceded her in death She was also preceded in death by her beloved hus‐band, Andrew Wilson Sr.; her brother Alfred L. Man‐sion; and her brother-inlaw Leroy Richardson Sr She was a dedicated mother to her two sons Andrew Wilson Jr (Diana) and Drew A Wilson, and a proud grandmother to Jourdan Weysham, Jadin Weysham, and Drucilla Pat‐terson. Her joy extended to her great-grandchildren, Jai’Lani Weysham, Jiraiya Weysham, and Ja’Myra Bush, whom she cherished deeply Vanessa is sur‐vived by her siblings, Bar‐bara A Richardson, Georgine F Bates (Levi) Edward A. Fields, and Robert W. Fields. She also leaves behind a host of nieces nephews, extended family, and dear friends who will forever treasure her warmth, kindness, and unwavering love A viewing will be held on Monday, March 31, 2025, from 12:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m at Dennis Funeral Home, 1812 Louisiana Ave. New Or‐leans, LA 70115. Burial will be private. To view the full obituary, please visit https://www dennismortu aryservice com/obituary/ vanessa-wilson

March

Funeral

ed Treasures recognized Elizabeth's the Jerusalem donating her talent for charitable events. She began performing Connick, Sr., over US as aduo. a guest artist the Houston Pops Orchestra, New Orleans Pops Orchestra, Nelson Riddle Orchestra. 1992, Harry Connick, ed Judy perform pe cial guest hi orchestra ng of ans Convention ccompanied while his highlight Katrina Charlie childhood in year, ing anist/vocal Scott, lasted also forming church, Baptist praise formance Christmas in he Bethany chil gat shor celebrati and w fan Terriers, member Highland Club and heart GiGi, Judy was preceded in death by her father, London Thurman England; mother, Mary Anna (Seibel) England; brothers, London Thurman England, Jr. and Frederick James England and beloved husband Charles Loy White. She is survived by daughters

ebrated 1a Baptist followed proce Cemeteryfor bur no

In lieu of flowers, the for stie

Cordine Steven Williams entered peacefully into eternal rest on Wednesday, March 19, 2025, at the age of 53. He was a native of New Orleans, LA and a resi‐dent of Westwego, LA. Cor‐dine attended DeLaSalle High School and was a graduate of West Jefferson High School Cordine at‐tended Morehouse College in Atlanta GA and Xavier University of Louisiana He served his country as a member of the United Staes Marine Corp. Cordine was employed as a man‐ager with McDonald’s Cor‐poration for over 30 years He was a former employee of Northen Grumman (Avondale Shipyard), Popeyes Rally’s, and Frostop Beloved husband of Antoinette Henry Loving father of Delana Williams, Lonzell, Andre’, and Andrea Henry Son of Lawrence Williams, Sr and the late Margaret Bailey Grandson of the late Carl Bailey, Joseph and Claudette Rankin, Delores LaBran, and Rudolph Williams. De‐voted brother of Lawrence Williams Jr and Jeremy Williams Father-in-law of Joel Olmos. Son-in-law of Veleria Henry and the late Eddie Henry, Sr. Brother-inlaw of Alton Williams Jr Corey and Myron Henry, Tony Wells Sr Eddie Henry, Jr., and Yonda Fournier. Also cherishing his memories are 7 grand‐children and a host of aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews, cousins, other relatives and friends Rela‐tives and friends of the family are invited to attend the Celebration of Life at Davis Mortuary Service 6820 Westbank Express‐way Marrero LA on Mon‐day, March 31, 2025, at 10:00a.m. Visitation will begin at 8:30a.m. until ser‐vice time at the parlor To view and sign the guest‐book, please go to www davismortusryservice.com Face Masks Are Recom‐mended

and

(John), and grandchildren

Charles Fryer, London

Fryer, Eliana

Magalhaes and Joseph Charles Magalhaes. Aviewing and visitation will be held at Woodlawn

Williams, Cordine Steven

Wilson, Vanessa F.

White Jr., Haydel J.

‘The citizens have spoken’

Voters deny diverting funds for criminal justice; library gets its support

BY BOB WARREN and WILLIE SWETT Staff writers

St. Tammany Parish voters split Saturday on two high-proﬁle tax propositions, shooting down elected ofﬁcials’ request to use some money from a roads and drainage sales tax for criminal justice costs, but agreeing to a property tax that funds the parish libraries. Both had sparked intense debate across the parish in recent weeks, with the sales tax proposition marking the parish’s sixth attempt at funding the criminal justice system and the library’s 4.35-mill property tax proposition often being cast as a referendum on the library itself. With 165 of 165 precincts counted late Saturday, voting returns showed the sales tax rededication only garnering 48% of the vote. The totals were 16,241 voting yes and 17,572 voting no.

Voters showed signiﬁcantly more support for the library tax, however, with 55% hitting the yes button with 169 of 170 precincts counted. The totals were 23,094 for and 18,942 against. With the sales tax rededication, parish ofﬁcials were asking voters to unlock up to 17% of the revenue brought in by an existing 2% sales tax that could only be used for roads and drainage. That sales tax is expected to

Changing with the beats

BY LARA NICHOLSON Staff writer

Community health center CrescentCare, which has two locations in New Orleans, will operate the New Orleans Musicians’ Clinic at its Canal Street facility

BY STEPHANIE RIEGEL Staff writer

Two candidates will head to a runoff for an open Jefferson Parish Council seat on the West Bank, while four city council races in Gretna and Westwego were decided from the results of the Saturday election Jean Laﬁtte Mayor Timothy Kerner Jr and Andrea Manuel, a Spanish educator and life coach, will go head to head in the runoff election in May knocking out establishment favorite and former Parish Council member Ricky Templet.

Manuel won 36.1% of the votes, Kerner won 35.6%, and Templet won 28.4%. Turnout was about 31%. Kerner and Templet are both Republicans; Manuel is a Democrat. West Bank voters also declined to renew a 4.75-millage for the West Jefferson Levee District that would have brought in an estimated $6.6 million annually for levee construction and maintenance. The Jefferson Parish District 1 Council

Jefferson council race heads to runoff Gretna, Westwego seats decided Kerner Manuel ä See JEFFERSON, page 2B ä See FUNDING, page 2B

Wit’s

Inn sells after operating for years on North Carrollton

Bar plagued by controversy to reopen with new name next month

BY POET WOLFE Staff writer

Wit’s Inn, a popular sports bar that has been operating in an entertainment strip on North Carrollton Avenue for well over a decade, closed this month and will reopen in April with new owners. Former owner Ivan Hinson conﬁrmed the sale of the business Tuesday afternoon, saying he got a competitive offer he couldn’t refuse. The change of hands comes nearly a year after the bar was publicly accused of becoming a “hub” for lawlessness following the shooting death of a security guard. Hinson said Wit’s Inn will be reopening with a new name, menu items and ownership, though the next business will keep two popular specialty drinks — the Mid-City Monsoon and the Bahama Mama on the menu.

“The Wit’s Inn served the New Orleans culture for decades. We’ve been blessed to have some very iconic cultural experiences there,” Hinson said in a text message “The memories are endless.” Wit’s Inn was one of the ﬁrst institutions to return to North Carrollton after Hurricane Katrina ravaged the city in 2005. A year later, Dennis Scheuermann, who was the owner at the time, told Gambit magazine that he renovated the bar because it was essential for businesses to not only reopen in Mid-City,

BY LARA NICHOLSON Staff writer

STAFF FILE

STAFF PHOTOS By BRETT DUKE

Composer, percussionist and bandleader Jeff ‘Papa Frog’ Klein, 74, says the city’s culture bearers would be lost without the New Orleans Musicians’ Clinic and Assistance Foundation, a nonpro

care and support services.

New Carencro marker memorializes 2 killed in lynchings

BY ANGELINE MATHEWS Contributing writer

On Saturday, Move the Mindset, a civil rights organization dedicated to promoting racial and social justice, held a ceremony for the installation of a historical marker honoring the lives of two Black men who died by lynching in 1896 and 1906. The marker recognizes the unjust destiny faced by Antoine Domingue and Louis Senegal and offers details about the history of lynching in America.

Domingue, described as peaceable, was attacked and killed on Nov 24, 1906, by “whitecappers,” bands of poor White farmers who saw Black farmers as economic competition. According to historical accounts, they monitored Carencro roads, waiting for Black travelers to fall into their traps. Local law enforcement was aware of the crimes they committed but never intervened, according to accounts.

Domingue and two other Black men were making their way home when they were attacked. The two

FUNDING

Continued from page 1B

bring in nearly $90 million annually, but without voter approval, it could not be used for any other purposes But voters didn’t buy in “The citizens have spoken,” St. Tammany Parish President Mike Cooper said in a statement late Saturday “Naturally we were hopeful for a positive outcome in this rededication. We offered a plan for longterm funding for public safety and infrastructure without raising taxes. We are thankful that our citizens approved funding for our library system.”

The parish government has struggled in recent years to cover state-mandated criminal justice system costs, and skeptical parish voters had turned thumbs down on ﬁve other attempts at a dedicated criminal justice tax since 2016. With parish government officials continually warning that they didn’t have the money to cover criminal justice costs, the parish’s budget process became a competition of sorts as the agencies it was required to fund found themselves competing for money from a shrinking pie.

WIT’S INN

Continued from page 1B

but to come back better than ever Scheuermann said recovering the once-bustling thoroughfare was slow at ﬁrst because many of the mom-and-pop establishments had owned their buildings for years and fully paid off their mortgage. As a result, they were no longer required to maintain ﬂood insurance.

But by 2008, a mecca of businesses was once again operating alongside Wit’s Inn, some of which had reopened or replaced restaurants that could not revive after the storm Wit’s Inn eventually became known as a late-night hot spot where football fans gathered to eat pizza and watch Saints games

Year of complaints, crime

Just before midnight on a Sunday in April 2024, 53-year-old Darriel King, a security guard at Wit’s Inn, was shot and killed while working the front door King had denied the suspect, who was under the bar’s required age of 30, entry before he was gunned down.

King’s killing sparked a renewed debate over the future of Wit’s Inn and the Carrollton strip

At the time, neighboring businesses and local politicians said it had become plagued by crime over the last year

New Orleans City Council member Joe Giarrusso said he had received complaints about unpermitted events filled with hun-

charged, sparking protests from other White residents. After each man was released on $300 bond, the case dissipated. On March 24, 1896, Louis Senegal, also referred to as Louis Sinclair in some records, was accused of assaulting Louise Martin, a White woman. While awaiting trial in jail, a mob of 500 masked White men overpowered the guard watching Senegal and “the prisoner was no doubt lynched, but no trace of him can be found anywhere,” according to an archive of The TimesDemocrat, a New Orleans-based newspaper Neither Domingue not Senegal’s murderers faced prison time or other legal repercussions for their actions.

With a much larger audience than expected on Saturday, people poured outside the doors of the welcome center, onto the lawn and into the street. As the lyrics of “Lift Every Voice and Sing” played, the sun shone and the rain was delayed.

“For the marker to be ofﬁcially unveiled, I don’t have words,” Prejean said. “My late husband started this organization, and even though he’s not physically here to see it, I know he’s here.”

This historical marker installation is part of an ongoing effort to commemorate victims of racial violence and encourage conversations about justice and racial reconciliation led by the Equal Justice Initiative.

18th century.

other men escaped, but Domingue was beaten repeatedly Knocked off his buggy, he ﬂed to his home to

But last year, the various sides came together to pitch a new plan that didn’t seek a new tax, hoping that it would appease voters who had demonstrated they had no interest in approving one. By taking a piece of the roads and drainage sales tax revenues the 17% would be around $15 million — some of the criminal justice costs could be covered by using an existing tax. The ballot language was written to allow the 17% to only be used to fund the criminal division of the District Attorney’s Office, the 22nd Judicial District Court and expenses of the St. Tammany Justice Center as a way of showing voters exactly where the money would go, northshore District Attorney Collin Sims had said in a previous interview Sims and Parish President Mike Cooper were joined by a host of other officials, including judges, Parish Council members and Sheriff Randy Smith, in supporting the rededication and said they hoped voters would find confidence in such a unified front The rededication also had the backing of the Northshore Business Council, St. Tammany Chamberpac and the leadership of the influential group Concerned

retrieve a gun. He returned to the scene and was shot and hanged. Six White men were arrested and

Citizens for St. Tammany Parish.

The proposition also asked voters to renew the 2% sales tax for another 25 years, which some voters grumbled about. But parish officials said locking in those extra years would enable them to use tax revenues to back bonds to help cover expensive road and drainage infrastructure work in the future.

The library system, meanwhile, was asking voters to approve a 15-year, 4.35mill tax that would bring in around $13.5 million annually, which ofﬁcials said would account for 96% of the system’s budget.

For the owner of a $300,000 home, the tax would cost about $98 a year, the library’s millage data shows.

“I’m really grateful. I’m grateful to our patrons, and the staff, who worked so hard, the community partners who spoke up on our behalf, the Parish council members who spoke up on our behalf,” Library Director Kelly LaRocca said in a phone interview Saturday night.

In making their pitch, the ofﬁcials noted that the tax they sought was a reduction over the 5.78-mill tax that expired at the end of 2024 and that the libraries are immensely popular,

dreds of patrons, parking issues and noisiness at Wit’s Inn and Red Door, a bar across the street. Calls for service to the 100 block of North Carrollton had more than tripled in 2023, according to data collected by the New Orleans Police Department, increasing from 33 calls in 2022 to 110.

Mayor LaToya Cantrell issued a statement two days after King’s killing, saying that a month prior the city had inspected Wit’s Inn without discovering any “documented violation that warranted pursuing enforcement actions.”

“The owner of the Wit’s Inn has made every effort to keep his staff and patrons safe,” Cantrell said in the statement. “As a community, we have to stand up and strongly speak out for heroes like

Darriel King We must also recognize the business owners in the Carrollton area who are striving every day to do the right thing in the City of New Orleans.” In January 2025, another

This is why almost 130 years after the murders, Ola Prejean, president of Move the Mindset, believes a marker honoring the two men is long overdue. An installation ceremony took place in the Carencro Welcome Center, a quaint building already ﬁlled with rich history that now holds two jars of soil honoring Domingue and Senegal.

with more than a million items being checked out and 600,000 people visiting a branch last year

But many of the parish organizations that endorsed the sales tax rededication didn’t take a position on the library tax

It isn’t clear to what extent voters’ decisions were influenced by the controversy that has engulfed the library system in recent years around minors’ access to materials with LGBTQ+ and sexual themes, but in interviews before the election, free speech advocates and library critics alike pointed to the library’s policies about its collection as a factor in how they planned to vote.

“It’s necessary to acknowledge history to move forward,” said Steaphie Wylie, an EJI staff attorney “Facing what happened openly and honestly is an important step towards reconciliation because we can’t move forward without this history It also represents a commitment that this kind of violence is not forgotten and to ensure it never happens again.”

JEFFERSON

Continued from page 1B

Since the controversy about its collection began, the library has moved books that contain sexually explicit material, as deﬁned by Louisiana state law, into the adult section, and adopted a tiered library card system that allows parents to choose what sections of the library their kids can check out materials from.

With the passage of the tax, library operations will remain funded for the next 15 years, Lacombe will get a new library Slidell’s will be renovated and there will be systemwide technology improvements.

deadly shooting occurred at the 4100 block of Iberville Street, near several bars and eateries on Carrollton, killing a 33-year-old victim who was later identiﬁed as John Williams and wounding another Closed for business

Wit’s Inn is now silent; its red doors closed, and its lights turned off.

Crowds surrounding the mint green building have been replaced by a construction dumpster The neighborhood behind it, where patrons often parked, is emptier than usual.

The bar announced its March 10 closure on social media, thanking customers for years of support and good memories. A string of comments was posted underneath the announcement, nostalgic of the heralded pizza, staff and revelry

Email Poet Wolfe at poet. wolfe@theadvocate.com.

seat opened up unexpectedly a few months ago, when Marion Edwards announced his resignation from the role less than a year into his second term. The district spans Gretna, Terrytown, Jean Lafitte, Crown Point, Estelle, Barataria, Grand Isle and parts of Harvey and Marrero.

The district also became majority-minority in 2021, with Black residents making up 36% of the district, Hispanic residents 17% and White residents 39%.

Kerner, 34, became mayor of Jean Laﬁtte in 2020 after his father, Tim Kerner Sr., left the position to serve as a state senator Kerner is the third in his family to lead the town.

Kerner framed his campaign around attracting more families to the West Bank with promises like bringing a children’s museum and improving parks and recreation, and collected endorsements from Van Vrancken and Lt Gov Billy Nungesser

Andrea Manuel, of Gretna, serves on the Democratic State Central Committee and previously ran for the Louisiana House of Representatives in 2023, where she came in second to Rep. Vincent Cox III, a Republican. She also worked for at-large Council member Jennifer Van Vrancken for one day in January before resigning to run for ofﬁce.

Saturday’s election put an end to a monthslong feud between Kerner and Templet over social media, campaign advertisements and debates in an attempt to sway district voters.

Ida. His attack ad at the center of Kerner’s lawsuit reemerged in a 2023 WVUETV story that alleged Kerner was a “silent partner” to a contractor hired by Laﬁtte to repair city-owned buildings, which Kerner has repeatedly denied.

Manuel has largely avoided the bickering thus far The district Council members earn an annual salary of about $87,000 per year The District 1 winner will be decided in the General Election on May 3. Levee district renewal West Bank voters also rejected the renewal of a 4.75 millage for the West Jefferson Levee District with about 63% of the vote. The millage would have brought in over $6.5 million per year between 2028 and 2037 to construct and maintain levees, as well as fund capital improvements and equipment upgrades.

The Southeast Louisiana Flood Protection Authority West, which operates the levee district, said the millage has directly funded $23 million in levee lifts and improvements to the West Bank’s federal ﬂood control system.

The West Bank ﬂood protection system contains 80 miles of levees, floodwalls and floodgates, as well as sector gates and pumping stations, to protect more than 250,000 residents and $41 billion in homes, schools and businesses.

Gretna, Westwego winners n Gretna City Council District 4: Randy Carr n Westwego City Council District 1: John I. “Johnny” Shaddinger, Jr n Westwego City Council District 2: Johnny Nobles, Jr n Westwego City Council District 5: Robert “Bobby B” Bonvillian

Kerner accused Templet of being part of a political “machine” in Gretna, and said he unfairly concentrated discretionary funds on the city during his time on the council. Last Monday, he filed a lawsuit against Templet to stop a political attack ad from airing, and reported him to the state attorney general and parish inspector general on accusations of federal fraud and tax evasion.

The lawsuit was never heard by a judge before the election because Templet was not served.

Templet, on the other hand, said Kerner was part of a political “dynasty” in Lafitte and criticized his management of the town’s recovery after Hurricane

Email Lara Nicholson at lnicholson@theadvocate. com.

STAFF PHOTO By BRAD KEMP

Mona Senegal, descendent of Louis Senegal, takes a photo of a historical marker unveiled Saturday at the Carencro Welcome Center The marker memorializes Louis Senegal and Antoine Domingue, two victims of lynchings at the turn of the

that the low-cost Swedish furniture-maker IKEA has already inquired about the mall property

“We are desperately ﬁghting for solutions,” council member Arita Bohannan said.

On Friday, the council unanimously shot down a request from the mall owners, Windfall USA and Paciﬁca Square, that would have paved the way for a new hotel on part of the parking lot.

Council members also aired numerous grievances with the owners, including an allegation that they owe more than $320,000 in delinquent property taxes. And they expressed heightened skepticism that the original redevelopment plan pitched in 2023 — to create a “lifestyle center” with retailers, restaurants and up to 800 apartment units will ever come to fruition.

“We want this developed for families to come to Kenner, to live in Kenner,” said council member George Branigan. “We have to draw younger families back.”

Still shuttered

Windfall USA and Paciﬁca Square purchased the indoor mall and Macy’s building for $10 million in 2023. But more than two years later, it remains shuttered.

The owners had requested to subdivide the property so they could sell part of the southeast parking lot for the development of a hotel.

But council members opposed the request because it would add an additional owner Several buildings, including Dillard’s, Target and the movie theater, already have separate owners from the indoor mall.

Stephen Dwyer a real estate attorney representing the owners, said they were “very surprised” the request was denied, as the application met all the city’s resubdivision requirements

CLINIC

Continued from page 1B

staffers a nurse practitioner, social worker and medical assistant — who work at the St. Johnson Street clinic on the LSU Health campus. The foundation also helps cover out-of-pocket medical costs for those it serves.

Altogether those costs topped $450,000 last year During its recent donor appeal, the foundation raised about $220,000 — less than half what it needs to keep the clinic running.

“We are operating at a deficit, which is not fulfilling our fiduciary duty,” said Dr. Peggy Honoré, president of the foundation board. “Last year, we had to dip into our reserves. That is not sustainable.”

But the foundation has found a way to keep its mission alive at another location. CrescentCare, a community health center with two facilities in New Orleans, has agreed to operate the New Orleans Musicians’ Clinic from its location in the 2500 block of Canal Street.

The change goes into effect in June, when the clinic’s existing location will close. The foundation, meanwhile, will continue to fundraise and shift its focus to helping musicians get health insurance. Honoré said the organization will use the money it raises to pay a portion of its clients’ insurance premiums and out-of-pocket costs like copays and deductibles.

“There are likely going to be a lot more out-of-pocket costs in the future, if Medicaid is cut,” Honoré said. “So, we’re already planning and working with CrescentCare on how best to prepare.”

‘They care’

The New Orleans Musicians’ Clinic was created in the late 1990s to address the growing health disparities faced by musicians and other culture bearers in the city, many of whom were uninsured or underinsured at a time when health care was becoming increasingly

GRUNFELD

The request to subdivide Esplanade Mall for sale by the owners whose attempt to redevelop it stalled was denied. The Kenner City Council is holding out hope the entire property could once again be an asset to the area.

and the planning commission voted to approve it.

According to Dwyer, redevelopment has been delayed because of severe vandalism the developers weren’t aware of, including the theft of copper wiring and electrical equipment. They are working on an insurance claim to help fund repairs.

“Nobody wants to see the property developed more than this owner does,” Dwyer said.

In the meantime, Branigan said the city is losing out on major sales tax revenue while the building remains closed. Sales taxes make up 70% of the city’s general fund, he said. Responding to the accusation of $320,000 in delinquent property taxes, Dwyer said in an interview after the meeting that the owners only recently received their tax bill for 2023 and 2024, totaling $130,000 They intend to pay it soon. The other $190,000 originated from an unpaid 1992 tax bill from previous owners. Kenner officials said the mall owners inherited the debt when purchasing the building, but Dwyer said they are in the process of disputing it.

Parish ownership?

Bohannan, who repre-

complex and expensive.

The clinic was founded by a group of musicians and their advocates in partnership with the LSU Health Network, a nonproﬁt group of clinics afﬁliated with the LSU Health Sciences Center and staffed by LSU physicians The organization and its mission resonated in a historic city renowned for its jazz and unique culture.

New Orleans’ musicians and performers power the local cultural economy Yet many were neglecting preventive health care, working late nights and erratic schedules without beneﬁts like health insurance or paid sick leave, the organization’s founders said at the time.

As the clinic grew, so did the need for more ﬁnancial support. In 2007, the New Orleans Musicians’ Assistance Foundation was created to provide administrative and fundraising support for the clinic and expand its services to include things like ﬁnancial literacy, behavioral health self-care and community wellness.

Jeff “Papa Frog” Klein, 74, a composer, percussionist and bandleader, has used the clinic and foundation’s services for more than a decade, mostly for well visits and referrals to specialists. He says the artistic community would be lost without it.

“They say that New Orleans is a city that loves you back,” he said. “The Musicians’ Clinic embodies that 100%. They care about us — not just if we break a ﬁnger — but as people.”

Financial constraints

Despite its popularity within the community, the foundation has struggled in recent years to raise enough money to cover the costs associated with the clinic. In the nonprofit world, financial weaknesses can quickly snowball, Honoré said. Funders are reticent to make grants or large gifts to organizations that are not sustainable, which in turn, makes them less sustainable.

In October, the clinic notiﬁed LSU that it would no longer be able to afford the salaries of the three staff-

New Orleans Area Deaths

Adams, Lesley

Obituaries

Adams, Lesley Lawson

sents the area, told the rest of the City Council she plans to conduct a $500,000 study, using her district discretionary funds, for a master plan on the best use of The Esplanade and Laketown.

That plan, she said, could include the parish purchasing the entire mall property from its several owners, remedying its physical and ﬁnancial issues, and selling it to one developer If ownership was consolidated, Bohannan said, it could be the largest piece of property up for development on the east bank.

The Esplanade joins a growing number of suburban malls undergoing transformation in response to the rise of online shopping, though some upscale Louisiana malls have found success.

In Metairie, the former Clearview Shopping Center is now a $55 million, 270-unit luxury apartment complex called the Metro at Clearview On the West Bank, the Hammond-based Stoa Group is working on a 324-unit apartment complex on the site of the 600,000-square-foot Belle Promenade in Marrero.

Email Lara Nicholson at lnicholson@theadvocate. com.

ers at the clinic, which cost $350,000 of the total $450,000 in operating expenses last fall.

“Our relationship with the clinic was always a good one,” said Ben Lousteau, interim vice chancellor for ﬁnance at LSU Health. “We supported the concept, but they said due to financial constraints they would no longer be able to support the clinic.”

LSU will continue to have a relationship with the foundation, he added. The organization’s administrative ofﬁces are located within LSU and patients will still have access to any specialists at LSU they were referred to by the clinic.

New path forward

Late last year, Honoré reached out to CrescentCare about partnering and taking over the musicians clinic.

Founded more than 40 years ago, CrescentCare was originally known as the NO AIDS Task Force and has grown to become a full-service community health center with a staff of more than 270 and a variety of primary and behavioral health care services that treated more than 13,000 patients in 2024.

As a practical matter, CrescentCare would treat the musicians and performers from the musicians’ clinic even without a partnership because, under its mission as a federal qualiﬁed community health center, it treats anyone.

But Executive Director Alice Reiner said it’s important to retain the branding of the New Orleans Musicians’ Clinic within CrescentCare because the clinic has such deep roots in the community and is a known entity among musicians and performers.

“Above all, we want to ensure continuity of care and support for the musicians,” Reiner said. “There are obviously some unique challenges that musicians have that we want to ﬁgure out how to support. We are thrilled to be able to partner with them.”

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

Allen Sr., Thomas Balencie, Calvin Boudreaux, Shirley Brown, Robert Candies, Grant Casey, Mary Civello, Donald Culotta, Ethel Day, Shena Dorand, Donald Engler,Ada Faucheux, Kevin Gaillot, Kenneth Gravois, Carmen Harrison, Peter Hirstius, Dennis Johnson, Gladys Kraus, Bonny Landry, Russell Lange, Leslie LeMoine, Michael Manale, Lisa Morlas, Simone Murray, James Murray, John Allen

Paulhus, Raymond Peters Jr., Edwin Ruhlman, Robert Teague, Michael White, Judith White Jr., Haydel Williams, Cordine

Wilson, Vanessa E Jefferson

Garden of Memories

Gaillot, Kenneth Johnson, Gladys

Ruhlman, Robert

LA Muhleisen

Civello, Donald New Orleans

Boyd Family Day, Shena

Dennis Funeral Home

Wilson, Vanessa DW Rhodes

Lange, Leslie Jacob Schoen

Harrison, Peter

Lake Lawn Metairie

Boudreaux, Shirley

Casey, Mary

Culotta, Ethel

Faucheux, Kevin

Landry, Russell

Paulhus, Raymond

Majestic Mortuary

White Jr., Haydel St Tammany

EJ Fielding

Dorand, Donald

Peters Jr., Edwin West Bank

Davis Mortuary

Williams, Cordine

Mothe

Adams, Lesley

Allen Sr., Thomas

Morlas, Simone

Lesley Lawson Adams, passed away peacefully on March 16, 2025 at the age of 73. Beloved wife of 41 years to Warren F. Adams Jr. Mother of Kelley Adams Andrew Adams, and Shan‐non Adams (Laura) Grand‐mother of Huntley Adams, Ian Adams, and Aaron Adams Sister of Peter Lawson (Dianna). Daughter of the late John Duncan Lawson and Doris Maitland Butler Lawson Also sur‐vived by other loving rela‐tives and friends She was born in Edinburgh, Scot‐land, graduated from Malden High School in Malden, MA and was a longtime resident of Mar‐rero, LA. She retired from Jean Laﬁtte National His‐torical Park and Preserve A gathering of family and friends will take place at Mothe Funeral Home 2100 Westbank Expressway, Harvey LA on Thursday April 3, 2025 from 9 a.m to 11 a.m. Eulogies and Words of Remembrance will fol‐low Family and friends are invited to share condo‐lences and memories by visiting: www mothefunera ls.com

Thomas E Allen, Sr. was born on November 10, 1954 and went to his eternal rest Monday, March 24 2025 at West Jefferson Hos‐pital. Mr. Allen lived in Har‐vey LA Mr Allen is sur‐vived by one son, Tea J and one grandchild Karmen Allen. Son of the late James Welton Allen and Lillian Pearl Farrell Allen. Brother of James Travis Don Daniel (Kathy), Randy Paul, Patri‐cia Zeringue (the late Ray‐mond), and Mary “Kathy Morales (the late Russell) Nephew of Katherine Daigle and Mattie Martin Grandson of the late Nealy and the late Colia Allen, and the late Thomas and the late Mattie R. Farrell Also survived by two nieces, one nephew, two great-nieces and two great nephews He was a painter in the Oil and Gas industry and loved to golf and ﬁsh His funeral services will begin on Friday, April 4 2025 at Mothe Funeral Home, 2100 Westbank Ex‐pressway, Harvey, LA with a wake form 5:00 pm – 8:00 pm. His funeral service will be the following day on Saturday, April 5, 2025 with a visitation from 12:00 pm –1:30 pm The funeral ser‐vice will begin at 1:30 pm and immediately followed by the burial at Restlawn Memorial Park 1255 Whit‐ney Ave, Gretna, LA The family kindly invites you to share thoughts, fondest memories, and condo‐lences online at www Mot heFunerals.com Mothe Fu‐neral Home has been en‐trusted with funeral arrangements

purchasingagentfor the New Orleans Hilton. He wasa residentof Terrytown and attended Christ theKing Church until 2006 when he andJoAnn moved to Baton Rouge. Calvin became an artist at an early age and has been painting and participating in art shows and exhibitions for nearly 70 years. He has won countless honors and awards for his work. He participated in the Pirate's Alley Art Show for over 50 years. He was a member of the West Bank Art Guild, New Orleans Art Association,Art Guild of Louisiana, the LA Watercolor Society and Ochsner Golden Opportunities. He was a veteran and served in the Army National Guard. Calvin is survived by his daughters, Jeanne B. Hildebrandt (David) and Angele B. Ourso (Darrell); four grandchildren, Christopher Hildebrandt (Amanda), Ryan Hildebrandt (Naomi), Amanda O. Ieyoub (Nicholas), and Daniel Ourso (Caroline); and four great-grandchildren Abigail, Holly, Charlie and James Hildebrandt; sisters -in-law, Joan T. Caronaand Mary E. Thomas; and numerous nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his wife of 61 years, JoAnn Thomas Balencie; parents, JohnM and Ruby Hountha Balencie; siblings, Ruby B. Boos, Shirley B. Mondello, John M. Balencie, Jr., and Joycelyn Balencie. The family would also like to recognize and thank Calvin's friends at the Antioch Senior Center, his wonderful neighbors on Margaux Drive andthe staff of Pinnacle Health. Visitation will take place on Wednesday, April 2, 2025, from 9:30 AM to 11:00 AM at Most Blessed Sacrament Catholic Church, 15615 Jefferson Highway., in Baton Rouge. Mass will follow at 11:00 AM. Following the mass, inurnmentwill take place at Resthaven Gardens of Memory Mausoleum Chapel, 11817 Jefferson Highway. Family andfriends may sign the online guestbook or leave apersonal note to the family at www.resthav enbatonrouge.com.

Shirley K.

Shirley K. Boudreaux, after abrief illness, peacefully departed this life the morning of 23 March2025, at her home and surrounded by her loved ones. Shirley Antonia Marguerite Kelt was alifelong resident of New Orleans, born there on 17 November 1925. She attended Saints Peter and Paul grammar school and then Holy Angels Academy. In the midst of World War II, she married the love of her life, Borne Boudreaux, with whom shehad three sons. She was afiercely devoted and loving wife, mother, grandmother and great-grandmother. Through all her years, her innate joy and fresh enthusiasm for life never dimmed. Resourceful, highly intelligentand always perceptive, she excelled in her chosen role as homemaker -especially in the leaner early years of marriage. Later she traveled the world with her insurance executive husband, ever full of curiosity and delight in their adventures. What she enjoyed most were gardening, playing cards with dear friends, reading and cooking -and she was an avid Saints football fan till the last! She was also a deeply religious person, very involved in herparish church, St. Pius X. Her Catholic faith was her bedrock. Shirley was preceded in death by her husbandof65 years: BorneP.Boudreaux Sr; by her parents: Harold and Elinora Kelt; by her sisters: Doris Cusimano, Audrey Cortez andGloria Dibos; by herbrothers: Harold Kelt Jr and Douglas Kelt; and by twoofher sons: Borne P. "Sonny" BoudreauxJrand Jack C. Boudreaux, PhD. She is survived by two siblings: Beverly Samuel and Richard Kelt; by her son: David A. Boudreaux MD (Richard Nesbitt);

STAFF FILE PHOTO By DAVID

Sr., Thomas E.

Boudreaux,

by her grandchildren: Shannon Scheufler MD (Michael Caluda MD), B. Paul BoudreauxIII (Denyse Haddock), Bridget BoudreauxMD(Dane St. John MD), Andree Grove (David) and Monique Kelly (Kevin); and by

Balencie, Calvin F.

4B ✦ Sunday,March 30,2025 ✦ nola.com ✦ TheTimes-Picayune

(David) and Monique Kelly (Kevin); and by ten greatgrandchildren: William, Paige and Emily Grove; Collin and Caraline Scheufler; Connor and Borne IV Boudreaux; and Reed, Paul and Iris St. John. Visitation willbegin at 10 AM on 8April 2025which is Shirley and Borne's anniversary -at St. Pius XChurch in Lake Vista, followed by a11AM Mass. After this service, there willbeanescorted procession to All Saints Mausoleum in Metairie Cemetery for their inurnment ceremony, together. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests adonation to afavorite charity in her name. Also, special thanks are due to the wonderful in -home caregivers and Anvoi staffwho so helped Shirley in her final days.

Robert (Bob) Austin Brown, born on October 30, 1937, passed away peacefully on March 11, 2025, with his wife Pat by his side. To know Bob was to love him. He had agift for connecting with peoplewhether it was alifelong friend or someone he'd just met, Bob hada wayof making everyone feel seen, heard, and valued. This gift paved the way for asuccessful career and awonderful circle of friends. At the very center of Bob's world were two things: his familyand his faith. He leaves behind his beloved wife, Patricia (Pat) Lindsey Brown, and his children: Randy Brown (Dyanna), Kevin Brown (Janet Hall), and Ashley Brown (Jim Templeton).He was the proud and loving grandfather and greatgrandfather to Brit, Ryli (Hunter), Rett (Samantha), Bowen, Carter, Lilly Grace Arden, Rowen, Gracie, and Ella Jo. Bob's faith was acornerstone of hislife. He found community and purpose in the Episcopal Church, serving in various leadership roles in the church. Fromhis early years at St. Margaret's Episcopal Church in Carrollton, GA to his time at Christ Episcopal Church in Covington, LA, his faith guided him and shaped his relationships. Perhaps most beautifully, it was through the church that Bob met his wife Pat when they were both active members at Episcopal Church of the Ascension in Lafayette, LA. They married in August of 2005, and just last year, celebrated 19 years of marriage. They had ashared love for dogs and their standard poodles were adored, spoiled and at times badly behaved. Regardless, these beloved pets brought agreat deal of joy to them both. Bob's professional life was as varied and vibrant as his personality. He began his career as ajournalist in Alabama and Charlottesville, VA, but soon found his way into the world of sales. His journey took him to Carrollton, GA, where he began working for Southwire, laying down the foundation for his young familyand creating friendships that would last alifetime. His career eventually led him to Atlanta, GA, Bluefield, WV, Columbia,SC, Ripley, MS, and finally to Louisiana, where he spent the last 30 years of his life in both Southeast and Southwest Louisiana. But the work that truly captured his heart was the furniture business -a career he loved and thrived in for over five decades. Bob was afixture at furniture markets from High Point to Tupelo, beloved by clients and colleagues alike for his charisma, warmth, and ability to turn any business interaction into alasting friendship.

Wherever Bob went,he built community. Whether it was through his church, his work, or simply standing in line at the grocery store, Bob never met a stranger. Even in his final days, he was cracking jokes with his favorite ICU nurse -because that was Bob: joyful,magnetic, and always finding light in any situation.

Amemorial and celebration of life will be held in Bob's honor at Christ EpiscopalChurch in Covington, LA on Saturday, May 3, 2025. The visitation will begin at 10 am with a service to follow at 11 am Inlieu of flowers the family requests donations be

Episcopal Church in Covington, LA on Saturday, May 3, 2025. The visitation will begin at 10 amwith a service to follow at 11 am. In lieu of flowersthe family requests donations be made in Bob's memoryto Christ Episcopal Church in Covington (b.Ups://christc hurchcovington.comD or the Women's Resource Center (www.m)'.wrc.org)

Candies, Grant

Grant JamesCandies

February 29, 1988March 23, 2025

With profound sorrow, we announce the passing of Sergeant Grant James Candies, age 37, of Pearl River, LA, who waskilledin the line of duty on March 23, 2025, while courageously serving his community. In that devastating moment, we lost ahusband, a father, aMarine, amentor, and atrue leader amongst his peers. Though his watch has ended, hislegacy of service and sacrifice will live on forever. A Legacy of Service Sgt. Candies embodiedeverything alaw enforcement officershould be -disciplined, compassionate, and selfless. He dedicated his life to protecting and uplifting those around him, both in and out of uniform. His journeyofservice began in the United States Marine Corps, where he servedwith unwavering dedication as Sergeant of the MALS-11 unitfrom 2006 to 2013. As aMarine Corps Martial Arts Program instructor and avionics technician, he exemplified leadership and resilience, skills that would later define his law enforcement career. In 2016, he brought the same passion and devotion to the St. Tammany Parish Sheriff'sOffice, quickly rising to the role of Field Training Officerinthe Criminal Patrol Division. To Grant, training new deputies wasn'tjust about tactics -itwas about instilling integrity, courage, and an unshakable commitment to service.Heled by example,living by the Marine Corps principle of "leading from the front"not just in uniform, but in every aspect of hislife. Born and raised in Luling, LA, Grant was inspiredby his father, retired Captain Mark Candies of the St Charles Parish Sheriff's Office, who servedhis community for over30 years. Though he once dreamedofbecoming a Marine Corps pilot, fate led him to Southeastern Louisiana University, where he met the love of his life, Courtney. Their bond became hisanchor, leading him to buildalife and careerinSt. Tammany Parish -a place he came to love deeply. His internship with the U.S. Marshals Service introducedhim to law enforcement, igniting apassion that wouldbecome his lifelong mission What started as astepping stone soon became his purpose -toprotect and serve his community with honor. Above All, AFamily Man Beyond the badge, Grant was adevotedhusband and father. Hisgreatest pride was hisfamilyhis beloved wife of 10 years, Courtney, and their cherished children, Brenna (13) and Bryson (8). He raised them with the same valueshecarried into his work: strength, kindness, and unwavering dedication. Whether he was teaching them to hunt and fish, working on theirsmall farm, or simply spending time together, Grant was the kind of fatherevery child deserves -protective, fun, and deeply loving. Honors &Recognition Though Sgt. Candies never sought recognition, his leadership and service did not go unnoticed. He was recognized in multiple commendations as an asset to the STPSO. Among his many honors: 2023 Medal of Lifesaving Award (2x) 2023 STPSO Deputy of the Year

2023 Oscar J. Thomas Charitable Trust Award

2024 Northlake Mandeville Rotary Club Public Service Award

2024 VFW Police Officer of the Year

2024 Elks Care Medalof Service For Grant, titlesand accolades never matteredpeople did. His mission was always simple:to make adifference.And he did. The outpouringoflove and support from the very community he servedso selflessly is atestament to his impact.

