The Acadiana Advocate 04-01-2025

Powerful tornado hits St. Landry Parish

No injuries reported but homes, structures in Grand Prairie damaged by Monday storm

BY JA’KORI MADISON Staff writer

An EF2 tornado hit Grand Prairie on Monday morning, damaging some homes and walkways, according to the National Weather Service.

It was part of a powerful thunderstorm that swept through Acadiana early Monday morning, leaving chaos in its wake.

At 4:21 a.m., the tornado began near St. Peter Catholic Church at the intersection of La. 363 and La. 748, according to the weather service.

Peak winds reached 120 mph

No injuries or deaths were reported, according to service forecaster Chanelle Stigger

At Pointe Verte Road, an RV was flipped and a home had total roof loss. There was also damage to covered walkways and trees, and a large section of another roof was taken off by the tornado. The tornado continued to Old Hickory Road, where a few branches were broken and one tree was down, according to the weather service.

The tornado traveled for 1.8 miles before lifting on Hickory

A weather service survey team also examined damage near the community of Lebeau and concluded it was caused by straight-line

winds.

Those winds were estimated between 60 mph and 70 mph. Surveyors noted the high winds damaged trees and awnings

St. Landry Parish residents who had damage from Monday’s severe weather are asked to document the impact and report it to the parish government.

Parish officials say residents should take clear pictures of any damage and contact the St. Landry Parish Government’s main office at (337) 948-3688 to provide details.

Neighbors who have been displaced can contact the Red Cross at (844) 782-9441. The heavy rain from Monday morning’s thunderstorm also prompted a flood warning for rivers in Texas and southwest Louisiana, including the Vermilion River in Lafayette Parish.

The river was at 11.8 feet Monday morning, according to the weather service. Flood stage is 10 feet. The Vermilion was expected to reach a crest of 13 feet Monday night before falling below flood stage.

Work-based learning lags in La., study finds

Fewer high schoolers participating in internships, apprenticeships

BY ELYSE CARMOSINO Staff writer

Fewer Louisiana high schoolers are participating in internships and apprenticeships than their peers in neighboring states, despite a push by state education officials to increase the number of work-based learning opportunities for students, a new study found.

In 2023, about 5% of high school seniors graduated with internship credits — an all-time high for Louisiana but significantly lower than other Southern states, according to data compiled by Leaders for a Better Louisiana, a civic organization focused on education and economic development. Louisiana also lags in the number of students in apprenticeship programs, which typically last for a year or longer and help students learn trades such as construction, electrical work or plumbing. Just 3 out of every 1,000 high schoolers in the state complete an apprenticeship, the study found. The report comes as Louisiana’s Education Department is encouraging schools to promote work-based learn-

ing. A new accountability system that takes effect next school year will rate high schools partly based on student participation in internships and apprenticeships, despite some concerns about limited opportunities in rural areas. “We support that Louisiana is encouraging more high school students to gain real work experience before graduation,” said Better Louisiana CEO Adam Knapp “As we grow this number, we encourage more businesses across the state to consider high school students as part of their workforce supply.” Work-based learning gives students

ä See STUDY, page 4A

Pay hike for teachers uncertain

No plans in place after Louisiana voters rejected constitutional amendment

BY ELYSE CARMOSINO Staff writer

After voters on Saturday rejected a constitutional amendment that would have funded higher salaries for teachers, it’s unclear whether educators will still receive a raise next school year or instead see their paychecks shrink.

One of four constitutional changes championed by Gov Jeff Landry that failed to pass over the weekend, Amendment 2 would have made one-time pay stipends the Legislature approved last year $2,000 for teachers and $1,000 for support staff — a recurring part of their salaries.

But now, without funding for permanent raises and with the stipends set to expire after this school year, there are no plans to keep teacher pay at its current level. As a result, Louisiana educators could see their paychecks decrease unless the Legislature finds funding for another round of stipends or a permanent increase. While campaigning for the amendment, Landry said there was no alternative plan to raise teacher salaries: “If Amendment 2 does not pass,” he posted on X last week, “there is no backup stipend.”

When asked Monday, a spokesperson for Landry did not say whether the governor would support additional stipends for teachers if lawmakers

BY MEGHAN FRIEDMANN Staff writer

During a time of turmoil for the Office of Motor Vehicles, State Fire Marshal Bryan Adams will take over the agency after Commissioner Dan Casey stepped down last week, Gov. Jeff Landry announced Monday In a statement, Landry pointed to Adams’ career in public service as making him exceptionally qualified for the role.

“He is committed to modernizing the outdated OMV system to better serve the people and ensure it operates efficiently moving forward,” Landry said.

STAFF FILE PHOTO By LESLIE WESTBROOK

Instructor and chef Theresa Edwards helps Brielle Credeur make pralines at the W.D. and Mary Baker Smith Career Center in Lafayette on Feb 6. Fewer Louisiana high schoolers are graduating with work-based learning credits than their peers in other Southern states, a new study found

STAFF PHOTOS By LESLIE WESTBROOK

A tornado Monday morning left a home damaged and debris in the yard on Pointe Verte Road in Grand Prairie

Monday’s tornado flipped an RV in Grand Prairie.

U.S. airstrikes pound

Yemen overnight

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates Suspected U.S. airstrikes struck around Yemen’s rebel-held capital overnight into Monday morning, attacks that the Iranian-backed Houthis said killed at least three people.

The full extent of the damage wasn’t immediately clear The attacks followed a night of airstrikes early Friday that appeared particularly intense compared to other days in the campaign that began March 15.

The strikes around Sanaa, Yemen’s capital held by the Houthis since 2014 and Hajjah governorate also wounded 12 others, the rebels said.

Their Al-Masirah satellite news channel aired footage of broken glass littering homes in Sanaa after the concussive blast of the bombs, but continued not to show the targets of the attacks — suggesting the sites had a military or intelligence function. Strikes there killed one person, the rebels said.

Another strike targeting a pickup truck in Hajjah killed two people and wounded a child, the Houthis said. It marked the first, publicly known time the American strikes targeted a vehicle in this campaign.

An Associated Press review has found the new American operation against the Houthis under President Donald Trump appears more extensive than those under former President Joe Biden, as the U.S. moves from solely targeting launch sites to firing at ranking personnel as well as dropping bombs in cities.

Severe weather blamed for 4 deaths in U.S KALAMAZOO, Mich. — A tree fell on a van in Michigan, killing three children, during a fierce weekend storm that swept the region and contributed to the death of an 84-year-old man in an Amish buggy in Indiana, authorities said Monday Meanwhile, more potentially dangerous weather rolled across parts of the Southeastern U.S. Trees and power lines were no match for freezing rain and extreme winds over the weekend, and utilities were gradually restoring power in Michigan although 290,000 outages remained by Monday afternoon, according to poweroutage.us. Indiana and Wisconsin had trimmed their outages to roughly 85,000.

The victims of the fallen tree in Kalamazoo County were a 2-yearold girl, her 4-year-old brother and an 11-year-old girl who was their cousin Three other people in the van were injured Sunday about 130 miles west of Detroit.

“The family could not have avoided this,” Sheriff Richard Fuller told reporters, adding that the tree struck the passenger area where the children were sitting.

The area had been under a severe thunderstorm warning at the time, one of several Sunday in southern Michigan. At roughly the same time, an Amish buggy in Middlebury, Indiana, flipped because of intense winds, killing Lonnie Yoder police said.

Evacuations ordered amid California wildfire BISHOP, Calif. — Strong winds on Monday drove an out-of-control wildfire through a remote area of eastern California, prompting evacuations for hundreds of homes.

The Silver Fire erupted Sunday afternoon along Route 6 in Inyo County, about 5 miles northeast of Bishop in the Owens Valley. By Monday morning, it had churned through nearly 2 square miles of dry brush, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, or Cal Fire. There was no containment. The potential for 65 mph gusts limited flights by water-dropping helicopters and kept air tankers grounded, Cal Fire spokesperson Chloe Castillo said.

Evacuations were ordered for about 800 homes near the tiny communities of Laws, Chalfant and White Mountain Estates Cal Fire said the blaze was threatening land belonging to the Bishop Paiute Tribe as well as habitats for endangered species including the Owens pupfish and desert bighorn sheep.

Myanmar quake deaths pass 2,000

Disaster compounds country’s humanitarian crisis

BY DAVID RISING Associated Press

BANGKOK The death toll in last week’s massive earthquake in Myanmar has passed 2,000, state media said Monday, as accounts of some people’s last moments emerged: Two hundred Buddhist monks crushed by a collapsing monastery Fifty children killed when a preschool classroom crumbled Seven hundred Muslims struck while praying at mosques for Ramadan.

The quake could exacerbate hunger and disease outbreaks in a country that was already one of the world’s most challenging places for humanitarian organizations to operate because of civil war, aid groups and the United Nations warned.

The 7.7 magnitude quake hit Friday, with the epicenter near Myanmar’s second-largest city of Mandalay It damaged the city’s airport, buckled roads and collapsed hundreds of buildings along a wide swath down the country’s center Relief efforts are further hampered by power outages, fuel shortages and spotty communications. A lack of heavy machinery has slowed search-and-rescue operations, forcing many to search for survivors by hand in daily temperatures above 104 degrees Rescue workers at Mandalay’s collapsed U Hla Thein monastery said they were still searching for about 150 of the dead monks.

Some 700 Muslim worshippers

attending Friday prayers were killed when mosques collapsed, said Tun Kyi, a member of the steering committee of the Spring Revolution Myanmar Muslim Network. He said some 60 mosques were damaged or destroyed. Videos posted on The Irrawaddy online news site showed several mosques toppling. It was not clear whether those numbers were already included in the official toll.

Myanmar state MRTV reported that the leader of the military government, Senior Gen. Min Aung Hlaing, told Pakistan’s prime minister during a call that 2,065 people were killed, with more than 3,900 injured and about 270 missing. Relief agencies expect those

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By ABDEL KAREEM HANA

Displaced Palestinians fleeing Rafah arrive Monday in Khan younis, Gaza, after the Israeli military issued sweeping evacuation orders covering most of Rafah.

Israeli military orders evacuation of Gaza’s Rafah

BY WAFAA SHURAFA and FATMA KHALED Associated Press

DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip

Israel’s military on Monday issued sweeping evacuation orders covering Rafah and nearby areas, indicating it could soon launch another major ground operation in the Gaza Strip’s southernmost city

Israel ended its ceasefire with the Hamas militant group and renewed its air and ground war earlier this month. At the beginning of March it cut off all supplies of food, fuel, medicine and humanitarian aid to the territory’s roughly 2 million Palestinians to pressure Hamas to accept proposed changes to the truce agreement.

Israel’s military ordered Palestinians to head to Muwasi, a sprawl of squalid tent camps along the coast. The orders came during Eid al-Fitr, a normally festive Muslim holiday marking the end of the fasting month of Ramadan.

Last May, Israel launched a major operation in Rafah, on the border with Egypt, leaving large parts in ruins. The military seized a strategic corridor along the border as well as the Rafah crossing with Egypt, Gaza’s only gateway to the outside world that was not

controlled by Israel.

Israel was supposed to withdraw from the corridor under the ceasefire it signed with Hamas in January under U.S. pressure, but it later refused to do it, citing the need to prevent weapons smuggling.

On Monday, people fled with their belongings loaded onto donkeys and stacked on car roofs. Families traveled by foot carrying luggage as children held the adults’ hands.

“We are dying. There is no food, no drink, no electricity, no medicine,” said Hanadi Dahoud, who was displaced from the southern city of Khan Younis. “We want to live. We just want to live We are tired.”

Dozens gathered at a funeral for some of the 15 emergency responders killed by Israeli fire during a ground operation in Rafah last week. The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies called it the deadliest attack on its medics in several years.

Raed al-Nems, a spokesperson for the Palestinian Red Crescent, said the paramedics were “killed in cold blood” despite wearing uniforms and operating in clearly labeled ambulances. At funeral prayers, their shrouds were draped with Red Crescent banners.

numbers to rise sharply since access is slow to remote areas where communications are down.

The United Nations’ Myanmar country team called for unimpeded access for aid teams.

“Even before this earthquake, nearly 20 million people in Myanmar were in need of humanitarian assistance,” said Marcoluigi Corsi, the U.N. resident and humanitarian coordinator “We’re really not clear on the scale of the destruction at this stage,” Lauren Ellery, deputy director of programs in Myanmar for the International Rescue Committee, told The Associated Press.

“They were talking about a town near Mandalay where 80% of the buildings were reportedly col-

lapsed, but it wasn’t in the news because telecommunications have been slow.”

Groups the IRC works with have reported that some places are cut off by landslides, she said.

The World Health Organization said it has reports of three hospitals destroyed and 22 partially damaged in the region.

“There is an urgent need for trauma and surgical care, blood transfusion supplies, anesthetics, essential medicines and mental health support,” it said.

More than 10,000 buildings are collapsed or severely damaged in central and northwest Myanmar, the U.N. humanitarian agency said. One preschool classroom building collapsed in Mandalay district, killing 50 children and two teachers, it said.

An artificial intelligence analysis of satellite images of Mandalay by Microsoft’s AI for Good Lab showed 515 buildings with 80% to 100% damage and another 1,524 with 20% to 80% damage. It was not clear what percentage of the city’s buildings that represented. Rescue efforts are also complicated by the civil war In 2021, the military seized power from the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi, sparking what has turned into significant armed resistance.

While one group has declared a partial unilateral ceasefire, the government and other armed groups have not stopped fighting.

Government forces have lost control of much of Myanmar, and many places were dangerous or impossible for aid groups to reach even before the quake. More than 3 million people have been displaced by the fighting, according to the U.N.

3 U.S. soldiers found dead in armored vehicle in Lithuania

BY LIUDAS DAPKUS and LOLITA C. BALDOR Associated Press

VILNIUS, Lithuania Three of the U.S. Army soldiers who went missing in Lithuania have been found dead in their armored vehicle that was pulled from a swampy area early Monday, according to U.S. Army Europe and Africa Command. Another soldier is still missing.

One soldier still missing covered on Wednesday submerged in 15 feet of water Lithuanian armed forces provided military helicopters, fixed wing aircraft, unmanned aerial systems and search and rescue personnel. They brought in additional excavators, sluice and slurry pumps, other heavy construction equipment, technical experts and several hundred tons of gravel and earth to help the recovery U.S Navy divers were able to maneuver through

The bodies of the three soldiers were recovered after a massive six-day effort by U.S., Polish and Lithuanian armed forces and authorities to dig the M88 Hercules vehicle out of a peat bog at the expansive General Silvestras Žukauskas training ground in the town of Pabrade.

The soldiers were on a tactical training exercise when they and their vehicle were reported missing early Tuesday, the Army said.

The command in a statement said the identities of the 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division soldiers are being withheld pending family notifications.

“We stand in grief with the families and loved ones of these extraordinary ‘Dogface Soldiers’ during this unimaginable time,” said Maj. Gen Christopher Norrie, 3rd Infantry Division commander “But the search isn’t finished until everyone is home. Words cannot express our gratitude to those still working around the clock during these extensive search and recovery efforts and your unwavering commitment not to rest until all are found.”

Hundreds of Lithuanian and U.S. soldiers and rescuers took part in the search through the thick forests and swampy terrain around Pabrade, just 6 miles west of the border with Belarus. The armored vehicle was dis-

thick layers of mud, clay and sediment “with zero visibility” to reach the 63ton vehicle Sunday evening and find two points to attach steel cables, according to the command. The command said that during the effort to pull out the vehicle, it began to lose traction, so additional heavy dozers were brought in and attached to provide additional grip. The vehicle was pulled free after about two hours, the command said.

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XINHUA NEWS AGENCy PHOTO By MyO KyAW SOE

Members of a Chinese search and rescue team transfer a pregnant survivor from a collapsed building on Monday in Mandalay Myanmar in the aftermath of an earthquake.

U.N.: Israeli troops killed 15 Palestinian medics

Officials say bodies buried in mass grave

BY WAFAA SHURAFA, LEE KEATH and FATMA KHALED Associated Press

DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip Palestinians held funerals Monday for 15 medics and emergency responders killed by Israeli troops in southern Gaza, after their bodies and mangled ambulances were found buried in an impromptu mass grave, apparently plowed over by Israeli military bulldozers.

The Palestinian Red Crescent said the slain workers and their vehicles were clearly marked as medical and humanitarian personnel and accused Israeli troops of killing them “in cold blood.”

The Israeli military said its troops opened fire on vehicles that approached them “suspiciously” without identification.

The dead included eight Red Crescent workers, six members of Gaza’s Civil Defense emergency unit and a staffer from UNRWA, the U.N.’s agency for Palestinians. The International Red Cross/Red Crescent said it was the deadliest attack on its personnel in eight years. Since the war in Gaza began 18 months ago, Israel

has killed more than 100 Civil Defense workers and more than 1,000 health workers, according to the U.N.

Here is what we know about what happened.

Missing for days

The emergency teams had been missing since March 23, when they went about noon to retrieve casualties after Israeli forces launched an offensive into the Tel al-Sultan district of the southern city of Rafah.

