The Advocate 03-31-2025

UNBEARABLE

LSU’s season ends with bittersweet run to the Elite Eight, loss to

UCLA

UCLA center Lauren Betts, right shoots while pressured by LSU forward Sa’Myah Smith during the

Elite Eight game of the NCAA college basketball tournament in Spokane, Wash., on Sunday

There was the stare into the distance from Aneesah Morrow Her hug with teammate Sa’Myah Smith. The look of grim acceptance on Flau’jae Johnson’s face. All embodied both the Tigers’ fight and their futility in this high-stakes contest Morrow battled back in the second half from a bloodied and bashed nose (she said postgame that the report she suffered a broken nose was wrong) when Lauren Betts, UCLA’s dreadnought center, dominoed Smith into Morrow with a shove that wasn’t called a foul. Smith gave her all to defend the All-American Betts again and again under the basket And Johnson atoned for an off

ä See complete coverage of the Tigers’ game. PAGE 1B

night in the Sweet 16 round against NC State by keeping the Tigers in it with a brave second-half effort.

None of it was enough to help LSU return to the Final Four The Tigers, for the second straight season, came up just one win short of their game’s promised land, and with an identical 31-6 record to boot, falling Sunday to UCLA 72-65. The intoxicatingly bittersweet nature of the NCAA men’s and women’s tournaments was on full display The Tigers, despite all their success this season, in spite of how far they went, were left gutted and heartbroken. The Bruins, flushed with the euphoria of making

ELECTION 2025

Political foes, Landry allies united against amendments

60% of Louisiana voters rejected constitution changes

BY ALYSE PFEIL | Staff writer

Louisiana voters decisively shut down four constitutional amendments Saturday, handing Gov Jeff Landry and Republican supermajorities in the Legislature one of their first major political setbacks.

The Legislature passed all four proposals by two-thirds majority votes Then Landry crisscrossed the state stumping in particular for Amendment 2, a revision to Article VII of the Louisiana Constitution that governs state finances. He promoted it as a pivotal piece to an expansive package of tax policy reforms he championed during a November special session.

Yet every amendment, which failed by similarly large margins, was rejected by over 60% of voters.

“It’s clear from the stunning repudiation of all four of these amendments that the governor and the Legislature, at least in this case, are out of step with the vast majority of people who voted,” said Pearson Cross, a professor of Louisiana and American politics at the University of Louisiana at Monroe.

When it became clear that Amendment 2 was going to fail, Landry issued a statement

ä See AMENDMENTS, page 4A

By

history with their program’s first Final Four trip, got to celebrate the thrill of victory For now, anyway For almost everyone, that thrill will be fleeting. “Only one program will be happy in another week,” LSU coach Kim Mulkey said afterward. “Just one will be happy.” Mulkey has experienced that happiness only a championship can bring four times as a head coach at LSU and Baylor and three other times as a player and assistant at Louisiana Tech. It may be more than could be allotted or expected in any lifetime. Any career But you always want more. One more victory One more chance to cut down nets. One more weekend

ä See LSU, page 4A

GEORGE, page 4A

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO

yOUNG KWAK

second half of the

Greenland’s leader says U.S. will not get island

The prime minister of Greenland pushed back Sunday against assertions by U.S President Donald Trump that America will take control of the island territory

Greenland is a self-governing territory of Denmark, a NATO ally of the United States. Trump wants to annex the territory, claiming it’s needed for national security purposes

“President Trump says that the United States ‘will get Greenland.’ Let me be clear: The United States will not get it. We do not belong to anyone else. We decide our own future,” Jens-Frederik Nielsen said in a Facebook post.

Nielsen’s post comes a day after the U.S. president told NBC News that military force wasn’t off the table with regard to acquiring Greenland.

In Saturday’s interview, Trump allowed that “I think there’s a good possibility that we could do it without military force.”

“This is world peace, this is international security,” he said, but added: “I don’t take anything off the table.”

Rain turns to ice, cuts power in Midwest states

Freezing rain brought down trees and power lines in Michigan and Wisconsin, cutting electricity for thousands of people Sunday in the upper Great Lakes region.

More than 400,000 power outages were reported in Michigan, Indiana and Wisconsin. Churches that had power as well as schools and fire halls, were turned into warming centers as utilities worked to restore electricity, a job that will likely stretch into Monday in small communities and rural pockets.

The National Weather Service office in Gaylord, Michigan, was in the middle of it, saying on X: “Accumulations range here from a half inch to nearly a whole inch of ice!”

Despite the calendar showing spring, “it’s still winter,” said Ryan Brege, managing director of the Alpena County, Michigan, Road Commission, 250 miles north of Detroit.

Alpena Power said nearly all of its 16,750 customers — homes and businesses were in the dark.

Authorities in South Carolina reported progress Sunday in controlling wildfires in the Blue Ridge mountains. The Table Rock and Persimmon Ridge fires have burned about 17 square miles.

“Thank you for the prayers. They’re being heard. There’s rain in the air,” said Derrick Moore, operations chief for the firefighting Southern Area Blue Team.

Plane crashes into home in Minnesota

One person was on the plane that crashed into the roof of a Brooklyn Park home Saturday, engulfing the structure in flames and displacing two residents, authorities said Sunday While authorities did not confirm the identify of the pilot of the single-engine airplane, a spokesman from U.S. Bancorp said Terry Dolan, U.S. Bancorp’s vice chair and chief administration officer was believed to have been the person on board.

Brooklyn Park Fire Chief Shawn Conway said the plane was traveling northwest when it hit the roof of the house before setting the home ablaze.

Palestinians in Gaza mark Muslim holiday

BY WAFAA SHURAFA, MOHAMMAD JAHJOUH and TIA GOLDENBERG Associated Press

DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip Palestinians in Gaza marked the normally festive Eid al-Fitr on Sunday with rapidly dwindling food supplies and mourning for several children killed in Israel’s latest airstrikes

There was anger as the bodies of 14 emergency responders were recovered in the southern city of Rafah a week after an Israeli attack, which the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies called the “single most deadly attack on Red Cross Red Crescent workers anywhere in the world since 2017.”

Many Palestinians prayed outside demolished mosques to mark the end of the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan It’s supposed to be a joyous occasion when families feast and purchase new clothes for children, but most of Gaza’s 2 million people are just trying to survive.

“It’s the Eid of sadness,” Adel alShaer said after attending prayers amid rubble in the central town of Deir al-Balah. “We lost our loved ones, our children, our lives and our futures.”

Twenty members of his extended family have been killed by Israeli strikes, including four young neph-

ews a few days ago, he said and be-

gan to cry

Israel ended the ceasefire with Hamas and resumed the 17-month war earlier this month with a surprise bombardment that killed hundreds, after the militant group refused to accept changes to the truce reached in January Israel has not allowed food, fuel or humanitarian aid to enter Gaza for a month.

“There is killing, displacement, hunger and a siege,” said Saed alKourd, a worshipper

“We go out to perform God’s rituals in order to make the children happy, but as for the joy of Eid? There is no Eid.”

Arab mediators are trying to get the truce back on track. Hamas said Saturday it had accepted a new proposal from Egypt and Qatar. Israel said it made a counterproposal in coordination with the United States, which has also been mediating. Details were not immediately known.

The Palestinian Red Crescent Society said the bodies of eight of its emergency medical technicians, and five members of Gaza’s Civil Defense, were recovered a week after they and their ambulances vanished in Rafah during heavy fire.

The PRCS said a ninth colleague was still missing, adding that the targeting of medics “cannot be

seen as anything other than a war crime.”

Gaza’s Health Ministry asserted that some of the bodies had been bound and shot in the chest, and it called on the United Nations and other international organizations to investigate and hold Israel accountable.

Israel’s military on Sunday said its troops had opened fire on vehicles “advancing suspiciously” without emergency signals or movement coordinated in advance. It asserted that nine “terrorists” had been killed.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel would continue military operations while negotiating. He rejected claims that Israel does not want to end the war, while laying out conditions that go far beyond the ceasefire agreement and have been rejected by Hamas.

“Hamas will disarm. Its leaders will be allowed out. We will look out for the general security in the Gaza Strip and allow for the realization of (President Donald) Trump’s plan,” Netanyahu told a Cabinet meeting.

Israeli strikes on Sunday morning killed at least 16 people, including nine children and three women, according to Nasser Hospital in the southern city of Khan Younis.

Wis. high court refuses to take case challenging Musk’s $1M payments

BY SCOTT BAUER Associated Press

MADISON, Wis. — A unanimous Wisconsin Supreme Court on Sunday refused to hear a last-minute attempt by the state’s Democratic attorney general to stop billionaire Elon Musk from handing over $1 million checks to two voters, a ruling that came just minutes before the planned start of the rally

Two lower courts had already rejected the legal challenge by Democrat Josh Kaul, who argues that Musk’s offer violates a state law “Wisconsin law prohibits offering anything of value to induce anyone to vote,” Kaul argued in his filing. “Yet, Elon Musk did just that.”

But the state Supreme Court, which is currently controlled 4-3 by liberal justices, declined to take the case as an original action. The court gave no rationale for its decision.

Kaul had no immediate comment on the court’s order

Musk’s attorneys argued in filings with the court that Musk was exercising his free speech rights with the giveaways and any attempt to restrict that would violate both the Wisconsin and U.S. constitutions.

The payments are “intended to gener-

ate a grassroots movement in opposition to activist judges, not to expressly advocate for or against any candidate,” Musk’s attorneys argued in court filings. Wisconsin’s tightly contested Supreme Court election, where ideological control of the court is at stake, is on Tuesday

The court’s four liberal justices have endorsed Dane County Judge Susan Crawford, the Democratic-backed candidate.

Musk’s attorneys, about four hours before the rally was to begin, asked that two liberal justices who have campaigned for Crawford — Jill Karofsky and Rebecca

Dallet — recuse themselves from the case. His attorneys argued their work for Crawford creates “the specter of inappropriate bias.” If they did recuse, that would leave the court with a 3-2 conservative majority

Both justices rejected the request and said they would spell out their reasons why at a later date.

One of the court’s conservative justices has endorsed Waukesha County Judge Brad Schimel, who also has the backing of President Donald Trump and Musk. Schimel wore a “Make America Great Again” hat while campaigning Sunday

At the rally scheduled in Green Bay for Sunday evening, Musk promised to hand over a pair of $1 million checks to voters who signed an online petition against “activist” judges. Musk and groups he supports have spent more than $20 million to help Schimel get elected.

Schimel said in a national television interview that he does not control “any of the spending from any outside group, whether it’s Elon Musk or anyone else” and that all Trump asked was whether he would “reject activist judges” and follow the law

“That’s exactly what I’ve committed to anybody, whether it’s President Trump, Elon Musk or any donors and donors or supporters or voters in Wisconsin. That’s my commitment,” Schimel told “Fox News Sunday.” Schimel did not say whether he would attend the rally Crawford’s campaign declined comment on Kaul’s legal filing.

The contest has shattered national spending records for a judicial election, with more than $81 million in spending.

The judicial election comes as Wisconsin’s highest court is expected to rule on abortion rights, congressional redistricting, union power and voting rules that could affect the 2026 midterms and the 2028 presidential election in the state.

Iran rejects direct talks with U.S.

By The Associated Press

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates

Iran’s president said Sunday that the Islamic Republic rejected direct negotiations with the United States over its rapidly advancing nuclear program, offering Tehran’s first response to a letter that U.S. President Donald Trump sent to the country’s supreme leader President Masoud Pezeshkian said that Iran’s response, delivered via the sultanate of Oman, left open the possibility of indirect negotiations with Washington. However, such talks have made no progress since Trump in his first term unilaterally withdrew the U.S. from Tehran’s nuclear deal with world powers in 2018. In the years since, regional tensions have boiled over into attacks at sea and on land. Now, as the U.S. conducts intense airstrikes targeting the Iranian-backed Houthi rebels of Yemen, the risk of military action targeting Iran’s nuclear program remains on the table.

“We don’t avoid talks; it’s the breach of promises that has caused issues for us so far,” Pezeshkian said in televised remarks during a Cabinet meeting. “They must prove that they can build trust.”

The U.S. State Department, responding to Pezeshkian, said, “President Trump has been clear: The United States cannot allow Iran to acquire a nuclear weapon.”

“The president expressed his willingness to discuss a deal with Iran,” it added. “If the Iranian regime does not want a deal, the president is clear he will pursue other options, which will be very bad for Iran.”

Trump said before Pezeshkian’s comments that he was considering military action and secondary tariffs, if Iran doesn’t agree to a nuclear deal “If they don’t make a deal, there will be bombing and it will be bombing the likes of which they have never seen before,” Trump said in a comment aired Sunday by NBC News.

Iran has long maintained its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes. A report in February, however, by the International Atomic Energy Agency said Iran has accelerated its production of near weapons-grade uranium.

CustomerService:

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By MAHMOUD ILLEAN

A Palestinian girl is tossed into the air Sunday as people gather for Eid al-Fitr prayers by the Dome of the Rock shrine in the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in Jerusalem’s Old City

PROVIDED PHOTO

A bush is coated with thick ice Sunday at the National Weather Service office in Gaylord, Mich.

What Trump’s tariff rollout could mean for you

President calling it

‘Liberation Day’

BY JOSH BOAK Associated Press

WASHINGTON President Donald Trump said Wednesday will be “Liberation Day” — a moment when he plans to roll out a set of tariffs that he promises will free the United States from foreign goods.

The details of Trump’s next round of import taxes are still sketchy Most economic analyses say average U.S families would have to absorb the cost of his tariffs in the form of higher prices and lower incomes. But an undeterred Trump is inviting CEOs to the White House to say they are investing hundreds of billions of dollars in new projects to avoid the import taxes.

It is also possible that the tariffs are short-lived if Trump feels he can cut a deal after imposing them “I’m certainly open to it, if we can do something,” Trump told reporters. “We’ll get something for it.”

At stake are family budgets, America’s prominence as the world’s leading financial power and the structure of the global economy Here’s what you should know about the impending trade penalties:

What exactly does Trump plan?

He wants to announce import taxes, including “reciprocal” tariffs that would match the rates charged by other countries and account for other subsidies. Trump has talked about taxing the European Union, South Korea, Brazil and India, among other countries.

As he announced 25% auto tariffs last week, he alleged that America has been ripped off because it imports more goods than it exports.

“This is the beginning of Liberation Day in America,” Trump said.

“We’re going to charge countries for doing business in our country and taking our jobs, taking our wealth, taking a lot of things that they’ve been taking over the years. They’ve taken so much out of our country, friend and foe. And, frankly, friend has been oftentimes much worse than foe.” In an interview Saturday with

A person looks at a new car Thursday at a Toyota dealership in El Monte, Calif Economist Art Laffer estimates that planned tariffs on vehicles, if fully implemented, could increase per-vehicle costs by $4,711.

NBC News, Trump said it did not bother him if tariffs caused vehicle prices to rise because vehicles with more U.S. content could possibly be more competitively priced.

“I hope they raise their prices, because if they do, people are gonna buy American-made cars,”

Trump said. “I couldn’t care less because if the prices on foreign cars go up, they’re going to buy American cars.”

Trump has also suggested that he will be flexible with his tariffs, saying he will treat other nations better than they treated the United States But he still has plenty of other taxes coming on imports.

The Republican president plans to tax imported pharmaceutical drugs, copper and lumber He has put forth a 25% tariff on any country that imports oil from Venezuela, even though the United States also does so. Imports from China are being charged an additional 20% tax because of its role in fentanyl production. Trump has imposed separate tariffs on goods from Canada and Mexico for the stated reason of stopping drug smuggling and illegal immigration. Trump also expanded his 2018 steel and aluminum tariffs to 25% on all imports.

Some aides suggest the tariffs are tools for negotiation on trade and border security; others say the revenues will help reduce the federal budget deficit. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said they will force other nations to show Trump “respect.”

How could tariffs affect economy?

Nothing good, according to most economists. They say the tariffs would get passed along to consumers in the form of higher prices for vehicles, groceries, housing and other goods. Corporate profits could be lower and growth more sluggish Trump maintains that more companies would open factories to avoid the taxes, though that process could take three years or more.

Economist Art Laffer estimates the tariffs on vehicles, if fully implemented, could increase per vehicle costs by $4,711, though he said he views Trump as a smart and savvy negotiator The investment bank Goldman Sachs estimates the economy will grow this quarter at an annual rate of just 0.6%, down from a rate of 2.4% at the end of last year

Mayor Andrew Ginther of Columbus, Ohio, said on Friday that tariffs could increase the median cost of a home by $21,000, making affordability more of an obstacle because building materials would cost more.

White House trade adviser Peter Navarro told “Fox News Sunday” that the auto tariffs would raise $100 billion annually and the other tariffs would bring in about $600 million per year, or about $6 trillion over 10 years. As a share of the economy, that would be the largest tax increase since World War II, according to Jessica Riedl, a senior

Trump says he’s considering ways to serve third term despite constitutional prohibition

BY CHRIS MEGERIAN Associated Press

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — President Donald Trump said Sunday that “I’m not joking” about trying to serve a third term, the clearest indication he is considering ways to breach a constitutional barrier against continuing to lead the country after his second term ends in 2029. “There are methods which you could do it,” Trump said in a telephone interview with NBC News from Mara-Lago, his private club. He elaborated later to reporters on Air Force One from Florida to Washington that “I have had more people ask me to have a third term, which in a way is a fourth term because the other election, the 2020 election was totally rigged.” Trump lost that election to Democrat Joe Biden.

Still, Trump added: “I don’t want to talk about a third term now because no matter how you look at it, we’ve got a long time to go.”