Forever in Our Hearts Grant is survived by his loving wife,Courtney, and their cherishedchildren, Brenna and Bryson; his motherBettye Freeman

his impact Forever in Our Hearts Grant is survived by his loving wife, Courtney, and theircherished children, Brenna and Bryson; his mother Bettye Freeman (Carl Sr.) and father Mark Candies (Lori); sisters Lauren (Cole) Matherne, Lauren Ashley (Brandon) Borey, and Lacie Duplessis; brother CarlJr. (Jordin) Freeman; niece Emma; nephew Brooks; father-inlaw KennethSingletary; grandmother Emma Lou Freeman; grandmother-inlaw Brenda Whitehead;a host of aunts, uncles, and cousins; and his Sheriff's Office family and Marine Corpsbrothers. He is preceded in death by his mother-in-law Bessie Singletary; grandmothers Virginia Candies and Kista Elliot;grandfathers Benjamin Candies and Billy Joe Elliot; and grandfather-in-law Floyd Whitehead.Aswegrieve this tremendous loss, we also celebratehis legacyalife lived with purpose, leadership, and an unyielding sense of duty. His laughter, wisdom, and selfless spirit will live on in the deputies he mentored, the family he cherished,and the communityheprotected. Rest in peace, Sgt. Grant Candies. Your sacrifice will never be forgotten. Service Details:

Afuneral service to honor Grant's life and service will be held on April 1, 2025, at The Harbor Center in Slidell, LA.A livestream will be available online from the STPSO forthose unable to attend in person. Public Visitation: 10:00 AM, Service: 1:00 PM, Military Honors at Graveside: 3:00 PM at Evan's Creek Cemetery, Pearl River, LA Reception to follow Friends, family, and all who wish to honorGrant's memory are welcome to attend as we come together to paytributetoa hero, aprotector, and aman whose impact will never fade.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made at any Hancock Whitney Bank location to the Benefit of Sgt. Grant Candies. "Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one's life for one's friends." -John 15:13 Semper Fi, Sgt.Candies. We have the watch from here

Mary Katherine Brady Casey, awoman of extraordinary vitalityand an exuberant loving spirit, was born in Houston, Texas on November 29, 1930. Although she moved with her family to New Orleans at the ageof17, she remained alifelong Texan at heart and was not shy about proclaiming her Texas pride. In Houston she attended St. Agnes Academy where she was instilled with alasting appreciation and knowledge of literature and poetry and was aproud graduate of the class of the 49ers. In New Orleans she graduated from Loyola University where she was chosen Campus Queen and was a member of Cardinal Key. At Loyola she met the love of her life, Thomas Casey. They married shortly after graduation and had 65 happy and fulfilling years together. At Loyola Kathy and Tom met so many dear friends who remained their closest friends for their entire lives.

Kathy and Tom together were tireless advocates for their family, their Catholic faith, the cityofNew Orleans, and the state of Louisiana. Kathy was her husband's biggest asset while serving as his campaign manager for his successful elections to the Louisiana House of Representatives, the Louisiana Senate, and to the Louisiana Constitutional Convention of 1973. She was adedicated volunteer at her children's schools of Ursuline Academy, Jesuit High School, and Academy of the Sacred Heart.She was chairperson of Pre-Cana for the Archdiocese of New Orleans, president of the Ladies Auxiliary of New Orleans Junior Chamber of Commerce and the Louisiana State Legislature Wives Auxiliary. She served on the Board of Directors of Citizens for QualityNursing Home Care, Louisiana Independent Colleges and Universities, Odyssey House, NewOrleans Opera Guild,and the Louisiana Arts Council, and she was an active member of the Orleans Club.Because of her great love forNew Orleans, she thoroughly enjoyed being atour guide for thecity for over 20

Arts Council, and she was an active member of the Orleans Club.Because of her great love forNew Orleans, she thoroughly enjoyed being atour guide for thecity for over 20 years. She, together with Tom, was very involved in the Catholic Church as adaily Mass attendee, Pre-Cana mentor, and member of many Catholic organizations. She was aparishioner of St. Rita Church, Holy Name of Jesus Church, and the Shrine of Our Lady of Prompt Succor, and was acommitted adorer at Holy Name adoration chapel. She received the Order of St. Louis MedallionAward from the Archdiocese of New Orleans for service to the Church. In raising their family, Kathy and Tom instilled in theirchildren a deep Catholicfaith and taught their children by example how to treat others with compassion, courtesy, and kindness. Kathy and Tom were avid travelers, visiting all 50 states and over 50 countries, often bringing along various children and grandchildren. Kathy loved politics, history, geography, English literature, opera, and Saintsfootball. She was completely devoted to her family and friends. Her husband,children, grandchildren, greatgrandchildren, nieces and nephews adored and admired her. Her home was the center of untold numbers of family gatherings, dinners, holiday celebrations, and parties. She made everyone feel welcome, special, and loved She passed into eternal life surrounded by her family on March 26, 2025 after avery briefillness. She was preceded in deathby her husband,Thomas AlcadeCasey, her sister, Angela Brady Kelly, and her parentsTeresa Chambers Brady and John Francis Brady. She is survived by her five children: Pamela Casey Stanton (Kim), Thomas Alcade Casey, Jr. (Elizabeth), Katherine Casey Caffery (Michael), Shannon Casey Countryman (Clay), and John BradyCasey (Ashley). She is also survived by 11 grandchildren: Sarah Stanton Craft (George), Peter Casey Stanton, John Brennan Stanton (Anne), Michael St. Marc Caffery, Jr., Thomas Casey Caffery, Kate Countryman Clausen (TR), Betsy Brady Countryman (fiancé John Horey), Anne Brady Caffery, Molly Casey Countryman, Caroline Whittington Casey, and Kathryn Grace Casey, by 10 great-grandchildren, and by many beloved nieces and nephews.

The family would like to thank the outstanding staff at LambethHouse, 2nd floor St. Anna's. They are angels on earth.

Afuneral Mass will be held at St. RitaCatholic Church, 2729 Lowerline St., New Orleans on Wednesday, April 2at12 noon with visitationat11 a.m. In lieuofflowers, donations are requested to The National Shrine of Our Lady of Prompt Succor, 2701 State Street, New Orleans 70118 or Covenant House, 611 NorthRampart Street, New Orleans 70112.

Donald E. Civello was born on December 11, 1935, in New Orleans and passed away March 19, 2025 at the age of 89 years. He was a native and life-long resi‐dent of New Orleans, LA He was proud to be in the ﬁrst graduating class of De La Salle High School

vice to follow at 11:00 a.m There will be a private bur‐ial at a later date In lieu of ﬂowers please honor by donating to St. Jude Chil‐dren's Research Hospital at https://www stjude org To share memories or con‐dolences,

Culotta, Ethel Chachere

Born Nov. 7,1924 in New Orleans, LA to thelate Tilghman George Chachere Jr. and Gertrude Coralie Levy Chachere. Thewife of the late Vincent ACulotta Sr. MD died peacefully at home on March 26, 2025. Sister of the late Elizabeth C. Brennan (William) of LaMirada Ca., thelate Coralie C. Liberto (Vincent), thelate Naomi C. Bonnabel (Guion), the late Tilghman G. Chachere III (Lavicia), and thelate Robert E. Chachere (Georgette). Mother of Vincent A. Culotta Jr. MD (Mimi), Salvador P. Culotta (Patricia), Gertrude Culotta McGarvey (Charles), Pascal Mark Culotta (Leslie), andthe late Frances Culotta Schmeeckle (Frederick), and the late John Tilghman Culotta (Eileen). Grandmother of the late Vincent A. Culotta III. Survived by 18 grandchildren and 23 great grandchildren and many cousins, nieces, and nephews. In lieu of flowers, have amass said at St Francis Xavier church or donations to the Trey Culotta Wrestling Fund at Brother Martin High School. Relatives and friends are invited to attend the service at Lake Lawn Metairie Funeral Home on Saturday April 5, 2025. Visitation will be from 10 a.m. until the mass at noon.Interment to follow within Metairie Cemetery

Shena Day departed this life on March 15, 2025, at the age of 63. She was born to Dorothy Sylvester Dus‐set and Wilce Day Sr. at Charity Hospital of New Or‐leans, Louisiana on Sep‐tember 19, 1961. She re‐ceived Christ in her life at an early age and was bap‐tized at First New Zion Travelers Baptist Church in New Orleans. She gradu‐ated from John F Kennedy High School in 1979 and joined the United States Army in 1981 where she served her country honor‐ably and was honorably discharged She pursued a secondary education at Southern University of New Orleans, Charity School of Nursing, and Delgado Com‐munity College. Shena had a passion for helping oth‐ers and was a certiﬁed nursing assistant for many years She was preceded in death by her parents Mrs Dorothy Sylvester Dusset and Mr. Wilce Day Sr. two brothers Richard Dusset, Diamond L Dusset, two sis‐ters Dorothy D Gusman and Laverne Day. She leaves to cherish her mem‐ory a devoted longtime companion Silas Lu one die L set, Sylv Jose D. H Jude Cathy Dusse Barn devot n/ s Vane s, and host of nieces, neph cousins, and friends ily and friends are in to attend the Celebra of Life Service on Satur March 29, 2025, for 1 a.m. at The Boyd Family neral Home 5001 Mentuer Hwy., New leans, LA 70126. Visit will b 00 a.m nior P DeAn Grand Miracle tist Cathedral, ofﬁciat A Private Interment w take place on Mon March 31, 2025. Guest Online: www anewtraditi onbegins.com (504)2820600. Linear Brooks Boyd and Donavin D Boyd Own‐

Donald Ernest Dorand, a devoted family man and lifelong outdoorsman, passed away on March 25 2025, at the age of 77. He was a resident of Madis‐onville Louisiana, and was born on December 28, 1947, in New Orleans Louisiana to the late Albert and Iris Dorand He leaves behind his beloved wife of 54 years Jane Denley Dorand; his daughters Jennifer Guillory (Joe) and Denise Bachemin (Kenny); and his cherished grandchildren Cade Guillory, Cullen Guil‐lory, Sydney Bachemin, and Barrett Bachemin. He is also survived by his sis‐ter Judy Montello as well as many nieces, nephews, extended family and dear friends Don will also be missed by his “grand pups” Ruston, Croix, and Kash. Don is preceded in death by his brother David Dorand Don was a 1965 graduate of Chalmette High School and earned his degree from Nicholls State University in 1970, where he was a proud member of the baseball team He en‐joyed a long career in the beverage distribution in‐dustry, working with sev‐eral companies, including Coors Brewing Company, and ultimately found his home at Crescent Crown Distributing where he re‐tired in 2014. Don loved hunting ﬁshing and spending time on his boat at the family camp. Above all, he was a devoted hus‐band, father and grandfa‐ther, always present to support his grandchildren in all their activities and accomplishments. Services will be held privately at a later date. E.J Fielding Fu‐neral Home has been en‐trusted with funeral arrangements The Dorand family invites you to share thoughts, fondest memo‐ries, and condolences on‐line at E J. Fielding Funeral Home Guest Book at www ejﬁeldingfh.com

Brown, Robert Austin 'Bob'

Dorand, Donald Ernest

Casey, Mary KatherineBrady

Day, Shena

Civello, Donald E.

Engler, Ada M.

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OUR VIEWS

After shocking national security breach, Congress must wake up

The disturbing report that senior defense and national security leaders used a commercial messaging app to discuss highly sensitive plans to bomb targets abroad should rattle every thinking American. And more importantly, it should be a sobering moment for Congress to at last step up to the crucial role it plays in ensuring the safety of the many courageous men and women who put their lives on the line around the globe to protect our nation’s interests.

But alas, we fear that is not happening.

In mid-March, the U.S. military launched airstrikes on targets in Yemen held by Houthi rebels, who have been harassing ships in the Suez Canal. Afterward, Jeffrey Goldberg, the editor-in-chief of The Atlantic magazine, published an extraordinary account of how he was accidentally added by National Security Adviser Mike Waltz to a group on the Signal app that involved Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Vice President JD Vance and other senior ofﬁcials discussing plans for the attack before it happened.

That the chat happened outside of secure government communication channels itself is a serious breach. Signal, though it encrypts messages, is by no means immune to hacking, as the Pentagon warned employees months ago. That a journalist — or anyone whose true identity was not known — was mistakenly added to the chat should raise alarming questions. This was talk about a military action, the details of which, had they become known, could have put lives at risk. Yet the response from Congress has been predictable and disappointingly partisan. As Democrats call for ﬁrings and resignations, Republicans mostly want to move on. House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-Benton, said he trusted President Donald Trump’s team would make sure it doesn’t happen again. Sen. John Kennedy agreed there’s nothing to see here. “I don’t think most Americans care one way or another,” he said.

That is beside the point We elect representatives to Congress to take such matters with the seriousness they deserve. The public is not privy to all the ins and outs of our national security protocols. We do not swear an oath to protect the Constitution against all enemies, foreign and domestic. Our elected representatives — both Democrats and Republicans — are the ones who have a duty to act, especially when troops could be put in harm’s way How did we come to the point that our very national security is a partisan issue? When Republicans rightly raised security concerns about former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton using a private email server Democrats sought to minimize the risks. Now, many of those same Republicans seem to have no concerns here.

Americans need Congress to stop defaulting to its usual tit-for-tat and to call for a thorough vetting of what happened, at the very least If this is not a wake-up call for our lawmakers, we are afraid to imagine what would be.

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. TO SEND US A LETTER, SCAN HERE

OPINION

Due process for

President Donald Trump is using an 18th-century law the Alien Enemies Act — to justify the deportation of hundreds of people he says are members of a vicious Venezuelan gang. That law was last used during World War II by the Roosevelt administration to justify the internment of Japanese Americans. The government later apologized for that action and paid reparations to the survivors who were detained, but not until 1988 in the last year of the Reagan administration.

U.S. District Judge James Boasberg, the chief judge of the U.S. District Court in Washington, D.C., ordered a halt to deportations until a hearing could be held. The administration said the planes deporting Venezuelans were already in the air and over international waters before the judge’s order President Trump has called for the impeachment of Boasberg, an appointee of President Obama.

One can agree that these Venezuelans are “very bad people” while still defending their right to due process, a concept at least as old as the Magna Carta.

In a summation of the Magna Carta’s inﬂuence on modern law, a posting on the Library of Congress site says: “The

Fifth and Fourteenth Amendments to the Constitution, which guarantee that no person shall ‘be deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law,’ incorporated the model of the rule of law that English and American lawyers associated most closely with Magna Carta for centuries. Under this model, strict adherence to regular procedure was the most important safeguard against tyranny.”

There was at least one option other than paying $6 million to El Salvador to take the Venezuelans and imprison them. It’s what the administration initially planned send suspected criminals to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, to await a hearing before an immigration judge. Hundreds of tents were erected for the prospective deportees. The administration apparently preferred a faster strategy, perhaps to demonstrate how tough it could be when following through on Trump’s campaign and subsequent promises to rid the country of undocumented aliens and “known criminals.”

That approach has likely contributed to Trump’s record-high poll numbers, but at what cost? If the Venezuelans had been sent to Guantanamo and each one appeared

before an immigration judge, the chances would have been excellent they would end up being deported. That would uphold constitutional law and produce the same results as the administration desires.

Think of it this way: If you were charged with a crime, would you want the government bypassing a jury trial to satisfy a government or political objective? This is the way totalitarian regimes behave. It should not be a policy of the United States. No president should be allowed to unilaterally remove constitutional rights from anyone, including those who may have broken the law to get to this country

Founding Father George Mason said: “...No free government, nor the blessings of liberty can be preserved, to any people but by a ﬁrm adherence to justice, moderation, temperance, frugality and virtue; by frequent recurrence to fundamental principles; and by the recognition by all citizens that they have duties as well as rights, and that such rights cannot be enjoyed save in a society where law is respected and due process is observed.”

Either due process is for everybody, or it is for nobody

Email Cal Thomas at tcaeditors@ tribpub.com.

We sometimes get requests to run letters with multiple signers.

I understand why a group would want to put many names on a letter It is often a way to show there is broad support for an issue or viewpoint. However, we typically limit letters to one or two signers. We believe letters should represent the views of the writer, rather than of a group. It’s hard for a group to truly collaborate on authoring a letter, and we could rather print the name of the letter’s true author, while mentioning the affiliated group. Also, I find that letters in a writer’s own words are more engaging than those written as a group project. An individual’s unique syntax and phrasing are sometimes watered down in a letter written by committee. Often, that can make the letter feel less than authentic. Then too, there are groups that encourage their members to write to us in a letter-writing campaign on a specific topic. We don’t mind this. It’s good to know when an issue has broad interest. But we do discourage copying and pasting text that isn’t your own in letters to the editor When you send a letter, we assume you are relating your views and your views alone. Even if you feel like a certain form letter expresses your thoughts exactly, we would rather you put your opinion in your own words. It can be hard to determine when a letter is from a source other than the purported author But when we get multiple letters with the exact same wording, or substantial chunks of text that read the same, we generally weed out those letters. In our letters inbox for the week from Feb. 28-March 6, we received 71 letters. That was a bit lower than previous weeks, but you still had a lot to talk about. The most popular topic that week, outside of national politics, was the war in Ukraine, with 20 letters received on the topic. The overwhelming majority wanted to see the U.S. continue to support Ukraine. As it was the week of Mardi Gras, we received nine letters about the holiday, mostly regarding things you saw on the route. And lastly, we received three letters regarding vaccines, a topic that resurfaced after the Texas measles outbreak.

Arnessa Garrett is Deputy Editor | Opinion Page Editor. Email her at arnessa.garrett@theadvocate.com.

Arnessa Garrett

Cal Thomas

COMMENTARY

NORD facilities awful, but renewal may have begun

So: This was going to be an easy column. Namely: The New Orleans Recreation Development Commission appears dangerously negligent, but a major community coalition is determined, against all odds, to right the ship As it turns out, the column is not so simple. But that’s good news, because the complications arise from progress NORD is making. And the coalition that was ready to blow the whistle on NORD is even better poised to partner with it.

The subject arose, and took urgency, from a Substack post last December by former longtime local prosecutor Laura Cannizzaro Rodrigue, blasting NORD for the horrid state of disrepair of many of its playgrounds.

Rodrigue’s reporting, full of photographic evidence, depicted ﬁelds in dangerous condition, garbage-ﬁlled concession areas, fallen electrical boxes, bleachers broken beyond repair, strong odors of urine and feces and even homeless encampments at a playground. There is no denying the vast bulk of Rodrigue’s reporting — and NORD doesn’t deny it.

With all of that evidence in mind, seven key groups ranging from the NAACP to the Metropolitan Crime Commission to the New Orleans Chamber of Commerce, all led by the NOLA Coalition (which itself is an umbrella group of well over 500 nonproﬁt groups and businesses) issued a March 25 statement lamenting the “unacceptable conditions of recreational facilities” and calling for “rebuilding NORD.”

Their statement comes on the backdrop of a February notice from the New Orleans Inspector General of an audit “to determine whether NORD spent funds for capital projects in accordance with policy and best practices.”

All of which looks, well, ﬂat-out awful for NORD At the very least, much more engagement from the mayor and City Council seems warranted.

There is, however, more to the story.

What was admittedly horrendous in December is, in at least some of the facilities, improving signiﬁcantly Among the ball ﬁeld facilities most criticized by Rodrigue, two are in remarkably

better condition, with major work ongoing.

The ﬁrst, which Rodrigue identiﬁed as Larry Gilbert Stadium in Hollygrove but which actually is the adjoining Cuccia-Byrnes Playground that for years was home to Carrollton Boosters Little League competitions, was the one where homeless people had lived for nearly two years.

Now, though, the homeless encampment is gone, locks are in place, the main building looks clean, and the ﬁeld seems reasonably usable.

Be that as it may, NORD communications director Emily Oliver said that it was only last summer that NORD regained management of the facility from Carrollton Boosters, which had contractually assumed management during Mayor Mitch Landrieu’s administration but had moved its Little League programs elsewhere “three or four years ago.”

And NORD already had identiﬁed Cuccia-Byrnes as a prime target for repairs.

Meanwhile, when I visited another of the places Rodrigue had described in horriﬁc terms, the Perry Roehm playground near Elysian Fields and Florida Street,

things were even better The place is a hotbed of refurbishment activity, with work crews using heavy equipment to ready the inﬁeld for artiﬁcial turf literally used in this year’s Super Bowl.

The renovations at Cuccia-Byrnes, Perry Roehm and elsewhere, NORD’s Oliver said, are part of a master plan that preexisted Rodrigue’s December Substack article.

Sure enough, the city’s Big Green Easy master plan, which is not just for NORD facilities but for all the city’s parks and greenways, openly lists bad conditions at a number of NORD playgrounds and carefully designates a schedule for substantial improvements. An admirably comprehensive report and guide, it was published in January 2024.

In Oliver’s telling, Rodrigue’s report was largely accurate but just happened to come in the interregnum between the plan’s adoption and the plan’s actual implementation.

And while it’s well worth ﬁguring out how conditions in so many playgrounds got so bad in the ﬁrst place, the most important takeaway is that caring citizen activists such as Rodrigue and the vast

coalition that issued the March 25 statement are fully engaged now, both prodding NORD and, even more importantly, offering their assistance.

Coalition member Michael Hecht, fresh off his successful oversight of the city’s preparation for the Super Bowl, said he has “been struck by the diversity of voices looking for ways they can help ensure that our kids have safe and supportive recreation opportunities.”

Dawn Hebert, president of the Eastern New Orleans Advisory Commission, said the coalition is “encouraging NORD to consider public-private partnerships, as this is a proven model, and will help NORD leverage private dollars.”

NORD’s Oliver said her agency welcomes such public interest: “These are shared responsibilities that we all have. Taking pride in our communities is something we all should do.”

This engagement, and the transparent goodwill expressed by NORD’s Oliver, is all terriﬁc. Let’s keep it going.

Quin Hillyer can be reached at quin.hillyer@theadvocate.com.

Johnson learns that parenthood trumps partisanship

There aren’t too many forces powerful enough to break through the partisan gridlock in Washington, D.C., but maybe here’s one: motherhood.

This possibility could wind up handing House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-Benton, a notable loss at the hands of one of the GOP’s truest believing Trumpers.

The member in question is a Florida representative named Anna Paulina Luna, who gave birth in 2023 and was unable to attend key votes in person, as the rules require, due to subsequent complications. She’s a highproﬁle face of an effort to allow new moms and dads and also women who are experiencing pregnancy complications — to vote by proxy Johnson, who has so far managed to keep his tiny Republican majority mostly united opposes the proposal and is reportedly discouraging Luna from pushing it He says he sympathizes with the predicament of members caring for newborns but that the Constitution bars proxy voting But if Luna wants to push it she can, through a procedure known as a discharge petition, which allows a measure with majority support of the full House to bypass leadership and get a ﬂoor vote. And Luna is

making it clear that this is what she wants to do.

“This is about changing the institution for the better,” Luna told the news outlet NOTUS “We had some great members of Congress that we lost because of the fact that they were like, ‘this was just too hard with her family.’ ”

All of which is creating a complication for the self-proclaimed family values crowd that runs things.

The proposal, which would give new moms and dads 12 weeks to vote by proxy, is popular with Democrats; one co-sponsor is Colorado Democrat Brittany Pettersen, who had her second baby in late January and made headlines by bringing her fourweek-old to vote with her on the ﬂoor But it also has some backing among Republicans, both male and female.

So while Johnson’s putting pressure on his caucus to hold the line, there’s a real chance he could wind up on the losing end of a full House vote.

The requirement that members vote in person under all circumstances has some vocal adherents. One is Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-Jefferson, who noted that he did not vote when he was hospitalized following a 2017 assassination attempt Among his arguments is that it’s important to look fellow members in the eye before voting.

The current system certainly creates its share of drama — there’ve been instances of members leaving their hospital beds to vote — but these extreme instances just emphasize the distance between the longstanding system and the reality that human beings who populate it can face.

And it’s certainly fair to point out that the burden is disproportionately borne by members who give birth.

Women now make up just under 29% of House members and 26% of senators, and the difﬁculties in balancing family life and work in a different city — in an institution in which it’s become the norm to leave families back home rather than relocate to the nation’s capital — surely contribute.

The proposal’s proponents think so anyway Here’s what Petterson told CBS News: “Historically, it’s been much more wealthy, older men who serve in Congress. This isn’t designed for young families and for young women, especially.”

That challenges surrounding young families in politics would cross party lines might not be surprising to those who closely follow Louisiana politics. In 2019, a ruling that a female candidate with young kids couldn’t charge child care expenses to her campaign during a political event — and an older male Ethics Board member’s insulting suggestion that the candidate had misplaced priorities — drew bipartisan

criticism from state lawmakers, so much so that the board reversed itself.

And if opponents want to argue that carving out this exception would create a slippery slope, well, that slippery slope seems to exist already

The House allowed proxy voting during the COVID pandemic when Democrats were in charge. And while Republicans criticized it at the time, Johnson was among those who took advantage on more than one occasion — as Luna pointed out, with receipts, on social media. Then there are reports that another Florida Republican, Byron Donalds, seems to have recently voted by proxy while in California for a television appearance on HBO’s “Real Time” show Surely in modern America, it’s more important to allow new parents to recover from childbirth and bond with their babies than to joke around with Bill Maher And surely it’s more important still for lawmakers to understand the work/life challenges that so many of their constituents face, and — one would hope — to enact policies for the rest of us that address those concerns.

Maybe it’s just me, but that sounds like real family values in action.

Email Stephanie Grace at sgrace@ theadvocate.com.

Amid national struggles, La. Democrats plan a fight

Democrats across the nation are pissed off.

They can’t believe President Donald Trump, South African billionaire Elon Musk, House Speaker Mike Johnson and their Republican colleagues, inﬂuencers and power players are tearing down the federal government so many — Democrats and Republicans alike — spent centuries to build. They want it to stop. But they’re not sure what to do. In Louisiana, just in recent years, Democrats lost the governorship, Republicans hold all statewide ofﬁces and supermajorities in the Louisiana Senate and House of Representatives. Democrats got a win, with the support of Gov. Jeff Landry, when the party got a second congressional seat, though that pick up is being challenged in the courts.

including the president’s intent to demolish the Department of Education. U.S. Rep. Cleo Fields, D-Baton Rouge, held town halls in Alexandria, Baton Rouge, Lafayette, Natchitoches, Opelousas and Shreveport. U.S Rep. Troy Carter held a town hall in Georges Auditorium at Dillard University in New Orleans. I was reminded how bad things look for Democrats when I attended Carter’s town hall in Gentilly Carter hosted the event to hear about the critical health issues that might become dire if Republicans make the Medicare and Medicare changes being discussed.

that Democrats could lose 12 congressional seats with the next U.S. census. The more conservative American Redistricting Project basically agreed, saying it’s likely that Democrats could lose 11 seats.

That feels like Democrats are battling on several fronts as they search for a message that gets more Democrats engaged, gets more Democrats registered and gets more Democrats out to vote.

I asked Louisiana Democratic Party Chair Randal Gaines about the challenge. He sighed, then said, “I’ve got a tough job. We’ve got a tough job.”

Democrats have some mayoral seats Not putting up enough candidates to challenge some district representative seats allowed the GOP to walk into the Baton Rouge state capitol with an advantage.

Congressional Democrats have hosted town halls recently seizing on the opportunity to highlight and blast Trump’s federal government cuts with more cuts coming,

Before the event started, there were a few people in the Georges Auditorium seats and a few people mingling outside. As the start time neared, every few minutes there were two or three, then ﬁve or six, dozens and scores parking and walking, or rushing, to get inside.

These were not the Democrats who were disappointed with Vice President Kamala Harris’s loss to Donald Trump and, exhausted, decided to set politics aside as they did their best to ignore what’s been going on — and what’s likely to happen.

Participants continued to come

in well after the program started. They listened to Carter and health professionals who shared disturbing and depressing data about communities like ours who could lose jobs, critical health care access and uncertain disability and special education support. They railed about Minority Leader Chuck Schumer joining a few other Democrats to approve a Republican budget stopgap measure that most Democrats saw as damaging.

Things could get worse.

The more progressive Brennan Center recently suggested that blue states are shrinking enough

Realizing that as the party leader, he must exude hope, he immediately switched gears and talked about party moves, needs and opportunities.

He’s most excited about the party’s new executive director, Dadrius Lanus.

Lanus has been the executive director of 100 Black Men of Metro Baton Rouge. He built the staff from one to three to 10 employees in three years.

The chapter won the national organization’s chapter of the year award in 2023.

Recommended by Gaines after a search conducted by a ﬁrm with political expertise, the party leadership team conﬁrmed the

selection Wednesday night. Lanus serves on the East Baton Rouge School Board, representing the same district that includes his high school, Glen Oaks High School. He has an undergraduate degree, a master’s degree, a doctoral degree from Southern University and a law degree from Southern University Law Center On his ﬁrst full day of work Thursday, Lanus told me despite all the challenges Democrats face, he wanted this job. “Right now, we’re in a hostile situation,” he said, “but it’s a perfect storm because there’s so much we can accomplish — and people just want to see us ﬁght.”

Some in the Carter town hall audience begged Carter and his colleague Democrats to do much more, and to enlist their help. Carter insisted that they had, and they still do. With counter messaging, with town halls and encouraging people to stay involved. In the end, however, he said the biggest key can be summed up in one word: Vote.

We’re in this mess largely because not enough people voted for another direction.

Gaines and Lanus are aiming to change that in Louisiana.

Email Will Sutton at wsutton@ theadvocate.com.

Quin Hillyer

Stephanie Grace Will Sutton

STAFF PHOTO By MICHAEL JOHNSON Louisiana Democratic Party Chairman Randal Gaines

New Orleans Forecast

Ada M. Engler was a woman of great faith and devotion to those she loved. It is with deep sorrow to announce her passing from this life to eternal heavenly rest on Friday, March 21, 2025 in Austin, TX. Ada was born on January 14, 1935 in New Orleans, LA to Adolph Duplessis and Lucille Cazabat. She had two sisters and two brothersIrma Regua (Phillip), Ursula Rose Lobrano (Perry), Adolph Jr. and Hansel, who preceded her in death. Ada is survived by her daughter, Michelle Phillips and three grandchildren -Ethan Phillips (Kelsey), GavinPhillips and Collette Phillips. She is also survived by her first cousin, Lydia Roberts; niece/goddaughter, Felicia Colna (John); nephew, Perry Lobrano Jr. (Theresa); and nephew/ godson, Stephen Lobrano (Diane). And by nieces and nephews-Margaret Sias, Rusty Wojcik (Lorelei) Paula Porter (Gordon), Nola Wojcik, Dawn Wojcik and Greg Wojcik. Ada was raised as adevout Catholic. She was baptized at St. Louis Cathedral and attended St. Peter and Paul in New Orleans. She was very attached to her familygrowing up. Her family didn't have much money for luxurious vacations, but one thing she cherished was family picnics in the park, especially on the Fourth of July to watch fireworks. Her father would often play his accordion, and Adawould join along by singing and dancing. Growing up her best friend was her cousin, Lydia. She and her cousin lived very close together and attended the same school. After school they would be found playing games, going on double dates, dances and worked together as baggers at the local supermarket, Schwegman's. But Ada's favorite memories are funny stories she said she would never reveal. In her teen years, Ada developed agreat love for card playing and fostered apassion for ping-pong. In fact, she was the champion ping pong player at her high school. Her favorite subjects in school were math and literature. She had alove for numbers and agreat respect for writers. She attended McDonna High School and graduated from Nicholls High School in New Orleans. After high school Ada

math and literature. She had alove fornumbers and agreat respect for writers. She attended McDonna High School and graduated from Nicholls High School in New Orleans.

Ada M. Engler was a woman of great faith and devotion to those she loved. It is with deepsorrow to announce her passing from this life to eternal heavenly rest on Friday, March 21, 2025 in Austin, TX. Ada was born on January 14, 1935 in New Orleans, LA to Adolph Duplessis and Lucille Cazabat. She hadtwo sisters and two brothersIrma Regua (Phillip), Ursula Rose Lobrano (Perry), Adolph Jr.and Hansel, who precededher in death. Ada is survived by her daughter,Michelle Phillips and threegrandchildren -EthanPhillips (Kelsey), Gavin Phillipsand Collette Phillips. She is also survived by her first cousin, Lydia Roberts; niece/goddaughter, Felicia Colna (John); nephew, Perry Lobrano Jr. (Theresa); and nephew/ godson, Stephen Lobrano (Diane). And by nieces and nephews-Margaret Sias, Rusty Wojcik (Lorelei), Paula Porter (Gordon), Nola Wojcik, Dawn Wojcik and Greg Wojcik Ada was raised as adevout Catholic. She was baptized at St. Louis Cathedral and attended St Peter and Paul in New Orleans. She wasvery attached to her family growing up. Her family didn't have much money for luxurious vacations, but one thing she cherished was family picnics in the park, especially on the Fourth of July to watch fireworks. Her father wouldoften play his accordion, and Ada would join along by singing and dancing. Growing up herbest friend was her cousin, Lydia. She and her cousin lived very close together and attended the same school. After school they would be found playing games, going on double dates, dancesand worked together as baggers at the local supermarket, Schwegman's. But Ada's favorite memoriesare funny stories she saidshe would neverreveal.

After high school Ada worked to help support her family. She enjoyed doting on her niece, Felicia. She bought Felicia her graduation dress and shoes, dolls and gave Felicia love she will never forget.But one day, Adatook atrain with afriend and headed west to San Jose, California to find abetter job. There she met her future husband, Theodore (Ted)Wojcik, through aCatholic singles club.They only dated 6 months before deciding to get married and wed on May 30, 1964, at St.John Bienne Catholic Church in San Jose, CA. They honeymooned in YosemiteValley and Carmel by the Sea, taking in the splendor of God's beautiful earth and ocean. Four years after they were married they adopted their daughter, Michelle. Ada tragically lost Ted to an accident in 1969. She saidthat if it wasn't for her faith, she would never have made it throughher husband's death.

In her teen years, Ada developed agreat love for card playing and fostered apassion for ping-pong. In fact, she was the champion ping pong playerather high school. Her favorite subjects in school were math and literature.She had alove for numbers and agreat respect for writers. She attended McDonna High School and graduated from Nicholls High School in New Orleans. After high school Ada worked to help supporther family. She enjoyed doting on her niece,Felicia. She bought Felicia her graduation dress and shoes, dolls and gave Felicialove she will never forget. But one day, Ada took atrain with afriend and headed west to San Jose,Californiato find abetter job. There she met her future husband, Theodore (Ted) Wojcik, through aCatholic singles club. They only dated 6 months beforedeciding to get married and wed on May 30, 1964, at St. John Bienne Catholic Church in San Jose,CA. They honeymoonedinYosemite Valley and Carmel by the Sea, taking in the splendor of God's beautiful earth and ocean. Four years after they were married they adopted their daughter, Michelle.Ada tragically lost Ted to an accident in 1969. She said thatifit wasn't for her faith, she would never have made it through her husband's death.

As asingle mom, Ada raised her daughtergoing to church and being involvedinParents Without Partners (PWP) organization. Some of herfavorite things to do to entertain Michelle were camping, roller skating, and spending time with family. She movedthem both back to the New Orleans area (Metairie,LA) for 5years. But she missed California and movedbacktoSan Jose with Michelle in 1980 to go back to school.In 1984, she earneda Business degreein Accounting from San Jose State whenshe was48 years old. Herfirst job out of college was workingas an auditor for Lockheed Martin in Sunnyvale, CA. Soon after, Ada beganto date Kenneth (Kenny) Englerand they were married at Church of the Chimes in San Jose, CAon December 21, 1985. In 1998, Ada and Kenny movedto Austin, TX to follow Michelle and their first grandchild, with two more to follow. Theyloved spending time with the grandchildren, taking them to the Austin Zoo and walks in the park, to playing Dominos and Rummikub. Sadly, Ada lost Kenny in Novemberof2007 but continued to dote on her grandchildrenuntil her death. She was aparishioner at St. Catherine of Siena in Austin, TX. Ada loved life always, being apartofsomany

Soon after, Adabegan to date Kenneth(Kenny) Engler and they were married at Church of the Chimes in San Jose, CA on December 21, 1985. In 1998, Ada and Kenny moved to Austin, TX to follow Michelle and theirfirst grandchild, with two more to follow. They loved spending time with the grandchildren, taking them to the Austin Zooand walks in thepark, to playing Dominos and Rummikub. Sadly, Ada lost Kenny in November of 2007 but continued to dote on her grandchildren until her death. She was aparishioner at St. Catherine of Siena in Austin, TX.

Adaloved life always, being apart of so many adventures, big and small. She loved her family, her faith in God, her hometown of New Orleans and so many friends that she made along the way. She was adevoted daughter, wife, mother, grandmother, sister, aunt,cousin and friend. She had abig,giving heart and was always ready to extend her hand to help anyone in need. A close friend described Ada as "a mightywarriorof love and devotion."

Aspecial thank you to the caregivers working with Home Instead that cared for Ada over the past 5years, the staff at Stonebridge Health Center where Ada spent thelast 8 months, and Hospice Austin that gave Ada extra TLC over thepast few months and then daily up to her last week withus.

Funeral mass for Ada will be at St. Catherine of Siena Catholic Church in Austin, TX on Friday, April 11th at 10:00am, followed by areception.

Kevin Michael Faucheux, born August 22, 1965 in New Orleans, passed away on March 14 in Covington at the age of 59. Kevin worked at Hotard Coaches in New Orleans before successfully running Faucheux's Lawn Care and Pressure Washing business on the Northshore, where he was amaster of his craft and a mentor to multiple youth. He formerly worked in various management roles at Grassmasters, Caserta's, and DSLD Homes before returning to Hotard Coaches as Operations Manager Coordinator, where he excelled in his role and made numerous friendsalong the way.

Gaillot, Kenneth Jude 'Kenny'

Kevin is preceded in death by his cherished father Alvin Joseph Faucheux, Jr and his loving grandparents, Alvin and Janet Faucheux, Sr. and Bill and Margie Lassiter. He is survived by his beloved mother CarolAllen Faucheux; his sister Cindy Faucheux-Himel; his brother and best friend Alvin J. "Jody" Faucheux III; his half-sister Allison Faucheux; his uncle Ron Faucheux; his niece Hannah Himel; and his many longtime friends, including lifelong best friends Gary Maestri and Gary Murdoch. His family, his friends, his angels in heaven and his Saintsinthe Superdome were always the heart of Kevin's life.