The military had called for an evacuation of the area earlier that day saying Hamas militants were operating there. Alerts by the Civil Defense at the time said displaced Palestinians sheltering in the area had been hit and a team that went to rescue them was “surrounded by Israeli troops.”

“The available information indicates that the first team was killed by Israeli forces on 23 March,” the U.N. said in a statement Sunday night Further emergency teams that went to rescue the first team were “struck one after another over several hours,” it said. All the teams went out during daylight hours, according to the Civil Defense.

The Israeli military said Sunday that on March 23, troops opened fire on vehicles that were “advancing suspiciously” toward them without emergency signals.

It said “an initial assess-

ment” determined that the troops killed a Hamas operative named Mohammed Amin Shobaki and eight other militants. Israel has struck ambulances and other emergency vehicles in the past, accusing Hamas militants of using them for transportation. However none of the dead staffers from the Red Crescent and Civil Defense had that name, and no other bodies were reported found at the site, raising questions over the military’s suggestion that alleged militants were among the rescue workers.

The military did not immediately respond to requests for the names of the other alleged militants killed or for comment on how the emergency workers came to be buried.

After a ceasefire that lasted roughly two months, Israel relaunched its military campaign in Gaza on March 18. Since then, bombardment and new ground assaults that have killed more than 1,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry The ministry’s count does not distinguish between militants and civilians, but it says over half those killed are women

and children. Aid workers say ambulance teams and humanitarian staff have come under fire in the renewed assault. A worker with the charity World Central Kitchen was killed Friday by an Israeli strike that hit next to a kitchen distributing free meals. A March 19 Israeli tank strike on a U.N compound killed a staffer, the U.N.

Mass

Israeli

Trump administration says it deported 17 to El Salvador

BY REBECCA SANTANA and MARCOS ALEMAN Associated Press

WASHINGTON The Trump administration said Monday that it has deported 17 more “violent criminals” from the Tren de Aragua and MS-13 gangs to El Salvador as it doubles down on a policy of removing people from the U.S. to countries other than their own despite criticism

over lack of transparency and human rights issues. The State Department said the immigrants were removed Sunday night. The statement said murderers and rapists were among them but didn’t give details of the nationalities or alleged crimes of those removed The office of El Salvador President Nayib Bukele, however, said Salvadorans and Venezuelans were

among the prisoners.

“These criminals will no longer terrorize our communities and citizens,” Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in the statement. “Once again, we extend our gratitude to President Bukele and the government of El Salvador for their unparalleled partnership.”

The men were flown to El Salvador by the U.S. military, the State Department

said. As seen in video from the Salvadoran government, they were transported by bus to El Salvador’s maximum security prison, changed into the prison’s standard white T-shirts and shorts and had their heads shaven.

They were walked by guards into a cell block, the video shows, and some were made to kneel upon the floor with their wrists cuffed be-

hind their backs and ankles shackled. Guards put one or both hands on the men’s necks and forced them to walk quickly while bent at the waist and shackled with their heads down. Some men in the video grunted from the exertion, and one appeared to vomit on the floor while listening to instructions.

More than 200 Venezuelan immigrants facing deporta-

tion were sent to El Salvador earlier this month and are also being held in the maximum security prison. The Trump administration also has deported immigrants of various nationalities to other countries in Central America. But El Salvador is the only country where the U.S. is sending people so they can be imprisoned there.

BY SYLVIE CORBET, JOHN LEICESTER and SAMUEL PETREQUIN Associated Press

PARIS A French court on Monday convicted Marine Le Pen of embezzlement and barred her from seeking public office for five years — a hammer blow to the far-right leader’s presidential hopes and an earthquake for French politics

Le Pen denounced the verdict in an interview with French TV channel TF1 as a “political” move aimed at preventing her from running in the 2027 presidential election and said that millions of French people “are outraged.”

She described the ruling as a violation of the rule of law said she would appeal and asked that the court proceedings take place before the 2027 campaign She would remain ineligible to be a candidate until the appeal is decided.

Le Pen also was given four years’ imprisonment, with two to be served under house arrest and two suspended — which would not apply pending appeal.

The court ruling was a political as well as a judicial temblor for France, hobbling one of the leading contenders to succeed President Emmanuel Macron at the end of his second and fi-

nal term. So broad were the political implications that even some of Le Pen’s opponents said the Paris court had gone too far

But it’s too early to say how the case will affect voters. The potential elimination of Le Pen could fire up die-hard supporters, just as U.S. President’s Donald Trump’s legal problems motivated some of his. But it could also leave her on the sidelines, deflating what had been her upward trajectory

Le Pen said the court should not have made her ineligible to run for office until all her chances at appeal had been exhausted, and that by doing so it was clear the court was aiming “specifically to prevent” her from being elected president.

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By ABDEL KAREEM HANA

react

funeral of eight Red Crescent emergency responders

Israeli attack in Deir al-Balah, Gaza Strip.

Le Pen

Lawmakers consider amendment future

Measure’s failure looms ahead of legislative session

BY ALYSE PFEIL Staff writer

After Gov Jeff Landry and his allies in the Legislature failed to convince voters to green-light a constitutional amendment to change state tax policy, lawmakers are already beginning to formulate an alternative plan.

The question is: Will they again propose a sprawling rewrite of an entire section of the constitution, or will they take a less ambitious approach?

The decision looms large as the next legislative session is set to begin in two weeks on April 14.

On Saturday 65% of voters or roughly 410,000 out of the 634,000 total who cast ballots rejected Amendment 2, which failed by wide margins in urban, mostly Democratic parishes, but also failed in some Republican areas of the state.

The proposed amendment would have been a near-complete revision of Article VII of the Louisiana Constitution, an expansive and complicated section that governs state taxes and budgeting Now lawmakers are back at the

TEACHERS

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proposed th durin the omi legislative

drawing board.

At least one piece of legislation aimed at constitutional changes to state tax law likely will be introduced during the regular session this year, said state Rep. Julie Emerson, R-Carencro, who sponsored Amendment 2 and was a key figure in advancing the Landry administration’s tax policy initiatives over the past several months.

Emerson, who chairs the House tax-writing committee, said she’s unsure if legislation will take a more “broad strokes” approach or if it will be narrowly focused on certain changes.

“I do think you’ll see at least one bill that deals with Article VII. I just don’t know how many pieces of Article VII we’ll be trying to deal with,” she said.

Department of Revenue Secretary Richard Nelson, the architect of the tax overhaul pushed by the Landry administration during a November special session, said he would “continue to work with the Legislature to earn voter support for essential revisions to Article VII.”

Asked what legislation this year could entail, Nelson said, “We are still looking at our options.”

Some think a piecemeal approach might be more palatable to voters.

Amendment 2 was “a very ambitious approach,” said Sen. Franklin Foil, R-Baton Rouge, who chairs

the Senate tax-writing committee.

“If I were to try to do it again, I might try to do it in smaller pieces so people can have some options as opposed to just one big amendment with everything in it,” he said.

Policy plans

Amendment 2 included dozens of proposed changes.

Among them:

n Loosen restrictions on constitutionally protected state trust funds dedicated to specific priorities such as coastal restoration and education

n Put a constitutional cap of 3.75% on the state income tax rate

n Put a higher standard tax deduction for seniors in the constitution

n Allow state lawmakers to adjust certain property tax exemptions

n Make it harder for lawmakers to approve tax break programs

n Free up money to increase

teacher salaries by $2,000 by paying off $2 billion of state debt using money in state trust funds.

“I thought it was a really good amendment and would have done a lot of really good things for the public,” Foil said.

Looking ahead to this year’s legislative session, he said, “everything is on the table.”

Foil said he’s unsure if the plan will ultimately result in another proposed constitutional amend-

ment or just changes to state statute, but either way he’s “anxious to move forward.”

Some of his priorities that were also part of Amendment 2 include doubling the standard deduction for seniors and merging two state savings accounts that are designed to help the state weather financial downturns.

Emerson said it’s particularly worth revisiting the debt payment that would pave the way for teacher salary increases. And like Foil, she said important priorities include doubling the standard deduction for seniors and merging the two state savings accounts.

Those two accounts are trust funds set up through the constitution.

The Budget Stabilization Fund was set up in 1990, and money in that account can be used when the state is facing budget shortfalls. As of November the fund balance was $1.06 billion.

The Revenue Stabilization Trust Fund was set up in 2016 to shield the state from year-to-year fluctuations in oil and gas revenue and corporate tax revenues. Money there can be used for transportation and construction projects and in emergency cases decided by the Legislature. Its balance was $2.77 billion as of October

Amendment 2 would have essentially combined these two accounts, leaving the Budget Stabi-

lization Fund while eliminating the Revenue Stabilization Fund and freeing up more money for lawmakers to spend on yearly expenses.

Lessons learned

As lawmakers consider the path forward, some said they received valuable feedback from constituents on the lack of support for Amendment 2.

One of those was House budget Chair Jack McFarland, R-Jonesboro, who said voters called him to share their reasoning for voting “no.”

The task of educating voters on a complex amendment was a tall one, he said.

“It’s difficult to educate every voter on each part of that. I mean it was a lot in one amendment,” McFarland said. Emerson acknowledged, “there were a lot of components to Amendment 2.”

“We had a lot of people reach out and say, you know, it was just too much,” she said. “I wish y’all could maybe break it up a little bit.”

She heard from several people that they were confused about it after hearing a lot of information, both for and against the measure.

“Several people told me I didn’t go vote because I heard so much on both sides, and I was confused about it,” she said.

Landry and lawmakers can find funding. She noted that the governor’s proposed budget, released in February, does not include funding for stipends.

“W mane never lature) mone Ke added advocate pro for However manent without pected of Amendment If amendment, sol cation money to pay down debts related to the state’s teachers’ retirement fund, pay then some to toward po Ro Ed

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supports raisunderstands approve the pointing to its length and complexity

“People were concerned about an amendment with so much in it,” she said. “We have to go back

to the drawing board.”

Freiberg said she would support either permanent teacher raises or one-time stipends this session — if

Last year’s proposed budget also did not initially include money for stipends. The governor agreed exchange for $24 million in cuts to day care subsidies.

Richard Nelson, secretary of the Louisiana of Revbudget shortfall will likely make it more difficult to find funding for teacher pay

“There’s just not as much wiggle room in the budget,” he said in an interview Monday

The state’s largest teachers union, the Louisiana Federation of Teachers, had supported the amendment.

Since voters rejected it, union President Larry Carter said he has been in touch with lawmakers and Landry to figure out next steps.

He said the big question now is how the state would pay for a salary increase.

“With the amendment failing,” he said, “funding for teacher pay raises is uncertain.”

Email Elyse Carmosino at ecarmosino@theadvocate.com.

fices and public tag agencies st anans ou fre ti

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real-world job experience before they graduate, often allowing them to earn school credit at the same time. In recent years, Louisiana’s Education Department has promoted career education as an alternative for students who may not be interested in pursuing a four-year college degree, which proponents say will also help grow the state’s shrinking workforce. Under state policy, students must complete a minimum of 7,965 minutes in an internship to receive school credit, along with at least 106 hours of on-the-job training with an employer and a minimum of 27 hours of classroom instruction that focuses on skills such as financial literacy and workplace communication. Though internship data for other states was incomplete, the report found that the number of Louisiana students who graduated with internship credits in 2023 was much lower than

in Georgia and Tennessee, where data indicated at least 15-20% of students had completed an internship.

Apprenticeship data, which was more readily available, showed that Louisiana had among the lowest number of apprentices out of 16 states in the Southern region. Arkansas had the highest percentage, with about 9 in 1,000 students completing apprenticeships.

The only states with fewer apprentices than Louisiana were South Carolina, Alabama and Oklahoma.

Still, Louisiana has seen its number of apprenticeships grow by more than 11% over the last five years, according to the report — the third-highest improvement rate compared to peer states.

Louisiana’s apprentices are the lowest paid in the region, earning $14.90 per hour Pay in Mississippi, where apprentices earn the most out of all the Southern states, averages a little over $20 per hour

Some school district leaders have expressed worry

Adams will return to the State Fire Marshal’s Office after his time at the OMV, a release from Landry’s office said Dale “Ed” Branch, the chief of staff for the State Fire Marshal’s Office, will replace Adams as the head of that agency

en er downtime. declared a to the outfor Louisianans need to renew their Most regE license. been holding officials traffic in contribute to the system outages. Adams said in a statement that he is dedicated to improving the OMV system, which “has faced challenges for too long.”

Casey said he left the OMV so he would have more time with his grandchildren, noting how much time the job of OMV commissioner requires.

The OMV’s software system is 50 years old. The state is on the brink of selecting a new one, officials have said, but it could take several years to fully install it.

Landry’s executive order allows the state to skip a six- to ninemonth procurement process that

would have made the modernization take even longer

The outages come as a May 7 deadline looms for travelers to get driver’s licenses that meet federal REAL ID requirements in order to travel. Those licenses require more stringent proof of identification.

Email Meghan Friedmann at meghan.friedmann@ theadvocate.com.

about meeting the expectations set by the new accountability system if there are not enough internships or apprenticeships available to students.

Kim Rider oversees career and technical education in the Allen Parish school district, a mostly rural community in central Louisiana where the poverty rate hovers around 85%. During a state school board meeting in October, she said the district would struggle to provide students with work-based learning opportunities.

Unlike urban areas with public transportation, Rider said students in her parish must be able to drive to jobs, which requires a car and driver’s license. She pointed out that a driver’s education course can cost families hundreds of dollars.

“I want to know how it is that I’m supposed to make this happen in an area where I don’t have industry,” Rider said “We don’t have jobs. We don’t have internships.” Knapp said his organization recommends that the state provide a “significant incentive” to businesses to

offer more opportunities to students.

The report notes that Louisiana currently has two tax credits that are designed to support employers who hire apprentices or underprivileged youth. However, both are rarely used, the report says.

“We asked far and wide across the business commu-

nity, and folks did not know that there was a tax credit,” Knapp said. “Some of it has been lack of marketing.”

Better Louisiana said it plans to propose legislation this session that would combine the two credits into a streamlined system that would encourage more businesses to participate.

The legislation would also reduce the number of hours that students must intern for businesses to get the tax credit, Knapp said. “I think this is a really good moment to reconsider” that incentive, he said. Many students would benefit from career training in high school, “yet there’s no motive in the tax code to drive this.”

STAFF FILE PHOTO By JILL PICKETT

constitutional amendment that would have dissolved three education trust funds in salaries, it’s unclear whether educators will receive a raise next school year or hecks shrink.

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Judge blocks records release in Hackman case

BY MORGAN LEE

Associated Press

SANTA FE, N.M. — A court on

Monday blocked the release of any public records that show the bodies of Gene Hackman and his wife, Betsy Arakawa, but said other images and documents can be disclosed.

A representative for the Hackman family estate had urged a New Mexico judge to seal photos, video and documents to protect the family’s privacy Santa Febased Judge Matthew Wilson had court put a temporary hold on the release of records pending Monday’s hearing

Wilson said anything that does not include images of the couples’ bodies could be released.

The partially mummified remains of Hackman and Arakawa were found in their Santa Fe home on Feb. 26, when maintenance and security workers showed up at the home and alerted police. Authorities have confirmed Hackman, 95, died of heart disease with complications from Alzheimer’s disease about a week after his wife’s death. Hackman may have been unaware Arakawa, 65, was dead. Her cause of death was listed as hantavirus pulmonary syndrome, which is a

rare, rodent-borne disease. New Mexico’s open records law blocks public access to sensitive images, including depictions of dead bodies. Experts also say some medical information is not considered public record under the state Inspection of Public Records Act.

Transgender Day of Visibility has different tenor under Trump

BY GEOFF MULVIHILL and JESSE BEDAYN Associated Press

On the campaign trail, Donald Trump used contentiousness around transgender people’s access to sports and bathrooms to fire up conservative voters and sway undecideds. And in his first months back in office, Trump has pushed the issue further, erasing mention of transgender people on government websites and passports and trying to remove them from the military

It’s a contradiction of numbers that reveals a deep cultural divide: Transgender people make up less than 1% of the U.S. population, but they have become a major piece on the political chess board — particularly Trump’s.

For transgender people and their allies — along with several judges who have ruled against Trump in response to legal challenges

it’s a matter of civil rights for a small group. But many Americans believe those rights had grown too expansive.

The president’s spotlight is giving Monday’s Transgender Day of Visibility a different tenor this year

“What he wants is to scare us into being invisible again,” said Rachel Crandall Crocker, the executive director of Transgender Michigan who organized the first Day of Visibility 16 years ago. “We have to show him we won’t go back.”

So why has this small population found itself with

such an outsized role in American politics?

Trump’s actions reflect a constellation of beliefs that transgender people are dangerous, are men trying to get access to women’s spaces or are pushed into gender changes that they will later regret.

The American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Medical Association and other major medical groups have said that gender-affirming treatments can be medically necessary and are supported by evidence.

Zein Murib, an associate professor of political science and women’s, gender and sexuality studies at Fordham University, said there has been a decades-old effort “to reinstate Christian nationalist principles as the law of the land” that increased its focus on transgender people after a 2015 U.S. Supreme Court ruling recognizing same-sex marriage nationwide. It took a few years but some of the positions gained traction.

