The Acadiana Advocate 04-13-2025

Lafayette mother takeninto ICEcustody

El Salvador native had been checking in with authoritiesregularly

BY CLAIRE TAYLOR |Staff writer

VenessaMarroquin,ofLafayette,lefther

3-year-old daughter with family onMarch 28 and drove to New Orleans forwhat she thought would be aroutine check-in with officials at the Immigration and Customs Enforcement field office there. Instead,she was arrested andtransferred to adetentionfacilityinanother state.

Marroquin washeldina Hancock,Mississippi, jail for three days, then moved to the South Louisiana ICE Processing Center in Basile, said TerryLavergne, afriend, sponsorand godfather to her daughter

“You can imaginewhat a3-year-oldisgoing through,” Lavergne said.“She put her head on my shoulder and cried.”

Marroquin, her husband and otherfamily members don’thave visas or other legal statustobeinthe United States, said Lavergne, a Donald Trump supporter who said he doesn’t blame the president for Marroquin’s detention. The family doesn’tcause any trouble, he said. They don’teven break the rules in the mobile home park where they live.

Around five years ago the family left El Salvador after abrother was killedand asister was threatened if she called the police, Lavergne said. Scared for their lives,hesaid, they walked into the United States from Mexicoand came to Lafayettebecause arelative was here

“They are scared and getting more scared,” Lavergne said of the family

There are tens of thousands of immigrants like Marroquin, who are allowedtoremain in the United States, sometimes for decades, even though their asylumapplications have been denied, theircase is pending appeal or they’re working through the legal process for asylum.

ICE releases such individuals underorders of supervision,which allows the government

ä See MOTHER, page 4A

LANDRY FACES HEADWINDS

Lauaccused of creating falsetextmessages

BY MEGAN WYATT |Staff writer

Chun Ping “Eddie” Lau usually worked behind the scenes, crafting campaign

Gov. Jeff Landryfaces challenges over thestate

others.

BY TYLERBRIDGES |Staff writer

Gov.Jeff Landrywas riding high when he kicked off the regular legislative session ayear ago.

Only months before, he had outpaced the field to be elected governor.Shortly aftertaking office, he called two special sessionswhere state lawmakers approvedalmosteverything he wanted ButLandry is now facing headwinds when he convenes his second regular session as governor on Monday

On March 29, votershanded Landry his worst defeat in his 15 months as governor by soundly rejecting all four changes to the state constitution he sought

Landry is alsoencountering arestive Republican freshmanclass in the House thatispushing for changes in car insurance laws that the governor and his trial lawyer allies oppose.

“His political honeymoon is over,” said veteran pollster andpolitical consultant Bernie Pinsonat. “He has to do abetter jobofselling hisaccomplishmentsand bringing stufftothe public that will satisfy their problems.”

showed that voters wereevenly divided on Landry,with 45% offering favorable and unfavorable viewsofhim

ä Lawmakers seek solution to insurance crisis. PAGE 6A

The poll also showed that 45% of the people surveyed believe Louisiana is heading in the wrong direction while 38% said the state is heading in the right direction.

To be sure, history shows that agovernor’shoneymoon won’tlast long.

Apoll conducted by Pinsonat and Greg Rigamer for conservative business ownerLaneGrigsby immediately afterthe March 29 ballot box defeat

In the caseofLandry’sDemocratic predecessor,John Bel Edwards, it didn’t last even aday.House Republicans broke 40 years of tradition on the

ä See LANDRY, page 6A

Arrested campaign consultant hasworkedfor topLa. politicians

websites,producing social media videos andconsulting for high-profile politicians who hoped to winelected office in Louisiana.

But arecentcyber investigation that prompted hisarrest has thrust Lau into the spotlight andput him at the center of adebateabout whetherspreading false-

hoodsonthe campaign trail is acriminal act.

Lau, 47, faces one count of spreading knowingly false political information, a felony,though thelaw has not been invokedindecades andcourtshave previously declared it unconstitutional.The casehas not been senttothe District

Attorney’s Officeyet,and Lauhas not entered aplea.

He’s accusedofsending false text messages to voters in arecentstate Senate race that pittedtwo Republicans, Brach Myers and Jesse Regan,

ä See CONSULTANT, page 4A Lau

Dominican club collapse death toll rises to 226

SANTO DOMINGO Dominican Repub-

lic — A woman hospitalized after being rescued from the rubble of a roof collapse at a popular nightclub in the Dominican Republic died on Saturday, raising the death toll to 226, health officials said.

The latest victim was a 41-yearold Costa Rican national, according to the National Health Service. Earlier in the day, health officials said four other people hospitalized after the disaster had died overnight.

Officials said 189 people were rescued alive from the rubble of the popular venue in the capital Santo Domingo. More than 200 were injured, with 14 still hospitalized, including four in critical condition.

The roof at the Jet Set nightclub collapsed during a merengue concert in the early hours of Tuesday Politicians, athletes and a fashion designer were among those enjoying live music when disaster struck.

As of Saturday, friends and relatives remained at a forensics institute waiting for the return of their loved ones’ bodies Later in the day, health authorities said 225 bodies had been returned to their families.

Health minister Victor Attalah told journalists there had been a delay in identifying victims because the majority of them had to be matched using biometric data.

Killer mistakenly released caught 2 weeks later

ATLANTA The U.S. Marshals Service said Friday that a convicted killer who was mistakenly released from a Georgia jail has been caught two weeks later in Florida — ending days of anxiety for the victim’s family outside Orlando who feared he might harm them over their role in the trial.

Kathan Guzman, 22, was supposed to spend the rest of his life in prison after admitting he strangled his girlfriend, 19-yearold Delila Grayson, who was found dead in a bathtub in August 2022, Clayton County Sheriff Levon Allen told WSB-TV

However, jail workers in the county south of Atlanta mistakenly released Guzman on March 27 because they didn’t read paperwork carefully, failing to see that he’d been convicted of murder and assault by strangulation, the sheriff told the broadcaster In a statement Friday, he said disciplinary actions are pending and firings are on the table.

Guzman told someone after being freed that “God is good” and he believed his release was the result of a higher power the sheriff told WSB.

The victim’s mother, Christina Grayson, wasn’t told her daughter’s murderer was on the loose until Tuesday, after the district attorney learned of it, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported. “I feel like I’m a sitting duck,” Grayson told WFTV-TV in Orlando.

Her family was sleeping in shifts so that someone was awake at all times, she told the broadcaster, and deputies in Osceola County patrolled her neighborhood as the search continued.

World’s oldest gorilla turns 68 in Berlin

BERLIN Fatou, the oldest gorilla living in captivity worldwide, is getting ready for her 68th birthday in style.

The Berlin zoo on Friday presented Fatou with a basket of fruit and vegetables ahead of her official birthday, which falls on Sunday. Fatou was born in 1957 and came to the zoo in what was then West Berlin in 1959 Since she no longer has teeth, keepers ensure that her food is soft and easy to eat Vet André Schüle said that “Fatou gets the best possible care here.”

She lives in her own enclosure, apart from the zoo’s more boisterous other five gorillas who range in age from 4 to 39 Schüle said that “she has the peace she deserves at her high age.” Gorillas can live for around 3540 years in the wild and longer in captivity Fatou became the zoo’s oldest resident last year, following the death of Ingo the flamingo The bird was believed to be at least 75 and had lived at the zoo since 1955.

Russia, Ukraine accused of not pausing strikes

By The Associated Press

Russia and Ukraine’s top diplomats on Saturday used a high-level conference in Turkey to once again trade accusations of violating a tentative U.S.-brokered deal to pause strikes on energy infrastructure, underscoring the challenges of negotiating an end to the 3-year-old war

The two foreign ministers spoke at separate events at the annual Antalya Diplomacy Forum, a day after U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff met with with Russian President Vladimir Putin to discuss peace prospects. Ukraine’s European allies on Friday promised billions of dollars to help Kyiv keep fighting Russia’s invasion.

While Moscow and Kyiv both agreed in principle last month to implement a limited, 30-day ceasefire, they issued conflicting statements soon after their separate talks with U.S. officials in Saudi Arabia. They differed on the start time of halting strikes, and alleged near-immediate breaches by the other side.

“The Ukrainians have been attacking us from the very beginning, every passing day, maybe with two or three exceptions,” Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said, adding that Moscow would provide the U.S., Turkey and international bodies with a list of Kyiv’s attacks during the past three weeks.

A representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry separately told state media Saturday that Moscow has been sharing intelligence with the U.S. regarding more than 60 supposed breaches of the deal by Kyiv Lavrov on Saturday insisted Russia had stuck to the terms of the deal.

His Ukrainian counterpart, Andrii Sybiha, fiercely contested that claim, saying Russia had launched “almost 70 missiles, over 2,200 (exploding) drones, and over 6,000 guided aerial bombs at Ukraine, mostly at civilians,” since agreeing to the limited pause on strikes.

“This clearly shows to the world who wants peace and who wants war,” he said.

Russian forces hold the advantage in Ukraine, and Kyiv has warned Moscow is planning a fresh spring offensive to ramp up pressure on its foe and improve its negotiating position.

Ukraine has endorsed a broader U.S. ceasefire proposal, but Russia has effectively blocked it by imposing far-reaching conditions. European governments have accused Putin of dragging his feet.

“Russia has to get moving” on the road to ending the war, U.S. President Donald Trump posted on social media Friday He said the war is “terrible and senseless.” Lavrov on Saturday reiterated that a prospective U.S.-backed agreement, also discussed in Saudi Arabia, to ensure safe navigation for commercial vessels in the Black Sea could not be implemented until restrictions are lifted on Russian access to shipping insurance, docking ports and international payment systems.

Details of the prospective deal were not released, but it appeared to mark another attempt to ensure safe Black Sea shipping after a 2022 agreement that was brokered by the U.N. and Turkey but halted by Russia the following year

Ukraine’s air force said a second F-16 fighter jet supplied by Western allies has been lost and its pilot, 26-year-old Pavlo Ivanov killed.

Ukraine’s General Staff said the F-16 crashed while repelling a Russian missile strike. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Saturday offered condolences to Ivanov’s family saying, “We are proud of our soldiers. We will give a strong and apt response.”

Ukraine said the first F-16 was shot down last August, after it intercepted three Russian missiles and a drone.

Since last July, Ukraine has received multiple batches of the fighter jets from Denmark and the Netherlands, with U.S. approval. Their total number has not been disclosed.

Meanwhile, Russian drones killed at least two civilians in Ukraine’s southern Kherson region on Saturday according to local Gov Oleksandr Prokudin.

U.N.: Attacks on camps in Sudan’s Darfur leave at least 100 dead

BY SAMY MAGDY Associated Press

CAIRO Sudan’s notorious paramilitary group launched a two-day attack on famine-hit camps for displaced people that left more than 100 dead, including 20 children and nine aid workers, in the Darfur region, a U.N. official said Saturday.

The Rapid Support Forces and allied militias launched an offensive on the Zamzam and Abu Shorouk camps and the nearby city of el-Fasher, the provincial capital of North Darfur province, on Friday, said U.N Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Sudan Clementine Nkweta-Salami.

El-Fasher is under the control of the military, which has fought the RSF since Sudan descended into civil war two years ago, killing more than than 24,000 people, according to the United Nations, though activists say the number is likely far higher.

The camps were attacked again on Saturday, Nkweta-Salami said in a statement She said that nine aid workers were

killed “while operating one of the very few remaining health posts still operational” in Zamzam camp.

“This represents yet another deadly and unacceptable escalation in a series of brutal attacks on displaced people and aid workers in Sudan since the onset of this conflict nearly two years ago,” she said.

Nkweta-Salami didn’t identify the aid workers but Sudan’s Doctors’ Union said in a statement that six medical workers with the Relief International were killed when their hospital in Zamzam came under attack on Friday They include Dr Mahmoud Babaker Idris, a physician at the hospital, and Adam Babaker Abdallah, head of the group in the region, the union said. It blamed the RSF for “this criminal and barbaric act.”

In a statement Saturday evening, Relief International mourned the death of its nine workers, saying they were killed the previous day in a “targeted attack on all health infrastructure in the region,” including the group’s clinic.

S. Carolina executes second man by firing squad in 5 weeks

BY JEFFREY COLLINS Associated Press

COLUMBIA, S.C. — A firing squad on Friday executed a South Carolina man who killed an off-duty police officer, the second time the rare execution method has been used by the state in the past five weeks.

Mikal Mahdi gave no final statement and did not look to his right toward the nine witnesses in the room behind bulletproof glass and bars once the curtain opened.

He took a few deep breaths during the 45 seconds between when the hood was put over his head and when the shots rang out, fired by three volunteers who are prison employees at a distance of about 15 feet.

Mahdi, 42, cried out as the bullets hit him, and his arms flexed. A white target with the red bull’s-eye over his heart was pushed into the wound in his chest.

Mahdi groaned two more times about 45 seconds after that. His breaths continued for about 80 seconds before he appeared to take one final gasp.

A doctor checked him for a little over a minute, and he was declared dead at 6:05 p.m., less than four minutes after the shots were fired.

Mahdi’s execution came a little over a month after Brad Sigmon was put to death March 7, in the first U.S. firing squad death in 15 years and the fourth

since 1976. The others all occurred in Utah. The firing squad is an execution method with a long and violent history around the world. It has been used to punish mutinies and desertion in armies, as frontier justice in America’s Old West and as a tool of terror and political repression in the former Soviet Union and Nazi Germany But South Carolina lawmakers saw it as the quickest and most humane method, especially with the uncertainty in obtaining lethal injection drugs. In a statement Mahdi’s attorney, assistant federal public defender David Weiss, called the execution a “horrifying act that belongs in the darkest chapters of history, not in a civilized society.”

Mahdi had the choice of dying by firing squad, lethal injection or the electric chair

“Faced with barbaric and inhumane choices, Mikal Mahdi has chosen the lesser of three evils,” Weiss said. “Mikal chose the firing squad instead of being burned and mutilated in the electric chair, or suffering a lingering death on the lethal injection gurney.” Mahdi is the fifth inmate executed by South Carolina in less than eight months as the state makes its way through prisoners who ran out of appeals during an unintended 13-year pause on executions in the state. Mahdi’s is the 12th execution in the U.S. this year

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The group said the central market in Zamzam along with hundreds of makeshift homes in the camp were destroyed in the attack.

The offensive forced about 2,400 people to flee the camps and el-Fasher, according to the General Coordination for Displaced Persons and Refugees, a local group in Darfur Zamzam and Abu Shouk shelter more than 700,000 people who have been forced to flee their homes across Darfur during past bouts of fighting in the region, Nkweta-Salami said. Late last month, the Sudanese military regained control over Khartoum, a major symbolic victory in the war. But the RSF still controls most of Darfur and some other areas.

The two camps are among five areas in Sudan where famine was detected by the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification, IPC, a global hunger monitoring group. The war has created the world’s largest humanitarian crisis, with about 25 million people — half of Sudan’s population facing extreme hunger

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By ANNA DONETS

People light flares during farewell ceremony of Ukrainian soldier Oleksandr Samoilovich, 18, of 1st Separate Assault Regiment of Dmytro Kotsiubailo, at the cemetery in Slavuta, Ukraine, on Friday.

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By DAVID yEAZELL

South Carolina execution protestors demonstrate outside the scheduled execution of South Carolina inmate Mikal Mahdi in Columbia, S.C., on Friday.

Death warrants rejected, executions off

Supreme Court orders judge to consider post-conviction relief

BY JOHN SIMERMAN Staff writer

The Louisiana Supreme Court on Friday recalled execution warrants that a judge had signed for two death row inmates who were each convicted of murder in Caddo Parish.