Visitation at noon on Monday, March 31, at Lake Lawn Metairie funeral home in New Orleans with achapel service at 2pm. Burial immediately following at Metairie Cemetery.

To view and sign theonline guestbook, please visit lakelawnmetairie.com

Kenneth

Kenneth “Kenny” Jude Gaillot, a devoted husband father, and lifelong public servant, passed away on March 19, 2025, surrounded by his loving family Kenny was born on September 1, 1945, in New Orleans Louisiana and was a resi‐dent of Hammond, LA Kenny was preceded in death by his parents, Mr and Mrs Bernard Galliot Jr. and his brother, B.J Gaillot III. He is survived by his beloved wife of 55 years Gwen Perilloux Gail‐lot; his children, Ken (Kricket), Beth, and Re‐becca; his brother, Donald Gaillot (Susan); his nephew, Rich Perilloux; and many cherished nieces, nephews, and cousins, several of whom considered him a second dad He is also survived by his best friend since child‐hood, Mike Barrios, whose friendship remained stead‐fast throughout the years A proud patriot, Kenny served in the Louisiana Na‐tional Guard from 19651971 and dedicated over four decades of his life to law enforcement. He re‐tired at the rank of Major with the Jefferson Parish

Kenneth “Kenny” Jude

Gaillot, a devoted husband, father, and lifelong public servant passed away on March 19, 2025, surrounded by his loving family Kenny was born on September 1, 1945, in New Orleans Louisiana and was a resi‐dent of Hammond LA Kenny was preceded in death by his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Bernard Galliot, Jr and his brother, B.J Gaillot III. He is survived by his beloved wife of 55 years, Gwen Perilloux Gail‐lot; his children, Ken (Kricket), Beth, and Re‐becca; his brother, Donald Gaillot (Susan); his nephew, Rich Perilloux; and many cherished nieces, nephews, and cousins, several of whom considered him a second dad. He is also survived by his best friend since child‐hood, Mike Barrios, whose friendship remained stead‐fast throughout the years. A proud patriot Kenny served in the Louisiana Na‐tional Guard from 19651971 and dedicated over four decades of his life to law enforcement. He re‐tired at the rank of Major with the Jefferson Parish Sheriff's Office, where he worked for 37 years, 19662003 and also retired as Se‐curity Specialist with DEA after 12 years in 2015. Be‐yond his career Kenny found joy in the outdoors and spending time with his extended family and friends He loved fishing, hunting and riding on his zero-turn lawnmower, meticulously caring for his property He was a parish‐ioner of Holy Ghost Catholic Church in Ham‐mond. His dedication and integrity left an incredible mark on all who knew him A Memorial Service and Mass to honor and cele‐brate Kenny’s life will be held at Garden of Memo‐ries Funeral Home, 4900 Airline Dr., Metairie, LA 70001 on Saturday, April 5 2025. Visitation will begin at 10:00 a.m followed by a Mass at 12:00 p.m In lieu of flowers donations may be made in his memory to: “Dose of the Coast” https://www doseoftheco ast org/donate/ or the American Cancer Society https://www cancer org/

Carmen Generes Gravois passed away peacefully at 95 years of age on Sunday, March 23, 2025, with family by her side. For complete obituary, please see Tharp Funeral Home website. Family and friends are invited to her funeral services/Mass on Saturday, April 5th at St Angela Merici Catholic Church (901 Beverly Garden Drive) in Metairie. Visitation begins at 10 am followed by Mass of Christian Burial at noon. ACatholic burial/interment will follow at St. Louis Cemetery #3 (3421 Esplanade Ave) in New Orleans.

tation followed by a memo‐rial service will be held on Wednesday, April 2, from 11:00-1:00, at Jacob Schoen & Son Funeral Home lo‐cated at 3827 Canal Street in New Orleans, LA In lieu of ﬂowers the family asks that donations be mailed to Hospice of Acadiana Attn: Food With Love, 2600 Johnston Street Lafayette LA 70503.

Dennis Clyde Hirstius, 79, of Pearlington, MS, formerly of New Orleans, LA, passed away peacefully at home on March3,2025, after ayear-long battle with prostate cancer. Born December 13, 1945, Dennis graduated from Warren Easton, where he was drum major, and later pursued criminal justice studies. Aretired private investigator of 40 years and former New OrleansPolice Officer, Dennis was known for hisvibrant personality, culinary skills, andlove of fishing, horses, and motorcycles. He wasa member of the Pearlington Catholic Church choir. He is survived by hisbeloved wife, Melinda "Moe" Hirstius, daughter Ariane Hirstius Farley, grandson Theodore Robles, and brothers Stacey, Briant, Gregory, Daryl, and Brandon. He was predeceased by his brother Dwayne. Acelebration of life will be held on

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DEATHS continued from Harrison, Peter F.

Faucheux, Kevin Michael

Engler, Ada M.

Gaillot,

Jude 'Kenny'

Faucheux, Kevin Michael

Gravois, Carmen Marie

Hirstius,Dennis

SPORTS

NC AA T OU RN AM EN T

BY REED DARCEY Staff writer

SPOKANE,Wash The Tigers almost didn’t make it here.

On Friday, before the Tigers eventually landed in the Elite Eight, their season was endangered. Mikaylah Williams can even pinpoint the exact moment that things shifted.

“I think it was ﬁve minutes and 28 seconds left on the clock,” she said

At that point of the fourth quarter, North Carolina State led 65-62.

Aneesah Morrow had just snared her ninth offensive rebound of the night, then turned it into another second-chance layup to cut the deficit to three. Coach Kim Mulkey thought Sa’Myah Smith was fouled on LSU’s first shot attempt of the possession, so she bounded off the floor, scowling and tapped the gold leaf on the shoulders of her jacket, signaling for a 30-second timeout she’d use to bark at the officials.

That discussion gave Morrow a chance to address her teammates in the huddle.

“This is not gonna be my last game,” Williams recalled Morrow saying, “so y’all need to put on.”

Merciful end nears for N.O. pro seasons

Plagued by injuries, city’s franchises fail to deliver much joy

Walker

ä Hornets at Pelicans 6 P.M.SUNDAy, GCSN

If you’re a fan of pro sports in New Orleans, you’re going to love this next sentence: The Pelicans’ season is almost over Just eight games remain for the Pelicans in what will end up being the second-worst season in franchise history Couple that with what the Saints did this past season and you can probably understand why fans in the city are just ready for it all to be over The Saints finished 5-12 this season. The Pelicans are currently 20-54. If the Pelicans don’t win another game, the combined 25 wins by them and the Saints would be the lowest total by the two franchises since NBA basketball returned to the city in 2002. As of now the worst year of combined wins was in 2004 when the Saints went 8-8 and the Pelicans (called the Hornets then) finished 18-64, giving the franchises just 26 wins. But at least the Saints finished .500 that season. This will be just the fifth time the Saints and Pelicans have finished below .500 in the same year, and it’s the first time that’s happened in nine years. The Saints went 7-9 in 2016 and the Pelicans went 34-48 in the 2016-17 season.

The Pelicans have eight more chances to add a few more wins to their slate.

Fittingly, the ﬁrst of those eight games comes Sunday when the Pelicans host the equally struggling Charlotte Hornets. No two cities with NBA and NFL franchises have struggled quite like New Orleans and Charlotte this season. Only Charlotte’s Hornets and Panthers have less combined wins (23) than the Pelicans and Saints. The Hornets bring an 18-55 record to the Smoothie King Center on Sunday The Panthers ﬁnished 5-12, including a win over the Saints that was the swan song of Dennis Allen’s time as head coach in New Orleans.

See WALKER, page 3C

John Sumrall was all smiles as he walked off the practice ﬁeld Thursday morning. His second Tulane football team had just ﬁnished another spirited practice at Yulman Stadium. At times this spring, the noncontact workouts have been so physical that his staff has needed to caution players about their overzealousness.

“That’s OK,” Sumrall said. “I’d much rather have to tell them ‘Whoa’ than ‘Giddy up!’ ”

As Sumrall spoke, just down the block, a team of workers buzzed around the Claiborne parking lot while a backhoe clawed dirt from the earth Eventually, the Green Wave football program’s long-awaited indoor practice facility will rise from the rubble.

ofﬁcials in January when the University of North Carolina courted him to become its next head coach. Truth be told, the project probably would have broken ground even if Sumrall had left, but his return to Tulane certainly hastened the timeline.

The construction of the indoor practice facility was one of the many requests Sumrall made during negotiations with school

To their credit, school ofﬁcials took care of Sumrall in more ways than one. They ponied up resources to allow him to increase his staff in key areas and retain some of his assistants who were being pursued by other schools. They also gave him the security of a fully guaranteed six-year contract. Thanks to this support, the Green Wave football program has been stabilized and will continue to be led by one of the brightest young coaches in the game. North Carolina wasn’t the ﬁrst suitor to knock on Sumrall’s door, and the Tar Heels

won’t be the last. He remains a hot name in the coaching ranks, so much so that his long-term status at Tulane is often one of the first questions he gets from players and their families on recruiting visits. “I would say that question comes up with one out of every three recruits,” Sumrall said. “I tell them that I’ve got a six-year contract and hopefully they don’t fire me in the middle of it, so it’s, like, let’s try to keep this going and have fun winning games.” For years, Tulane allowed the fears of being jilted by its head coach to influence decision-making when hiring football coaches. This steppingstone syndrome led school officials to bypass Rich Rodriguez to hire Chris Scelfo after Tommy Bowden’s departure in 1999. Thankfully, that shortsighted approach is no longer standard operating procedure on

Aneesah Morrow

STAFF PHOTO By BRETT DUKE

Tulane head coach Jon Sumrall watches during the program’s pro day on Tuesday at the Saints’ indoor practice facility in Metairie.

Jeff Duncan

BROADCAST HIGHLIGHTS

Clayton rallies Florida into Final Four

BY JOSH DUBOW AP sportswriter

SAN FRANCISCO Walter Clay-

ton rescued top-seeded Florida with two late 3-pointers, and the Gators rallied from nine points down late to reach the Final Four with an 84-79 victory over Texas Tech in the NCAA Tournament’s West Region ﬁnal on

Saturday

The Gators (34-4) trailed 7566 with less than three minutes to play before staging a furious rally against the third-seeded Red Raiders (28-9), who had done the same in the Sweet 16 against Arkansas.

Clayton dribbled out of the paint and hit a fadeaway 3 with 59 seconds left to give Florida a 78-77 lead, and the Gators held on from there to advance to their ﬁrst Final Four since 2014 in coach Todd Golden’s third season Florida will face the South Region champion either Auburn or Michigan State — next Saturday in San Antonio.

The comeback provided a happy ending to Golden’s return to the Bay Area, where he played in college at Saint Mary’s and got his start as a head coach at San Francisco. As the ﬁnal horn sounded, Golden turned to the Gators fans and demonstrably pumped his ﬁst as his players rushed out to the court to celebrate a victory that looked improbable just a few minutes earlier Clayton, who began his college career at Iona, scored 30 points to lead the Gators. Thomas Haugh added 20 points and 11 rebounds off the bench.

Haugh started the comeback with two 3-pointers. Clayton then tied it with his shot from long range after Texas Tech missed a second straight front end of a oneand-one.

Right lat muscle pain ends Scherzer’s day early Three-time Cy Young Award winner Max Scherzer left his debut start with the Toronto Blue Jays on Saturday because of soreness in his right lat muscle.

Facing Baltimore, Scherzer allowed two runs and three hits, including two solo home runs. He threw 45 pitches in three innings, 28 for strikes. Scherzer struck out one and walked none.

Earlier this month, the 40-yearold Scherzer had a spring training start pushed back because of thumb pain.

Baltimore’s Colton Cowser put Scherzer in an early hole with a 417-foot drive to center on the second pitch of the game. Jordan Westburg’s two-out drive off Scherzer traveled 434 feet for the longest home run of his career

WNBA champions Liberty re-signs two-time MVP

Breanna Stewart re-signed with the New York Liberty on Saturday, the team announced.

The move wasn’t a surprise after she helped lead the franchise to its first WNBA championship last year Stewart has won three league titles, the ﬁrst two coming with Seattle. She earned WNBA MVP honors twice and was Finals MVP twice.

Stewart has averaged 21.8 points and 8.9 rebounds in her two seasons in New York. She also had 3.7 assists, 1.6 steals and 1.4 blocks.

The 30-year-old Stewart came to the Liberty in 2023 to be closer to her home in Syracuse, New York. She played the ﬁrst seven years of her career in Seattle after she was drafted ﬁrst by the Storm in 2016.

Sabalenka bests Pegula for first Miami Open title

Aryna Sabalenka entered the Miami Open ﬁnal against Jessica Pegula with 18 career titles on her elite resume. The Miami Open crown had proved elusive until Saturday

The No. 1 seed from Belarus knocked off fourth-seeded Pegula 7-5, 6-2 for her ﬁrst Miami Open title in a rematch of the 2024 U.S. Open ﬁnal.

After Darrius Williams scored down low for Texas Tech, Clayton’s last 3 put Florida ahead to stay, and the Gators sealed it at the foul line.

Williams missed two 3s late. He had sank the game-tying basket late in regulation and gamewinner in the closing seconds of overtime against Arkansas on Thursday night.

Texas Tech fell just short of its second Final Four trip ever after being on the wrong side of a late-game comeback The Red Raiders rallied from 13 points in the ﬁnal ﬁve minutes to beat the Razorbacks in the Sweet 16.

Williams scored 23 points to lead Texas Tech and JT Toppin added 20. The game was tight most of the way with neither team able to build a lead bigger than six points for the ﬁrst 30 minutes as Texas Tech capitalized on turnovers and second-chance points and Florida repeatedly got to the foul line. Clayton got fouled twice on 3-pointers early in the second half, leading to ﬁve points on the six foul shots. The Red Raiders went on a 12-2 run to go up by 10 but couldn’t hold on late.

Judge homers 3 times as Yankees hit 9

BY RONALD BLUM AP baseball writer

NEW YORK Aaron Judge combined with Paul Goldschmidt and Cody Bellinger to go deep on the first three pitches from Nestor Cortes, then hit two more homers as the New York Yankees set a team record with nine home runs against the Milwaukee Brewers on Saturday Judge hit a solo homer, his ninth career grand slam and a two-run shot in his 40th multihomer game and third with three homers. He ﬁnished with a career-high eight RBIs in New York’s 20-9 victory He came up just short of becoming the 19th player to hit four homers in a game when his sixth-inning fly fell on the right-field warning track for a run-scoring double. He ﬂied out again in the eighth against Jake Bauers, an outfielder and first baseman.

Goldschmidt, Bellinger and Judge homered starting the first on the unusually warm 78-degree afternoon. Major League Baseball said this was the first time a team homered on its first three pitches since tracking of pitch counts began in 1988. Austin Wells homered later in the inning as New York hit four home runs in the first inning for the first time in its century-plus history Anthony Volpe added a three-run drive in the second for a 7-3 lead against Cortes who allowed a career-high five home runs.

Judge’s first homer went 468 feet. He added his ninth career slam in the fourth on a 396-foot drive to left-center off Connor Thomas, a 27-year-old left-hander making his major league debut. Jazz Chisholm Jr followed with a home run, boosting the lead to 13-3. Judge hit a 425-foot two-run homer to center in the fourth against Thomas. Pinch-hitter Oswald Peraza connected for a two-run homer in the seventh against Chad Patrick, who was making his big league debut.

New York had hit eight homers at the Philadelphia Athletics on June 28, 1939, and against the Chicago White Sox on July 31, 2007. Toronto set the record of 10 homers against Baltimore on Sept. 14, 1987. Batting leadoff for the ﬁrst time in his 15-year major league career, Goldschmidt drove a fastball 413 feet into the Brewers’ bullpen in left ﬁeld against Cortes, who was making his Milwaukee debut following a December trade from the Yankees. Bellinger sent a fastball into the

right-ﬁeld bleachers, and Judge drove a cutter 468 feet into the left-ﬁeld second deck.

After a mound visit by pitching coach Chris Hook, Chisholm took a called third strike, Volpe grounded out and Wells hit a fastball 372 feet into the left-ﬁeld seats.

Milwaukee closed to 4-3 in the second against Max Fried, who lasted 4 2/3 innings in his Yankees debut, and Volpe hit a cutter 349 feet into the left-ﬁeld seats. Wells led off Thursday’s game with a home run off Freddy Peralta, becoming the first catcher to hit a leadoff homer on opener day The Yankees joined the 2011 Texas Rangers as the only team to lead off with a home run in its ﬁrst two games. Ian Kinsler went deep starting both those Rangers games.

Cortes, a 30-year-old left-hander who pitched for New York from 2018-24, had never before allowed more than three homers in a game. He is remembered by Yankees fans for allowing a ﬁrst-pitch grand slam to Freddie Freeman in the 10th inning of last year’s World Series opener that lifted the Los Angeles Dodgers to a 6-3 win, putting them on the way to the title.

Pitching with his hair dyed blond, Cortes gave up eight runs, six hits and ﬁve walks in two innings and left with a 36.00 ERA. Thomas allowed his first five batters to reach and allowed eight runs, six hits and two walks in two innings.

Sabalenka fired up her lethal forehand in posting 22 winners on that wing to win the $1.1 million ﬁrst prize. Sabalenka hit a backhand passing shot on match point after which she raised both hands to the air and looked up to the sky Sabalenka, a three-time Grand Slam champion, had won the U.S. Open over Pegula 7-5, 7-5 Sabalenka leads the series vs. Pegula 7-2.

Bills extend CB Benford for four years at $76M

The Buffalo Bills reached an agreement Saturday to sign cornerback Christian Benford to a four-year, $76 million contract extension in their latest offseason move to secure a young core player to a long-term deal.

The 24-year-old Benford was entering the fourth and ﬁnal year of his rookie contract after being selected in the sixth round of the 2022 draft out of Villanova. The extension runs through the 2029 season.

Benford has been a starter since winning the job to open his second season after a competition with 2022 first-round pick Kaiir Elam, who was traded to Dallas last month. Overall, Benford has ﬁve interceptions, including two last season, and credited with 25 passes defended.

Lee separates from pack in quest for first PGA win Min Woo Lee chipped in for birdie to take the lead and then left Scottie Scheffler and everyone else in his wake Saturday with a 7-under 63, giving him a fourshot lead in the Houston Open as he closes in on his first PGA Tour victory Scheffler began the third round with a one-shot lead but was stuck in neutral at Memorial Park, making birdie only on the par 5s and missing a few par putts in the 6-foot range to fall five shots behind. Lee turned a bunched leaderboard into big separation around the turn, which included a tee shot on the par-3 ninth that was inches from going in for an ace and a 12-foot birdie putt on the 10th hole.

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By ANGELINA KATSANIS New york yankees teammates Cody Bellinger, right, and Aaron Judge celebrate after Judge hit a home run during the first inning against the Milwaukee Brewers on Saturday in New york.

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By MARCIO JOSE SANCHEZ Florida guard Walter Clayton shoots a 3-pointer over Texas Tech forward Darrion Williams during the second half of an Elite Eight game on Saturday in San Francisco.

Another reliever comes up big for LSU

BY KOKI RILEY Staff writer

Who will be the next Grifﬁn Herring?

When it came to the bullpen, that was the question on LSU fans’ minds heading into the season. Did the bullpen have someone who could throw multiple shutout innings in a tight game? Did anyone have the makeup to ﬁll such a roll?

Coach Jay Johnson didn’t anoint any pitcher before the start of the year, but LSU spent the preseason developing a number of potential candidates for the role, including freshman right-hander William Schmidt, junior right-hander Gavin Guidry and junior left-hander Conner Ware.

Also among that group was freshman right-hander Casan Evans and junior right-hander Zac Cowan. Through 28 games it’s been Evans and Cowan who both have earned the role.

After Cowan tossed four scoreless innings in relief Thursday, Evans threw four more shutout innings Friday to close out LSU’s 2-1 win over Mississippi State and clinch the series victory over the Bulldogs at Alex Box Stadium.

“I’m just a big believer man,” Johnson said. “At the end of the games is where you need your guys, and especially with an offense like we have.”

It wasn’t all smooth sailing for Evans. He ran into a bases-loaded jam with two outs in the eighth inning after walking a pair of batters and surrendering a single, but he worked his way out of it by recording his sixth strikeout of the night Evans admitted Friday wasn’t his best outing.

“Command, fastball, slider, changeup, all of it. I thought it could have been a little better, but

DUNCAN

Continued from page 1C

Willow Street. When Willie Fritz left for Houston after the 2023 season, school ofﬁcials swung for the fences in hiring Sumrall, knowing that he might be too good to keep around long-term. It was the smart move then, and it will continue to be the smart approach in the future when and if Sumrall leaves.

When you hire good people, there’s always the risk of losing them. But it beats the alternative.

While Sumrall is unlikely to retire at Tulane, he isn’t double-parked in New Orleans, either He’s in a good place, both personally and professionally

The reality is that a school from a Power Four program likely will come calling one day with an offer that Sumrall can’t refuse, and one that Tulane can’t match. But it’s going to take something special to lure Sumrall away He’s got a good thing going at Tulane and knows it.

that’s the game of baseball,” Evans said. “You can’t be perfect every time.” Evans closed out the game by inducing a deep fly to center field with two outs in the ninth. The save was Evans’ fifth of the year after throwing a career-high 73 pitches.

“(He has) a whole lot of ability with the right mental makeup and pitchability,” Johnson said. “And, I mean, that was impressive tonight.” Friday was junior right-hander

pursuing something you believe in?’ ”

Right now, that place is Tulane.

The program still has its inherent challenges, but Sumrall is largely content, which is more than many of his peers can say

Only seven programs have won more games than the Green Wave’s 32 since 2022. And those schools are some of the bluest of the bluebloods: Georgia, Michigan, Ohio State, Oregon, Penn State, Notre Dame and Texas. Consequently Tulane is recruiting at a higher level than ever

“The brand is elevated,” Sumrall said. “Tulane’s changed the landscape with who we can get on (in recruiting).”

“... If it’s just (about) money, then I probably wouldn’t be here. But it’s not just money. It’s about, ‘Where are you going to be happy? Where do you feel like you’re pursuing something you believe in?’ ”

JON

SUMRALL,Tulane football coach

“People don’t realize you’ve got four kids that love their schools, a wife that loves where we live, and I love who I work with and who I get to deal it with,” Sumrall said. “If it’s just (about) money, then I probably wouldn’t be here. But it’s not just money It’s about, ‘Where are you going to be happy? Where do you feel like you’re

Off the ﬁeld, Sumrall and his family are enjoying their second year in New Orleans and all of its charms. They had a blast at Mardi Gras, highlighted by a party he and wife Ginny hosted for his assistant coaches and their families at the Avenue Pub on St. Charles Avenue.

Meanwhile Sumrall’s second team is still in the embryonic stage of development while trying to replace 17 starters from a year ago, including starting quarterback Darian Mensah and running back Makhi Hughes

“A lot of new faces,” Sumrall said Thursday. “It’s very exciting. It’s also a little bit daunting. But I like what we’ve got.” Tulane should feel the same way about its head coach.

Email Jeff Duncan at jduncan@theadvocate.com.

Anthony Eyanson’s best start in SEC play But before he could throw a pitch, he had to wait an extra two hours and 36 minutes because of inclement weather in the Baton Rouge area.

The game originally was scheduled to start at 6:30 p.m., but Eyanson’s ﬁrst pitch didn’t come until 9:06 p.m. The contest didn’t end until 12:10 a.m. Saturday morning.

The UC San Diego transfer thrived in the late-night setting,

striking out 12 batters in ﬁve innings while allowing just one run that was unearned.

He surrendered a run in the fourth on a passed ball after Mississippi State (16-11, 1-7 SEC) loaded the bases with nobody out, but he kept the Bulldogs at just the one run after striking out the side.

The fourth inning wasn’t Eyanson’s only pickle of the night. Mississippi State threatened again in

the ﬁfth, placing two runners in scoring position with one out, but Eyanson recorded two strikeouts to escape the jam.

“I probably say it a lot,” Eyanson said. “But what it really comes down to, I think I just executed pitches when I really needed to.”

Eyanson’s day ended in the sixth inning when he walked the leadoff batter The Bulldogs then managed to put men on the corners with two out against Evans, but the Texas native forced a groundout to get out of the inning.

Stranding runners in scoring position was Mississippi State’s downfall Friday The Bulldogs left 12 runners on base and were just 2-for-14 with runners in scoring position.

LSU (25-3, 6-2) kicked off the scoring in the second inning on a solo home run from junior Ethan Frey The blast was his ﬁfth homer of the year

Mississippi State left-hander Pico Kohn kept the Tigers’ bats quiet over the next two innings but senior Luis Hernandez got to Kohn in the fifth, blasting his fourth homer of the year with one out. The shot down the left-field line handed LSU the 2-1 lead. Kohn, who was the SEC Pitcher of the Week last Friday against Oklahoma, exited after the fifth inning. He struck out eight batters and allowed five hits on 93 pitches.

“He hides the ball well, does a really good job,” Johnson said. “(He) keeps it behind him, and it’s a little unique slot.

“He locates the fastball well, and the slider is hard, and it comes out of the kind of the same tunnel, kind of spins the same.”

Email Koki Riley at Koki.Riley@ theadvocate.com.

Diggs eager to produce for Patriots

BY KYLE HIGHTOWER AP sports writer

The years of Stefon Diggs being one of the most proliﬁc receivers in the NFL have probably passed.

But the 31-year-old believes he still has plenty to offer as he prepares to embark on his latest stop: New England.

“I look forward to getting back on track,” said Diggs, who was introduced with the Patriots on Friday after signing a free-agent deal that is reportedly for three years and $69 million with $26 million guaranteed.

After posting six straight 1,000year receiving seasons for Minnesota and Buffalo, the one-time All-Pro and four-time Pro Bowler was dealt to Houston in a blockbuster trade from the Bills last April. He had 47 receptions for 496 yards and three touchdowns in eight games in his ﬁrst season in Houston, but his lone year with the Texans was cut short when he tore the ACL in his right knee in October

Asked about the status of his rehabilitation after undergoing surgery on the knee, Diggs deemed himself on track to get back to the ﬁeld.

“Right now I’m ahead of schedule and trying to stay ahead of schedule,” he said. “We’ll keep playing it by ear Stay healthy and the rest will take care of itself.”

Diggs is one of the Patriots’ biggest free-agency acquisitions in what has been an offseason of many moving parts.

One of the top priorities for new coach Mike Vrabel and New England’s front ofﬁce was to improve the talent around quarterback Drake Maye heading into his second season. The Patriots had only two players tight end Hunter

Continued from page 1C

It’s been seven months of frustration for Gayle Benson’s two franchises. Boos have been loud at times in the Caesars Superdome and across the street at the Smoothie King Center

Injuries decimated both teams, starting with the groin of Saints center Erik McCoy on the opening drive against the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 3 to the shoulder of Pelicans forward Trey Murphy that ended his season on St. Patrick’s Day

For a crash course on injuries, just look at the never-ending injury reports of both franchises. You name it, the Saints and Pelicans injured it. Achilles. Shoul-

Henry and Demario Douglas — tally at least 60 receptions and 600 receiving yards last season.

Diggs has had ﬁve seasons with at least 100 receptions and feels he’s got the skillset to still ﬁll the role of a No. 1 receiving option.

“I’m excited. I really look forward to it,” Diggs said of working with Maye. “It’s crazy, because when you ask around he has a lot of similarities and what people say through the grapevine is he acts a lot like (Bills quarterback) Josh (Allen). That was my guy So I look forward to meeting and connecting with him.”

The fact that the Patriots were willing to make a three-year commitment to Diggs appears to be a sign that they are comfortable that he’ll be able to be healthy contributing soon.

ders. Hands. Ankles. Obliques. Concussions. Backs. Elbows. Hamstrings. Well, lots and lots of hamstrings, including the one that sidelined Zion Williamson for 28 games this season. He’s also missed the last three games with a lower back contusion after a hard fall against the Detroit Pistons. With just eight games remaining and nothing to play for, the Pelicans should shut Williamson down the rest of the way There is no use in risking another injury for a team that already has used 41 different starting lineups this season. That averages out to a different starting lineup every other game. Credit Pelicans coach Willie Green for getting his team to play hard during a trying sea-

He said his initial interactions with Vrabel have been positive.

“I had to figure out where I wanted to be for myself and where I wanted to be for my legacy,” he said. “I’ve got a lot of respect for Vrabs, what he’s done as a player and what he’s done as a coach.”

Diggs also has at least some tangential connections to Vrabel’s coaching staff Texans receivers coach Ben McDaniels is the brother of New England offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels. But like everything, as he prepares to get to work with his fourth NFL team, Diggs said he’s ready to attack his new situation head on.

“Football is football. I’ll get used to it. I’ll ﬁgure it out. Whatever it is,” he said.

son. That was evident Friday night when the shorthanded Pelicans played three-plus strong quarters against a Golden State Warriors team playing at full strength. Green’s message to his team, despite the circumstances, has been a simple one, said Pelicans wing Bruce Brown.

“We’re not here to lose,” Brown said. “We ain’t trying to lose. Go out there and play for each other Share the ball and play the right way and we can win games.” More times than not, that hasn’t been the case for the Pelicans. It wasn’t the case for the Saints, either Thankfully, it’s almost over Email Rod Walker at rwalker@ theadvocate.com.

ASSOCIATED PRESS FILE PHOTO By JOHN MUNSON

Saints quarterback Derek Carr walks off the ﬁeld after an injury during the fourth quarter of a game against the New york Giants on Dec. 8 in East Rutherford, N.J

PHOTO By PATRICK DENNIS

LSU’s Casan Evans pitches in the ninth inning of LSU’s 4-2 win over Omaha earlier this season.

ASSOCIATED PRESS FILE PHOTO By STEVEN SENNE Houston Texans wide receiver Stefon Diggs warms up before a game against the New England Patriots on Oct. 13 in Foxborough, Mass.

OUTDOORS

Anglers puzzled about absence of forage fish

BY JOE MACALUSO Contributing writer

Maybe it was the snow and deepfreeze cold front of a couple of months ago.

Maybe, in a couple of cases, it was the result of fall-into-winter drawdown of lake levels.

Maybe it’s a succession of cold fronts into the middle of this month.

Whatever the reason, shad in the Verret Basin, at False River, in bayous and rivers haven’t shown in the big numbers seen during the past four to ﬁve years

Usually, by early March, shad move to the shallows and begin their spawning ritual, an ages-old late winter habit when millions — yes, millions — of shad take several weeks to make many more baby shad.

This move to the shallows triggers bass, sac-a-lait, catfish and even bream to move with the shad. After all, shad are the forage species for these predators, and it’s hard for these voracious eaters to pass on this expansive buffet

Last week, a half-dozen bass and sac-a-lait ﬁshermen said they haven’t seen the shad spawn yet, the lateness of which might explain why in late March, we haven’t seen the big spawning moves by bass and sac-a-lait These two species were in postspawn mode this time last year. Patience, mes amis. Patience. Water temperatures will get right with the just-right moon phase — April 12 is the next full moon — and, though late, all will be right in our freshwater ﬁshing world.

Word to the wise

Our spring turkey season begins in earnest Saturday — after a special youth and physically challenged hunter weekend — and it’s a sure bet we’re going to see reports about hunters taking turkeys over

New

card

This photo of a tailing redfish taken by Ty Hibbs was one of four selected by Wildlife and Fisheries to be the image on a second year of the agency’s hard licensing cards. The LDWF will begin selling the cards on April 28 for an additional $5 over the regular licensing fees. The cards are a more durable way to carry licenses, and current license-holders will be able to transfer all licenses to a hard card. To purchase a hard card, go to the agency’s website at louisianaoutdoors.com.

bait. Don’t do it and think you’ll get away with it.

It happens every year, and what these illegal hunters haven’t ﬁgured out is how many more eyes they have on them than were watching years ago.

Wildlife and Fisheries’ Enforcement reports constantly cite how “a tip” led them to violators.

Maybe it’s the rewards offered by Operation Game Thief triggering this increase in OGT hotline calls, or maybe legal hunters are tired of watching game taken by illegal methods, whether it be deer, ducks, doves and/or turkeys.

Our state is coming off its best turkey season since 2009 3,695 birds were taken legally and reported in 2024 — and the prospects are good for this season. Note here that turkey hunters need basic hunting and wild turkey licenses — or an equivalent (for example, a lifetime license) and hunters 17 and younger need

a youth hunting license Turkey tags are required for all hunters, and must be used to report when taking a gobbler Yes, the season is limited to taking gobblers, not hens.

The commission

A major change is set for Thursday’s Wildlife and Fisheries Commission meeting. It’s scheduled to begin a 9 a.m. at the Crowne Plaza Hotel on Constitution Avenue in Baton Rouge. Top agenda items include a report on public comments for the proposed 2025-2026 hunting seasons; an update on Chronic Wasting Disease and consideration of an emergency declaration to expand CWD control areas after a deer infected with CWD was found in Catahoula Parish; and, a report on legislation ﬁled in this year’s legislative session dealing with Wildlife and Fisheries matters.

8.3. 9, Brylee Williams-Connor Champagne Teurlings Catholic (5) 7.84. 10, Carter Broussard-Ashton Guillotte, Southside High 5) 7.72. 11, Grey Traxler-Tanner Miller, CatholicBaton Rouge (5) 7.18. 12, Kade EllenderCaden Doucet, Sulphur High (5) 7.13. 13, Deaton LeBlanc-Callian Watkins, Denham Springs High (5) 7.09. 14, Gage DowersCade Whittington, Sulphur High (4) 6.97. 15, Travis Meche-Chance Watson, Rayne Bass Team (5) 6.93. 16, Evan Breaux-Cleve Matherne, Lafourche Bassmasters (4) 6.83. 17, Landon Watts-Josiah Shockley, Livingston Parish Bassmasters (4) 6.7. 18, Connor KramerAustin Kramer, Lafourche Bassmasters (5) 6.69. 19, Bennett Fontenot-Braxton Speyrer, Port Barre High (5) 6.6. 20, Drake Scheer-Beau Carter, Terrebonne Bassmasters (5) 6.5. Big Bass: 1, Byrd-Byrd, 4.53 pounds. 2, Todaro-Muller, 3.82. 3, Williams-Champagne, 3.36. Club Award: Sulphur High Junior Bassmasters WESTWEGO — Top 10 teams from the B.A.S.S. Nation Junior Bassmasters East tournament (25 teams) held from Bayou Segnette State Park with anglers, their schools/teams, number of bass weighed in parentheses (5-bass limit), total weight in pounds and big-bass winners: Top 10: 1, Reese Forbes-Mason Grantham, Jr. SW Bassmasters (5) 5.78 pounds. 2,

THURSDAY LA. WILDLIFE & FISHERIES COMMISSION MEETING: 9 a.m., Crowne Plaza Hotel, 4728 Constitution Ave Baton Rouge.

FRIDAY REDFISH ON THE FLY: 5:30 p.m., Orvis Shop, 7601 Bluebonnet Boulevard, Baton Rouge. Redﬁsh semimar by Tony Friedrich & Bailey Short. Call Shop (225) 757-7286. Website: orvis.com/batonrouge

FRIDAY-SUNDAY

FATHER-CHILD FUN CAMP: Families Understanding Nature weekend, Woodworth Outdoor Education Center, Woodworth. Parents with children ages 10-13. Preregistration required. Fee $50/family (two children; $25/additional child; includes lodging, meals, supplies). Registration website: wlf.louisiana.gov/ page/fun-camp. Also, Oct. 10-12, Mother-Child Camp. Email Mitchell Hukins: mhukins@wlf.la.gov or Amber Breaux: abreaux@wlf.la.gov

FRIDAY-MONDAY

COLDWATER FLY FISHING WEEKEND: Little Missouri River, Murfreesboro, Arkansas. Red Stick Fly Fishers event. Call Cole Miller (225) 921-9192.

SATURDAY

LA. HIGH SCHOOL/JUNIOR QUALIFIER/WEST DIVISION: Butte Larose Landing, Henderson Lake. Call Tommy Abbott (504) 722-6638. Website: louisianahighschoolbassnation.com

HUNTING SEASONS

TURKEY: March 30, Youth/Physically Challenged special weekend. Area A: April 5-May 4; Area B: April 5-27; Area C: April 5-20.

AROUND THE CORNER

APRIL 7-10—GULF OF MEXICO FISHERY MANAGEMENT COUNCIL

MEETING: 8:30 a.m. daily, The Lodge at Gulf State Park, Gulf Shores, Alabama. Special public comment session, 5-6 p.m., April 8 on recreational reef ﬁsh management. General public comment, 2-5 p.m., April 9. Main topics: Increasing lane snapper minimum size limit; Mutton snapper, yellowtail & red grouper stock assessments. Webinar available. Website: gulfcouncil.org

APRIL 8-10—MLF TOYOTA BASS SERIES/PLAINS DIVISION: Kentucky Lake, Gilbertsville, Kentucky. Website: MajorLeagueFishing.com

APRIL 9—BUGS & BEERS: 6:30 p.m., Skeeta Hawk Brewing, 455 N. Dorgenois Street, New Orleans. Fly tying. Open to the public. Email A.J. Rosenbohm: ajrosenbohm@gmail. com. Website: neworleansﬂyﬁshers.com

APRIL 9—JUNIOR SOUTHWEST BASSMASTERS MEETING: 7 p.m., Seminar Room, Bass Pro Shops, Denham Springs. Boys & girls agegroup bass tournaments for ages 7-10, 11-14 & 15-18 anglers. Call Jim Breaux (225) 772-3026.

APRIL 9-11—B.A.S.S. NATION QUALIFIER: Lake Eufaula, Eufaula, Oklahoma. Website: bassmaster.com APRIL 9-11—YETI COLLEGE NATIONAL BASS CHAMPIONSHIP: Wheeler Lake, Decatur, Alabama. Website: MajorLeagueFishing.com APRIL 10-13—BASSMASTER ELITE SERIES: Pasquotank River/Albemarle Sound, Elizabeth City, North Carolina. Website: bassmaster. com

APRIL 12—LA. HIGH SCHOOL/JUNIOR QUALIFIER/EAST DIVISION: Doiron’s Landing, Stephensville. Call Tommy Abbott (504) 722-6638. Website: louisianahighschoolbassnation.com

PROVIDED PHOTO By LOUISIANA DEPARTMENT OF WILDLIFE AND FISHERIES

ALL-METRO GIRLS SOCCER

LARGE SCHOOLS MOST VALUABLE PLAYER SMALL SCHOOLS MOST VALUABLE PLAYER

Mount Carmel’s Stella Junius, left, battles Byrd’s Caitlin Miller during the Division I state title game on Feb 22 in Hammond. Junius, who had several clutch goals during the season, was named the Most Outstanding Player in the Cubs’ 2-0 win in the state championship match

The team captain scored 18 goals and dished out 10 assists during the Cubs’ run to a Division I state championship.

While Junius did not lead Mount Carmel in scoring or assists — teammate Josie Randol notched 19 goals and 17 assists — the junior netted her goals in pivotal moments. She had the go-ahead goals in the district championship match against Dominican and in the quarterfinal, semifinal and championship matches.