One factor: Proponents of the restrictions lean into broader questions of fairness and safety, which draw more public attention.

Sports bans and bathroom laws are linked to protecting spaces for women and girls, even as studies have found transgender women are far more likely to be victims of violence Efforts to bar schools from encouraging gender transition are connected to protecting parental rights. And bans on gender-affirming care rely partly on the idea that people

that match their sex at birth and more supportive on bans on gender-affirming medical care for transgender minors since 2022. Most Democrats still oppose those kinds of measures, though.

Leor Sapir, a fellow at Manhattan Institute, a rightleaning think tank, says Trump’s and Republicans’ positions have given them a political edge.

“They are putting their opponents, their Democratic opponents, in a very unfavorable position by having to decidebetweencateringtotheir progressive, activist base or their median voter,” he said.

Trump task force to review Harvard’s funding

BY COLLIN BINKLEY Associated Press

WASHINGTON Harvard University has become the latest target in the Trump administration’s approach to fight campus antisemitism, with the announcement of a new “comprehensive review” that could jeopardize billions of dollars for the Ivy League college.

A federal antisemitism task force is reviewing more than $255 million in contracts between Harvard and the federal government to make sure the school is following civil rights laws, the administration announced Monday The government also will examine $8.7 billion in grant commitments to Harvard and its affiliates.

might later regret it, though studies have found that to be rare.

Since 2020, about half the states passed laws barring transgender people from sports competitions aligning with their gender and have banned or restricted gender-affirming medical care for minors. At least 14 have adopted laws restricting which bathrooms transgender people can use in certain buildings.

In February, Iowa became the first state to remove protections for transgender people from civil rights law It’s not just political gamesmanship. “I think that whether or not that’s a politically viable strategy is second to the immediate impact that that is going to have on trans people,” Fordham’s Murib said.

More than half of voters in the 2024 election — 55% — said support for transgender rights in the United States has gone too far according to AP VoteCast. About 2 in

10 said the level of support has been about right, and a similar share said support hasn’t gone far enough.

Nevertheless, AP VoteCast also found voters were split on laws banning gender-affirming medical treatment, such as puberty blockers or hormone therapy, for minors. Just over half were opposed to these laws, while just under half were in favor Trump voters were overwhelmingly likely to say support for transgender rights has gone too far, while Kamala Harris’ voters were more divided. About 4 in 10 Harris voters said support for transgender rights has not gone far enough, while 36% said it’s been about right and about one-quarter said it’s gone too far

A survey this year from the Pew Research Center found Americans, including Democrats, have become more slightly more supportive of requiring transgender athletes to compete on teams

Not everyone agrees.

“People across the political spectrum agree that in fact, the major crises and major problems facing the United States right now is not the existence and civic participation of trans people,” said

Olivia Hunt, director of federal policy for Advocates for Trans Equality And in the same election that saw Trump return to the presidency, Delaware voters elected Sarah McBride, the first transgender member of Congress.

Paisley Currah, a political science professor at the City University of New York, said conservatives go after transgenderpeopleinpartbecause they make up such a small portion of the population.

“Because it’s so small, it’s relatively unknown,” said Currah, who is transgender.

“And then Trump has kind of used trans to signify what’s wrong with the left. You know: ‘It’s just too crazy It’s too woke.’”

The same task force cut $400 million from Columbia University and threatened to slash billions more if it refused a list of demands from President Donald Trump’s administration. Columbia agreed to many of the changes this month, drawing praise from some Jewish groups and condemnation from free speech groups, who see it as a stunning intrusion by the federal government.

Dozens of other universities have been put on notice by the Trump administration that they could face similar treatment over allegations of antisemitism. The federal government is a major provider of revenue for American universities through grants for scientific research.

Education Secretary Linda McMahon said Harvard symbolizes the American dream, but has jeopardized its reputation by “promoting divisive ideologies over free inquiry” and failing to protect students from antisemitism.

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By MARK SCOLFORO

Participants grab signs at the Transgender Day of Visibility rally on Monday in the Pennsylvania Capitol Rotunda in Harrisburg, Pa

Hard to beat an April in La.

April is peak Louisiana. Flowers. Showers. Sun. Music. Festivals. There are the biggies — Baton Rouge Blues Festival (Friday through Sunday), the French Quarter Festival (April 10-13), Festival International in Lafayette (April 23-27) and Jazz Fest in New Orleans (April 24-May 4) There are also other delights that don’t get as much attention that the more intrepid would appreciate.

Hallmark-style charm

Last year, I went to New Iberia’s Books Along the Teche Literary Festival and had one of the most enjoyable weekends of my life.

I realize that may sound like a stretch, but the weekend had all the things: perfect weather, great food, a cute town, lots of books and incredibly kind, smart and generous people.

I’m going back this year because I liked it so much. (In full disclosure, I’m making a presentation, too.)

The festival begins Friday and lasts through Sunday New Iberia has enough charm to merit a trip almost any time (or a Hallmark made-for-TV movie for that matter), but this is the weekend it really shines.

Organizers have three days of events from morning until night, including local and Southern authors, covering a wide range of topics, including:

n Storytelling traditions in Acadiana with Barry Jean Ancelet and Darrell Bourque

n How to turn travels into books and articles with Chere Coen

n A James Lee Burke Book Club discussion of “Clete” hosted virtually by CJ Lotz and Burke

n The Great Southern Writer Symposium with Mary Kay Andrews

n “Critiquing Your Book: The Truth of an Audience” with Ben Gibson

n “I’ve Got an Idea for a Picture Book! Now What?” with Denise Gallagher

But that’s not all New Iberia’s book festival offers It has adventures that build on the obsession of one of the town’s favorite sons, Burke, including a bookstore with the same name as the festival, a Dave Robicheaux-themed mystery bus tour and more, including: n Panel discussion “Traiteurs: The Traditional Cajun French Folk Healers in the 21st Century” led by Mary Perrin

n Readers’ Theater from Burke’s book “New Iberia Blues”

n T-Boy’s Adventure Boat Tour of Bayou Teche

n Symphony Sunday in New Iberia City Park.

Many events are free, but some require tickets. Visit booksalongthetecheliteraryfestival.com for details. The city is a walkable, charming downtown set on Bayou Teche, with a variety of good eats, including the chic Pie Bar Plus, Avery Island, home of Tabasco and Jungle Gardens, is nearby and offers a wonderful tour of the factory and a self-driving tour of the gardens. New Iberia, population 27,000 is about 135 miles from New Orleans if you avoid the interstate and take U.S. 90. Having done that drive many times, I appreciate its scenery and noninterstate-ness.

From Baton Rouge, New Iberia is about 70 miles. I love much of that drive, too, by opting for the more rural route that takes me over drawbridges and through sugar cane fields.

25 miles of garage sales?

Not only will the town of Jackson host a car show Saturday, it will also be along the route of 25 miles of garage sales along La

Officials probe tax renewal failure

BY CLAIRE TAYLOR Staff writer

Two Lafayette Parish property tax renewals rejected by voters in Saturday’s election probably suffered by a “No To Them All” ballot initiative successfully aimed at defeating four state constitutional amendments, Lafayette Parish Mayor-President Monique Boulet said Monday “I don’t think it was targeted at our renewals,” she said. Many people voted no down the ballot, including on the parish tax renewals, Boulet said. But the percentage of people who voted against the constitutional amendments in Lafayette Parish was higher than the percentage voting against the taxes.

Unofficial results from Saturday’s election show people in Lafayette Parish voted: n 53% against a 4.47-mill parish

property tax renewal for roads and bridges.

n 52% against a 3.81-mill parish property tax renewal for drainage, fire protection in unincorporated areas, roads and bridges, public health units, mosquito control, animal control and the Coroner’s Office.

On the four statewide constitutional amendments, Lafayette Parish residents voted:

n 63% against Amendment No. 1 that would have provided disciplinary proceedings over attorneys and created courts of limited jurisdiction.

n 60% against Amendment No. 2 that would have provided with respect to the power of taxation and teacher pay raises.

n 65% against Amendment No. 3 to allow the state Legislature to determine which felony crimes

SOMETHING IN THE WIND

Brook Neck helps his daughter, Paisley Neck, 11, as she attempts to get her kite airborne on Monday at Moncus Park in Lafayette. Neck said he checked Paisley out of school early so the two could spend time at the park after eating hamburgers.

Lake Charles mayor’s race heads to runoff

2-term incumbent falls short of primary win

BY MEGAN WYATT Staff writer

High turnout among Democratic voters this weekend forced Republican Lake Charles Mayor Nic Hunter into a runoff in his attempt for a third term as mayor against independent Marshall Simien Jr., who had success galvanizing Democrats Hunter, who took office in 2017, secured 47% of the vote in the

primary election, falling short of the margin needed to win outright. Simien, a former City Council member, finished second with 29%.

They will face off again on May 3.

Each said Monday that they expect to continue campaigning on their accomplishments in elected offices to sell their vision to voters over the next month.

“I was surprised that he was forced into runoff,” John Couvillon, a Baton Rouge-based pollster and political analyst who closely watches elections across the state,

said of Hunter “I would have thought he could have just skated by without a runoff because, after all, he is a two-term incumbent, so voters would be very knowledgeable of him and be comfortable, presumably.” The race had an unofficial turnout of 30.7%, with a total of 14,122 votes cast. Turnout in Lake Charles was significantly higher than it was across the state, which had a 21% turnout rate as voters in all parishes considered — and opposed four constitutional amendments.

Hunter and Simien faced three

other challengers in the primary election: Wilford Carter II, a Democrat; Khalid Taha, a Republican; and James Steward, who ran under no party Carter received 18% of the vote, Taha received 4% and Steward 2%.

Couvillon, founder and president of JMC Analytics and Polling, said the constitutional amendments on the ballot attracted more Democratic voters, which likely contributed to the mayoral race going to a runoff.

finalized for Devil’s Swamp Lake

BY DAVID J MITCHELL Staff writer

Nearly 40 years after regulators declared Devil’s Swamp

STAFF PHOTO By BRAD BOWIE

STAFF PHOTO By LESLIE WESTBROOK

Lafayette Parish Mayor-President Monique Boulet said Lafayette Parish voters can expect a fall election for a second attempt to renew property taxes defeated Saturday.

Jan Risher

LOUISIANA AT LARGE

Johnston was epitome of bipartisan class

Former U.S. Sen. J. Bennett Johnston, who died March 25 at age 92, was a significant player on national policy and an absolute giant of Louisiana politics. Both state and nation were better for his public service.

Johnston, a lawyer and Army veteran, began his political career in Caddo Parish with elections to the state House of Representatives in 1964 and the state Senate in 1968. In those days of notoriously indecorous (to put it kindly) state government, Johnston began forging a reputation as a quiet, serious legislator Given little chance when he entered a 16-candidate Democratic field for governor in 1971, he tapped into a new voter hunger for reform to earn a runoff primary spot against then-U.S. Rep. Edwin Edwards.

Edwards’ scant 4,488-vote runoff victory, alas, kept Louisiana in the state-politics-as-entertainment business, but the skintight race had the effect of giving Johnston the statewide name recognition to easily win a U.S. Senate race in 1972. Johnston’s ascent to Washington, D.C., arguably was an inflection point, as he ushered in the decades-long era in which most Louisiana members of Congress began establishing reputations not as colorful Southern demagogues but as bipartisan workhorses often key to the agreements that just plain “got things done.”

Using affability more than raw power plays during his four full Senate terms, Johnston became arguably the single most influential legislator on national energy policy He did so without regard to party forging alliances with Republican presidents as well as Democratic ones Johnston pushed laws that encouraged energy exploration that greatly benefited Louisiana’s economy while helping keep energy prices low nationwide Between 1982 and 1998, the years when his legislative stewardship held most sway over national policy, inflation-adjusted energy costs declined steeply Meanwhile, Johnston was a staunch and effective advocate for bringing federal money back home for Louisiana projects. He was a particularly diligent proponent of the Red River Project and Interstate 49, opening key transportation links between North and South Louisiana, and he helped deliver dozens of other projects to the state, including two national parks and seven wildlife refuges.

Johnston’s final reelection campaign in 1990, was memorable for unfortunate reasons, as a late surge by former Ku Klux Klan leader David Duke vaulted Duke into an unexpectedly strong showing of 43.5% of the vote to Johnston’s 54%. Still, Johnston’s history of bipartisan comity helped keep the Klansman at bay, with eight Republican senators and Republican housing secretary Jack Kemp all endorsing the Democrat Johnston.

Both state and national politics could use much more of Johnston’s civility and bipartisanship today Meanwhile, Johnston leaves a legacy of responsible stewardship of the public weal Well done, and well lived.

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

OPINION

Trump is the pragmatist we need in these times

Recent experience tells us that Americans are not well-served by ideologues in the White House. President Barack Obama articulated his ideological convictions in his highly regarded (but seldom read) autobiographical memoir, “Dreams From My Father” (1995). He followed that up with eight years in the Oval Office, which did little, if anything, to repair our divisions or quell our disquiet. President Joe Biden was not so much an ideologue as a willing tool of ideologues, to whom he tragically deferred. He was a political will-o’-the-wisp during his entire lackluster public career it is ironic that he was eventually undone by caving to ideological imperatives. It took only one term in the Oval Office to convince a disabused electorate that he was not fit for office. What the Greeks called “hubris”

(excessive pride/arrogance) affects both political parties, but Democrats seem to have the edge in attracting the ideologicalminded. What makes Donald Trump anathema to his opponents on both sides of the aisle is that he is no ideologue. He is a hardheaded real estate businessman from Queens. His policy prerogatives are not propelled by some ill-defined notion of goodwill but rather, by whatever works. At bottom, this is what drives his opponents (and some proponents) crazy Ideologues are typically slow to grasp fundamental shifts in political reality and/or social behavior which eventually undermines their respect. What follows is a kind of degradation that has already beset the legacy media and is now exacting a toll on the Democratic party ROBERT HEBERT Baton Rouge

La. continues to vote for Republicans even though their policies harm us

As a lifelong resident of Louisiana, I can’t understand why this state continues to remain so adamantly Republican. We have a minimum of 20+ years of data on the Deep South regarding quality of life standards since the boot state went red.

According to rankings by U.S. News and World Report, we are No. 50 overall, dead last. Crime and corrections No. 50, economy No. 49, education No. 47, health care No. 46, infrastructure No. 49, environment No. 49. I could keep going, but you get the point.

TO SEND US A LETTER, SCAN HERE

Grateful that long-sought library coming to fruition

The journey was long, but the Lafayette Public Library Board of Control voted unanimously to build the long-awaited, much-needed library in northeast Lafayette Parish, the first for this large region. The community has been steadfast in its support of this project since seed capital was secured in 2019, turning out in huge numbers on multiple occasions to speak in support.

The average Joe Six-pack loves to regurgitate the same old tired talking points of Fox News and the like and blames Presidents Barack Obama and Joe Biden and their liberal policies on all of our ills, but the sad, sad truth is the fact that Louisiana has done this to itself.

The Republicans that we keep reelecting have sold us all down the river The Republican Party represents big business and the top onepercenters.

Our state and its citizenry have

been cashed out like a poker chip. We have consistently trended in a downward spiral since the Republican Party has taken total dominance in our political sphere. This is truly a shame when you think of the resources we have: agriculture, petro-chemical industry, commercial seafood industry and much more. Our political leaders continue with the beatdown of organized labor and workers’ rights. Republicans refuse to raise the minimum wage, and Louisiana Republicans just recently cut your unemployment benefits from 26 weeks to 12 weeks.

Now with the election of Trump/ Musk Inc., the clown show is getting crazier Trump tariffs are cratering the economy Efforts to abolish the Department of Education and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau are signaling the end of our protections. One good thing, at least we don’t have far to go until we hit rock bottom. MARK WALOCK Walker

I am so proud of the people who packed the room recently and shared their personal stories about their library experiences and the importance of a library to improve the lives of all people, especially children. Board member Alan Moore’s motion to build the largest design option was bold and forward-thinking. The new library will include a large dedicated state-of-theart makerspace for teaching cutting-edge skills and training, and so much more. New board members Rena Bradley contributed important financial research and Ella Arcement led the board-appointed community committee that recommended the largest design option to the board. Library staff worked hard to provide needed information and coordinate public participation efforts. Many thanks to Mayor-President Monique Boulet for her support and presence throughout the meeting, accompanied by City-Parish Attorney Pat Ottinger and council members Kenneth Boudreaux and AB Rubin. It was a happy night where we all focused on the same common goal: building the best public library possible for the people of NE Lafayette Parish. This is a great example of public and government working together for the greater good.

MARY LIB GUERCIO Lafayette YOUR VIEWS

Veterans Honor Guard still serving local residents

With all the federal budget cuts, I would like to advise the general public that the Acadiana Veterans Honor Guard is still providing free military burial honors for our local veterans. We are a nonprofit military organization that provides this service within 40 miles of Lafayette. If you are in need of this service, please contact your funeral director and then they will contact us. You will need a DD214 form to qualify We work alongside any active duty personnel they send, or we can complete the military honors as needed. This includes the rifle squad, the playing of taps and the folding and presentation of the American flag to the family

BARRY DUFOUR Lafayette

Voters spoke loud and clear

Well, that was something.