The 22nd Amendment, added to the Constitution in 1951, says “no person shall be elected to the office of the President more than twice.”

The comments were an extraordinary reflection of the desire to maintain power by a president who had violated democratic traditions four years ago when he tried to overturn the election.

“This is yet another escalation in his clear effort to take over the government and dismantle our democracy,” said a statement from Rep. Daniel Goldman, a New York Democrat who served as lead counsel for Trump’s first impeachment

Kayla Thompson, a 30-year-old former paralegal in Wisconsin, said she would

“absolutely” like Trump to serve another term.

“America needs him. America is headed in the right direction and, if he doesn’t do it, we’re probably headed backwards,” said Thompson, who was attending a campaign event Sunday with Elon Musk in Green Bay for a state Supreme Court race.

Derek Muller, a professor of election law at Notre Dame, suggested that Trump is talking about a third term for political reasons to “show as much strength as possible.”

“A lame-duck president like Donald Trump has every incentive in the world to make it seem like he’s not a lame duck,” he said. Representatives for the congressional leadership did not immediately respond to requests for comment from the AP

“I couldn’t care less because if the prices on foreign cars go up, they’re going to buy American cars.”

fellow at the Manhattan Institute, a conservative think tank.

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has suggested that tariffs would be a one-time price adjustment, rather than the start of an inflationary spiral. But Bessent’s conclusion rests on tariffs being brief or contained, rather than leading other countries to retaliate with their own tariffs or seeping into other sectors of the economy

“There is a chance tariffs on goods begin to filter through to the pricing of services,” said Samuel Rines, a strategist at WisdomTree.

“Auto parts get move expensive, then auto repair gets more expensive, then auto insurance feels the pressure. While goods are the focus, tariffs could have a longerterm effect on inflation.”

How are other nations reacting?

Most foreign leaders see the tariffs as destructive for the global economy, even if they are prepared to impose their own countermeasures.

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said Trump’s tariff threats had ended the partnership between his country and the United States, even as the president on Friday talked about his phone call with Carney in relatively positive terms. Canada already has an-

nounced retaliatory tariffs.

French President Emmanuel Macron said the tariffs were “not coherent” and would mean “breaking value chains, creating inflation in the short term and destroying jobs It’s not good for the American economy, nor for the European, Canadian or Mexican economies.”

Yet Macron said his nation would defend itself with the goal of dismantling the tariffs.

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum has avoided the tit-fortat responses on tariffs, but she sees it as critical to defend jobs in her country

The Chinese government said Trump’s tariffs would harm the global trading system and would not fix the economic challenges identified by Trump.

“There are no winners in trade wars or tariff wars, and no country’s development and prosperity are achieved through imposing tariffs,” Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun said.

How did he land on the name?

Based off Trump’s public statements, April 2 is at least the third “liberation day” that he has identified.

At a rally last year in Nevada, he said the day of the presidential election Nov. 5 would be “Liberation Day in America.” He later gave his inauguration the same label, declaring in his address: “For American citizens, Jan. 20, 2025, is Liberation Day.”

His repeated designation of the term is a sign of just how much importance Trump places on tariffs, an obsession of his since the 1980s. Dozens of other countries recognize their own form of liberation days to recognize events such as overcoming Nazi Germany or the end of a previous political regime deemed oppressive.

Trump sees his tariffs as providing national redemption, but the slumping consumer confidence and stock market indicate that much of the public believes the U.S. economy will pay the price for his ambitions.

“I don’t see anything positive about Liberation Day,” said Phillip Braun, a finance professor at Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management. “It’s going to hurt the U.S. economy Other countries are going to retaliate.”

PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP

AP PHOTO By MARK SCHIEFELBEIN

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By JAE C. HONG

Continued from page 1A

to dream of the ultimate dream. Early on against UCLA, the dream of a trip to Tampa, Florida, for the Final Four was very much within the Tigers’ grasp. Both teams struggled to put the ball in the basket in the first quarter, but LSU rallied from a 1-for-12 shooting slump to take a 13-9 lead into the second quarter It was a lead that looked much more promising because of one key stat: Betts, UCLA’s linchpin 6-foot-7 center, ended the first quarter with two fouls for the first time in her career Sometimes, often actually, sports completely con-

tradict expectations. That’s what happened in this instance. With Betts clamped to the UCLA bench for the entire second quarter it should have been an advantage for LSU. It looked as though the Tigers had a chance to stretch their advantage to double digits by halftime. Instead, the Bruins filled the mountainous Betts void with an accurate outside attack to outscore the Tigers 22-12 in the period and take a 31-26 lead to the break. Timea Gardner made all three of her 3-point attempts and Gabriela Jaquez added another as UCLA went 4-of-6 beyond the 3-point arc. It was an ominous statistic, and in the entire arc of the game it was the most decisive factor

“The game was lost in the second quarter,” Mulkey said. “That’s where the game was lost. We didn’t capitalize on Betts being off the floor.”

with other states.

attributing the loss to liber-

al billionaire George Soros. “Soros and far left liberals poured millions into Louisiana with propaganda and outright lies about Amendment 2,” the statement said. “We realize how hard positive change can be to implement in a state that is conditioned for failure.” Through a spokesperson, Landry declined to comment further Sunday and did not answer questions seeking evidence for his claims about Soros and outof-state spending.

John Couvillon, a Baton Rouge pollster and political analyst, said “unusually energized” early voting participation by Democrats could reflect people “taking their anger out on the governor or perhaps even the president through “’no’ votes on all four amendments.”

The state’s urban centers voted overwhelmingly against the amendments: In East Baton Rouge Parish, 3 in 4 voters rejected Amendment 2, while 91% of voters in Orleans Parish voted no.

But Republicans also helped knock down the

ST. GEORGE

Continued from page 1A

government that truly reflected the will of the people Now that it’s failed, those ideas are still on the table, said Andrew Murrell, District 5 council memberelect. It will just take longer for them to come to fruition

“At this point, we’ll have to sit down and have a meeting,” Murrell said. “The first elected council hasn’t already been fully elected yet So, that meeting wouldn’t take place until July or at minimum, after May, when we know who the people are going to be. Then we would talk about the next steps.”

‘The voters spoke’

The process to get another

governor’s tax amendment Couvillon pointed out Even in Landry’s hometown parish of St. Martin, 51% of voters said “no” to Amendment 2 In Jefferson Parish — where 55% of voters backed President Donald Trump, and where Landry defeated Democrat Shawn Wilson 40% to 26% twothirds of voters rejected it.

“It was the perfect storm of disaster,” Couvillon said. Given that the votes were nearly identical for all four amendments, Couvillon said, the turnout represents voters’ general dissatisfaction — a kind of “primal scream.”

Who pushed back?

In more than a year in office, Landry has pushed an aggressive agenda and has usually achieved his goals. Most recently, he and the Legislature made sweeping changes to the tax code, including: a flat 3% individual income tax rate, a flat 5.5% corporate income tax rate, the elimination of Louisiana’s corporate franchise tax as well as an increase of the state sales tax rate to 5% and a broadening of the base of goods and services that are taxed.

Landry pitched Amendment 2 as the next step in his plan to rewrite tax laws to make Louisiana more competitive economically

new charter written and onto voters’ ballots again would take two to three years at a minimum, Murrell said. Until then, St. George will operate under the Lawrason Act, which is the state’s default government.

The system differs in a number of ways from the rejected charter There is no city manager, and more power and responsibilities are given to a mayor rather than the city council.

“When you read about the Lawrason Act it says the mayor sets the agenda,” Murrell said. “If the mayor sets the agenda, am I going to have an issue getting an ordinance or resolution on there that I think is important to our constituents if the mayor says no?”

After Saturday’s result, Yates said it would be wise

But the four ballot questions ended up generating two major opposition campaigns from unlikely bedfellows: religious organizations on the political right worried about losing valuable property tax exemptions and a coalition of community social justice and advocacy organizations on the political left that feared limits on state spending as well as harsher punishments for juveniles in the criminal justice system, among other concerns.

On the left, a coalition called No to Them All, made up of many Louisiana community and advocacy groups, launched a messaging campaign against all four ballot measures.

“No to Them All was an umbrella for the efforts of dozens of nonprofits and individuals who opposed these misleading and harmful constitutional amendments,” the coalition said in a statement.

The group declined to give an accounting of major campaign funders.

“The effort relied on endorsing organizations to mobilize their own time and resources in support of our shared goals; as a coalition, there was no central entity or funder behind it,” the statement said.

Among the group’s mem-

for the council not to rush into anything regarding a new charter, especially considering two council seats are headed to a runoff in May and the first elected council won’t be sworn in until July 1.

“I think that the voters spoke yesterday; they told us that this wasn’t the document that they wanted. So I think it would be prudent to sit back, reflect on that and have a lot of great conversations with some of these people,” Yates said.

While St. George will not have the hybrid city councilcity manager form of government that Murrell, Yates and other leaders wanted right away, some things they envisioned can still be implemented. For example, St. George proponents have long said they intend to privatize some government services.

LSU spent the entire second half playing catchup, getting as close as three points, 56-53, with 3:24 left to play on a flash to the

bers were Invest in Louisiana, Together Louisiana and Step Up Louisiana.

Also part of the effort was Liberty & Dignity Coalition, a group of advocacy organizations particularly focused on opposing Amendment 3, which would have resulted in more teenagers being treated as adults in the criminal court system.

Kristen Rome, executive director of the Louisiana Center for Children’s Rights, said the notion the amendment failed because of one person or organization was wrong.

“People got out and voted,” she said. “No one can make people get up, get in their cars, drive to their polling places and press the button. People did that because they knew what was going on.”

On the right, the Rev Tony Spell, the charismatic, politically engaged pastor of Life Tabernacle Church and one-time Landry ally, joined forces with Woody Jenkins, chair of the East Baton Rouge Republican Party and a longtime political player They raised concerns about loosening constitutional protections for property tax exemptions that churches and nonprofits receive.

Jenkins said Landry’s statement attributing the

“We’re going to privatize as much as we can. It’s going to be essentially the same process. We just lost some of the what we felt were advantages of checks and balances in doing all this,” Murrell said. Murrell said the only real difference is that efforts to privatize a city department or service will now have to go through Yates’ office first rather than the council.

Another attempt?

Though they didn’t get exactly what they wanted, Murrell and Yates both felt like Saturday was a massive victory for St. George because candidates who have been involved with the new city since its inception were elected. They said they are optimistic about the at-large and District 4 council races still to be determined.

basket by Johnson. But the Tigers could draw no closer, the Bruins holding them at arm’s length the rest of the way by making 13 of their last 14 freethrow attempts sandwiched around one more 3-pointer from Jaquez. Now UCLA gets to keep playing, awaiting the winner of Monday’s USC-UConn regional final Saturday in Tampa. Now LSU gets to start preparing for next season, and another run at the top of the women’s college game. There is much work to be done. LSU has signed the nation’s No. 1 recruiting class, but the Tigers must find a plug and play replacement for Morrow at forward in the now allimportant transfer portal. There’s also the issue of

loss to Soros was “an insult to the people of this state” as well as “a face-saving device.”

“The credibility of the administration and the Legislature with people right now is obviously very low,” he said. “People had every chance to vote for (Amendment 2). There were told at every turn how great it was, but they did not believe it.”

Jenkins also took issue with the governor’s idea that the people of Louisiana don’t know how to win.

“The people do win — overwhelmingly,” he said.

A jumble of ideas

Some observers said the amendment’s supporters were trying to do too much too quickly The amendments would affect everything from courts to taxes to juvenile crime and elections for judicial seats Amendment 2 alone was over 100 pages long.

Cross called Amendment 2 “a hodgepodge of numerous elements designed to remake Article VII of the Louisiana Constitution” that “had way too much going on.”

“Mostly that was a result of the governor and the people who wrote the amendment trying to shoehorn all their constitutional changes into the form of a constitutional amend-

And they point to some factors that made this particular election more difficult to pass the charter

A common criticism from those who opposed the act was that it should have been written by a commission put together by elected representatives, not those who were appointed Now elected officials will be writing the next proposal.

Murrell also points out that the charter was on the same ballot as four constitutional amendments, all of which voters rejected by even wider margins. That meant the election came with “a lot of opposition viewpoints,” he said.

Discussion of the charter was also tied up in a sometimes fierce debate over salaries for the new mayor, police chief and council, which

whether Johnson, a junior but eligible by age for the WNBA draft, will return to form the nucleus of this team with fellow All-Southeastern Conference star Mikaylah Williams. For now though, there are just memories. Emotions. The happiness and the heartbreak of a season so close to so many dearly sought goals, but at the same time so far away “I think there’s a lot to be learned from this,” said Johnson, who pumped in 24 second-half points to finish with a game-high 28. “Definitely going to sit back and learn, but just gained so much perspective from this year It was beautiful.” Beautiful, and painful. Like for all but one of the 68 teams in the NCAA tournament.

ment,” Cross argued, a move borne out of an earlier failed attempt to rewrite the entire constitution. Jenkins, who for months has been vocally opposed to Amendment 2, said, “They had the feeling that they could put a lot of things into one constitutional amendment and people wouldn’t notice a lot of the details.” Couvillon also said the governor waited until it was too late to deflect messaging from opposition campaigns.

“You can’t half-ass it and wait ’til early voting to start your campaigning,” he said.

Nonetheless, both Couvillon and Cross said defeat at the ballot box Saturday in no way spells the demise of Landry’s political fortunes or policy plans.

“I don’t think it says anything about the longterm success or failure of Landry’s policy agenda,” said Cross. “I just think that it indicates disgruntled voters at this stage.

“I don’t see this as a watershed moment for Louisiana politics and for Gov Landry I see this as a reaction to some amendments that people really didn’t warm up to or didn’t understand.”

Email Alyse Pfeil at alyse. pfeil@theadvocate.com.

some critics argued were too high. The salaries were approved separately from the charter, but St George officials have acknowledged the two issues may have bled together

As the newly elected leaders work out a new charter and prepare to go back before voters, the mayor hopes less vitriol and more measured conversations take place.

“There was a lot of hostility built up behind that,” Yates said. “In the future, when we have things that come up, because they will come up, I hope we go at it in a more of an approach that it’s OK to disagree, but we don’t have to be disagreeable.”

Email Patrick SloanTurner at patrick.sloanturner@theadvocate.com.

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By JENNy KANE

LSU forward Aneesah Morrow, right, hugs teammate Sa’Myah Smith after the Tigers’ 72-65 loss to UCLA in the Elite Eight of the NCAA tournament on Sunday.

Smell of death permeates Myanmar cities

BY THEIN ZAW, DAVID RISING and GRANT PECK Associated Press

MANDALAY, Myanmar The smell of decaying bodies permeated the streets of Myanmar’s secondlargest city on Sunday as people worked frantically by hand to clear rubble in the hope of finding someone still alive, two days after a massive earthquake struck that killed more than 1,600 people and left countless others buried.

The 7.7-magnitude quake hit midday Friday with an epicenter near Mandalay, bringing down scores of buildings and damaging other infrastructure like the city’s airport. Relief efforts have been hampered by buckled roads, downed bridges, spotty communications and the challenges of operating in a country in the midst of a civil war

The search for survivors has been primarily conducted by the local residents without the aid of heavy equipment, moving rubble by hand and with shovels in 106-degree heat, with only the occasional tracked excavator to be seen

A 5.1 magnitude aftershock Sunday afternoon prompted screams from those in the streets, and then the work continued.

Many of Mandalay’s 1.5 million people spent the night sleeping on the streets, either left homeless by the quake, which also shook neighboring Thailand and killed at least 18 people there, or worried that the continuing aftershocks might cause structures left unstable to collapse.

Many areas haven’t been reached

So far 1,644 people have been

reported killed in Myanmar and 3,408 injured, but many areas have not yet been reached, and many rescue efforts so far have been undertaken by people working by hand to try and clear rubble, said Cara Bragg, the Yangon-based manager of Catholic Relief Services in Myanmar.

“It’s mainly been local volunteers, local people who are just trying to find their loved ones,”

Bragg said after bring briefed by her colleague in Mandalay

“I’ve also seen reports that now some countries are sending search and rescue teams up to Mandalay to support the efforts, but hospitals are really struggling to cope with the influx of injured people, there’s a shortage of medical supplies, and people are struggling to find food and clean water,” Bragg added

The organization was sending a team by road on Sunday to assess peoples’ most pressing needs so that it could target its own response.

With the Mandalay airport damaged and the control tower toppled in the capital Naypitaw’s airport, all commercial flights into the cities have been shut down

Official relief efforts in Naypitaw were prioritizing government offices and staff housing, leaving locals and aid groups to dig through the rubble by hand in residential areas, the hot sun beating down and the smell of death in the air

A team sent from neighboring China rescued an older man who had been trapped for nearly 40 hours beneath the rubble of a Naypitaw hospital, and many others are believed to still be buried under, the official Xinhua news

agency reported.

Myanmar sits on the Sagaing Fault, a major north-south fault that separates the India plate and the Sunda plate.

The earthquake occurred when a 125-mile section of the fault ruptured, causing widespread damage along a wide swath of territory down the middle of the country

With widespread telecommunication outages, few details have come out so far from areas other than the main urban areas of Mandalay and Naypitaw

Foreign aid starts to arrive

Still, two Indian C-17 military transport aircraft were able to land late Saturday at Naypitaw with a field hospital unit and some 120 personnel who were then to travel north to Mandalay to establish a 60-bed emergency treatment

center, according to the country’s Foreign Ministry Other Indian supplies were flown into Yangon, Myanmar’s biggest city, which has been the hub of other foreign relief efforts.

On Sunday a convoy of 17 Chinese cargo trucks carrying critical shelter and medical supplies was expected to reach Mandalay, after making the arduous journey by road from Yangon.