Junius’ goal in the 22nd minute against No. 2 Byrd in the Division I title match earned

her the Most Outstanding Player Award in the Cubs’ 2-0 win. “She’s one of those ‘never-say-die’ attitude kind of girls,” coach Alexi Petrou said.“We could be down by three or four goals, and she’s still sprinting up and down the field and trying to rally the troops. She brings standards to the team and is one of the hardest-working players and demands a lot from herself and her teammates.We joke as coaches that we can’t be the bad guys all the time, and she’ll get on her teammates if needed.

AndrewValenti

LARGE SCHOOLS COACH OF THE YEAR

GLENN BENJAMIN, St. Scholastica

Benjamin led the Doves to their secondstraight state title in a 4-1 win against topseeded St.Thomas More in the Division II title match and finished with a record of 17-4-6 St Scholastica dominated for much of the

season, outscoring its opponents 51-17 in the regular season and 30-3 in the postseason. Benjamin won a championship last year when the Doves were a member of Division I.

AndrewValenti

all

The junior was the linchpin of a Sacred Heart defense that allowed just eight goals on the season, with two of those coming against eventual Division IV state champion Newman in the regular season and two more against Division III champion Parkview Baptist.

The top-seeded Eagles knocked off the No. 4 Cardinals in a 2-1 win in the semifinals.

Habetz and the Sacred Heart defense posted 19 clean sheets in 24 matches. “She’s super vocal and holds herself

SCHOOLS

DOUG FREESE, Newman

Freese piloted the Greenies to a 17-3-3 record and a No. 2 seed in the postseason en route to a 7-0 Division IV championship win against top-seeded Loyola Prep. It is Freese’s third year as the coach of the

accountable to the highest standard,” coach Michael Plaisance said.“She lives and feels the pain of every one of those goals against her “She was really good at organizing the defense in front of her, and her vocal shifts were very helpful to our players to pick up the opposing players here and there.

Plaisance said Habetz has started to receive interest to play soccer in college and also plays the libero position on the Sacred Heart volleyball team. AndrewValenti

LARGE SCHOOLS ALL-METRO TEAM

STELLA JUNIUS

Mount Carmel, Jr. Forward

STELLA ZIPPERT

Dominican, So. Forward

ASHLYN DESOTO

Hahnville, Sr. Forward

CHLOE BUNTON

Ben Franklin, Jr. Forward

VALERIA GABRIE

Kenner Discovery, Sr Forward

CAROLINE TODD St. Scholastica, 8th grade Forward

KATHERINE TISSUE Fontainebleau, Fr. Midfielder

CARLIE PERRIN St. Scholastica, Sr Midfielder

JOSIE RANDOL Mount Carmel, Jr. Midfielder

TATUM DUNCAN Ben Franklin, Sr Defender

OLIVIA CRUSTA Fontainebleau, So. Defender

JESSIE KERGOSIEN St. Scholastica, Sr. Defender

AUBREY JOHNSON Northshore, Sr. Defender

ADIE SHEELEY Mount Carmel, Sr. Defender

LILAH MATTHEWS Willow, So. Goalkeeper

Newman program and his third-straight state title The Greenies have now hoisted the state championship trophy 16 times, the most of any school in any division, boys or girls. AndrewValenti

SMALL SCHOOLS ALL-METRO TEAM

MAGGIE WYLIE Hannan, So. Forward

EVA GUMPERT Ursuline, Sr. Forward

LILI ARJMAND Newman, Jr. Forward

ADELINE WEIDNER Country Day, Sr. Forward

SKYLAR BAPTISTE Sacred Heart, So. Forward

KAITLYN BRADY Hannan, Jr. Midfielder

GIANNA HARIS McGehee, Jr. Midfielder

BRAELYNN MILLER Hannan, Sr. Midfielder

SHIA HARLAN

Patrick Taylor, So. Midfielder

EVIE BOYD Haynes, So. Midfielder

TAYLOR ROBERT Sacred Heart, Sr. Midfielder

SYDNEY GALLAGHER Newman, Sr. Defender

SOPHIA ONTAMARA Pope John Paul II, Jr. Defender

ELLA HABETZ Sacred Heart, Jr. Goalkeeper

STAFF FILE PHOTO By MICHAEL JOHNSON

Sacred Heart goalkeeper Ella Habetz led an Eagles defense that limited opponents to eight goals

season. Habetz and the Sacred Heart defense posted 19 shutouts in 24 matches while advancing to the Division IV semifinals.

ALL-METRO BOYS SOCCER

LARGE SCHOOLS MOST VALUABLE PLAYER

Paul’s Bryce Bordes takes a shot against Jesuit during a Division I semifinals match on Feb 15. The team captain, Bordes scored 30 goals and dished out 13 assists in leading the

to their 12th state championship

SMALL SCHOOLS MOST VALUABLE PLAYER BRYCE BORDES ■ ST. PAUL’S, SR. ■ FORWARD

The team captain was instrumental in the Wolves’ run to the program’s 12th state title, scoring 30 goals and dishing out 13 assists during the season

St. Paul’s started the season slow against one of the toughest schedules in the state, and Bordes was a key cog in the Wolves’ turnaround. He helped his team to a 12-match win streak to end the year. St. Paul’s outscored its opponents 18-3 in the postseason. While Bordes didn’t net a goal in the Division I state championship match against No. 4 Catholic, he created several chances for his teammates to score, including an assist to

fellow senior Holger Padilla-Aviles for the goahead goal in the 72nd minute that gave No. 6 St. Paul’s a 2-1 win against the Bears. Bordes was named the Most Outstanding Player of the match and also took home the District 6-I overall MVP

“He’s a great leader,” coach Sean Moser said of Bordes.“He’s the first one out to practice and the last one to leave He (and fellow team captain Liam Murphy) organized team lunches during the playoffs where the team would watch extra film. If he didn’t feel like he got enough out of practice, he would hit the gym on the way home. His love of the game is unmatched.”

AndrewValenti

LARGE SCHOOLS COACH OF THE YEAR

HARRY

MASON, Holy Cross

Mason had large shoes to fill after the departure of former coach Matt Millet — a five-time state title winner at the school — to Brother Martin last spring

The Holy Cross coach capped his debut season with a 22-1-3 record and a

BRYCE BORDES

St. Paul’s, Sr. Forward

OWEN FONTENOT

Hahnville, Sr. Forward

ARANDY DELEON

Riverdale, So. Forward

ERIK SANTAMARIA

Holy Cross, Jr. Forward

EMIL ZAPATA

Mandeville, Sr. Midfielder

Division II state championship against topseeded Teurlings Catholic in a 3-2 win in February.

The Tigers were even more dominant in the playoffs, outscoring their opponents 25-5. AndrewValenti

RONNIE RUIZ Ben Franklin, Sr Midfielder

ETHAN PAULI Brother Martin, Sr. Midfielder

SETH RUTMAN Holy Cross, Sr. Midfielder

HOLDEN ALEMAN Rummel, Sr. Midfielder

BRYCE BARRERE Jesuit, Sr. Defender

LIAM MURPHY St. Paul’s, Sr. Defender

JONNY MOLINA Holy Cross, Sr. Defender

OLIVER MORSE Willow, Jr. Defender

LEWIS PREAU Ben Franklin, Jr. Defender

ANDREW DUNCAN Jesuit, Sr. Goalkeeper

The senior spearheaded a Newman offensive attack that racked up 142 goals during the season with 44 goals — 10 of them coming in the postseason — and 20 assists.

His efforts netted the Greenies the top seed in the Division IV playoffs.

Spady capped his high school career with a 3-1 win against No. 2 Ascension Episcopal in the Division IV state championship match, where he was named the Most Outstanding Player with his goals in the 28th and 36th minutes.

While he mainly played on the wing and as an attacking midfielder the forward has played

every position on the field.

Newman coach Tooraj Badie called Spady “the total package.

“He’s physical, can play with his back to the goal, unselfish and is a great finisher,” Badie said.“He’s really matured and is a great leader, and his will to win is amazing He’s not a vocal leader, but the way he plays and practices is what he brings to the table.The other players feed off that.

Spady said he is leaning toward attending High Point University in North Carolina to continue his playing career AndrewValenti

SMALL SCHOOLS COACH OF THE YEAR

Badie guided the Greenies to a 23-0-1 record and ended with a No. 1 seed in the Division IV playoffs and another state championship. Newman scored 142 goals, but what was possibly more impressive was a defense that

COLE SPADY Newman, Sr. Forward

HENRY CARDENAS Shaw, Sr. Forward

NOAH KAPLAN Country Day, Sr. Forward

NATHAN UBERAWA Northalke Christian, Sr. Forward

AXCEL COLINDRES-AVILA Livingston, Sr. Forward

allowed just nine goals.

The Greenies defeated No. 2 Ascension Episcopal 3-1 for the state title. This is Badie’s first state championship since the team won one in 2022 as a No. 10 seed. AndrewValenti

RYLAN CLAVERIE Newman, Sr. Forward

TYLER MILIOTO, St. Charles, Jr. Midfielder

ADAM WEBRE Hannan, Sr. Midfielder

JACK WOODROW De La Salle, Sr. Midfielder

HUGHES SCHNEIDAU Country Day, Sr. Midfielder

PATRICK MITTS Hannan, Sr. Defender

NELSON AVILA Cohen, Sr. Defender

NICK BARLOW Northlake Christian, Sr. Defender

ALEX DULITZ Newman, Sr. Defender

ERIC HOMBURG Pope John Paul II, Sr. Goalkeeper

STAFF FILE PHOTO By JOSEPH HALM

St.

Wolves

STAFF FILE PHOTO By MICHAEL JOHNSON

Newman forward Cole Spady tracks the ball against Ascension Episcopal during the Division IV state championship game on Feb 18 in Hammond. Spady, who had 44 goals and 20 assists, led a Newman offense that scored 142 goals.

FILE PHOTO By RICK HICKMAN

Livingston leaving Newman to spend time with his family

BY CHRISTOPHER DABE Staff writer

Late in the Newman basketball season, Randy Livingston felt like it would be his ﬁnal one as the head coach at his alma mater

He knew by then that his son, Randy Jr., would not be back for another season at the school And he coached the entire season with his wife and their two young children living in faraway Australia so that they could attend school in her native country

That pull of family was part of what drew Livingston away from Newman.

“It’s a good time for me to be around them and watch them grow,” Livingston said Friday, one day after Newman families received an email from the school that said Livingston would leave the school after the year ended.

“Being an athlete and being a coach, some things you have to sacrifice. At this time, I’m not willing to sacriﬁce my time with them. And especially with my pact I made with R.J. was to stay with him until he ﬁnished. After he decided he wanted to go, it just made sense for me.”

Livingston coached six seasons at the school that he led to three state championships as a Parade All-American in the 1990s. The former LSU player and NBA veteran returned to Newman and coached the undefeated eighthgrade team in 2018-19 a team that included Texas quarterback Arch Manning — and became the varsity coach the next season. Livingston coached Newman to the state ﬁnals in his second sea-

son and then to three consecutive state championships from 2022-24. Those teams had multiple players who went on to play in college, including Louisiana Mr. Basketball and Gatorade Louisiana Player of the Year Chris Lockett, who is now at Boise State. Livingston’s tenure included a bit of scrutiny from the LHSAA. Newman nearly had the ﬁrst two of those basketball championships and several wins vacated because of various alleged LHSAA rule violations related to illegal recruiting.

But the ruling came without a chance for Livingston to defend his case, he said and a court-ordered injunction in January 2024 let Newman keep those championships and Livingston keep those wins on his record. A lawsuit ﬁled by Livingston against the LHSAA is still working its way through the courts. A trial is scheduled for April 10.

“That stuff has been obviously tough to deal with,” Livingston said. “But not as tough as not having my family here. That’s kind of like, for people that don’t understand, it has nothing to do with the LHSAA. My family has been in Australia for a year, and it’s been hard to be away from my younger kids and my wife, so you know it was just time.”

Anita Smith, married to Livingston since 2011, moved with their two children ages 11 and 8 because “she wanted them to go to school in Australia,” Livingston said.

Livingston will leave Newman grateful for the chance to coach his son the past two seasons.

Randy Jr played point guard as a sophomore and junior The Greenies won the state championship in the ﬁrst season with him on the team.

They lost in the quarterfinals this season.

“After talking to him, and his letting me know that he wanted to play at a more competitive level, I thought it made things a little more difﬁcult: I didn’t want to leave because of that being the reason,” Livingston said.

Livingston said he “probably went back and forth for the ﬁrst 10 days after the season, and then for about four days my heart told me that it was time to move on.”

Randy Jr. has not decided on another school yet, Livingston said. College options currently include Auburn, Cal, Harvard, Notre Dame and Purdue, Livingston said.

“I think he’s prepared, and he’ll be fine,” Livingston said. “This year taught me that R.J. took the next step with what a leader looks like and understanding he can’t take possessions off, got to shoot it when he’s tired, got to guard their guard or do whatever it takes to win. I think he ﬁgured that out, which will bode well going into the future.”

Livingston is proud to have won three championships in a row as a player and then as a coach — all at the same school.

“I don’t think there’s ever been in the history of the LHSAA a player that won three as a player and then won three in a row as a coach,” Livingston said. “I think the Livingston name is etched in stone.”

Tulane wastes chances at comeback, loses series at

BY GUERRY SMITH

Contributing writer

Tulane emerged from an extended offensive funk to reach double digits in hits for only the second time in the last 10 games on Saturday against South Florida.

Ten singles still were not enough to prevent the Bulls from clinching the weekend series.

Lance Trippel’s three-run bomb off of reliever Tayler Montiel capped a tiebreaking, four-run ﬁfth, and the Bulls capitalized on the only extra-base hit of the weekend by either team to hold off the Green Wave 8-6 in Tampa, Florida.

Tulane (17-10, 2-3 American Athletic Conference), which lost Friday night’s opener 3-0 while managing only two hits, dropped its third in a row South Florida (15-9, 4-1) has won four straight league games since losing its opener at UAB.

“We had ourselves in good position to win the game, played hard and were more in character today than we’ve been in a little while, but that doesn’t automatically mean you’re going to win,” Tulane coach Jay Uhlman said “It was a couple of things here and there.” Tulane had runners on ﬁrst and second with no outs in the ninth inning, but Matthias Haas failed to

move them into scoring position.

He bunted foul on his ﬁrst two attempts, going after a high pitch that would have made the count 2-0 on the ﬁrst one. After a conference with Uhlman, he squared away to bunt again before the next pitch, pulled the bat back on the delivery and took a called third strike.

Tanner Chun then grounded into a force-out and Jason Wachs ﬂew out to left ﬁeld

“The only thing I probably would have changed was when they threw the ball elevated and he fouled it back, if I could go back I would maybe let him (Haas) hit, but he’s also hit into a lot of double plays,” Uhlman said “That’s traditional baseball. You get the ﬁrst two guys on (you bunt them over). It just unfortunately didn’t work out.”

Reliever Will Clements (1-1) took the loss after pitching the Wave out of trouble in the fourth upon entering and registering back-to-back strikeouts to start the ﬁfth in a 4-4 game. From there, he allowed a single, issued a four-pitch walk and gave up a go-ahead single before Montiel replaced him.

Trippel’s homer over the leftﬁeld wall was the ﬁrst earned run

Pearl River, Covington top area performers at boys powerlifting meet

BY SPENCER URQUHART Staff writer

The last day of the LHSAA state powerlifting meet at the Pontchartrain Center saw several New Orleans area lifters record podium finishes in Saturday’s boys Divisions I-III competition. Pearl River finished second in Division II with four lifters reaching the podium. Senior Jesse Gonzalez took ﬁrst in the 181-pound class and was named Most Outstanding Lifter in the Division II heavyweight group having lifted 1,470 pounds with his combined total of squat, bench press and deadlift.

Host Covington had three lifters reach the podium in Division I. Lions junior Brett Falco won Most Outstanding Lifter in the Division I lightweight group, also totaling 1,470 pounds. Falco had a 560-pound squat, a 370-pound bench press and a 540-pound deadlift.

“We did OK, but not quite up to our expectations,” Covington coach John Burford said. “Our kids battled. Brett had a really tough battle against a talented Josh Thompson from Dutchtown.”

Covington senior JT Sylvera won the 132-pound class and attempted to break his own deadlift record, but settled for a 530 deadlift. He still managed a 1,235-pound total. Falco came up ﬁve pounds short

of first place in the 148-pound class behind Thompson, who totaled 1,475 pounds.

“It’s a shame anybody had to lose that battle,” Burford said “(Falco) held his head up and will get them next year.”

“I could’ve had a better day, but I’m happy with my performance,” Falco said. “Early in training I had some lower-back issues, but I felt healthy coming into the meet, so that helped me a lot. I can’t wait to see (Thompson) at nationals and have a rematch.” Hahnville senior Blazie Donnaud and Holy Cross senior Nicco Tommaseo took the top two spots in the Division I 242-pound class. Dannaud narrowly won with a 1,650-pound total compared to 1,640 for Tommaseo. Other area podium finishers included Slidell’s Peyton Williams and Lakeshore’s Isaiah Koontz. Koontz won first place in the Division II 242-pound class and came close to a state record on his final deadlift attempt. Matthew Descant, Phillip Huth and Blake Polk were the other Pearl River lifters to record podium finishes. Covington’s Daniel finished third in the 123-pound class.

“I’m happy (the meet) is over but feel like it was a success,” Burford said. “No major issues. I hope the LHSAA was happy I’m so proud of my team to be able to do this and compete in the meet.

Brother Martin cashes in on miscues by Jesuit

BY CHRISTOPHER DABE Staff writer

Brother Martin feasted on every mistake Jesuit made on the way to completing a two-game series sweep against its ﬁercest New Orleans rival. A two-out throwing error let Brother Martin score the ﬁrst run in the second inning, and another throwing error in the fourth paved the way for another four runs in an 8-0 victory Saturday at Jesuit’s John Ryan Stadium.

Stan Wiltz reached base four times and scored two runs as Ryan Darrah and Cole Navarro each drove in two runs. Blaise Tingstrom earned the pitching win.

The win let Brother Martin (19-6, 7-1 District 9-5A) keep a one-game district lead on Rummel with six Catholic League games remaining.

“Coach harps on it all the time, taking advantage of the errors they make,” said Wiltz, who was 3 for 3 with a walk. “Good teams do that. We play a lot of small ball — it’s been very effective. We trust the coach’s plan for us. We have to go out and execute.”

The ﬁrst throwing error came with two outs and allowed a runner to score from third base for a 1-0 lead in the second inning.

The next throwing error on a bunt by Egan Prather loaded the bases with one out, and Bronson Leaumont, Cody Kropp and Darrah each followed with an RBI single. Darrah drove in two runs to make the score 5-0 in the fourth.

Leaumont had a second hit when the junior doubled to start

the sixth inning. He scored on a sacriﬁce bunt attempt when a wide throw to ﬁrst base went into foul territory — the third error for Jesuit. Navarro hit a two-run single later in the inning.

“That’s a good club,” Brother Martin coach Jeff Lupo said about Jesuit. “They made a couple of mistakes, but then we were able to apply good pressure up and down the lineup. We did what good teams do — we exploited the mistakes from the opponent.” Those runs gave Tingstrom more than enough backing as the junior right-hander struck out five, allowed five hits — all singles — and walked three over six innings. He navigated allowing two batters to reach in the first, fifth and sixth innings.

Senior left-hander Patrick Laiche got the final three outs. Brother Martin allowed only two runs over the two games against Jesuit (16-8, 4-4). The Crusaders won the first game 12-2 in six innings on Thursday with the help of 13 walks by Jesuit pitchers, and seven of those baserunners came around to score. Jesuit allowed far fewer walks this time around, but the errors proved costly Brother Martin has two games each against Warren Easton and St. Augustine before facing Rummel in the final two district games set for April 10 and 12 — a possible showdown for the 9-5A title. Jesuit will face John Curtis on Tuesday at Harahan Playground in the first of two games between the schools.

Montiel has allowed all year He retired all 10 batters he faced the rest of the way, but Tulane could not overcome the four-run deﬁcit.

“It was a slider to a guy that has one hit on a slider all year,” Uhlman said.

The Wave missed opportunities for bigger innings while scoring a run in each of the ﬁrst four Chun grounded into a double play with runners at the corners and no outs in the ﬁrst, scoring Connor Rasmussen, but there was no follow-up.

South Florida responded with two in the bottom of the first after Jackson Linn threw off target toward third base on a mediumdepth fly ball as a runner tagged up to go to third, allowing the runner behind him to reach second. Trey Cehajic then allowed a two-run single, handing the Wave a deficit heading into the second inning for the fifth time in seven games.

Neither starting pitcher was effective. Cehajic allowed six hits and four runs in 31/3 innings. The Bulls’ Brandon Keyster was

Newman coach Randy Livingston, left, and his son, Randy Livingston Jr., talk during a timeout in the Division III select championship game on March 8 in Lake Charles

WOMEN’S NCAA TOURNAMENT

Van Lith scores 26 points to lead TCU to 1st Elite Eight

BY DOUG FEINBERG AP basketball writer

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — TCU is in unchartered territory thanks to Hailey Van Lith, reaching the Elite Eight for the ﬁrst time.

It sure seems like business as usual for the dynamic guard

Van Lith scored 12 of her 26 points in the fourth quarter to help second-seeded TCU beat No. 3 seed Notre Dame 71-62 on Saturday in the Sweet 16 of the women’s NCAA Tournament

“That game was unbelievable. That’s what March Madness is all about,” TCU coach Mark Campbell said. “Amazing team effort, incredible defensive effort. The ﬁght and spirit this group showed in the second half is what you have to do in March.”

Sedona Prince added 21 points for the Horned Frogs (34-3), who will play Texas on Monday night. With the game tied at 52 early in the fourth, Van Lith took over She scored ﬁve of the next six points for TCU to give the team the lead

Every run that the Fighting Irish made, Van Lith and the Horned Frogs had an answer

“My message to the girls right before we went out for the fourth quarter is we’re going to be steady, and that’s what won us the game,”

Van Lith said

Van Lith, who started her career at Louisville before transferring to LSU last season and then TCU this past year, is on her way to a regional ﬁnal for the ﬁfth time.

Notre Dame (28-6) was trying to reach the Elite Eight for the ﬁrst time since 2019 The Irish have lost

in the Sweet 16 the past four years.

Liatu King scored 17 points for the Irish. Hannah Hidalgo had 15 and Olivia Miles ﬁnished with 10.

But the star backcourt was a combined 6 for 29 from the ﬁeld.

“We literally were just missing shots that we normally make and that’s going to happen at times,” Miles said.

Notre Dame got off to a slow start before rallying for a 35-33 halftime lead. Neither team led by more than four points in the second quarter

The teams met in November in a Thanksgiving tournament in the Cayman Islands, and the Horned Frogs came away with a victory after rallying from a 14-point deﬁcit. The Irish were missing Maddy Westbeld and Liza Karlen for that game.

Duke, South Carolina aren’t worried about style points

BY ALANIS THAMES AP sportswriter

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — Ugly victories are quite common in the NCAA Tournament. Duke coach Kara Lawson and South Carolina’s Dawn Staley know that well.

Lawson’s Blue Devils scored just 47 points in their gritty Sweet 16 win over North Carolina on Friday Staley’s Gamecocks were on the ropes for most of their Sweet 16 game against Maryland before edging the Terrapins 71-67. Both teams advanced to the Elite Eight. How it happened matters little to their coaches

“I don’t think that style points are something you’re worried about at any point in the tournament,” said Lawson, who is preparing her second-seeded Duke team to face No. 1 seed South Carolina on Sunday in the Elite Eight. It’ll be the second time the teams face each other this season.

The Gamecocks beat Duke 81-70 at home in December

“You have to get a feel for the game,” Lawson added. “Each game has its own identity, and each game is going to present a problem set for you that you have to try and figure out Sometimes there’s problem sets you can anticipate. Sometimes you can’t. So it’s really about solving issues in the moment and finding a way to fix them.” Friday’s problem for the Blue Devils was that they could barely make a basket. Duke shot 31% and missed its first nine baskets Lawson figured it out by trusting in her team’s identity: defense They held North Carolina to just six points in the fourth.

In Staley’s eyes, South Carolina’s poor shot selection put it in a hole against Maryland. The Gamecocks did just enough to win, thanks to MiLaysia Fulwiley’s 23 points. It was the second straight game

that the defending champion Gamecocks were tested. Against Indiana in the second round, South Carolina had to overcome a dreadful ﬁrst-half performance that left it trailing at the break before rallying in the second half.

That they keep ﬁnding ways to win shows her Gamecocks are unﬂappable, Staley said. And a victory is all that matters at this stage.

“Is it ugly? Yes,” Staley said.

“Are people going to say this doesn’t look like a national championship team? Well, I mean, we didn’t look like one last year to most in the beginning of the season. We looked like one in ’22 — ’17

we didn’t look like one.

“I think we’re back to where we don’t look like one, and hopefully we can win it and even it out.”

Follow the blueprint

After Maryland played the defending champions close and held them to 38.5% shooting on Friday,

coach Brenda Frese said she felt the Terrapins gave other teams “a pretty good blueprint” on how to beat South Carolina.

“The blueprint?” Staley said.

“People played us like that ever since we had Aliyah Boston. It’s nothing new We lead the country in points in the paint. They did a good job executing their game plan, and we did a poor job at shot selection. So we will be better ”

Senior Bree Hall said the Gamecocks don’t expect anyone to take them lightly

“I’ve said it all year that the target is very big on our back,” Hall added.

“Every team is going to bring their best game. Especially in moments like this in the tournament, they’re going to play as hard as they can, try as hard as they can to make every shot that they throw up.”

Mutual respect

Lawson and Staley have crossed

Booker scores 17 to help Texas edge Vols

BY ALANIS THAMES AP sportswriter

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — Texas coach Vic Schaefer got the tense battle he expected between his defensive-minded Longhorns and the highest-scoring team in the country in Tennessee. In the end, the Longhorns edged their Southeastern Conference foe with the same approach they’ve had all season relying on swarming defense and the shot-making of SEC Player of the Year Madison Booker

Top-seeded Texas got 17 points from Booker and outlasted the ﬁfth-seeded Lady Volunteers 6759 on Saturday in the Sweet 16 of the women’s NCAA Tournament.

“We’ve been in these battles enough,” Schaefer said. “We know what it takes. When you’re tired or maybe in that moment of the last four or five minutes, that’s when you don’t rise to the occasion, you fall back on your fundamentals.” Jordan Lee scored 13 points and Taylor Jones added 12 points and eight rebounds for the Longhorns (34-3), who advanced to face TCU in the Elite Eight. The Horned Frogs beat Notre Dame earlier Saturday to reach the first regional final in school history Booker scored seven points in the fourth quarter, including four straight with the game tied at 54 with five minutes left. Tennessee pulled back within one on a jumper by Ruby Whitehorn, who led the Lady Vols (2410) with 16 points, before the Longhorns stretched their lead to eight. That was Texas’ biggest advantage of the day, with Tennessee matching the Longhorns’ biggest strengths: defense, rebounding and post play. The Lady Vols outrebounded the Longhorns 39-36, had 15 second-chance points to

Texas’ ﬁve and got 36 points in the paint.

“I was proud of how hard we played,” said Tennessee coach Kim Caldwell, who brought new energy to the Lady Vols program in her ﬁrst season, during which she gave birth to a son. “A big point of emphasis was rebounding, and we did what we needed to there. They just did such a great job of rushing us into shots and forcing some turnovers down the stretch when we needed to get some shots off.”

Bryanna Preston added 12 points and four assists for Texas, which got 40 points in the post.

Zee Spearman had 13 points for the Lady Vols, who continued their run as the only school to appear in every Division I women’s tournament with their 43rd straight appearance.

Tennessee outscored Texas 17-13 in the second with Booker sitting on the bench much of the quarter after picking up two early fouls. Still, the Longhorns held a 34-30 edge at the half.

Despite what Schaefer said wasn’t his team’s best day, the Longhorns locked down on defense down the stretch against Tennessee’s potent offense, which averages 87.5 points per game.

“We didn’t want it to be the last time we did it,” said Texas senior guard Rori Harmon, who ﬁnished with eight points. “We talked about accountability and leadership. We were over here grabbing each other by our jerseys and telling (each other), ‘You can’t let this happen, you can’t let this happen.’ I think it was just collectively we all just wanted it so bad.”

Texas held Tennessee to nine points in the fourth, forced four Tennessee turnovers over the final five minutes and held the Lady Vols to no makes on their final five shots.

paths often in their decorated careers.

Staley was an assistant USA Basketball coach when Lawson played on the Olympic gold medalwinning women’s basketball team in 2008. When Lawson coached the USA Basketball 3-on-3 team in 2020, Staley was the 5-on-5 coach Duke also held some practices in Columbia, South Carolina, in the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Our relationship is of respect,” Staley said. “I respect the success that Kara is having at Duke. I respect the fact that she has been in our game for a long time at different stops. She is an Olympian, she is an Olympic assistant coach.

“So for someone that has devoted and served our game as long as she has, you got to tip your hat to her.”

Watch party

Freshman star Cooper Flagg and the No. 1-seed Blue Devils will play second-seeded Alabama on Saturday for a spot in the men’s Final Four The Duke women’s basketball team will be watching.

“We basically have watch parties,” guard Oluchi Okananwa said. “We’re so proud of them, and we’re excited for them to be on this big stage with us. It’s super cool to have the Duke men in the same position that we are and cheer them on.”

Lawson has a great relationship with men’s coach Jon Scheyer They often have early morning weight room interactions when their teams go in to lift.

“He’s been a great supporter of mine, and I try to be a great supporter of his,” Lawson said.

“So we’re texting each other every day, really, through this run, just words of support — although I haven’t texted him yet today I don’t think I’m that late because they play tonight. So I will text him.”

Bueckers scores 40 points to lead rout over Oklahoma

BY ANNE M. PETERSON AP sportswriter

SPOKANE, Wash. — Paige Bueckers

scored a career-high 40 points, rescuing UConn from its firsthalf doldrums and single-handedly turning a tight game against Oklahoma into an 82-59 rout on Saturday that sent the Huskies to the Elite Eight of the women’s NCAA Tournament.

Bueckers had 29 points after halftime for the Huskies, who trailed 36-32 at the break. The likely No. 1 overall pick in the WNBA draft eclipsed her previous career best of 34 points, set Monday in UConn’s second-round victory over South Dakota State, her final home final game at Gampel Pavilion. The electrifying senior guard matched her career high with six 3-pointers, the last two during a personal 10-0 run in the fourth quarter Bueckers checked out of the game with 3:06 left and UConn ahead 80-51. The second-seeded Huskies (34-3), winners of 13 straight, will face the winner of Saturday’s late game between Southern California and Kanas State in a regional final on Monday Ashlyn Shade added 12 points and Sarah Strong had 11 points and 11 rebounds for UConn, which is seeking to extend its

record by winning a 12th national title. The Huskies reached their 18th Elite Eight in the past 19 seasons, but coach Geno Auriemma’s team hasn’t won it all since 2016.

Payton Verhulst scored 16 points for third-seeded Oklahoma (27-8), which reached the Sweet 16 for the ﬁrst time since 2013. The Sooners have never beaten the Huskies in a series that includes the 2002 national title game.

Bueckers took UConn to the Final Four last season, where it lost to eventual champion South Carolina. The Sooners jumped out to an 8-0 lead. The Huskies’ ﬁrst points came on Bueckers’ 3-pointer just over three minutes into the game, which touched off a 11-0 UConn run. The Huskies led 17-12 after the opening quarter Verhulst hit a deep 3-pointer to put the Sooners back on top, 2423. She added a jumper and another 3 to extend the lead to 2923. Verhulst had 13 points in the second quarter Reyna Scott’s 3 sent the Sooners into the break with a fourpoint lead.

Bueckers clearly did not not want her collegiate career to end, scoring with eight points early in the third quarter to put the Huskies ahead.

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By GERALD HERBERT

TCU guard Hailey Van Lith drives to the basket against Notre Dame guard Hannah Hidalgo during the first half of a Sweet 16 game on Saturday in Birmingham, Ala

AP PHOTO By BUTCH DILL Texas forward Madison Booker blocks the shot attempt of Tennessee guard Ruby Whitehorn during the first half a Sweet 16 game on Saturday in Birmingham, Ala.

LSU NOTEBOOK

Smith’s surge makes her ﬁxture on court

BY REED DARCEY Staff writer

SPOKANE,Wash.— A year ago, Sa’Myah Smith couldn’t leave the bench

A bulky brace stabilized her surgically repaired knee. The ligaments she tore on an early-season drive to the rim were still healing, far too tender to withstand the rigors of the women’s NCAA Tournament.

Now Smith can’t leave the ﬂoor

The 6-foot-2 forward’s contributions are simply too valuable to the LSU women’s basketball team, which pulled out an 80-73 win over No. 2-seeded North Carolina State on Friday to bring itself back on the doorstep of the Final Four

“When you have games like this,” Smith said on Friday, “it makes it all worth it.”

Before this NCAA Tournament began, Smith had tallied at least 20 points and 10 rebounds in just one of her 76 career games.

The redshirt sophomore now has hit both of those marks in consecutive contests, ﬁrst with a 20-point, 12-board, six-assist outing in the No. 3-seeded Tigers’ second-round win over No. 6-seeded Florida

MORROW

Continued from page 1C

The No. 3-seeded Tigers listened. What followed Morrow’s plea was an 18-8 surge that propelled LSU past the Wolfpack and into an Elite Eight clash with No. 1 overall seed UCLA. That game will tip off at 2 p.m Sunday on ABC, and it’ll give Morrow her ﬁnal chance to reach the Final Four before her impressive collegiate career runs out of eligibility

Williams still can play two more years. Flau’jae Johnson can play one more, though she is eligible to declare for the 2025 WNBA Draft But Morrow’s career can end as soon as Sunday She never took a redshirt year and was one year too late to pick up an extra COVID season. Her college hoops career will soon come to a close, a fact that only heightens the urgency at

State, then with her 21-point, 11-rebound performance in the Sweet 16 victory over the Wolfpack.

On Friday, Smith played all 40 minutes for the ﬁrst time in her career Smith and Mikaylah Williams scored the Tigers’ last 16 points of the game.

On one of those late fourth-quarter possessions, Williams drove baseline and drew a help defender as Smith took one step to her right, opening a window for a bounce pass that set her up to finish her eighth field goal in 13 attempts — a short jumper that she floated up and through the rim.

That bucket cut a three-point Wolfpack lead to just one with 1:48 to play and kick-started the 10-0 run that LSU used to ice the game.

Smith scored six of those points.

“I would say Sa’Myah is playing very confident,” LSU coach Kim Mulkey said. “Sa’Myah is quietly just doing her job and somewhat doing everybody else’s job, too.”

Smith grabbed four of the 18 offensive rebounds that LSU corralled against NC State. She also stole two Wolfpack possessions and blocked two shots.

“When we got beat tonight on

which she chases her buckets and rebounds.

“Just knowing that Nees works so hard,” Williams said, “and she’s gone through so much to get to this point, it just gives us that much more motivation to want to get her to the Final Four and get her that experience. Because she deserves it.”

On Friday Morrow willed LSU into a battle with NC State before Williams and Smith guided it across the finish line. Morrow finished with 30 points and 19 rebounds, posting her seventh career 30-point, 15-board game and the first such outing in the second weekend of the women’s NCAA Tournament or later since 2010. Morrow pulled nine of her rebounds from the offensive glass, enough to tie her season high. She turned all but three of those boards into second-chance points. That work on the glass allowed LSU to both attempt and make

dribble penetration,” Mulkey said, “and they would come off that screen at the top, she altered shots, she blocked shots, she got rebounds. She’s just becoming more comfortable.”

In Southeastern Conference play this season, Smith averaged only 4.6 points and 5.8 rebounds per game while shooting 46% from the ﬁeld. She scored in double ﬁgures just twice and grabbed at least 10 rebounds only once.

Smith is scoring 17.0 points, pulling down 10.3 rebounds and converting 70% of her shots through three NCAA Tournament games.

Her emergence couldn’t have come at a better time for LSU, which will meet first-team AllAmerican center Lauren Betts and her No. 1 overall seeded UCLA team in the Elite Eight at 2 p.m

Sunday (ABC). On Friday the Bruins defeated No. 5 seed Ole Miss 76-62 behind Betts’ 31 points, 10 rebounds and three blocks.

Smith will draw the assignment of defending Betts more than a year after the season-ending knee injury that took away her entire sophomore year “I’m 100% glad I stuck with it,”

Smith said, “and battled what I battled, mentally and physically “I don’t say it a lot, but I’m kind of proud of myself. It’s starting to pay off, and I’m happy about that.”

Format chafes Mulkey

Like UConn coach Geno Auriemma, Mulkey isn’t a fan of the two-host regional format of the women’s NCAA Tournament.

On Saturday, Mulkey said “we sold our soul too early” in choosing to play the Sweet 16 and the Elite Eight at two regional sites instead of four This year the host cities are Spokane, Washington, and Birmingham, Alabama.

“This game has gotten better,” Mulkey said. “And man, if you still had four regionals, can you imagine the attendance? I know our fan base. They can’t afford to come to Spokane. But they could if it was a little bit closer.”

On Friday, Auriemma said the two-host format “ruined the game,” in part because the logistical challenges of assigning eight teams to one regional site led to scheduling issues. The Huskies, Auriemma said, had to wake up at 6 a.m. for a one-hour practice Friday, then rise

time NCAA Division I rebounding leaderboard. The 6-foot-1 senior has corralled 1,707 career boards, only five fewer than the player who sits in third place, former Oregon forward Jillian Alleyne

“It’s just so impressive,” UCLA coach Cori Close said Saturday of Morrow, “the way in which she exerts her dominance on the offensive glass and then really being crafty around the rim or attacking from the high post off the dribble. So that’s going to be our challenge.” Morrow has posted 30 doubledoubles this season — eight more than any other Division I player She’s had one in each of LSU’s first three tournament games, while also elevating her scoring total in each contest from 12 points, to 26, to 30.

at 5 a.m. Saturday for a half-hour shootaround at 7:30 a.m. — seven hours before their Sweet 16 game vs. No. 3-seeded Oklahoma tipped off in Spokane Arena.

“We need to ﬁx this,” Mulkey said. “We don’t have to wait until the contract’s up. Let the people keep their super regionals. Just go add two now I’ve never ever been one to believe that you can’t work things out if it’s better for the game.”

Morrow’s numbers

Aneesah Morrow tallied 30 points and 19 rebounds Friday against the Wolfpack.

How rare is that stat line? Before Friday, only 22 women had ever scored at least 30 points and pulled down at least 15 boards in a women’s NCAA Tournament game. Just six of those players had posted those numbers in the second weekend of the tournament or later, and none of them had done so across the last 15 years.

To ﬁnd the most recent such performance, go back to the 2010 Final Four when Nneka Ogwumike of Stanford notched 38 points and 16 rebounds in a victory over Oklahoma.

As a senior, Morrow is scoring six more points (22.7) and grabbing ﬁve more rebounds (14) per game in the tournament while maintaining her shooting efﬁciency (49%).

She’s also willing LSU to wins.