The court ruled in favor of condemned inmates Marcus Reed and Darrell Draughn, ordering the district judge in their cases to first consider their state claims for postconviction relief before ordering new execution dates. At the request of Caddo Parish District Attorney James Stewart, District Judge Donald Hathaway had set a May 28 execution date for Draughn, and a June 4 date for Reed. Their attorneys had argued that Reed and Draughn are a long way from being eligible to be killed. Stewart argued that

Draughn effectively abandoned his post-conviction claim years ago, and that Reed waited too long for a lawyer to file on his behalf for relief, following a legal process in which Reed’s lawyers were jettisoned from the case over an alleged conflict.

Hathaway’s signature on the two warrants placed Draughn and Reed at the center of a legal battle over just who among the state’s remaining 55 death row inmates might now be eligible to be executed, following the March 18 execution of Jessie Hoffman Jr His killing by nitrogen gas ended a 15year hiatus for executions in the state.

But a Louisiana Supreme Court majority found that Stewart acted out of turn in seeking both warrants. In a concurrence, Chief Justice John Weimer lamented the duration of the cases but

urged “prudence,” saying an attempt to proceed with the two execution dates could only add to delays.

“It is incumbent on our system of justice to ensure the imposition of the sentence is properly applied, not in haste, but without delay for the sake of delay,” he wrote.

Justices Will Crain, Jay McCallum and Cade Cole offered dissents that argued the court should have waited for Hathaway to act on pending challenges to the execution warrants.

Stewart did not immediately respond to a message seeking comment.

Just how the court’s ruling affects the rest of death row is uncertain.

Attorney General Liz Murrill, who supported the warrants, said each case is different while she argued that the cost to the state warrants new legislation she supports to speed up the process.

“This is the reason we need comprehensive reform of post-conviction relief. Lawyers for these individuals obtained delay after delay,

then did nothing. District attorneys and judges let these cases falter as well,” Murrill said. “Now the victims’ families are suffering the consequences of their actions.”

Capital defense pointed to precedent, noting that courts in Louisiana and nationally have repeatedly turned back death warrants where the prisoners hadn’t exhausted their state post-conviction or federal habeas corpus appeal rights.

“The Louisiana Supreme Court recognized the fundamental principle that the state cannot send a man to the death chamber without at least allowing him to exhaust his appeals,” said Draughn’s lawyer, Cecelia Kappel of the Center for Social Justice at Loyola University, in a statement.

“If prisoners can be executed before they have completed all of their appeals, by warrants signed under cover of darkness, then all of our rights are seriously in jeopardy.”

Hoffman’s execution was Louisiana’s first since 2010,

and the first that took place over a legal challenge for more than two decades. It followed a new law that Gov Jeff Landry signed last year that added nitrogen gas to a new list of options.

Unike Reed and Draughn, Hoffman’s attorneys acknowledged that he had exhausted his appeals.

Draughn was convicted and sentenced to death in 2003 for the murder of 64-year-old Lauretta White, of Shreveport, who was found on April 6, 2000, in a pool of blood in her kitchen in what appeared to be a robbery gone awry She’d been stabbed numerous times, including two fatal slashes in her jugular vein. The Louisiana Supreme Court denied Draughn’s appeal in 2007.

His attorneys argued that the District Attorney’s Office had no issues with an extension requested in 2011 for filing his post-conviction plea A judge never ruled on it, and the last activity in the case came in 2011, before Stewart’s office sought an execution warrant.

Reed was convicted of murdering three brothers — Jeremiah, 20; Jarquis, 18; and Gene Adams, 13 — in August 2010 after a burglary at his home The bodies were found in Jeremiah Adams’ silver Chevrolet Malibu, parked in the front yard of Reed’s home. At trial, Reed claimed it was a justifiable homicide, but the Louisiana Supreme Court upheld his conviction and death sentence as well. Stewart argued that Reed lost his chance to supplement his shell petition In seeking the execution warrant, prosecutors pointed to a legal fight in 2019, when the district attorney challenged Reed’s representation by a team led by attorney Blythe Taplin, who also represented Reed on appeal.

The judge at the time set a Dec. 30, 2019, deadline for Reed’s attorneys to supplement his state petition. Reed recently filed a lengthy postconviction application. The court’s ruling Friday demands that the judge first rule on it before he can be killed.

Iran, U.S. envoys hold 1st negotiation over nuclear program

BY JON GAMBRELL Associated Press

MUSCAT, Oman Iran and the United States will hold more negotiations next week over Tehran’s rapidly advancing nuclear program, Iranian state television reported Saturday at the end of the first round of talks between the two countries since President Donald Trump returned to the White House. Iran’s state-run broadcaster revealed that U.S. Mideast envoy Steve Witkoff and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi “briefly spoke” together the first time the two nations have done that since the Obama administration. Tehran’s declaration that the two sides spoke face-toface — even if briefly — suggests the negotiations went well even to Iranian state TV, which long has been controlled by hard-liners

In a statement released Saturday afternoon, the White House described the discussions as “very positive and constructive,” while conceding the issues that need to be resolved “are

airstrikes targeting Iran’s nuclear program if a deal isn’t reached. Iranian officials increasingly warn that they could pursue a nuclear weapon with their stockpile of uranium enriched to near weapons-grade levels.

Associated Press journalists saw a convoy believed to be carrying Witkoff leave the Omani Foreign Ministry on Saturday afternoon and then speed off into the outskirts of Muscat The convoy went into a compound and a few minutes later, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei wrote on the social platform X that the “indirect talks” had begun.

Afterward, Araghchi de-

scribed the meeting as constructive to Iranian state TV, with four rounds of messages exchanged during the indirect portion.

“Neither we nor the other side are interested in fruitless negotiations — so-called ‘talks for the sake of talks,’ wasting time, or drawn-out, exhausting negotiations,” he said. “Both sides, including the Americans, have said that their goal is also to reach an agreement in the shortest possible time. However, that will certainly not be an easy task.”

That the two men spoke face-to-face satisfied a demand of the Americans. Trump and Witkoff both had described the talks as being

“direct.”

“I think our position begins with dismantlement of your program. That is our position today,” Witkoff told The Wall Street Journal before his trip. “That doesn’t mean, by the way, that at the margin we’re not going to find other ways to find compromise between the two countries.”

He added: “Where our red line will be, there can’t be weaponization of your nuclear capability.” Araghchi, however, sought to downplay the encounter as “a brief initial conversation, greetings and polite exchanges” — likely to avoid drawing the anger of hardliners in Iran.

very complicated.”

“Special Envoy Witkoff’s direct communication today was a step forward in achieving a mutually beneficial outcome,” the White House said.

The next round of talks will take place Saturday, April 19, according to the Iranian and American statements.

This first round of talks began at around 3:30 p.m. local The two sides spoke for over two hours at a location in the

outskirts of Muscat, Oman’s capital, ending the talks around 5:50 p.m. local time. The convoy believed to be carrying Witkoff returned to Muscat before disappearing into traffic around a neighborhood that is home to the U.S. Embassy The stakes of the negotiations couldn’t be higher for the two nations closing in on half a century of enmity. Trump repeatedly has threatened to unleash

ASSOCIATD PRESS PHOTO By FATIMA SHBAIR Omani security personnel watch a convoy believed to be carrying U.S Mideast envoy Steve Witkoff in Muscat, Oman, on Saturday.

against each other Lau worked for Regan’s campaign.Inthe lead-upto the election, texts accused Myers of beingaligned with Democratic voter groups that do not exist. They also showed fake images of him with high-profile Democrats.

Myers still won the election and filed acomplaint with the Lafayette Parish Sheriff’s Office the day after voters went to the polls. Even with asuccessful campaign behind him, Myers has no intention of letting go of the issue.

“When people loseand they pursue this, it looks like they’re asoreloser When people win, they’re like ‘Oh, Iwon,’ and they don’tpursue it,” Myers said. “I’m maybe the one person who won and said, ‘I still want to make sure that this gets pushed.’”

Laustoppedrespondingto messages for this story after briefly speaking to areporter andsayinghewould talk more later.Healsodid not respond to messages asking if he has retained an attorney.

WhoisEddie Lau?

Lau is well-known in political circles, and has worked for aplethora of elected officials, most of whom are Republicans with ties to Acadiana.

Lau describes himself as “the ‘original’ Asian Cajun”

MOTHER

Continued from page1A

to monitor and track them

ICE considers these orders to be humanitarianinnature, according to immigration advocates, as they are often granted to individualswho havechildrentocare for,or who have medical needs that make it difficult for them to be held in detention.

The orders of supervision are revocable, which means the government canchoose to terminate them and detain the undocumented person at any time. However, as long as the individual hasn’t violatedany regulationsor committed any crimes, they have typicallybeenallowed to remain free.

Thatischanging,immigration experts said.

‘Low-hanging fruit’

Under previous administrations, immigration officials were instructed to prioritize detaining and expelling people who posed threats to public safety or had criminal records.

However,one of Trump’s first actionsafterhewas sworn in for his second term wastobroaden ICE’smandate —now all immigrants without legal status are prioritized for arrest, including those who have been checking in and cooperating with authorities, immigration attorneys said.

ICE agents are facing quotas, according to The Washington Post. Each field office is expected to arrest 75 immigrants daily.Lafayetteis part of the New Orleans field office that includes Alabama, Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi and Tennessee

Because of the quotas, some of those being arrested and detained are those who havebeenlivingunderorders of supervision, Nora Ahmed, legal directorofthe ACLU of

on his Facebook profile, and is a2023 UniversityofLouisiana atLafayette doctoral graduateineducational leadership. “My core strengths lie in government relations,legislation andpolicy analysis,” Lau wroteonLinkedIn. “I have atrack recordofsecuringgrants, contractsand partnerships,aidingclients in achieving their objectives while creating meaningful social impact.”

Lau’sarrest is onlyrelated to his work in the Regan-Myers campaign, and he has not been criminally accused of wrongdoingin other campaigns. Buthis work has touched some of the highest levels of political office in thestate,and he received $4,500 this February for consultingfor one of Gov.Jeff Landry’spolitical action committees.

Many who have worked with Lausay hisarrest was asurprise, and that they saw himnot as acampaignmanager but as adigitalguru who is known for his marketingwork and community involvement.

Twolaw professors in Louisianahavealso raised concernsabout freedom of speech protections and whether the case can even be prosecuted under alaw that the Louisiana Supreme Court deemed unconstitutional in 1989.

“He was professional,” saidKen Stansbury,a Lafayette Parish Council member who paid Lau$3,000 for a video and website during his 2023 campaign “He dida good jobon my

Louisiana, said Monday “Numerous peoplehave lived in thiscountry for years and decades by followingthrough on their orders of supervision,” Ahmed said.

“When this administration came intopower andwas wondering how to meet quotas, they started identifying people with orders of supervision.”

Theseare, generally speaking,peoplewhohavefollowed all of ICE’srules and checked in when ordered todoso, she said.

It’seasier and takes fewer resources to detain people likeMarroquin,who follow therules and show up forappointmentswithICE, than to find those who don’treport or areundocumentedand have no recordwith ICE,Ahmed said.

“I thinkICE considersthem

video. …I’m surprisedhe would do something like this to jeopardize his main business.”

Lau’spolitical connections

PoliticianshavepaidLau andhis businessesmore than $500,000 for work on their campaigns over about seven years, according to the Louisiana BoardofEthics.Lau hasalsodonated about$20,000 to politicians through his businesses.

The governor’sCajun PACIIpaid $4,500 to Lau’s RM Partners this February for consulting work. Lau’s businesses also contributed $2,000 to Landry’scampaigns in 2020 and 2023.

Kate Kelly,aspokesperson for Landry,declinedto comment for this story

Baton Rouge’snewly elected Mayor-President Sid Edwards, also aRepublican, paid $3,000 to RM Partners last November for text message services and “get out thevote” efforts.

“Mr. Lau’s companyisa commonly utilized consultancy in the field of textmessaging for avariety of campaigns that have been held throughout thestate,” said Falon Brown, spokesperson for themayor-president.

Andstate Sen. Blake Miguez,R-New Iberia, spent morethan $46,000 withLau individually and through his PACin2023 and 2024.

Miguez opened an office last year inside of thesame businesscomplex where Lau’s business offices are located,at1600 Camellia Blvd. in Lafayette. Miguez did not return

“Numerous people have lived in this countryfor years and decades by following through on their orders of supervision. When this administration came into power and waswondering how to meet quotas,they started identifying people with orders of supervision.”

NORA AHMED, legal director of the ACLU of Louisiana

to be low-hanging fruit,” Jeff Migliozzi, communications director for Freedom for Immigrants, saidonTuesday “It’saway for themtopretty easily and quickly juice up their arrest numbers.

During the campaign Trump said ICE would target

messages for this story

Regan, the Republican former Broussardcouncil memberwho ran against Myers, also runs his loan business, Preferred Lending Solutions,out of the same complex whereMiguez and Lau work.

Regan spentnearly $37,000 in 2024 and 2025 with Lau during his campaign for stateSenate, which included campaign management, cellphone contact data transfer andother services. Regan declined to comment for this story.

Allegationsasurprise

Greg Lord, asemiretired Leesville doctor who ran for staterepresentative in 2019, spent morethan $43,000 with Lau for advertising, campaign communications and more. He said he met Lau onlyonceortwice and that he primarily worked with Lau’sbusiness partner, Greg “Goose” Gossen.

“Eddie was agood partner, and we worked diligently for every client we represented,” said Gossen, whowas businesspartners with Lau from2019 to 2022. “Eddie Lau was very professional and ethical in all of our interactionswithclientsand businessdealings during our partnership.”

Lord described Lau as a straightforward number cruncher

“He had agood personality,veryhumble, very nice, from what Iremember,” Lordsaid.

Logan Lannoo, who ran an unsuccessful campaign last year for aseat on the

violent criminals. Butagents are going after anyone who is nota citizen, he said— “peoplewith jobs, businesses, supporting their families,doing everything they’re supposed to do.”

The ICE field office in New Orleans declined to comment on quotas or Marroquin’s case.

Followingthe rules

There areAmericans who believe anyone crossing the border into the United States is hereillegally andshould be deported. However,itis legal, Migliozzi said, to come to the U.S.,including walking across the border,toseek asylum. Whenimmigrants turn themselves in or seek asylum they arefollowing the rules, he said.

From alegal perspective, immigration is supposed

Youngsville CityCouncil, paid Lauabout $10,000 for social media andotherwork.

Lannoo saidLau never suggested anything ethically dubious.

“I wouldn’thave entertained it,” Lannoo said. “But I’mcurrently trying to make sure I’m still in the clear and distancemyself fromthis because I’m as disgusted as anybody if this is to be true. It’s not how Iplay ball.”

Investigationcontinues

After Myers’ complaint,investigators seized electronic devices at Lau’shomeand business addresses.

Lauwas arrested,booked and released March 13 from theLafayette Parish Correctional Center on a$2,500 bond.

In the race between Myers andRegan, Republican votersreceivedmultipletext messages with false information.

One message in early February said The Lady DemocratsofAcadiana hadendorsed Myers. That group disbandedin2022 andits former leaders have publicly said they had no involvement and their group namewas used to send afalse endorsement.