The 400-mile journey has been taking 14 hours or longer, with clogged roads and traffic diverted from the main highway to skirt damage from the earthquake.

At the same time, the window of opportunity to find anyone alive is rapidly closing. Most rescues occur within the first 24 hours after a disaster, and then survival chances drop as each day passes.

An initial report on earthquake

relief efforts issued Saturday by the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs noted the severe damage or destruction of many health facilities, and warned that a “severe shortage of medical supplies is hampering response efforts, including trauma kits, blood bags, anesthetics, assistive devices, essential medicines, and tents for health workers.”

China said it has sent more than 135 rescue personnel and experts along with supplies like medical kits and generators and pledged around $13.8 million in emergency aid. Russia’s Emergencies Ministry said it had flown in 120 rescuers and supplies to Yangon, and the country’s Health Ministry said Moscow had sent a medical team to Myanmar

Teams from Singapore have been working already in Naypitaw Malaysia dispatched a team of 50 personnel on Sunday with trucks search and rescue equipment and medical supplies. Thailand said 55 of its soldiers arrived in Yangon on Sunday to help with search and rescue operations, while Britain announced a $13 million aid package to help its locally-funded part-

Richard Chamberlain, actor who starred in ‘Dr. Kildare,’ dies

Love.”

BY BOB THOMAS Associated Press

LOS ANGELES Richard Chamberlain, the handsome hero of the 1960s television series “Dr Kildare” who found a second career as an award-winning “king of the miniseries,” has died He was 90. Chamberlain died Saturday night in Waimanalo, Hawaii, of complications following a stroke, according to his publicist, Harlan Boll.

“Our beloved Richard is with the angels now. He is free and soaring to those loved ones before us,” Martin Rabbett, his lifelong partner, said in a statement. “How blessed were we to have known such an amazing and loving soul.”

Tall, with classic good looks and romantic style, Chamberlain became an instant favorite with teenage girls as the compassionate physician on the TV series that aired from 1961 to 1966.

Photoplay magazine named him most popular male star for three years in a row, from 1963-65. Not until 2003 did he acknowledge publicly what Hollywood insiders had long known, that he was gay He made the revelation in his autobiography “Shattered

The actor became known as “king of the TV miniseries” in 1978 when he landed the starring role in “Centennial,” an epic production 24 hours long and based on James Michener’s sprawling novel. He followed that in 1980 with “Shogun,” another costly, epic miniseries based on James Clavell’s period piece about an American visitor to Japan. He scored his greatest miniseries success in 1983 with another long-form drama, “The Thorn Birds,” based on Colleen McCullough’s best-seller He played Father Ralph de Bricassart, a Roman Catholic priest in Australia who falls in love with beautiful Meggie Cleary (Rachel Ward). The ABC production, which also starred Barbara Stanwyck, reportedly attracted 100 million viewers. Chamberlain won Golden Globes for his work in “Shogun” and “The Thorn Birds.” Years earlier, he received one for “Dr Kildare.”

When the public began to lose interest in miniseries, Chamberlain turned to the theater, where he displayed a fine singing voice. He appeared as Henry Higgins in a 1994 Broadway revival of “My Fair Lady” and as Captain von Trapp in a 1999 revival of “The Sound of Music.”

He reprised his role of de Bricassart in the 1996 TV

movie “The Thorn Birds: The Missing Years.”

He also appeared in numerous films, including “The Music Lovers” (as Tchaikovsky), “The Madwoman of Chaillot,” “The Towering Inferno” and “The Three Musketeers” and its sequels.

The “Kildare” series was based on a string of successful 1930s and ’40s films that had starred Lew Ayres in the title role.

Chamberlain’s hunky, allAmerican appearance made him an overnight star Another medical show that debuted the same season, “Ben Casey,” also was a smash and made its leading man, the darkly handsome Vince Edwards, a star, too.

The “Ben Casey shirt” became a fashion item, both shows’ theme songs made the pop Top 40 (the Kildare song performed by Chamberlain himself) and there was even a pop song called “Dr Kildare! Dr Casey! You Are Wanted for Consultation.”

But in his book, Chamberlain recounted how he was forced to hide his sexuality He would escort glamorous actresses to movie premieres and other public events at the request of studio executives and dodge reporters’ questions about why he had never married with a stock reply: “Getting married would be great, but I’m awfully busy now.”

“When I grew up, being gay being a sissy or anything

like that was verboten,” he said in an NBC interview “I disliked myself intensely and feared this part of myself intensely and had to hide it.”

He studied voice and drama, and after appearing in guest roles in a handful of TV shows and in the 1960 film “The Secret of the Purple Reef,” he won the Dr Kildare role.

Born George Richard Chamberlain in Beverly Hills on March 31, 1934, the actor originally studied at Pomona College to be a painter But after returning from the Army, where he had served as an infantry clerk in the Korean War, Chamberlain decided to try acting.

When “Dr Kildare” was canceled he moved to England for a time to find work and hone his acting skills. In 1969, Chamberlain played the title role in “Hamlet” at England’s Birmingham Repertory Company and repeated it in a TV adaptation that appeared on NBC in the United States.

Chamberlain

METRO NEWS

La., ports weigh investment

Regaining market share a challenge, report says

BY ANTHONY McAULEY Staff writer

The operators of Louisiana’s five deepwater ports on the lower Mississippi River have known for years that the region needed investment to stop bleeding container shipping market share to Gulf rivals. A new report underlines what a monumental task is ahead to win that business back.

The five ports Baton Rouge, South Louisiana, New Orleans, St. Bernard and Plaquemines — last year commissioned Martin Associates, a Lancaster Pennsylvania-based shipping industry consultant, to assess the regional cargo market and advise on strategy The report was presented by its author, John Martin, on Tuesday to government and port officials in Baton Rouge. 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 St. 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 publicprivate 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 of a million units over that period.

Charles Tillotson, head of Louisiana Gateway Port, said their strategy would be to focus on Dallas and capture a share of that market, which is currently supplied mainly from the Los Angeles/Long Beach ports. 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 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 ar-

ea’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 portion of container imports, for example, while plastic resin dominates exports. Both are relatively lowvalue commodities, and they are carried in different-sized containers.

The region already is well served by distribution centers in Houston, 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, Georgia 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 and electric vehicle batteries, which will drive traffic to supply their construction as well as for moving goods after they’re built.

The Napoleon Avenue terminal could benefit from that activity by being used for iron and steel storage, precious metals and warehouse development, as well as project cargo, the report said. It could even continue to service smaller container ship traffic with Central America by growing business in perishable markets, developing its cold storage capacity further, it added.

Email Anthony McAuley tmcauley@theadvocate. com.

Parks tax renewal going back to voters

Denham Springs measure defeated in December

BY CLAIRE GRUNEWALD Staff writer

Parks and Recreation of Denham Springs will again ask residents to approve its tax funding after voters in December shot down the ballot proposal to renew a dedicated property tax

The majority of the Livingston Parish Council approved the new vote after a lengthy debate on Thursday The recreation district will add the renewal to the Oct. 11 ballot, after parks officials argued voters would approve it this time with better education about the measure.

Voters in December defeated a ballot proposal asking if the district could renew a levy of 15 mills in property tax for 10 years to fund recreational facilities. The renewal was set to begin in 2026. It was a close call, with 52% of district voters saying no.

Park Commission Vice Chair Sharon Elliot said the agency polled a majority of voters and found out that

many didn’t know much about the park system. PARDS believes the renewal will pass this time around if voters understand what services it addresses.

PARDS has multiple facilities, including four parks, an aquatics center, a gymnasium and a nine-hole golf course. It also offers beforeand after-school care programs, sports programs and community spaces available for rent.

“We have to launch a campaign to sell this to the voters and that’s what we want to do — an educational campaign,” Elliot said.

PARDS had to shut down during COVID and Hurricane Ida, which financially impacted the agency, Elliot said. The park system has also rolled back its property tax rate millages in recent years but wants to have the 15 mills approved in case of another flood or for other potential maintenance work.

The parks and recreation system includes the districts of council members Erin Sandefur, John Wascom and Billy Taylor All three spoke highly of it Thursday and were in favor of putting the renewal issue back on the ballot.

“The park has consistently lowered their millage,” Sandefur said. “They have been responsible with the taxpayers’ money.”

Council member Ricky Goff commended PARDS for its frugality and reinforced that it deserves to have the property tax passed.

“This is an entity that is doing a lot with a little and providing service for a whole lot of youth, as well as our senior citizens,” Goff said.

Council members Ryan Chavers and Dean Coates voted against putting the renewal back on the ballot. Both said the people voted against it once and that officials should listen to them. Neither of the districts they represent include PARDS.

“It’s recreation. It’s not an essential service,” Chavers said. “When people vote down 15 mills, I think it’s very wise to come back and say, ‘OK, we ain’t took 15 mills in five years we need to bring it back and let the people approve something that’s more manageable for them.’”

The current tax collected for the recreation district will end this year

Baton Rouge social club uses needlepoint to connect

BY AVERY WHITE LSU Community News Cooperative

From the outside, The Elegant Needle is a simple, green one-story house nestled along Government Street. Inside the quaint home-turned-craft store are colorful patterns on the walls and the faint chatter of crafters while they stitch.

Tucked into one of the rooms filled wall to wall with every color of embroidery thread imaginable are women of various ages sitting around a polished oval table. They’re chatting while working on needlepoint projects, creating a comfortable social atmosphere in the quiet store.

As one of the only needlepoint stores in the capital region, The Elegant Needle attracts people of all skill levels looking for guidance and endless supplies.

Needlepoint has recently gone viral on social media, encouraging many people much younger than the usual needlepoint artist to pick up the thread-and-needle craft. And that has brought an influx of people to The Elegant Needle, including a community of recent college graduates.

“It’s a new joie de vivre that has swept through,” owner Catherine Pletsch said.

In January the newcomers formed a bimonthly social club, Stitch Social BR, to give needlepoint artists a place to craft surrounded by like-minded creatives.

Caroline Cantrelle, 25, a graduate of LSU, and Taylor Steilman, 23, who graduated from High Point University and then received a graduate degree from LSU, came up with the concept of a local social club dedicated to needlepoint because of trends they had seen on TikTok. Both are avid needlepoint artists.

“A lot of people on TikTok basically were starting their own needlepoint clubs and talking about doing a stitch club, and I had some FOMO,” Cantrelle said, referring to the “fear of missing out.”

Cantrelle said she started by dropping in to The Elegant Needle’s Saturday classes but thought a regularly scheduled event built around needlepointing and community also might draw interest.

Cantrelle and Steilman, in

ä See more photos online. GOTOTHEADVOCATE.COM.

collaboration with Pletsch, started Stitch Social BR. Club members gather twice a month.

“Even if it’s someone that is here for the first time, they kind of just leave feeling like they’re a part of something,” Cantrelle said. “You just lose that sense of community once you’re out of undergrad and you’re not with your classmates all the time.”

Hannah Arceneaux, 28 a 2019 High Point University graduate, said she has enjoyed the club.

“I saw needlepoint popping off on TikTok and I was like I need a new hobby, and so I looked up needlepoint stores near me and found here,” she said. “When I came in, they were like, ‘We’re about to start this social group, you should join.’”

The social club met once a month at first, but due to the unexpected number of participants — sometimes 50 people at a time — Steilman and Cantrelle thought it would be more beneficial to split the meeting to twice a month.

“It kind of exploded,” Cantrelle said. “We were expecting something casual, 10 or fewer people.”

Since the creation of the social club, many people have come back to the meetings, forming friendships as they talk about their projects and daily lives while sitting around the crafting table.

“It’s amazingly wholesome,” said Rebecca Atkins, 24, a social club member and an undergraduate student at LSU.

The Elegant Needle still welcomes learners on Saturdays, as the social club is not the ideal place to learn the craft. Saturdays offer the chance to learn one on one, while Stitch Social BR is an opportunity to be social while working on projects, Pletsch said.

“If you don’t get it and you’re in an environment where you can compare it to somebody else, the one who gets it first will keep it, and the one who gets it last won’t keep it,” Pletsch said. “There’s no race for you to learn.”

Stitch Social BR meets twice a month from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m at The Elegant Needle, 6641 Government St. The next gathering is Monday For information, visit Social Stitch BR’s Instagram.

This story was reported and written by a student with the support of the nonprofit Louisiana Collegiate News Collaborative, an LSUled coalition of eight universities funded by the Henry Luce and John D. and Catherine T MacArthur foundations.

LOTTERY SATURDAY,

PHOTO By AVERy WHITE

The Elegant Needle owner Catherine Pletsch, right, assists a customer in finding the right shade of thread for a project on March 17 at Stitch Social BR.

Robert Mackenzie "Mac" Hopper passed away on March 22, 2025, in Kalona, Iowa, at the ageof 75.

Born on October 29, 1949, Mac was the beloved only child of B.J. Hopper, a speech therapist and prominent actor with the Baton Rouge LittleTheater, and Alexa Williams Hopper, amaster preschool teacher at University Methodist Church and a dedicated backstage contributor to the same theater. He was also the nephewofDr. Hulen Williams and Dr.Virginia Williams, all long-time residents of Baton Rouge.

Mac attended Highland ElementarySchool and graduated from University High School in Baton Rouge in 1967. He earned his degreeinDrama from the University of California Fullerton and went on to teach Speech andDrama while pursuing acareerin acting and othertheaterrelated endeavors.

Later in life,Mac settled in Iowa, where he deepened his Christian faith and continuedtoteach as long as he was able. He was an active member of English River Chapel in Kalona, where he also servedina security role. His life reflected hisdevotion to God and his generous spirit.

Mac found great joy spending time with family. He cherished moments with hisstep-son Phil Radeboldt (wife Ashley) and theirchildren Dwight and Brooklyn, well as his step-daught Lillian Radeboldt and her cat Jack. To Mac, there were no "step" distinctio s—he embraced them fully as his own, and they lov ingly calledhim dada grandpa. He is survived by his wife Penny and hisson Drew. Mac's journey was one of faith, love, andservice. May his memorybring comfort to those who knew him and peace in knowing he now rests in the presence of God.

Methodist Church and a dedicated backstage con-

tributor to the same the-

ater. He was also the nephew of Dr. Hulen Williams and Dr. Virginia Williams, all long-time residents of Baton Rouge.

Mac attended Highland Elementary School and graduated from University High School in Baton Rouge in 1967. He earned his degree in Drama from the UniversityofCalifornia Fullerton and went on to teach Speech and Drama while pursuing acareer in acting and other theaterrelated endeavors.

Later in life, Mac settled in Iowa, where he deepened his Christian faith and continued to teach as long as he was able. He was an active member of English River Chapel in Kalona, where he also served in asecurity role. His life reflected his devotion to God and his generous spirit

Mac found great joy in spending timewith his family. He cherished moments with his step-son Phil Radeboldt(wife Ashley) and their children Dwight and Brooklyn, as well as his step-daughter Lillian Radeboldtand her cat Jack. To Mac, there were no "step"distinctions—he embraced them fully as his own, and they lovingly called him dad and grandpa.

He is survived by his wife Penny and his son Drew.

Mac's journey was one of faith, love, and service. May his memory bring comfort to those who knew him and peace in knowing he now rests in the presence of God.

family. He cherished mo-

ments with his step-son Phil Radeboldt(wife Ashley) and their children Dwight and Brooklyn, as well as his step-daughter Lillian Radeboldtand her cat Jack. To Mac, there were no "step"distinctions—he embraced them fully as his own, and they lovingly called him dad and grandpa. He is survived by his wife Penny and his son Drew.

Mac's journey was one of faith, love, and service. May his memory bring comfort to thosewho knew him and peace in knowing he now rests in the presence of God.

Robert

Louisiana legislators need to act on online age verification

For as long as I can remember, I’ve been passionate about advocating for those who cannot advocate for themselves. My husband and I live on a farm outside of Baton Rouge, where we raise our child and run our farm. Just as I advocated for animals when I was crowned Mrs. Louisiana American 2023, I feel a stronger responsibility, as a mother of a 10-year-old boy, to speak up and protect my son as he enters the online world.

There’s nothing more important to me than fighting for my son’s future, and that starts with making sure Louisiana lawmakers protect our children in every aspect of life — especially online by introducing age verification legislation this year

As many tweens do, my son loves to play video games. Unfortunately, we’ve had to deal with strangers trying to contact my son and his friends through these games. This is extremely frustrating because there’s no way for my child or me to truly know if the people trying to connect with him are who they claim to be. As he anticipates joining social media soon, this concern remains at the forefront of my mind

Misrepresenting age online isn’t just a gaming or social media issue — it impacts the entire online ecosystem. I could easily sit back and hope that by the time my son joins social media, the issue of age verification will be addressed, but that would be naive. Our children deserve to be protected online, and Louisiana parents need support from our legislators to tackle this concern holistically I urge my representatives to take this issue seriously and to take this important first step to ensure the safety of our children and teens online. We must build a strong foundation of safety for the next generation of teens in Louisiana.

JAMI REDMOND

Mrs. Louisiana American 2023

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR ARE WELCOME. HERE ARE OUR GUIDELINES: Letters are published identifying name 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.

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Allies, enemies watch how we treat Ukraine

Ukraine is fighting for its freedom, and the U.S. was helping. But the Trump administration is quitting on them, just like it did to our Kurdish allies in Syria. Does our flag still stand for freedom, or are they taking that away?

Trump claims he is working for peace in Ukraine.

But once Russia’s Putin is appeased there, he next attacks the Baltic countries, where we have Louisiana troops currently stationed in defense. The choice there for the U.S. would be to stand and fight — and die — for freedom, or to quit and run once again.