Both on the court and in the huddle, unafraid to issue the Tigers stern reminders that she doesn’t want her collegiate career to end anywhere other than Tampa, Florida, the site of the 2025 Final Four

“We were like,” Williams said, “ ‘OK, let’s do it.’ ” LSU now meets an UCLA team that it defeated in the Sweet 16 exactly one year ago, on March 30, 2024.

“Even to go a little further,” Williams said, “Nees is only missing a national championship. She has everything else you could ever think of, so we want to be the team that gives it to her.”

seven more field goals than the Wolfpack, and it also moved Morrow into fourth place on the all-

In the Tigers’ 2024 tournament run, Morrow averaged 16.3 points and 9.5 rebounds per game while shooting 48% from the ﬁeld.

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

AP PHOTO By yOUNG KWAK North Carolina State guard Saniya Rivers blocks a shot by LSU forward Aneesah Morrow during the second half of their Sweet 16 game on Friday in Spokane, Wash.

Was Barq’s root beer invented in N.O.?

BY RACHEL MIPRO

Contributing writer

Louisianans and Mississippians have long battled over claiming rights for Barq’s Root Beer, a beloved soft drink known for its high carbonation, low-foam taste and fabled Southern origins.

Thirteenth Ward resident

Walker Lasiter posed the question anew after having po-boys with a friend from Mississippi. While both agreed Barq’s is the beverage of choice for the meal, they fought over the origins of the drink, each claiming it for his respective state.

Lasiter was left with the crucial question: Was Barq’s invented in New Orleans?

Barq’s historian and greatgranddaughter of the original Louisiana Barq’s manufacturing family, Veni Harlan, has some answers.

Harlan begins her recounting of the Barq’s legacy in the late 1800s, when New Orleans native and trained chemist Edouard Barq was tinkering with soda ﬂavors in the French Quarter After dealing with a series of family tragedies and ﬁnancial hardship, in 1898, a newly married Barq moved his family to the Mississippi Gulf Coast for a fresh start.

‘The ultimate apprentice’

“He establishes himself as a soft drink manufacturer, buys an artesian well outﬁt and scrambles to do what he knows how to do,” Harlan said. “And that same year, my great-grandfather, who maybe had a fourth-grade education had an impoverished child life, walked into his warehouse. He became the ultimate apprentice, trusted and grew up in the business, and Mr Barq taught him everything. He soaked up everything.”

After learning the trade, Harlan’s great-grandfather, Jesse Louis Robinson, moved to New Orleans in 1909, with the idea of starting his own soft drink business.

By 1922, the Robinson family had Orangine Bottling Works, where they made and distributed ﬂavored drinks like ginger ale, Orangine and Celery Tonic. The Robinson and Barq families remained close, Harlan said.

“Mr Barq was obviously a great mentor and a teacher

Mr Barq had always

ä See CURIOUS, page 9D

“When I first went in, I really couldn’t even see that far. I thought my career was over. It’s hard to remain relevant in this rap game.”

BY KEITH SPERA | Staff writer

Christopher “B.G.” Dorsey is an unlikely First Amendment advocate

Gritty solo albums and membership in Cash Money

Records’ all-star quartet the Hot Boys elevated him to New Orleans rap royalty as a teenager in the 1990s

But the street life he celebrated in song eventually cost him 12 lost years in federal prison Freed in late 2023 but still on supervised release, Dorsey, now 44, has relaunched his career. Under the terms of his release, he must submit lyrics he writes to his probation ofﬁcer, who forwards them to Assistant U.S. Attorney Maurice Landrieu for review.

CHRISTOPHER ‘B.G.’ DORSEy

DINING SCENE

Top chefs gather to support Bocuse d’Or event in N.O.

Ian McNulty WHAT’S COOKING

The dishes were gorgeous, from the curry-scented lobster Malabar to the majestic, pastry-domed trufﬂe soup. But many of those pulling out phones during dinner at this grand Uptown mansion were snapping photos of the chefs circulating among the tables rather than the food. They were, after all, among the most famous and acclaimed chefs in the U.S with global reputations to match They graciously worked the rooms, visiting tables to shake hands, listen to stories eagerly shared of meals at their restaurants through the years, and pose for photos.

There was Thomas Keller, known for his Napa Valley restaurant French Laundry and Per Se in New York, calling across one bustling room to his good friend Daniel Boulud, perhaps the bestknown French chef working in the U.S., recruiting him for a group photo with a New Orleans couple

Emeril Lagasse soon joined them too, along with Jérôme Bocuse, the chef who continues the legacy of his father Paul Bocuse, the revered godfather of modern French cuisine.

One part of that Bocuse legacy was the reason the chefs were lending their star power for one big night in New Orleans, and why we’ll be seeing more like it in the city

The event was part of a bigger effort with the potential to boost New Orleans’ standing on the global culinary stage, and elevate a key piece of the city’s culture and economy along the way

Chefs convene, hosts prepare

The evening was a dinner to launch the host committee for Bocuse d’Or Americas, held at the home of attorney John Houghtaling, the historic Romanesque Revival mansion on St. Charles Avenue. It was a fundraiser in support of Team U.S.A., which represents the nation in the international culinary competition Bocuse d’Or, and to support the return of that prestigious event to New Orleans in 2026.

Bocuse d’Or was created by Paul Bocuse in the 1980s, along

with the closely related Coupe de Monde de la Patisserie, or Pastry World Cup. They’ve grown into one mega event, held every two years in Lyon, France, and together they’re regarded as the world cup of cuisine. They stoke the same pride and passion as sporting world cups; reputations are minted in their winners’ circles; they’re covered closely by international media and draw big sponsorships and industry money

They’re much lesser known in the U.S., but that is changing. To compete in the finals, national teams must qualify in preliminary rounds. Last year the qualifiers for countries in North America and South America were held in the U.S. for the first time, and the host city was New Orleans. To bring the first competitions here, New Orleans & Co., the city’s tourism sales and marketing agency worked with GL Events, the same French-based

production giant that helped orchestrate the Paris Olympics.

In January, they announced that New Orleans would again host the qualiﬁer round for Bocuse d’Or and the Pastry World Cup in 2026. Planning is underway, and this dinner, held in February just after the Super Bowl, was one of the ﬁrst moves.

The aim was to begin marshaling support among philanthropists and restaurant industry insiders who will help support the event’s return next year The dinner brought in $150,000 toward that goal.

Houghtaling has long been campaigning to get Bocuse d’Or to come to New Orleans. He is friends with chefs Keller, Boulud and Bocuse, who are on the board of Ment’Or, the group that supports Team U.S.A. Traveling to Lyon to attend the Bocuse d’Or ﬁnals through the years, he recognized its potential to shine a brighter global spotlight on the New Orleans culinary scene, and elevate the work of local chefs guiding it.

“It was a huge honor to have Bocuse come here, and it’s a huge responsibility,” Houghtaling said.

“Hopefully, people in the business and people who care about food will see what an honor this is, and as a city we can keep it coming back here.”

A roster of chefs

At the host committee dinner, while the celebrity chefs worked the rooms around the mansion, the kitchen was a hive of energy as a roster of local and visiting chefs cooked together

That included Gavin Kaysen, a Minneapolis-based restaurateur who is president of Team U.S.A. and a Bocuse d’Or competitor from the 2007 campaign, with Chris Nye, executive chef at Kaysen’s company, Soigne Hospitality

They joined local chefs who each handled a course for the dinner

That included Justin Devillier, of La Petite Grocery and Justine; Ashwin Vilkhu, who with his family runs Saffron NOLA and the forthcoming restaurant The Kingsway; Baruch Rabasa, a private chef and creator of the Applied Arts Coffee brand; E.J. Lagasse, who leads his family’s flagship Emeril’s Restaurant and co-founded their modern Portuguese spot 34 Restaurant & Bar; and pastry chef Kristyne Bouley The meal was lavish and carefully composed. As a finale, trumpeter Irvin Mayfield led a performance in the center of the house. At one point, Keller addressed the crowd, explaining his passion for Bocuse d’Or He sees America’s pursuit of the competition as a point of inspiration for today’s chefs, and the next generation coming behind them. Keller, himself often credited with transforming American fine dining a generation ago, said inspiration could shape the future of American cuisine.

New Orleans got a taste of what’s possible at this level last year with the first edition of the Bocuse d’Or qualifiers. For one week, the city was abuzz with international chefs, culinary enthusiasts and industry players. It felt more like an introduction of a new concept than a full embrace of what it could be. As New Orleans burnishes its culinary reputation, and its draw as a travel destination, the potential to go bigger, do more and showcase the city as a top global food city is coming around again as Bocuse d’Or Americas 2026 takes shape. The first steps are already simmering.

Email Ian McNulty at imcnulty@theadvocate.com.

STAFF PHOTOS By IAN MCNULTy

Chefs who took part in a host committee dinner for Bocuse d’Or Americas in New Orleans included, top row, from left, Ashwin Vilkhu, Kristyne Bouley, Baruch Rabasa, Emeril Lagasse, Jerome Bocuse and Chris Nye; bottom row from left, Daniel Boulud Thomas Keller and E.J Lagasse.

Festive Fraternity

Front: Cenai Steward, Kennedy J. Brown; Standing: Ian Fields Jr., Kevin Randolph Sr

Contact: nnolan@theadvocate.com

n Zulu

n Men about Town

“The Townsmen, Inc. cordially invites you to its Annual Cocktail Dansant” headed the invitation extended by the organization. For four hours on a Sunday during Carnival, the members reveled in the Grand Salon of the Omni Royal Orleans Hotel for its 71st anniversary Included with the wording were small photos of 20 former presidents in white dress shirts, red vests and bowties, and black tuxedo jackets. All boasted big smiles.

The hotel’s staff served a delicious meal of salad, a steamboat round of beef, turkey ham, pasta and a celebratory cake.

Seated: Ry’Nisha Z. Reimonenq, Mia C. Rodriguez, Kyla Delaine Marquez, Ambria Thomas, RayAnn W. Cantrell; Standing: Jayla Donae Allen, Julynn M. Collins, Kolbi M. Keller Sydni S Hunter Arial M. Boudreaux

Carnival from A-Z concludes with the excitement of the Zulu ball that precedes by four days the annual parade. Back to the letter “A,” the Fat Tuesday parade (which started earlier than usual because of weather concerns) was titled “Zulu from Africa to the Big Easy.” The theme also bannered the earlier coronation ball of the Zulu Social Aid and Pleasure Club, which took place in the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center with, as monarchs Rodney P. Mason Jr and Kristen Bonds Mason Among the Zulu dignitaries were coronation coordinator Clifton Jones master of ceremonies Darren Mire, president Elroy A. James, and ofﬁcers, board members and Zulu characters. Last year, the King and Queen Zulu were Melvin L. Labat and A.Angelique Roché. They crowned their successors of 2025. Several dozen maids served in the court of the Zulu majesties. The respective king’s and queen’s maids were Misses RayAnn W. Cantrell and Ambria M.Thomas. Successive maids were Misses Alaya L Adams, Jayla Donae Allen, Hailey C. Barnes, Gazmyne A Bazley, Allasia Marie Blackmon,Arial May Boudreaux, Kennedy Jewel Brown, Kylie M. Butler Aniya L. Chaplin, Brooklyn McKenzie Christmas,Anisa M. Cleggett,Ahmaje’ L Collins, Julynn M. Collins,Anngelle M. Cushenberry, Logan L. Eugene, Keziah Inez-Marie Green, Bradlee M. Gross, Chloe M. Harris, Laila A. Houser, Remi D. Hughes and Sydni S. Hunter Also, Misses Ryan S. Jackson, Kentrell M. Jarvis, Kolbi M. Keller, Malae Na’Ke Lockett, Kyla Delaine Marquez, Amiyah A. McCormick, Zoe Jewel Navarre, Ry’nisha Z. Reimonenq, Myriah Renique Robbins, Mia Christina Rodriguez, Cenai Steward, Skylar Braxton Turk, D’Asia E.Webb, Milan A. Webber Bria A.Williams, Kaya P.Williams, Kayla J.Williams, Summer M.Williams,Treasure M.Williams and Anais Annick Young The king and queen were stunning in their royal attire. The costume of Zulu King Rodney P. Mason Jr was based around his passion for playing the trumpet and his dedication to the Purple Knights of his alma mater, St. Augustine High School. His mantle featured the king’s logo, which included an image of a mature lion, Simba as king, from the “Lion King,” and reﬂected the theme of his reign, “Circle of Life.” Incorporated, too, was the quotation, “For All Mankind,” signifying that Zulu is an organization composed of men from diverse backgrounds. His majesty’s late father, Rodney P. Mason Sr frequently referenced those same words. To project further radiance for her majesty, Zulu Queen Kristen B. Mason’s royal costume was a beautiful custom-beaded dress embellished with various stones and appliqués. Royal purple and gold, as well as lavender, were incorporated colors, coordinating with those of the king’s attire. The logo in her mantle depicted a lioness to complement the motif the king used. Also used was the symbol of an atom to represent her professional work. Thousands of attendees attended the ball, which concluded with the royal court’s promenade, a toast by Mayor LaToya Cantrell (mother of the king’s maid, RayAnn), the members’ dance and a second line led by grand marshal Norman “Boogle” Thomas The music makers were Jeffrey Osborne, DJ Polo, Chante Moore and SWV Throughout, celebration spanned the global jaunt –and joy

The dansant’s callout consisted of club members with spouses or escorts Included were club president Albert Edwards II with spouse Dantrelle, vice president Ronald Stevens and Terri, secretary Howard L. Rodgers III and daughter Areah Bocage Walter Wright and escort Angelique Roché, dansant chairman Jonathan Wilson and Erica, and chaplain Anthony Decuir and Saraphine. Also, Justin Augustine, Earl Brown and Michele, Dr. Emmett Chapital and Jovita, Michael Dukes and Sylvia, Bryan Fulton and Conchetta, Dr Eric Griggs and Danielle, Richard Jackson and Andrea, Ronald Johnson and Vonyotta, Ernest Legier and Kelley, Charles Kennedy and escort Laura Lipps, Darrel Sazian and Shaun, Charles Rice and Vonda, Ron Sholes and Valerie, and Jeffery Thomas and Zolee. Wayne E.Wright is an emeritus member

They showed jovial hospitality to their many guests, whose ranks included Dr and Mrs. Henry Evans, Dr. Deidre Clark, the Keith Dawsons, the Clarence Wilsons, the Cornelius Lewises, the David Bocages, the Marlin Gusmans, the Joseph Shorters, Judge and Mrs. Omar Mason, the Wayne Woodses, the Jessie Adroins, the Wilbur Thomases, state Sen. and Mrs. Royce Duplessis, the Troy Henrys, the Roy Glapions, Council member Eugene Green, Judge Tiffany Chase, and the Charles Teamers. For dancing, the Clark Knighten Band lured scores to the ﬂoor Among the highlights were the traditional club waltz and the second line that included, and delighted, both members and guests.

PHOTOS By JEFF STROUT

Queen Kristen Mason, King Rodney Mason Jr

Ahmaje’ L. Collins, Zoe J Navarre, Allasia Marie Blackmon, Gazmyne A. Bazley, Keziah Inez-Marie Green, Milan A. Webber

Seated: Kayla J. Williams, Laila A. Houser; Standing: Ryan S Jackson, Summer M. Williams, Remi D. Hughes

Seated: Malae Na’Ke Lockett, Bria A. Williams, Logan L. Eugene; Standing: Anaïs Annick young Myriah Renique Robbins, Amiyah A. McCormick, Chloe M Harris

Angélique Roché, Walter Wright

PHOTOS By JEFF STROUT

Ronald and Terri Stevens, Sydney and Emil McClellan

Patrice Rose, Richard Jackson Jr. Andrea Jackson

Judge Tiffany Chase, Charles Rice, Kim Boyle

BY CHERE COEN Contributing writer

When rivers were dammed in southern Missouri and bass ﬁshing became a regional sport, Johnny Morris saw an opportunity

At 21, the Missouri native convinced his father to let him sell ﬁshing products in the back of his father’s liquor store in Springﬁeld.

Morris loved the outdoors, especially hunting and ﬁshing, so he used that experience to develop a retail brand that expanded into Bass Pro Shops There are nearly 200 such retail stores and marine centers across North America. The massive stores that double as a tourist destination — with locations in Denham Springs and Bossier City — see about 200 million visitors annually, and have made Morris a billionaire. Conservation is Morris’ other passion and he’s used his proﬁts to build several nature-based attractions in the Ozarks near Branson under the umbrella of the Johnny Morris Foundation.

There’s the Top of the Rock heritage preserve with its Lost Canyon Cave and Nature Trail and the Ancient Ozarks Natural History Museum featuring hundreds of Native American artifacts, one of the largest collections in the world.

Dogwood Canyon Nature Park treats visitors to the natural side of Branson while the Wonders of Wildlife National Museum and Aquarium in nearby Springﬁeld offers hours of museum fun.

TRAVEL

Dogwood Canyon

A short drive from Branson and a world away — is the peaceful Dogwood Canyon Nature Park, 2,200 acres Morris developed for visitors to enjoy the outdoors in its pristine state. Dogwood is home to numerous animals, waterfalls, hiking trails and trout streams for public enjoyment but while visitors are welcome, preservation is everything.

“If a tree falls down, we let it lie where it falls,” said tour guide James Cummings.

Naturally, the 10,000-acre Dogwood Canyon boasts dogwood trees, Missouri’s state tree. There are ﬁve species of dogwood in Missouri, with the ﬂowering

TRAVEL TROUBLESHOOTER

By Christopher Elliott

dogwood most commonly found in the canyon blooming from mid-April to midMay

The best way to enjoy Dogwood Canyon is the Canyon Discovery Tours, where nature experts such

as Cummings explain the natural and human history of the canyon, take visitors inside the bison and elk ﬁelds off-limits to the public and show visitors the perfect places for photos. Other events include guided bicycle tours, trout ﬁshing on the three creeks and foraging with survival instructor and naturalist Bo Brown, author of “Foraging the Ozarks.”

Dogwood includes a fullyfunctioning mill that sells grits and cornmeal, a restaurant overlooking a lake and waterfall, conservation center, an Amish bridge that required no power tools to build, a chapel that’s rentable for weddings and special events, a treehouse built by Animal Planet’s

“Treehouse Masters” and a horse stable facility

The mother ship In nearby Springﬁeld, visitors will ﬁnd the “granddaddy” of Bass Pro Shops, offering its inventory of outdoor gear and more in nearly 500,000 square feet of space. It’s not the largest — the Memphis Pyramid clocks in at 535,000 square feet — but it’s home to the Wonders of Wildlife National Museum and Aquarium, the largest immersive wildlife attraction in the world.

The museum features several wildlife habitats with taxidermy a massive aquarium, “Nature’s Best Photography” exhibit, conservation efforts, the history of Morris and his brand, special events and opportunities such as swimming with sharks and much more. It’s so expansive, visitors are told to plan four to ﬁve hours to see it all.

“It’s just under 2 miles of walking trails,” said Nichole Mosley, education manager “I suggest doing half of the museum, stopping for lunch and then visiting the rest.”

Where to dine

Top of the Rock features elegant dining with a breathtaking view at its Osage Restaurant. Descend the stone-lined stairwell from the restaurant to the End of the Trail AllAmerican Wine Cellar for ﬁne wines by the glass, a whiskey room and a cigar humidor

For something more casual, Arnie’s Barn overlooks what used to be the Top of the Rock’s golf course be-

fore sinkholes led owners to discover incredible rock formations (plans are to rework the golf course but maintain the gorgeous red rocks). Arnie’s Barn serves up Mexican-inspired cuisine with local ingredients such as bison from Morris’ farms. The bison tacos were to die for!

In Springﬁeld, Finley Farms and The Ozark Mill have all the hallmarks of a Morris establishment — retail, dining and atmosphere for an experience that’s as much a destination as a meal. Visitors may dine on southern Missouri favorites and local spirits inside the 1833 Ozark Mill, learn about the property through the museum or purchase Ozark products in the gift shop. Beyond The Mill property includes a chapel, the historic Riverside Bridge that lights up at night, a coffee shop and an urban farm.

Where to stay

Just outside Branson, Big Cedar Lodge offers cabins, cottages, lodge rooms, golfing accommodations and camping at its 4,600-acre

American, Citi credit card refuse to refund tickets after double charge

American Airlines tickets.

Christopher Elliott

My wife and I booked tickets earlier this year to fly from Boston to Budapest on American Airlines and British Airways, an American Airlines partner We made the reservations through our travel agent. British Airways charged us for the tickets, but a few days later, we were charged again for the same tickets by American Airlines.We asked our travel agent what was going on She seemed to be as confused as we were. I contacted American Airlines, which agreed to refund the second set of tickets But it has only refunded one of them. I disputed the charge for the second ticket through Citi, my credit card We received correspondence from Citi last week that indicated they had not received

enough information to support our claim.

“The transaction will not be removed from your account,” they said I am confused as to what I could possibly send them that would indicate the ticket was not purchased I don’t have a receipt to show what I didn’t buy Between customer service and the resolution department at Citi and American Airlines, I have been on the phone for close to 25 hours. I need your help. — Glenn Ward,Whitman, Massachusetts

You should have only received one charge for your tickets, of course. And if you got a double charge, then your agent — with American Airlines’ help should have ﬁxed it. You shouldn’t have needed to ﬁle a credit card dispute, which usually allows you to claw back the money

But while we’re on the subject, let me say this: You should carry a credit card that carefully considers every chargeback you ﬁle. It looks like your bank did not thoroughly review your request, which is too bad. You might consider ﬁnding another card that will take better care of you. Your case was half-solved by the time you reached out to me. American Airlines had refunded your wife’s ticket, but not yours. It still owed you $1,666.

Why did American Airlines charge you for a second set of tickets? Your travel adviser doesn’t know I asked the airline, and it doesn’t know either But everyone could agree — everyone except your bank, that is — that you deserved a refund for those

In a situation like this, you need to keep a complete paper trail of correspondence between you and the airline (which you did). And you need to escalate your problem to the right executive at the airline (which you didn’t). I publish the names, numbers and emails of the American Airlines customer service managers on my consumer advocacy site, Elliott.org. One thing you should not do is call the airline to get this ﬁxed. Spending 25 hours on the phone with American Airlines was a waste of your time. I’m guessing you had to tell your story to many agents, none of whom could authorize a refund. Many consumers believe they can ﬁx a billing problem with a quick phone call, but that

almost never works. You have to put everything in writing.

By the way, your travel adviser should have also been able to help you. They have special contacts at the airlines and should be able to ﬁx a problem like this quickly It’s not clear why your travel advisor could not help you.

I contacted American Airlines on your behalf. A representative said it had reviewed your case and refunded your second ticket.

Christopher Elliott is the author of “The Unauthorized Travel Manual” and founder of Elliott Advocacy, a nonproﬁt organization that helps consumers solve their problems. Email him at chris@elliott.org or contact him on his site.

LOUISIANA BAKES

Crawfish pies handy to get through Lent

The past few months have been a whirlwind of activity From weekend parades and dancing in the streets to the Cajun Prairie and two-stepping in the mud, this year’s Mardi Gras season was overﬂowing with fun and frivolity

I’m convinced the glitter, sequins and small strips of fabric that were once parts of costumes I donned will never be fully eradicated from my home and car Yet, with each discovery of an errant costume remnant, a memory arrives of the joy experienced during Carnival season, the new friendships forged and the delicious food that played a supporting role in the festivities.

There were crawfish boils; the leftovers became a simple étouffée. Boudin was consumed in the middle of a field and piping hot gumbo served to a community of rain-drenched revelers. A crawfish pie from a gas station deep in Cajun country served as mid-road trip sustenance and the first tomatoes of the season appeared in a beautiful brunch spread.

In an attempt to hold onto the spirit of the season just a bit longer and let the joie de vivre linger much like the glitter I continue to ﬁnd, I’ve spent time in my kitchen cooking and baking with the ingredients abundant this time of year.

My attempt at recreating the gas station crawﬁsh pie is below (this one baked instead of fried), and I incorporated the ﬁrst tomatoes of the season into a hand pie for a tasty snack that I will bake often as tomato season reaches its peak Crawfish Pies

bine ﬂour, salt and sugar in a bowl.

3. Cut in butter with a pastry cutter or fork, making pea-sized pieces.

4. Add ice water and gently mix until the dough just begins to come together

5. Turn dough onto a floured work surface and roll out to approximately 1/41/8-inch thickness.

6. Cut dough into 6-inch circles, rerolling dough scraps as necessary Refrigerate until ready to assemble hand pies.

7. Line baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.

8. Let frozen étouffée defrost slightly (Working with semi-frozen ﬁlling makes it easier to ﬁll the pies.)

9. Place 1 tablespoon of the ﬁlling in the center of the dough circle. Brush the edges of the dough with the egg wash. Fold the dough in half to create a half-moon

shaped hand pie. Gently press a fork into the edge of the dough to seal the edges. Repeat with the remaining ﬁlling and dough circles.

10. Brush the hand pies with the remaining egg wash prior to baking. 11. Bake for approximately 2025 minutes until the tops are golden brown.

Tomato and Caramelized Onion Hand Pie

2 sheets store-bought frozen puff pastry crust 2 pints cherry or grape tomatoes, halved (I used a mixture of red and gold cherry tomatoes and grape tomatoes.)

To make the pie dough, com-

1. Preheat oven to 250 F.

2. Put puff pastry on the counter to thaw

3. Place tomatoes on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Season with thyme, 1/2 teaspoon salt, sugar, garlic and olive oil. Toss to coat. Bake for approximately 1 hour or until tomatoes have lost most of the moisture. Remove from oven and let cool to room temperature.

4. Increase the oven temperature to 350 F.

5. Melt butter on medium heat in a pan and add onions, 1/2 teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper and 1 teaspoon salt. Cover and cook the onions over medium heat for 20–30 minutes, or until onions have released most of the liquid and have softened. Remove lid and continue to cook, stirring fre-

quently, until all of the liquid has evaporated and the onions begin to caramelize. When onions are caramelized, remove from heat and cool to room temperature.

6. Place puff pastry on a lightly ﬂoured cutting board and cut each into four squares.

7. Lay dough on a parchmentlined baking sheet.

8. Brush the outer 1 inch of each piece of dough with egg. Place 2-3 tablespoons of caramelized onion on one side of the dough segment. Top with 3-4 tablespoons of tomatoes and goat cheese.

9. Fold the dough over the ﬁlling and gently press the edges of the dough together. Use a fork to crimp and seal the edges of the dough. Brush with egg wash Using a small paring knife, cut a small slit in the top to vent the dough.

10. Bake for 20-25 minutes until the crust is golden brown. Let cool before serving.

Use the first tomatoes of the

Book’s inheritance competition brings a character to N.O.

Siblings tasked with reviving dying banh mi shops

BY SERENA PUANG Staff writer

The Tran siblings are not exactly a happy family, at least not in Carolyn Huynh’s new novel “The Family Recipe.” Their father, a millionaire admired by strangers, is a terrible person to deal with in real life. That’s why they’re estranged. Their mother left years ago in the middle of the night without saying goodbye.

Huynh’s sophomore novel follows her magical realism debut, “Fortunes of Jaded Women,” which took BookTok and Bookstagram by storm in 2022. In “The Family Recipe,” the Tran siblings are forced to compete for their father’s inheritance. Each of the four daughters is assigned to a city where they’re tasked with reviving a dying banh mi shop, and the first to turn a profit inherits everything, but if Jude, the firstborn and only son, gets married first, he gets it all instead.

While navigating past relationships, gentriﬁcations and community dynamics, each of the daughters has to ﬁgure out how to win over the local Vietnamese populations in their respective cities: New Orleans, Houston, San Jose, California, and Philadelphia. The story goes back and forth between the different siblings working toward their inheritance and the parents establishing themselves in American present time. Family secrets are uncovered along the way Huynh said she sold the book on 50 pages “that don’t exist anymore,” but the big family ensemble cast is still there.

“I’ve always loved the big ensemble cast,” she said. “This one, they begged me to please cut in half, so I did. ‘Fortunes’ had like 14 women. And this one has like seven (points of view) I really tried hard to pare it down, but I just love chaos.”

The Advocate caught up with Huynh, who is based in Los Angeles, ahead of the book’s release on

Tuesday. This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity

What inspired the stories in “The Family Recipe?”

I really wanted to write a story about the ramiﬁcations of new money for an immigrant family It’s like the desperation of holding onto something When I started thinking about the larger conversation about what I wanted the book to be really about when I was doing research into Houston, it began with the “House of Ho,” the reality TV

new guard coming in with these TikTok viral cafes, restaurants, things like that.

My husband’s also Vietnamese, and we worry about whether these ethnic enclaves will survive in 50, 60, 80 years from now because a lot of those children leave. I left — I moved to Los Angeles, which is not that far away I decided to pick these ethnic enclaves around the country that I feel like not a lot of people are aware of.

show about a Vietnamese family in Houston.

It was partially inspired by them, and then I started doing more research on Houston. I realized I had forgotten that in the late 1970s and early ’80s, down in Galveston, (Texas,) the Vietnamese ﬁshermen sued the KKK and won. The story kind of really grew from there.

How’d you pick the cities for your book?

There’s a part of me that didn’t want to write another Vietnamese American story I grew up in Orange County, I know Little Saigon. I had been seeing this shift of the

New Orleans was interesting to me because I’ve always known there’s a huge population there. I am very fascinated by the migration of food.

The origins of Viet Cajun comes from New Orleans, but because of the hurricane, it migrated to Houston.

I’m always curious about what that migration looks like. Now there’s like this huge chain in California where people can go get Viet Cajun food.

It keeps migrating west, which I always think is very American, actually Tell me about your writing process. Do you write the perspectives of the different char-

acters chronologically as we read them in the book, or do you write each character’s story separately?

I have a really chaotic writing process.

My agent, at one point, was like, “You don’t have to make a book hard on yourself,” but I don’t know how to not do it. I write the book in a very linear format the ﬁrst time, and then I will scrap the whole thing and never look at it again. I will do the same thing a second time, and then a third time. I’m just not a pleasant person for that year I was really struck by how you craft characters of different generations. Can you talk a little about how you do that?

It’s funny, when I crafted these characters — even my debut book — I was really worried about looking like I was relying on stereotypes for the women. At one point, I was like, I can’t worry about that anymore; this is just my lived reality

It could or could not be perceived as a stereotype, but I could only control the ending. I choose to write happy endings because that would never happen. I know that sounds really bleak, but it just would not happen in everyday life.

I had this reader DM me years ago, and she had read “Fortunes,” and she said, “I know your book is ﬁction, because my mom would never apologize.”

And that always sticks with me. It’s kind of the truth, right? Most stories from the global majority especially the Global South, don’t end in happiness. I like to wrap up these stories with a nice bow because it’s like writing your own happy ending. In the book, the four sisters all have their own ideas about how to revive the banh mi shops. How would you revive a dying banh mi shop?

I would turn it into a food truck and park it outside a dog park so the dogs can have a dog banh mi, and humans can have human banh mi.

Email Serena Puang at serena. puang@theadvocate.com.

‘Frenchie’ shares how Cajuns proved their value in WWII

BY DOUG GRAHAM Staff writer

“Frenchie: The Story of the FrenchSpeaking Cajuns of World War II,” by Jason P. Theriot, University of Louisiana at Lafayette Press, 229 pages

In the 1920s and ’30s, young Cajuns in Louisiana who grew up speaking French as their ﬁrst language sometimes faced discrimination.

In the state-sanctioned Englishonly school system, students who spoke French, even on the playground, could be punished. And Cajuns were often represented as a backward people living a culture stuck in the past

But when those young people went to ﬁght for their country in World War II, they found that their language and way of life actually served as valuable tools in the battle for freedom.

Jason Theriot has spent more than two decades documenting the stories of Cajuns who served during World War II. The author

who is of Cajun-Acadian heritage, has gathered hundreds of those narratives as part of a new project. The tales in this book — augmented by excerpts from sources as simple as church bulletins shine a light on the experiences of those Louisianans.

Translators, chefs, more

During their military training, the Cajuns found value in their French-speaking abilities, in addition to their knowledge of handling weapons and living off the land

Their common backgrounds helped them bond within their units, and many soldiers beneﬁted when Cajuns were moved to kitchen duty, Theriot writes.

Among the first “Frenchies” to see action were those sent to the fighting in North Africa. Once there, commanding officers recognized the benefits these Frenchspeaking Cajuns brought to communications with their ability to speak the language of the local people.

Many of them were moved to military police units, while others

worked as translators.

The Louisiana soldiers wrote home, expressing their joy at being able to use their French both in the military and in social situations. They had been derided for speaking the language, but now it was seen as a valuable trait, and it helped them explore a new world.

Some of the soldiers used their French to smooth social interactions, and they became popular with local families who would invite them to dine in their homes and share tales of Louisiana.

As the ﬁghting shifted to France, the Cajuns continued to build on their value.

Some were stationed for long periods in French towns and grew to love the culture and the people.

A few Cajuns even married local women and brought them back to Louisiana. Theriot notes that some companies in Louisiana even targeted these brides in advertisements.

An inspiration

Some of the most compelling stories come from Cajuns who served with the Ofﬁce of Strate-

gic Services, which was a forerunner to the CIA. The soldiers describe the intense training they had to go through to be accepted into the agency

Among those participating was Breaux Bridge native Sam Broussard, who on D-Day came ashore on Omaha Beach with the 1st Infantry Division as an intel-

ligence ofﬁcer, then moved into the Normandy countryside and used his knowledge of French to work with resistance ﬁghters and coordinate missions.

The book also describes the service of Cajuns in the Pacific Theater, where they found the tropical weather on islands in the South Pacific similar to the hot and humid conditions of southern Louisiana. As with their compatriots fighting in North Africa and Europe, they found their knowledge of French to be a handy tool as they served as interpreters and interacted with locals.

While sections of the book can feel disjoined as the author bounces between the soldiers’ stories, sometimes in very short passages, Theriot continues to do important work in examining the experiences of this generation of Cajuns.

Discovering how they overcame discrimination and prejudice against their people and culture serves as an inspiration.

Email Doug Graham at doug. graham@theadvocate.com.

PROVIDED PHOTO

Carolyn Huynh

Queens of Elves of Oberon meet for Carnival luncheon

PROVIDED PHOTO

The queens of the Elves of Oberon ball met recently at Ralph’s on the Park for their annual Carnival luncheon Seated from left are Katherine Grace Walshe, Mary Brooks Allen Rodrigue, Mary Burke Baker Marguerite Conery Schmidt (2024 queen), Anne Teague Landis, Sally Chapman Johnson and Katherine Hanemann Wade. Standing are Marcelle d’Aquin Meyer, Mary Chaffe Brooks, Ann Claire Kallenborn, Tipping Ellis Metzger, Mary Elizabeth Ives Henry, Eugenie Manget Lyman, Isabel Strong Schmidt, Elizabeth Brown Soslow, Patricia Hardin Kern, Mary Kostmayer Schwing, Barbara Geary Diano (50-year queen), Nicette Gensler Goodier, Adele Webster A’brassard and Kendall Goodier Hales.

TODAY IN HISTORY

as a result of his injuries.)

By The Associated Press

Today is Sunday, March 30, the 89th day of 2025. There are 276 days left in the year Today in history: On March 30, 1981, President Ronald Reagan was shot and seriously wounded by John Hinckley Jr outside a Washington, D.C., hotel. Also wounded were White House press secretary James Brady Secret Service agent Timothy McCarthy and a District of Columbia police ofﬁcer, Thomas Delahanty (Hinckley would be found not guilty by reason of insanity and held at a psychiatric hospital until his supervised release in 2016. James Brady died in 2014

Also on this date: In 1822, Florida became a U.S. territory In 1867, U.S. Secretary of State William H. Seward reached an agreement with Russia to purchase the territory of Alaska for $7.2 million, a deal ridiculed by critics as “Seward’s Folly.” In 1870, the 15th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which prohibited denying citizens the right to vote and hold ofﬁce on the basis of race, was declared in effect by Secretary of State Hamilton Fish. In 1923, the Cunard liner RMS Laconia became the ﬁrst passenger ship to circle the globe as it arrived back in

PROVIDED PHOTO

Former queens of Caliphs of Cairo ball gather for Carnival memories

Those who wore the crown at the Carnival ball of Caliphs of Cairo gathered recently at the New Orleans Country Club for memories and mirth at a luncheon. Shown attending are, seated from left, Alex Redfearn, Marin Trepagnier Katherine Lorusso (2025), Maude Saunders Sharp (1954), Marion Potter Giardina and the Rev. Kit Sharp McLean. Standing are Allison Russell Waldron, Leslie Louviere, Beth Carter Anne Dunlap Honeywell Mary Hainkel Plummer Charlotte Ward Link, Lenora Costa Stout, Courtney Echols Boudreaux, Katie White, Marianna Barry Boyd and Charlotte Hailey Dorion.

Dear Heloise: Now that my children are out of the nest, and we are in a stage of our lives where we want to begin paring down our material possessions, I’ve suggested taking the money my children would have spent on a gift for us and making an extra credit card payment with it. This includes ﬂower bouquets for birthdays and other occasions. Yes, giving money to a

charity in our name is a beautiful thing, but it is my hope that these small efﬁciencies might spark a trend for improving economic situations. This may even put them in a better situation down the line to make charitable contributions in their own name. Judy J., via email

In the wake of a legal battle over what Dorsey can and cannot rap about, he titled his comeback album “Freedom of Speech.” The new album’s cover includes the text of the First Amendment, likely a ﬁrst in the history of hip-hop.

“I ain’t lying, I went through a lot just to be able to rap and put this album out and get back to doing what I love,” Dorsey said recently from Las Vegas, where he now lives “The title was just so ﬁtting for everything I had to go through since I came home.”

Living up to his nickname

By age 13, Christopher Dorsey had already connected with Cash Money Records and its co-founder Bryan “Birdman” Williams. As Birdman built Cash Money into a national enterprise with his brother Ronald “Slim” Williams, he took young Dorsey under his wing.

Dorsey lived up to his nickname, Baby Gangsta — abbreviated as B.G. by dealing drugs, dabbling in heroin, hanging out with felons and rapping about it. When the Williams brothers cleaned house at Cash Money in the mid-1990s, B.G. was the only artist they retained. Indicative of his loyalty, Dorsey had the Cash Money dollar-sign logo tattooed across his back.

He and his fellow Hot Boys — Lil Wayne, Juvenile and Turk — helped Cash Money cash in. B.G.’s 1999 album “Chopper City In the Ghetto” sold more than 1 million copies and spawned the smash “Bling Bling.” That same year the Hot Boys’ “Guerrilla Warfare” also sold a million copies thanks to the singalongs “I Need a Hot Girl” and “We On Fire.” Dorsey, who had previously served seven months in Orleans Parish Prison after being caught in a car with marijuana and a gun, professed at the time that he had moved on from his old life.

“That made me realize

that (jail) wasn’t the place to be,” he said in 1999. “It made me get my act together and realize I had a lot to live for and a lot to gain, and a lot to lose from indulging in illegal activities.”

But the streets ensnared him again on Nov 3, 2009. He was a passenger in a stolen car pulled over by police on Interstate 10 near Crowder Boulevard The cops found three guns.

Two years later, the 31-year-old Dorsey wore an orange prison jumpsuit in front of U.S District Judge Helen “Ginger” Berrigan and plead guilty to being a felon in possession of a ﬁrearm and obstruction of justice. He would spend the entirety of his 30s locked up.