Another message invited recipients to abingoevent, showing afake image of Myers alongside twoDemocrats, U.S. Rep. Cleo Fields, D-Baton Rouge, and former Vice President Kamala Harris. The textstated it was paid for by Acadiana ProgressiveCommunity Outreach, another group that does not exist.

to be acivil process, not a punishment,Homero Lopez, director andmanaging attorneyofImmigration Services and Legal Advocacy in New Orleans, saidonMonday. Detention, he said, is supposed to be forthose deemed adanger to the community or aflight risk andeven then,bondmay be set.

The73-year-old grandfather detained by ICEinLafayette on April 1, he said, is probably notaflight risk He was referring to Jose FranciscoGarciaRodriguez, who was driving to work last week when ICE agents pulledhim over andarrested him. ACuban refugeewho is the primary caregiver to his wife suffering dementia, Rodriguez was held in the Pine Prairie ICE Processing CenterinEvangeline Parish for aweek and was released

Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill mayprosecute thecase because 15th Judicial District AttorneyDon Landry saidhewilllikely asktoberecused. Landry has worked with Lau before. Murrill said she wouldn’t speak directly about acase she mayprosecute.

“Generally,I defend the laws of the state of Louisiana,” Murrill said. “When it’s constitutionally attacked, I defend it unless Ithink it’s flagrantly unconstitutional.” In adifferent race last year that Lau was involved in, voters received similar texts from nonexistent political groups.

Youngsville PoliceChief Jean-Paul“JP” Broussard paid Lauasapolitical consultant when he ranagainst Cody Louviere last year Atext that said it waspaid for by the Louisiana Republican Citizens Group questioned Louviere’s political affiliation, stating that he only recently registered as aRepublican.Thatgroup is not registered with the state. Both candidatesare Republican. The election was close. Louviere, who hadserved as interimpolicechieffor more than ayear, lost to Broussard by just 15 votes during the December runoff.

Myers said he wants to see accountability and he does not believe Lau acted alone. No others have been arrested so far

“It doesn’tend there,” Myers said. “It just doesn’t.”

EmailMegan Wyatt at mwyatt@theadvocate.com.

Monday.His stepson saidhe hasanappointment withICE agents.

Meanwhile, attorneys are hard-pressed to counsel immigrantswho areliving underorders of supervision. Theycan’t advise clients to skip check-insbecause doing so would mean violating immigration regulations. And because theimmigrants have been complying with ICE requirements, the agency is well-informedoftheir activities and home and work addresses.

Also, because they’ve been allowedtostay forsolong, Ahmed said, manyinterpret it as having some form of permanent status.

“It’sjarring when you’ve been living in this country and have afamily and your order of supervision is revoked,” she said.

Lawmakersseeksolutiontoinsurance crisis

Bills filedto ramp up oversight

BY SAM KARLIN Staff writer

Ayear after lawmakers agreed to apackage of bills to make Louisiana friendlier to insurance companies, the ongoing homeinsurancecrisis is prompting ahost of legislators to seek more relief from spiraling costs for homeowners.

Lawmakers have filedbills to ramp up oversightofinsurers, to crack downon what some see as “excessive” profits and to provide taxcredits to people whopay high premiums, among an array of other ideas. Legislators have filed several dozenbillsaboutpropertyinsurance in the sessionthat begins April 14.

Akey question remains: Will the GOP-dominated Legislaturecontinue on the path championed by Insurance Commissioner TimTemple, aRepublican and former insurance executive who has pushed to make it easier for insurers to drop policyholders and raise rates?

Temple believes the strategy will attract more insurers to Louisiana and that the competition will drive ratesdown. He said severalinsurers are considering enteringthe market, while ahandful have filed for rate decreases. He supports several proposed measures to boost buildingcodes and strengthen fortified roof incentives, whilehe’scontinued to try to woo insurerswith fewer regulations.

But the session comes as Gov Jeff Landry and Temple are at odds over insurance issues, ariftthat has grown since lawmakers convened last year.And there is growing disquiet among some lawmakers that insurance rates continue to rise for mostoftheir constituents, years after aseries of hurricanes threw the market into turmoil.Templesaid in arecent interview that he has not “had the opportunity” to speak with Landry about insurancesince last spring.

The governor has not championed amajor package addressingproperty insurance. During arecent news conferenceoninsurance costs, Landry focused almost entirely on auto insurance, though he again said he’sfrustrated that the package of industry-friendly bills he signed into law last year haven’tresulted in major savings for homeowners. It was similar to the message he

LANDRY

Louisiana Insurance Commissioner

as he gets ready to face agym filled withconcerned south Louisiana citizensduring atownhall in Houma. He called insurance the ‘biggest crisis our statefaces.’

gave late last year, when he saidhe was open to supporting adifferent strategy onhomeinsurance, such as legislation that requires insurers to provide certain levels of discounts in exchange for fortifiedroofs.

“Wedon’twanttogodowntheroad thatFlorida traveled, which is what we’rehearing continuously echoed in this Capitol: If we believe everything the insurancecompanies tell us,we’ll be just fine,” Landry said last week.

‘Top concern’

While much of the energy at the state Capitol is focused on high auto insurancerates, Louisiana homeowners are also being hit in thepocketbook by increasing homeowners insurance rates. An analysisofrate filings from The Times-Picayune |The Advocate shows they have continuedto climbsince last year’slaws were passed, and theaverage policyholder who experienced arate changesince then saw a9%increase.

Theratehikeshavethreatened theability forpeopletostayin their south Louisiana homes. In somecoastal areas, communities are beingripped apart. Rising premiums have exacerbated shortages of affordable housing in metro areas. Andthe housingmarket has taken ahit in many south Louisiana markets.

“It is still atop concern of everyone,” saidRep.Jacob Braud, a Belle Chasse Republican who filed abill to allow homeowners to re-

duce coverage to only the unpaid principal balance of their mortgage, rather than having coverage on their home’sfull value. Doing so could lower their premiumsbut leave them with less protection during ahurricane.

“The rates arejust so high. It might be thehighest thing in their escrow,morethantheir house note,”Braud said.

Louisiana voters have increasingly voiced concerns about rising home insurancecosts since the state’sinsurance market tanked in 2022 and 2023.

John Couvillon, apollster who works on behalf of many Republican elected officials, said his recentpolling shows high property insurance costs are the No. 1issue of concern in thestate, particularly in south Louisiana.

Tricky problem

The Times-Picayune |The Advocate found in aseries of stories on the crisis lastyear that homeowners in southLouisiana arebeing hitwith staggering price increases, which in some cases are driving people outof their homes. Communities in coastal Louisiana areseeinganexodusof residents, hitwiththe double whammy of theinsurance crisis and the aftermathofHurricane Ida in 2021. Finding quick solutions is not easy.

Thestate relies heavily on the globalreinsurance industry,which backstops insurance companiesand ultimately decides rates for homeowners. The California wildfires at the start of this year wereanother

setback for the market, muchof which is based in Bermuda.

That means Louisiana is, in many ways, at the whims of globalcatastrophes, which are becoming worse because of climate change.

But there aresigns thatreinsurance costs could be topping out after years of steep increases. Arate index kept by thereinsurance broker GuyCarpenter forecasts aslight drop in reinsurancecosts in 2025 after years of steep hikes.

Some elected officials andadvocates have begun pushing fora federal solution to homeowners insurance, which could work similarly to how the federal government underwrites flood insurance. But it is unlikely Congress will swiftly enact such aprogram.

Meanwhile, Louisiana is trying to incentivize largenumbers of homeownerstobuild fortified roofs that are less likely to comeoff during a hurricane, which can provide premium discounts.

StateRep.EdmondJordan, DBaton Rouge, said he’s preparing to file abill that would require the statetobackcatastrophe bonds, which provideabackstop to insurers in the case of amajor hurricane. He said the idea would help alleviatehigh reinsurance costs that are putting upward pressure on home insurance bills

Jordan is also pushing abill to give outtax credits forpeople paying high premiums.The measurewould give homeowners atax credit for the amount in home insurance premiumstheypay over $3,000 ayear

The amount of thecreditwouldcap at $5,000.

“Hardworking families in Louisiana are still facing acrisis,” Jordan said. “More of their incomeisgoing toward paying insurance than people in other states. If that’sthe case, they’re entitled to some relief until we can fix it.”

Stayingthe course

Temple and Republicans in the Legislature have enacted aseries of changestolawsand regulations that make it easier for insurers to raise rates,drop policyholders and avoid costly lawsuitsafter hurricanes.

Whilepremiumshavenot meaningfully dropped since then, Temple said he remains optimistic. He said several insurers areconsidering enteringLouisiana’s market, andnoted that several companiesfiledfor rate decreases this year.Rate filingdata shows the vast majority of policy-

holders are not seeing significant rate declines, though someinsurers havefiledrate decreases for small groups of homeowners.

“We’re trending in theright direction,” Temple said.

Temple is supporting several bills on property insurance. One would require homeowners to sign a“satisfactory proof of loss” document whenfiling aclaim, while others would require insurers to give more noticebeforecanceling apolicy. Much of his package is focused on auto insurance, part of ahotlycontested debate between the insurance industry and trial lawyers over lawsuitsfiledafter car accidents. Battle brews With homeinsurance costs still high, many lawmakers are pushing for adifferent approach.

Sen. Patrick Connick, R-Marrero, is pushing abill to require insurers to report moreinformation about their finances,including transactionswithaffiliates. TheTimesPicayune| The Advocate last year found that 11 of the 12 companies that went insolvent in the wake of Hurricanes Laura andIda sent hundredsofmillionsofpremiumdollars to less-regulatedaffiliates,makingit difficult to say howmuch profitthey were extracting from the insurance companies and whetherthey were spending money wisely.

“EverybodyI know whohas a house is feduppaying these high premiums,” Connick said. “Where is the money going? They get no relief.”

Landry threw his support behind an effort to give Temple more power to reject “excessive” rates from insurance companies. Sen. Jay Luneau, D-Alexandria, and Rep. Robby Carter,D-Amite, are sponsoring bills to do that.

“Our insurance commissioner has been unable to hold insurance companies to their word,” Landry said. “I do not believe it is personal. Ijust believe he does not have the power to be able to do that.”

Temple rejected the idea, saying in an interviewthatinsurers do make significant profits in some years, but that they lost tremendous amounts of money after hurricanes in 2020 and 2021.

“Tosay insurance companies are making excessive profitsis extremely disingenuous,”Temple said. “I have theregulatoryand legal authority to deny excessive rates.”

Republican supermajority in theLegislature.

two issues, but he is facing pushback on both.

day Edwards was inaugurated as governor by refusing to accept Edwards’ choice to be speaker of the House.

The Republican majority,instead of selecting Edwards’ Democratic pick, chose alittle-known Republican, then-Rep. Taylor Barras of New Iberia. Under Barras, the House leadership made Edwards call in political favors to pass whatever he could get approved and blocked many of his priorities, including raising the minimum wage and making it easierfor women to earn equal pay for their work

The spanking thatvoters gave Landry on March 29 haspromptedcomparisons to the defeat that voters handed then-Gov. Buddy Roemer in 1989 when they rebuffedhis campaign to revamp the tax system, aplan known as “Fiscal Reform.”

Steve Cochran, who was Roemer’schief of staffat the time, offered an instructive view of the danger Landry faces. He said Roemer’sdefeat made legislators lesswilling to follow the governor on tough votes that followed. Cochran described the

attitude of legislatorsafterward as: “You gotuson board (Fiscal Reform), and then you couldn’tsell it, andit’sleft to us to carry the weight.” As aresult,Cochran added, “They weren’t quite onboard next time. It made things harder for us, no question aboutit.” Roemer lost his reelection bidin1991.

Significant strength

Nobody is forecasting thatfor Landry.Byall accounts, he hadastrong first year

He got legislatorstoredraw the political boundaries forCongress and the state Supreme Court in a way that locked up amore conservative majority.He got legislators to pass bills to lockupmoreoffenders, adoptanew kindofschool voucher program, lower income taxes while raising salestaxesand allow the death penalty to be carried out with nitrogen gas. He signed MAGA-style bills to require the TenCommandments to be posted in classroomsand to prohibit transgender students from insisting that teachers call them by their preferred pronouns. And he is the first Republican governor in the modern era whoenjoys a

As governor,Landry has shown deft political skills in getting lawmakers to approve most of his agenda

He hasalso shown awillingness to exercise allof the considerable powers of the Governor’sOfficetoget hisway

“The amendments failed at theballotbox,but the line-item veto is alive and well,” said Rep. Mike Bayham, R-Chalmette,referring to the governor’s ability to kill individualspendingprojects to punish wayward legislators. “There’s neverbeen aline-itemveto overridden. He’s also got theabilitytogut youon capitaloutlayand appropriationsafter session.”

Legislators report privately thatLandryand his seniorleadership have already begun threatening to kill billsand spending projects by legislators who do not support key items on hisagenda

Potentialbattles

What tops hisagenda is notclear.Unlike predecessors, Landry hasnot released alist of his legislative priorities before the session begins.

In recent days, Landry hastaken astrong stand on

The governor wantsto doublespending on amodified versionofthe school voucherprogram known

as Education Spending Accounts. Social conservatives and megadonor and business owner Eddie Rispone, who narrowly lost the 2019 governor’srace

to Edwards, love the program. But pointing to alack of new money,Senate Presi-

Continued from page1A ä See LANDRY, page 7A

STAFF PHOTO By CHRIS GRANGER

TimTemple, right, paces by himself

dent Cameron Henry,RMetairie, said on Tuesday thatthe Legislaturewill spend no more this year on ESAs.

Added Rep. Jack McFarland, R-Jonesboro, the House budget chair,talking about ESAs: “Some of the things that areimportant to him we may not fund.”

McFarland called the budget “a bit of amess” but said state officials may learn in late May when the RevenueEstimating Conference meets next that tax receipts have been higher than projected, giving lawmakersmore money to spend.

Landry said last week that he didn’tknow whether the treasury will have the $198 million needed to prevent teachers from suffering apay cut.

What appears to be shaping up as the biggest issue in the regular sessionisthe fight between trial lawyers on one side and businessinterests and insurance companies on the best way to reduce car insurance rates in Louisiana, saidtobethe highest in the country House Speaker Phillip DeVillier,R-Eunice, empowered his members when the Legislature was out of session by asking them to hold committee hearings to devise legislation to reduce the insurance rates.

That has led Republican House freshmentoback apackage of bills favored by business interests and insurance companies that aim to makeitharder for people injured in accidents to file lawsuits and winbig payouts. Twosecond-term legislators —Speaker Pro TemMike Johnson, R-Pineville, and House Insurance Committee Chair Rep. Gabe Firment, R-Pollock— and 15 freshmen metwith Landry on March 26 at the Governor’sMansionto push their plan.

That effort and the news that Landry met at aTexas hunting camp two weeks ago with four trial lawyer representativeshas put the governor on thedefensive on this issue.

On Wednesday,Landry tried to regain control of thenarrative by announcing which car insurance bills he supports,saying repeatedly that he favored “a balanced” approach. It was notable that only one of the 17 Republican legislators pushing the car insurance bills favored by business interestsstood behind Landry that day

“I’m just as tired of seeing Morris Bart as Iamof seeing the lizard,” the governor told reporters, referring to the New Orleans trial lawyer seen on TVs and billboard ads and Geico’sanimated mascot with aCockney accent.

“Maybe Ishould learn how to hunt?!!” Bart replied on Twitter later Bart’strial lawyer rival Gordon McKernan flew the legislators to Texas on his privatejet. Bart wasnot part of the trip.

On Wednesday,before announcing his plan in Baton Rouge before reporters, Landry appeared on the radio program of Moon Griffon, afavorite of conservatives, to push his “balanced” approachoncar insurance rates.