On Saturday, Louisiana voters batted aside four attempts to amend the state constitution, rejecting a late push from Gov Jeff Landry, who championed the measures, especially Amendment 2, which would have rewritten significant sections dealing with taxes and revenue. The votes weren’t close either: Amendment 4, a fairly low-intensity change that would have tweaked election timing for state Supreme Court justices, came the closest to passing, and it earned a measly 36% of the vote in support. If these had been candidate races, we would be calling them landslides.

First, the other numbers. Amendment 1, which would have allowed the Legislature to create more specialty courts, lost 65-35. Amendment 2 lost by the same margin. And Amendment 3, which would have made it easier for the Legislature to add to the list of crimes for which juveniles can be charged as adults, lost 66-34. Already, and even more in the coming days, campaign data wonks will be diving into the various numbers to figure out what they all mean Those insights will prove key going forward for candidates of both parties. But even now, I think there are some takeaways that are clear.

that Louisiana is a “state conditioned for failure.”

Beyond being insulting, this spin is hard to take seriously In 2023, when Landry won the “mandate” by winning the governor’s race without going to a runoff, about 36% of the state’s voters cast ballots This election’s turnout was about 21%, so probably some of those who voted for Landry also rejected the amendments.

More than half of the voters in Landry’s home parish of St. Martin voted against Amendment 2, for instance.

Voters in Rapides, Concordia and Red River parishes, which went 68%, 64% and 63%, respectively, for Donald Trump just four and a half months ago, also rejected all four

While a coalition of left-leaning groups did mount a campaign to reject all the amendments, they were joined in opposition, at least to Amendment 2, by some prominent conservative voices.

The Rev Tony Spell, a politically conservative firebrand and onetime Landry ally, and Woody Jenkins, the chairman of the East Baton Rouge Republican Party, are not Soros plants. Both opposed Amendment 2 because of its complexity and the fact that it would have removed from the constitution tax exemptions on religious organizations, though those protections remain in state statute.

himself on the sharp end of it. Perhaps he thought he wouldn’t be poked by the stick he helped whittle. Presenting a massive, quickly pushed through constitutional change is not a way to build trust with voters.

And this is where we get to Amendment 3. That change would have made it easier for the legislature to add crimes to the list for which children can be tried as adults. It almost certainly would have resulted in more children getting sent to prison. Its presence on the ballot energized advocates for incarcerated people and helped drive turnout among Democrats and Black voters. It seems reasonable that once pulling the lever for No on Amendment 3, most decided to do the same on 1, 2 and 4.

It’s a good win for Louisiana’s beleaguered Democrats, but let’s not get hasty Republican leaders may be licking their wounds, but that doesn’t mean they won’t remain in an extremely strong position. Defeating propositions is a lot easier than putting candidates in office. Republicans still hold every single statewide elected office and supermajorities in the Louisiana House and Senate. And that brings me back to Landry In a little more than a year in office, he has been effective in pushing through his agenda. But it is also possible that he got a bit out over his skis on this one.

Amid the blizzard of breaking news, a familiar irritation poked through: ethnic labeling. The issue unexpectedly emerged while the Senate considered a stopgap federal funding bill to keep the federal government running and avoid a possible shutdown.

After President Donald Trump said Democrats would be blamed and taxes would surge if Democrats didn’t vote for the bill, he suddenly lashed out at Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-New York, in an Oval Office meeting.

“Schumer is a Palestinian, as far as I’m concerned. He’s become a Palestinian,” Trump said. “He used to be Jewish. He’s not Jewish anymore. He’s a Palestinian.”

Say what? Where did that come from?

Sure, like anyone else who has been following this president very closely, I was shocked but sadly not surprised.

First, this was a stinging defeat for Landry and his allies in the Legislature, many of whom stumped hard in the closing days after early voting showed more Black voters and Democrats going to the polls (more on that in a minute). Landry’s post-election comments haven’t helped, either.

He said that the defeats weren’t “a failure” but blamed them on ”far-left liberals” spreading “propaganda and outright lies” and invoked the conservative boogeyman, George Soros, as the reason the proposals lost He said

Saturday night, Jenkins offered a stern rebuff to Landry’s election-night comments. They were “an insult to the people of this state” and said the governor’s credibility with voters is “obviously very low.” In other words, perhaps Landry shouldn’t just assume that Louisiana voters are “conditioned to failure,” but rather that they harbor a deep-seated suspicion of their government. The irony, of course, is that Landry has often stoked that sentiment, but now he finds

The question now is how he will respond. Will he retreat into a conservative bunker and insist that this defeat was the work of malign outside forces and his political enemies? Or will he work to build a plan that isn’t rushed through, isn’t massively complex, gets the deliberative time it deserves and builds trust with voters?

Let’s hope for the latter

Faimon A. Roberts III can be reached at froberts@theadvocate.com.

The liberalism that leaves many Americans out of ‘Abundance’

“Imagine boarding a train in the center of a city,” former President Barack Obama rhapsodized in April 2009. “No racing to an airport and across a terminal, no delays, no sitting on the tarmac, no lost luggage, no taking off your shoes. Imagine whisking through towns at speeds over 100 miles an hour, walking only a few steps to public transportation, and ending up just blocks from your destination.”

It’s a curious statement to find one-third of the way into a book titled “Abundance.” Not 10% of Americans live or work in the middle of a city within walking distance of a passenger train station, but as co-authors Ezra Klein and Derek Thompson quickly make clear their focus is on “the land that matters in the hearts of our cities,” by which they mean the giant coastal metropolitan areas where one-quarter of the public live. They make it clear as well that they’re writing for fellow liberals. They expect 4 to 6 degrees Celsius of global warming, a high-side estimate in my view, and assert confidently that “the stocks of fossil fuels are finite,” even though fracking has shown that innovation can vastly increase the amounts recoverable. They decry “closing our gates to immigrants,” ignoring the nearly 1 million new U.S citizens every year

Nevertheless, “Abundance” is full of thoughtful analysis and useful perspectives on “the pathologies of the broad left.” They tell their intended audience — Klein writes for The New York Times, Thompson for The Atlantic things already familiar to readers of conservative publications: how former President Joe Biden’s multibilliondollar program produced just seven (or maybe 55) electric vehicle charging stations, how the Biden rural broadband project connected no one, how California’s high-speed rail program — authorized by voters in 2008 after spending unpredicted billions — is still struggling to connect the metropolises of Fresno and Merced. They understand why most voters think red states are governed better than blue states

In the process, they tell the story of how the government in the 1970s vastly improved the quality and healthiness of air and water — a story little appreciated today because conservatives don’t like crediting the government, and environmentalists like to raise money by lamenting that things are worse than ever Unhappily, federal and many state laws allowed, even encouraged, lawsuits challenging environmental infringement. Thus began, with leadership from many of my law school contemporaries, the environmentlawsuit-industrial complex.

The corollary to that has been what Klein and Thompson call “everything bagel liberalism.” The 2023 Biden semiconductor bill required an environmental questionnaire to assess environmental review, mandated an “equity strategy” for applicants, and required plans to include women and other disadvantaged people such as minorities, veterans and small businesses in their supply chains something for every Democratic Party constituency If you handed Franklin D. Roosevelt’s favorite New Dealer, Harry Hopkins, that paper, he’d quickly draw a diagonal line crossing out everything but the amount appropriated and then send telegrams to people he knew could deliver and get the job done. Klein and Thompson don’t advise anybody to do anything like that. In fact, they don’t have any recommendations for leaving any liberal constituency out in the cold. Nor do they make the point that Philip Howard makes in his several books that responsible individuals should make final decisions and not leave them to endless committee deliberations and court processes. Instead, they point to what great things they think must be accomplished We need more solar and wind energy and high-transmission lines — they admit red Texas does better than blue California on this — and to double the electric grid because of artificial intelligence. Those solar and wind devices will require land the size of Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Kentucky and Tennessee, plus Massachusetts and Rhode

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR ARE WELCOME. HERE

Island. Then, “electrify everything,” replacing 1 billion machines “within the next few years.”

You will have to replace your accustomed gas stove with electric induction and your gas heat with an electric heat pump, both of which, they assure you, will work better One suspects that the several-thousand-dollar outlays will not be voluntary, at least for nonmembers of “everything bagel” constituencies. But just when you start wondering whether such things will ever happen, you read that the nation’s largest wind farm in Wyoming, which “if all goes well from here will be completed in 2026 — eighteen years after it was proposed.”

“The arc of history does not always bend toward our beliefs,” the authors admit in their conclusion. Americans are not lining up to turn in their gas stoves, and it’s apparent California’s electric car mandate won’t be met by 2035, as Democrats torch electric vehicles rather than buy them. American trust in expert scientists was frayed by the lies and misjudgments of Anthony Fauci, Biden’s chief medical adviser, and others during the COVID-19 pandemic. It’s hard to see America making the transition from spending money to reduce carbon emissions to realizing economic gains from doing so — and even harder to see how Democrats who want to build things cut through the pettifoggery of “everything bagel” constituencies’ vetoes and get to the authors’ promised land of low-carbonemissions abundance.

I guess that Klein and Thompson (briefly a next-door neighbor, and a very nice one, in my Washington apartment building) wrote this book to show their fellow liberals the need to change, to stimulate on national issues the innovative success urban liberals have scored on revising big-city zoning to allow more housing. And without any of the hatred, contempt and snobbish disdain so many liberals show for the views and habits of their fellow citizens who do not share their views. Michael Barone is on X, @MichaelBarone.

Had Trump run out of things to say about the budget and taxes when a thought about the Middle East suddenly came to mind, sending him wandering away from the issues at hand?

Unfortunately this is hardly the first instance of Trump questioning a political critic’s ethnic or racial identity As you may recall, his recent comments echoed his whoppers about then-Democratic vice-presidential candidate Kamala Harris in 2020 and about Barack Obama during his presidency. Trump saw fit to question whether Obama and Harris were even natural-born American citizens.

In August 2024, during an interview at the National Association of Black Journalists conference, Trump falsely asserted that Harris had not identified before as both Black and Indian.

“I didn’t know she was Black until a number of years ago when she happened to turn Black and now, she wants to be known as Black. So, I don’t know, is she Indian or is she Black?” Trump said during the NABJ interview. Suddenly, Trump took a topic that is so vexing for many that they try to avoid it, and turned it into a topic he could try to hide behind.

Trump’s campaign spokesperson eventually acknowledged Harris is a Black woman and cited donations that Trump had made to her earlier campaigns as evidence that he is not racist. But not everyone is easily convinced. For example, the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), a leading Muslim civil rights group, was among the first to express outrage that he called Schumer a Palestinian, calling Trump’s poisonous words beneath the dignity of his office and, I would add, beneath the credibility of the chief executive in our “land of the free” and “home of the brave.” CAIR called Trump’s use of “Palestinian” to describe Schumer a racial slur

That’s what it sounds like to me. Trump’s feigned confusion over Harris’ Black and Indian heritage and his belittling of Schumer as somehow not Jewish adds up to the same ploy: Trump gets to decide whose identity is authentic and whose is fake I’m not the world’s biggest defender of DEI (diversity, equity and inclusion) programs, and I believe they have so many well-known shortcomings. But it’s ironic that Trump’s critique comes from an administration that has waged a vigorous crusade against the programs without doing much to help our diverse population learn more about how to get along with each other

Why, I often wonder, do the people who really need some DEI coaching seem to be the last to receive it?

Or when they receive it, there’s no guarantee their teacher or coach knows how to teach it without making their students or trainees feel so defensive they just want to run and hide

Yet in a country as diverse as ours we could all benefit from hearing each other’s stories on both sides of ethnic and racial conflicts.

Considering how durable the barriers to peaceful reconciliation can be, it is not surprising that racial and ethnic misunderstandings persist, despite the guidance of our better angels.

But we shouldn’t be surprised to see some politicians play our divisions and suspicions against each other The best we can do is avoid those people or programs that aim to play us against each other, tribe against tribe, so we can find ways to work together.

That’s what made America really great. Email Clarence Page at clarence47@pagegmail.com.

Faimon Roberts

Clarence Page

Michael Barone

RISHER

Continued from page 1B

10, from Clinton, through Jackson to St. Francisville.

(This is rural Louisiana, which means that sales won’t be one on top of the other They’ll require some driving.)

Midway along the garage sale path, in Jackson, local residents will offer a variety of other activities, including an art gallery opening at Jackson Presbyterian Church, located at 3017 Bank St.

I loved visiting Jackson a few weeks ago and looking at the innovative ways people are working together to make things work, particularly at the aforementioned

TAXES

Continued from page 1B

committed

Presbyterian church, which was built in 1852, and is down to four members. Remarkably, the church is still going relatively strong, thanks in large part to clever members who decided to open part of their lovely and historic building to create an artists’ studio, with another part of the church acting as a small art gallery

Jackson has around 4,000 people and is centrally located, about 35 miles north of Baton Rouge. Topographically it just feels different from many other south Louisiana towns and cities, which could have something to do with its elevation Jackson is a whopping 151 feet above sea level, compared to New Orleans at 6, Lafayette at 36

Lafayette Parish voters, Boulet said, can expect to see the two property tax renewals on a fall ballot. A date for that election is unclear as officials need to confer with the State Bond Commission first, she said. While parish officials did little to publicize the tax renewals before Saturday’s election, Boulet said the sec-

LAKE

Continued from page 1B

Though the bottomland swamp has been studied multiple times, the restoration plan anticipates more studies to determine the level of contamination in wildlife, what it will take to bring back the environment, who should be responsible for the cost and which contaminants pose the greatest risks.

While groundwater contamination has been a major concern for the two other nearby Superfund sites, the EPA said that hasn’t been found in the Devil’s Swamp Lake area on the southern end of the large wetland.

EPA researchers have pinned Rollins’ share of the contamination on discharges from its treatment system and stormwater runoff into the Devil’s Swamp Lake area via a drainage ditch.

The earlier, court-ordered remediation deal will require Clean Harbors, which took possession of the Rollins operation in 1995, to cover contaminated stretches of the bottom of the 39-acre Devil’s Swamp Lake with dirt and cap the ditch, which had drained from Rollins into the lake from the 1970s until 1993 The remediation plan for Devil’s Swamp Lake is farther along than the environmental restoration work.

“Clean Harbors has selected a contractor to perform the design of the remedy and will be submitting a work plan to EPA for review and approval,” said EPA spokesperson Joseph Robledo.

The EPA anticipates receiving the work plan in the fall, he added. Clean Harbors expects to begin work in the fall of 2026, according to the EPA A spokesperson for Clean Harbors wasn’t available for comment.

Quisha Reed-Jones, who leads the Alsen St. Irma Lee Community Village group, said the EPA’s remediation and restoration plans aren’t doing enough to protect public health, leaving it to the state Department of Health.

“This approach overlooks the long history of environmental inequality tied to the site and lacks any acknowledgment of the adverse effects to communities,” Reed-Jones said. “Our communities deserve more than to be unheard, as if they do not exist. They deserve comprehensive cleanup, ongoing health monitoring and full transparency at every step. This isn’t just about soil and sediment — it’s about restoring trust, health and doing what’s right.”

In response to similar comments the group made

and Baton Rouge at 56 feet above sea level.

I find Jackson fascinating with its interesting architecture. It was named in 1815 for Andrew Jackson, after he led troops to win the Battle of New Orleans. It was the original home of Centenary College and some of the buildings are still there, maintained by the Louisiana Office of State Parks. These days, it’s also home to Cotton Fields Coffee Shop, owned and operated by the incredibly engaging Fields Day, which is a story in and of itself. If you are in Jackson, stop by Cotton Fields Coffee for a boost of caffeine and spirit.

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

ond attempt will be different. “I would not say it was intentional” not to publicize the renewals, she said, but officials definitely will be more visible and vocal discussing where those tax dollars are spent before the fall election.

Email Claire Taylor at ctaylor@theadvocate.com.

PHOTO PROVIDED By KEITH HORN, LOUISIANA DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITy

The U.S Environmental Protection Agency and other federal agencies have finalized a plan to determine how to restore the ecology of Devil’s Swamp Lake from damage left, in part, by Rollins Environmental Services, a defunct hazardous waste incinerator and landfill operator

to the EPA, the agency says the environmental plan, by definition, is focused only on restoring the ecosystem but that work will include human uses of the environment.

Devil’s Swamp Lake is a human-made oxbow lake dug in the early 1970s to shore up a Baton Rouge Barge Harbor levee.