Reason for optimism

In prison in Pennsylvania and elsewhere, he kept tabs on contemporary music via social media while doubting he’d ever get the chance to rap again.

“When I ﬁrst went in, I really couldn’t even see that far,” he recalled “I thought my career was over It’s hard to remain relevant in this rap game. People forget about you in a heart-

beat. When I gotta do 12 years I thought they had closed the curtains on me. I was like, ‘Man, it’s over with.’”

But as his release date approached, he saw reason for optimism.

“The (Cash Money) dollar sign had remained relevant. Lil Wayne was still at the top of his game. At the end of the day, all of us are joined at the hip.

“Just to be part of a brand that was so big and is still active and relevant, it made it easier for me to fall right back into it.”

Released from prison in Herlong, California, on Sept. 5, 2023, he ﬂew to Las Vegas, where Birdman awaited him outside the airport.

Dorsey spent the next four months at a Nevada halfway house, then settled permanently in Las Vegas. Vegas is home to his manager, longtime music industry executive Tracey “Baltimore” Smith — Dorsey refers to her as a sister — and his friend Lana Fuchs, the Russian-born fashion designer and entrepreneur with extensive ties to the rap world.

“They opened the doors and rolled out the red car-

pet for me,” Dorsey said.

Acclimating to Nevada’s dry desert heat “is the only thing I don’t like. I’m used to that down South New Orleans heat. But this heat here you leave your dog outside for too long, he’s gonna have a heatstroke and die.”

Moving back to New Orleans wasn’t an option.

“Seeing the state of the city and seeing dudes still out there doing the same thing they were doing when I left the streets it’s like they just been running in place. I felt like I needed a new beginning, new start, new scenery

“I chose to come out West and start over But I’ll always be a product of New Orleans. I’m always representing. I just can’t live there. That would have been an accident waiting to happen. Trouble just seemed to ﬁnd me down there.”

His Louisiana ties still run deep. He has a son at Grambling University His mother and other relatives live in New Orleans. Dorsey popped in during Mardi Gras and plans to return to escort his daughter to prom.

“It’s always a beautiful

feeling to go back home, see old friends, people you grew up with and the fans in the city,” he said. “I wouldn’t be who I am if it wasn’t for New Orleans. It’s always love going home.”

‘Nothing short of amazing’

Last summer he came home for two important reasons: to argue in federal court for artistic freedom, and to perform at the 2024 Essence Festival of Culture in the Caesars Superdome.

At Essence on July 5, he celebrated Cash Money’s legacy alongside fellow Hot Boy Juvenile and the Big Tymers, the duo consisting of Birdman and producer Mannie Fresh.

“To have my ﬁrst ofﬁcial concert be at Essence Festival, sold-out crowd of 40,000-plus, was nothing short of amazing,” Dorsey said. “To be gone as long as I was and to come home to be part of something that big with the dudes I came up with And then the people still sing your songs and scream for you like you just came out yesterday? It’s very humbling.

“I had been waiting on that moment for over a decade. I was geeked up, man.”

Four months later at Wayne’s 2024 Lil WeezyAna Fest, all four Hot Boys — Wayne, B.G., Juvenile and Turk reunited onstage for the ﬁrst time in 20-plus years at a sold-out Smoothie King Center

“We pretty much deﬁned the era with that Cash Money movement,” Dorsey said. “To get up there and see the reaction and see the love, it just reminded

me that the music we did passed the test of time.”

The Hot Boys reprised their reunion on Dec. 21 at Houston’s Toyota Center In February, Lil Wayne featured the Hot Boys as his “special guests” at arenas in Tampa, Charlotte and St. Louis. Given his long layoff and legal bills, Dorsey hopes to do more lucrative Hot Boys concerts: “I ain’t in a position to be leaving nothing on the table, ya heard me?” He also hopes the Hot Boys make a new album. Meanwhile, he’s been recording fresh material with Juvenile and Birdman. The forthcoming deluxe edition of “Freedom of Speech” includes a song featuring Lil Wayne and Busta Rhymes.

“It’s a super-hot record,” Dorsey said. “I’ve been sitting on it for about a year.” In defense of free speech?

Days before Essence, Dorsey testiﬁed before U.S. District Judge Susie Morgan in New Orleans. As a condition of his supervised release, prosecutors had sought to restrict what he could rap about, to “refrain (him) from promoting and glorifying future gun violence/murder and obstructive conduct in his songs and during his concerts.” Rather than accept that condition, Dorsey found himself in the unlikely position of testifying in support of his own First Amendment rights. “I could have compromised and laid down, but it ain’t feel right,” he said. “So I had to roll the dice

ä See B.G., page 9D

FILE PHOTO By TED JACKSON/THE

Cash Money Records’ Mannie Fresh, foreground, and, left to right in back row, B.G., Juvenile, Lil Wayne, Turk and Bryan ‘Baby’ Williams, photographed on Sep 28, 1999, in New Orleans.

CURIOUS

Continued from page 1D

experimented with all kinds of ﬂavor drinks, trying to ﬁnd the right thing that would take off,” Harlan said. “He decided it was a root beer that he had been working on.

“He would often come to New Orleans and work in the lab with my great-grandfather, and my grandmother actually would type up the various formulas that they would come up with as they experimented.”

In 1934, with a perfected recipe, Barq gave Robinson the right to make the secret formula and distribute the product throughout Louisiana while the Barq family

from page 8D

and ﬁght it. Deep down inside, I’m like, ‘Nah, they shouldn’t be able to do this.’”

The judge agreed, ruling that the prosecution’s request “may be an unconstitutional prior restraint of free speech.”

However, Morgan did require that Dorsey submit his new songs to federal probationers. Prosecutors could then potentially challenge any problematic lyrics as violations of his supervised release.

While making “Freedom of Speech,” Dorsey selfpoliced his own lyrics. In the title track, he raps, “I wanna tell them stories, but I ain’t ’bout to risk it.”

“If Maurice (Landrieu) feels like I went too far, or I’m rapping about active cases, or I’m namedropping, or talking about (stuff) that’s going on currently and in real life, then he can bring me back in front the judge and we’d have to ﬁght it out again,” he said.

“Ever since I ﬁnished with the court, I think it’s probably (only) one song that they’ve called my P.O. about. Sometimes I be trying to just push the envelope, man, because it be kinda messing with my creative process, thinking about, ‘I wonder how they gonna feel about this or that?’” Having to be more careful “makes me feel like I’m writing to please the court and please the prosecutor instead of writing to please the fans. It’s kinda forced me to be a little bit more creative, and tone it down a little bit.”

“Freedom of Speech” still sounds like a B.G. record Juvenile, Birdman and fellow Louisiana rappers Boosie BadAzz, Fiend and Fredo Bang are featured on various tracks, all of which contain B.G.’s signature sonics and vocal nuances. His ﬂow is still stamped with a slightly nasal New Orleans drawl.

“I could never get away from my sound,” he said.

“That was very important to me to, ﬁrst and foremost, remind people that I ain’t lost it after all those years. Then just stay consistent with what you’re used to hearing from me.” On the song “My Hood,” he namechecks New Orleans neighborhoods In “Thank You,” he salutes his grandmothers, who passed away before he became a hip-hop star

“At the end of the day, I’m just telling my story

I’m just doing what I’ve been doing since I was 13 years old. How you gonna hold me accountable for writing a ﬁctitious book?

I ain’t no different from Denzel Washington playing (drug dealer) Frank Lucas (in the 2007 ﬁlm ‘American Gangster’). I’m Christopher Dorsey playing B.G. Let me live, man.” Unlike Denzel Washington Dorsey did engage in criminal activity in real life. His music exists somewhere between reality and ﬁction.

“That’s safe to say I deﬁnitely come from the hood and grew up with some people that indulge in criminal activities and things of that nature, even though I don’t But I did have friends that

sold the product in Mississippi.

An iconic Gulf Coast drink

“It’s a combination of Louisiana and Mississippi,” Harlan said. “It became a drink that was so iconic to the Gulf Coast.”

As the soft drink took off, the Mississippi family established franchises across the country, while the Robinsons built a bottling plant in Baton Rouge in 1949.

“Basically, he gave him the state of Louisiana,” Harlan said. “It’s a little bit different from a franchise, because a franchise buys the secret formula from the original manufacturer. But in Jesse’s case, he already knew the formula, because he worked with Mr Barq side by side He was given

lived that lifestyle.”

His lyrics, he maintains, should not be taken literally

“It’s not like everything that comes out my mouth is based on a true story I put a spin to it. But the overall picture is me painting a picture of being a product of my environment I’m just rapping about things that I’m familiar with. Things that go on where I come from Things that go on in hoods all across America.”

To fully comply with the terms of his release, he needs a few more hours of community service and a few more Moral Reconation Therapy, or MRT, classes. He then hopes to petition the court to be freed early from supervised release.

“As of right now I get off paper Jan. 31, 2026,” he said. “But I’ve been doing everything the right way since I came home. Hopefully I can have this all behind me in a few months.”

His new album, he promises, is “the first of many more that I’ve got coming.” And it is the first to reflect his newfound appreciation for “Freedom of Speech.”

Email Keith Spera at kspera@theadvocate.com.

descendants of the Robinsons could learn the secret formula for the soft drink, so Harlan’s grandmother guarded the recipe and ran the Baton Rouge plant. Harlan recalls her childhood, one ﬁlled with memories of drinking Barq’s and the family business.

“I didn’t want to stay with the housekeeper I didn’t want to go to lunch,” Harlan said. “I wanted to go into the plant with my grandmother I found it very fascinating as a child.”

sold all of their Barq’s holdings to Coca-Cola. Harlan’s mother sold the family’s share of holdings to CocaCola in 2000, a move which skyrocketed Barq’s to a wider national audience.

But many in the area still remember the soft drink’s local legacy

the rights to make his own formula.”

Part of the original agreement stated that only direct

Coca-Cola buys the legacy In 1976, Barq descendants sold their holdings to attorneys John Oudt and John Koerner who later expanded their holdings by buying the New Orleans Barq’s territory rights. In 1995, the two

Barq’s collector Robert Sherrill, who started scouring for bottles, signs and other Barq’s memorabilia around 1998, has a similar outlook. In the course of his collecting, he has spoken to former Barq’s plant workers and researched the history of Barq’s through old newspapers, historical documentation and conversation with a Barq family member

“To me, they both share it,” Sherrill said. “He had a root beer in 1898, but it’s not what

you were drinking today.”

Do you have a question about something in Louisiana that’s got you curious? Email your question to curiouslouisiana@ theadvocate.com. Include your name, phone number and the city where you live.

APRILBROWN

Tip jars not needed at a private party

Dear Miss Manners: I hold an annual party for which I hire a person to assist me in setting it up, maintaining the buffet and serving drinks. She has always done a great job. At the most recent party however, I noticed she had set up a tip jar next to the drinks. I was horriﬁed. I went over and grabbed the jar then pulled her aside and said that I was sorry that she did not feel I was paying her enough, and that she felt the need to seek compensation from my guests. I told her to tell me how much she felt like I was underpaying her, and that I would compensate her so she didn’t need a tip jar I went back to the friends I had been chatting with and explained what happened They all thought it was perfectly appropriate for her to have a tip jar After the party I called my mother and told her what happened. Like me, she was horriﬁed that someone would seek tips at a party that I was hosting. Who do you think is right here? Should I have let her keep the tip jar out?

Judith Martin MISS MANNERS

Gentle reader: Not to. Dear Miss Manners My husband and I are intensely divided over the appropriateness of using the kitchen sink to wash one’s hands for anything other than food prep. I grew up in a house where the bathroom was all the way across the house from the kitchen. We were always welcome to use the kitchen sink to wash our hands before meals, as long as we didn’t get in the way of the cook. In my current home (with ﬁve children), there is one hall bathroom upstairs, plus a tiny powder room downstairs. I don’t use the latter for much, since the door opens to block a main thoroughfare and my darling boys tend to leave the toilet seat up. Is it indeed mannerless to use the kitchen sink for general hand-washing? Should I send the children to queue at the upstairs hall bath before dinner? I may have been raised by wolves, but if I know better, perhaps I can do better

Gentle reader: Inclined to side with mothers whenever possible, Miss Manners is happy to say she agrees with yours. And with you. It is rude to leave out a tip jar in a private home. It screams, as you indicated, that your employees are not satisﬁed with their pay or are crassly looking for extra. Your approach was justiﬁed and your offer generous, although you did not mention if the worker took you up on it. Or if you are still employing her

Dear Miss Manners: What is the etiquette about ﬂossing your teeth at a table where others are eating?

Gentle reader: Even Miss Manners, who was most decidedly not reared by wolves, is having difﬁculty distinguishing between food prep hand-washing and general hand-washing Is it the degree of dirt?

In any case, she would think the division of bathroom labor inﬁnitely better than risking dirty banisters or destroying the powder room Particularly since the towels there are dangerously close to an open toilet seat.

Send questions to Miss Manners at her website, www.missmanners. com or to her email, dearmissmanners@gmail com.

Earlier this month, when I learned that a blood moon might be at its best in the middle of the night, I didn’t have to set my alarm clock for the viewing.

As a man of a certain age, I usually wake up a couple of times each night, anyway It was easy enough, during my ﬁrst pre-dawn reveille, to rub the sleep from my eyes, slip on my bathrobe, and sneak into the yard to see what I could see.

I had some hope of seeing something.

A few hours earlier, while my wife and I were putting the house to bed, I’d stepped outside and spotted a bright full moon. The sky was hazy which made the big white moon seem even more vivid, like a single light bulb above a high closet shelf. The moon hadn’t yet begun to blush, the spectacle that gives blood moons their memorable nickname. Blood moons happen during a lunar eclipse, when shadow and light conspire to rust the moon to the color of copper In our corner of Louisiana, the blood moon was supposed to be at

its reddest around 2 a.m. I returned outside at the appointed hour to ﬁnd the moon shrouded in clouds.

I wasn’t too disappointed by the lack of a show

Mostly, I felt the odd contentment that usually visits me in those rare times when I’m outside in the dark.

It’s the pleasure, I think, of having the world to yourself.

The light was bright enough for me to see other things: a rake leaning against the porch, a garden bucket beneath the beam of a street lamp, a birdfeeder strung like a lantern from a branch of the crape myrtle. It was a windless night, and in the faint glow, even ordinary things seemed to hum with meaning, like props in a stage set before

the actors arrive.

I noticed, while scanning the broad silhouette of our Shumard oak, that the black outline of its canopy was slightly fringed, the effect as subtle as the stubble of a beard. I wondered if I’d spotted the tree’s ﬁrst, faint shoots of green. Our Shumard had been slow to leaf out this spring, and this was a hopeful sign. It was enough to think about, and I was so deep in the question of Shumards and leaf cycles that I almost didn’t notice my wife arriving in the driveway

She often rises in the middle of the night, too, and she’d come to join my hunt for the blood moon.

We must have made quite a sight: a man and a woman, both past middle age, in the front yard in their pajamas in the middle of the night. Sometimes, when you crane your neck and scan the sky for odd things, it occurs to you that the oddest thing in the universe just might be you.

Email Danny Heitman at danny@ dannyheitman.com.

‘Avengers: Doomsday’ cast will reunite

BY ANDREW DALTON AP entertainment writer

LOS ANGELES Chris Hemsworth’s Thor, Anthony Mackie’s Captain America, Sebastian Stan’s Bucky Barnes, Paul Rudd’s Ant-Man and Tom Hiddleston’s Loki are all back in the Avengers ensemble, where they’ll be joined by several of cinema’s original X-Men.

The five veterans of the Marvel Cinematic Universe are in the cast of 2026’s “Avengers: Doomsday,” Marvel announced in a series of social media videos that the company rolled out slowly on Wednesday Patrick Stewart, 84, who played Professor X in the Fox’s early 2000s “X-Men” ﬁlms, and 85-year-old Ian McKellen, who played his arch-nemesis Magneto, are also in the “Doomsday” cast as Disney and Marvel seek to take advantage of the acquisition of Fox’s movie library Kelsey Grammer, who played Hank “Beast” McCoy was also announced, as was Rebecca “Mystique” Romijn, James “Cyclops” Marsden and Alan “Nightcrawler” Cumming. Their charac-

ters were taken on by younger actors in the 2010s “X-Men” series reboot, and their inclusion is sure to cause serious fan speculation about the direction and timelines of “Avengers: Doomsday.”

The more senior superheroes will be joined by more recent additions, including some who have yet to make their MCU debuts.

Vanessa Kirby, set to play the Invisible Woman Sue Storm in this July’s “Fantastic Four: First Steps,” is also set for “Avengers: Doomsday.”

Pedro Pascal as Reed Richards will join the Avengers too. And they’ll be joined in both movies by Ebon Moss-Bachrach, who is playing Ben Grimm, aka the Thing, and Joseph Quinn, who plays Johnny Storm, aka the Human Torch.

Simu Liu who played the title character in 2021’s “Shang Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings,” is also in the newly announced cast, as is Tenoch Huerta Mejía, who played the aquatic antagonist Namor in “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.”

Letitia Wright, who plays Shuri in the “Black Panther” ﬁlms, will also

be back among the Avengers, as will her “Black Panther” castmate Winston Duke.

Florence Pugh, who will reprise her MCU role as Yelena Belova in the forthcoming “Thunderbolts” will reprise her again in “Doomsday.” David Harbour, Wyatt Russell, Hannah John-Kamen and Lewis Pullman will also be in both ﬁlms

Danny Ramirez, who has assumed the Marvel mantle of Falcon, is also in the cast

Some of the biggest and most anticipated names were not among the 27 names announced, though Marvel and Disney could be sitting on them for now

There was no mention of Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine or Ryan Reynolds’ Deadpool, though the announcement did include Channing Tatum, who played the X-Men’s Gambit in last year’s “Deadpool & Wolverine.” Nor did the name Tom Holland appear His Spider-Man became an Avenger in previous films on loan from owner Sony, whose complicated relationship with Marvel has made the character a sticking point.

Danny Heitman AT RANDOM

INVESTMENT INRETURNS

Leaders, civic groups point to insurance, quality of life solutions to bring back disaffected residents leaving the state

BY RICH COLLINS Staff writer

row These statistics have raised alarms for political and business leaders who know that as

BY TIMOTHY BOONE Business

After

INNOVATION &

“If you can’t get basic services right, you’re probably not going to get anything else right.”

PRES KABACOFF City Services Coalition co-founder

people leave in search of jobs, affordable housing, quality of life and good leadership, they leave behind less tax revenue and a smaller workforce. So what can be done to keep people here, bring people back and attract newcomers?

Interviews with more than a dozen Louisiana CEOs, civic leaders, elected officials, researchers and academics sug-

“You retain people by investing in local business owners, developers and educators who are very interested in staying.”

ANDRE PERRy, senior fellow at the Brookings Institution

gest that reversing the trends requires strong city and state leadership, new policies to lower insurance costs, investment to revive stagnant neighborhoods and support for new industries.

But there are plenty of longstanding political and cultural forces in play not to mention forces of nature — that will make these tasks harder, they said. “The region and state have struggled for a long time,” said Greg Rusovich, a shipping industry veteran who is active in New Orleans civic affairs. “Louisiana hasn’t progressed the way other Southern states have. So what do we do about it?”

“Other places have made bets on new industries, which hire lots of people.”

ALLISON PLyER, chief demographer at The Data Center

See RETURNS, page 2E

“To keep (smart young people) here and working on ... solutions, we need to invest in their ideas.”

JOSH FLEIG, Louisiana Economic Development chief innovation officer

STAFF FILE PHOTO By SOPHIA GERMER

With events like Mardi Gras and this year’s Super Bowl, visitors worldwide are drawn to the state, but in many Louisiana cities most notably New Orleans a population decrease stemming from a drop in local quality of life is threatening to shrink the tax base and workforce.

New Orleans

Kelly Haynie has been named chief executive ofﬁcer of Ochsner Medical Center-West Bank Campus effective June 1. Haynie has more than a decade of experience in health care, holding numerous leadership positions with MedStar Health, an organization in the Baltimore and Washington, D.C., areas. He is vice president of operations at MedStar Southern Maryland Hospital Center Haynie succeeds Mary Deynoodt who is chief executive ofﬁcer at Ochsner Baptist.

He earned a bachelor’s in homeland security from the University of Maryland-Adelphi, a master’s in public administration from the University of Baltimore and a doctorate in health administration from Capella University. Haynie has served as adjunct faculty in Towson University’s Department of Health Sciences and as an assistant professor at George-

Fool’s Take: Chips and growing dividends

Motley Fool

town University’s School of Medicine. He is an Army veteran.

Baton Rouge

Blake A. Altazan and Taylor Dunne have joined the staff of Kean Miller Altazan is a special counsel, with a practice focused on casualty and mass tort, insurance and commercial litigation matters. He earned a bachelor’s in business administration from LSU and a law degree from the Mississippi College School of Law Dunne is an attorney, with a practice focused on intellectual property and environmental regulatory matters.

She earned a bachelor’s in chemistry from LSU and a law degree, cum laude, from Tulane University Law School.

Scott D Wilson has joined Breazeale,

The Nasdaq Composite index has tumbled in recent weeks, and it was recently down more than 10% from its peak. Sell-offs like this can be tough to stomach, but they can also be buying opportunities — especially for dividend-paying stocks, since dividend yields rise when a stock’s price falls.

Enter Broadcom (Nasdaq: AVGO), a semiconductor and software giant, with a recent market value around $900 billion. Broadcom’s stock price recently dropped, pushing the company’s dividend yield up to around 1.2%. While it’s higher than the dividend yield on the Nasdaq, it’s right in line with the S&P 500’s dividend yield. However, where Broadcom really shines is in its ability to grow its dividend. The company gave its investors an 11% raise late last year, extending its dividend growth streak to 14 years in a row The technology company has grown its dividend by a jaw-dropping 8,330% during that period. The payout has more than doubled over the past six years. Broadcom is in an excellent position to continue growing the dividend. Artiﬁcial intelligence is driving robust demand for its semiconductor chips, and AI revenue was up 220% to $12.2 billion last year Given the growth still ahead for Broadcom, long-term investors might consider buying some shares. (The Motley Fool recommends Broadcom.)

Fool’s School: Is a recession on the way?

No one can know for sure exactly what the stock market (or our economy) will do in the near term. But there are some signs suggesting that a downturn may be happening. For starters, various sizable tariffs have been proposed or enacted, and ensuing tariff wars are likely to increase many prices Economists generally believe that high and protracted tariffs will lead to higher inflation. Worries about inflation appear to be depressing. The Conference Board’s Consumer Confidence index fell sharply in February, indicating that people are anxious about the U.S. economy Americans have other concerns, too: Stephanie Guichard, senior economist in Global Indicators at The Conference Board, said, “Consumers became pessimistic about future business conditions and less optimistic about future income. Pessimism about future employment prospects worsened and reached a 10-month high.” A lack of confidence could curtail spending. This would, in turn, lower the sales and earnings of many companies. Meanwhile, the stock market’s valuation has recently been steep. The S&P 500 Shiller CAPE ratio, a widely followed valuation metric was recently near its second-highest level ever. Stock valuations can remain steep for long periods, but the chances of a bear market are arguably higher when stocks are overvalued. Maybe a bear market is coming soon, and maybe not. Either way, you shouldn’t panic. Your best strategy is to focus on the long term. Only buy stocks with money you won’t need for the next five years — or, to be more conservative, longer This should provide time for your portfolio to recover if stocks fall. Bear markets, on average, last around 10 months, but there’s always the chance that one will last for years. Put your shorter-term dollars in less volatile places, such as bonds, savings accounts, money market accounts or certificates of deposit. If you’re on the verge of retiring and you’re worried about an economic downturn, you might consider delaying your retirement a bit, if possible

Sachse & Wilson as of counsel.

Wilson focuses his practice on labor and employment law, handling litigation, counseling and administrative matters. His legal career spans more than 30 years. He earned a bachelor’s in political science from LSU and his law degree from the University of California, Berkeley

Dr Sarah Baker has joined Baton Rouge General’s Advanced Robotics of Louisiana as a colorectal surgeon. Baker treats diseases such as colon cancer, diverticulitis, Crohn’s and hemorrhoids. She earned her medical degree from LSU School of Medicine in Shreveport. Baker completed a general surgery residency at Ochsner Clinic in New Orleans and colorectal surgery fellowship at Northside in Atlanta.

BUSINESS BRIEF

Home Bank among region’s top banks

Home Bank made the S&P Global Market Intelligence’s list of 50 Best-Performing U.S. Credit Unions, Community and Public Banks, and

RETURNS

Continued from page 1E

Start with the basics

As New Orleans goes, so goes Louisiana. It’s the biggest economy in the state and its international reputation drew nearly 18 million visitors in 2024.

But it’s also a city beset by crumbling infrastructure, struggling schools and public safety concerns, although violent crime has dropped dramatically since 2022

One citizen-led group, the City Services Coalition, believes New Orleans can become more attractive to residents by focusing on the basics, like speeding up the time it takes to receive a building permit or repair a pothole. The group’s focus is safety, streets, water, permits and sanitation.

The 30-member coalition, formed in 2024, hopes its new, 216-page study will inform this year’s mayoral election and shape policy during the next mayor’s term. It is pushing to reinvent the New Orleans Sewerage & Water Board, strengthen the position of the city’s chief administrative ofﬁcer, create committees for safety and infrastructure, streamline permitting and more.

“There are lots of things you need for economic development,” said Pres Kabacoff, one of the coalition’s founders. “But if you can’t get basic services right, you’re probably not going to get anything else right.”

It’s the economy

While improving city services in New Orleans is important, some say it’s a moot point if Louisiana doesn’t spice up its economy, which has seen only 2% job growth since 2000 compared with the nation’s 20% growth over the same time frame, according to federal data.

“You can have a better quality of life but if there are no jobs for people, they still aren’t going to come,” said Allison Plyer, chief demographer at The Data Center, a nonproﬁt research group.

A refrain among some business leaders is that over the years the city and state became too reliant on energy petrochemicals and tourism. They say Louisiana’s economy needs innovations in these legacy industries — including investments in hydrogen, biofuels, battery materials wind and solar — while expanding health care, biotech and other sectors.

Expanding to sectors with high growth potential was a key part of a new report, released Wednesday, from Louisiana Economic Development, aimed at providing a strategic plan for attracting businesses.

“Any place that continues to focus on older industries will see declining growth and therefore declining population,” Plyer said.

“Other places have made bets on new industries, which hire lots of people.”

Housing an existential threat

The top concern for many in

Clyde Bagley has been named vice chancellor of the Southern UniversityAg Center

Bagley has more than 40 years of experience in agriculture research and academia, teaching and serving as an administrator at Texas A&M-Commerce and Tennessee Tech University He previously was the interim associate vice chancellor for research and director of the beef research unit at the ag center He earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees from LSU and a doctorate in nutrition from Virginia Tech University

Tyler Traweek has been hired as regional director of operations — East Louisiana for the Health and Safety Council Louisiana Traweek most recently was health, safety and environmental director for Conco Services. Under his

Community Banks by region for 2024. Institutions were ranked based on returns, growth, funding and the strength and risk proﬁle of balance sheets.

Of community banks with assets of $3 billion to $10 billion,

south Louisiana is the rising cost of living, powered by spiking homeowners insurance premiums in the wake of hurricanes in 2020 and 2021.

Jesse Keenan, a Tulane University professor who studies real estate and climate change, said housing costs are a major reason people are leaving.

“One of the city and state’s biggest draws was affordable housing,” he said, noting that rising insurance premiums, along with increases in property taxes and utility costs, have made New Orleans less competitive and affordable than it once was.

“The cost to live here is on par with high-tech cities on the coasts, but you don’t get the same government services for it,” said Keenan, who said the city needs to focus on housing and infrastructure solutions the way it did after Hurricane Katrina and the way the citizen-led NOLA Coalition targeted crime after the pandemic.

Ben Albright, a Baton Rougebased lobbyist who represents independent insurance brokers, said the state’s nascent fortiﬁed roof program, which has offered $10,000 grants to help homeowners build more wind-proof structures, might help bring costs down if more people are able to take advantage.

So far more than 5,000 fortiﬁed roofs, which use special nails and waterproof coatings, have been installed statewide, and Albright said he’s seeing signs that homeowners’ premiums may be stabilizing.

Michael Hecht, CEO of Greater New Orleans Inc., the region’s nonprofit economic development organization, plans to lobby for national catastrophic insurance that will remove some risk for private insurers.

“This is a problem for the whole country, and by solving it for America, we can solve it for Louisiana,” he said. “There are many possible models, but a simple one could be that the government provides ‘all-perils’ insurance for ﬂood, wind, ﬁre, earthquake, etc.”

Hecht said the plan could cover the ﬁrst $100,000 of damage and the private market could then sell “excess” insurance on top.

Pointers from Detroiters

Andre Perry, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution who focuses on racial equity work and community development, points to initiatives in Detroit as examples for New Orleans to follow as it tries to attract more people.

Since 2013, when Detroit became the largest city in America to file for bankruptcy protection, investors have helped revitalize parts of downtown by building new hotels, restaurants and apartments Warehouses and industrial yards have been converted into a 3.5-mile-long riverfront park, and the city has

leadership, Conco had more than 2 million man-hours worked without recordable incidents.

He earned a bachelor’s in kinesiology health promotion and wellness from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, a master’s in occupational safety and health and a master’s of business in project management, both from Columbia Southern University and a postbachelor’s certiﬁcate in construction management from LSU. Traweek is an Army veteran.

Around Louisiana

Christian Bergeron has been named chief operating ofﬁcer of COLAB (formerly the South Louisiana Economic Council). Bergeron served as district representative and grants director for former U.S. Rep. Garret Graves, RBaton Rouge.

He earned a bachelor’s in political science/pre-law from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette and a law degree from the Southern University Law Center

Home Bank was the only Louisiana bank in the top 50. Home Bank’s has 43 branches in Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas and a commercial banking ofﬁce in north Houston. As of January Home Bank had $3.4 billion in assets.

either razed or renovated thousands of vacant homes.

In 2023, Detroit saw an uptick in population for the ﬁrst time since 1957, though it still struggles with crime, poverty, struggling schools and a shortage of affordable housing.

Perry said there are examples in Detroit of restoration without gentriﬁcation.

“You have to have the goal of retaining people and attracting people simultaneously,” said Perry, who lived and worked in New Orleans from 2004 to 2017.

“You retain people by investing in local business owners, developers and educators who are very interested in staying.”

Big job ahead

In New Orleans, the City Services Coalition and other civic groups, like Together New Orleans, hope to encourage community engagement in the next mayoral election to create momentum for positive change.

There’s no doubt whoever wins the job will be facing a big challenge turning around demographic trends.

“People have felt New Orleans is hopeless due to the constant challenges they face trying to live here,” said Helena Moreno, one of the candidates. “This mayor’s race is a tipping point.”

Oliver Thomas, the race’s other high-proﬁle candidate, said he wants New Orleans to be a place where young people are excited to raise families.

“Young people’s top priority is creating an environment where new businesses thrive,” he said.

“We can accomplish that by partnering with banks on lowinterest loans for entrepreneurs and I’ll work with anyone who will listen to bring in high-wage jobs and low-cost housing.”

Working in the next mayor’s favor will be momentum from the city’s multimillion-dollar Super Bowl LIX cleanup effort that received mostly high marks. GNO Inc.’s Hecht, who coordinated the work, said the city and other organizations plan to keep their regular meeting schedule to continue making infrastructure improvements.

Something as simple as the daily pressure-washing in the French Quarter has lifted morale in the city’s historic neighborhood.

Meanwhile, at the state level, several big investments, including Meta’s planned $10 billion data center in north Louisiana and Hyundai’s just-announced nearly $6 billion steel mill near Baton Rouge, have boosted enthusiasm at Louisiana Economic Development, which recently launched an innovation division.

“Smart young people want to solve interesting problems,” said Josh Fleig, LED’s chief innovation ofﬁcer “Louisiana has some of the most interesting problems in the world. To keep them here and working on those solutions, we need to invest in their ideas.”

Email Rich Collins at rich. collins@theadvocate.com.

fund was so, relatively, easy “Firms that are generalists, with multiple geographies, are a tougher pitch these days,” he said. “Investors want to see a different strategy.”

Carr’s Hill also had an advantage in the fact that it had already prefunded four companies: Matthews Brothers Dredging in Pass Christian, Mississippi; Axis Industries, a La Porte, Texas, business that provides industrial maintenance services; Arrow Waste, an Atlanta company that offers dumpster rentals; and Smart Safety Group, an Atlanta company that provides safety training and Occupational Safety and Health Administration compliance.

Those four businesses have grown substantially since Carr’s Hill invested in them over the past few years in terms of profits, employees and revenue, de Lauréal said.

The plan is to acquire and partner with five to seven similar businesses. The fund will pull “all levers of growth” for the companies it supports, de Lauréal said, including hiring employees for the sales, management and human relations side, purchasing equipment, expanding facilities and acquiring competitors. “We want to help professionalize a business, to allow it to grow,” he said.

The ultimate goal for Carr’s Hill is to get the operations of the companies it invests in to the point where they are taken over by a much larger owner

Focus on the Coast

De Lauréal launched Carr’s Hill in 2019, after he was managing director and a founding member of Bernhard Capital, an energy services-focused private equity firm started by former Shaw Group CEO Jim Bernhard. Through his years at Bernhard, de Lauréal said he developed an operational minded approach toward investing in companies and how to build a team.

The Gulf Coast has not traditionally been known as a hub of private equity activity but Bernhard Capital changed that when it was established in 2013. It is the largest private equity firm between Houston and Mobile, Alabama, with four funds managing about $4.4 billion in assets Partnering with smaller, family-owned businesses is different than what Bernhard Capital does, which is invest in larger infrastructure, construction and utility companies, but de Lauréal said it suits the personality of his ﬁrm and offers an opportunity for greater returns.

De Lauréal grew up in a prominent New Orleans family with deep roots in the business community His father, the late Martin de Lauréal was a senior executive with Stewart Enterprises, until the funeral service provider was acquired in 2013. His older brother, Martin de Lauréal Jr., is president of First Horizon Advisors; his younger brother Jonathan de Lauréal, is a managing partner with Bernhard Capital. David De Lauréal said he expects to start a second Carr’s Hill fund in the next ﬁve years or so. “I really like what we’re doing here as a team,” he said. “I don’t think we’ll run out of targets.” Email Timothy Boone at tboone@theadvocate.com.

Hecht

Altazan

Dunne

Wilson

Baker

Bagley

Traweek

Haynie

Bergeron

WITH PAUL JACOBS

Globalstar’s constellation

BY RICH COLLINS Staff writer

When Silicon Valley rock star

Paul Jacobs in 2023 became CEO of Globalstar

— a publicly traded

satellite company that powers communication for mobile devices

— it was something of a full-circle moment.

Jacobs spent nearly a decade in the mid-2000s at the helm of Qualcomm, the San Diego maker of semiconductors, software and services for wireless technology that created Globalstar in the early 1990s, so taking the helm of the Covington-based company was a return to his roots.

It was also a pivotal time for Globalstar Jacobs arrived at the company a year after it landed a deal with Apple to power the Emergency SOS services on iPhones — a game changing partnership, now reaching $2 billion, that has reoriented the company’s trajectory and kept Jacobs busy

Earlier this month, Jacobs joined his local team to celebrate the opening of Globalstar’s new $5 million control center. The 10,000-square-foot space, located within the company’s larger headquarters, will monitor and manage its growing communications network of satellites and ground stations around the globe.

Jacobs sat down for an interview after the recent ribbon cutting to talk about Globalstar’s three-decade history and his plans for the future.

This conversation has been edited for brevity and clarity.

Globalstar was created as a satellite phone service by Qualcomm and a partner in the early 1990s. In the following years, it had ups and downs.

Mostly downs.

Why was that the case?

First, any satellite company has to be able to pay for the satellites, and that’s really expensive. So if you don’t have a good business model, you’re in trouble

The original idea for Globalstar and its competitor, which was called Iridium, was to provide cellular services outside of cellular

coverage area, which sounds a little familiar now Well, that didn’t work decades ago. It was a niche for people who really needed it, backpackers or ﬁrst responders

The market wasn’t enormous.

So Globalstar pivoted finding other users of its tech.

The company ﬁgured out how to do “internet of things,” monitoring cattle and horses, equipment for the oil and gas industry, or shipping containers. That’s all over the landscape, and nobody wants to lose some expensive piece of equipment just because somebody parked it somewhere and they forgot about it.

Then came this idea of working with our partner (Apple) to be able to build something that actually worked on an existing phone. And the reason why that was possible is because the way that Globalstar satellites work, when you send data out of here, it essentially

bounces off the satellite back down to a huge antenna.

The enormous market that we’re addressing now is peace of mind. Everybody depends on their cellphones now, and when you get outside of coverage, it’s a little nerveracking. If I’m a backpacker and I twist my ankle out in the mountains, I would like to know that I can let somebody know and come rescue me.

Globalstar has a license to use certain radio frequencies to transmit and receive signals, called spectrum. Can you explain what that means in layman’s terms?

When you think about radio, although some people are too young for that, each station is using a chunk of spectrum to transmit radio waves. They are divided up into different chunks, like somebody singing lower or higher frequency You can divide those up and only listen to a certain frequency It’s a ﬁnite resource of nature, and so

people try to ﬁnd better and more efﬁcient ways of using it.

How long is the company’s spectrum license?

We just got a 15-year renewal, which goes with the 15-year life of the satellite. Looking back at the company’s slow build, did anyone think this was going to be a 30year play?

It’s interesting you ask that, because one of the early things at Qualcomm was messaging to long-haul trucks, which was also satellite based, and that was a 30year kind of business. And then we sold it for a billion dollars at the end. What happens next, if everything goes swimmingly?

We’re building new ground stations around the world. We’re in the process of two different tranches of satellites. We will launch some by the end of the year to replenish this constellation. And

we’re going to go from 24 satellites that are operational to 32 satellites that are running the system. Beyond that, we’ve got another 50 that are underway that are next generation. So we have a long road map now of having the ability to have the satellites up, and this facility in Covington will control all those. Globalstar’s got a good solid base now

Last month, Globalstar moved from the New York Stock Exchange to the Nasdaq and completed a reverse stock split. Can you explain what that is and why you did it? The company was a multibilliondollar market cap company, but because they had issued so many shares, the shares were in the dollar range, and most institutional investors can’t invest in a stock that’s below ﬁve bucks. We were missing a huge portion of the investing community, and because of that, we didn’t have a lot of analysts following us either So there was sort of this negative spiral of not having people investing and not having people covering us, so people weren’t investing and the stock price stayed low. By doing the reverse split, we just moved the stock, didn’t change the market capital of the company, didn’t change the value of the company, just changed what the per-share price was. Why move to NASDAQ from the NYSE?

STAFF FILE PHOTO By CHRIS GRANGER

CEO Paul Jacobs, standing in the new satellite control center at Globalstar’s headquarters in Covington, says the satellite company is gaining new ground around the world.