The irony is that the United States would be safer, stronger and remain at peace if we stand up to bullies like Vladimir Putin, and stand by our allies, as we have done since World War II.

So I ask all our senators and congressional representatives — Cassidy and Kennedy, Scalise, Johnson, Higgins, Letlow, Carter and Fields: Do we still stand strong in defense of freedom, or are we now the “allies” who cowardly slink away? Russia and China await your answer

EDWARD C. BRITTON Baton Rouge

Libraries are oases for learning

Asit dan bibliyotèk laparwas Lès Baton-Rouj-la sî Bluebonnet, mo wa plin moun dédan ki ê lir travayé, é diskité ent yé-minm ê pattajé yê konnésans. In nidé byin intélijen, non? In sèrvis piblik ké piblik sèrvi byin. Dan bibliyotèk-layé trouvé dan nô laparwas, n’a trouvé livyé é DVD-yé en françé, spañol, hindi, vyètnamyin, lalman, shinnwa é plin lòt langaj. Isit, moun kontinnwé aprenn déyò lékòl, trouvé in kominnité ki linm diskité nidé-yé, é chombo yê léspri en bon santé. Lá, m’ê ékri ça isit en kourivini, obin kréyol Lalwizyàn, min çé gras a litérati, konvèsasyon, é kominnité ké mo ka fé ça. Çé in lòt rézon pou protéjé bibliyotèk-yé ki fourni léspas pou édé moun aprenn kishò tou néf o en tradisyon, sèrvi Latwal-la, é minm kolaboré.

Translation: Sitting here in the East Baton Rouge Parish Library on Bluebonnet, I see plenty of people inside reading, working and talking amongst themselves — sharing knowledge. A fresh idea, no? A public service that serves the public well. In the libraries found in our parish, we’ll find books and DVDs in French, Spanish, Hindi, Vietnamese, German, Chinese and plenty of other languages. Here, people continue to learn outside of school, find a community that loves

to have conversations about ideas, and keep their minds in good health.

I’m translating this from Kouri-Vini, the endangered Creole language of Louisiana, but it’s thanks to literature, conversation and community that I can do that.

It’s another reason to protect libraries that provide space to help people learn something new or that’s part of a tradition, use the internet and even collaborate.

JONATHAN JOSEPH MAYERS Baton Rouge Poet Laureate 2021-2023

Cut postal budget by reducing mail frequency

Supporters prefer to ignore some facts of Khalil case

Rabbi Katie Bauman and two other authors asserted in a guest column recently that due process rights of Mahmoud Khalil have been violated by and subsequent to his arrest. They are unequivocally incorrect. First, his arrest was not about free speech and was not only about antisemitism. Second, although the good rabbi lists some legal reasons green card holders can be deported, she left out one: deportation predicated upon acts that have a “potentially serious adverse impact on foreign policy and related to national security.”

It is a fact that Khalil handed out flyers supporting Hamas, a designated foreign terrorist organization. Considering that the U.S. is presently in negotiations to free one or more Americans held hostage by Hamas, it is not difficult to understand how Khalil’s action could have an adverse impact on foreign policy (thus, Mahmoud’s arrest was not just about free speech and antisemitism). Also, apparently Khalil did not report on his green card application that he worked for two years for UNRWA, an organization that both the U.S. and Israel stated employed thousands of active Hamas members and some directly involved in the Oct. 7 attack. As to her claim that due process was denied to Khalil, he recently had his first court hearing. Another has been scheduled for April. Bauman is correct that the burden is on the government to prove any violation of the terms of his green card. If he fails the court hearing next month, he can appeal to the Board of Immigration Appeals and further appeal to the federal circuit courts. Bauman’s claim that Khalil was denied due process is false. Khalil’s arrest and deportation hearings are fully in accord with the rule of law

JOSEPH MOLYNEUX Metairie

Variety of viewpoints represented, but Trump supporters unsatisfi

ed

With so many media outlets and the richest man on the planet having the biggest platform, conservatives still whine about not being treated fairly in the media. President Donald Trump calls the media “the enemy of the people.” He has gone as far as to suggest some members should be prosecuted.

Two letters in your opinion page recently stand out. Patrick Grossie, of Lafayette, wrote on March 19 that conservative views weren’t adequately represented on your pages. I would like to know what Grossie considers conservative viewpoints. Are they the views of a man many of us admire named Ronald Reagan or is it just the viewpoint of President Donald Trump? Reagan, a man of integrity, was always respectful even to those with whom he disagreed. Trump conflates conservatism with attacking freedom of the press, blaming a lot of our problems on people of color, disrespect for the Constitution and ignoring the rule of law if it doesn’t coincide with his worldview

Your paper is very even-handed and has been very fair All Grossie has to do is look at another letter written by John K. Roberts of Gretna. Roberts heaps praise on Superintendent of Education Cade Brumley I find it hard to take Brumley seriously when next year’s students will have to refer to the Gulf of Mexico as the Gulf of America. Let’s not forget this is the same man who allows schools to use Praeger University videos, which say that slavery wasn’t so bad if you put it in the context of the times in the 18th and 19th centuries.

CHARLES V. DUNCAN Lafayette

ASSOCIATED

STAFF PHOTO By MICHAEL JOHNSON Several reading areas were created in the South Branch Library in Baton Rouge.

COMMENTARY

ROLE REVERSAL

Wow! We received 822 tasty entries in this week’s Cartoon Caption Contest.We had several zany ideas, from Miracle-Gro to separation anxiety Our winner came up with the perfect short, funny excuse to help this poor guy out of his crazy situation. Creative stuff, folks! As always, when we have duplicate entries, and we always do, we pick the earliest sent in Great job! — Walt

LAUREN GAUTHIER, KENNER: “I shouldn’t have left the energy drinks next to the seafood in the fridge.”

JIM WILLIAMSON, MANDEVILLE: This is the best stretch ever! Can you do my neck next?”

MORGAN J. LANDRY, PIERRE PART: “Pinch me.This has got to be a nightmare!”

EILEEN MENARD MARTIN, LAFAYETTE: “Who knew crawfish needed anger management classes?”

JOHN BARRERA, CONCORD, N.C.: “This is what they call March Madness in Louisiana!!”

JASON BONE, NEW ORLEANS: “The man you’re looking for is Tony Chachere!”

ASHTON PHELPS JR., NEW ORLEANS: “There’s a boil water advisory right now!”

DARREN TROSCLAIR, LAPLACE: “I swear I didn’t put the pineapple in there!”

RALPH STEPHENS, BATON ROUGE: “I’m a vegetarian!!! I’m just here for the corn, potatoes and beer!!!”

JAY HIGH, BATON ROUGE: “Wait! Don’t do it! I begged them to have fried catfish! you gotta believe me!”

ARTHUR WELLER, SLIDELL: “I said I wanted 200 pounds of crawfish, not ONE 200-pound crawfish!”

GARILYN NORTH, METAIRIE: “Did I mention I’m allergic to shellfish?”

BOB USSERY, NEW ORLEANS: “you say I’m going to soak in a nice hot bath?”

DAVID DELGADO, NEW ORLEANS: “My wife doesn’t think I have any taste!”

WENDY KING, NEW ORLEANS: “Wow! Talk about claws and effect!”

KENNETH HOFFMAN, NEW ORLEANS: “Help me, Franz Kafka, you’re my only hope!”

MARY H.THOMPSON, GREENSBORO, GA: “yes, I’m definitely feeling purged now Thank you for asking.”

MARK MARLEY, NEW ORLEANS:

“What kind of mushrooms were in the crawfish boil?!?!!”

PAMELA WOOTTEN, NEW ORLEANS: “About ‘sucking the heads’ pure urban legend!”

CHARLES MARSHALL, METAIRIE: “I knew I shouldn’t have put the Miracle-Gro on the same shelf with the Zatarain’s!”

BRYAN RUIZ (GRADE 4, PHILLIS

WHEATLEY COMMUNITY SCHOOL), NEW ORLEANS: “I did not expect this, for my first time trying crawfish!”

JEFF HARTZHEIM, FUQUAY-VARINA, N.C.: “If you squeeze my tail, I’m going to H.R.!”

ANN WILLS, NEW ORLEANS: “They’re running kind of big this season!”

RORY STEEN, DENVER, COLO.: “If you can wait a few minutes, the next batch will be spicier.”

JIMMIE PAPIA, METAIRIE: “you must have come from the swamp by the nuclear power plant.

FLOYD HODOH,AKRON, OHIO: “Have you tasted the corn?”

MICHAEL GOODMAN, MANDEVILLE: “I swear, I’m just a shrimp and crab guy!”

DON RANDON, GRETNA: “I’m experiencing severe separation anxiety!”

RICHARD MILLER, BATON ROUGE: “Well this sucks.”

A stronger grid is imperative for La.

From the power that lights our homes to the infrastructure that supports our communities, a reliable energy grid is essential to the security and economy of Louisiana and the nation.

Last year’s record-setting hurricanes exposed just how vulnerable our state’s power grid is, leaving families in the dark and threatening both local recovery and national security America should be an energy powerhouse, leading the world in innovation and reliability, but that won’t happen if Louisiana and the MISO South region are left behind.

This month, electric grid leaders at MISO the Midcontinent Independent System Operator, the entity that manages the grid across 15 states, including Louisiana — met to discuss the future of our energy infrastructure. Advocates from across the MISO South region spoke out, highlighting a critical disparity: while MISO has developed a robust transmission enhancement plan for its northern region — ensuring reliable, affordable power for communities now and in the future MISO South still lacks a plan, investment and a clear strategy to support its communities and protect military installations.

As a veteran who served at Fort Johnson with the 5th Infantry Division, I saw firsthand how critical a reliable power grid is to military operations. Louisiana is home to key installations like Barksdale Air Force Base and the Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base, both of which play vital roles in our nation’s defense.

But our military readiness is directly tied to the reliability and strength of our civilian grid — and right now, that grid is falling short. Natural disasters, cyberattacks and supply chain disruptions expose our state and our national security to serious risk

While current Department of Defense regulations require a minimum 14-day backup energy supply for critical military missions, many installations struggle to meet this resilience standard, potentially crippling communication, delaying emergency response efforts and endangering lives.

Today, nearly 99% of U.S. military installations depend on the civilian power grid for their electricity, meaning that when the grid goes down, our military’s ability to execute critical missions goes down with it. But the lack of modern transmission infrastructure doesn’t just hurt national

security, it also drives up costs for Louisiana families and businesses. Without strong regional transmission infrastructure, prices spike and energyintensive industries are left with no reliable path to grow or invest. For a state like Louisiana, where manufacturing, data centers and energy innovation offer enormous economic potential, failing to upgrade our grid means leaving jobs and prosperity on the table. MISO must commit to developing a Long Range Transmission Plan for MISO South, the same way it did for MISO North. No more delays, no more excuses

Our Public Service Commission and Gov Jeff Landry must demand action to protect Louisiana’s economy, military installations and communities. Energy dominance isn’t just about production, it’s about building the infrastructure to move power where it’s needed, when it’s needed. Modernizing our transmission grid is the fastest, most effective way to strengthen our economy, lower costs and protect our national security Louisiana cannot afford to be left behind by MISO any longer The time to act is now John Szoka is the CEO of the Conservative Energy Network.

Why do Louisiana U.S. Reps. Steve Scalise and Mike Johnson, two of the most powerful members of Congress, think your children should have a better chance of getting cancer, leukemia, suffering brain dysfunction and terrible lung diseases? And why are they joined in this decision by their Louisiana colleagues in the House, Clay Higgins, Mike Johnson and Julia Letlow, as well as U.S. Sens. John Kennedy and Bill Cassidy?

Oh, and why do they also want your children and future Louisiana generations to continue to live in the country’s most polluted state with the third worst release of industrial toxins and associated health impacts — all of which help result in the fourth lowest life expectancy in the nation?

I ask this because why else would they have remained silent when President Donald Trump cheered a promised rollback of 31 regulations protecting families from these terrible outcomes — all so fossil fuel producers could make a little extra money?

This isn’t hyperbole from environmental extremists out to kill industry These warnings are coming from leading medical authorities, including the American Lung Association. Labeling Trump’s plan a “tragedy for health,” the lung association called the changes what they were, “a historic handout to polluters at the direct expense of the health of families across America.”

The group made the obvious point that the rollbacks violate the EPA’s legal mandate to “protect the environment and human health.” Well, Trump disagrees.

His EPA director Lee Zeldin, wants to change that congressionally mandated mission to “relieve the economy of unnecessary bureaucratic burdens that drive up costs for American consumers. to lower the cost of buying a car heating a home and running a business to rollback trillions in regulatory costs killing the energy industry.”

Of course, that is nonsense. When those Biden-era regulations were in effect, the United States began producing more oil and gas than any nation in history and is now the world’s leading exporter of gasoline.

Here are some of the most egregious actions Zeldin and Trump are so proud of.

n Rolling back of almost all regulations opposed by the petrochemical industries. These include spending money to reduce emissions of benzene, toluene, xylene and hexene, all known carcinogens; sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxide, linked to respiratory problems like asthma; and heavy metals like mercury, nickel and cadmium, which can cause neurological and developmental problems as well as cancer

n Reducing or killing the Mercury and Air Toxics Standards on coal-powered plants. Mercury, a known neurotoxin, is one of the most dangerous pollutants, with even small amounts linked to serious health problems in the nervous, digestive and immune systems, and on lungs, kidneys, skin and eyes and development of children in utero.

n Closing the EPA Office of Research and Development, which studies environmental hazards, so you won’t know just how bad things are, and what new threats are being caused by the polluters.

n Eliminating the 2009 Endangerment Finding, which used science and measurements to prove carbon dioxide was a pollutant causing serious health impacts, and was key to justifying regulations reducing emissions, driving climate change.

n Rolling back the Particulate Matter National Ambient Air Quality Standards and National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants for American energy and manufacturing sectors, both of which help reduce premature death, heart attacks, irregular heartbeat, aggravated asthma, decreased lung function and increased respiratory symptoms like coughing and difficulty breathing. In every announcement about these dangerous changes, the EPA website has shouted about savings for polluting industries and the possibility of reduced costs for consumers. It never once mentions the expected increase in your medical costs or the extra suffering and likely shorter life spans for your children.

If you live in Louisiana, you might want to ask your representatives in Congress why they think it’s a good idea for your kids to have better chances of painful, life-shortening diseases — just to increase profits for wealthy industries.

Why else would they support these changes?

Bob Marshall, a Pulitzer Prize-winning Louisiana environmental journalist, can be reached at bmarshallenviro@gmail.com, and followed on Twitter @BMarshallEnviro.

WINNER: Laura Lawrason, New Orleans

Bob Marshall

John Szoka GUEST COLUMNIST

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Alvarado, Brooks lift Pels past Hornets

Borrego leads New Orleans in coach Green’s absence

BY ROD WALKER Staff writer

James Borrego knows better than most just how tough this season has been for the New Orleans Pelicans.

Borrego, the Pelicans’ associate head coach, has sat in the chair beside Willie Green through what has been an injury plagued season filled with disappointment. On Sunday, Borrego was in charge in place of Green, who missed the game for personal reasons.

The Pelicans prevailed 98-94 over the Charlotte Hornets at Smoothie King Center in a game between two of the worst teams in the NBA.

Jose Alvarado made sure the Pels left with a win.

After Charlotte’s Nick Smith buried a 3-pointer with 39.5 seconds left to give the Hornets a 94-93 lead, Alvarado answered with a reverse layup and got fouled on the play He knocked down the free throw to put the Pels up 96-94 with 31.4 seconds remaining. Then, after a Charlotte turnover, Alvarado drove to the basket and dished out an assist to Keion Brooks to seal it

“He’s a winner,” Borrego said. “ He loves being in those moments.”

Brooks led the Pelicans with a career-high 17 points and Antonio Reeves finished with 16.

“The young guys got it done tonight,” Borrego said. “Keion had a heckuva game.”

The Pelicans (21-54) avenged their 123-92 loss to the Hornets (18-56) in late January That loss two months ago in Charlotte was one of six 30-point losses the Pels have suffered in what has been a trying season. Borrego coached a team Sunday that was missing Zion Williamson (low back contusion),

ä See PELICANS, page 2B

NC AA T OU RN AM EN T ELITE EIGHT • UCLA 72, LSU 65

LSU ends second straight season one step shy of Final Four

OUT OF REACH

Tigers’ second half comeback falls short in loss to Bruins

BY REED DARCEY Staff writer

SPOKANE, Wash. — Her hands were on her hips. Her nose was sore and bloody After Aneesah Morrow committed her fifth foul, the look of realization crossed her face. Her season and her collegiate career was over On Sunday, the LSU women’s basketball team nearly snuck into the Final Four

But No. 1 seed UCLA protected a 14-point third quarter lead, held off the No. 3 seeded Tigers and picked up a 72-65 win in the Elite Eight, advancing to the NCAA Tournament’s national semifinal round for the first time in its history

Morrow nearly inspired a miraculous comeback. Some late third-quarter pushing and shoving in the paint gave her a bloody nose. All she needed was a quick trip to the locker room to patch it up and return to the game. She wasn’t going to go out like that. LSU, though, needed something more to stay alive.

“I’m tough,” Morrow said, “and I’m going to go out there and compete with my teammates. I’m going to try to do everything that I can.”

UCLA created open 3-pointers and drained most of them, building a second-half lead that was too large for the Tigers to erase. By the end of the game, UCLA had converted just 38% of its total field-goal attempts but shot an efficient 10-of-24 from beyond the arc.

LSU made a late push. Flau’jae Johnson’s scooping layup trimmed UCLA’s lead down to 65-62 at the 3:24 mark of the fourth quarter

But the Tigers ultimately committed too many turnovers (15) and missed too many shots (10 in the fourth quarter) to steal a win.