The lake and surrounding swamp, which were used for hunting, fishing and swimming, have had fishing and swimming advisories since 1987 due to polychlorinated biphenyls hexachlorobenzene and hexachlorobutadiene. In 2015, revised advisories against eating fish and shellfish were issued after scientists found polychlorinated biphenyls in crawfish and fish, which also contained mercury Polychlorinated biphenyls, hexachlorobenzene and hexachlorobutadiene are toxic chemicals that don’t break down but bioaccumulate in the food web. They have carcinogenic potential in humans and, for polychlorinated biphenyls, the potential rises as the chemicals bioaccumulate, according to the EPA Commercial production of polychlorinated biphenyls has been banned since 1979. Commercial production of hexachlorobutadiene was banned in 2021, though it mostly occurs as an unintended chemical byproduct Until a breach in 2020, the low-lying Devil’s Swamp Lake, which can be inundated when the river floods, had been contained by the harbor levee. But EPA reports say contaminated water from Devil’s Swamp Lake ran off into the harbor after the breach. The lake and its contaminated sediments are now mostly dry except in times of high water Rollins, which has already capped a section of the drainage ditch that is on its property, is one of several companies that contributed to soil, groundwater, surface water or

ELECTION

Continued from page 1B

He expected Hunter to have a slight advantage in the runoff because Taha received 4% of the vote.

“With another Republican in the race getting 4%, technically the Republican vote with elevated Democratic turnout was 51% in the primary,” Couvillon said. “That gives Mayor Hunter probably a bit of an advantage going into the runoff.”

Couvillion said the advantage, though, is contingent on whether Hunter can corral the 4% that Taha received and that Democratic turnout does not remain elevated in May

About 39% of the qualified voters for the race are registered as Republican, 31% are Democrat and 30% are other The city’s racial makeup is about 47% White and 43% Black, although the qualified voters in the race are about 71% White and 24% Black.

Lake Charles’ political and racial makeup makes it challenging for a White, Republican mayor to amass overwhelming support, Couvillon said.

Simien, who is Black and registered as an independent, will likely attract many voters who initially cast votes for Carter and Steward.

“I would assume that Simien probably should corral the vast majority of the Black vote,” Couvillon said, “and possibly pick off a few White voters since he’s not explicitly Democrat.”

Hunter has had a huge financing lead in the race, raising seven times as much as Simien ahead of the primary Hunter still had about $220,000 in funds as of his March 17 filing with the Louisiana Board of Ethics. Simien had just $7,000 remaining.

“What that means, in practical terms, is that Mayor Hunter has the resources to sustain his media and/ or ground game campaign going into May,” Couvillon

said.

Simien, an attorney who had held other elected offices, said he’s proud of what his team has been able to do with limited funding.

“It’s going to be an intense 30 days, but I’m not anticipating throwing big, giant events and things like that,” Simien said Monday “I’m going to be walking door to door, talking to people, looking them eye to eye, posting things out there and just taking advantage of the infrastructure that we’ve already established.”

Hunter said he wished campaigning and advertising weren’t so expensive, but he doesn’t intend to change his spending strategy going into the runoff.

“The amount of money you raise shows a lot of support from the community,”

Hunter said Monday. “And it’s certainly something that shouldn’t be lost. To raise money is not an easy thing, and to see a community rally around someone and write them a check does say something about that candidate.”

Hunter is a former member of the Calcasieu Parish Police Jury and a partner in the restaurant Villa Harlequin.

He earned 34% of the vote in the primary election in his first mayoral election in 2017 against seven challengers, ultimately defeating Wilford Carter Sr in the runoff with 56% of the vote. Simien narrowly missed the runoff that year

During his first term, Hunter found himself in the national eye after Lake Charles was slammed backto-back with hurricanes Laura and Delta in 2020. He called on federal leaders not to overlook Lake Charles’ suffering and to put resources toward helping the city recover

He sailed to reelection for a second term, tallying 74% of the vote against three new challengers during the 2021 primary election.

This time around, Hunter’s campaign has focused on his success with economic development districts, infrastructure projects and

raising city employee wages without increasing taxes. He has touted a lakefront economic development district that includes the in-progress Crying Eagle Brewery and recently completed Port Wonder, which houses a children’s museum and a state nature and science center

“I have been the infrastructure mayor,” Hunter said. “We have had tens of billions of dollars poured into our drainage system, our water system, our wastewater system, our road system, and the majority of that is not related to hurricane recovery work.” Hunter has also defended the city’s purchase of the property where the Capital One Tower once stood, which served as a constant reminder of Hurricane Laura’s devastation until its demolition last year Hunter has backed plans to construct an amphitheater in its place.

The Capital One Tower site purchase has emerged as one of the issues that’s divided candidates in the race. Simien has spoken out against the city’s purchase of the Capital One Tower site, citing lost property tax revenue.

His campaign this time around has focused on his achievements while serving two terms on the City Council as Lake Charles recovered from Hurricane Rita and his time on the city’s Port Board of Commissioners, the Calcasieu Parish Police Jury and the Louisiana Board of Commerce and Energy

“I’ve seen all the dots that need to be connected in southwest Louisiana and have a track record of delivering,” Simien said. He pointed out his role in helping the area recover from Hurricane Rita, growing the city’s economy with new liquefied natural gas projects and spearheading quality-of-life projects.

“I never really went out and said I did all these things,” he said. “I just did them because they needed to be done.”

biological contamination in the Devil’s Swamp region, parts of Bayou Baton Rouge or nearby upland areas on the river bluff, the EPA said. Petro-Processors, another defunct hazardous waste facility, and Schuylkill Metals, later Exide Technologies, a defunct lead battery recycling plant, have been also blamed for contamination in the region.

Their properties closer to the northern end of Devil’s Swamp have become their own Superfund sites.

Researchers found heavy metals, hexachlorobutadiene, hexachlorobutadiene and carcinogenic polyaromatic hydrocarbons came from Petro-Processors. The polychlorinated biphenyls have been tied to Rollins, the EPA said.

The 1984 court order that required Petro-Processors and its industrial customers to clean up the northern part of the Devil’s Swamp exempted it from southern portions near the lake, where polychlorinated biphenyls contamination from Rollins has been documented, but also hexachlorobutadiene and hexachlorobutadiene in lake fish.

Michael Tritico, a southwest Louisiana environmentalist who commented on the new restoration plan, faulted the plan’s determination to honor the court-ordered exemption for Petro-Processors.

“To me that is a good example of how lawyers manage to lock in a culprit’s protection at the expense of protection of the public and our living natural resources,” he said.

LOTTERY SUNDAY, MARCH

Merry-go-round

One step short of Final Four, Mulkey ready to retool roster again

BY REED DARCEY Staff writer

— In case you needed a vi-

SPOKANE,Wash.

sual representation of how close the LSU women’s basketball team was to reaching the Final Four, coach Kim Mulkey provided one in her Sunday evening news conference.

Mulkey held her hands up near her microphone, her right just an inch or two higher than her left

“You’re this close to another Final Four,” she said.

Mulkey has found herself in this position before.

Over her 25-year head coaching career, she’s guided 13 teams to the Elite Eight. Five advanced to the Final Four and eight have fallen short, including each of her last two LSU squads.

The one Mulkey built for this season saw its promising season end Sunday against UCLA, a No 1 seed that caught fire from 3-point range and rode a hot shooting day to a 72-65 win and a trip to the Final Four in Tampa, Florida.

“As competitors,” Mulkey said, “nothing softens the blow Being old like I am, and being around awhile, I’ve learned to keep perspective. Time will help me think about things through the course of the year that we did that were really amazing.”

LSU rattled off wins in its first 20

BY MATTHEW PARAS Staff writer

PALM BEACH, Fla. — Sean Payton, in theory, should have every reason to back the Detroit Lions’ rule proposal that would change the NFL playoff format so that teams would be seeded based on record rather than winning their division

You remember the Beast Quake, don’t you?

The year was 2011, and the 7-9 Seattle Seahawks ended up upsetting the reigning Super Bowl champion New Orleans Saints in part because of a thunderous 67yard run from Marshawn Lynch that registered a small tremor because of the noise in the stadium. Perhaps it could have been avoided entirely if the Saints had gotten to host the game instead of Seattle, which won the NFC West despite being below .500 The Lions’ proposed rule change, in this scenario, would have benefited the Saints. But Payton is a traditionalist, through and through.

“I think winning the division is important to me,” said Payton,

guard

the

games, stringing together the secondbest start in program history and it collected at least 30 victories for just the eighth time in the NCAA era. For the second year in a row, the Tigers won three tournament games before they fell

now the coach of the Denver Broncos. “I like how our playoff format is laid out, especially compared to any other sport. I think we would vote against (the proposal).”

It’s unclear how many other teams share Payton’s sentiment at the NFL owners’ meetings, but other veteran coaches such as Pete Carroll of the Las Vegas Raiders and Mike Tomlin of the Pittsburgh Steelers also came out Monday against changing the playoff format. If the league does take a formal vote on the matter — and there’s no guarantee it will — then the owners are expected to weigh in on Tuesday. The Lions’ proposed change comes after their division rival, the Minnesota Vikings, finished with the NFC’s second-best record at 14-3 but ultimately lost in the wild-card round to the 10-7 Los Angeles Rams. The Rams, under the league’s format, hosted the game

The Vikings’ predicament is one that occurs every so often in

in the Elite Eight and finished with a 31-6 record. Only three LSU teams since 1982 have won more contests than Mulkey’s last two did, and they each advanced to

Arrows pointing up for UL baseball, softball

Most sports have their ups and downs over the course of a season, but UL fans have come to depend on the two diamond sports as a reliable source of pride.

The last time both the baseball and softball teams failed to qualify for regional play was 1989 and baseball was left out despite winning 49 games and the conference title. Two weeks ago, that 35-year streak appeared to be in jeopardy

The Ragin’ Cajuns have been fighting to get over .500 in baseball throughout the season, and the softball team had just lost its first Sun Belt series in more than a decade.

But while there are many serious challenges to overcome, some encouraging signs are surfacing for both programs

Let’s start with baseball.

“Theut is such a glue guy He factors into a lot of this Is it going to be two weeks? I don’t know, but I would venture to say yes. He holds a lot together.”

Coach Matt Deggs’ club is still under .500 at 14-15 heading into Tuesday’s 6 p.m. home game against Northwestern State, but since losing two of three at home to Troy, the Cajuns have won five of their next six in Sun Belt play to find themselves in a three-way tie for second place at 6-3 in the standings.

MATT DEGGS, UL baseball coach

“We were teetering for a minute on which way we wanted to go with this thing, but the boys have rallied pretty good,” Deggs said. “This is a huge week for us. I like where we are.

“We’ve got to work to get better in the (midweek) and be weekend warriors when that time rolls around. It’s not out of the realm of possibility that we grind our way to the top of this thing.”

The next two series are at home against Texas State (12-15, 4-5) and at UL-Monroe (12-16, 2-7), so the opportunity to stay hot exists.

Even better, the upswing has begun before all of the injured bodies have returned. Getting Friday night starter Chase Morgan back was the biggest box to check, but getting bullpen arms Dylan Theut, James Trimble and Alex Rosario healthy is also essential.

“Theut is such a glue guy,” Deggs said. “He factors into a lot of this. Is it going to be two weeks? I don’t know, but I would venture to say yes. He holds a lot together.”

Shortstop Drew Markle is getting closer to a full-time return, and Luke Yuhasz is still likely “a week, two weeks away” from being back in the lineup.

“We just have to hold it together and keep climbing,” Deggs said. “At some point, we’ll get everybody healthy.” Deggs said Rosario is also close, but Trimble “is a back, so that’s probably going to be a little bit more long term.”

The surprising rise of JR Tollett from potential middle reliever to weekend starter has raised the bar for UL’s potential over the next two months. A weekend rotation of Morgan, Herrmann and Tollett looks formidable enough to string some wins together

“The question mark is, can we get to Saturday without using Herm (Andrew Herrmann) all week?” said Deggs, who said Riley Marcotte is starting Tuesday “If we can, that’s a week’s worth of rest and I think you’ll see a better version of him now we’re on to something.” Deggs is planning to keep Tollett as a starter for the third game.

Adding Theut to a bullpen with Blake McGehee, Matthew Holzhammer, Marcotte, Tate Hess and Wil Taylor could also work. And southpaw transfer Matt Gaither has showed some signs of playing a larger role in the bullpen.

“I think he’s going to have to,” Deggs

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By JENNy KANE

LSU coach Kim Mulkey reacts during the first half of a game against UCLA in the Elite Eight of the women’s NCAA Tournament on Sunday in Spokane, Wash.

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By yOUNG KWAK LSU

Flau’jae Johnson shoots during the first half against UCLA in the Elite Eight of

women’s NCAA Tournament on Sunday in Spokane, Wash.

Kevin Foote

STAFF FILE PHOTO By MICHAEL DEMOCKER

Seattle Seahawks running back Marshawn Lynch shoves Saints cornerback Tracy Porter on a 67-yard touchdown run during the wildcard playoff game between the Saints and Seattle Seahawks on Jan.

5

Tigers’ play Sunday perturbs Torina

BY JIM KLEINPETER Contributing writer

LSU softball had another subpar Sunday, but this time it resulted in the team’s first two-game losing streak of the season.

The No. 3 Tigers dropped 5-3 and 4-1 contests to South Carolina during a Sunday doubleheader despite winning big on Friday and coming within two outs of winning Sunday’s opener

They have a chance to get back on the winning track with a nonconference game at McNeese State at 6 p.m Tuesday before hosting Alabama for a three-game series this weekend.

The previous Sunday, LSU had a chance to take over first place in the SEC but were blown out at Georgia, 11-3, after winning the first two games. Last weekend, LSU crushed the Gamecocks on Friday 11-3 in five innings, but it looked like a different team Sunday

LSU had another chance to move up in the standings and rankings but stumbled badly. Coach Beth Torina wasn’t in the mood for silver linings after the games.

“No, losing sucks,” Torina said when asked whether the recent adversity would benefit the Tigers later “Today has to be a decision about the team I told them after the game true character is shown when things get hard.

“Is this a team that wants to step up and do something different next time, be better than how they were today? Or is this the kind of performance we can expect from them. They have to make a deci-

left-hander Jayden Heavener

got off to a rocky start by giving up a run without allowing a hit on three walks and a hit batter

She allowed five hits and struck out 10 but also walked five as the offense failed to generate consistent threats.

LSU batters walked seven times Friday but only five combined in two games Sunday

“We did some uncharacteristic things (Sunday) with the errors, we swung out of the zone more than we have,” Torina said. “It will be the coaches’ job to go back to the drawing board and understand why that happened, where we failed in the prep of getting them ready to be better than that performance right there. That’s on us to answer those questions and solve that mystery.”

LSU men’s basketball gets first player out of portal

LSU men’s basketball attracted its first player out of the transfer portal for the 2025-26 season with Mississippi State center Michael Nwoko, according to the player’s social-media account.

Nwoko started 32 of 34 games at Mississippi State this season. The 6-foot-10, 245-pound sophomore averaged 6.1 points on 52.5% from the field and 4.6 rebounds in 15.4 minutes per game.

Nwoko played against LSU in the regular season and SEC Tournament. In the March 1 matchup, he had six points and six rebounds in 15 minutes. On March 12, he had eight points, five rebounds and five fouls in 14 minutes.

The Tigers finished the season 1418 overall and 3-15 in the Southeastern Conference. Five LSU players have entered the portal.

Raiders sign former LSU LB White to 1-year deal

sion to show up and be better, get back in the cage and keep pushing.”

The Tigers (31-4, 6-3 SEC) committed a season-high four errors in the first game but still had a chance to salvage it. Pitcher Sydney Berzon had a 2-1 lead and allowed only one hit and an unearned run through the first six innings. But the No. 10 Gamecocks

took the lead on back-to-back doubles and a base hit by Ella Chancey

The Tigers rallied to tie in the bottom of the seventh on a sacrifice fly by Danieca Coffey, but they couldn’t push across another run to end the game. Then Berzon imploded, allowing two singles and a hit batter for one run and hit another batter with the bases loaded to give South Carolina an insurance run. In the second game, freshman

Torina said the high point was the play of Savanna Bedell, who had three hits including her first career homer — in the first game and the only RBI in the second. Bedell entered Sunday with just three career starts and three hits in 11 at-bats. She batted as the designated player, a position Torina has shuffled among five players.

“Savanna Bedell was the bright spot for the weekend,” Torina said. “She did a really good job as we continue to search for somebody to fill that role, give us a little more power down there in the lineup.

“She’s kept going, been a part of the program for a year and a half now She’s continued to push and push the people around her to be better and wait for her opportunity.”

Tigers leaning heavily on a pair of relievers

BY KOKI RILEY Staff writer

After a rocky trip to Austin, Texas, LSU baseball bounced back at home last weekend by sweeping Mississippi State.

The Tigers earned close victories on Thursday and Friday — 8-6 and 2-1, respectively before the bats came alive Saturday night in a 17-8 win.

Here are five takeaways from the series:

Filling Herring’s role

Junior right-hander Zac Cowan and freshman right-hander Casan Evans undoubtedly have been LSU’s top relievers through three weekends of Southeastern Conference play

The two have combined to allow just two earned runs in 202/3 innings against SEC competition. They’ve struck out 32 batters and have surrendered only six walks (five of those by Evans) Their dominance hasn’t come in short spurts, either. Like Griffin Herring a year ago, Evans and Cowan are shutting down opponents over multiple innings. Cowan threw four shutout innings Thursday before Evans matched that line Friday. Evans also tossed 32/3 innings March 23 against Texas while Cowan had three shutout frames in the series opener against the Longhorns.