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Nestled in aprime UptownNew Orleans location, this charmingCraftsman-style raised basementoff

2,067 sq.ft. bonuslevel down thatisincluded in the squarefootage,offering flexible living.Stepthrough acheerful turquoise doorwayintoabeautifullylandscaped entrylinedwalkwayw/lushbamboo&stone.Aspaciousliving&diningareaoverlooksthisserenesidespace&opensuptoaprivatebalconywhereyoumayrelax w/aglassofvino,orenjoyacupofcoffee.Thesecondlevelfeaturesthreegenerouslysizedbedrooms&twofullbaths.Galleystylekitchenw/barseating&stainless appliancesthatopensuptotheden,completew/acozyfireplace.Plusthere’sasunroomthatcanserveasanoffice,workoutroom,orareadingnook-youchoose!

Descend the spiralstaircase to discover an incredible bonus spacethatwas completelybuilt outbythe sellers.This levelfeatures alarge living room, an additional full-sizedkitchen ready to host allthe fun, &two additional rooms thatcould easily serveasextra bedrooms or flex space. You’ll also find afull sizebath& the laundryroomdownstairs.Withtilefloorsthroughout,thisleveloffersmultiplelivingroomoptions,providingplentyofspaceforentertainmentorrelaxation.Tons ofcllimate controlled storagetucked away under the frontporch.Enjoyalow-maintenancefencesurround backyardready foryour personal touch. Thecircular driveway offers parking for3plus an additional attachedgarage forone car, whereyou canenter the home from as well,making it atotal of 4parkingspaces, offering convenience!Theexterior securitycameras arealso another perk!Enjoy the best of Uptownliving,w/restaurants, shopping,ice cream parlors,Audubon Park& the St.Charles Streetcarjust moments away.With everythingatyour doorstep,you’ll be smitten by theenergy &charm of this incredible neighborhood

Spring 2025 Cost GetawayAcadia al

✜ 5Natural Wonders within the US

✜ TheLouisiana Oyster Trail

✜ SouthernMusic in the Spring

✜ Jefferson Parish Outdoor Adventures

✜ Louisiana Museums

✜ BestSpotstoKayak

Spring TRAVEL GUIDE

5 SpringFever 5Fever

AGRAND CANYON

Hereare ﬁveNatural Wonders withinthe US to satisfy your

By Stevie Cavalier Licciardi |stevie.licciardi@theadvocate.com

sthe cozy sleepiness of winter meltsawayand theriversand streamspickup steam, thereisafeelingofrestlessnessinthe air—alonging to take part in this exciting time.Inthe United States youare neverfar from wondrous landscapes that expandbothheart andmindastheyextendbeyondthe horizon.

This spring,takeatriptothe to experience oneofthe most stunningpanoramic vistas in theworld. TheSouth RimofGrand Canyon National Park is open 24 hoursa day, 365 days ayear, andnoreservationsare required.Anentrancepassisrequired,and standard national park admissionis$35.00 pervehicle.Whether it’s soakinginthe sights from thevisitor’s centers or ridingamule down themile-deepcanyonwalls, thereisa myriad of ways to take in thenaturalbeauty of theGrand Canyon.Moreinformation: www.nps.gov/grca

FLORIDA KEYSNATIONAL MARINE SANCTUARY

Forthose whoprefertobeimmersedinthe beauty of theocean,the viewsfrombelow thesurface in theFlorida Keys National Marine Sanctuaryare easily accessible during thespringtimemonths.Snorkeling andscuba diving arepopular activities in thesanctuary whichprotectsthe only living coralbarrier reef within thecontinental US. On thesurface of thewater,visitorsalso enjoyvarious boatingactivities, such as kiteboarding, fishing, andpaddling. More information: ﬂoridakeys.noaa.gov.

ACADIA NATIONAL PARK

If thedry desertscapesofthe westernUS have youyearningfor spring blossoms,check outAcadiaNationalPark, locatedinMaine. Therocky cliffsofthisnortheasternparadise come aliveinlateMay andearly June as wildflowerspaint thestony crags with color. Thereisaplethora of hiking trails to enjoy with incredible viewsofthe Atlantic Ocean, andfor thosewho have an itch fornautical historythere arethree lighthouses to visit on park grounds. Experiencingthe sunrise from Cadillac Mountain is abucketlistitem, as well Themostpopulartimetovisit is June throughSeptember,but to experience alesscrowded time at theparkplanfor the shoulder seasonswhichrun from Aprilto Mayand OctobertoNovember.

More information: www.nps.gov/acad.

MAMMOTH CAVE NATIONAL PARK

Within theUS, wondersbelow thesurface aren’t limitedtounderwaterlandscapes. In MammothCaveNationalPark, visitors areawedbythe marvelsofthe cavernous underbelly of thecontinent.Mammoth Cave National Park,located in Kentucky, is home to thelongest cave systeminthe world, whichcan be exploredvia itsvarious cave toursthatencompass arange of skill levels.Reservationsfor toursare highly recommendedastheyoften fill up weeksin advance. Thereare also plenty of grounds to explore abovethe surface,and thespring months of Aprilthrough earlyJuneare thebesttimetovisit theparkdue to fewer crowds,temperate weather, andthe array of springtime blossoms.Moreinformation: www.nps.gov/maca.

NIAGARA FALLS

Last butcertainly notleast,there is nothing equaltothe awe-inspiringpower of a waterfall in springtime.Snowrunoff from across theNorth American continent convergestoleapfromcliffs, creating striking spectacles such as therenownedNiagara Falls, whichsitsonthe border of Canada and upstateNew York.Yearround, TheWorld ChangedHerePavilionisanexcellentarea to experience themajesty of Bridal Veil Falls as youdrenchyourselfinthe beauty of the fallson“Hurricane Deck”orobserve from adrier overlook TheMaidofthe Mist also offersboatrides that bringvisitorscloserto theroaring waters,beginninginthe month of May. More information: www.niagarafallsstatepark.com.

Spring TRAVELGUIDE

OysterTrail

Ta hr uisiana Taste Your Way Through the Louisiana

ASeafood Lover’sDream in Jeﬀerson Parish

By Stevie Cavalier Licciardi |stevie.licciardi@theadvocate.com

Takeatriponthe LouisianaOysterTrail! TheJefferson Convention &VisitorsBureau, Inc. andthe Louisiana TourismRecoveryProgram createdthe LouisianaOyster Trailin2012. Thetrail is an experience focusingonJeffersonParish restaurantsserving LouisianaOysters!Visitorsand locals alike will experience local flavor,and as “lagniappe”(alittlesomething extra) gettoenjoy thewhimsy of each participating restaurant’s 3-foot tall oyster sculpturehand-painted with flairbya localartist. Whetheryou’reavisitor or alocal,thisisthe perfectopportunity to experience authenticLouisiana flavor and flairthroughoutJefferson Parish’s culinarygems.

Presently, theTrail has 19 participating restaurantsand businesses and continues to grow,which meansmoregreat oyster eateries are showcased andmoreLouisiana oystersare eatenina varietyofways! TheLouisiana Oyster Trailspans theparish, extendingfromrestaurants inthe metropolitan areassurroundingLakePontchartrainand the Mississippi Riverall theway to theGulfof Mexico in GrandIsle! In addition to supporting localrestaurants andbusinessowners, taking atripalong theOysterTrail is also agreat waytoenjoy oneofthe mostnutritionally well-balancedfoodsavailable.Oysters arelow in fat, calories andcholesterol andhighinprotein, iron,calcium, potassium andseveralvitamins. Studies have shown they canboost metabolism, increasetissuerepairand growth,lower blood pressure andcholesterol, increase bone strength andimprove energy.

THE RESTAURANTS CURRENTLY ON THE OYSTER TRAIL

Acme Oyster House 3000 Veterans Memorial Boulevard, Metairie

Balcony Ballroom 4738 Utica Street, Metairie

Boulevard American Bistro 4241 Veterans Memorial Boulevard, Metairie

Colonial Bowling Lanes 6601 Jefferson Highway, New Orleans

Deanie’s Seafood 1713 Lake Avenue, Metairie

Don’s Seafood 4801 Veterans Memorial Boulevard, Metairie

Drago’s Seafood Restaurant 232 North Arnoult Road, Metairie

Galley Seafood Restaurant 2535 Metairie Road, Metairie

Gattuso’s Neighborhood Restaurant, Bar and Catering 435 Huey P. Long Avenue, Gretna

Mr. Ed’s Oyster Bar & Fish House 3117 21st Street, Metairie

New Orleans Marriot Metairie at Lakeway 3838 North Causeway Boulevard, Metairie

Perino’s Boiling Pot Restaurant 3754 Westbank Expressway, Harvey

R & O’s Restaurant 216 Metairie Hammond Highway, Metairie

Red Maple Restaurant 1036 Lafayette Street, Gretna

Restaurant de Familles 7163 Barataria Boulevard, Marrero

Segnette Landing Restaurant 450 Laroussini Street, Westwego

Short Stop Poboys 119 Transcontinental Drive, Metairie

Vincent’s Italian Cuisine 4411 Chastant Street, Metairie

Spring TRAVELGUIDE

Music Cities in the Spring

By Stevie Cavalier Licciardi |stevie.licciardi@theadvocate.com

Austin

Austin, Texasisknown as theLiveMusic Capital of theWorld,and rightlyso. Thecityhosts artists from acrossanever-wideningrange of musical genres, spanningfromAmericana to electronic post-punkand pop. Twomajor music festivalsthatmaketheir home in Austin arethe Southby SouthwestMusic Festival (www.sxsw.com)and theAustinCityLimits Festival (www.aclfestival. com). However, to getyourdaily doseoftunes this spring,check outthese popularAustinvenues: BrokenSpoke,Antone’sNightclub,and TheFar OutLounge&Stage.

NewOrleans

NewOrleans is widely recognizedasthe birthplaceofjazz, andyear-roundyou can dancetothe rhythmsthatresound through thestreets. Blues, bounce,indie,Dixieland, andzydecoare all reveredmusic genres within thecity. Popularvenues arePreservationHall, Tipitina’s, andSnugHarbor. Everyspringthe city welcomesvisitorsfromaroundthe world to take part in therenownedNew Orleans Jazz &HeritageFestival(www.nojazzfest. com)and French QuarterFestival(www. frenchquarterfest.org).

NewOrleans toNashville Southern

Nashville

Nashville, also knownasMusic City,stirs theheartsofmanymusic lovers.Withnearly 200 music venues, rangingfromthe Grand OleOprytomoreintimatesinger/songwriter paradiseslikeListening Room Café,there is always aplace to immerse yourself in the beauty of music in Nashville. TheCountry Music Hall of Fame &Museum (www. countrymusichalloffame.org),RecordStore Day(recordstoreday.com), andRock‘N’ Roll RunningSeries Nashville (www.runrocknroll.com/nashville)are all greatwaystoexperience Music City this spring.

Memphis

ThesoutherncityofMemphis pulses alongside themightyMississippi Riverasthe home of blues, soul,and rock n’ roll This May don’tmissthe second annual RiverBeatMusic Festival at TomLee Park overlookingthe river(www.riverbeat.com). On BealeStreet, visitors canget ataste of thecity’smusical flavorswhile also grabbing abitetoeat.Iconic venues to checkout areB.B.King’sBlues Club, TheRum Boogie Café,and SilkyO’Sullivan’s Forloversofmusic history, thelegendary Sun Studio is worthavisit.Tourthe studio where ElvisPresley made his firstrecordand where so many othergreatsleft their mark on music history(sunstudio.com).

Outdoor ADVENTURES IN JEFFERSON PARISH

By StevieCavalier

T|stevie.licciardi@theadvocate.com

he diverseregionofJeffersonParishallowsyou theability to explore nature yetremainclose to theactionofNew Orleans. In fact, theparishisjust10 minutesawayfromdowntown! Here aresomeofthe best ways to getoutside in JeffersonParish. Head to www.visitjeffersonparish.com/outdoors forevenmoreideas.

Beaches

Craving arelaxinggetaway?JeffersonParishboastsseven miles of gorgeouswhite sand beachesin GrandIsle. VisitElmer’s Island WildlifeRefugeand seethe beautifultractofbarrier beachfront locatedonthe southwestern tipofJeffersonParish. At theeastend of GrandIsle, visitthe pristine beachesofGrand Isle StatePark, which include a400-foot fishingpier,naturetrailsand overnight camping.

Fishing

Fishingisayear-roundadventure in JeffersonParishand with generous limits, therewillbeplenty to bringhome. Whethersaltwater or fresh—Jeffersonhas theperfect fishingholefor you. Bass, speckled troutand catfish arebountiful betweenApril andJune.Don’t have aboatorareel? No problem! Hire an experiencedcharter boat captionfor thetripofalifetime.

Parks

JeffersonParishishometothe BaratariaPreserveofJeanLafitte National Historical Park andtwo stateparks, GrandIsleand Bayou Segnette.

TheBarataria Preserve features beautifulnaturetrails, birdingtrails anda visitorcenterfeaturing akids’ activity center, aJuniorRanger program, abookstore,and more.Guidedtours areoffered.

Just a30-minutedrive from NewOrleans,Bayou Segnette StatePark has camping, boating, fishing, canoeing, picnicking,playgrounds,and swimminginthe wave pool,aswellasanecosystemthatoffersyou thechancetospotplants, trees, andwildlifefrombothswampsand marshland. Sixteen floating cabins on thecanal adjacenttoBayou Segnette include twobedrooms, afull kitchen, aliving/diningarea, anda screened-in porchoverlooking thecanal.

GrandIsleState Park features thelastwildbeach in Louisianaalong with greatlocal fishing. Thepier is theonlyone in Louisianathat extends into theGulf- a900-foot-long public fishingpier with a nearby fish-cleaningstation. Thecamping area features 49 campsites with anearbybathhouse with runningwater andanadjacent dump station. Thereare threemiles of hiking trails with primebird watching.

Barataria Preserve

Licciardi

Enrich

your Louisiana Travel Experiencewith a UniqueMuseum Visit Spring TRAVEL GUIDE

By Stevie Cavalier Licciardi |stevie.licciardi@theadvocate.com

Agreatway to explore thehistory of this region is to visitone of themany living historymuseums or ahistoricalhomes around thestate. TheLSU Rural Life Museum (www.lsu.edu/rurallife), locatedinBaton Rouge, spans25acres andcontains32historicbuildingstotour. Vermilionville, situated in Lafayette, also includes alivinghistory exhibit whereguests cantourseven historic homes andinteract with costumedcraftsmen whoshare demonstrationsand oral histories (bayouvermiliondistrict.org/vermilionville).

SPORTS&CULTUREMUSEUMS

Sports arean importantpartof thestate’s culture, andthe LouisianaSportsHall of Fame &Northwest LouisianaHistory Museum in Natchitochesisanexciting waytowitness themajor role sports have played in Louisianaoverthe years. More information: louisianastatemuseum.org/museum/louisiana-sports-hall-fame-northwestlouisiana-history-museum.

Anotherexemplary avenue to experiencethe cultureofLouisiana is to enjoyavisit to theNew OrleansJazzMuseumatthe OldU.S. Mint whereexhibitscelebrate the influence jazz has hadonthe cultural fabric of theworld.Besuretocatch oneof themanyliveperformancesormasterclasses availableonsite. More information: nolajazzmuseum.org

ROADSIDE ATTRACTIONS

If your travel crew is down forquirky and campyroadside museum attractions, The Bonnie &Clyde Ambush Museum, outside of Shreveport,isaperfect place forapitstop (www.roadsideamerica.com/story/10864). Anotherfascinatingoff-roaddiversion is theAbitaSprings MysteryHouse which is situated on theNorthshoreofLake Pontchartrain. This zany collection of art, arcade games, signage,and toys is a refreshingreminder that oneman’s trashis anotherman’s treasure (abitamysteryhouse. com).

TheBonnie &Clyde Ambush Museum –Gibsland

TheNational WWII Museum tells the story of the American experienceinthe warthat changed the world.

HISTORY MUSEUMS

TheCabildo,a legendary government buildingwhichhostedthe transfer ceremonies of theLouisiana Purchasein 1803, is amust-see museum foranyone visiting theFrenchQuarter This Louisiana StateMuseum is locateddirectlybeside theiconic St.Louis Cathedral, andits exhibitseducate visitors on monumental happenings in Louisiana, such as the Battle of NewOrleans.Moreinformation: louisianastatemuseum.org/museum/ cabildo

On theother side of theSt. Louis Cathedral, an equallyelegant Spanish colonial building, knownasthe Presbytère, also opensits doorstothose interested in learningmoreabout NewOrleans.Exhibits

ART MUSEUMS

centeronthe culturalphenomenonof MardiGras, as well as theeffects Hurricane Katrinahad on thecity. More information: louisianastatemuseum.org/museum/ presbytere

At TheNationalWorld WarIIMuseum in downtown NewOrleans,visitorscan immerse themselves in theAmerican experience of WorldWar II. With multimediaexhibits, stirring films, andlive performances, this iconic museum allows guests to experience themusic, fashion, andhistory of the1940s in aunique and all-encompassingway.Moreinfo: www nationalww2museum.org.

Agreat waytoexplore thehistory of this region is to visitone of themanyliving historymuseumsorahistoricalhomes

around thestate. TheLSU RuralLife Museum (www.lsu.edu/rurallife), located in BatonRouge,spans 25 acres andcontains 32 historic buildings to tour.Vermilionville, situated in Lafayette, also includes aliving historyexhibit whereguests cantourseven historic homesand interactwithcostumed craftsmen whoshare demonstrationsand oral histories (bayouvermiliondistrict.org/ vermilionville).

TheWhitney Plantation features a historical home andhas solidified itsplace in southLouisiana as amuseum dedicated to educatingthe public aboutthe history andlegacies of slaveryinthe United States. More information: whitneyplantation.org.

TheOgden Museum of Art(ogdenmuseum.org)and theNew Orleans Museum of Art(noma.org)curate interestingand informative art collectionsthattreat guests to southern-focused art, as well as artfrom around theworld.Right next door to the NewOrleans Museum of Art, andalsowithin theperimeter of NewOrleans City Park,are theBesthoff SculptureGarden (noma.org/besthoff-sculpture-garden), andthe LouisianaChildren’s Museum (lcm.org).

If you find yourself roamingthrough theAcadianaregion, don’tmissout on theHillardArt Museum (hilliardmuseum.org), locatedinLafayette, or theAlexandriaMuseum of Art(themuseum.org).

Kimberly Ha, AFamily Affair,2022 Hoa Tay(FlowerHands)

Southern Artists of the Vietnamese Diaspora- Ogden Museum

RileyHal Burriss, Don’sBar –Regal Beer,1945

Crescent Cityscapes Collection -Ogden Museum

KnuteHeldner,French Quarter Rooftops, 1923

Crescent Cityscapes Collection -Ogden Museum

Drummer Baby Dodds -The New OrleansJazz Museumcollection is the largestand mostcomprehensive ofits kind in the world.

Kayaking

Paddleon

ThePerfect Blend of Adventure, Fitness, and Serenity –Plus the BestSpots to Paddle in Louisiana

By Stevie Cavalier Licciardi |stevie.licciardi@theadvocate.com

Whether you’re lookingfor apeaceful waytoconnect with nature,anintense workout, or an exciting adventure, kayaking offerssomething foreveryone. Here’s why kayaking is such agreat activity.

AFull-Body Workout with LowImpact

Kayaking is an excellentformofexercisethatengages multiple muscle groups. Paddlingworks your arms,shoulders, andbackwhile engaging your core forstability.Atthe same time,yourlegs help controlbalance andmovement. Unlike high-impact activities like running,kayakingis gentle on thejoints, making it agreat optionfor people whowanttostay activewithout riskinginjury. Plus,the resistance of thewater addsan extrachallenge,helping to buildstrengthand endurance.

AFun and Accessible WaytoExploreNature

No matter whereyou arepaddling, kayaking provides aunique perspectivethatyou can’tget from land.It’safantastic waytosee wildlife, from birdsand fish to dolphinsand seaturtles. Because kayakingisrelativelyeasytolearn,it’sanaccessibleway forpeopleof allagestoenjoy thegreat outdoors.

AGreat WaytoRelieve Stress

Spendingtimeonthe waterhas been shown to reduce stress and promotementalwell-being. Therhythmic motion of paddling, the soundofwater lappingagainst thekayak,and thefresh airall contribute to acalmingexperience.Whether you’re paddlingalone forsome quiet reflection or with friends forasocialouting, kayaking provides a refreshingescapefromthe hustle andbustleofeverydaylife.

BayouSt. John, NewOrleans: An easy andscenic paddle with viewsofhistorichomes,parks, andwildlife. Thecalm watersmakeitagreat spot forbeginners, andkayak rentalsare available nearby

HoneyIsland Swamp, Slidell: Paddle throughcypress and tupelo treesdrapedinSpanish moss whilespottingalligators, egrets,and turtles. Guided eco-toursare availablefor thosewho wanttolearn more aboutthe ecosystem.

Atchafalaya Basin, South Louisiana: With itsmaze of bayous,lakes, andcypress forests, it offersa trulywildand remote paddlingexperience.Wildlifesightings include alligators, otters andbaldeagles.

Bogue Chitto River,Franklinton: This scenic riverwinds throughsandy banks, rollinghills,and lush forests. Thegentle currentmakes it greatfor beginners, andseveral outfittersoffer kayak rentalsand shuttle services.

TO KAYAK INLOUISIANA

Cane Bayou, Mandeville: Abeautiful,quiet paddle from Fontainebleau StateParktoLakePontchartrain. You’ll see diversewildlife, including osprey,deer, andturtles. Thetripends with stunningviews of thelake.

Ready to test the waters?

BayouAdventure offersself-servekayak rentals. (www.bayouadventure.com).

Unplug& Unwind

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LOUISIANA

CARE IN THE AIR

BY MARGARET DELANEY

Staff writer

Zachary Dubroc thought he wanted to be a registered nurse. But, after pivoting to emergency medical technician school and working in emergency services, Dubroc found where he wanted to be taking care of patients in the air

Acadian Air Med, founded in 1981, operates a fleet of 13 medically configured helicopters and three fixed-wing aircraft from bases throughout Louisiana.

The aircraft can be used to transport patients with major trauma, post-cardiac arrest, severe illness, surgical emergencies and more. Patients who require a high level of care during transport often take the helicopter and team to facilities in New Orleans, Houston or even as far as Tennessee.

Dubroc, who is both a registered nurse and paramedic, regularly commutes to air bases across the state for air med ﬂights.

“I worked in Lake Charles yesterday, Lafayette today and tomorrow I’ll work in Houma and Hammond,” Dubroc said. “I kind of live in the middle of the state, so I just drive where I’m needed.”

There are 86 people employed at Acadian Air Med including in-flight paramedics, in-flight registered nurses and staff members. Each flight has a pilot (a separate group provided by Metro Aviation), a flight paramedic

Paramedic, nurse discuss new technologies and healing in the sky

helicopter air

and a ﬂight registered nurse. When he’s not at an air base, or driving to an air base, Dubroc clocks in hours at an emergency room and ICU.

“A lot of the knowledge is the same,” Dubroc said of his experience in both hospital and emergency settings.

“Out in the ﬁeld, it’s very unorganized chaos, where the hospital is more organized chaos in the way they operate.”

Joseph Sanchez, a paramedic with air med, compared arriving to an emergency situation in a helicopter to a duck treading water

It’s important for the air med team to display a calm manner on the surface, according to Sanchez, even

when they recognize the severity of the situation.

“When we land in our helicopter, we are assuming control and command of the entire scene,” Sanchez said. “Everyone’s going to look up to you, and your demeanor is going to be contagious to the rest of the scene.”

Both the paramedic and registered nurse bring “unique skills” to the scene, according to Sanchez

Paramedics with Acadian Air Med typically have previous experience with 911 calls or treating patients in moving ambulances as an EMT skills that prepare them for new scenes and situations.

Nurses bring ICU experi-

ence, clinical knowledge and a better understanding of long-term care.

“A paramedic wants to make sure the patient stays stable enough to get to the hospital or facility,” Sanchez said. “A nurse is more likely to look at how the patient will react three or four hours later.”

According to Sanchez, part of the job is learning how to read people, especially regarding those who might be afraid of ﬂying or have a fear of small spaces.

“Before we get to the aircraft, we’ll talk with the patients and let them know the

Experts rethink 98.6 degrees

Researchers

BY AVERY NEWMARK

For seemingly forever, we’ve been told 98.6 degrees Fahrenheit is the standard for a normal body temperature. However, recent studies suggest that the number may be outdated.

According to research, the average body temperature has dropped to around 97.9, with variations based on age, health conditions and even race and gender The discussion gained traction recently when a viral TikTok video questioned whether 99.1 should count as a fever It turns out, they have a point.

The idea that 98.6 degrees is “normal” comes from 19th-century German physician Carl Reinhold August Wunderlich, who took more than a million temperature readings and set the standard. But that was nearly 200 years ago, and our bodies and the world have changed.

“We are not the same people that we were in the middle of the 19th century,” Dr Julie Parsonnet, the George DeForest Professor of Medicine and a public health researcher at Stanford Medicine, told USA Today

A 2017 Harvard Medical School study analyzed data from more than 35,000 patients and found the average body temperature is 97.9, ranging from 97.2 to 98.4.

The study also found body temperature varies by age, gender and medical conditions. Older adults tend to run cooler, African American women the warmest, and older White men the coolest. People with hypothyroidism often have lower temperatures, while those with cancer or higher BMIs tend to run warmer

The decline in body temperature is most likely linked to improvements in health and lifestyle, according to a 2020 study published in the open-access journal eLife.

In the 19th century, people faced more infections, harsh living conditions, and limited medical care, which kept their immune systems constantly active — raising their internal temperatures. Thanks to modern medicine, our bodies no longer have to work as hard to ﬁght off disease, allowing temperatures to drop slightly

“Physiologically we’re just different from what we were in the past,” Parsonnet said in a news release. “The environment that we’re living in has changed, including the temperature in our homes, our contact with microorganisms and the food that we have access to.”

Doctors traditionally deﬁne a fever as 100.4 or higher But if your normal temperature is lower, even 99.1 might make you feel unwell. Instead of focusing on one number,

ä See FEVER, page 2X

STAFF PHOTOS By BRAD BOWIE

Flight Nurse Zachary Dubroc, left, and Flight Paramedic Joseph Sanchez, stand on March 6 at Acadiana Air Med’s helicopter air base in Lafayette.

Flight Nurse Zachary Dubroc discusses transporting patients in a helicopter at Acadiana Air Med’s

base.

HEALTH MAKER

CEO, La. hospital leader discusses what’s next for state

BY MARGARET DELANEY Staff writer

In May 2024, E.J. Kuiper was selected as the president and chief executive ofﬁcer and leader of Franciscan Missionaries of Our Lady Health System.

Originally from Amsterdam, the Netherlands, Kuiper originally intended to be a professional athlete playing soccer in Europe. However, a devastating knee injury halted his sights on competitive sports and kick-started Kuiper’s journey into health care.

Kuiper joined the Louisiana and Gulf Coast team from CommonSpirit Health in the Midwest serving hospitals in Nebraska, Minnesota, Iowa and North Dakota.

The FMOL health system includes hospitals all around Louisiana and Mississippi including multiple locations in Acadiana, the greater Baton Rouge area, Northshore, Monroe and Jackson.

What inspired you to pursue a career in health care?

While playing soccer in Holland, I had a signiﬁcant knee injury that caused me to have multiple knee surgeries to stabilize my knee.

I was exposed to a lot of surgeons and team doctors, physical therapists, athletic trainer people that were physical, spiritual and emotional support system.

It was a pretty dark period of time for me because I thought I was going to be able to be a very good athlete in Holland, but it became clear over a period of a year and a half that I wasn’t going to be able to play competitively I really liked the team that surrounded me for those years while I was getting back to myself, so I decided to go back to school and become a physical therapist.

Around my graduation (in 1991), the Hospital Corporation of America was recruiting physical therapists in Holland They brought

in a huge map of the United States with over 200 dots on it. And they said, “We have jobs anywhere.”

I picked Fort Meyers, Florida because of the white beaches and the whole Disney World thing. I thought that I was going to come back to Holland after a year, but then I met my future wife, Patty, who was a nurse in the hospital that I worked at.

We fell in love — and one year turned into never going back.

Three or ﬁve years in, I started getting a little bit frustrated with “suits,” guys in a suit and tie who

were administrators, who I felt at that time were a little disconnected from all of those in the trenches that actually made all the difference.

One day, the CEO took me aside and said, “Hey instead of bringing all these problems to me, maybe you should consider becoming part of the solution.”

While working, I went back to school, and I got my masters and doctoral degrees.

I know I’m a better administrator today because I started in the trenches. I remember what it feels like when you don’t have support from the senior administrator

My job is to remove barriers and seize opportunities for the people that take care of the patients in our communities.

How is Louisiana different from other hospital systems in the country?

I’ve been around the block. I was in Florida. I was in Illinois, and I spent time in the Midwest. There are some differences in state governments, but at the end of the day, it’s always about ﬁnding the best ways to take care of patients.

I think Louisiana is the same. I ﬁnd that there are many many people here in Louisiana that very much care about good health care

outcomes. I found a lot of people here, across the state, that have the same passion as I do about improving the health of the patients in our communities.

Tell us about new technologies being introduced in the health system.

For our technology advancements, our philosophy is that we want to be on the leading edge, but we don’t want to be on the bleeding edge.

There are really cool things that we’re developing right now that will cut back on the time our clinicians, doctors and nurses have to spend typing notes and documentation.

Documentation is really important in health care for a variety of reasons, but I would much rather have a nurse spend more time directly with the patient than typing up a note.

We are also working on ambient listening devices that pick up the conversations in a cath lab or in surgery The AI systems can pick up those conversations and transition that into a postoperative note for the physician.

That way, instead of having to type up a note for 10 or 15 minutes, the surgeon can look at a pre-written note and would only have to edit it. That’s more time that can be spent with pa-

tients. What’s next for the Franciscan Missionaries of Our Lady Health System?

We will have more than a quarter-billion dollars in capital investments that we’re going to recommend to the board over the next several months, which then would cover the next ﬁscal year I fully expect us to make those investments and more. But you stay in health care long enough, you know that the environment tends to change.

One of the things that we do well is we adapt according to the overall environment.

Right now, in D.C., government leaders are contemplating signiﬁcant reductions in Medicaid reimbursement that would have a big impact on health care in Louisiana.

We’re watching it very closely in our meetings on a very regular basis with our legislative leaders like Speaker of the House Rep. Mike Johnson, Rep. Steve Scalise and Gov Jeff Landry We talk to our Louisiana leaders a lot about how important health care is for Louisiana, and the funding aspect is critical.

Email Margaret DeLaney at margaret.delaney@ theadvocate.com.

As AI nurses reshape hospital care, human nurses push back

BY MATTHEW PERRONE

AP health writer

The next time you’re due for a medical exam you may get a call from someone like Ana: a friendly voice that can help you prepare for your appointment and answer any pressing questions you might have.

With her calm, warm demeanor, Ana has been trained to put patients at ease like many nurses across the U.S. But unlike them, she is also available to chat 24/7, in multiple languages, from Hindi to Haitian Creole.

That’s because Ana isn’t human, but an artificial intelligence program created by Hippocratic AI, one of a number of new companies offering ways to automate time-consuming tasks usually performed by nurses and medical assistants.

It’s the most visible sign of AI’s inroads into health care, where hundreds of hospitals are using increasingly sophisticated computer programs to monitor patients’ vital signs, ﬂag emergency situations and trigger stepby-step action plans for care — jobs that were all previously handled by nurses and other health professionals

Hospitals say AI is helping their nurses work more efﬁciently while addressing burnout and understaffing. But nursing unions argue that this poorly understood technology is overriding nurses’ expertise and degrading the quality of care patients receive.

“Hospitals have been waiting for the moment when they have something that appears to have enough legitimacy to replace nurses,” said Michelle Mahon of National Nurses United. “The entire ecosystem is designed to automate, de-skill and ultimately replace caregivers.” Mahon’s group, the largest nursing union in the U.S., has helped organize more than 20 demonstrations at hospitals across the country, pushing for the right to have say in how AI can be used — and protection from discipline if nurses decide to

disregard automated advice. The group raised new alarms in January when Robert F. Kennedy Jr the incoming health secretary, suggested AI nurses “as good as any doctor” could help deliver care in rural areas.

Hippocratic AI initially promoted a rate of $9 an hour for its AI assistants, compared with about $40 an hour for a registered nurse It has since dropped that language, instead touting its services and seeking to assure customers that they have been carefully tested. The company did not grant requests for an interview Hospitals have been experimenting for years with technology designed to improve care and streamline costs, including sensors, microphones and motion-sensing cameras. Now that data is being linked with electronic medical records and analyzed in an effort to predict medical problems and direct nurses’ care — sometimes before they’ve evaluated the patient themselves.

Adam Hart was working in the emergency room at Dignity Health in Henderson, Nevada, when the hospital’s

computer system flagged a newly arrived patient for sepsis, a life-threatening reaction to infection. Under the hospital’s protocol, he was supposed to immediately administer a large dose of IV ﬂuids. But after further examination, Hart determined that he was treating a dialysis patient, or someone with kidney failure. Such patients have to be carefully managed to avoid overloading their kidneys with ﬂuid.

Hart raised his concern with the supervising nurse but was told to just follow the standard protocol Only after a nearby physician intervened did the patient instead begin to receive a slow infusion of IV ﬂuids.

“You need to keep your thinking cap on that’s why you’re being paid as a nurse,” Hart said. “Turning over our thought processes to these devices is reckless and dangerous.”

Hart and other nurses say they understand the goal of AI: to make it easier for nurses to monitor multiple patients and quickly respond to problems. But the reality is often a barrage of false alarms, sometimes errone-

ously flagging basic bodily functions — such as a patient having a bowel movement — as an emergency

“You’re trying to focus on your work but then you’re getting all these distracting alerts that may or may not mean something,” said Melissa Beebe, a cancer nurse at UC Davis Medical Center in Sacramento. “It’s hard to even tell when it’s accurate and when it’s not because there are so many false alarms.”

Even the most sophisticated technology will miss signs that nurses routinely pick up on, such as facial expressions and odors, notes Michelle Collins, dean of Loyola University’s College of Nursing. But people aren’t perfect either “It would be foolish to turn our back on this completely,” Collins said. “We should embrace what it can do to augment our care, but we should also be careful it doesn’t replace the human element.”

More than 100,000 nurses left the workforce during the COVID-19 pandemic, accord-

ing to one estimate, the big-

gest stafﬁng drop in 40 years

As the U.S. population ages and nurses retire, the U.S. government estimates there will be more than 190,000 new openings for nurses every year through 2032.

Faced with this trend, hospital administrators see AI ﬁlling a vital role: not taking over care, but helping nurses and doctors gather information and communicate with patients.

At the University of Arkansas Medical Sciences in Little Rock, staffers need to make hundreds of calls every week to prepare patients for surgery Nurses conﬁrm information about prescriptions, heart conditions and other issues — like sleep apnea that must be carefully reviewed before anesthesia.

The problem: many patients only answer their phones in the evening, usually between dinner and their children’s bedtime.

“So what we need to do is ﬁnd a way to call several hundred people in a 120-minute

window — but I really don’t want to pay my staff overtime to do so,” said Dr Joseph Sanford, who oversees the center’s health IT Since January, the hospital has used an AI assistant from Qventus to contact patients and health providers, send and receive medical records and summarize their contents for human staffers. Qventus says 115 hospitals are using its technology, which aims to boost hospital earnings through quicker surgical turnarounds, fewer cancellations and reduced burnout. Each call begins with the program identifying itself as an AI assistant.

“We always want to be fully transparent with our patients that sometimes they are talking to a human and sometimes they’re not,” Sanford said.

While companies like Qventus are providing an administrative service, other AI developers see a bigger role for their technology Israeli startup Xoltar specializes in humanlike avatars that conduct video calls with patients. The company is working with the Mayo Clinic on an AI assistant that teaches patients cognitive techniques for managing chronic pain. The company is also developing an avatar to help smokers quit. In early testing, patients spend about 14 minutes talking to the program, which can pickup on facial expressions, body language and other cues, according to Xoltar Nursing experts who study AI say such programs may work for people who are relatively healthy and proactive about their care. But that’s not most people in the health system.

“It’s the very sick who are taking up the bulk of health care in the U.S and whether or not chatbots are positioned for those folks is something we really have to consider,” said Roschelle Fritz of the University of California Davis School of Nursing.

WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU

The Louisiana Health section is focused on providing in-depth, personal accounts of health in the state. This section looks at medical innovations, health discoveries, state and national health statistics and reexamining tried and true methods on

ways to live well. Health editions will also proﬁle people who are advancing health for the state of Louisiana. Do you have a health story? We want to hear from you. Email margaret. delaney@theadvocate.com to submit health questions, stories and more.

PROVIDED PHOTO

E.J Kuiper

PHOTO PROVIDED By NATIONAL NURSES

Eat Fit LiveFit

Abetterpeanut butter cup: Cut the sugar,savor the ﬂavor

Asindulgencesgo,peanutbuttercupshave alwaysrankedhighamongmyfavorites.It’s justhardtoresistthesweet-and-just-a-bit-ofsaltinessofachocolatepeanutbuttercup,especially aroundEasterandHalloween.

Thebadnewsis,atypicalservingcanpackin20 gramsofaddedsugar,alongwithquestionableingredientslikeTBHQ,afoodpreservative Thegoodnews?Youcanmakeyourownathome. I’llshareadeliciousrecipefromourEatFitCookbook inthesidebarofthiscolumn.Low-carb,glutenfree andvegan,thesedarkchocolatedelightsworkgreat inamuffinpanwithcupcakelinersorinabunny-or Easteregg-shapedsiliconemold.

Ifyou’renotquitereadytogetintocandy-making mode,therearesomegoodpre-packagedalternativesoutthere.Morebrandsaregivinguslow-carb, low-sugarpeanutbuttercupoptions.Youcaneven ﬁndsomethataremadewithothernutbutters

Herearefourbetter-for-youchocolatepeanut buttercupsthatareworthtrying—allofthem gluten-free,grain-freeandlowcarbwithzero addedsugar.

Lily’sPeanutButterCupsaresweetenedwith natural,plant-basedsweetenerserythritolandstevia. Otheringredientsincludeunsweetenedchocolate, cocoabutter,wholemilkpowderandpeanutbutter.

•Pertwomini-cupserving:140calories,3netcarbs, 7gramsﬁber,<1gramsugar,0addedsugar

ChocZeroPeanutButterCupsaresweetenedwith monkfruitandcontaincocoabutter,unsweetened chocolateandpeanuts.Youcanchoosedarkchocolate,milkchocolateorwhitechocolate.

•Pertwomini-cupserving:140calories,3netcarbs, 13gramsﬁber,1gramsugar,0addedsugar

QuestPeanutButterCupsaremadewithwhey proteinisolate,unsweetenedchocolate,cocoabutter, peanutsandnaturalerythritolsweetener.Theyalso containartiﬁcialsweetenersucralose(Splenda).Althoughmyusualrecommendationistoavoidartiﬁcial sweeteners,IjusthadtoincludeQuestPeanutButter Cupsbecausetheyaresuchacrowdpleaserasa low-sugaralternative.

•Percup:100calories,<1gramnetcarb,2grams ﬁber,0gramsugar,0addedsugar

EvolvedAlmondButterCupsaremadewith organicalmonds,cacao,cacaobutter,pinkseasalt andmonkfruit.