Johnson scored 24 of her 28 points in the second half. Morrow finished with 15 and 7 rebounds, and Mikaylah Williams added a total of 10 points. No other Tiger scored more than four

ä See LSU, page 5B

LSU scores 8 in first inning to sweep Mississippi St.

Tigers’ bats light up late into the night to earn SEC win

BY KOKI RILEY Staff writer

As the hours ticked by and the rain continued to fall, LSU’s bats were ready to pounce on Saturday night at Alex Box Stadium. But they really had to wait. Nearly four hours passed before freshman Derek Curiel stepped into the box to start the bottom of the first inning. But he and junior Jared Jones wasted no time getting LSU’s offense rolling. Curiel singled up the middle before Jones blasted a ball nearly halfway up the batter’s eye in center field for a two-run home run that traveled 440 feet.

“That’s one of the most impressive swings I’ve ever seen,” LSU coach Jay Johnson said. “And (we) just kept going after that.”

By the end of the inning, LSU scored eight runs on eight hits to take an 8-0 lead, catapulting the Tigers to a 17-8 victory and a series sweep over Mississippi State.

The high-scoring affair turned the night into a marathon for everyone at the park. Following a three-hour and 36-minute rain delay, Saturday’s game began at 9:36 p.m. and lasted four hours and eight minutes. It didn’t end until 1:44 a.m. on Sunday morning. “This is crazy,” redshirt sophomore right-hander Jaden Noot said. “I’ve never played this late (before).”

Four Tigers had three hits, including junior nine-hole hitter Chris Stanfield.

“On home games, I’d say close to right before (the game starts), we throw (batting practice) to a lot of them quickly, like firm (and at) game speed,” Johnson said. “And there was more of them down there because we had the three hour delay tonight.

This is crazy, I’ve never played this late (before).”

JADEN NOOT, LSU pitcher

The top three hitters in LSU’s lineup — Curiel, Jones and junior Daniel Dickinson — were a combined 8-for-13 at the plate. Jones, Dickinson, sophomore Steven Milam, senior Luis Hernandez and junior Ethan Frey each drove in multiple runs.

“And we had one thing we wanted to be a little better (at) than yesterday and you had to because they do have good arms. And we were right (on top of it) from the first pitch of the game in terms of just ready to go and pouncing on mistakes.”

After the massive first inning, LSU got a run-scoring single from sophomore Jake Brown in the second and a tworun double from Dickinson in the fifth. The Tigers then scored two more runs in the

ä See SWEEP, page 3B

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By JENNy KANE

UCLA forward Janiah Barker shoots as LSU guard Mikaylah Williams defends during the first half of their Elite Eight game on Sunday in Spokane, Wash. Williams had a total 10 points in Sunday’s loss.

STAFF PHOTO By MICHAEL JOHNSON

LSU left fielder Derek Curiel yells towards the bench while heading to first in the first inning against Mississippi State on Saturday at Alex Box Stadium.

STAFF PHOTO By DAVID GRUNFELD Pelicans guard Jose Alvarado scores a layup and is fouled by the Charlotte Hornets during the second half of their game Sunday at the Smoothie King Center

Liberty re-sign two-time WNBA MVP Stewart

NEW YORK Breanna Stewart resigned 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

Lee wins first PGA Tour title

The Associated Press HOUSTON Min Woo Lee kept his calm amid tremendous charges by Scottie Scheffler and Gary Woodland, winning the Houston Open on Sunday for his first PGA Tour title with the best lag of his life that set up a final par for a oneshot victory Lee bent over and repeatedly clutched his fists when his 55foot putt settled inches from the cup on the 18th hole, leaving him a tap-in par for a 3-under 67. He finished at 20-under 260, breaking the tournament record by four shots.

“It’s hard — it’s really hard,” Lee said. “Obviously, Scottie is a wonderful golfer and he keeps you on your toes. The first time being in front, I’m glad I got it done. I’m very exhausted. It was a lot of mental grind. I’m so proud of how I handled myself.” Every shot mattered after Lee made one bad swing to make what looked like a Sunday stroll turn very stressful. He led by five shots on the back nine until Woodland, who played his last four

PELICANS

Continued from page 1B

CJ McCollum (foot contusion) and Jordan Hawkins (back spasms). As a result, the Pelicans used their 42nd different starting lineup.

“I’m not sure I’ve been a part of a season like this before,” Borrego said. “In totality, I have not seen this. You go through stretches in a season where you’re injured. Every team does. But to see it start to finish, I’ve never seen anything like this before. It’s a great opportunity for our young guys.”

Borrego, in his second season on the Pelicans’ staff, has been in this role before. He spent four seasons as head coach of the Charlotte Hornets prior to coming to New Orleans.

“I’m fortunate to have had a little run at this, so it kinda kicks you back into that mode again,” Borrego said. “It’s good to have a little test run again and get out

holes in 4-under par to tie the Memorial Park course record with a 62, made his charge.

Scheffler, in his final start before defending his Masters title, ran off four straight birdies to get within one shot until his 7-iron on the 18th hole came up some 25 yards short of the pin.

He chipped to a few feet for par and a 63.

Lee was still in control until he sliced his tee shot on the par-5 16th into the water, having to hit his third from the tee and doing well to two-putt from 40 feet for bogey That ended 41 consecutive holes without a bogey, and dropped his lead to one shot with two to play

Lee missed well to the left on the 18th not an issue because Memorial Park has minimal rough — and his approach went just over the back of the green. He chose to putt instead of chip, and it worked out to near perfection.

Woodland was on the range, watching on his phone. It was his best finish since he had brain surgery to remove a tumor in September 2023. This is final year of

his exemption from winning the 2019 U.S Open at Pebble Beach, and the runner-up finish will serve him well.

Scheffler was in the scoring area watching Lee clinch the victory He looked over at his caddie and laughed. He closed with a 63 and couldn’t have done much more.

“Just trying to put as much pressure on Min Woo as I could have,” Scheffler said. “I was hoping to be able to do that on the front nine. I wasn’t able to get off to a good enough start. And he played some really good golf. I think he made one mistake on 16, but I think he did some really good stuff out there and he just went out and beat us this week.”

The 26-year-old Lee, whose older sister Minjee Lee is a major champion on the LPGA Tour, had won three times on the European tour and once on the Asian Tour He became the fifth player this year to win for the first time on the PGA Tour

Sami Valimaki of Finland also tied the tournament record of 62 and finished fourth.

Rory McIlroy shot 64, with bo-

there with the fellas.”

It’s also good that it came against his former team.

“It’s a whole new regime

(there),” Borrego said before the game. “Just thankful. I had a great time in Charlotte, four great years. I learned a lot, grew

Stewart has won three league titles, the first two coming with Seattle. She earned WNBA MVP honors twice and was Finals MVP twice. “Bringing Stewie back to the Liberty was our top priority this offseason,” New York GM Jonathan Kolb said. “Her impact on and off the court is immeasurable she’s not only one of the best and most accomplished players in the world, but a leader whose relentless drive is foundational to the standard we continue to build upon in New York.”

New Mexico taps Olen as next basketball coach

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — New Mexico hired UC San Diego’s Eric Olen on Sunday as its next basketball coach. Olen will replace Richard Pitino, who left to become Xavier’s coach on Tuesday “Eric is a proven winner with an incredible track record,” New Mexico athletic director Fernando Lovo said in a statement. “Beyond the accolades and success on the court, he is a values-driven leader who puts student-athletes first.” Olen spent 21 years at San Diego, the last 12 as head coach, and guided the Tritons through their transition from Division II to Division I. San Diego qualified for the NCAA Tournament this season in its first year of eligibility after winning the Big West Conference regular-season and tournament titles. The Tritons lost to Michigan 68-65 in the first round.

Malinin glides to second figure skating worlds title

BOSTON Ilia Malinin walked toward the ice for his free skate at the world championships with the swagger of a conquering hero. Then he backed up the bravado.

geys at the start and finish of his final round before the Masters. He tied for fifth and was headed home to get the final touches on his game before going to Augusta National to try to complete the career Grand Slam.

The other battle on the course was between Michael Kim and Ben Griffin, both trying to move inside the top 50 in the world ranking and earn a spot in the Masters. Kim made a 6-foot par putt on his last hole for a 69 to tie for 32nd, allowing him to move to No. 50 by the slimmest or margins over Griffin. The difference in their two-year average points was 0.2. Lee already was in the Masters from being in the top 50 at the end of last year Now he has a PGA Tour title, setting him up for the rest of the $20 million signature events this year “Everyone out here knows how talented the kid is. He’s an absolute stud,” Woodland said. “We all know once you break through for him sky’s the limit so really happy for him. For me, it was great just to get those juices flowing again, just to see some results.”

a lot. It’s good to see those guys. I wish Melo (Ball) was playing. I’d love to see him out there and competing against him. It’s a little strange that you’re going against your former team like that, but I’m looking forward to it.”

The Pelicans shot just 2 of 13 on 3-pointers in the first half and trailed 52-43.

“First half, we had good looks and they didn’t fall for us,” Borrego said. “But a big third quarter for us. We found some rhythm.”

Reeves heated up in the third quarter, nailing three consecutive 3-pointers to get the Pelicans going on their way to a 74-73 lead heading into the fourth quarter

“For a young team to close like that, I’m proud of them,” Borrego said.

Borrego improved to 2-0 as Green’s replacement. In the 2023’24 season, Borrego led the Pels to a 131-110 victory over the Dallas Mavericks.

Up next for the Pelicans is a two-game road trip to Los Angeles to play the Clippers Wednesday and the Lakers Friday

The 20-year-old from Fairfax, Virginia, laid down another highflying, high-energy program while defending his title Saturday night, earning a standing ovation inside TD Garden and capping a memorable home championships for the Americans, who won three gold medals in the four figure skating disciplines to take a wave of momentum into an Olympic year Malinin finished with a seasonbest 318.56 points after his free skate, set to “I’m Not a Vampire” by Falling In Reverse, to win his second gold medal by more than 31 points.

Former LIV golfer wins

Hero Indian Open

NEW DELHI Former LIV Golf player Eugenio Chacarra overcame a slow start to win the Hero Indian Open for his first European tour title on Sunday Chacarra shot a 1-under 71 in the final round to finish at 4 under and clinch the victory in his ninth tournament on the European tour The Spaniard ended up two shots ahead of Japanese Keita Nakajima, who shot an even-par 72 in the final round. Chacharra, who was playing on a tournament invitation, won in his fifth LIV start but was left off the Fireballs roster for the 2025 season by fellow Spaniard Sergio Garcia.

“I’m very grateful for that opportunity,” he said, thanking organizers for the invitation. “You guys probably changed my life from today so thanks for that.”

Jets GM Mougey says Fields is starting QB PALM BEACH,Fla.— Justin Fields is the New York Jets’ QB1 right now — and they hope for the foreseeable future.

While speaking to reporters Sunday at the NFL’s league meetings, new general manager Darren Mougey left no doubt as to who’s atop the Jets’ depth chart.

“We believe Justin is the starter,” Mougey said “We believe in Justin. We believe we can win with Justin, so we’re excited about Justin.”

The Jets signed Fields to a twoyear, $40 million contract including $30 million in guarantees — on March 10. The 26-year-old quarterback is making starter-type money, so Mougey’s declaration wasn’t a major surprise. But it at least cements his status at the moment ahead of veteran Tyrod Taylor — who Mougey said would be “right on his heels” — and youngsters Adrian Martinez and Jordan Travis in New York’s

STAFF PHOTO By DAVID GRUNFELD

Pelicans center yves Missi shoots through the Charlotte Hornets defense during the first half of their game on Sunday at the Smoothie King Center

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By ASHLEy LANDIS

Min Woo Lee, of Australia, reacts after a putt on the 18th green during the final round of the Houston Open golf tournament on Sunday in Houston.

LSU drops series to S. Carolina

BY JIM KLEINPETER

LSU’s softball series against South Carolina started with a dominant blowout but fizzled out into a doubleheader sweep by the No. 10 Gamecocks Sunday at Tiger Park.

The No. 3 Tigers blew a seventhinning lead in a 5-3 first-game loss in eight innings, and watched the visitors take an early lead in the second and beat them 4-1.

In Friday’s opener LSU (31-3, 6-3 in SEC) waxed the Gamecocks 11-3 in a five-inning mercy rule win. Sunday was a different story as LSU struggled to finish one game and score in either “We just didn’t have it today, LSU coach Beth Torina said. “We came out flat and didn’t have it at all at any point in this day.”

The Tigers out hit South Carolina 7-6 in the first game and had six against winning pitcher Jori Heard (11-2) in the second, but she scattered them through six innings. Heard had allowed four runs in 12/3 innings of relief in the series opener On Sunday, she struck out five, walked two and got a big double play to snuff out an LSU threat.

First-game winner Sam Gress pitched the final inning and LSU got the tying run to the plate with two out in the seventh when Danieca Coffey struck out looking to end the game.

LSU starter Jayden Heavener (6-2) struck out 10, but three firstinning walks plus a hit batter gave South Carolina the lead. The Gamecocks got another in the sec-

SWEEP

Continued from page 1B

sixth and another run in the seventh to take a 14-8 lead.

In the eighth inning, the offense nearly ended the game early LSU scored three runs to grow its lead to nine before Frey flew out to deep right field to close out the inning. The Tigers had runners on first and second when the putout was made.

“It’s easy in a long day like today to lose yourself within the five (or) six hours that we’re waiting, or whatever it was,” Frey said. “Just staying mentallyreadykindofhelpsprepare you for the game.”

Sophomore right-handed starter Chase Shores had an eventful night in his third SEC start.

After a scoreless first inning, he allowed four earned runs on four

“I wish we would have had a little bit better start, set a little better tone from the beginning especially after coming off of a loss. I wish we had come out sharper in the first inning. Overall, I thought she pitched well enough to win.”

JAyDEN HEAVENER, LSU pitcher

ond when a wild pitch set up a runscoring single by Quincee Lilio. Lexi Winters hit a run-scoring single in the fifth and pinch hitter

Mya Flindt hit a solo homer in the sixth to widen the lead to 4-1. Heavener walked five, hit one batter and threw two wild pitches.

All five hits figured in Gamecock scoring.

“I wish we would have had a little bit better start, set a little better tone from the beginning especially after coming off of a loss.

I wish we had come out sharper in the first inning. Overall, I thought she pitched well enough to win.”

LSU got a run in the second on a walk to Tori Edwards, a single by McKenzie Redoutey and a grounder by Savanna Bedell. Another rally was cut short when Maci Bergeron lined into a pitcher-to-second double play with two runners on in the third.

In the first game, pitcher Sydney Berzon (14-2) entered the seventh inning with a one-hitter and a 2-1 lead. But she gave up back-to-back doubles to Lilio and Karley Shelton to tie the game and a base hit by Ella Chancey to give the visitors a 3-2 lead.

hits in the second. He surrendered a one-out solo home run to senior Hunter Hines before giving up a bases clearing double that drove in three runs and cut LSU’s lead to 8-4. Shores bounced back after that, throwing a scoreless third and fourth inning. But before he finished his outinginthefourth,hislefteyegothitby a bouncing ball that deflected off the heal of his glove. The play resulted with him acquiring a bruised cheek and a cut at his eye brow He stayed in the game despite the accident and forced a fielder’s choice to end the inning, stranding runners on first and third in the process.

“I’ve never seen it happen,” Frey said when asked how rare it was to see a pitcher stay on the bump after getting hit in the face “I feel like that would have to be pretty rare.”

Shores finished the night with five strikeouts, two walks and five

The Tigers came back in the bottom half to tie it on Coffey’s sacrifice fly but stranded the potential winning run at second when Jalia Lassiter popped out to shortstop.

In the eighth, Berzon unraveled, giving up two hits, a walk, and hitting two batters to produce two runs. LSU got a one-out double in the bottom half from Edwards but Gamecock starter Gress got fly ball outs from Redoutey and Jadyn Laneaux to end the game. Gress (8-3) walked three and struck out seven. The loss marred a big game for sophomore designated player Bedell, making her third career start. She entered the game with three career hits but doubled that with two singles and her first career home run, a solo shot to give LSU a 2-1 lead in the fifth. Her other hits also figured in the other two runs scored.

“It felt great. On Friday I was close to one and felt like it was coming soon,” Bedell said. “I was working on being on time. I’m really happy about it and my teammates were too.”

The Tigers were uncharacteristically sloppy with their first fourerror game in the opener Shortstop Avery Hodge and Coffey miscues in the first gift-wrapped a run, Daniel booted one in the third and another by Coffey in the fourth. Berzon pitched around that trouble and finished with four strikeouts, four walks and six hits allowed, five in the final two innings.

The Tigers are back in action on Tuesday against McNeese at 6 p.m. (ESPN+) in Lake Charles.

hits allowed in four innings.

“I think that’s a big step for him tonight,” Johnson said. Junior left-hander Conner Ware replaced Shores in the fifth inning and tossed a scoreless frame before freshman right-hander Mavrick Rizy allowed a run in the sixth.

Things then got rocky for LSU’s bullpen in the seventh. Sophomore left-hander DJ Primeaux walked a batter and hit the next one before exiting for junior right-hander Connor Benge.

Benge surrendered a two-run double that shrunk LSU’s lead to six before he walked a batter and eventually found himself in another jam. The Bulldogs had two runners in scoring position with nobody out.