Rest of the bullpen

It wasn’t as ugly as March 22 against Texas, but the LSU bullpen outside of Cowan and Evans — had its fair share of struggles against Mississippi State.

The group surrendered five earned runs in 52/3 innings while allowing four hits, walking seven batters and hitting three others.

LSU coach Jay Johnson turned to six different pitchers within that group: Junior right-hander Connor Benge (twice), freshman right-hander Mavrick Rizy, junior left-hander Conner Ware, redshirt sophomore left-hander DJ Primeaux, freshman left-hander Cooper

Williams and redshirt sophomore right-hander Jaden Noot.

The best performance among them came from Noot, who tossed two shutout innings. After starting LSU’s last two midweek games, he has surrendered just two earned runs over his last nine innings. His ERA dropped to 3.07 after Saturday’s quality performance.

“Whatever coach has for me, that’s what I’m going to do,” Noot said around 2 a.m. on Sunday morning. “... So I don’t get caught up in roles.”

Noot’s strong form, combined with a healthy Gavin Guidry and Ware could be enough for Johnson to bridge the gap between the front half of his bullpen and Cowan/Evans

But LSU needs a healthy Guidry for that to happen. The junior right-hander was once again listed as out on Saturday’s SEC availability report.

“We’ve won a lot of games in three whatever years here, and he’s been a big, big part of a lot of those wins,” Johnson said on March 6 about Guidry “So we need to get him back which is why we have to do this right.”

Saturday’s lineup tweak

Since its trip to Frisco and Arlington in Texas LSU had used the same lineup structure in every game leading up to Saturday

But Johnson mixed things up a tad for the series finale. He moved sophomore Steven Milam into the cleanup spot and had junior Ethan

Frey hit fifth in the order

When Frey has started, he’s almost exclusively batted fourth against a left-handed pitcher But his start Saturday came in a new spot in the lineup and against a right-hander

Senior Josh Pearson and sophomore Jake Brown have been LSU’s regulars against righties. With Brown in right field on Saturday Pearson moved to the bench. Frey played well, going 2-for-5 with two RBIs. Milam also contributed as the No. 4 hitter, cracking a double and driving in two runs.

LSU scored 17 runs on 19 hits Saturday, so perhaps Johnson will stick with the tweak moving forward.

A step forward?

Friday easily was Anthony Eyanson’s best start in SEC play The junior right-hander didn’t allow an earned run in five innings. After struggling to get through the Missouri and Texas lineups a second time the previous two weekends Eyanson allowed just two singles in the fourth inning and had six strikeouts in the fourth and fifth frames against Mississippi State. He had a crisp fastball to start his outing — it was up to 96 mph

— and then worked in his offspeed pitches more as the night progressed.

“Worked on (the fastball) a lot in the fall, winter time,” Eyanson said Friday “It’s been a big emphasis for me, making that pitch better.”

Eyanson’s fastball has lost velocity the deeper he’s gone into starts But if he can locate his splitter strong slider and curveball consistently — especially later in outings he’ll have more outings like Friday

Curiel’s streak Freshman Derek Curiel’s on-base streak is alive, as he’s reached base in all 29 games this season.

He nearly lost the streak Friday, needing an eighth-inning single to keep it going. He quickly dispelled any possibility of losing it Saturday when he went 2-for-4 with a pair of walks.

Curiel has a 555 on-base percentage and a .408 batting average this season.

“Very few guys have the talent, the skill and the mental game to be ready to do what he’s doing,” Johnson said on his radio show March

“And he’s got all those things.”

The Las Vegas Raiders added more help at linebacker, signing unrestricted free agent Devin White to a one-year contract Monday White, a former LSU player was a first-round pick by Tampa Bay in 2019 and spent last season with Philadelphia and Houston, recording 19 tackles in seven games with the Texans. White had spent the offseason and first month of the season with the Eagles before getting cut. White was a second-team All-Pro in his second season in Tampa Bay when he helped the Bucs win the Super Bowl against Kansas City White has played in 83 career games with 585 total tackles, 23 sacks, 40 tackles for loss, 64 quarterback hits, three interceptions, six forced fumbles and nine fumble recoveries.

Browns co-owner admits gaffe of acquiring Watson

Cleveland co-owner Jimmy Haslam admitted that the Browns “took a big swing and miss” with their 2022 trade for quarterback Deshaun Watson.

Haslam made the comments on Monday during a session with Browns reporters at the league meetings in Florida.

“We thought we had the quarterback, we didn’t, and we gave up a lot of draft picks to get him. So we’ve got to dig ourselves out of that hole,” Haslam said.

The 29-year-old Watson has played in only 19 games since the Browns acquired him from the Houston Texans in 2022 and signed him to a fiveyear contract worth a fully guaranteed $230 million. Cleveland sent five draft picks to the Texans, including three first-round selections.

Stanford

hires former NFL coach in interim capacity

Andrew Luck picked a familiar face to take over as Stanford’s interim football coach, hiring former NFL coach Frank Reich on Monday to replace the fired Troy Taylor Luck moved quickly in his new role as general manager of the football program, hiring Reich less than a week after making the decision to fire Taylor after a report that became public saying Taylor had been investigated twice for allegedly mistreating staff members. Reich coached Luck for one season with the Indianapolis Colts in 2018. Reich coached six years in the NFL for Indianapolis and Carolina.

Stanford is trying to rebuild its struggling football program after four straight seasons with a 3-9 record, including the last two with Taylor in charge.

Braves outfielder Profar suspended for 80 games

Atlanta Braves outfielder Jurickson Profar has been suspended for 80 games without pay for performance-enhancing drug use.

Major League Baseball announced Monday that Profar tested positive for Chorionic Gonadotrophin (hCG) in violation of the league’s joint drug prevention and treatment program. According to the Cleveland Clinic, hCG is a hormone that helps in the production of testosterone.

The suspension of Profar is effective immediately Barring postponed games, Profar would be eligible to return June 29 against Philadelphia and would lose $5,806,440 of his $12 million salary He is also ineligible for the postseason.

24.

STAFF PHOTO By MICHAEL JOHNSON

pitcher Zac Cowan throws a pitch against Mississippi State in the ninth inning on Thursday at Alex Box Stadium.

PHOTO By PATRICK DENNIS

Savanna Bedell is greeted by teammates at home plate after hitting a solo home run in the fifth inning of LSU’s 5-3 loss to South Carolina on Sunday at Tiger Park LSU coach Beth Torina said Bedell was one of the few bright spots Sunday for the Tigers.

Payton says Moore a good fit with Saints

BY MATTHEW PARAS Staff writer

PALM BEACH, Fla. Sean Payton does see similarities between himself and Kellen Moore.

When Moore was hired to coach the New Orleans Saints earlier this offseason, it didn’t take long for the comparisons to Payton to begin. Moore even joked that general manager Mickey Loomis “might have a type” when hiring.

Both arrived in New Orleans, after all, with similar pedigrees, both lauded as innovative, young play-callers who would be tasked to lead a team for the first time.

“We’re all, to some degree, as new coaches considered unknowns,” said Payton, the former Saints coach who is now with the Denver Broncos.

But, at the NFL owners’ meetings Monday Payton said he thinks Moore will “do well” with the

Continued from page 1C

said of Gaither’s role increasing. “He’s been up and down a little bit, but I don’t think it’s been drastic in either direction The arm is good enough to play, for sure.” The lineup is also coming around a bit. Deggs found a pretty dangerous 1-2 punch at the top of the order over the weekend with Caleb Stelly hitting first and Conor Higgs behind him.

“It really doesn’t matter to me, but I do like Higgy hitting behind me because he’s tearing the cover off the ball right now,” Stelly said. “So they’re kind of throwing me more things to hit.”

Higgs is up to .351 with 10 homers, 21 RBIs, a .483 on-base percentage and .745 slugging percentage.

“He’s real balanced, and if you watch, he’s swinging at good pitches to hit and he’s finding the barrel,” Deggs said of Higgs. On the softball side, the reversal in fortunes hasn’t happened quite yet. Coach Alyson Habetz’s club stands 17-17 overall and 4-5 in league play heading into Wednesday’s 6 p.m. home game against Louisiana Tech.

There are a few recent trends, though, that suggest a turnaround in the future is possible.

The Cajuns came closer to winning last weekend’s series at Coastal Carolina than it appeared on paper going in UL held a 4-1 lead going to the bottom of the seventh in the opener before a crushing 5-4 loss But it was encouraging to see that any UL pitcher could hold the Chanticleers to one run over the first six innings in their small park.

Another encouraging fact is

LSU WOMEN

Continued from page 1C

the Final Four

This LSU team had a chance to get there, even though a couple of late regular-season losses cost it a No. 2 seed in the NCAA Tournament as both Flau’jae Johnson and Aneesah Morrow battled injuries in the lead-up to the postseason For the second year in a row, LSU just couldn’t climb back over the Elite Eight hump.

In 2024, the Tigers let Caitlin Clark get loose and wreck their title defense In 2025, they got All-American UCLA center Lauren Betts in foul trouble but failed to take advantage Across a pivotal second quarter, the four-point lead LSU built by the end of the first quarter turned into a six-point halftime deficit. The Bruins drained four of the six 3-pointers they attempted in that quarter, then grew their lead to 14 by hitting a couple of more to start the third.

Johnson almost willed a miraculous comeback, but her 24 secondhalf points weren’t enough to nullify LSU’s 15 turnovers or UCLA’s 10 3-pointers.

Johnson finished with 28 points, and Morrow had 15. Mikaylah Williams shot 4 of 13 from the field and 0 of 3 from beyond the arc to finish with 10 points. No other LSU player scored more than four points.

Saints. The Broncos coach praised Saints owner Gayle Benson and the team’s front office, telling reporters that he believes they’ll provide the structure for Moore to succeed.

Payton also indicated he believes Moore’s personality is a good match for the city

“Generally, you’re going somewhere it’s broken,” Payton said.

“And you’ve got to fix it quick

And I think Kellen has that calmness about him. I think there’s a uniqueness to that city that maybe is not for everyone, but I think he’ll do well there.

“You can have impossible jobs or good jobs. And I think in this case,

he’s got a good job.”

Payton knows what it’s like to

fix a franchise quickly. His 15year tenure in New Orleans began with a surprising 10-6 season that included an NFC championship game appearance, and the Saints

won the Super Bowl in just his fourth season In Denver, Payton reached the playoffs in his second season at the helm.

Moore started being compared to Payton long before he was hired by the Saints. He received the comparisons as far back as 2019 when Moore was a first-year offensive coordinator for the Dallas Cowboys. Payton also worked in Dallas, which was the coach’s last job as an assistant before the Saints hired him in 2006.

“In general, everyone has so much respect for what Sean has done in this league,” Moore said in February “Tons of respect and obviously the standard has been built based off his foundation, and we love that.

“We want to embrace it I feel fortunate.”

Email Matthew Paras at matt paras@theadvocate.com

UL center fielder Caleb

during the Cajuns’

that UL responded with 17 runs over the next two games.

Sam Roe (.283, 4 HRs, 21 RBIs) is driving the ball well again, and Laney Credeur (.237, 14 RBIs) hit her first homer of the season.

Emily Smith (.367 9 HRs, 29 RBIs) might be better than advertised.

If Cecilia Vasquez (.255, 3 HRs, 29 RBIs) can get back to hitting like she was during the first month of the season, the lineup might score with the rest of its Sun Belt opponents.

The Cajuns are on the road again this weekend at Troy, but if UL can win that series, three of the final four weekends are at home

“I would have to go back and look at the shots,” Mulkey said. “We missed just wide-open shots. We knew going in the paint that there would be opportunity for (Betts) to alter shots and block shots, but some of the shots we just missed.” Last offseason, LSU retooled its roster in hopes of earning a return trip to the Final Four Hailey Van Lith and two freshman guards hit the portal, leaving the Tigers with clear needs for a lead ballhandler and backcourt depth. The three transfer guards they signed Shayeann Day-Wilson, Kailyn Gilbert

and Mjracle Sheppard — assumed those responsibilities. Day-Wilson traded lead point guard duties with Last-Tear Poa. She started 21 games and posted a career-high assist-to-turnover ratio but averaged only 3.5 points per contest while shooting just 28% from the field and 20% from 3-point range — all career lows Gilbert hit two game-winning shots. When LSU opened Southeastern Conference play, she

Continued from page 1C

the NFL. Payton recalled the Lions’ proposal being at least the third time in his coaching career that such a discussion is taking place, and he predicted it wouldn’t be the last time, either

“It has been discussed, but it’s been a little while, so it’ll be a fresh discussion,” said Atlanta Falcons CEO Rich McKay, who serves as the chairman of the competition committee.

The NFL has made changes to the playoff format over the last few years In 2020, it expanded the field to 14 teams — meaning a third wild-card team in each conference was added to the field As a result, only one team per conference received a bye rather than two The NFL also tweaked its overtime playoff rules, most recently in 2022.

If the Lions’ proposal gains momentum, the change could end up hurting the Saints in the short term. The NFC South the Saints’ division, was among the league’s worst and could be again in 2025.

Since the Seahawks won their division with an under .500 record, there have been only three teams to match that feat.

Two of them — the 2014 Carolina Panthers and 2022 Tampa Bay Buccaneers — won the NFC South.

But the strength of the divisions also can change in a hurry A year after the Washington Commanders won the NFC East in 2020 with a 7-9 record, the Dallas Cowboys (12-5) and Philadelphia Eagles (9-8) made the playoffs. In 2022, three teams from the division clinched a playoff spot.

On last week’s call, McKay said that during one of the last times the league contemplated altering its playoff format, then-Panthers owner Jerry Richardson sold his colleagues on the importance of winning a division.

That’s an argument that still seems to bear weight years later

Carroll, who was the Seahawks coach in 2011, said the Seahawks experiencing the “rigors” of making it through their division helped them upset the Saints.

“The reward for coming out of your division should be that you get to play a playoff game at home,” Carroll said. “I like that tradition.”

LSU STARTER SMITH ENTERS PORTAL

The LSU women’s basketball team is losing starting forward Sa’Myah Smith to the transfer portal, a source confirmed Monday. Smith, a redshirt sophomore, started 28 of the Tigers’ 37 games this season.As a freshman, she contributed to LSU’s national championship team, then suffered a season-ending knee injury seven games into her sophomore year Smith started to reclaim her pre-injury form by the time LSU began playing in the 2025 NCAA Tournament. She scored 20 points and grabbed 10 rebounds in back-to-back games after doing so only once in her previous 76 career contests. She finished this season averaging 6.6 points and 6.4

scored at least 15 points in three straight contests, giving the Tigers valuable bench scoring it didn’t have the year prior Then Gilbert cooled off. The junior notched at least 15 points just two more times across LSU’s last 19 matchups. In four NCAA Tournament games, she scored only 16 total points on 5-of-27 shooting (19%). Against UCLA, she missed all seven shots she took. Next season, both LSU’s nucleus of stars and its supporting cast will look different. The Tigers’ four incoming freshman — Grace Knox, ZaKiyah Johnson, Divine Bourrage and Bella Hines comprise the nation’s No. 1 recruiting class. Contributors such as Gilbert, Poa and Jersey Wolfenbarger can return, but both Day-Wilson and Morrow exhausted their eligibility And on Monday, redshirt sophomore post

player Sa’Myah Smith entered the transfer portal. Williams will be back for her junior year But Johnson must decide between a move to the WNBA or one more season in purple and gold. Then there’s the transfer portal, which likely will spin a player or two down to Baton Rouge. How many will LSU lose? How many will it add?

Mulkey started asking herself those questions before she even left Spokane Arena on Sunday, not long after she demonstrated just how agonizingly close her Tigers had come to returning to the Final Four

“It’s time to get in the portal,” Mulkey said. “This one leaves, this one goes, this one comes. So next year we’ll start this thing up again and see what kind of team you have and go to work.”

STAFF PHOTO By BRAD KEMP

Stelly (12) celebrates his leadoff solo home run with catcher Jose Torres

sweep of James Madison earlier this season.

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By yOUNG KWAK

LSU forward Aneesah Morrow, left, guard Mikaylah Williams, right, and UCLA forward Timea Gardiner go after a rebound during the second half in the Elite Eight on Sunday in Spokane, Wash.

STAFF PHOTO By BRAD BOWIE

UL softball player Emily Smith drives a pitch against LSU on March 25 at Lamson Park. She has hit nine home runs this season.

STAFF FILE PHOTO By JAVIER GALLEGOS

Saints owner Gayle Benson, left, and former coach Sean Payton hug during an event in New Orleans on Feb 5.

Church Point powerlifting double dips as champs

BY ERIC NARCISSE Staff writer

Church Point coach Eddie Bergeron is no stranger to leading high school powerlifting programs to state championships.

Throughout his career, Bergeron has won state championships at Rayne, Iota and Church Point

But this year’s accomplishment is a little sweeter for Bergeron, who led the Bears to the Division III state championships for both boys and girls.