“People are looking and watching,” Griffontold Landry at one point, seemingly unimpressed with his plan.“Triallawyers have been winning alot here.” Landry did not respondto arequest for an interview

ThatHouse freshmen are feeling emboldened doesn’t surprise Henry

“Each session that goes by builds agreater understanding of asking tougher questions in committee, asking tougher questions when you’re one on one with the governor,” Henry said. “It’snot that you’re not going to agree with the governor.You’rejust going to take afew more steps further before you say yes.”

Leadersalsofacetests

This year’ssession will also pose tests forHenry

and DeVillier They representastudy in contrasts. Abusiness consultant, Henryhas far more political experience, having servedasa legislative aide to then-state Rep.

Steve Scaliseand now in his 18th year in the Legislature, including fouryears chairingthe House budget committee.

Henry hasarelaxed attitude to politics that disarms

people anda deep grasp of legislative issues. The tensions and problems in his job don’tseem to rattlehim as he ensures that his views represent amajority of his 38 colleagues.

Lastyear,Henry andhis Senate colleaguesblocked severalofLandry’sinitiatives and watered down others that were seen as catering toomuchtothe far right. Meanwhile, the House gave Landry virtually everything he wanted.

DeVillier,areal estate investor,isserving his10th year andhas an earnest nature thatinduces trust.

DeVillier hasfurther won favor among his 104 members by traveling the state to meet with legislators,

Democrats andRepublicans alike,ontheir home turf.

“He has been incredibly gracious with his time and presence in my district, even driving several hours through ahurricane forecasttoattenda meet-andgreet with over 50 community leaders, business owners, and stakeholders from my districtthatIhosted forhim,” saidRep. Alonzo Knox, D-New Orleans. EmailTyler Bridges at tbridges@theadvocate. com.

T-Mobile is continuing itscommitmenttoLouisiana with expansions of its5G wireless services,moreretailstoreswithlocal employees, disaster preparation andresponse, andhelping to enhancethe livelihood of smallercommunities SinceT-MobilemergedwithSprintinApril 2020,the companyhas invested more than $300 millioninLouisiana,saidDavid Seale, Regional Director of Business DevelopmentSupport for T-Mobile.Muchofthatinvestmenthas gone toward adding newcellularsites andgrowing 5G coverage,particularly in ruralareas of thestate that previously hadlittleornocellularcoverage.

T-Mobile’s investment in Louisianaincludedthe addition of more than 300 newcellsites andnearly1,870 upgrades to existing ones.Statewide,T-Mobile nowprovides5Gservice along99% of interstate highways,U.S.highways, and stateroutes.

“Residents andbusinessesinLouisiana todayhavehighspeed data and high penetrationinareasthatpreviouslydid nothavecoverage,”saidNicole Mitchell,aSr. ManagerofRFEngineering forT-Mobile’sGulfCoast region

MitchClabeaux, T-Mobile’s Market Director forRetailfor theGulfCoast region,noted that whilethe companyhas always hada strong presence in large cities like BatonRouge andNew Orleans, it hasworkedhardtobring that same levelofservice to smallertowns throughout thestate

“Overthe past several years, we’vebuilt thelargest andfastest 5G network in thecountry,” Clabeaux said.“Throughthiswork, we also identified that many communities, includinginLouisiana,had alarge gapinterms of internet connectivity.Inmanyareas,customerscan nowreceiveinternetaccessthrough our5Gnetwork,while saving moneyontheir internet bill.”

In addition to service, Clabeaux said T-Mobile hasadded 35 stores in Louisianaoverthe past four years, creating nearly 250 jobs. This givescustomers thechancetohave theirquestions answered andproblemsaddressed quickly, whilegivinglocalresidents career opportunities.

“Wewantcustomers to interact with us in theway they want to interact,” Clabeaux said.“If they prefer to do that in astore,wehavemorecompany-owned stores andcompany employees in Louisianathaneverbefore. If they want to use aself-serviceoption, ourT-Lifeapp is availableinthe palm of theirhands.In many partsofLouisiana,we’ve also expanded ourpresenceinnationalretailers like Costco andSam’s Club.Whenyou go theretodoyourshopping, youcan join T-Mobile or upgradeyourphone at thesametime.

Over this same time period,Louisiana hasbeennostrangertonatural disasters, includinghurricanes, droughts andevenwinterweather.Mitchell andDavid Ide, Director of NetworkEngineering andOperations, said T-Mobile hasworkedextensively to furtherhardenits networktohelpcustomers stay connectedduringmajor events

“Wehavebecomereallyproficient with disaster planning andrecovery. We arealsoveryproactive,nimble andquick in ourresponses,” Idesaid.

T-Mobile also worksclosely with first responders andgovernmentagencies aheadofanticipated disasterssuchashurricanesinorder to have assets such as generators, SatelliteCell-On-Wheels(SatCOWs),Satellite Cell-On-Light-Trucks (SatCOLTs) andemployees in placetorestore andboost connectivity as needed

“I thinkone of ourdifferentiatorsisthatmostofour folksare local,”Seale added. “There’s adifferent levelofurgency when youare helping your own

community. They want to getstarted fast.Assoonasastorm haspassed, they aregoing to thosesites andgetting to work rightaway.

In responsetoeducational needs, T-Mobile hasconnected more than 41,000 Louisianastudents across 40 school districtswithheavily subsidized data plans andaccesstoaffordabledevices to complete theirschoolworkthrough Project 10Million.

T-Mobile also wantstobethere for smalland ruraltowns lookingto jumpstart projects andbuild stronger communities. Forexample,the company awardedthe city of Slidell $50,000through itsHometown Grants initiativethis past February to transform an unkemptgreen spacein Olde TowneSlidell into the CareyStreetPocketPark. Dawn Crippin, whohelps lead Slidell’spreservation commission,saidthatrevitalizationofthespacewould notbepossiblewithout the grantfromT-Mobile.

“Thishasbeenavision of ours for alongtime,”she said.“We’regoing to have an ADA-compliant brick pathwayand benchestogo alongwiththe pergolaand picnic tables that arethere.Wethink theambiance of theparkisgoing to attractpeople. We’d love to have brownbag lunches, small bandsand communityevents. We want to create aspace wherepeoplecan just sitand relaxand step away from thehustle andbustle of dailylifefor alittlebit.” AnotherT-Mobilecommunity program, Friday Night5GLights, kicked off last year to help more schoolsand communitiesnationwide. Thecompetition givesone high school aprize packagethatincludesa$100,000grant,a weight room,new teched-out scoreboard,and an epic tailgate partycelebration with live musicand a5G-poweredhalftimedrone show.Along theway,16finalists also received a$25,000 grantfor theirschool.

High schoolsinsmall townsand ruralcommunities across Louisianacan pre-register nowfor the2025competition or learnmoreatFridayNight5GLights com. T-Mobile US,Inc.(NASDAQ:TMUS) is America’ssuperchargedUn-carrier,deliveringanadvanced

STAFF PHOTO By JILLPICKETT

Gov. Jeff Landryspeaksduring an event in Rayville on Dec.4 to announce that Meta will build an artificial intelligence optimized data center in Richland Parish.

BYMAE ANDERSON and MICHAEL LIEDTKE Associated Press

NASHVILLE,Tenn. The Trump administration late Friday said it would exclude electronics like smartphonesand laptops from reciprocal tariffs, amove that couldhelp keep the prices down for popular consumer electronics that aren’tusually made in the U.S.

It would also benefit big tech companieslike Apple and Samsung and chip makers like Nvidia,settingthe stage for alikely tech stock rally on Monday U.S. Customs and Border Protection saiditemslike smartphones, laptops, hard drives, flat-panel monitors and some chips wouldqualify for the exemption. Machines used to make semiconductorsare excludedtoo. That means theywon’tbesubject to the current 145% tariffs leviedonChinaorthe 10% baseline tariffs elsewhere.

It’sthe latest tariff change by the Trump administration,which has made severalU-turns in their massive plan to put tariffs in place on goods from most countries.

The exemption seemedto reflect the president’srealizationthat his China tariffs are unlikely to shift more manufacturing of smartphones,computers and other gadgets to the U.S. any time soon, if ever, despite the administration’spredictionsthat the trade war prod Apple to make iPhones in the U.S. for the first time. But that was an unlikely scenario after Apple spent decadesbuilding up afinely calibratedsupply chain in China. What’smore, It would take severalyears andcost billionsofdollars to build

new plants in the U.S., and then confrontApple with economic forces thatcould triple the priceofaniPhone, threatening to torpedo sales of its marqueeproduct. Trump’sdecision to exempt the iPhone and other popularelectronics made in China mirrors the similar relief that he gave those products during the trade war of his first term in the White House. But Trump beganhis secondtermseemingly determinedtoimpose the tariffsmorebroad this time, triggering ameltdown in the market values of Apple andother technology powerhouses.

The turmoil battered the stocksof tech’s “Magnificent Seven” —Apple,Microsoft, Nvidia, Amazon, Tesla, Google parent Alphabet and Facebookparent Meta Platforms. At one point earlierthisweek, thecombined Magnificent Seven’s combined market value had plunged by $2.1 trillion, or 14%,from April 2when Trump unveiled sweeping tariffs on awide range of countries

Some of thelosses eased this past Wednesday when Trump paused the tariffs outsideofChina, paringthe lost valueinthe Magnificent Seven to $644 billion, or a4%decline, from April 2. Now,the stage is setfor another tech rallyMonday when trading resumes in theU.S.stockmarket, with Apple likely leading the way because the iPhonesmade in China remain the company’s biggest moneymaker

The electronics exemption also shouldrelieve consumer worries that theChina tariffs wouldresultinhefty price hikesonsmartphones and other devices that havebe-

come essential tools of modernliving, It’sthe kind of friendly treatment that industry was envisioningwhenApple CEO TimCook, Tesla CEO Elon Musk, Google CEO Sundar Pichai, Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg andAmazon founderJeff Bezos assembled behind thepresident during his Jan.20inauguration. That united display of fealtyreflected Big Tech’s hopesthatTrump would be more accommodating than President Joe Biden’sadministration’sand help propel an already booming industry to even greater heights

Apple won praise from Trump in lateFebruary when theCupertino,California, company committed to invest $500 billion andadd 20,000 jobsinthe U.S.during the next four years. The pledge was an echo of a$350 billion investment commitment in the U.S. thatApple made during Trump’sfirst term when the iPhone was exempted from China tariffs.

The move takes off“ahuge black cloud overhang for now over the tech sector and thepressure facing U.S. Big Tech,” said Wedbush analyst Dan Ives in aresearch note. In astatementissued Saturday,White House Press SecretaryKarolineLeavitt did not address theexemptions specifically but indicated the administration still plans to pushfor tech companies to movemanufacturing to the U.S.

“President Trump has madeitclear America cannot relyonChina to manufacture critical technologies suchassemiconductors, chips, smartphones,and laptops,” Leavitt said in an emailed statement.

Israel cuts offGaza’scityofRafah, vows to expand in territory

BY SAM MEDNICK and SAMY MAGDY Associated Press

TEL AVIV,Israel Israel announced Saturday it had completed construction of anew securitycorridorcutting off the southern city of Rafah from the rest of Gaza, and the military said it would soonexpand “vigorously” in most of the small coastal territory Palestinians were further squeezed into shrinking areas.

“Activity will expand rapidly to additional locations throughout most of Gaza and you will have to evacuate the fighting zones,” Defense Minister Israel Katzsaidin astatement, withoutsaying where Palestinianswere meant to go.

The statement urged Palestinians to remove Hamas and release the remaining hostages, saying: “Thisis the only way to stop the war.” Israeli troops weredeployed last week to the new security corridor referred to as Morag, the name of a Jewish settlement that once stood between Rafah and Khan Younis, after the army ordered sweeping evacuations covering most of Rafah —anindication it could soon launch another major ground operation.

The Rafah municipality in astatement calledIsrael’s actions a“flagrant breachof international legitimacy.” Israel has vowed to seize large partsofGazatopressure Hamastoreleasethe remaining 59 hostages, 24 of them believed to be alive, and accept proposed new ceasefire terms.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’sgovernment has also imposed amonthlong blockade on food, fuel and humanitarianaid that has left the territory’sroughly 2million Palestinians facing acute shortages as supplies dwindle —a tactic that rights groups say is awar crime.

Israel has claimed that enough supplies entered Gaza during thetwo-month ceasefire that it shattered last month. Aid groups have disputed that.

Anti-abortionfaction wants womenwho have abortions to face criminal charges

BY CHRISTINE FERNANDO Associated Press

WASHINGTON As Kristan Hawkins, president of the national anti-abortion group Students for Life, tours collegecampuses, she has grownaccustomedtocounterprotestsfromabortion rights activists

Butmore recently,fellow abortion opponents, who call themselves abortion abolitionists, are showing up to her booths withsigns,often screaming “baby killer” at herwhile she speakswith students. Hawkins has had to send alertstodonors asking themtohelp pay for increased security

“I’m pretty sure they protest me morethan they protest PlannedParenthood,” Hawkins said. “Believe it or not, Inow know thepriceof abomb dog.”

Hawkins’ encounters, which she related during an interview with TheAssociatedPress, arejust one example of what many people involved in theabortion debate have described as the widening influence of amovement that seeks to outlaw all abortionsand enforce the ban with criminal prosecution of any women whohaveabortions. It begangaining momentum after theSupreme Court’s 2022 ruling overturning Roe vWade and has accelerated since Republicans won full political control in Washingtoninlastyear’s elections

The movement’simpact also is beginning to show up in statehouses around thecountry.Mainstream anti-abortion groups have largely shied away from legislation thatwould punish women forhaving abortions, but abortion abolitionists believe abortion should be considered homicide and

Netanyahu has said Morag wouldbe“asecondPhiladelphicorridor,”referring to theGaza side of the border with Egyptfarthersouth, which has been under Israeli control since May 2024. Israel has also reasserted control of theNetzarimcorridor, whichcuts offGaza’snorthernthird fromthe rest of the territory

The corridors, coupled with abufferzone that Israel has razed and expanded, give it more than 50% control of the territory.

KatzsaidPalestinians interested in “voluntarily” relocating to othercountries would be able to as part of a proposal by U.S. President Donald Trump. Palestinians have rejected theproposal andexpressedtheir determination to remain in their homeland.

Trumpand Israeliofficials have not saidhow they would respond if Palestinians refuse to leave Gaza. ButHumanRights Watch and other groups saythe planwould amount to “ethnic cleansing” —the forcible relocation of thecivilian populationof an ethnic groupfrom ageographic area.

Many Palestinians have been crowding into squalid tentcampsorthe rubbleof their previous homes, often displacing multiple timesin response to Israel’s evacuationorderssince the Hamasled attack on Oct. 7, 2023, killedsome 1,200 people, many of them civilians, and sparked the war. Israel on Saturday ordered

the evacuation of areas east of Khan Younisahead of an attack.Military spokespersonAvichay Adraee added thatmilitantshad fired rockets into Israel from these areas. In the evening, several neighborhoods in Nuseirat in central Gaza were told to evacuate afterIsraelsaidit had intercepted aprojectile from the territory Hamas has said thebombardment poses riskstothe hostages as well. On Saturday,the family of the lastlivingAmerican held in Gaza respondedtothe release of anew video showing Edan Alexander speaking under duress.

“Whenyou sit down to mark Passover,remember that this is not aholidayof freedom as long as Edan and the other 58 hostages arenot home,” the family said in a statement.

Families and supporters again ralliedinTel Aviv for a deal to bring everyone home.