The Dallas Baptist transfer allowed a run, but he got a strikeout, a sacrifice fly out and a groundout to end the inning and keep LSU’s

Rangers’ DeGrom ‘terrific’ in return

The Associated Press ARLINGTON,Texas Jacob deGrom resembled the NL Cy Young Award winner of 2018 and ’19 with the New York Mets, allowing only two hits in five shutout innings on Sunday to get a nodecision in the Texas Rangers’ 3-2 win over the Boston Red Sox. DeGrom, 36, was limited to five innings and around 75 pitches as he works his way back from his second Tommy John surgery in May 2023, soon after he joined the Rangers in free agency He threw 73 pitches, 49 for strikes, walked two and hit a batter He allowed multiple runners in only one inning. His second time through the lineup, he recorded five of his six strikeouts

“It was nice obviously to be back out there and to go five,” deGrom said afterward. “Build from there. Still got work to do.”

DeGrom left with a 1-0 lead.

Manager Bruce Bochy said deGrom had about 10 pitches left, but he wanted his first reliever to start an inning. Shawn Armstrong allowed two runs, one unearned, that prevented deGrom from earning his first win since April 2023.

“A good start by Jacob. He got us to where we were hoping. Really terrific job today Next game he could go six innings, maybe seven,” Bochy said. “He’s excited about how he feels. That’s nice to see. He’s an important part of this staff. It’s good to see that guy out there every fifth day Texas rallied to win 3-2 on sixth-inning solo home runs by Wyatt Langford and Adolis García When deGrom returned last September, the longest of his three outings was four innings and 61 pitches He said 70 pitches was his high mark this spring.

“We started him a little later in spring training to build him up,” Bochy said. “We had him where we wanted, to give us five innings. You could just see him getting better and better He’s throwing free and easy.”

DeGrom’s five career outings vs. Boston have all been quality starts, but this was the first time his team won. The four previous losses with New York during his nine seasons there he took the loss twice — were by one or two runs. His career ERA against the Red Sox is 2.40.

DeGrom said getting the season’s first start out of the way won’t calm his mound demeanor YANKEES 12, BREWERS 3: In New York, Aaron Judge homered in his first at-bat, Jazz Chisholm Jr homered twice and the New York Yankees went deep four more times in a 12-3 victory over the Milwaukee Brewers on Sunday, a day after becoming the third team in major league history to hit nine homers in a game. The Yankees hit a total of 15

MLB ROUNDUP

homers and scored 36 runs as they swept the three-game series. A day after homering three times for the third time in his career and finishing with a career-high eight RBIs Judge hit a two-run homer off Aaron Civale (0-1) in the first inning, sending a full count 89 mph fastball into the lower left field seats.

GIANTS 6, REDS 3: In Cincinnati, Matt Chapman hit a two-run homer and Heliot Ramos homered for the second time in the series as San Francisco beat Cincinnati.

It was a pitchers’ duel through the first five innings Reds righthander Nick Martinez (0-1) retired the first 13 batters before Ramos launched his 1-1 pitch into the left-field stands to put the Giants ahead 1-0. Chapman’s two-run homer in the sixth made the score 4-0. Martinez allowed four earned runs with a walk and five strikeouts

Giants right-hander Robbie Ray (1-0) had a perfect game through five innings, but things unraveled for him in the sixth Gavin Lux broke up the nohitter when a leadoff single. Then Austin Wynn hit a two-run homer, his first of the season, and Matt McLain added a solo shot, his second, to make the score 4-3.

Ray retired one batter in the sixth before exiting after allowing three earned runs with a walk and four strikeouts. Cincinnati had the tying run at the plate in the eighth Santiago Espinal grounded to Chapman who tagged lead runner Jacob Hurtubise then threw to first to complete an inning-ending double play

NATIONALS 5, PHILLIES 1: In Washington, Josh Bell and Nathaniel Lowe homered, and Washington avoided a seasonopening series sweep with a victory over Philadelphia. Bell, who was 0 for 9 to begin his second stint with Washington, ripped an Aaron Nola fastball into the center-field seats for a three-run homer in the fourth inning.

Lowe ended Nola’s day with a two-run shot to center in the sixth.

Washington starter Mitchell Parker (1-0) put two runners on in each of the first three innings but escaped trouble each time. He pitched 6 1/3 scoreless innings, allowing seven hits and striking out five.

Kyle Finnegan entered with the bases loaded and none out in the ninth, allowing an RBI grounder before retiring the next two batters for his first save. Nola (0-1) allowed five runs and six hits in 5 1/3 innings while striking out eight.

lead at 13-8 heading into the bottom of the seventh.

“We were delayed for what? Five or six hours?” Noot said “The locker room the whole time was just. electric. Everyone was just having fun, joking around, keeping loose vibes. Made it obviously easier to play together.”

LSU is back in action on Tuesday against Louisiana Tech at Alex Box Stadium. First pitch is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. and the game will stream on SEC Network+

“A lot of the time I feel like we’re not getting ahead, or we’re getting caught behind when we shouldn’t be,” Noot said. “So really (we’re) just trying to hammer the zone and get ahead of everybody.” Freshman left-hander Cooper Williams replaced Benge in the eighth inning and hit the lead off batter Noot then came in for Williams and forced a fly out and an inning-ending double play with runners on the corners to wiggle out of the eighth without allowing a run. In the ninth, Noot finished the contest in the wee hours by tossing another scoreless inning.

Mandy Creekmore Medical Music Therapist, Our Lady of the LakeHealth Adjunct Instructor, LSU

STAFF PHOTO By MICHAEL JOHNSON

LSU pitcher Chase Shores delivers a pitch after taking a baseball to his left eye in the fourth inning against Mississippi State on Saturday.

STAFF FILE PHOTO By MICHAEL JOHNSON

LSU right fielder McKenzie Redoutey talks with head coach Beth Torina in the fifth inning of a game against Charlotte on Feb 7 at Tiger Park.

TCU, Texas ready for Elite Eight showdown

BY ALANIS THAMES AP sportswriter

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — A little over

a year ago, coach Mark Campbell’s TCU women had to forfeit a pair of games and hold open tryouts on campus because they didn’t have enough healthy players.

The Horned Frogs added four walk-ons. They had an awful stretch in which they lost 11 of 12 games. Two of those losses were to Vic Schaefer’s Texas Longhorns, who TCU will meet Monday in the Elite Eight of the women’s NCAA Tournament.

Building his program from what he’s described as “Under Frogs” to a team competing for a chance in the Final Four wasn’t always fun Campbell said, but when he looks back, it was those early trials that got TCU this far.

“I think last year laid a foundation of toughness and resilience and fight for our program,” Campbell said, “that’s carried over now that we added the talent level that we have to the foundation from last year That combination is why we’re 34-3, we’re in the Elite Eight.”

Neither game was particularly close the last time TCU faced its former Big 12 foe.

Texas forward Madison Booker, then a freshman, had 21 points when the Longhorns beat TCU 72-60 at home in January 2024, two games before TCU had to forfeit matchups against Kansas State and Iowa State. Texas blew out the Horned Frogs 65-43 on TCU’s home court a month later

Since then, TCU added Hailey Van Lith, the standout point guard who has led the program to its best season ever She scored 26 against Notre Dame in the Sweet 16 to send TCU to its first Elite Eight.

Now her eye is on getting her team to Tampa, Florida, the site of the women’s Final Four

“We have a huge game to win,” Van Lith said “Super excited to get to compete on that stage against two Texas schools. You definitely know what you’re fighting for, and I feel something in my heart for these girls. Like I said last game, I’m going to go out there and play as hard as I can. I’m going to give everything I have If I have to dive on every ball, I will do it if it will give us an extra possession. That’s my mentality and I’m really hoping to advance.” Monday’s game in part reflects a shift in Big 12 basketball, said TCU center Sedona Prince, as Texas and Baylor have long been the powerhouses of the conference.

TCU hasn’t played Texas since the Longhorns moved to the Southeastern Conference this season, but the Horned Frogs beat Baylor three times — twice in the regular season and again in the conference tournament for their first Big 12 Tournament title.

NCAA TOURNAMENT

TICKET TO TAMPA

South Carolina beats Duke to return to Final Four

BY DOUG FEINBERG AP basketball writer

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — Dawn Staley

took a victory lap around the court, giving high-fives to fans and South Carolina’s band and even autographing the rear end of a baby’s pants.

The Gamecocks’ coach has her team back in a familiar place the Final Four of the women’s NCAA Tournament. This time, South Carolina had to grind out a close game to get there.

Chloe Kitts scored 14 points and the defending champion Gamecocks reached the national semifinals for a fifth straight year beating Duke 54-50 on Sunday “It is not going to look pretty It’s not There’s stretches in each game that does not look pretty,” Staley said. “Some of it’s not going to look as smoothly as us coaches and players envision. How we practice. But you certainly have to get down and play the kind of game that’s presented in front of you. We’ll do that. If we’re not scoring a lot of points, we’ll up our defense.”

South Carolina did just that. Now, Staley’s top-seeded Gamecocks are two wins away from becoming the first team to repeat as champions since UConn won four straight from 2013-16. South Carolina will play the winner of the Texas-TCU game that takes place Monday night. The Final Four is Friday night in Tampa, Florida. Second-seeded Duke was looking to get to its first national semifinals since 2006. That team lost in overtime to Maryland in the title game. The Blue Devils women were also looking to join the men’s program in the Final Four South Carolina (34-3) was stymied for most of the game by Duke’s stingy defense. The Gamecocks came in averaging 80.5 points, but points were difficult to come by Sunday “I thought they forced us into taking some bad shots that almost ended our season, really especially in the first half,” Staley said. The game was tied at 46-all when Sania Feagin, who finished with 12 points, hit a jumper to put the Gamecocks ahead with 4:21 left.

Kitts, who was named the Most Outstanding Player of the region, added two free throws 42 seconds later to make it 50-46.

Toby Fournier, who led Duke with 18 points, scored with 3:21 left to get the Blue Devils (29-8) back within two. The Blue Devils trailed 52-50 with 29.8 seconds left when South Carolina’s Bree Hall was called for an offensive foul on an inbound play, giving Duke a chance to tie or take the lead.

Duke worked the clocked down before Ashlon Jackson airballed a 3-pointer from the wing with 7 seconds left. Hall got the rebound and South Carolina called timeout.

“Went with the ball in Ashlon’s hands as she had been making plays for us in the fourth quarter out of the ball screen,” Duke coach Kara Lawson said. “She tried to make a play and just missed it.”

Kitts was fouled with 5.7 seconds left and calmly sank both free throws to seal the win, much to the delight of a majority of the 11,252 fans in attendance who traveled to Alabama.

‘I WANT MY OWN’

BY REED DARCEY Staff writer

SPOKANE, Wash. – Flau’jae Johnson arrived at a crossroads on Sunday

The last game of the LSU women’s basketball team’s season, an Elite Eight loss to UCLA, could double as the final contest of her collegiate career Johnson can either return to the Tigers for her senior year or declare for the 2025 WNBA Draft.

Which path will she choose?

So far Johnson hasn’t announced an official decision.

But she did discuss LSU’s difficult 72-65 loss to the Bruins on Sunday in front of her locker, wrestling with the emotions that accompany the abrupt end to a promising season just one step shy of the Final Four.

“Once I taste the national championship more and more,” Johnson said, “I feel like that national championship I have, yeah, I was a big factor in it, but there were bigger factors. I want my own one, you know what I’m saying? Where I lead the team That’s what you really want.”

Most women’s college basketball stars play a full four seasons before they join the WNBA. But USborn players can declare for the draft of the calendar year in which they turn 22 years old. Johnson, a junior, will celebrate her 22nd birthday in November

That fact gives the basketball and music star a chance to leave college early

If Johnson wants to take advantage of that opportunity, then she must notify the league within the next few days. This year, the draft is scheduled for April 14.

Johnson has started 104 games across the last three years. In each season, she’s increased her scoring average. The All-American led the

on

towards the end of an Elite

Tigers in scoring for most of this year, averaging a career-high 18.6 points per game on 47% shooting.

“I had not coached and won anything at LSU,” coach Kim Mulkey said, “and (Johnson) came to LSU. So, she jumpstarted our program, really And then the portal helped us. We brought in Angel (Reese) and lots of other players But Flau’jae was a high school All-American, and we got her So, I’m forever indebted to Flau’jae Johnson.” On Sunday, Johnson scored 24 of her 28 points in the second half, willing LSU back into a battle with UCLA. One of her layups even cut the Bruins’ lead to 65-62 with 3:24 left in the fourth quarter It was a bounce-back performance for Johnson. On Friday, in the Tigers’ Sweet 16 win over No. 2 seed North Carolina State, the ju-

nior scored a season-low 3 points on 1-of-8 shooting. Johnson said that the shin injury that shelved her for LSU’s regular-season finale and Southeastern Conference Tournament run didn’t affect her in either game. Mulkey has described it as “shin inflammation,” but Johnson said on Sunday that it was a stress reaction. Now she won’t have to battle any lingering pain into the Final Four But Johnson will, however, have to grapple with her future, and she’ll do so on the heels of a sour conclusion to her junior season.

“I feel like I ain’t really do nothing, for real,” Johnson said. “I mean, we going to Elite Eights, but that’s not no success for me. Some people have to be in the Elite Eight. I don’t want to be in no Elite Eight. I want to be in the Final Four.”

UConn, USC hope to take next step toward title run

BY ANNE M. PETERSON AP sportswriter

SPOKANE, Wash. — UConn coach

Geno Auriemma caused a minor stir during last year’s NCAA Tournament when he proclaimed that his star guard, Paige Bueckers, was the best player in the country

It raised eyebrows given Iowa phenom Caitlin Clark’s stature, but Auriemma stood by his assessment. With a careerbest 40-point performance in this year’s Sweet 16, Bueckers keeps proving that she is, indeed, one of the game’s top talents and perhaps the best player in the tournament this year

Bueckers and her UConn teammates have aims on a national title, something Clark failed to do with Iowa, losing twice in the championship game. But first, the Huskies (343) have an Elite Eight rematch with Southern California (31-3).

“You try not to think about the stakes or the pressure or getting to the Final Four,” Bueckers said. “Obviously, that’s there, so you try not to think about it and just go out and play every single game the same way, like it’s your last, like it’s the most important 40 minutes of your life.”

With Bueckers expected to be the top pick in April’s WNBA draft, each game could be her last for UConn. She took over in the second half on Saturday to lead the Huskies to an 82-59 rout of Oklahoma.

Bueckers’ 40 points topped her previous career high of 34, set in UConn’s second-round victory over South Dakota State in her final home game at Gampel Pavilion.

She also matched her career high with six 3-pointers against the Sooners before checking out to a standing ovation.

“Paige was spectacular,” Auriemma said. “That was as good a game as I’ve seen her play the whole time she’s been here, at the most important time. When you’re a senior and you’ve been around as long as she has, this is what you’re here to do. This is why you came here.”

Bueckers arrived at UConn in 2020 and was the consensus national player of the year as a freshman. She played just 17 games the next season and sat out the entire 2022-23 campaign with a torn anterior cruciate ligament. This season, she earned AP All-America honors and was named the Big East player of the year for the third time.

Auriemma has led UConn to a record 11 national titles, most recently in 2016. The Huskies lost to Clark and Iowa in the Final Four last season.

“Paige has been an incredible player for years now,” USC coach Lindsay Gottlieb said. “She does it efficiently It’s her ability to score, her ability to pass and involve others to move without the basketball. I think what we’re seeing is a little different now it’s an urgency, right? Not that she’s not been urgent before, but you see it in her face. There’s no more waiting. It can’t be ‘OK, next time.’ It’s right now.”

Fans had anticipated a possible Elite Eight showdown between Bueckers and USC star guard JuJu Watkins, but Watkins suffered a season-ending knee injury in the second round.

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By yOUNG KWAK

LSU guard Flau’Jae Johnson stands

the court

Eight game against UCLA on Sunday in Spokane, Wash.

AP PHOTO By GERALD HERBERT TCU guard Hailey Van Lith shoots during the first half of a Sweet 16 game against Notre Dame on Saturday in Birmingham, Ala.

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By GERALD HERBERT

South Carolina players hold up their trophy after defeating Duke in their Elite Eight game on Sunday in Birmingham Ala.

AP PHOTO By JENNy KANE UConn guard Paige Bueckers passes the ball during the second half of a Sweet 16 game against Oklahoma on Saturday in Spokane, Wash.

NCAA TOURNAMENT

Houston’s defense carries Cougars to 7th Final Four

BY MICHAEL MAROT AP sportswriter

INDIANAPOLIS Houston’s relentless, harassing defense had Tennessee’s shooters dancing around. Now, the Cougars are two-stepping it back to Texas.

L.J. Cryer finished with 17 points, Emanuel Sharp scored 14 of his 16 points in the second half and the nation’s stingiest defense delivered a historic NCAA Tournament performance, leading topseeded Houston past second-seeded Tennessee 69-50 on Sunday for the Midwest Region title and its seventh trip to the Final Four Next up is Cooper Flagg and fivetime national champion Duke on Saturday in San Antonio, just a 3 1/2-hour drive from Houston’s campus. First, the Cougars wanted to savor the journey they took to this net-cutting celebration, one that failed to materialize each of the past two seasons when they were eliminated in the Sweet 16 as a No. 1 seed “It’s a good feeling knowing what we’ve been through,” Sharp, the region’s most outstanding player said of Houston’s first Final Four appearance since 2021. “A lot of people doubted us.” The Cougars (34-4) broke the

LSU

Continued from page 1B

Three Bruins scored in double figures, including star Lauren Betts, the 6-foot-7 center who scored 17 points, corralled 7 rebounds and blocked 6 shots. UCLA’s leading scorer was Gabriela Jaquez, a junior guard who scored 18 points after nailing four of her five 3-point tries. Sophomore forward Timea Gardiner buried another five 3s.