“Oh, it is very exciting,” Bergeron said. “The kids have worked extremely hard. I’m really happy for them.”

For the boys program, it was the third consecutive year to win the powerlifting state title. For the girls, who finished as the state runner-up in 2024, it was their first state championship in school history

“Looking at the pre-meet seedings, we saw that we had a 19-point lead on the girls side and a 17-point lead with the boys,” said Bergeron who has now won 11 powerlifting state titles at Church Point “If we just hung on to it, I knew we would

have a chance to win both.”

The Bears boys had five firstplace finishes that included weight-class favorites Damarcus Boast (114 pounds), Conner Richard (123) and Braxton Leblanc

(242). What was unexpected was the performances by Jordan Grissom and Jeremiah Boyd, who both entered the state meet as a No. 2 seed Grissom took first place and was named the Most Outstanding

Lifter in the lightweight division, while Boyd won the 275-pound weight class and broke the composite deadlift record with 700 pounds.

“The first thing we look at is where can we move up,” Bergeron said. “Jordan and Jeremiah came up big time for us.”

Bergeron, who also won six state titles at Rayne and one at Iota, was thrilled to see the Church Point girls bring home the big trophy

Church Point’s victory was propelled by three individual state champions in Reaghan Gartman (105), A’na Reyes (148) and Lillian Cortez (165).

“All of our No. 1 seeds held (their position),” Bergeron said “Our first through sixth seeds all finished where they were seeded. Our mindset is that we have a 19-point lead, so just hold your points. We don’t have to do nothing crazy just protect the points and that’s what we did.”

Bergeron said he “can’t take the credit” for the girls championship, instead giving a shout to Kirk Lavergne for the success.

“Kirk was a very good coach and when he came here from Iota, he

SCOREBOARD

TEAM

(Warren

(Burnes 0-0)

p.m.

(TBD) at

(Baz 0-0), 6:05 p.m. Washington (Williams 0-0) at Toronto (Berríos 0-1), 6:07 p.m. Kansas City (Lorenzen 0-0) at Milwaukee (TBD), 6:40 p.m. L.A. Angels (Hendricks 0-0) at St. Louis (Liberatore 0-0), 6:45 p.m. San Francisco (Webb 0-0) at Houston (Wesneski 0-0), 7:10 p.m. Cleveland (Allen 0-0) at San Diego (King 0-0), 8:40 p.m. Chicago Cubs (Steele 1-1) at Athletics (Severino 0-0), 9:05 p.m. Atlanta (Sale 0-0) at L.A. Dodgers (May 0-0), 9:10 p.m. Golf

asked to start a girls powerlifting team,” Bergeron said. “But he got a job as the assistant principal at Mamou so I took over. But their success was his three years of work. He got them there and we just took them across the finish line.”

The powerlifting success is a credit to both the coaches and athletes, Bergeron said.

“I have surround myself with some really good kids,” he said. “The kids have bought in, and they have worked really hard. Powerlifting is not the easiest sport to compete in. It takes kids with the right mindset to do this. Our kids are willing to do whatever we ask them to do.”

Winning state championships as a result of that buy-in should help grow the popularity of the sport at Church Point.

“With our kids I think it is championship or bust,” Bergeron said. “We went to our feeder schools, and we already have 19 girls that have signed up for powerlifting next year So, the word is getting out. I’m extremely proud and it is great for our program, school and our town.”

.789. 6,

.728. 8,

Hodges, .779. 7,

Montgomery, .669. 9, Akshay Bhatia, .646. 10,

.640. Birdie Average 1, Collin Morikawa, 5.2. 2, Justin Thomas, 4.97. 3, Sepp Straka, 4.89. 4 (tie), Cam Davis and Russell Henley, 4.86. 6, Patrick Cantlay, 4.79. 7, Akshay Bhatia, 4.73. 8, Harry Hall, 4.68. 9, Jesper Svensson, 4.64. 10, Ludvig Aberg, 4.63. Eagles (Holes per) 1, Steven Fisk, 48.6. 2, Rory McIlroy, 60. 3, Patrick Cantlay, 61.7. 4, Ryan Gerard, 68. 5, Ludvig Aberg, 68.4. 6, David Skinns, 69. 7, Kurt Kitayama, 72. 8, Kevin Yu, 78.8. 9, 2 tied with 79.2. Sand Save Percentage 1, 10 tied with .00%. All-Around Ranking 1, Alex Smalley, 272. 2, Justin Thomas, 285. 3, Sepp Straka, 295. 4, Rory McIlroy, 316. 5, Keith Mitchell, 317. 6, Lee Hodges, 323. 7 (tie), Russell Henley and Collin Morikawa, 357. 9, Nicolai Hojgaard, 361. 10, Patrick Cantlay, 383. LPGA Tour Statistics

Through March 30 Scoring 1, Nelly Korda, 68. 2, Yealimi Noh, 68.06. 3, Angel Yin, 68.5. 4, Akie Iwai, 68.6. 5, Jeeno Thitikul, 68.63. 6, A Lim Kim, 68.9. 7 (tie), Lydia Ko and Nanna Koerstz Madsen, 68.94. 9, 2 tied with 69. Driving Distance 1, Julia Lopez Ramirez, 291.69. 2, Ingrid Lindblad, 287.92. 3, Polly Mack, 287.38. 4, Weiwei Zhang, 286.5. 5, Emily Kristine Pedersen, 286.06. 6, Maude-Aimee Leblanc, 285.13. 7, Manon de Roey, 283.63. 8, Nelly Korda, 282.96. 9, Auston Kim, 281.47. 10, Akie Iwai, 281. Greens in Regulation 1, Megan Khang, .82%. 2 (tie), Allisen Corpuz, Yealimi Noh and Haeran Ryu, .81%. 5, Angel Yin, .80%. 6 (tie), Rio Takeda and Rose Zhang, .79%. 8, 3 tied with .78%. Putts per GIR 1, Saki Baba, 1.56. 2 (tie), Sei Young Kim, Cassie Porter and Jeeno Thitikul, 1.66. 5 (tie), Amanda Doherty and Chisato Iwai, 1.67. 7 (tie), Yuka Saso and Ina Yoon, 1.68. 9, Minami Katsu, 1.69. 10, 4 tied with 1.7. Birdies 1 (tie), Celine Boutier, Ayaka Furue and A Lim Kim, 101. 4, Leona Maguire, 90. 5, Angel Yin, 85. 6, Jeeno Thitikul, 84. 7, Allisen Corpuz, 83. 8, Rio Takeda, 81. 9, 3 tied with 79. Eagles 1, Minjee Lee, 5. 2 (tie), A Lim Kim, Stephanie Kyriacou and Rio Takeda, 4. 5, 7 tied with 3. Sand Save Percentage 1,

PGA Tour Statistics Through March 30 FedExCup Season Points 1, Rory McIlroy, 1,683. 2, Sepp Straka, 1,308. 3, Russell Henley, 1,229. 4, Collin Morikawa, 1,081. 5, J.J. Spaun, 1,059. 6, Ludvig Aberg 1,018. 7, Corey Conners, 992. 8, Hideki Matsuyama, 949. 9, Justin Thomas, 944. 10, Scottie Scheffler, 928. Scoring Average 1, Rory McIlroy, 69.281. 2, Scottie Scheffler, 69.499. 3, Bud Cauley, 69.856. 4, Alex Smalley, 69.906. 5, Sepp Straka, 69.996. 6, Collin Morikawa, 70.019. 7, Michael Kim, 70.051. 8, Lee Hodges, 70.069. 9, Min Woo Lee, 70.138. 10, Jacob Bridgeman, 70.158. Driving Distance 1, Aldrich Potgieter, 320.4. 2, Niklas Norgaard, 316.2. 3, Min Woo Lee, 316. 4 (tie), Rory McIlroy and Gary Woodland, 315.2. 6, Alejandro Tosti, 315.1. 7, Rasmus Hojgaard 314.2. 8, Michael Thorbjornsen, 314.1. 9, Jesper Svensson, 313.8. 10, Vincent Norrman, 313.7. Driving Accuracy Percentage 1, Ben Kohles, 72.75%. 2, Takumi Kanaya 72.48%. 3, Lucas Glover, 71.63%. 4, Collin Morikawa, 71.48%. 5, Brice Garnett, 71.32%. 6, Aaron Rai, 70.26%. 7, Paul Peterson, 69.71%. 8, John Pak, 68.60%. 9, Max McGreevy, 68.05%. 10, Daniel Berger, 67.35%. Greens in Regulation Percentage 1, 10 tied with .00%. Total Driving 1 (tie), Steven Fisk and Rico Hoey, 67. 3, Rico Hoey, 71. 4, Lee Hodges, 78. 5, Daniel Berger, 80. 6, Isaiah Salinda, 82. 7, Kevin Roy, 84. 8, Taylor Pendrith, 86. 9, Victor Perez, 95. 10, Luke List, 96. SG-Putting 1, Nico Echavarria, .907. 2, Brandt Snedeker, .878. 3, Sam Ryder, .857. 4, Min Woo Lee, .815. 5,

LSWA CLASS 1A ALL-STATE BASKETBALL

PROVIDED PHOTO

The Church Point girls powerlifting team poses with the state championship trophy last weekend.

Spring into action

Pull up winter weeds now to prevent problems down the road

GARDEN NEWS

Louisiana gardeners just never seem to catch a break from weeds. While one season’s weeds are maturing and preparing to drop seeds, the next season’s weeds have already started germinating. And that’s where we find ourselves now In March many of our warm-season weeds are beginning to crop up, and cool-season weeds are flowering and setting seeds. If you’re willing to roll up your sleeves and get your hands dirty there’s something you can do to prevent having as many weeds next winter: Simply pull them up. Remove all the top growth that has seeds on it now before warmer temperatures hasten seed maturity and the dying of top growth. If the seeds drop into your landscape beds or lawns, they will lie dormant over the summer and start germinating again as early as September

Hand pulling this late in the season is the most effective method, as seeds can still drop from plants killed with postemergent herbicide. If the weeds haven’t set seed yet, then it’s safe to spray and forget.

Whatever you do, don’t throw the weeds in a compost pile or leave them on top of the bed or lawn. That defeats the purpose! Dispose of them in a garbage bag. If you’re curious about what kinds of weeds are sprouting in your landscape, read on. Below are descriptions of five broadleaf plants that are the usual suspects for winter weeds that produce an abundance of seeds But they’re just a tiny sample of all the winter weeds we have in Louisiana.

CLEAVER: Cleaver is sometimes referred to as bedstraw, and its appearance is somewhat like green straw climbing and covering your desirable plants. The bright green weed grows quickly once February gets here. It is very fuzzy and clingy, almost like hook-andloop fasteners. It produces tiny white flowers that mature into fuzzy seed capsules that attach to seemingly everything

VETCH: Vetch adds nitrogen to the soil, so it can be beneficial in some settings, including pastures. But in our landscape beds, it can be a mess Vetch is a legume, and it likes to vine and climb. It has small

ä See WEEDS,

By late June and early July, people can expect to begin seeing monarch butterflies in Louisiana as they migrate north.

With numbers nearly doubling in 2025, monarch butterflies will soon flock to the state

BY HANNAH LEVITAN | Staff writer

In a turn of events, the eastern monarch butterfly population — which was put on the list of endangered species just a few years ago — nearly doubled this year, according to a March report from the World Wildlife Fund, an international conservation organization. With summer approaching, it’s almost time for Louisianans to start planning for the famous insect’s arrival in their yards.

By late June and early July, people can expect to begin seeing the butterflies in Louisiana as they migrate north.

Eastern monarchs are known to leave their roosts in the second week of March, searching for milkweed plants to lay their eggs.

Just a few years ago, the eastern monarch was considered endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature after populations decreased over 80% in the last 30 years. The species may be beginning to rebound, though, and last year, the butterfly occupied almost twice as much forest habitat

Spanish Town

The many problems with ‘No gifts, please’

Dear Miss Manners: I attended a bridal shower where the brideto-be asked for “no gifts, please.”

Half the attendees showed up with gifts anyway and the ones who honored her request and didn’t bring a gift were left to feel cheap

It was awkward for everyone, including the bride-to-be, who wasn’t sure if she should open the gifts or not What should she have done?

Judith Martin MISS MANNERS

Gentle reader: This is why Miss Manners keeps rejecting this frank and seemingly simple way of avoiding receiving presents: It doesn’t work. Some people simply ignore it. Others interpret it as a coy prompt to be sure to give presents, or as a request for cash in-

stead of goods. It creates a burden on the gift recipient, who must then protect the guests who respected her wish from feeling that they were in error The bride should absolutely not have opened the presents in front of them. She should have briefly thanked the donors, put the unopened packages aside, and written her thanks after opening them privately

But doesn’t anyone realize that, by definition, showers feature presents? So do birthday parties. Surely this accounts for the problem guests have with these gift bans. Can’t friends gather without applying those labels?

Try money-saving hint

Dear Heloise: As a money-saver for me, I use a vacuum sealer everyday to close packages of chips and brown sugar, as well as ingredients for recipes that go in the freezer so that I can close the openings and preserve their freshness For example, as a senior citizen, I can buy larger packages of chips at a better price and maintain its freshness by closing the packages as I remove the items.

room should have a light that flashes during an emergency n There was an interesting comment about spinach, and your response included other vegetables with oxalates that are not often mentioned at the doctor’s office The letter was submitted by Joan.

n I’m glad to read that ants don’t like vinegar (thanks to A.B.) and to get confirmation on orange yolks, too.

I also use a pair of scissors to cut open the tops to prevent the bags from being destroyed — Hallie, in Virginia

Adding to hints

Dear Heloise: A recent column of yours was very informative. Here’s how I can add to the suggestions:

n I’m going to try the method of checking car lights that Steve suggested. We try to make it a point to check them on the first of every month.

n The lady whose hearing aids ran out of power during the fire, submitted in the letter by Paul, is of great concern. I’m going to write my congressman and urge him to make it a law that each

MARKET

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been in the coffee business for over 20 years. In preparation for the opening, he said he talked to neighbors and residents about what they hoped to see in the space and worked to give it to them.

According to Isadore, people said they wanted a place where they can purchase light groceries, breakfast sandwiches and coffee

n I do believe you could list all the different and creative cheese-wrapping suggestions in your column for a week. I’ve tried many of them. Marcy, in Menifee, California

Reading house numbers

Dear Heloise: In addition to packages getting delivered at the right house, how about when there’s an emergency at your home? It’s vital to have your house numbers clearly visible — even at night — for the police, fire department, and emergency medical services. It could mean life or death besides your packages going somewhere else. — Mike,in Mandeville

Send a hint to heloise@heloise. com.

Spanish Town Market and Cofe is also going to carry specialty meats, fresh bread, and eventually sell pizza Isadore has also hired a chef who will serve lunch daily, and to-go meals will be available. Isadore is hoping to expand after he gets the store off the ground and running. In a few months, he’s considering adding beer and cigarettes to the market’s offerings, and he plans to expand the hours to 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Email Serena Puang at serena. puang@theadvocate.com.

Cleaver is a common sight in gardens this time of year.This weed is fuzzy and clingy.

WEEDS

Continued from page 5C

lavender-to-purple flowers that mature into recognizable peapod shapes.

WILD GERANIUM: Just as common in lawns as turfgrass, wild geraniums produce deeply lobed leaves and grow in a rounded or mounding shape. They’re also sometimes called Carolina geraniums They have small pink flowers that produce seed capsules that end in a distinct point that resembles a crane or stork’s bill.

CHICKWEED: Small leaves and small white flowers are found on this weed that grows like a low mat. It’s notorious for popping at the soil surface when pulled. Make sure you get under all the stems and get a good grip on the

Dear Miss Manners: I’m a cashier in a grocery store, and we’re required to wear a name tag with our first name printed boldly It feels creepy when customers, often the male ones, address me by saying my name in a domineering way I’ve tried taking a deep breath to resist the urge to say something insulting, but I really wish I knew how to respond.

I resent being spoken to by a stranger this way, especially when I’m trying to be of service. Any suggestions for me?

Gentle reader: Address your supervisor That is, mention the problem while offering a solution: workplace pseudonyms.

Miss Manners can imagine your having fun with this. “Cashie the Cashier,” perhaps?

After all, the real purpose of name tags in commercial situations (as opposed to your school reunion, when faced with your inexplicably aged classmates) is for the rare case when the customer needs to identify you: “In the aisle, Ryan told me this was on sale, but now Lila tells me you have to buy three cases to get the discount.”

Dear Miss Manners: When I am invited to stay in someone’s home, and that home isn’t very clean, may I leave it cleaner than I found it?

center point of the plant. This plant loves to grow in between desirable winter annual flowers, making it a tedious weeding task. It produces many seeds.

THISTLES: Winter in Louisiana allows us to observe numerous species of plants commonly called thistles. These weeds appear as a uniform rosette of ground-level leaves for much of the winter and will send up a tall bloom spike as the season wears on. After the flowers have faded, the seeds mature and are carried far and wide by the wind, so it’s important to pull your thistles before you notice the white cottony tips of mature seeds emerging where the flowers were. Be careful not to shake the plant because it might release some of the seeds. Wear gloves and be careful most thistle species have thorns on the leaves!