Israelistrikes across Gaza continued, killing at least 21 people in thelast 24 hours, accordingtoGaza’sHealth Ministry,which doesn’t distinguish between civilians and combatants but says mostofthe over 50,000 Palestinians killed in thewar have been women and children.

The ministry said at least 1,500 people have been killed since Israel’s surprise bombardment resumed the war last month.

Israel says it haskilled around 20,000 militantsin the war,without providing evidence.

punished with the full force of the law. In many states, they have been advocating forlegislation to do just that.

Splitwithinthe movement

Mainstream anti-abortion groupshavetried to play down any divisions and instead,atvarious ralliesthis spring, have emphasized theirunitybehind other goals,suchasdefunding Planned Parenthood.

Experts say the abortion abolitionist movement, once consideredfringe,isgrowing and getting louder,empowered by recent victories for abortion opponents.

“With the reversal of Roe v. Wade, now states can pass the mostsevere abortion bans, which has galvanized the anti-abortionmovementasa whole, including this part of it,” said Rachel Rebouche, dean of Temple University Beasley School of LawinPhiladelphia.

“Certainly the fall of Roe has brought abortion abolitionistsone step closer to what they want –banning abortion nationwide.”

In February,Hawkins posted on X, saying“the people Ifear getting shot

by,mostofthe time,” arenot abortion rights activists but abortion abolitionists.

Thencame the replies: “Demon,” “Ungodly,” “An accessory to murder,” “Enemy of God.” Her post opened afire hose of online barbs from abortion abolitionists.Some called for her to resign and asserted that womenshould not have roles outside the home, let alone leading nationalantiabortion groups. Some conservative podcasts and online figures have hosted abortion abolitionistsorechoedsimilardisdain forthe larger anti-abortion movement. BenZeisloft, apodcaster for TheoBros, anetwork of Christiannationalist influencers, blamed feminism for abortion and said, “We need Christianmen leading the fight against abortion.” The comments reflect a broader uptickinmisogynistic rhetoric andalign with the religious doctrines motivating many in the abortion abolitionistmovement, said Laura Hermer,a professor at MitchellHamline School of Law in St. Paul, Minnesota.

ASSOCIATEDPRESS FILEPHOTO By JOSE LUIS MAGANA Kristan Hawkins, president of Students for Life of America speaksduring an anti-abortion rally on Capitol Hill in Washington on March27.

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By ABDEL KAREEM HANA Palestinians wait for donated food at adistributioncenter in Nuseirat, centralGaza Strip, on Friday.

-Amy G.

LOUISIANAPOLITICS

La.delegationweighs in on tariffs’ whiplash

WASHINGTON MostofLouisiana’scongressional delegation remainedmute during lastweek’s whiplash events over tariffs.

President Donald Trump on Wednesday paused the 10%tariffs he imposed on all countries— plus additional, steeper “reciprocal” tariffs on 60 other nations —just the week before. That excludes China, where he increased the tax on goods imported from thatcountry to 145%; the People’s Republic responded with a125% tariff on goods imported from America.

In pausing the tariffs for 90 days, Trump said people were getting “a little bit yippy,alittle bit afraid,” which manifested itself in adramatic drop in stock prices —and, perhaps more importantly,aweakening in the usually stable bond market, where the world’s investors park their money.Slagging demand and rising rates forU.S. Treasury notes are harbingersof the looming recession that many economists and financiersfear

Amember of theSenateBanking and Budget Committee, Kennedy complained to The Wall StreetJournalthat Trump’sstaff were giving conflicting reasons for Trump’stariffs that confused theWhite House’sgoals. Were the duties to raise revenues or level the playingfield?

And while some Republicans chafed, Louisiana’sGOP delegationhas kept to their support of tariffs and trust in Trump. But not U.S. Sen. John N. Kennedy,the MadisonvilleRepublican. Kennedy is oftensought bynational media for his repurposing folksy sayings to make ahumorouspoint about whatever issue is at hand. When the issuewas Trump’stariffs, however,Kennedy set aside that routine and let his savvy New Orleans bond attorney who was state treasurer from 2000 to 2017 persona reemerge. Perhaps surprising his interlocutors looking only for apithy quote, Kennedy instead tapped his deep expertise in sophisticated finances during aseries of national media interviews last week.

Landrypromises fix to OMV computers

Gov.Jeff Landry’sadministration has promised to update a half-century-old computer system that has contributed to delays and disruptions at Office of Motor Vehicles sites and public tag agents across the state.

Officials hope to select the new system within a month,said OMV Commissioner Bryan Adams, adding that the OMV currently uses an operating systemthat was builtin the 1970s.

“It’sasimilar program that Iused when Iwas working in the oil fields in the ’80s,” Adams said.

“They went on television (last) weekendand all offered different scenarios,” Kennedy said. Kennedy said that, of the 195 nations in the world, about 40% have approached the WhiteHouse with offers to lower their tariffs on theU.S.in return for reducing the Trump tariffs on their products. Though he’snot aware of Trump’sagenda, having so many countries willing talk about mutual restrictions is agood thing for America’s financial future, he said.

Kennedy told FoxNews that Trumpshould take “a deal” being offered

“He’slike the pitbull, though, whocaughtthe car,” Kennedy said of TrumpinThe New Republic. “I hope he takes adeal. I hope he and (Treasury Secretary) ScottBessentgotoevery one of those countries and reduce those tariffs and trade barriers down to zero and let American businesses compete with those foreign businesses. Competition makes us better.”

“I would pounce on this opportunity like aninja,” Kennedy said on MSNBC’s“Morning Joe,” in between discussions about what a “lick log” is for benefit of the New York City-based production crew andanalysts.

Kennedy said he’stelling the Louisiana business community, “with tariffs, an eyefor an eye just leaves both people blind.”

He continued: “When agovernment imposes atariff, it’sputting its thumbonthe scale. It inter-

ing the weekof March 31, finding that thesystemwas down for more than three hours aday,accordingtoAdele Dauphin, that organization’s president.

Fornow,thatproblem appears resolved, thanks to afiximplementedonThursday. On Friday, there were just 13 minutes ofdowntime, Dauphinsaid

Problems with the computer system became abundantly clear in recent weeks, when constant outages hamstrung public tag agents and OMV offices trying to issue driver’slicenses and registrations. The outages caused long wait times for services, frustrating Louisianans.

The Louisiana Public TagAgent Association tracked outages dur-

“Last Thursday evening we implemented one of the solutions that (the Office of Technology Services) believed would remedythe problem,and we haveseen significant improvements in performance and stability in that time,” Landry announced in anews conference Wednesday.“We have gonefour straight days with no issues, which is arecord over the past few months.”

Officials will continue to improve thecurrent system,Landry said.

Still, officials say Thursday’sfix was aBand-Aid.The long-term solutionwill involve replacing the operatingsystem.

“The system’sbroke. It’sbeen

feres with people’sfreedom to exchange goods and services.”

After Trumpannounced the pause, Kennedy told Punchbowl, aCapitol Hill online news source, that everyone will have to wait to see if thebond market stabilizes.

“The only way you can judge investors’ sentiment is to watch what they do,”hesaid.

U.S. Sen. Bill Cassidy,R-Baton Rouge and Louisiana’sother senator,weighed in too. Buthis questionstoTrump’strade representativeJamieson Greer were more specific.

Cassidy attempted to ensure the tariffs remain adequate enough

kicked down theroad way too long. This governor,this administration and this commissioner are not kicking it down theroad. We’regoing to fix it,” Adams said.

Twoweeks ago, Landry declared astate of emergency related to theOMV outages, waiving the procurement process for theOMV’s system,aprocess that can take six to nine months. Still, it could take up to three years to fully install anew system.

StateRep.Jack McFarland, RJonesboro, who plays akey role in the budget process as chair of theAppropriations Committee, vowed to find thefunding for the new system “I have committed to finding the dollars as well tosolve that problem long-term,” he said.

Kennedy pushes bill on animal fighting

U.S. Sen. John Kennedy,RMadisonville, has introduced a bill aimed at cracking down on cockfighting and dogfighting.

Co-sponsored with Sen. Cory Booker,D-N.J., the bill would: n Ban simulcasting and gambling on animal fightsinthe U.S., no matter wherethe broadcast

to help Louisiana shrimpers and rice growers andnot get set aside in negotiations with other nations for larger concerns.

He also feared that the duties on Chinese-built ships will get passed along to nations like South Korea that use someofthat fleet to ship theirgoods to the U.S. He said such costs would negatively impact ports in NewOrleans and Baton Rouge. Democrats, of course, weren’t quiet at all

For instance, Rep. Cleo Fields, D-Baton Rouge, wrote to Trump, Bessent,and Commerce SecretaryHoward Lutnick pointing

originated n Make it illegal to ship adult roosters in the mail n Open the door to civil lawsuits against animal fighters, amove to “ease the resource burden on federal agencies” n Allow property used during animal fighting crimes to be seized throughcivil asset forfeiture.

“Those engaging in dog and cock fights are abusive, organized and dangerous —and their heinous behavior must be held

out that Louisiana wasthe fourth largest state exporter of goods in 2024. Louisiana exports reached morethan $87 billion dollars in 2024 alone and accounted for close to one-third of Louisiana’s GDP,hesaid —not to mention numerous jobs.

“As the president continues to navigate the future of American trade policy,itismysincerest hope that he will continue to keep the potential impact on states like Louisiana front and center,” Fields said.

Email Mark Ballardat mballard@theadvocate.com.

accountable to the fullest extent of the law,” Kennedy said in a newsrelease. “It’sillegal to abuse God’s creatures forsport, and this bill would give law enforcement crucial tools to end this cruel practice.”

In the release, Kennedy said animal fights “can becomehubs of violence because of the illegal activity that often accompanies them.” Cockfighting can also be a danger to public health by potentially spreading bird flu, according to the release.

SUNDAY NEWS SHOWS

ABC’s“This Week”: Commerce Secretary HowardLutnick;Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass.

NBC’s“Meet the Press”: White House trade adviser Peter Navarro; Sen. Cory Booker,D-N.J.; RayDalio, founder of thehedge fund Bridgewater Associates.

CNN’s“State of the Union”: Warren; Kevin Hassett, director of the National Economic Council; Rep. TimBurchett, R-Tenn.

CBS’ “Face the Nation”: U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer;

Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif.; Neel Kashkari, president andCEO of theFederal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis; Dr.Peter Marks, former director of theFood and Drug Administration’sCenter forBiologics Evaluation and Research.

“Fox News Sunday”: Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins; Gov JB Pritzker,D-Ill.; Sen. James Lankford, R-Okla.

The Associated Press

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ASSOCIATEDPRESS FILEPHOTO By ALEX BRANDON

Sen.John Kennedy, R-Madisonville, speaks withreporters recently at the White House in Washington.

Mark Ballard

BY HANNAH LEVITAN Staff writer

Strolling through the charming town of Fairhope, Alabama,iscomparable to touring amovie set. Its speckless streets, waste bins that double as flower beds and lustrous storefronts create autopian atmosphere that feels too perfect to be real.

The town was established in 1908 “as adream in the minds of agroup of populist reformers who were seeking their own special utopia.” The group of around 500 residents founded the Fairhope Single TaxColony, with the belief that the tax plan would give them a ”fair hope” of succeeding. Now,acentury later,that dreamstill resonates with its locals as the small-town life intertwines with its legacy as aresort destination Fairhope boasts awhite sandy beach with azalea bushes lining the overlooking park. Despite the ongo-

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dealers sprawled across a 29,000-square-foot lot, the Daphne Antique Galleria is agold mine forcollectors and casual browsers alike. An hour had passed, and there was still moretosee. But my eyes weretired and treat. Iordered asmallcup of their rich cake batter ice cream and enjoyed peoplewatching from the patio. To get atrue sense of the town, we decided to stop by Fairhope’smain bar The Bone and Barrel, fora drink.

Moscow mule in hand, we chatted with locals and visitors

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Staff writer

As college costs continue to soar and demand for skilled workers in many sectors grows, more high schoolers are considering career paths that don’t require four-year degrees

At the Career Magnet Center in Lafourche Parish where juniors and seniors are bused in daily from three neighboring high schools to study trades or earn college credits, interest in career and technical education, or CTE, is rising

The center’s enrollment has nearly doubled in the last three years to 530 students, according to Bonnie Lefort, the CTE coordinator at the center.

Lefort’s job is to help students decide which track is right for them, whether that be obtaining a certificate in welding or taking college-level medical courses for college credits that can be put toward a nursing degree

“I’ve always liked being able to help kids make that connection between school and what their career is going to be,” Lefort said. “Now I get to ensure that we’re actually providing those opportunities for them.”

The number of students participating in career technical programs in Louisiana is growing. According

Q&A

WITH BONNIE LEFORT CAREER AND TECHNICAL EDUCATION COORDINATOR

to the national Office of Career, Technical and Adult Education, roughly 130,000 students participated in CTE programs in the state during the 2022-23 school year — an increase of more than 4,000 from the year before.

As interest in CTE continues to expand, Lefort said one of the biggest obstacles still to overcome is the lingering stigma around forgoing a four-year college degree.

However, she said that she sees signs the tide is

turning.

I think it’s a swiftmoving change, and there’s a light at the end of the tunnel, but there are still people who don’t realize there are many careers out there that don’t require that bachelor’s degree,” Lefort said. “We need to make sure we’re getting the message out that CTE is important, and career technical ed can absolutely lead to a highwage, high-demand career.”

Read on to learn more about why education experts want to encourage

more students to pursue career paths over four-year degrees

This interview has been condensed and edited for clarity

What are some of the benefits students can gain from pursuing career and technical education?

We have to take a step back and realize that not every career you enter requires a college diploma.

Welders don’t need a college diploma to be a good welder who makes a good living on a sustainable income and is highly employable and in demand. That’s definitely a five-star job in our area.

For a long time, it was “everybody has to go to college.” That’s not necessarily true. We need to take the stigma off of career and technical education.

You think there’s still a stigma around career education?

Absolutely there is. Often it comes from home, because mom and dad feel like you have to go to college to be successful, but that’s not necessarily the truth, right?

We have to be able to take a step back and look at the big picture and say, “What’s going to make my student successful in life?” Being able to support themselves, buy their own houses, things like that. All that can happen following the career path.

Is there any overlap between CTE and dual enrollment, where high school students take college-level courses?

There is absolutely overlap. One way to think about it is that there are two types

of dual enrollment. There’s the universitytype, where you’re taking core classes (like English or math) dual enrolled and getting credit for both high school and college.

Technical dual enrollment works the same way, but instead of aligning to a university curriculum, we’re aligning to a technical diploma or an associate degree.

They’re still getting community college credit at the same time that they’re getting high school credit. The difference is that someone who’s taking a dual enrollment technical course is not going to be able to apply that credit toward a university track.

According to state data, only about 20% of the dual enrollment courses students take are in career education.Why is that?

We’re still in the mindset that you have to go to college to be successful, and so we focus our spending of those (dual enrollment) dollars on the university-track kids, forgetting that the kids who are on a career and technical pathway can get dual enrollment credit, too.

Within districts, money comes in and gets allocated to each of the high schools. They get a percentage based on population, and they have to decide how to spend it. In Lafourche, anybody who wants to take dual enrollment courses can.

Have you seen an increase in the number of students seeking CTE courses?

Yes. When I started in this

position three years ago, we were struggling with enrollment. There were a couple of hurdles we had to overcome as a district, and one of those was COVID. You can’t do welding virtually Then we got hit with another whammy when Hurricane Ida hit because we had students who were displaced. It really was a grassroots effort of getting back into those high schools and selling (CTE). But since then, we’ve almost doubled our enrollment.