“Betts did not beat us,” coach Kim Mulkey said. “We guarded her as tough as we could guard her We did not take advantage of Betts being off the floor in the second quarter, and we allowed perimeter threes and other people to step up.”

These two teams met last season in the Sweet 16, a year to the day of the game they played on Sunday in the Elite Eight LSU won the 2024 matchup, sending a refocused, motivated UCLA team into this season eager to avenge the loss and potentially reach the Final Four for the first time in program history

The Bruins won enough contests to draw the tournament

field’s No. 1 overall seed.

On Sunday they looked the part. Even without Betts.

school’s single-season record for wins, extended the nation’s longest active winning streak to 17 games and gave coach Kelvin Sampson a third chance to reach his first national championship game.

Houston has played on college basketball’s biggest stage twice, losing title games in 1983 to N.C. State and in 1984 to Georgetown during the Phi Slama Jama era.

They’re back this time thanks to Sharp, who made two of his four 3-pointers in quick succession to thwart a second-half charge from Tennessee.

Chaz Lanier and Jordan Gainey scored 17 points apiece for the Volunteers (30-8), who again fell short of the program’s first Final Four appearance. Coach Rick Barnes’ team was also eliminated in a regional final last year

Houston won this one with a familiar formula.

The nation’s top scoring defense held the Vols to 15 first-half points, the fewest in an Elite Eight game since 1979. It was also the lowest first-half scoring total by any No. 1 or No. 2 seed in a tourney game since seeding began that same year

“I feel like we always want to throw the first punch,” said Milos Uzan, who scored four points after making the decisive basket

Officials whistled the first-team

All-American center for a second foul at the 57-second mark of the first quarter That call forced Betts to the bench, where she sat for the entire second frame. LSU, however, failed to take advantage.

UCLA won the minutes it played without Betts by 10 points.

By halftime, Williams and Johnson had scrounged together only three buckets, Sa’Myah Smith had picked up her second foul, and the Bruins had canned five 3-pointers on only 10 attempts enough to give themselves a 3126 cushion ahead of the secondhalf action they’d play with Betts back on the floor

“Our defense on Betts was as good as we could do,” Mulkey said.

“Our discipline defensively cost us. Examples would be when the shot clock was winding down, we are taught every day it’s a hot situation, and it’s an automatic switch, and we gave up several of those today, wide-open shots.”

But LSU nearly did enough across the third and fourth quarters to overcome the open looks they allowed in the first and second. UCLA just hit a few more shots in the fourth.

With 1:30 left, Jaquez snuck open in the right corner and buried the dagger 3-pointer — the bucket

Auburn completes sweep of No. 1 seeds into Final Four beating Michigan St.

BY CHARLES ODUM AP sportswriter

Johni Broome had 25 points and 14 rebounds, and Auburn took command with 17 unanswered points in the first half to beat Michigan State 70-64 on Sunday and complete a sweep of No. 1 seeds advancing to the Final Four Auburn (32-5) earned its second Final Four trip, while Michigan State (30-7) fell short in its bid to send coach Tom Izzo to his ninth national semifinal. Auburn’s only previous Final Four appearance came in 2019, also under coach Bruce Pearl. The South Region champion Tigers, the top overall seed in the NCAA Tournament, became the last of the No. 1 seeds to advance to the Final Four joining Florida, Duke and Houston.

It’s the first time all top seeds have reached the Final Four since 2008, which was the only previous year of all No. 1-seeded semifinalists since seeding began in 1979. And higherseeded teams went 12-0 in regional semifinals and finals for the first time since the tournament expanded in 1985.

Auburn will face Florida, which beat Texas Tech 84-79 in the West Region final, in an all-Southeastern Conference semifinal on Saturday in San Antonio.

Jaxon Kohler led the Spar-

tans with 17 points and 11 rebounds. Jaden Akins had 15 points.

Broome fell on his right arm while attempting to block a shot with 10:37 remaining and left the game. Broome, the Associated Press SEC player of the year and a first-team AllAmerica selection, appeared to hurt his right elbow on the fall.

Broome returned with 5:29 remaining, drawing an immediate ovation from Auburn fans. He had the elbow wrapped and sank a 3-pointer less than a minute later

“It was a scary moment,” Broome said. “I went down but my team had my back.”

Auburn was the only Elite Eight team to win each of its first three March Madness games by double digits, including its 78-65 Sweet 16 victory over Michigan. Michigan State rallied for a 7370 win over Mississippi in the Sweet 16.

The Spartans led 8-6 before the Tigers took command with the 17-0 run. The Spartans were held scoreless for 5:46 while missing 10 consecutive shots during the Auburn run.

A 3-pointer by Broome, who did most of his scoring near the basket, capped the run for a 23-8 lead.

Auburn led 33-24 at halftime. The Spartans pulled within five points at 35-30 early in the second half but got no closer

against Purdue. “Emanuel was able to get a jump ball early I feel like that shook those guys up a little bit and it was super important to keep our foot on their neck.”

The Cougars stayed locked in even when the Vols could have cut the deficit to single digits in the second half. The nation’s top 3-point shooting team quicklye extended the margin back to 17.

How bad was it for the Vols?

They made only 6 of 28 shots in the first 20 minutes and missed their first 14 3s before Zakai Zeigler finally ended the drought with 38 seconds left to make it a 34-15 game, an all but insurmountable advantage. Tourney teams that trailed by 19 or more points at halftime fell to 0-244 all-time.

Tennessee’s top scorers, Lanier and Zeigler, were a combined 5 of 27 from the field. Zeigler had five points and five assists.

“When Zakai came off, it hurt me because I knew how much he cared. He said, ‘I’m sorry,’ ” Barnes said. “He’s got nothing to be sorry about because he gave us everything. I know those guys. They know I’m an older guy they know I’d love to win a national championship, but they have not one thing to hang their head down or be sorry about.”

that put UCLA up 62-52.

“It was a good game,” Mulkey said. “It was a good game.”

The Elite Eight is the only round of the NCAA Tournament in which coach Kim Mulkey’s teams have a losing record That mark, with LSU’s loss to UCLA factored in, is now 5-8.

A win would’ve given the Tigers’ their seventh trip to the Final Four

But now, for the second year in a row, they suffered a loss that left them on the outside of that group looking in.

Morrow is out of eligibility, and she’s soon expected to declare for the WNBA Draft. Johnson, a draft-eligible junior can renounce her last year of eligibility and join Morrow in the pros if she wants to.

The only other Tigers who cannot return next year are seniors Shayeann Day-Wilson and Amani Bartlett. Last-Tear Poa, a holdover from the 2023 national title team, is also a senior, but a recent NCAA rule change awarded her and other former junior-college athletes an extra year of eligibility LSU is set to add four freshmen, a group that comprises the nation’s No 1 class.

Next year, those newcomers, and potentially more from the transfer portal, will try to help the Tigers climb back over the Elite Eight hump.

Wildcats bank on Willard to lead them to championship

BY DAN GELSTON AP sportswriter

PHILADELPHIA Kevin Willard publicly campaigned — pleaded, really during Maryland’s run to the Sweet 16 for more from the university and athletic department for his Big Ten program. More of everything — “fundamental changes,” he called them — that really came down to more money, so much more, being funneled into basketball.

Willard wanted Maryland to share its plan for revenue sharing with athletes and questioned how the Terrapins could ever be a “top tier” program as the race in college sports to outspend for players and all the adjacent bells and whistles nearly rivals professional levels.

Willard should have all the elements he needs to compete for a national championship, only now at Villanova.

His messy breakup with Maryland was completed Sunday when the 49-year-old coach was hired by a Villanova program that suffered through a March malaise over the last three seasons under the fired Kyle Neptune.

Willard had been linked to the Villanova job throughout the NCAA Tournament, where the Terps earned a No. 4 seed and reached the Sweet 16 before losing to Florida. Maryland went 27-9 this season and 14-6 in the Big Ten Conference.

“Coach Willard quickly stood out among an impressive pool of candidates during a comprehensive national search,” Villanova’s president, the Rev Peter M. Donohue, said in a statement. “Throughout the process, Coach Willard demonstrated that he has the vision and experience to guide Villanova Basketball in the changing world of college athletics. Beyond his notable success on the court, we were also impressed by his ability to articulate how Villanova Basketball fits into the overarching mission of the University.”

Willard expressed concerns with the direction of Maryland’s program on the eve of the Terps’ opening game in the NCAA Tournament. He had not signed an extension before the tournament, a matter complicated when Maryland athletic director Damon Evans bolted the program for the same job at SMU.

“My biggest concerns in life right now: I don’t know who my boss is going to be,” Willard said last week asked if there was

something Maryland could do to keep him. “The guy that brought me here who I really like and am appreciative of him bringing me to College Park is not here anymore, and I don’t know who we’re going to hire. And in today’s day and age, that worries me a little bit. I’m just being honest.”

Willard said Evans gave him a “term sheet” last Sunday but he didn’t sign it because his focus was on the team. Willard had called out Maryland for a lack of support for the basketball program. Among the changes he wanted to see was with Maryland’s plan for revenue sharing with athletes. He said a majority was expected to go to the football team.

That won’t be a problem at Villanova, where the Big East school competes in the Football Championship Subdivision.

Willard is one of the first bigname coaches to return to the Big East after years of defections everyone from Buzz Williams to Sean Miller to Chris Mack to even Willard himself when he left Seton Hall for Maryland. But as Villanova became a Final Four power and UConn won back-toback titles in 2023 and ‘24, the basketball conference has become attractive.

Just look at the job Rick Pitino did in his first season back in the Big East at St. John’s, leading the Red Storm to a No. 2 seed in the tournament. And money helps. A lot. A court settlement that would require colleges — for the first time — to pay athletes billions for their play is set for approval next week. Many schools have said that most of the up to $20.5 million they’ll pay out to their athletes as part of the $2.8 billion House settlement would go to football and men’s basketball players.

Look at Georgia. Athletic director Josh Brooks broke down the proposed distribution of the cash influx, saying the football program would earn 75% of that money while men’s basketball would get 15% of the pie and the rest to women’s basketball.

At Villanova and other Big East programs, the bulk of that war chest is going to men’s basketball.

“In the Big East,” Duke athletic director Nina King told Yahoo, “their basketball revenue-share portion will be a lot more than what those of us can do who have Division I power football programs.”

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By AJ MAST

Houston head coach Kelvin Sampson holds the Midwest Region championship trophy after defeating Tennessee in the Elite Eight on Sunday in Indianapolis

LIVING

HOW ‘LEMONADING’ GOT US THROUGH THE PANDEMIC

BY AVERY NEWMARK | Atlanta Journal-Constitution (TNS)

Five years after the start of the COVID pandemic, a study published recently in the journal Frontiers is reviving a mindset that helped people navigate lockdowns, job losses and endless uncertainty: “lemonading.”

Unlike toxic positivity, which ignores reality, lemonading uses humor and creativity to reframe challenges instead of letting them consume you.

The science behind ‘lemonade’

Researchers at Oregon State University studied why some people coped better than others. They surveyed more than 500 adults in early 2021 (during the second wave of COVID-19) to assess how their mindset shaped their ability to handle stress.

The results? Those who were naturally more playful (defined in the study as “lemonading”) or seeking joy, embracing spontaneity and not taking themselves too seriously were significantly more resilient in the face of uncertainty Also, their optimism didn’t come at the expense of critical thinking; instead, it helped them approach ä See LEMONADE, page 2C

Dolly Parton ‘doing better’ after husband’s death

BY CHRISTIE D’ZURILLA

(TNS)

Los Angeles Times

As the Grand Ole Opry

marked 100 years, Reba McEntire said what many people may have been thinking: The party wasn’t the same without Dolly Parton throwing down.

“It’s been a great night of celebration, but of course, it’s just not the same without you,” McEntire

said to the country star, who per “Today” had appeared before the start of the show with a message on video. “Dolly, everybody here at the Opry and around the world wants to send you our thoughts and prayers. And you gotta know, we will always love you.”

Last week the grieving Parton had reappeared in person in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, to sur-

prise fans at last Friday’s season passholders-only opening of Dollywood, where late husband Carl Dean had one rule.

“He bought his own ticket,” Parton told local outlet Knox News, aka the Knoxville News Sentinel, as the theme park kicked off its 40th season. “Stood in line and got his ticket. He didn’t want somebody giving him a ticket ’cause he was Dolly’s husband.

“Everybody thinks that’s the

funniest thing.” During his solo visits to the park, he would skip the roller coasters, grab a snack and just walk around looking at everything, she said.

The country singer-songwriter whose husband died March 3 after nearly 60 years of marriage, told fans at the Dollywood opening last Friday that she had been

dialogue key to explaining Alzheimer’s to a child

How can you help a young child un-

derstand Alzheimer’s disease?

Just as Alzheimer’s disease is unique in each affected individual, so is a child when it comes to discussions about the illness. What you say to the child and how you explain the disease process to him depends on his age, his level of comprehension, and developmental skills. He will not understand the biology of the disease, so be simplistic in your terms. For instance, talk about some illnesses of which he is familiar perhaps, or illnesses he has already experienced, such as chickenpox or measles. You can explain to him that while these illnesses have physical signs, Alzheimer’s is a sickness in the brain that no one can see. Then you can add that with this illness (Alzheimer’s), the brain makes the person with the condition forget or sometimes get angry but reassure the child that his loved one doesn’t mean to act that way Show understanding and reinforce that it is OK for the child to have feelings of sadness or anger Assure the child that no one caused the disease, as he may think he did something to cause the affected person to act the way he is behaving. There are various children’s books available that can illustrate the disease process in a simple, age-related way for young people, which might give a child a better understanding of the disease.

A few examples are:

n “What’s Happening to Grandpa?” by Maria Shriver

n “Nice to Meet You Again: Empowering Children to Find Joy and Understanding in Loved Ones with Dementia” by Suzanne Bottum-Jones

n “Sometimes Even Elephants Forget: A Story About Alzheimer’s Disease for Young Children” by Kathleen Welch

n “The Girl, the Star and the Spider” by Sherry Van Atta Smelley

It is also important to show the child that he can still talk to his loved one and that they can enjoy activities together Playing music and singing along, doing simple arts and crafts projects, and reading stories aloud are all examples of creative and enjoyable activities the child and loved one can enjoy together These special times will not only make the child more comfortable with his loved one and the situation at hand but will also give the loved one some much-needed socialization and external stimulation to maintain a quality of life. Additionally, they would both be strengthening their relationship in positive ways. Instead of thinking all the time that his loved one has a disease that’s taking his memory, the child will be making special memories with his loved one in the times they spend together The child will gain a greater sense of understanding of the disease process as well as develop compassion and empathy for

Study suggests physical activity slows Alzheimer’s

Dear Doctors: What do you know about a study that says aerobics might be good for slowing down the progression of Alzheimer’s disease? I’ve read that being active helps your memory, but how would it affect an actual disease?

Dr. Elizabeth Ko Dr Eve Glazier ASK THE DOCTORS

Dear reader: You are referring to a study conducted by researchers in Great Britain that appeared in the journal Brain Research And you are correct that it investigates the idea that regular physical activity can have a positive effect on the progression of Alzheimer’s disease. The study is part of a growing body of research into the role of physical activity in bolstering and preserving cognition. What makes it notable is that the findings offer clues to the question that you have posed, which is what causes the protective effect. Although the word Alzheimer’s has become shorthand for dementia, it is actually a specific form of the brain disorder Alzheimer’s disease is caused by the buildup in the brain of a sticky substance known as beta-amyloid protein. This protein collects into clumps known as plaques, which damage the neurons and disrupt neural pathways An erosion of the my-

elin sheath, the fatty membrane that surrounds and protects neurons, may also play a role in the formation of toxic proteins. The first area to be affected is the hippocampus, which is the part of the brain that allows us to form memories. As the disease progresses, it gradually begins to affect the areas of the cerebral cortex that are associated with reasoning, logic, language and behavior

Previous studies conducted in rodents have found that exercise can have a protective effect on the hippocampus. In this new study, researchers wanted to learn why Their test subjects were 10 geriatric rats who were old enough for their brains to have begun the physical changes associated with Alzheimer’s disease. Half of the rats were put on

Guess what? No one likes guessing

Dear Miss Manners: I am an accent nerd, especially about accents from Great Britain and its current and former colonies. I like to guess where people are from once I’ve heard them speak (not necessarily to me).

In order to find out if my guess is correct, I have to start up a conversation with them. I usually start off by asking them if I am correct — but not quite so bluntly And then that usually leads to further conversation.

Judith Martin MISS MANNERS

Is it rude to start a conversation with a stranger by asking which country they are from? I genuinely want to know their background, not just to find out if my guess was correct.

Gentle reader: Here is an important general rule to apply to many such little ploys, including your own: Never make guesses about people. Never, ever Do not guess where they are from, do not guess whether they are pregnant, do not guess how old they are — just do not guess. And do not take this as permission to ask outright,

TODAY IN HISTORY

By The Associated Press

Today is Monday, March 31, the 90th day of 2025. There are 275 days left in the year Today in history: On March 31, 1968, at the conclusion of a nationally broadcast address on Vietnam, President Lyndon B. Johnson stunned listeners by declaring, “I shall not seek, and I will not accept, the nomination of my party for another term as your president.” Also on this date: In 1492, King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella of Spain issued the Alhambra Decree, an edict expelling Jews from Spanish soil, except those willing to con-

LEMONADE

Continued from page 1C

uncertainty with flexibility and imagination rather than fear They found creative ways to adapt, turning living rooms into dance floors, hosting virtual game nights and jumping on the sourdough trend.