BUTTERFLIES

Continued from page 5C

According to Zack Lemann, Curator of Animal Collections at Audubon Insectarium, environmental conditions were better this year compared to last, when much of the U.S. battled with drought.

“There was more food for the larvae and fewer trees were lost,” Lemann said. Still, the monarchs’ long-term health is not where it needs to be, WWF says. Due to the increased use of herbicides in the U.S., milkweed, a plant vital for monarch reproduction, has declined, ultimately harming the butterfly population.

How to help

The WWF recommends people incorporate milkweed in their yards and gardens to attract the iconic, orange butterflies. Before buying milkweed, nature lovers should know what variety is native to their area, since different regions have various species. The Southeast region has five main spe-

By The Associated Press

Today is Tuesday, April 1, the 91st day of 2025. There are 274 days left in the year This is April Fool’s Day

Today in history: On April 1, 1945, American forces launched the amphibious invasion of Okinawa during World War II. (U.S. forces succeeded in capturing the Japanese island on June 22 after a battle in which more than 240,000 died, including as many as 150,000 Okinawan civilians.)

Also on this date: In 1924, Adolf Hitler was sentenced to five years in prison for his role in the Beer Hall Putsch in Munich. (Hitler would serve just

Gentle reader: Your choice. A good guest would do this so quietly that the hosts might even think that they had left things cleaner than they supposed. A bad one would make sure that they knew

Send questions to Miss Manners at her website, www missmanners.com; to her email, dearmissmanners@gmail.com; or through postal mail to Miss Manners, Universal Uclick, 1130 Walnut St., Kansas City, MO 64106.

I assume that my hosts are already overwhelmed and I wouldn’t want to add to their stress by impugning their housekeeping. It would be a nonissue for me to clean a bathroom (sweep the dust and hair from the floor, wipe down the countertop and mirror, etc.) or to remove the exploded spaghetti from the inside of the microwave before I warm up my coffee. Would that count as being a good guest, or as being judgmental?

cies, including the butterfly and whorled milkweed.

In Louisiana, the most commonly available species are aquatic milkweed (Asclepias perennis), butterflyweed (A. tuberosa), common milkweed (A. syriaca), fewflower milkweed (A. lanceolate), swamp milkweed (A. incarnata) and whorled milkweed (A. verticillata).

Most plant nurseries carry milkweed and can advise butterfly enthusiasts on the right species to buy for their yard. The Monarch Watch Milkweed Market also offers online milkweed orders and can ship different species to your door

TODAY IN HISTORY

nine months of the sentence, during which time he completed the first volume of “Mein Kampf.”)

In 1946, a magnitude 8.6 earthquake centered near Alaska’s Aleutian Islands triggered a tsunami that pounded the Hawaiian Islands with waves up to 55 feet tall, killing 159. In 1970, President Richard M. Nixon signed a measure banning cigarette advertising on radio and television beginning in January 1971. In 1976, Apple Computer was founded by Steve Jobs, Steve Wozniak and Ronald Wayne. In 1984, singer Marvin Gaye was shot and killed by his father after Gaye intervened in an argument between his parents at their home.

Milkweed usually comes with instructions and tips, like to avoid windy areas and opt for spots with direct sunlight. But the best tip, according to Lemann, is to avoid planting tropical milkweed altogether “Tropical milkweed will not drop down in the winter like other species, creating a situation where monarchs lay eggs while heading south for the winter,” Lemann said. “You can create a local population problem by having tropical milkweed.”

If you do have tropical milkweed, make sure to cut it down on Nov 1 and don’t let it grow until March 1, he said.

Butterfly migration

Eastern monarch butterflies migrate north from Mexico in the spring, and back south once fall hits They begin to breed in the spring and those that migrate south will live longer than the others, which typically live for two to six weeks. Migrating monarchs can live up to nine months. The monarch butterflies will stick around in the south through September

In 2001, the Netherlands became the first country in the world to legalize same-sex marriage. In 2003, American troops raided a hospital in Nasiriyah, Iraq, and rescued Army Pfc. Jessica Lynch, who had been held prisoner since her unit was ambushed on March 23. Today’s birthdays: Actor Ali MacGraw is 86. Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito is 75. Actor Annette O’Toole

Hints from Heloise

LSU AG CENTER PHOTO By OLIVIA McCLURE

STAFF FILE PHOTOS By HILARy SCHEINUK

A monarch butterfly may be equipped to eat milkweed but people and pets are not. Leaves and other aboveground parts of the plant are especially poisonous during the active growing season.

A monarch butterfly feeds on a bloom at the Independence Park Botanical Gardens in Baton Rouge.

ARIEs (March 21-April 19) Speak up, ask questions and leave no room for error or misunderstandings. Clarity is essential if you want to maintain your integrity and reputation. Invest in yourself and your future.

tAURUs (April 20-May 20) Finish what you start. Refuse to let second-guessing confuse or disorient you regarding what you should or shouldn't do. Keep your motives to yourself, and concentrate on your target.

GEMInI (May 21-June 20) When doubt kicks in, take a pass. Do whatever it takes to avoid compromising your position, reputation, or emotional or financial security. Refuse to let anyone take advantage of you.

cAncER (June 21-July 22) Put your time and energy into your work. Doing the best job possible will lead to rewards. Redesign your skills and how you market yourself to suit today's economy and needs.

LEo (July 23-Aug. 22) Keep adding to your qualifications and maintain technological savvy to ensure your job safety and prospects. An innovative approach to life and learning will pay off

VIRGo (Aug. 23-sept. 22) Market yourself for success, whether it's personal, creative or financial gains you want to achieve. Advocate for yourself, and you'll encourage others to support your efforts.

LIBRA (sept. 23-oct. 23) A break will give you the boost you need to bring about

positive change. Setting up a space to do something you enjoy will give you the motivation and opportunity to excel.

scoRPIo (oct. 24-nov. 22) Call the shots instead of letting someone else dictate what you can and cannot do Change begins with you; if you want something, go after it wholeheartedly.

sAGIttARIUs (nov. 23-Dec. 21) Only open doors that have meaning to you. Your time is precious, so let those who try to take advantage of you know it isn't going to happen. Turn the tables by doing what's best for you.

cAPRIcoRn (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) Honesty is the best policy, especially when it comes to being truthful with yourself. Put greater emphasis on relationships, equality and the time you want to spend with others.

AQUARIUs (Jan 20-Feb. 19) Channel your energy into learning something new through communication, conferences and research. It will change your plans and perspective regarding how you use your time, energy and skills.

PIscEs (Feb. 20-March 20) Don't sell yourself short; strive for a better lifestyle and personal satisfaction. Don't sit back when you should be moving forward. Take what's yours and follow your heart.

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

FAMILY CIrCUS

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

toDAy's cLUE: P EQUALs D

CeLebrItY CIpher

For better or For WorSe

SALLY Forth

beetLe bAILeY

Mother GooSe And GrIMM

LAGoon

nea CroSSwordS

Sudoku

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

Yesterday’s Puzzle Answer

THe wiZard oF id

BLondie

BaBY BLueS

Hi and LoiS

By PHILLIP ALDER

The best improvement in bridge in the last 20 years is the employment of “useless” cards to send suit-preference signals. Without this style of defense, West would have to guess what to do in this deal. With suit preference, it is easy. How should the play and defense go in four spades after West leads the diamond king?

South has four losers: three hearts and one diamond. (West cannot have the ace and king of hearts, because his opening lead would have been the heart ace,notthediamondking.)ButSouthhas 10 potential tricks: five spades, two diamonds and three clubs. His best play is to take the first trick and immediately to leadbackhisdiamondjack.Todefeatthe contract, West must win with his queen and shift to a heart. But how will he know that is right instead of a club switch?

At trick one, East plays his diamond two, discouraging. But on the second round, he can play the seven or four. Wantingaheartshift,hedropstheseven, the higher card asking for the higherranking of the other two side suits. Now West knows exactly what to do.

If you have only low trumps, you can also use those to send suit-preference

signals.Inthisdeal,ifSouthimmediately draws trumps, East can play eight-sixthree-two, always the highest calling for a heart. The snag with these signals is that you andyourpartnerhavetowatchthecards very carefully. But if you do, you will defeat more contracts.

Syndication

today’s thought “Unless your law had been my delights, I should then have perished in my affliction.” Psalms 119:92

Yesterday’s Puzzle Answer

God’s

G.E. Dean

marmaduKe

Bizarro

hagar the horriBle

Pearls Before swiNe

garfield

B.C.

PiCKles

hidato

mallard

Dow wants to use new nuclear reactors

Dow, a major producer of chemicals and plastics, wants to use next-generation nuclear reactors for clean power and steam at a Texas manufacturing complex instead of natural gas.

Dow’s subsidiary, Long Mott Energy, applied Monday to the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission for a construction permit. It said the project with X-energy an advanced nuclear reactor and fuel company, would nearly eliminate the emissions associated with power and steam generation at its plant in Seadrift, Texas, avoiding roughly 500,000 metric tons of planet-warming greenhouse gas emissions annually If built and operated as planned, it would be the first U.S. commercial advanced nuclear power plant for an industrial site, according to the commission.

The Seadrift manufacturing complex, at about 4,700 acres, has eight production plants owned by Dow and one owned by Braskem. There, Dow makes plastics for a variety of uses, including food and beverage packaging and wire and cable insulation, as well as glycols for antifreeze, polyester fabrics and bottles, and oxide derivatives for health and beauty products.

The commission expects the review to take three years or less. If a permit is issued, construction could begin at the end of this decade so the reactors would be ready early in the 2030s, as the natural gas-fired equipment is retired.

Rocket spending $9.4B on rival Mr. Cooper

The mortgage company Rocket is buying competitor Mr Cooper in an all-stock deal valued at $9.4 billion, just weeks after acquiring real estate listing company Redfin. Rocket Cos. said Monday that bringing Mr Cooper Group Inc. into the fold will create a business representing one in every six mortgages in the United States and give it almost 7 million additional clients. The deal will boost loan volumes, the company said, while lowering client acquisition costs.

The U.S. housing market has been slumping for years with homebuyers and sellers buffeted by soaring mortgages rates and sky high prices that have put homes out of reach for many Americans.

Companies like Rocket, which is on an acquisition streak, are attempting to create more of a one-stop shopping experience for frazzled would-be homebuyers.

Trump executive order targets ticket scalpers

President Donald Trump signed an executive order Monday that he said will help curb ticket scalping and bring “commonsense” changes to the way live entertainment events are priced. Designed to stop “price-gouging by middlemen,” the order directs Attorney General Pam Bondi and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent to ensure that scalpers offering tickets at higher prices than their face value comply with all Internal Revenue Service rules, according to a fact sheet released by the White House. It also orders the Federal Trade Commission to ensure “price transparency at all stages of the ticket-purchase process” and to “take enforcement action to prevent unfair, deceptive, and anti-competitive conduct in the secondary ticketing market,” which the Trump administration argues can “restore sensibility and order to the ticket market.” The push marks a rare instance of policy crossover with the administration of former President Joe Biden, which used the FTC to target “junk fees,” or levies tacked on at the end of the purchase process that can mask the full price of things like concert tickets, hotel rooms and utility bills.

BY STAN CHOE AP business writer

NEW YORK

President Donald Trump’s fast-approaching “Liberation Day” sent stock markets swinging sharply worldwide on Monday On Wall Street, the S&P 500 rose in another roller-coaster day, after being down as much as 1.7% during the morning. The reversal helped the index shave its loss for the first three months of the year to 4.6%,

making it the worst quarter in twoand-a-half years. The Dow Jones Industrial Average also swerved higher after erasing an initial loss. Slides for Tesla, Nvidia and other influential Big Tech stocks, though, sent the Nasdaq composite down. Such neck-twisting turns have become routine for the U.S. stock market recently because of uncertainty about what Trump will do with tariffs — and by how much they will worsen inflation and grind down growth for economies. Wall Street’s swings followed a selloff that spanned the world earlier Monday as worries built about the effects of the tariffs that Trump says will bring manufacturing jobs back to the United States. Instead of stocks, prices strength-

ened for things considered safer bets when the economy is looking shaky Gold rose again to briefly crest $3,160 per ounce. Prices for Treasury bonds also climbed, which in turn sent their yields down. The yield on the 10year Treasury fell to 4.21% from 4.27% late Friday and from roughly 4.80% in January

On Wednesday, the U.S. is set to begin what Trump calls “reciprocal” tariffs, which will be tailored to match what he sees is the burden each country places on his, including things like value-added taxes. Much is still unknown, including exactly what the U.S. government will do on “Liberation Day.”

At Goldman Sachs, economists expect Trump to announce an average 15% reciprocal tariff. They also raised their forecast for inflation and lowered it for U.S. economic growth for the end of the year They now see a 35% chance of recession in the next year, up from an earlier forecast of 20%, “reflecting our lower growth forecast, falling confidence, and statements from White House officials indicating willingness to tolerate economic pain,” according to Goldman Sachs economist David Mericle. If the tariffs end up being less onerous than investors fear maybe Trump includes no additional tariff increases on China, for example — stocks could rally But if they end up being a

European countries resist U.S. push

By The Associated Press

PARIS U.S. government efforts to eliminate diversity initiatives are not going down well on the European continent Laurent Saint-Martin, France’s minister for foreign trade, said on Monday the country won’t compromise after the U.S State Department said that French companies who have contracts with the U.S. government need to drop diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives. In neighboring Belgium, where some companies received similar requests, the government lashed out at the new U.S. rules.

French media reported last week that French companies received a letter saying U.S. President Donald Trump’s rollback of DEI initiatives also could apply outside of the U.S. Saint-Martin spoke to RTL Radio following the reports and said French authorities will

BY LIZ SWAINE Staff writer

The $1.2 billion acquisition is complete. Delta Utilities now owns CenterPoint Energy’s natural gas distribution in Louisiana and Mississippi.

By the summer, they are set to add Entergy’s gas distribution, giving Delta reach into large chunks of Louisiana that include Shreveport, Bossier City, Lafayette, Baton Rouge and New Orleans. Delta Utilities CEO Tim Poche said the company name and logo

seek explanations from their U.S. counterparts about the letter

The reported demands included abandoning inclusion policies that are part of French and European Union laws such as equality between men and women, the fight against discrimination and racism or the promotion of diversity to help people with disabilities, he said.

“All of this is progress that corresponds first and foremost to our French values, we are proud of this and we don’t want to compromise on it,” Saint-Martin said. “We can’t just cancel the application of our own laws overnight.”

French media said the letter was signed by an officer of the U.S. State Department who is on the staff at the U.S. Embassy in Paris. The embassy didn’t respond to questions from The Associated Press. State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce, speaking to reporters at a briefing in

may be different, but the transition should be seamless to CenterPoint’s 380,000 customers in Louisiana and Mississippi.

“They will interface, interact with us just like they do CenterPoint today, we have a transition services agreement in place with CenterPoint,” Poche said. That means for the next six to 12 months, CenterPoint customers will log into the same website and use the same auto-pay system.

Job offers have also been made to the 500 current CenterPoint employees, and Poche said they’re all joining the team. “They’re the most important asset of the organization, that asset walking in and out of the door every day and we want to protect it and invest in it,”

he said.

Washington, confirmed that letters were sent.

“This is an effort to comply with the executive order from the president and it is essentially a self-certifying statement to local consulates and embassies,” she said.

Le Figaro daily newspaper published what it said was a copy of the letter The document said an executive order that Trump signed in January terminating DEI programs within the federal government also “applies to all suppliers and service providers of the U.S. Government, regardless of their nationality and the country in which they operate.”

The document asked U.S. government contractors to complete, sign and return within five days a separate certification form to demonstrate that they are in compliance.

Saint-Martin said he was “deeply shocked” but insisted on the need to have a “positive agenda” and maintain a dialogue with the U.S. In Belgium, Finance Minister Jan Jambon said Europeans have a “culture of nondiscrimination” that must be continued. “We have no lessons to learn from the boss of America,” he told channel RTL-TVi.

The same offer will be made to Entergy employees.

With the anticipated summer addition of Entergy’s gas assets, Delta, headquartered in New Orleans, would become one of the 40 largest natural gas providers in the U.S. with 600,000 customers and a $1.7 billion business.

The company is wholly owned by Bernhard Capital Partners and its affiliated funds. BCP is a private equity management company headquartered in Baton Rouge.

When the Louisiana Public Service Commission approved the sale of CenterPoint in November, Delta Utilities said they were “committed to continuing under the existing rate stabilization plan, tariffs,

schedules and riders. These commitments will ensure continued rate stability for customers for a significant amount of time.” Poche has been following the natural gas market and is aware of talk of price increases due to data center power needs and LNG exports.

“We anticipate a very stable rate environment. We are stepping into the shoes, as we’re saying, of CenterPoint,” he said. “We received unanimous regulatory approval from Louisiana and from the Mississippi regulators, and the rates will continue to be intact for a fairly long-term period.”

Email Liz Swaine at liz.swaine@ theadvocate.com.