We’re busting at the seams on some tracks, but we also have some areas we know we need to work on. We’re looking at those and saying ‘OK, what’s the problem here?’ Is it that our pathway isn’t quite right? Is it that we’re not listening to industry? We have to have those conversations, and it’s ever-evolving.

What do you think about the state’s new school-rating system, which rewards schools that connect students with internships or apprenticeships?

I’m excited about it. I think it’s absolutely the way to go, because we want to

UL Office of Campus Inclusion closes

Trump administration has targeted DEI in higher education

BY ASHLEY WHITE Staff writer

The University of Louisiana at Lafayette has closed its Office of Campus Inclusion.

The university announced the closure at 5 p.m. Friday in an email to staff, according to documents reviewed by The Acadiana Advocate.

ance to higher education institutes claiming that all race-conscious policies and programming violated the law

Daigle concert to highlight new venue

youngsville mayor touts amphitheater

BY JA’KORI MADISON Staff writer

Youngsville, the fastest-growing city in Louisiana, has added a new element to engage residents and attract newcomers.

Along with a recently opened sports-themed splash park, the city’s latest project is the expansion of the Youngsville Sports Complex, which is now home to eight pickleball courts, two collegiate baseball fields, an all-inclusive children’s playset, and an amphitheater expected to draw more community events and outdoor concerts.

The amphitheater opened last fall, but its first ticketed event will be a performance by Louisiana singer Lauren Daigle, city officials announced last week. Daigle will perform at 6 p.m. Sept. 13. Tickets went on sale Thursday

The Lake Charles native grew up in Lafayette and has won two Grammys as well as 12 Dove Music Awards.

“I think that this event will help put our venue on the map

So if the right artist at the right time is being routed through this area, we certainly want to be a destination that would be considered,” Youngsville Mayor Ken Ritter said.

The amphitheater is the center of a 46-acre expansion project to enhance recreation opportunities in the community Dirt used in the amphitheater’s construction was taken from a nearby drainage project to help mitigate drainage issues and lower flood risk.

“So that’s really where the amphitheater idea was, you know, was born. It was really an opportunity to, how do we use the spoil from the drainage project and create something unique,” Ritter said.

ä See DAIGLE, page 2B

The office’s two employees “were offered and accepted opportunities in the University’s Office of Academic Affairs,” a university representative said in a statement

The office’s website and individual social media accounts were deactivated as of 8:45 p.m.

“In compliance with a federal directive, the Office of Campus Inclusion ceased operations on Friday,” the sparse email stated.

Friday

The Office of Campus Inclusion works with campus and community partners to cultivate an inclusive learning environment that values different perspectives and promotes intercultural engagement,” the website stated, according to an archived capture of the page. The closure comes as President Donald Trump and his adminis-

tration target diversity, equity and inclusion efforts at higher education institutes across the United States. Republicans and other DEI critics, including Trump, have argued in recent years the efforts are discriminatory, make white people feel guilty and push progressive ideas on students.

In February, the U.S Department of Education issued guid-

The American Civil Liberties Union and National Education Association challenged a directive that told colleges to end all DEI programs. They reached an agreement earlier this week with the U.S. Department of Education that prevents the department from enforcing the directive until at least April 24.

DANCING ON DISPLAy

Plans revealed for downtown Lafayette music museum

BY

ADAM DAIGLE Acadiana business editor

Designs for the Acadiana Center for the Arts’ $10 million music museum planned for an old hardware store downtown will be on display this weekend.

The major schematic design work for the Louisiana Music Museum planned for 121 W. Vermilion St. is complete, and the images are on display at the ACA starting Saturday during ArtWalk downtown, ACA director Sam Oliver said.

Designs will be available for public viewing through Festival International later this month.

Plans include a 2,000-square-foot addition to south side of the building facing a nearby parking garage that will serve as the main entrance The current front of the building facing Vermilion Street will remain but not be used as an entry

Outside the entrance will be a plaza with an open-air spot for live performances. Inside on the second floor will be a large open space that will resemble a classic Louisiana dance hall that will retain the building’s wooden walls and worn floors and be used for concerts, Cajun and Zydeco dances, and private events.

n Gallery 2: Roots, tradition and identity that will show how music shapes and reflects life in Louisiana.

n Gallery 3: Music as a way of life featuring a vibrant playground of sounds, instruments and stories.

n Gallery 4: Impact and influence on the global reach of the state’s music scene.

n Gallery 5: An enclosed area to be used as rotating exhibition space. Moliere Chappuis Architects is the lead design team for the project. The exhibition design process is led by Art

Four galleries will showcase the history of music in Louisiana: n Gallery 1: An immersive experience that features a media collage that includes music, motion and light.

Processors, a global experiential design and technology company whose earlier works include the Bob Dylan Center in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and the USS Midway in San Diego.

It’s a joint project that includes the University of Louisiana at Lafayette’s Center for Louisiana Studies and Lafayette Travel Grammy-nominated musician Jane Vidrine is the museum’s director

The project will be funded by $5 million in private donations and $5 million in public funds. Groundbreaking is set for early next year with construction expected to be complete in mid-2027.

PROVIDED PHOTOS

The second floor will feature a classic Louisiana dance hall that will include original wooden walls and worn floors from the old Lafayette Hardware Store.

The original entrance of the old Lafayette Hardware Store is shown. The entrance to the museum will be on the south side of the building

DEQ lawyer quits, criticizes agency’s chief

Giacometto disputes ‘baseless accusations’

BY DAVID J MITCHELL Staff writer

Louisiana environmental chief Aurelia S. Giacometto is again facing scathing criticism of her leadership from a departing employee, the latest in a line of officials to leave the agency since her appointment by Gov Jeff Landry

In a seven-page letter sent to almost all Department of Environmental Quality employees Friday, Roger Ward, a longtime human resources attorney and ethics liaison at the agency, accused Giacometto of “singlehandedly destroying the workplace culture” with erratic and vindictive behavior

He alleged she worsened efficiency with her initiatives and micromanagement, contrary to her public pronouncements about streamlining the agency.

“Although she presents an affable public persona with her saccharine smile, she is in actuality a vindictive individual behind the scenes who seems to relish bullying and harassing her subordinates,” Ward wrote in the letter shared with The Advocate and other media organizations. “She has no regard for anyone but herself, she is manipulative, and completely disingenuous.”

The letter is only the latest criticism of Giacometto’s leadership and the toxicity that some say she has fostered at DEQ, but one of the few airings with an employee’s name attached to it.

In her more than 15 months on the job, she has also seen other executives leave, many of them her own appointees. Some have shared criticisms of her leadership style, while others have said they were simply moving to different jobs in Landry’s administration or federal posts.

Giacometto and Landry have previously defended her leadership, arguing change is necessary at the agency as they seek to streamline operations and make it more business-friendly

In a statement sent Friday evening, Giacometto made a similar case and said she disputed “any and all of these baseless accusations by this disgruntled employee.”

“I was not appointed to take the easy or popular road. I am inspired daily by the dedication of LDEQ’s hard working employees and I am not going to allow a few to undermine their great work and the success of this agency.

LDEQ has an important mission from our governor — having clean air and water while growing a healthy economy,” she said

“In my 15 months, we are building an internal infrastructure to enable technology to help us do our jobs better and provide

Continued from page 1B

The long-term plan is to use the amphitheater for the city’s annual Independence Day celebration, outdoor concerts and other community events.

“This will without question have a positive impact on the Lafayette Parish economy,” Ritter said. “We expect more of these type of events will have regional attraction. The economic impact from our restaurants and hotels are certainly expected to be positive.”

Attracting attention

Previously, most events in Youngsville were held at Sugar Mill Pond or the town center

Officials expect to sell approximately 5,300 tickets for Daigle’s performance. Seating will include general admission on the grass lawn, VIP tables, and multiple seating areas with different price tiers.

City fire marshals originally gave a capacity of 14,000 for the event, assuming there would be standing room, but that number was reduced to ensure the safety of the crowd, Ritter said. Attendees can expect to see safety protocols including metal detectors, a clear-bag policy and ample security personnel on site.

Since the amphitheater opened in October, the area has hosted numerous community events including a pumpkin patch, a Veterans Day concert, a Christmas

transparency to applicants and the public. We have been successful in implementing cost saving measures, as well as making LDEQ more approachable to the public.”

She also wrote that she has focused her early tenure on touring the state, visiting 40 parishes and making more than 110 visits across Louisiana to see through her “top priority” that the public is served “effectively and efficiently.”

‘Attention of the governor’

In an interview Friday Ward confirmed the letter was his and said he had personally witnessed Giacometto’s abusive behavior before his one-on-one contact with her ceased in May, when she moved him from his 10th-floor executive office to a smaller one in the agency without a reason.

Though Ward was a classified employee with nearly three decades in the department and was not one of Giacometto’s appointees he said he is a Republican who voted for Landry

Ward said he hoped his letter would convince the governor to reconsider Giacometto’s appointment.

“I hope it gets the attention of the governor finally and he removes her, because she’s not fit to be leading an organization,” he said.

As the agency ombudsman, Ward’s role included hearing employee complaints about the department, sitting in meetings with Giacometto in the first months of her tenure and often crafting her write-ups that he asserted had flawed criticisms of employees

In the letter and interview, Ward said he was initially prepared to support Giacometto and help her give DEQ the improvements he admits it needs, but became increasingly uneasy as she began to target employees, particularly those from the prior administration

He said he believed her reasons did not revolve around violations of rules or policies but were because employees rubbed her the wrong way, saying “she didn’t want to be challenged on anything.”

“There was really no basis to write people up or threaten to discipline people,” he said in the interview “They weren’t doing anything wrong.”

He cited the example of Yolunda Righteous, the head of DEQ’s waste permits division and an agency employee since 2011. She recently announced her planned retirement at the state annual solid waste association meeting in Lafayette.

Ward said Giacometto went after her “viciously” for her involvement with the group while Righteous also remained waste permitting administrator Ward said the group is an educational organization that DEQ helped found, and Righteous’ involve-

ment in the group does not violate any agency policies, though he alleges Giacometto wrote her up for the involvement.

Righteous has not said why she is retiring and, in a recent interview declined to discuss it.

Ward’s letter comes weeks after a state workplace audit and employee survey was made public Feb. 28, turning up mixed views of the agency and its top leadership. It also follows the recent loss of Giacometto’s second executive counsel, Noah Hoggatt, in less than a year and a half.

In Ward’s letter, he ticked off 10 executives, all of whom were Giacometto appointees and left after short tenures.

Many of them didn’t air criticisms but said they were leaving for other opportunities. At least one, Tanner Magee, a former legislator and briefly an interim deputy secretary until January, described his working relationship with Giacometto in an interview earlier this year as a good and professional one.

Another, however, wrote of witnessing “atrocities,” accusing the DEQ leader of harassing employees and trying to make her a “hatchet man” who would push workers out of the agency

Ward’s letter also raises questions about Giacometto’s travel expenses and contracting decisions, and, in the interview, he accused her of creating a “shadow” human resources department with new employees because she disliked the existing department.

‘Unflattering feedback’

While majorities of employees who responded to the audit survey said they liked their direct managers and jobs, near majorities had far less positive views for executive leadership.

More than three-fourths reported low morale, and about onethird also reported working in a toxic environment. A small percentage reported being asked to do things that they believed were procedurally or legally improper

Though the audit was driven by workplace concerns that have arisen during Giacometto’s tenure, it didn’t indicate that employees were asked directly in the survey about her leadership individually

Ward said it was troubling that legislators and the governor haven’t exercised what he considers proper oversight. He said inquiries by the Legislative Auditor’s Office and another he said was conducted by the Division of Administration were “to no avail.”

In the interview and letter, Ward said he decided he could no longer stay at the agency that has been his only job for close to 30 years — though he wasn’t ready yet to retire — because of Giacometto’s “increasingly erratic and alarmingly vicious behavior” toward agency personnel.

“LDEQ used to be an enjoyable place to work. Now, employees both long and short term are leaving the agency in droves solely because of her,” Ward wrote.

Ward also claims other midlevel and rank-and-file employees are leaving to escape Giacometto, noting that several top positions remain open. The letter listed a handful of examples without identifying the employees.

In response to a public records request filed months ago, a DEQ organizational chart the agency provided on Friday for the period of early February showed four openings in the secretary’s office, with at least three other departures that followed that time period.

Despite those openings and Ward’s allegations for this year, civil service data show the agency’s turnover rate was below the state average in the 2024 fiscal year, which included the first six months of the secretary’s tenure.

The state average voluntary turnover rate is 14.3%; DEQ’s voluntary rate was 10.2%, according to an annual report.

In the interview, Ward said he sent the letter to the department after he was told by HR employees that DEQ no longer was using its long-standing exit interview form following “unflattering feedback” about Giacometto’s leadership.

Ward confirmed that the unflattering feedback came from a departing employee who called Giacometto “cruel,” “evil” and “vindictive” in an exit interview, which The Advocate obtained through a public records request and reported about earlier this year

event with a live nativity scene, and St. Thomas More Catholic High School’s annual Hopefest music festival.

“Hosting and planning large events is nothing new” for Youngsville, Ritter said. The recent Mardi Gras Mambo softball tournament attracted about 100,000 people over three days, according to data from city officials.

“So having thousands of peo-

ple is something we are accustomed to accommodate, we are just new to having artists, but we feel that we’ve done our research, our homework, and have a great artist to partner with to help get it done smoothly,” Ritter said

Choosing an artist involved numerous factors, most importantly a cross between demand and availability he said.

Email Ja’kori Madison at jakori. madison@theadvocate.com.

“I know this is a smaller venue for Daigle compared to where she has performed, but it’s a great opportunity to be in a more intimate environment and a gateway to what is to come for the city of Youngsville,” Ritter said. Visit laurendaigle.com/tour for more information on tickets, bag policies and parking.

STAFF FILE PHOTO By LESLIE WESTBROOK

Governor-elect Jeff Landry introduces Aurelia Skipwith Giacometto, who he named to head Louisiana’s Department of Environmental Quality, during a news conference Nov. 15, 2023, at Russo Park in Lafayette.

PROVIDED PHOTO

Vietnamese Americansreflect on 50 yearsinN.O.

BY DESIREESTENNETT Staff writer

The red hardback journal sits on the bookshelf in Vy Linh Ky’sUptown apartment. The coverisplain and unassumingand thebinding is coming undone. But inside, the pages are pristine. On each sheet is arecipe, handwritten by her mother. Most are just lists of ingredients —onions, lemongrass, lime leaves,fresh herbs, beefand pork bones —with no measurements and no cooking instructions

Written entirely in Vietnamese, they are Ky’sroad map to the dishes of her childhood. Her mother,who died in 2018, was known for her soups, which wouldsimmer late into the night, the only time for cookingafter along day of caring for Ky and her three sisters.

Ky,who works as the head of human resources for a New Orleans hotel,began cooking from it during the pandemic.

Translatingthe recipes, mixing andmatching ingredients, cooking until her kitchen smells like her mother’s did —itisKy’s way of reconnecting with her mom, with Vietnam and with ahalf-centuryofVietnamese American tradition in New Orleans.

“Growing up, Ididn’t understand the importance of theculture as much,” Ky said. “My mother,she always made sure we understood the cultureand knew thelanguage. It wasn’tuntil her passing that Ireally understood the gravity of it

“It’sa big part of me that I want to keep.”