Clinical psychologist Dr Linda Blair doubles on this theory explaining to Good Housekeeping that stress hijacks the brain’s fear center (the amygdala), making problem-solving harder A playful mindset, however helps override this stress

PARTON

Continued from page 1C

“crying enough” since his death. “I need to laugh. I need some fun, so I’m probably gonna be stupid,” she said.

vert to Christianity. In 1918, the United States first observed daylight saving time, moving clocks ahead one hour In 1995, Tejano music star Selena, 23, died after being shot by Yolanda Saldívar, the president of Selena’s fan club, who was found to have been embezzling money from the singer In 2004, four U.S civilian contractors were killed by Iraqi insurgents in Fallujah, Iraq; frenzied crowds then dragged the burned mutilated bodies and hanged two of them from a bridge. In 2005, Terri Schiavo, 41, died at a hospice in Pinellas Park, Florida, 13 days after her feeding tube was removed in a wrenching

response, opening the door to new possibilities.

How to keep ‘lemonading’

As life continues to throw new challenges our way — from work burnout to dating mishaps we can all benefit from a little lemonading. Here are four tips from Self on how you can bring this mindset into your daily life: Reframe the narrative: Instead of thinking, “This situation sucks,” try asking, “What’s one small way I can make this better?”

Have a laugh: Whether it’s a never-ending work meeting or a spilled coffee disaster, find the humor in the situation. It makes problems

Parton told Knox News in an interview that she was “at peace” with Dean being at peace, but said, “that don’t keep me from missing him and loving him.” He “suffered a great deal” at the end of his life, she told Knox News. “I’m doing better than I thought I would” since the death, she said separately “I’ve been with him 60 years. So, I’m going to have to relearn some of the things that we’ve done. But I’ll keep him always close.”

CHILDREN

Continued from page 1C

his loved one and for those who take care of him. The explanation of Alzheimer’s, given the span of the disease, could become more of an ongoing process for the child rather than a one-time discussion or lesson. Be sure to acknowledge any feelings or fears he may be experiencing as he continues to witness his loved one’s progression of the disease and allow him to talk openly and freely about it.

Dana Territo is an Alzheimer’s advocate and author of “What

instead. In any case, you should not be eavesdropping.

It may be true that if you guess right, you could start a conversation. But even a correct guess could imply that the person doesn’t really belong here. There are less intrusive ways to get to know people, but you have led Miss Manners to believe that friendship, or even acquaintanceship, is not your objective; rather, it is playing your little guessing game. Please stop.

Send questions to Miss Manners at her website, www.missmanners.com.

right-to-die court battle that began in 1998.

In 2022, scientists announced they had finished fully sequencing the human genome, the full genetic blueprint for human life.

Today’s birthdays: Actor William Daniels is 98. Actor Richard Chamberlain is 91. Actor Shirley Jones is 91. Musician-producer Herb Alpert is 90. Actor Christopher Walken is 82. Sen. Angus King, I-Maine, is 81. Former Vice President Al Gore is 77. Actor Rhea Perlman is 77. Rock musician Angus Young (AC/DC) is 70. Hockey Hall of Famer Pavel Bure is 54. Actor Ewan McGregor is 54. Actor Brian Tyree Henry is 43. Filmmaker Chloé Zhao is 43.

feel smaller, even the really sucky ones.

Stay curious: People who explored new hobbies during lockdown reported higher happiness levels. Keep that playful spirit alive by trying something new even if it’s just a different route to work. The time is now: You can’t live in the future. A present mindset is a key factor in lemonading. “Pay attention to how deeply and actively you engage in activities, rather than just going through the motions,” lead study author Dr. Xiangyou Shen told the publication. “At day’s end, swap ‘How productive was I?’ for ‘What moments of fun did I have?’”

Parton and Dean met outside a laundromat in 1964, when she was 18 and he was 21. They got married on Memorial Day 1966, and he stayed in the background for almost the entirety of their marriage. Dean died March 3 in Nashville, Tennessee, at age 82. He is survived by Parton and his siblings, Sandra and Donnie.

My Grandchildren Taught Me About Alzheimer’s Disease.” She hosts “The Memory Whisperer.” Email her at thememorywhisperer@ gmail.com.

an eight-week exercise program. This consisted of 30 minutes on an exercise wheel, five times per week. The other five, who served as the control group, remained sedentary When the researchers examined the rat brains at the end of the study, they found measurable differences in the two groups. The exercise group not only had a higher volume of normal neurons, but it also had lower amounts of the toxic proteins associated with Alzheimer’s disease. The exercise group also had lower amounts of a type of immune cell, which, when it malfunctions, is associated with age-related inflammation. The researchers concluded that regular physical activity may lead to beneficial changes in brain chemistry that reduce inflammation, slow

the accumulation of toxic proteins and, thus, improve the survival of neurons. This has consequences not only for people living with Alzheimer’s disease, but also for all adults as they reach older age.

Although this was just one small study, the results are promising. The researchers are planning a human clinical trial. With an estimated 6.9 million people in the U.S. over the age of 65 now living with Alzheimer’s disease, any advances toward managing the disease are very good news. Send your questions to askthedoctors@mednet.ucla. edu, or write: Ask the Doctors, c/o UCLA Health Sciences Media Relations, 10880 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 1450, Los Angeles, CA, 90024.

Dear Heloise: Boy I cannot say kudos enough to C.H., in Indiana, who wrote about the responsibility that owners should take when getting a pet — any type of pet. I live in town and feed about 2530 feral cats, some of which I believe actually come from a neighbor to eat. I also have seven that I had rescued, neutered, and given shots but had to keep inside because of their circumstances. When I can tame a feral cat enough to touch it, I take it to the vet to be neutered, checked for worms and ear mites, and given shots before I turn it loose Just letting any pet run loose on the theory that it can take care of itself is very wrong. Pets are at the mercy of humans. — Pattie S., Huntsville,Arkansas Pattie, as a member of a feral cat organization, I understand the problem of getting our pets neutered and spayed. Far too many

people don’t do it, and it’s really a shame. A neutered or spayed pet is usually calmer and cleaner than a pet that has not had this simple surgery

Unlike a human, they do not long to have a family They go into “heat,” which is nature’s way of keeping the species alive. After their surgery they no longer have the urge to procreate. They won’t roam the neighborhood looking for a mate. Personally I feel that I owe it not only to my pets but to my neighbors to ensure that my pets are neutered or spayed and have their shots. If you truly love your pets, you need to take care that they don’t have a litter that could be hit by a cat, don’t get into fights, or don’t die a slow death by ingesting a poison of some kind.

— Heloise

Stopping cemetery theft

Dear Heloise: I wanted to respond to a recent letter

ARIEs (March 21-April 19) Restructuring your routine, lifestyle or health routine to fit your objective will ease stress and help you become more efficient. Change begins with you and how you manage your time and money.

tAuRus (April 20-May 20) Review your options before you say or do something that can influence a meaningful relationship or your position. You can accomplish the most by setting high standards and working behind the scenes.

GEMInI (May 21-June 20) Communication is the best route forward. Realistically adapting your expectations will be necessary to make a difference. Strategize and be ready to go above and beyond the call of duty.

cAncER (June 21-July 22) Do the work yourself, and you'll avoid setbacks. Be receptive to change and eager to take on projects that can highlight your abilities and lead to new opportunities.

LEo (July 23-Aug. 22) You may have to restructure what you do or how you deal with others to get things done. Stop dreaming and start doing before someone steps in and takes control Put your energy into creative development.

VIRGo (Aug. 23-sept. 22) Set limits to avoid debt and outside interference. Choose your direction based on what you can handle. Focus on your health and diet, and maintain balance and equality in all you pursue.

LIBRA (sept. 23-oct. 23) Live and learn. Participate in events that offer insight

into alternative ways to use your skills or market yourself. Open-mindedness and receptivity will lead to new beginnings.

scoRPIo (oct. 24-nov. 22) Initiate plans. Your actions will position you for success. Networking events will offer insight into the possibilities. Communication is the key to valuable introductions.

sAGIttARIus (nov 23-Dec 21) Tread carefully. Someone will take advantage of you if you aren't explicit regarding what you are willing to do. An emotional situation will result in poor decisions.

cAPRIcoRn (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) Educate yourself before you take sides or participate in something questionable. Make a change if it will help you avoid a no-win situation. Make your surroundings more comfortable.

AQuARIus (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) Keep your finger on the pulse and your mind on what matters. Express your intentions and desires, and find out where you stand. It's up to you to ask for what you want.

PIscEs (Feb. 20-March 20) Don't waste precious time on people and pastimes that cause you grief. Seek out people who offer positive input and push you toward taking responsibility for your life and happiness.

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

Celebrity Cipher cryptograms are created from quotations by famous people, past and present. Each letter in the cipher stands for another.

toDAy's cLuE: t EQuALs c

FAMILY CIrCUS

McMeel Syndication

CeLebrItY CIpher

For better or For WorSe

beetLe bAILeY

Mother GooSe And GrIMM

Sudoku

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

Saturday’s Puzzle Answer

THe wiZard oF id

BLondie

BaBY BLueS

Hi and LoiS

By PHILLIP ALDER Bridge

Will Rogers said, “People are getting smarter nowadays; they are letting lawyers,insteadoftheirconscience,betheir guide.”

At the bridge table, defenders have gottenmuchsmarteroverthelastcouple ofdecades,lettingtheirpartnersbetheir guide instead of guessing.

In this example deal, how should West plan the defense against three spades after he leads the club ace: jack, two, five?

Since South was vulnerable, had a relatively weak suit and 7-2-2-2 distribution, he opened with two spades, not three. No doubt North should have jumped to four spades, but that would have ruined the story.

West needs to find five tricks. There are two logical ways to procure them: East has the heart ace and the defenderscantaketwoclubs,twoheartsandthe spade king, promoted as a winner on the third round of hearts. Or East has acejack-thirdofdiamonds,givingEast-West two clubs and three diamonds. But how does West know which way to turn?

Under the club king, East can play his nine or his four Each can be used to send a suit-preference signal. Here, because East has the heart ace, in the higherranking of the other two side suits, he plays his club nine. Then West will know to cash his heart king and continue with his second heart. East will win with his ace and play a third heart, letting West score his spade king. Watch out for employing “useless” cards for suit-preference signals when attitude and count are either known or irrelevant. © 2025 by NEA Inc., dist. By Andrews McMeel Syndication

Each Wuzzle is a word riddle which creates a disguised word, phrase, name, place, saying, etc. For example: NOON GOOD =

thought

sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walks about, seeking whom he may devour:” 1 Peter 5:8

marmaduKe

Bizarro

hagar the horriBle

Pearls Before swiNe

garfield

B.C.

NOTICE OF SPECIAL ELECTION

Pursuant to the provisions of aresolution adopted by the Parish School Boardofthe Parish of East Baton Rouge, State of Louisiana (the “Governing Authority”), acting as the governing authority of Consolidated School District No. 1ofthe Parish of East Baton Rouge, State of Louisiana (the “District”), on January 16, 2025, NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVENthat a special election will be held within the District on SATURDAY, MAY3 2025, and that at the said election therewill be submitted to all registered voters in the District qualified and entitled to vote at the said election under the Constitution and Laws of the State ofLouisiana and the Constitution of the United States, the following propositions, to-wit:

PROPOSITIONNO. 1OF5 (TAX RENEWAL)

Shall Consolidated School District No. 1ofthe Parish of East Baton Rouge, State of Louisiana (the “District”), continue to levy aspecial tax of .72 mills on all property subject to taxation in the District (an estimated $3,887,000 reasonably expected at this time to be collected from the levy of the tax for an entireyear), for a period of 10 years, beginning with the year 2027 and ending with the year 2036, for the purpose of supporting the Alcohol and Drug Abuse Prevention Program of the East Baton Rouge Parish School Board, commonly referred to as the “I CARE”Program?

PROPOSITION NO.2 OF 5 (TAX RENEWAL)

Shall ConsolidatedSchool District No. 1ofthe Parish of East Baton Rouge, State of Louisiana (the “District”), continue to levy aspecial tax of 1.04 mills on all property subject to taxation in the District (an estimated $5,600,000 reasonably expected at this time to be collected from the levy of the tax for an entireyear), for a period of 10 years, beginning with the year 2027 and ending with the year 2036, for the purpose of operating and maintaining the public school system?

PROPOSITIONNO.3 OF 5 (TAXRENEWAL)

Shall Consolidated School District No. 1ofthe Parish of East Baton Rouge, State of Louisiana (the “District”), continue to levy aspecial tax of 5.99 mills on all property subject to taxation in the District (an estimated $32,300,000 reasonably expected at this time to be collected from the levy of the tax for an entireyear), for aperiod of 10 years, beginning with the year 2027 and ending with the year 2036, for the purpose of paying and improving salaries and other benefits of public school employees?

PROPOSITION NO. 4OF5 (TAX RENEWAL)

Shall Consolidated School District No. 1ofthe Parish of East Baton Rouge, State of Louisiana (the “District”), continue to levy

aspecial tax of 4.98 mills on all the property subject to taxation in the District (an estimated $26,880,000 is reasonably expected at this time to be collected from the levy of the tax for an entire year), for aperiod of 10 years, beginning with the year 2028 and ending with the year 2037, for the purpose of giving additional support to the public elementaryand secondary schools in said District by providing funds for the purpose of replacing reduced state and local receipts and operating and maintaining the public school system in said District?

PROPOSITION NO.5 OF5 (TAX RENEWAL)

Shall Consolidated School District No. 1ofthe Parish of East Baton Rouge, State of Louisiana (the “District”), continue to levy aspecial tax of 7.14 mills on all the property subject to taxation in the District (an estimated $38,500,000 is reasonably expected at this time to be collected from the levy of the tax for an entire year) for aperiod of 10 years, beginning with the year 2029 and ending with the year 2038, for the purpose of giving additional support to the public elementaryand secondaryschools in said District by providing funds for improving and maintaining salaries and benefits of public school employees in said District? The said special election shall be held at the polling places for the following precincts, which polls will open at seven o’clock (7:00) a.m. and close at eight o’clock (8:00) p.m., in accordance with the provisions of La. R.S. 18:541,to-wit: PRECINCTS 01-01 01-02A 01-02B 01-03 01-04 01-05A 01-05B 01-06 01-07 01-08 01-09 01-10A 01-10B 01-11 01-12A 01-12B 01-13 01-14A 01-14B 01-15A 01-15B 01-16 01-17 01-18 01-19 01-20A

01-40 01-41A 01-41B 01-42A 01-42B 01-43 01-44 01-45 01-46 01-47A 01-47B 01-48A 01-48B 01-49A 01-49B 01-50 01-51 01-52A 01-52B 01-53A 01-53B 01-54 01-55A 01-55B 01-56 01-57 01-58A 01-58B 01-59 01-60A 01-60B 01-61 01-62 01-63A 01-63B 01-64 01-65 01-66A 01-66B 01-67 01-68 01-69A 01-69B 01-70A 01-70B 01-71A 01-71B 01-72A 01-72B 01-73A 01-73B 01-74A 01-74B 01-75A 01-75B 01-76 01-77A 01-77B 01-78A 01-78B 01-79 01-80A 01-80B 01-81A 01-81B 01-82A 01-82B 01-83A 01-83B 01-84 01-85A 01-85B 01-86A 01-86B 01-87A 01-87B 01-88 01-89 01-90A 01-90B 01-91A 01-91B 01-92A 01-92B 01-93 01-94 01-95A 01-95B 01-96 01-97 01-98A 01-98B 01-99A 01-99B 01-100A 01-100B 01-101A 01-101B 01-102 01-103A 01-103B 01-104A 01-104B 01-105 01-106 01-107 02-01A 02-01B 02-03(PART) 02-05(PART) 02-06A 02-06B 02-07A(PART) 02-07B(PART) 02-09A(PART) 02-09B(PART) 02-10A(PART) 02-10B(PART) 02-11 02-12A(PART) 02-12B(PART) 02-13A(PART) 02-13B(PART) 02-15(PART) 02-16A 02-16B 02-17A(PART) 02-17B(PART) 02-22A 02-22B 02-23A 02-23B 02-24(PART) 02-25A(PART) 02-25B(PART) 02-26(PART)

02-27A(PART) 02-27B(PART) 02-30A 02-30B 03-03A 03-03B 03-04A 03-04B 03-05 03-07A 03-07B 03-08 03-10 03-11 03-12A 03-12B 03-13 03-15A 03-15B 03-16 03-17A 03-17B 03-18A 03-18B 03-19A 03-19B 03-20A 03-20B 03-21A 03-21B 03-22 03-23A 03-23B 03-24A 03-24B 03-27A 03-27B 03-28A 03-28B 03-29A 03-29B 03-31A 03-31B 03-32 03-33A 03-33B 03-34A 03-34B 03-35A 03-35B 03-36 03-38 03-39 03-40A 03-40B 03-41A 03-41B 03-42 03-43A 03-43B 03-44A 03-44B 03-45A 03-45B 03-47A 03-47B 03-48A 03-48B 03-49A 03-49B 03-50A 03-50B 03-51 03-52A 03-52B 03-53A 03-53B 03-54 03-55A 03-55B 03-56 03-57 03-59 03-60A 03-60B 03-62 03-63 03-64 03-65 03-66 03-67 03-68 03-69A 03-69B 03-70 03-71 03-72 03-73A 03-73B 03-74 03-75 03-76

The polling places for the precincts set forth above arehereby designated as the polling places at whichtohold the said election, and the Commissioners-in-Charge andCommissioners, respectively,shall be those persons designated according to law

The estimated cost of this election as determined by the Secretary of State based upon the provisions of Chapter 8-A of Title 18 and actual costs of similar elections is $480,000.