•Percup:100calories,2netcarbs,5gramsﬁber, 1gramsugar,0addedsugar

MollyKimball,RD,CSSD,isaregistereddietitian withOchsnerHealthandfounderofOchsner’sEatFit nonproﬁtinitiative.Formorewellnesscontent,tuneinto Molly’spodcast,FUELEDWellness+Nutrition,andfollow @MollykimballRDand@EatFitOchsneronsocialmedia. Emailnutrition@ochsner.orgtoconnectwithMollyor scheduleaconsultwithherteam.

BY THE NUMBERS

LOUISIANA IN TOP FIVE STATES WITH HIGHEST CANCER RATES

SaltedDarkChocolatePeanutButterCups

Makes12peanutbuttercups

Forthechocolatecoating

•¾cupcoconutoil,melted •¾cupunsweetenedcocoapowder •¼cup+2tablespoonsSwerveConfectioners

Forthepeanutbutterﬁlling •½cupno-sugar-addedcreamypeanutbutter* •¼cupcacaobutter,melted •¼cupSwerveConfectioners

•1½teaspoonsseasalt

Inamuffinpan,placelinersinto12cups.Setaside.

Preparethechocolatecoating:Whisktogethermeltedcoconut oil,cocoapowderandSwerveinamediumbowl.Spoon1 tablespoonofthechocolatemixtureintoeachmuffinliner. Freezefor5minutesoruntilmixtureisnolongershinyontop.

Makethepeanutbutterﬁlling:Whisktogetherpeanutbutter, meltedcacaobutter,Swerveandseasaltuntilcombined.Ifit seizesup,microwavefor10seconds.

Removemuffinpanfromfreezerandadd1tablespoonofpeanut buttermixturetothefrozenchocolatecoating.Returnpanto freezerfor5-10minutes.

Aftermixturehasset,removepanfromfreezerandadd½ tablespoonoftheremainingchocolatemixturetoeachcup, coveringthepeanutbutterlayer.Freezefor5-10minutesuntil completelyfrozen.Storeinfridgeorfreezerinanairtight containerandbesuretoletfrozencupssoftenforafew minutesbeforeserving.

Perserving(1peanutbuttercup):240calories,24gramsfat,15 gramssaturatedfat(nearlyallplant-based),240mgsodium,13 gramscarbohydrate(2gramsnetcarbs),3gramsﬁber,<1gram sugar(0addedsugar),4gramsprotein

*Thesechocolatetreatsareequallydeliciouswhenmadewithalmond butter,cashewbutterorsunﬂowerseedbutter.

Cancer is a leading cause of death worldwide, accounting for nearly 10 million deaths in 2020, or nearly one in six deaths, according to the World Health Organization.

Louisiana has higher cancer rates than the national average.According to the American Cancer Society, the age-adjusted cancer incidence rate in Louisiana from 2017 to 2021 was 483.6 per 100,000 people, compared to 444.4 per 100,000 nationally

Out of 64 Louisiana parishes, only Orleans, Concordia and Lincoln parishes had less than the national average cancer incidence rate per 100,000.

Lincoln had the lowest rate of cancer cases in the state with 421.8

per 100,000 followed by Concordia (431.7 per 100,000), Orleans (434.1 per 100,000), St. John the Baptist (458.2 per 100,000) and St. Helena (461.4 per 100,000).

The parishes with the highest cancer incidence rates in Louisiana include:

n Iberville with 586.4 per 100,000

n Cameron with 579.7 per 100,000

n St. Landry with 542.3 per 100,000

n Vermillion with 537 per 100,000

n St. James with 533.5 per 100,0000

Louisiana ranks 46th in the nation for cancer incidence rates per 100,000, according to the National Cancer Institute — a lower ranking compared to the state’s neighbors (Mississippi at 39th,Arkansas at 25th and Texas at 11th).

line the tunnel of the helicopter with no space left untouched.

ceiling is gonna be six inches above their face,” Dubroc said. “And we’re gonna be right there with them.”

With children, air med has an extra seat in the front for a parent to accompany them to the hospital or secondary facility

“We try everything we can to bring them,” Sanchez said. “But some of what we do is weight-based as well, so we take all of that into account along with the pilot.”

In each helicopter, the “tunnel” (the back of the aircraft) is stocked with the latest emergency technology However, with seats for two medical personnel and a patient in a gurney, space is limited. All of the equipment must be compact. Bungee cords holding EKGs in place, nets ﬁtting emergency equipment to the inside walls and efficiently packed med kits

On board each flight, there are cardiac monitoring tools, ventilators that ﬁt both adults and babies, med pumps that provide fluids to patients, a video laryngoscope, blood and blood warmers for transfusions and a mechanical CPR machine. When in ﬂight, a patient’s nose is typically six inches away from the ceiling of the helicopter That leaves little space for the paramedic and nurse to provide CPR if necessary while in the air

The CPR technology places a backboard below the patient and mechanically squeezes the patient’s chest.

“Every year, we try to update something,” Sanchez said. In 2018, the fleet added blood transfusion capabilities to its helicopters. Now, all operational air med aircraft are equipped with two units of blood at all times. Sanchez treated a young adult after a crash on the way to work. The patient was trapped under the vehicle with a pelvic fracture and had lost a lot of blood.

“When we got there, the patient was already in hemorrhagic shock,” Sanchez said. “Being able to have that blood and administer the units while he’s trapped inside of the vehicle, I believe, gave him the extra little bump he needed.”

Email Margaret DeLaney at margaret.delaney@ theadvocate.com.

“Studies show that in an ambulance going down the road, efﬁciency doing CPR drops by 60% or 40%,” Dubroc said. “So in the helicopter, where we have less room to do CPR, we can use the board that does CPR way more efﬁciently than we can.” Each quarter the team gets together to look at new technologies — or different sized technologies — to add to the tunnel.

STAFF PHOTO By BRAD BOWIE

Aircraft mechanic Brandon David performs routine maintenance on a helicopter on March 6 at Acadiana Air Med’s helicopter air base in Lafayette.

BRO UGHT TO YO UB Y

Molly Kimball RD,CSSD

PhotobyTeddieTaylor

Dietandnutrition:Aimforahighvarietyofplant-basedfoods eachweek,includingnuts,seedsandherbs.Youshouldmaintain ahigh-ﬁberdietforyourbestguthealthwhilestillenjoying deliciousfoods.ConsideraMediterranean-styledietwithacolorful assortmentoffruitsandvegetablesalongwithwholegrainsand legumestosupportyourgut.

Sleepandstresscontrol:Prioritizegoodsleepandstresscontrol. Stressaffectsthegutthroughthenervoussystem, somanagestressforbetterhealth.Andaim forseventoninehoursofsleepevery nighttoletyourbodyrepair.

Exercise:Aimfor150minutesof moderateintensityexerciseeach week,likebriskwalking,light cycling,dancing,gardeningor playingwiththekids.

Supplements:Supportyour guthealthwithprobiotics(live bacteriafoundincertainfoods) anddigestiveenzymes.Probiotics addgoodbacteria,whileenzymes helpdigestfood.FoodslikeGreek yogurt,kimchiandkombuchacontain probiotics.Alwaystalktoyourdoctorbefore startingsupplementstoensurethey’resafe.

Stayhydrated:Drinkplentyof watertoaidwithdigestionand keepyourgutlininghealthy. Thissupportsthebalanceof goodbacteriathatregulate yourbowelmovements, preventconstipationand breakdownfoods.

Reduceharmfulhabits: Quitsmokingandcutback onalcoholtoimprovegut health.Regularlydrinking alcoholcanirritatethegut andinﬂametheintestines (gastritis).TheOchsner SmokingCessationProgramand challengeslikeOchsnerEatFit AlcoholFreefor40canhelpkeep youmotivatedtomakehealthy choices.VisitOchsner.org/quitto learnaboutfreesmokingcessation services.JointheAlcoholFreefor40 grouponFacebookforsupportand inspiration.

Managefoodsensitivities:Some peopleexperiencefoodsensitivities tothingslikeglutenordairy.Theymay notbefull-blownallergies,butfood sensitivitiescanstillaffecthowyou feel.Ifyoususpectyoumayhavea sensitivity,talktoyourdoctorabout testingortrydietarychanges.

Wehumanshavetrillionsoftinyorganismsliving insideourintestines.Mostlybacteria,collectively theyarereferredtoasthe“gutmicrobiome.”These bacteriaandothermicroorganismsarekey toguthealth.Theyhelpdigestfood, keepourimmunesystemincheckand protectusfromdisease.

Aproperbalanceoftheseorganisms cancreategoodguthealth.An imbalanceincreasestheriskofgut diseases,likeinﬂammatorybowel diseaseandirritablebowelsyndrome, cardiovasculardisease,Type2diabetes, obesityandotherhealthproblems.

Turnsout,thephrase“trustyourgut”ismorethanjustaﬁgureofspeech. Scientiﬁcresearchhasmadeclearthatourfoodchoicesaffectourmood, cognitivefunctionandmentalwell-being.

Ahealthygutmicrobiomecankeeptheintestinalliningstrong,protectagainst harmfulgermsandreduceinﬂammation.Healthybacteriaintheguthelp absorbnutrientsandsendsignalstothebrain,promotingbetterbrainfunction andemotionalhealth.

Dietisthekeyincontrollingharmfulinflammation.Foodshighinrefined sugarsandprocessedingredientscanincreaseinflammationand oxidativestress,harmingbrainfunctionandworseningmood disorders.Thebestfoodsforbrainandoverallhealthinclude fruitsandvegetables,healthyfats,wholegrains,leanproteins andfermentedfoods.

Changingeatinghabitscanbeachallenge,especiallyinsouth Louisianawherefoodissuchabigpartoftheculture.Hereare afewtipsforintroducingabrain-healthdiet.

Tweak your diet for better brain health

Startsmall:Makethetransitiontoabrain-healthydiet manageablebyslowlyincorporatingmorenutrient-dense foodsandreducingprocessedandreﬁnedsugars overtime.

Stayhydrated:Drinkplentyofwaterthroughoutthe day,ashydrationisimportantforcognitivefunction.

Mindfuleating:Payattentiontohowdifferentfoods makeyoufeel.Thisawarenesscanhelpyoumake moreinformeddietarychoices.

Balancedmeals:Tosupportbrainfunction,aim forbalancedmealswithhealthyfats,proteinsand complexcarbs.Complexcarbohydratesaresugar moleculesthatbreakdownslowly,providing steadyenergyandstabilizingbloodsugarlevels.

Consistenteatingschedule:Trytoeatmeals aroundthesametimeeachdaytomaintain steadybloodsugarlevels,whichcanhelp preventmoodswingsandenergydips.

LOUISIANA

LIBRARY LIFESTYLE

New Orleans library builds ‘Read and Ride’ youth program

BY MISSY WILKINSON Staff writer

When the New Orleans Public Library staff and stakeholders developed their 10-year strategic plan in 2021, the goal was to cultivate a “library lifestyle” for all New Orleanians by redefining the library’s role and offerings. However residents were still grappling with intermittent pandemic-related closures, along with limited access to transportation — obstacles that impacted those who stood to beneﬁt the most from library services: young people.

“Talking with teens inside and outside the library and reading the newspapers, we were hearing from all sides that transportation was a barrier for teens to get to the library, and we wanted to eliminate this,” said Amy Wander, head of youth programming.

Inspired by similar programs at other libraries, Wander pitched to the Friends of the New Orleans Public Library a free bus pass program, operated on the honor system, to help kids get to all 15 library branches.

“One of the words Amy said was ‘independent,’” recalled Shannan Cvitanovic, executive director of Friends of the NOPL. “When you are young and trying to assert your independence, coming to the library is a safe way to do that.”

The “Read and Ride” pilot program launched in summer 2022 with funding from the United Way, Baptist Community Ministries and the Friends of the NOPL. Each youth gets one pass per visit, and passes are good for unlimited RTA bus, ferry or streetcar rides citywide for 24 hours after ﬁrst use.

“I don’t have to ask my mom for a ride, so it lets me be more independent, which I like a lot,” said Read and Ride participant Ocean Hamilton.

Nearly three years later, the program is “a well-loved offering,” Wander said. Funded by Friends of the NOPL’s donations, grants and used book sales, passes cost $1 each. Busier branches may distribute 40 passes per month, said Wander, and the library is reviewing data to identify areas of greatest need

“What started as a summer pilot program ended up being a year-round endeavor,” said Cvitanovic.

Librarians distributed between 800

staffers have observed heavy use at library branches located near schools — especially in the Lower 9th Ward, at Dr Martin Luther King Jr Charter School for Science and Technology, which is a short walk from the library’s Martin Luther King Branch at 1611 Fats Domino Ave.

Making the amazing choice

In the television show “Amazing Race,” contestants compete in teams of two to race around the world, making pitstops at a variety of locales with the last team to arrive usually being eliminated.

I was a faithful watcher of the show for years as it was the perfect intersection of my wanderlust and love of games. Years ago, I even sent in an audition tape with my youngest brother Sadly, we never got the call.

Each season, the random cast of characters travels to a variety of foreign cities where they must compete tasks, one being deciding between two so-called “Detours,” that involve different skills or challenges. The decision on which task to do lies solely with the team The Detours usually have creative, catchy names. Examples include: n Sleds or beds in Sweden: Sleds required athleticism as they had to race down a mountain on TechSleds in less than one minute and 58 seconds. Beds was all about craftsmanship, dexterity and attention to detail. Teams had to build a traditional Sami dwelling, called a goahti, along with furnishing it with furs and a ﬁre pit.

n Mix Master or Master Mix in Malaysia: Contestants could either choose to be a DJ and learn to scratch on a DJ table to impress a DJ and his crowd or stack seven cocktail glasses into a two-tier pyramid and carefully pour out different colored cocktails into every glass at the same time to avoid mixing the contents in the SkyBar on the 32nd ﬂoor of the Traders Hotel in Kuala Lumpur n Shake Your Booty or Shake Your Pan in Burkina Faso. Contestants could choose Shake Your Booty to impress three local judges with their dance moves. Or they could pan for gold using the traditional methods of Burkina Faso.

When I used to watch the show regularly when the teams would stand quietly deciding which of the tasks to tackle, I would often shout instructions at the television. My message was always clear

“Choose the fun one!” I would ﬁrst yell.

Followed by “Choose the one that calls out to you!”

Then I would shake my head and mumble something along the lines of, “Don’t be lured thinking that because the other task seems harder that there’s some righteousness to it that is going to earn you extra points.”

When it came time to do this or that to get to the next place, there were never any points for doing the more difﬁcult thing. After watching the show for years, I was convinced that there was no favor in picking the difﬁcult or tedious task, which players seemed to occasionally choose because they were convinced there had to be a catch.

and 1,000 passes to youths in 2024

“Once word got out, it got bigger and more popular,” Wander said

“Now it is more popular than it has been. Some branches have their regulars.”

Read and Ride passes aren’t attached to users’ library cards or accounts, which makes it difﬁcult to track reading habits or areas of greatest use. However, anecdotally Wander said library

“We have found that this is very popular at branches near schools. Those kids weren’t able to stay at libraries (before Read and Ride),” Wander said. “They had to get on the school bus and go home.”

Now, those students can read, use the computers or do research at their leisure without being tied to a school bus

I couldn’t help but think of “The Amazing Race” last week as I read contemporary philosopher Laurie Ann Paul’s report, ”When New Experience Leads to New Knowledge: A Computational Framework for Formalizing Epistemically Transformative Experiences.” It may not be a title that rolls off the tongue for nonacademics like myself, but the subject matter fascinates me still. (Paul wrote the report with Joan Ongchoco, Isaac Davis and Julian Jara-Ettinger.)

In the simplest of terms, the

ä See RISHER, page 2Y

STAFF FILE PHOTO By MISSy WILKINSON

Shannan Cvitanovic executive director of Friends of the New Orleans Public Library, and Amy Wander head of youth programming at the New Orleans Public Library recently show off Read and Ride passes outside the NOPD’s Mid-City branch at 4140 Canal St.

PROVIDED PHOTO

Giovanni, a library user who asked

LIBRARY

schedule. Read and Ride’s success laid the groundwork for a similar pilot program for young adults. The “Opportunity Pass,”

supported by a $2.5 million allocation from American Rescue Plan funds approved by the New Orleans City Council in 2023, provides unlimited RTA rides for youth ages 16 to 24.

RISHER

Continued from page 2y

report is about new experiences leading to new knowledge. It immediately made me think of “The Amazing Race.” She has written a lot about transformative experiences, something that “teaches you something new, something that you could not have known before having the experience, while also changing you as a person.”

Unlike the “Amazing Race Detour”-style options, she has focused on situations when life offers two distinct choices, where one of the options offers a radically new experience with implications that can’t be understood in advance. Such as:

n Deciding to become a parent or remaining childless?

n Taking the new job and relocating my family or stay with the tried and true?

we approach the crossroads that major life decisions offer?

Our information is incomplete. We can’t answer all the what-ifs? We don’t know what choosing one path over the other will bring or how we will change as we face the consequences. Sometimes, even pragmatic pros and cons lists can’t provide an absolute obvious best choice. Rather than wearing ourselves out debating the unknowable consequences, Paul explores reframing our thinking not approaching the choice itself with set expectations but approaching the new experience to make discoveries about the experience itself, instead of being focused on one of the possibilities being the better choice.

Wander said she’s seen higher teen engagement in the library since launching the program, and she’s glad there’s greater access to programming and re-

“I like to think they saw what Amy was doing (with Read and Ride) and were spurred on by that success,” said Cvitanovic, who calls Wander “the teen whisperer.”

sources that can help set a child on a new career path, do research online, or just hang out with like-minded peers.

“It’s a great resource that I think more people should know about,” said Read and Ride participant Christopher Washington.

TIGER STADIUM

n Marrying this person or exploring another possibility?

n Changing careers? Going into this ﬁeld or that one?

n Going to college here or going there? The question for us mere mortals is: How do

As in, via my meager interpretation, don’t stress so much about which path to pick. Just pick a good path and make the most of it. And if you’re still struggling as to which path to pick do the one that seems like it would be the most fun or would sync the best with who you know yourself to be.

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

GRANGER

photo of the bridge on Highway 56, known as Little Caillou Road, which was closed for much of the past year requiring a lengthy detour to the west.

STAFF FILE PHOTO By SOPHIA GERMER

A person walks

Orleans on

Eunice musician continues to build Acadian accordions

Cajun preserves the culture he loves

BY JOY HOLDEN Staff writer

Marc Savoy is a Louisiana legend

not only in Eunice but around the world He has dedicated his life to preserving the Cajun culture through making instruments, holding jam sessions and maintaining a music store in Eunice for almost 60 years. He began building accordions as a hobby in 1960, opened up Savoy Music Center in 1966 and is still building today His son Joel joined the business six years ago.

Marc Savoy and his wife, Ann, raised their four children in Eunice, and all of them play at least one instrument and speak their native French. The family performs together as the Savoy Family Cajun Band.

In 2021, Marc Savoy’s book, “Made in Louisiana The Story of The Acadian Accordion” was released and published by UL Press. Can you tell me how you got interested in the accordion and Cajun music?

The stimulus that inspired me to pursue music wasn’t a performance. It actually had nothing to do with music. It was my love for my family and for the people around me that made me want to do what they did farming, raising animals, gardening and family gatherings.

One day I heard these people playing music, and I was hooked for life, not because I had a particular interest in ﬁddles and accordions but rather because these were the instruments they were playing.

I was about 5 years old when I ﬁrst heard my grandfather playing music on his ﬁddle, and I remember being so excited that I started laughing uncontrollably. When my parents realized how excited I would always get when I heard my family and neighbors playing music, they organized a house dance on Christmas Eve.

I remember being so focused on the folks making the music that night that I totally forgot about

Santa Claus. The social fabric that developed from these house dances was, for me, a very secure, comfortable and warm environment.

When I became of age, I enjoyed attending the local Saturday night Cajun dance halls to listen to the music, especially to the accordion, but being a musician in a band wasn’t anything that ever had much attraction for me.

I did eventually join a band, but after about a year, I realized that I wanted to pursue music in a different context. My discontent also coincided with a big change that I felt could become an enormous shot of adrenaline for Cajun culture — the 1964 Newport Jazz Festival in Newport, Rhode Island, had just discovered Cajun music.

When the Eunice Playboys, the ﬁrst Cajun group to be invited to this very prestigious festival, returned to Louisiana and told me about the fantastic reception they had received, I had a premonition that the word “Cajun“ would now become a word with a whole new image.

How do you preserve Cajun culture in your own life and in your community?

After Newport, I was so optimistic that the word “Cajun” would

eventually circle the globe, I decided to open a center founded upon preserving the culture I loved. Although my parents and their ancestors were all rice farmers, I never had an interest in much of anything else unless it was connected to the music of my heritage.

One day it dawned upon me that possibly I could combine both farming and music together I opened the doors to Savoy Music Center in 1966 in the middle of a cotton field. I wanted my music center to be known that I specialized in Cajun instruments for Cajuns. I wanted a center where the older generation French-speaking Cajuns and Creoles could come and feel comfortable speaking their language and playing their music When it was discovered that I respected and honored this older generation for maintaining their heritage, this information spread like wildﬁre.

The 56-year-old jam session that happens here every Saturday morning slowly began by offering these old-timers an opportunity to

play their music. Visitors say that the jam session is reminiscent of an old-time house dance.

What is the significance of the Saturday jam sessions at the Music Center?

From a business point of view, I would hope that my efforts have helped other people realize that heritage and success cannot only coexist, but can do so to a much greater extent with heritage.

Culturally, I would hope that my efforts have demonstrated to others that visitors come to Louisiana not for the purpose of seeing things that are All-American, but rather to experience everything that is natural and organic about Acadiana. I would hope that my feeble efforts have encouraged a sensibility of community Can you share more about your family and their talents?

In my 50 years of traveling the world playing Cajun music, the best thing that ever happened to me was meeting a young girl from Richmond, Virginia, who was also interested in doing the same thing I was doing, and she wanted to do those things with me. She was a beautiful jazz guitarist and pho-

tographer who spoke French ﬂuently Ann and I married in 1976. As our four children were growing up, after dinner time, instead of watching TV with the children, Ann and I would take a musical instrument and play a few tunes while the kids were at our feet coloring in their coloring books or playing with toys.

Joel, our oldest son, was the ﬁrst in the family to express an interest in playing an instrument himself. One day he asked me if he could play my ﬁddle. I told him he was welcome to play it but to treat it with care and respect — and also not to ask me for any information about how to play it because I wasn’t going to help him get started. If he had passion, he wouldn’t need any help from me. Today I am very proud of the fact that all four of our children play music and speak their native French.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity Email Joy Holden at joy.holden@ theadvocate.com.

STAFF FILE PHOTO By BRAD BOWIE

A banner featuring Chris Stafford’s image is seen between Joel Savoy, left, and Linzay young as Festival Acadiens et Creoles kicks off with a 50th Anniversary Revue including special guests Marc Savoy & Family on Oct. 12 in Girard Park.

FILE PHOTO By ROBIN MAy

Marc Savoy has a smile on his face while playing with his family when the Savoy Family Band performs during Festivals Acadiens et Creoles on March 20, 2022, in Lafayette.

FAITH & VALUES

New Age music is experiencing a revival among Gen Z

FIONA MURPHY

Contributing writer

Imagine you are walking into a spa, and you are likely to hear an immersive soundscape of soft harmonies, resonant tones and gentle textures submerging your senses.

You are experiencing New Age music, a genre designed to promote relaxation, mindfulness and internal healing. Nonmelodic compositions featuring soft piano notes, delicate harp scales, the shimmering chimes of crystal bowls and ambient synthesizers characterize the genre.

Often labeled as “spa music,” New Age has experienced a resurgence in recent years, gaining popularity alongside the rise of wellness culture and spirituality and a decline in organized religious participation, especially among younger generations. And while overcoming religious backlash was a challenge New Age artists and producers faced when the genre ﬁrst gained traction about 50 years ago, today artiﬁcial intelligence poses a new threat

“I feel like we live in a society where we are bombarded by stimuli all of the time, especially if you have social media,” said Ava Rian Buckler, a 25-year-old former professional astrologer who now does creative consulting in Indiana.

Rian Buckler was diagnosed with attention deﬁcit hyperactivity disorder, or ADHD, which makes her mind particularly restless, she said. Around 2018, she began feeling increasingly overwhelmed, so she decided to delete her social media accounts and came across New Age music online.

“Listening to healing vibrations, I felt like my attention was coming back to me,” she said. “I felt like my energy was coming back to me.”

Rian Buckler describes herself as deeply spiritual rather than religious, having grown up in a nondogmatic Christian household. She often listens to New Age music at a low volume while she sleeps because she said she believes that’s when her subconscious is most receptive to its therapeutic properties. According to HowMusicCharts com, some of the genre’s most notable artists, such as Brian Eno, Laraaji and Steven Halpern, have seen a renewed interest over the past 15 years. Dozens of YouTube channels created in the last several years dedicated to healing sound vibrations have gained millions of subscribers. And in the broader study and relaxation music category,

New Age music has experienced a resurgence in recent years, gaining popularity alongside the rise of wellness culture and spirituality and a decline in organized religious participation.

LoFi Girl, a 24/7 livestream of lo-fi beats, has become one of YouTube’s most-viewed channels, amassing 14 million subscribers since posting its first “easy-listening” video five years ago.

“The thing that I’m really proud of is that we’ve managed to normalize (New Age) and make it part of what young people think of as music as opposed to being something that’s like sort of music with an asterisk,” said Douglas Mcgowan, a Grammy-nominated music producer and owner of Yoga Records, a Los Angeles-based label dedicated to preserving and promoting New Age music and other niche genres.

Yoga Records is known for its archival work and has played a key role in reintroducing classic New Age albums to modern audiences. Mcgowan said that since founding Yoga Records in 2008, he has seen it as his mission to highlight the potential for listeners to ﬁnd meaning in New Age.

“To me, New Age is a type of secular, profound and spiritual experience,” Mcgowan said. “It’s a personal feeling of wonder It’s the feeling that you get from a beautiful sunset rather than going to a church or a mosque.”

The genre traces its roots in the United States to the 1970s when musicians began experimenting

with sound as a tool for stress reduction. At the forefront of the movement was Halpern, who is regarded as the pioneer of the genre

“I was the ﬁrst person healed by my music,” said Halpern, who has released over 100 albums and has hundreds of thousands of monthly listeners on streaming platforms.

A video published to his YouTube channel called “Steven Halpern Great Pyramid OMs Cymatics” has over 500,000 views. Halpern was also nominated for a Grammy Award for best New Age album in 2013

“Healing comes from a balance of body mind and spirit,” he said. “In the 1980s, the major music labels said, ‘We’re going to call it contemporary instrumental because New Age has a spiritual component to it that we don’t want to get involved with.’”

According to Halpern, healing music can synchronize brainwaves with the alpha state, a neurological pattern linked to relaxation and balance. He references research on the physiological effects of sound, including 1994 findings that suggested his music helped maintain healthy blood ﬂow whereas harsh, stress-inducing sounds cause white blood cells to clump together, potentially leading to health effects. In earlier days, Halpern said, New

Age music faced backlash from religious groups. For example, in Pastor Bob Larson’s 1989 book “Straight Answers on the New Age,” Halpern was labeled a “ringleader of the demonic cult music that they call New Age music.”

“I said, ‘What?’” Halpern recalled. “I work with angels. I work with powers of light.”

Some religious groups opposed New Age music because of its association with meditation, which they viewed as contrary to Christianity

But Halpern considers his work a continuation of ancient healing traditions, which he connects to biblical references, the teachings of Edgar Cayce (a late self-proclaimed American clairvoyant), Sufi masters and the mathematical principles of Pythagoras Halpern was inspired by historical uses of music in the temples of Egypt, Greece and China

“I wanted to hear a contemporary version of what healing music would sound like in the 20th century, and there was nothing available,” Halpern said.

When music stores in California said they had no place for his work, Halpern, who is a classically trained jazz musician, found success at metaphysical bookstores, yoga centers and crystal shops. He soon was part of building a musical movement.

Fifty years later, as popular streaming services such as Spotify make music more accessible than ever, New Age musicians and producers now are contending with AIgenerated music.

“The whole AI revolution really hit my part of the music ﬁeld,” Halpern said. “It’s never going to hit Beyonce because you can’t fake her But the arrangement of things? That’s a different story,” adding that New Age music is an easier target for fabrication because of its structural simplicity, repetition and lack of vocals.

“You see very clearly that New Age music is really sort of the ﬁrst music that is falling to artiﬁcial intelligence,” Mcgowan said.

In recent years, Spotify has faced scrutiny for the proliferation of AI-generated beats, ambient tones and New Age music on its platform, which cuts company costs of paying artists.

“In my case, I saw my royalties (on Spotify) go down 70% in one month,” Halpern said. “It was shocking.” Halpern said that, across multiple platforms, Apple Music, Spotify and Pandora, this is the case.

This trend underscores growing concerns that the rise of AI-generated compositions could diminish the genre’s spiritual and wellness essence, which many listeners seek.

“Nobody has shown me any AI New Age music that has meant anything to me,” Mcgowan said. “I’m not saying it’s not possible — in fact, I’m saying it’s inevitable but my focus on New Age music of the past has always been about creating an anchor in reality Like, it’s about grounding us in a historical bedrock that is solid and real.”

Halpern also said because of costs, much potential research on the healing properties of New Age music has remained unexplored, which also remains true for AI-generated music.

Younger listeners like Rian Buckler are also approaching AI-generated music with caution.

“I want to support real humans who have been doing this for a long time, especially people like Steven Halpern,” she said, adding, however, that if an advanced AI model was speciﬁcally designed with healing frequencies and programmed with a deep understanding of the genre’s history and its effects on the brain, she could be open to listening to it.

“But as far as everyday use, I don’t think anybody’s doing that yet,” she said.

Bridging the green divide for park equity and connection

BY AIDAN MCCAHILL Staff writer

It’s no secret Baton Rouge has a lot of parks At nearly 180 of them, the city ranks among the highest in the nation for per capita greenspaces.

Despite that abundance, a history of redlining, discriminatory urban renewal, and overall economic disparities have created a system of unequal access to parks in the city

According to a study by Trust for Public Lands, a nationwide park and conservation nonproﬁt, residents in low-income neighborhoods have access to 26% less park space per person than those in the average Baton Rouge neighborhood and 52% less than those in high-income neighborhoods. Of the park space residents do have access to, half are labeled in poor condition.

“We have a beautiful park system, but I don’t think there is equal access,” said Crystal EllisLuter, a child policy advocate in Baton Rouge.

In mid 2023, Luter and 15 other residents were selected by BREC, the parish’s recreation and park commission, to join a community planning council. The goal was to generate the highest and most diverse amount of community input possible in order to shape the park system’s new 10year master plan.

Variance in perspectives

Pairs of volunteers met once a month for a year, touring the city’s park system and planning a community outreach event. Andrea Roberts, the chief operating ofﬁcer at BREC, said there was one caveat.

“We were very intentional that the people we paired up were from totally different socioeconomic classes,” she said

“None of us really knew each other,” said Rex Cabaniss, a local architect who joined the council.

He and his partner volunteer

Dr Evelyn Thomas, a local pastor, lived in very different parts of town But that variance in perspectives made for a great team when planning their community outreach event, he said.

“It’s always interesting meeting someone new who has a different experience living here,” Cabaniss said During Carnival season last year, the pair held a neighborhood event at North Sherwood Forest Recreation Center, where kids brought miniature Mardi Gras floats they’d designed at home. Cabaniss said the event generated a huge turnout among

young families, most of whom ﬁlled out a park survey required to get free jambalaya served at the event.

Meanwhile, Luter and her volunteer partner, a local butcher named Galen Iverstine, organized a cleanup event and established a community garden at Tickie Saia Memorial Park in Lobdell/Wooddale, a neighborhood with a signiﬁcant Hispanic population.

“The benefit for me, because I’m stuck in this bubble in Shenandoah, was being able to see ﬁrsthand the unique needs of other communities,” Luter said. An increase in contact and trust

The various events were funded through a grant awarded to

BREC from Trust for Public Lands as part of their “On Common Ground” framework, a national effort by the organization to combat polarization and foster community cohesiveness through public parks and green spaces.

More than half of the participants reported experiencing an increase in everyday intergroup contact and increased trust in local government.

The feedback generated by the community council also provided the framework for “Imagine your Parks 3,” BREC’s 10-year master plan centered around equity and investing in underfunded communities.

“A lot of it (the feedback) was just trying to upgrade parks that needed it and using dollars going

forward to bring up the whole system equally,” said Cabaniss. Some of the proposed improvements included better maintenance, improved lighting and heat mitigation strategies to combat rising summer temperatures — all goals of the new master plan.

In November, residents greenlit the plan by voting to renew millages that fund 65% of the park system, expected to generate $55 million in 2025. Among enhancements to the existing system, the plan calls for upgrades to the Bluebonnet Swamp trails and visitors center and improvements to Greenwood and Sandy Creek.

Sustaining our parks system

Roberts also indicated plans for another cohort similar to the community planning council, which will focus on ways to engage the community in maintaining the park system.

“We need to be more creative about how we’re going to sustain our parks system over the next 10 years,” Roberts said. “Having the community take ownership in their local parks will also foster connections that bring our community closer together.”

Seeing the level of community involvement on the plan’s ground floor, both Cabaniss and Luter said they were not only excited for the 10-year master plan, but also hopeful for a better future for families and park lovers in Baton Rouge.

“At ﬁve o’clock, if you go to our local park, all of our neighbors are there All of the families are engaging each other, and all of the children are getting exercise,” Luter said. “I think that every child and every family within East Baton Rouge Parish deserves that same type of experience.”

Email Aidan McCahill at aidan. mccahill@theadvocate.com.

PROVIDED PHOTO

BREC community planning council members Rex Cabaniss and Evelyn Thomas held a neighborhood event at North Sherwood Forest Recreation Center where kids brought miniature Mardi Gras floats they’d designed at home.

SUNDAY, MArch 30, 2025

CURTIS / by Ray Billingsley

SLYLOCK FOX / by Bob Weber Jr

GET FUZZY / by Darby Conley

HAGAR THE HORRIBLE / by Chris Browne

MOTHER GOOSE AND GRIMM / by Mike Peters

ZIGGY / by Tom Wilson

ZITS / by Jerry Scott and Jim Borgman

SALLY FORTH / by Francesco Marciuliano & Jim Keefe

PEARLS BEFORE SWINE / by Stephan Pastis

directions: Make a 2- to 7-letter word from the letters in each row Add points of each word, using scoring directions at right. Finally, 7-letter words get 50-point bonus. “Blanks” used as any letter have no point value All the words are in the Official SCRABBLE® Players Dictionary, 5th Edition.

word game

instructions: 1. Words must be of four or more letters. 2. Words that acquire four letters by the addition of “s,” such as “bats” or “dies,” are not allowed. 3. Additional words made by adding a “d” or an “s” may not be used. 4. Proper nouns, slang words, or vulgar or sexually explicit words are not allowed.

todAY's Word — AGGrieVed: uhGREEV'D: Troubled or distressed in spirit.

Average mark 55 words Time limit 60 minutes Can you find 71 or more words in AGGRIEVED?

ken ken

instructions: 1 - Each row and each column must contain the numbers 1 through 4 (easy) or 1 through 6 (challenging) without repeating 2 The numbers within the heavily outlined boxes, called cages, must combine using the given operation (in any order) to produce the target numbers in the top-left corners.

3 - Freebies: Fill in the single-box cages with the number in the top-left corner

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 Conceptis Sudoku increases from Monday to Sunday

directions: Complete the grid so that numbers 1–132 connect horizontally, vertically or diagonally

Sudoku

Edited by Rich Norris and Joyce Nichols Lewis

By miCHaeL TorCH & KeVin CHrisTian

A different path

Today’s deal is from a recent team match. South was American John McAllister At the other table, six clubs by North failed by two tricks after a heart lead

The diamond position would give McAllister the tricks he needed, butadiamondfinessethroughthe pre-emptor is not for the weak of heart. McAllister made it without the diamond finesse.

The10ofspadescouldhavewon the first trick, but McAllister won in hand with the ace to preserve an entry to dummy A club to the king held the trick, so McAllister led a diamond to his ace and another club. East won and led a diamond — another chance for the diamond finesse but South rose with his king and led a spade to dummy’s king, spurning another possible finesse. This was the position: NORTH

Tannah Hirsch welcomes readers’ responses sent in care of this newspaper or to Tribune Content Agency inc., 2225 Kenmore Ave., Suite 114, Buffalo, Ny 14207. E-mail responses may be sent to gorenbridge@ aol.com. © 2025 Tribune Content Agency goren Bridge

ARIES (March 21-April 19) Socialize, observe and refresh your memory regarding your likes and dislikes. Don’t be too eager to share your feelings. Your outlook will change as you listen and learn

TAURUS (April 20-May 20) Engage in life, challenge yourself and put your energy into something that excites you or prompts you to follow your heart. Experience something different.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20) Explore your options but only pursue what’s inviting. You’ll gain the most if you pick away at the changes that have meaning to you. Refuse to let any-

McAllister ran dummy’s clubs. On the last club, East discarded the queen of diamonds to keep his heart stopper McAllister discarded a low heart, keeping the jack of diamonds, and finally took a finesse and claimed his slam when that held the trick

wuzzLes

super Quiz

SUBJECT: THE BIBLE Identify the biblical character or thing. (e.g., She was Joseph’s wife and the mother of Jesus. Answer: Mary.)

FRESHMAN LEVEL

All the waters in this river were turned to blood. (Exodus 7:20)

Answer________

She demanded, “Tell me where your strength lies.”

one lead you astray or waste your time.

CANCER (June 21-July 22) Let your intuition guide you regarding professional matters. Protect your reputation and ideas from those eager to step in and take credit for what you contribute.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22) Press forward on your own steam. Question red tape issues, government or institutional policies. Learn as you go, and be fearless in approaching those trying to take advantage of you.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) A serious attitude and an energetic approach will make a difference. Believe in

yourself, and get your point across. Put your love on the line in affairs of the heart, and explore romantic possibilities

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23) Hold tight and shoot for the stars. You have more options than you realize, and taking your place at the podium will prove your worth to those you need and want on your team.

SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 22) Get involved in projects you feel strongly about, and you will make a difference. Mix business with pleasure, and let your knowledge, experience and charm enchant those you encounter

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 23-Dec. 21) Take a step back. Someone will offer misleading information to get you to invest your time or money in something that does more for them than you. Stick to what you know and do best.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) Networking events will offer the platform to promote and market what you want others to buy. Travel, communication and making others aware of the possibilities will bring good results.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) Be careful, patient and thrifty Handling your finances will require restrain-

ing yourself from making unnecessary purchases. Put your energy into positive change and a healthy lifestyle.

PISCES (Feb 20-March 20) Avoid overdoing it and save yourself a bundle. Take time to go over your expenditures and see where you can cut back. A change of attitude that sends you down a positive path will pay off.

“um,yeaH”

1. Nile. 2. Delilah 3. Lazarus. 4. Pilate. 5. Jesus. 6. Moses. 7 Mary Magdalene. 8 Joseph 9. Moses. 10. Judas Iscariot 11. Mud (and saliva). 12. Goliath. 13. Seth. 14. Noah. 15. Abraham.