‘We’ve come alongway’

Ky’smother was among the more than amillion people who fled their homeland after the Vietnam War. The conflict ended five decades ago this month when the communist forces of North Vietnam overran the American-backed South Vietnamese army,culminating in the fall of Saigon on April 30, 1975, and launchingamass exodus of refugees seeking politicalfreedom.

The U.S. took in hundreds of thousands of people. Many escaped on boats with little more than achange of clothes and some essential documents.Theyarrived by the thousands in California and Texas. They also came to Louisiana, and more specifically,New Orleans, drawn by acommon Roman Catholic faithand earlierarrivals in the region.

“They may have been sent one place, but then they wanted to be reunited with family and settle in different places,” said Mark Cave, ahistorian with the Historic New Orleans Collection who has spent years collecting oral histories from local Vietnamese Americans. In 1970, only about700 people living in Louisiana reported being borninVietnam. Adecade later,more than 10,000 people statewide identified as Vietnamese,according to the U.S. Census. Now,there are more than 36,000 people of Vietnamese descent living in Louisiana. More than half live in the New Orleans metro area. Decades after the war,the Vietnamese community is woven into the city’sfabric. They helpedtheir adopted neighborhoods thrive. They became essentialto the Louisiana shrimping industry They built afaith tradition, rooted in Roman Catholic parishes.Theywereamong the first to return after Hurricane Katrina and useda growingpolitical base to help rebuild and restore New Orleans East. Vietnamese festivals and night markets sprang up, and now draw New Orleanians of all backgrounds.

But, with each new generation, the connection to the language and culture of parents’ and grandparents’ homeland is shrinking Like Ky,many members of the Vietnamese community, young and old, say they are seeking to honor traditions and remember the past while pursuing their own future in New Orleans. Over the past year,members of the Vietnamese com-

munity have hosted aseries of 50 events to commemorate the 50 years since they arrived in New Orleans They have ranged from cooking classes and festivals to artshows and panel discussions. Last week, more than 500 Vietnamese Americans from across the United States gatheredfor the50threunion of former residents of the fishing region, Phuoc Tinh, located in Vietnam.

“Asyounger generations, we want to honor the sacrifices that our elders have made thatmakes lifefor us possiblehere,” said TapBui, co-executive director of nonprofit Song Community Development Corp.,whose family cametothe areain the1980s. “Butwealso want to celebrate,right? Fifty years ofVietnamese Americans in Louisiana, that’s an accomplishment.We’ve come alongway.”

Aleapoffaith

Thuy Pham’s journey from Vietnam toNew Orleans began before she was born.InAugust1975, her pregnant mother was pulled from aboatinthe South China Sea. Her family hadbeen stranded at sea for nearly four months, seeking acountry that would accept them.

Pham, now 49, was bornin ahospital in the Philippines. It would take another three days after her birth for members of the U.S. Coast Guard to bring her father ashore, she said.

For most of her life, her father had refused to discuss, even privately, what it waslike to leave his family behind atjust18toescape with his pregnant wife and her family

“I try to imagine what that must have beenlike,” said Pham. “This was not asmall rejection.This is more like: ‘I’m sorry,we can’ttake you even though you’ve been floatingout at sea all this time. Youhave no food. You’ve runout of gas. Youhave nowhere to go. But we cannot takeyou.’ It stuck with me.”

Many storiesof the journeytothe U.S. begin with similar leaps of faith.

Trinh Do, 50, whoowns adental practice with her husband, was ayear old when her family left Vietnambyboat. John-Hoa Nguyen, asuccessful West Bank real estate investor, was 20 when he became a refugee, fleeing Communist rule. Vinh Tran, adeacon at the Mary Queen of Vietnam Church in New Orleans East,was 6when his familyarrivedin1975. Allof them, and many others, fled Vietnam with no idea where theywould end up. Those whosurvived were spread out across the world. Thosewho came toAmerica hadmany stops on the way to NewOrleans, including refugee camps in other Asian countries, theWake Islands, Guam, Pennsylvania and Arkansas. Do and many othersremember the exact date they arrived.

“It’sabsolutely foundationaltoour lives,” Do said. “Even though Iwas practically raised here, (my parents) taught menot to forget our heritage. I’m not forgetful. Even as asmall child, Iknew that Iwasn’t born here and that alot of people gave up alot forme to be where Iam.” In thoseearlyyears, Do’s family settled in Bridge City.Acrossthe region, community wasnecessary for survival.

Though many New Orleanianswelcomed the refugees,theystill faced discrimination from people who thought they were creatingtoo much competition for shrimping jobs or social services. Amid the tension, Vietnamese refugees had to lean on each other Tran saideveryone at Mary Queen of Vietnam paid intoa revolving funeral fund managed by the church that held enough cash tocover the cost when members died. Together, theyfigured out how to navigate social services and attend to otherneeds. When they couldn’tfind tra-

ditional Vietnamese ingredients, they started grocery stores, gardens and farmers markets.

Nguyen, now70, came to New Orleans through aprogram that allowed Vietnamese studentstotakecourses at theSt. Joseph Seminary College in Covington.Leaving Vietnam in April 1975, he was already enrolled as one of about 10 Vietnamese students before Labor Day that same year “For the first fewyears, it was rough,” he said. “We came here empty-handed, no English, nothing at all.”

If theyneeded to review 20 pages of an American history lesson, they would break theworkload up and takeafew pages each, then teach each other until everyone understood,said Nguyen, who went on to teach beforestarting in real estate sales. He now owns and manages more than 300 rental properties

Children whohad an easier timelearning English became translators for parents and older siblings

As asmall child, Tran became oneofthe most proficient English speakers in his neighborhood.If someonewas applying for food stamps or other benefits, he helped them complete paperwork and talk with providers. Sometimes, leaning on children was difficult for elders who were used to their independence, Tran said, but it gave hima sense of purpose and kept him near home.

“I don’twant to move becauseI feel that I’ma part of this community,” he said. “I wanttogive back to my community, my parents. I always considered myself aleader in my community.”

Aculturalhub remains

In New Orleans East, acluster of Vietnameseowned grocery stores, restaurants,pharmaciesand other businesses lines Alcee Fortier Boulevard. Nearby on ChefMenteurHighway are more restaurants, abakery and other stores.

Vietnamese Americans created communities on the West Bank and many have moved to the northshore in recent years,but Village de l’Est, with its bustling business districtand Mary Queen of Vietnam at itsheart, is still themost densely populated Vietnameseneighborhood in theregion.

Thechurchstarted in a trailer on theproperty of the VersaillesArms apartments, wheremany of the refugees who came to New Orleans settled. After decades of congregants pooling theirmoney,the church campus nowspans several blocks

This was what Archbishop Phillip Hannan, who led the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New Orleansfrom 1965 to 1988, had hoped for as he called on theCatholic Church and the American government to take in refugees in need of aid.

In an editorialpublished in the ClarionHerald on April 10, 1975, weeks before Saigon fell, Hannan decriedthe Communistrule and called the war violence “horrifying.”

“Every effort should be devoted to aiding the refugees,” he wrote. “This is not amatter of diplomacy or strategy.Itisa moral imperative.”

Between April and December 1975, Catholic Charities would bring 2,100 refugees to settlemostlyin New Orleans Eastand on theWestBankand in the following years, thousands more would jointhem.

Thirty-four years ago, Mary Queen of Vietnam started asmall fundraiser for church ministries based around the annual TetFestival, celebrating the Lunar New Year.Inthe beginning, it was asmall event attended by churchmembers,said Tran. Within afew years, others startedtocome, too. Soon enough, so many New Orleaniansfrom all backgrounds started to flock to thecelebration that it was time to tweakmenus to add the hot dogs and ham-

burgersalongside themore traditional offerings. Festival organizers later added American musicianstothe entertainment lineup.

At this year’sfestival in late January,groups of teenage girls,somewith Vietnameseheritage, lingeredbetween themain stretch of vendors. They danced as acover band playedJustin Timberlake andate banh mi sandwiches. Younger children fought with silly string as nearby adults played Bau Cua Tôm Cá, acultural game meant to bring good luck during Tetand throughout the year Attendees from amix of culturespacked theparking lot across the street from thechurch and lined up to choose between the mixof mostly Vietnamese food options.

“It’ssobig that it’sattractive not just in theNew Orleansarea but in Baton Rouge, Biloxi, Pensacola, and people save thedate to come to travel here to enjoythe festival,” Tran said. “Now our food and our culture is accepted notjust by theVietnamesecommunity but citywide.”

As the festivalhas transformed, so has thechurch.

Once only holding mass in Vietnamese, Mary Queen of Vietnam now has services in English too. Though many in the communitystill speak the language, that change has kept younger generations connectedto thechurch, Tran said.

Success andchange

That’shappening at many Vietnamese churches across the region.

When Do’sfamily arrived in 1975, theystartedout attendingservicesheldin an apartment in their West Bank public housing project. Many other Vietnamese families joined them, first poolingtheir moneyto buy another houseonJanet Drive for the Assumption of Mary Church, where her parents still spendpart of every day

Eventually,the communitysold that house and built anew church campus around the corner on Andre Dung Lac Drive.

“You walk over to this big, massivechurch,but it’sreallyfundraisedby the people who live here. It’sincredible,” Do said “We’restill thesame tribe of people that are so closeknit. But we’re evolvedto thepointwhere now my dad is playing pickleball at the church. It’sdefinitely like a merge of culture, butstill in keeping withwho we are.”

Many of the changesin the community are borne of Vietnamese-Americans’ success. In 2023, nearly 70% of Vietnamese-Americans said that they had either alreadyachievedthe American dream or that it was within reach,saying they feltasthough they have thefreedom to choose howtheylive and have a good family life withopportunities fortheir childrento succeed.

Vietnamese-American householdincome nationwide topped $81,000 in 2022, several thousand dollars

peryear higherthanthe overallmedianincome.

Butwiththatsuccess has come shifts in how closely the community is tied to its traditions. In 1980, virtually the entire VietnamesepopulationinLouisiana reported speaking someVietnamese at home. In 2023, that numberhad droppedtoaround 3in4

Tran said that at Mary Queen of Vietnam Church, classes in English as asecondlanguage were once offered, but nowVietnamese is being taught as asecond language. Within five years, he predicts, it might even be possible to see non-Vietnamese church leaders at Mary Queen of Vietnam.

A‘specialplace’

Not far away fromMary Queen of Vietnam, Khai Nguyen and TapBui run Song CDC, anonprofitthat focuses on food access, environmentalresilienceand youth mental health services. Nguyen and Bui’snext goal is to secure affordable housing for the neighborhood’s aging population.

Nguyen said thatover the years, youngerVietnamese Americanshaveincreasingly leftthe area forcollege andjob opportunities.

“A lotofyoung people are moving out,” he said. “New Orleans East has alack of resources and amenities, and unfortunately,that can lead to acertain brain drain. But the thing is, alot of older members, they have built this communityover50 years, and they don’twant to leave.”

By the timethey came to lead Song CDC, the community hadalreadytriumphed in several hard-won fights, the biggest one after Katrina.The Vietnamese community rallied against efforts to focus rebuilding in other neighborhoods and foughtcityand state officials whoeyed the East as asite for alandfill to dump hurricanedebris.

“When Katrina hit, Ifelt just exhausted,” said Cyndi Nguyen, who hasbeen advocating forthe needsof the Vietnamese community andNew OrleansEastfor more than25years. “You kind of feel like you’re on a ship by yourself. So, when thewhole movement came with the landfill, Iremembergoing to thechurch.

To see the first generation just protesting against this landfill andmaking sure that ourcommunity continuedtobesafeand clean —it really moved me.”

Watching the community return was enough to keep Cyndi Nguyen’sfamily in New Orleans. It ignited her desire to run forlocal office. Shebecame the only Vietnamese person to ever sit on theCityCouncil in 2017. She lost her reelection bid but said she plans to run again to regain her District Eseat. In thefuture,she wants to seemoreVietnameseAmericans vying for political office.

“I don’tthink elected officials see our community as astrong base,” she said.

“But Ithink theyshould.”

In themeantime, Khai Nguyen said, despite the

exodus of many younger VietnameseAmericans,he thinks those whostay are embracing the shifting culture

He’sseeing moreadults whodon’tspeak Vietnamese making efforts to learn the language. He’sseeing more people choosing to focusonthe arts over careers in mathand science, more people opting to wear traditional Vietnamese clothing, and he’seven seeing some who left return.

Do’s18-year-old daughter, Maddie Do, started afood pantry delivery service for Vietnamese elders in their community.Her 9-year-old sonBen Do is learning Vietnamese on language-learning appDuolingo EvenKy, as she served up oneofher mom’ssouprecipes on arecent weekend, said living in NewOrleans feels more important to her now. She briefly livedinCalifornia in 2018 and while working remotely during thepandemic, shetraveled throughout the U.S., exploringtosee if there wasanother place shemight want to callhome.

“There wereacouple citiesI liked, but the reason why Iliked them was that they were similar to New Orleans,” shesaid. “I realizedthatNew Orleanswas averyspecial place. Ilove the community here and I’m really happy that Vietnamese culture is taking more of the forefront now andthe community is more visible thanever.”

‘Spiritofthe Vietnamese’ For Thuy Pham, that cultural revival has comefrom starting the Night Market, a periodic festivalheld at the Westwego Farmer’sMarket focused on Vietnamesefood vendors. She starteditin 2019 in Gretnaafter seeing asimilar event on abirthdaytrip to California

“The very first one, even thevendorsthemselves, Ihad to talk them into doingthe event,”she said.“It took alot of hand-holding. People took arisk, and they soldout,some of them, in an hour anda half.”

ForJohn-Hoa Nguyen, seeing people return is a sign that his generation built alasting community Today, his work focuseson ensuring future generations can still embrace the culture even as they become more American In the 1970s and ’80s, he taught Vietnamese classes to the children of refugees to ensure that they had a culturalconnection.

Butnow,he’sbringing them back —this timefor adults. It will be personal connections to the culture thatwill keep future generations engaged, he said.

“Regardless of what they want to be, or what language theyspeak,orwhat culture theyassimilate into,the spirit of theVietnamese is still in them,” he said. “And if you don’thave the spirit in you, youloseyourself.”

Email Desiree Stennett at desiree.stennett@ theadvocate.com.

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OPINION

OUR VIEWS

Amid uncertainly, lawmakers should spend Louisianans’ moneywisely

The new session of the Louisiana Legislature, which begins Monday and runs through June 12, is likely to be less dramatic than the four regularand special sessions of 2024, which saw newly elected Gov.Jeff Landry push for and in many cases get huge changes on multiple fronts, from elections to education, from taxation to crime and punishment.

Landry’sagenda is less sweeping this time around,and while the session promises more of the usual political and culturewar showdowns, we think the Legislature’s most important business will center on the work of divvying up finite resources among needs that can feel infinite.

Lawmakers averted the fiscal cliff that had been looming in 2025, but that doesn’tmean the coffers are flush. Landry has proposed a standstill budget amid much uncertaintyout of Washington, where the DOGE process will meancuts in health care and other programs and where the budget process now underway could well lead to afurther drop in federal funding, the extent of which might not be known until after lawmakers are required to adopt abudget.

Complicating matters was the voters’ sound rejection last month of the overly complicated Amendment 2, which would have freed up some money now dedicated to specific funds.

Legislators will be looking toreplace the $2,000 stipend teachershave gotten in recent years, which was one of the failed amendment’sselling points. Alikely casualty is Landry’s private school voucher program, which he’d hoped to rampupthis spring but which is getting legislative pushback. We hope lawmakers focus on public schools first;the state’steachers have done theirpart tohelp improve outcomes in recent years and deserve fair pay

And as lawmakers propose measures they believe will reduce Louisiana’shigh auto insurance rates, we hope they remain focused on the real existential crisis in our state: property insurance costs so high that they threaten people’sability to buy homes or stay in the ones they already own. To thatend,weurge expansion of efforts to help homeowners install fortified roofs, which are proven toreduce exposure to wind damage.

We don’tknow yet whether we’ll see at hit to Medicaid, but we’re gladtohear that Senate President Cameron Henry is urging his friend Steve Scalise, the U.S. House majority leader, and his colleagues to spread any federal cuts over time so that states can plan, and tonot eliminate fundingwithout addressing the problems the funding is intended to solve. We hope they get the message.

Paying to fix the state’svast infrastructure needs is an ongoing challenge, and so far we like what we hear about alegislative effort to reorganize the Department of Transportation and Development so that it’smore efficient andtransparent. At the Public Affairs Research Council’sannual meeting last week, several lawmakers suggested that thiscould build enough public confidence in the agency to eventually bring in long-needed dedicated funding, whether in the form of an increase to Louisiana’slow gas tax or some other source. In general, we think that thisidea of rebuilding trust among constituentsisagood move after the voters, in rejecting all four amendments on the March 29 ballot,made it clear they think Landry andthe Legislature had been trying to do too much, too fast, with too little explanation. We hope legislators also took away from the defeat that their constituents want them to support the governor when he’s right but speak up when he’snot After all, the Legislature is acoequal branch of government. This session, we look forward to watchinglawmakers use the power vested in them wisely

Springtime in Washington,D.C.

Out with theselfie-sticks. Not that long ago, touristswereslowing down foot traffic in D.C., stopping to take pictures. This year,for cherry-blossom season in the nation’scapital, tourists weresoserious about their vacations thattheywereusing actual cameras instead of theirphones. As Itriedto maneuver between meetings in my usual lastminutestyle, thechange was unmistakable. Iwondered if it had something moretodowithnostalgia, or perhaps even an attempt at aLenten fast from excessive screen time. Trytowait out the crowds,and thecherry blossoms will be gone. Igot to D.C. for afew events during what was still the peak timefor the bloom, and by that evening heavy rain had done them in —creating showersofpink around the Tidal Basin. Time is short.You have afew mornings to attempt to beat the crowds —animpossible exercise, in my experience —and suddenly theblooms aredying. Isn’tthat abit like life? Spring is agood timetoreset in orderto avoid regrets.There’ssomething about new life that— if it doesn’tget your allergies going too intensely —inspires a new outlook, ayen to begin again.

Ihad my own personal retreat at my alma mater in town,the Catholic UniversityofAmerica. The school had asked me to speak to poli-sci students being inducted intothe discipline’shon-

or society.Yes,it’ss adiscipline. Yes, honorisnot anathema to it. Aftermyspeech endedand the certificates weregiven, Imeandered over to the campus chapelfor aholy hour of prayer,praise and worship. While the campus is adjacent to one of the largestchurches in thehemisphere, there arealso some humble chapels around the grounds. Isaw some of my politics kids come in to pray,and for Mass after Now that’ssomething worth going to the nation’scapital for.That gave me hope! God renews us, if we lethim. Afew weeks before,Igot to see some early blooming cherry blossoms on National Harbor,without the tourists. Ionly had my iPhone, but it was suf-

ficient to prove it happened and share some of the joy the blooms seem to inspire. Igave myself abirthday present and lingered before Igot back on the train to New York. Ispent alittle time at the Smithsonian and the National Gallery of Art. Art museums never get old. Even if you didn’ttake timetosmell the cherry blossoms this spring, we’ve got agift of acountry that understands that life isn’tforever,and that it’sa temporary gift to be cherished and preserved. And, as it says on the base of the Washington memorial: Laus Deo (“Praise be to God”) with it all.

EmailKathryn Jean Lopez at klopez@ nationalreview.com.

Making apoint usingmathematics

I appreciate it when our letter writersdrill down intospecifics and cite data to back up their opinions. But math can be tricky, and sometimes the numbersdon’tadd up. We do our best to double check your calculations, but if numbers are unclear or cannot be verified, we cannot publish theletter Iunderstand why,especially in this data-driven age, theimpulse to listastring of numbers is so great. But sometimes,astrong argumentbeats alist of numbers in my opinion. Journalists are notoriously bad at math, although thefield of data journalism has grown exponentially in recent years. However,even we wordsmiths understand

thepower of numbers to makeapoint clear.And often those whohave aclear grasp of the datawin the argument. As thedaughter of two former high school math teachers, Iwould never urge anyone not to use math. But if you do, makesure to check your work. We are still collecting responses forour next Town Square question.This being aholy season for manyreligions, we decided to ask you about your viewsonfaith. We want to know: How important is your faithtoyour daily life, and what role, if any,should it play in public life? Sendyour responses to letters@theadvocate.com. We have had many debates in recentmonths over the TenCommandments in classrooms and other issues involving reli-

gion, so we hope to hear your viewson the broader issues of church and state. In our letters inbox, we continue to see manyofyou focused on what’s going on in Washington. In the week of March 20-27, national politics was the topic of 20 of the 71 letters we received. Next to that, we received four letters on the recent constitutional amendments that went before voters, four letters on the death penalty and another four commenting on the content of the Opinion pages. As always, we welcomeyour thoughts on what we do and what you’d like to see more frequently

Want to seeyouropinion published in TheAdvocate |Times-Picayune? Submitaletter to the editor

Arnessa Garrett

PHOTOByMARK SCHIEFELBEIN

Visitors recently walk along the Tidal Basin to see cherry blossoms in Washington, D.C.

COMMENTARY

When apleatosavechildrenangerseveryone

that’strue.

I’m feeling the need to start this column by saying two things: One, health is more important than politics.And two, when we’re talking about health, Republican U.S. Sen. Bill Cassidy,agastroenterologist and chair of the Senate’scommittee that oversees health care, is usually right.

He certainly was right last weekend, when he posted this message on X, after asecond unvaccinated child in Texas died of measles: “Everyone should be vaccinated! Thereisno treatment for measles. No benefit to getting measles.Top health officialsshould say so unequivocally b/4 another childdies.”

important message.Instead,the comments were brutal. Asampling:

“You voted for this, Doctor.”

“It’slike asitcom watching you getmad at the public officials you votedtoconfirm.”

“You supported @SecKennedytolead our public health agencies —aman who has been thepreeminentanti-vax leader globally.When you had achancetomake areal impact on an issue you claim to deeply care about, you wereacowardtothe MAGA cult.”

But oh, the politics of even saying such athing these days.

Particularly if you’re Bill Cassidy,alongtime advocate of vaccinations against deadly diseases, andalso akey vote —under immense political pressure —to confirm Robert F. KennedyJr., knownasmuch for his vaccine skepticism as for his famous inherited name, to head theDepartment of Health and Human Services.

The reaction to Cassidy’s post wasswift and furious.

From those still angry that he caved and supported resident Donald Trump’smostly unqualified, often downright batty slate of cabinet nominees, Cassidy got no gratitude for sending this

Andthose who believe in antivaxconspiracies were just as vocal,and equally vicious. Iwon’t repeat thebad information they spread about natural immunity andalleged deathsfromvaccines rather than disease,but Iwill note thatone critic posted several videosfromthe organization Children’s Health Defense, which Kennedy founded In today’s divided Washington —and athome in Louisiana too Cassidyhas more people angry at himfor more reasons than most.

He committed what MAGA Republicansconsider the original sin of having voted to convict Trumpinthe second impeachment,for instigating the violent Jan.6,2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol. He drew achallenger for his 2026 reelection soon after Trumpwon theWhite House in

Here’swhat he had to say,for example, about Kennedy’srecent stated support forthe MMR vaccine, which has infuriated some of the secretary’slongtime followers too. On acall with local reporters last week, Cassidy said Kennedy’swords “may relieve aparent’sanxiety; it could save their child’slife.”

As forthe criticism, Cassidy had this to say: “Now you can either accept consistency,oryou can accept the importance of preventing childhood death. I’m adoctor,and something that’sso easily given, so effective in preventing disease, I’mgoing to advocate unless somebody is willing to accept the loss of achild. Iam not. Iamabout preventing death, and that should be the position of our United States government.”

November,and theLegislature changed the open primary process to makeiteasier for state Treasurer John Fleming or another true Trumpbeliever to take him out.And there’snosign that backing Kennedy’sconfirmation bought him any favor withthis crowd.

In his defense, Cassidy points to what he has described as Kennedy’swillingness to work with him and reconsider someofhis prior stances. That’s done little to

earn forgiveness from those who are alarmed to see Kennedy take awreckingball to HHS and its associated agencies, in waysthat will undermine public health and research farinto the future. Nor, it’squiteeasy to argue, should it.

Cassidy doesn’tsay this, but he may well think that going along allows him to have at least some influence —maybe even keep the chairmanship he’slong desired —instead of being an outcast in today’sGOP.It’seven possible

But tellingly,Cassidy also deflected aquestion over whether he should get credit forinfluencing Kennedy’sthinking on the measles outbreak. Instead, he contended that what got to the secretary waslikely the twodead children and fear of more.

In asaner world, of course, just how Cassidy parses his message on health wouldn’tmatter.Politically,itseems, it’sall that matters —because somehow,we’ve let “children shouldn’tdie” become fighting words.

Email Stephanie Grace at sgrace@theadvocate.com.

Louisiana’shighsales taxesshouldbeseenasanathema

In Louisiana, sales taxesare way too high. They need to come down. By most measures,Louisianans pay the highest sales taxes (state and local combined) in the nation

This matters. Sales taxes at some level may be a necessary evil, but the use of particularly high sales taxes is just plain bad policy

Yetless than half ayear ago, Louisiana lawmakers went in the wrong direction. In the midst of ahost of tax reforms and trade-offs, they actually raised state salestax rates rather than reduced them. The rate now stands at 5centsto the dollar,while other state tax policy essentially encourages localities also to rely heavily on sales tax for revenue. Most cities in Louisiana have a10centssales tax (combined), and Baton Rouge is at 10.5. That’sawful. The national median sales tax rate is just 7cents. Again, this matters. Salestaxes, even if groceries are exempted, are regressive, meaningthey takeahigher proportion of poor

Stephanie Grace Quin Hillyer

thanpropertytax collections

people’s money thanofwealthier people’s.While other,more“progressive”taxes,such as income taxes, somewhat counteract this regressiveeffect, the regressivity of salestaxes doesn’t fit most people’s definition of fairness. The higher the salestax, the greater the unfairness Unfairness, though, is far from theonly reason high salestaxes arebad policy. Like every tax does in one way or another,sales taxesdeter productive economic activity.WhenIservedonan official, special citizen’scommission appointedtoanalyze Mobile, Alabama’stax system ten years ago, our compilation of copious nationalresearchshowed sales taxes are marginally more deterrent to economic growththan property taxes, while being clearly more regressive and significantly more volatile

The latterpoint means that if the economytakes adownturn—asit very wellmight, thanks to President Donald Trump’stariff regime —salestax collections drop more

For state and local governments looking for revenue stabilityto provide consistent levels of law enforcement, road maintenance and education, salestaxes area bad bet.

Nonetheless, at an April 8meeting with theeditorial board of this newspaper,Louisiana House Speaker Cameron Henry scoffed at the deleterious effectsofsales taxes.

“Whensomeone moves to astate very rarely,atleastinmyexperience, [do]they[say] ‘how muchis their sales tax?’”hesaid dismissively.“It’s not: Iwas gonna move there,but your sales taxactually is alittle bit toohigh.”

Henry clearly doesn’tunderstand that high sales taxes are anathema to retail establishments, especially small ‘mom and pop’ shops. It’s theexisting small businessman who getshurt worst,not the major new conglomerate.

Henry mustnot pay attention to polls, either.A March 30-April 2 Louisiana survey by experienced state pollster Bernie Pinsonat said last fall’slegislative special

session“raised the sales tax in Louisiana in compensation for lowering of personal income taxes and some corporate taxes. Do you think this is agood thing?’ By adecisive majority of 58% to 26.6%, respondents answered “no.”

State Revenue Secretary RichardNelson, speaking at an April 10 conference hosted by the Public Affairs Research Council, had asmarttake. He said the three major taxes —sales, income, and property —should be in apositiontosomewhat “balance” each other,and that “you don’twant to be the worst [highest] in any” of the three.

The importance of greater balance, while offering acompetitive advantage vis-à-vis other states, is the same thing the Mobile tax commission’sresearch showed.

Nelson also said one good thing about property taxes is that they are“moretransparent,” because acitizen can’thelp noticing something he pays for in one chunk in one annual bill, ratherthan being nickeled and dimed as astandard portion of every purchase that

barely makes an impression even as it adds up to large annual sums.

This isn’ttosay Louisiana needs to vastly raise its property taxes while vastly lowering sales taxes. But whenyour state ranks highest in the nation in the latter while only the 39th highest in the former (and with agenerous homestead exemption as well!), there’scertainly room for some rebalancing while still maintaining acomparative advantage on property taxes against the large majority of states.

There’sanother added advantage: Almost nobody keeps detailed enough receipts to write off sales taxes on their federal tax returns. Everybody who itemizes, though, writes off property taxes (up to acertain high limit). In other words, taxpayers shift some of the effective cost of property taxes to the federal government. For all those reasons, arebalancing is necessary.Torepeat: One way or another,Louisiana must reduce its sales taxes.

Quin Hillyer canbereached at quin.hillyer@TheAdvocate.com.

Louisianalawmakers maytry to redo failed amendment

Louisiana Gov.Jeff Landryand the Republican supermajority state Legislature got awhuping in last month’selection as ahigherthan-expected voter turnout overwhelmingly rejected four constitutional amendments on the ballot, including Amendment 3. Only 34% voted yes to strip the state constitution of specific youth crime cases in which achild could be tried as an adult. Sixty-six percent voted no. The defeat was across geographic, party and race lines.

JeffersonParishJuvenile Court and Orleans ParishJuvenile Court. Theyhandle cases involving people who are 17 years old andyounger,including adoptions, truancy, misdemeanors and crimesthat might be considered felonies if the suspects were tried as adults. Thereare more than 40 district courts with responsibilityfor civil and criminal cases,including felonies.Not all youth casesshould go to adult criminal courts

work,” Kristen Rome, executive director of Louisiana Center for Children’sRights, toldme. “This bill is amess.”

Will Sutton

Youmight think that Republicans got the message, that they would understand that a majority of Louisiana voters don’t want more children in adult courts and adult prisons. Obviously that’snot true

Just recently,State Sen. Alan Seabaugh introduced Senate Bill 74, which would move allfelony crimes cases involving children 15 years old and older to district courts. Is it Amendment 32.0?

There are only four juvenile courts in Louisiana —Caddo Parish Juvenile Court, East Baton Rouge Parish Juvenile Court,

Though Amendment 3 failed,this is alegislative attempt to send morechildrentoadult courts, and possibly adult prisons

Youth advocates andattorneys aren’tsurprised, and theysee lots of problems.

“They weren’table to win on Amendment 3, so they aregoing through the backdoor,” shared AlanahOdoms, executive director of the American Civil Liberties UnionofLouisiana

“It is glaringly obvious that this was written by someone who doesn’tknowhow juvenile courts work and how criminal courts

The big problem with thebill is that it would automatically assign 15-year-old and 16-year-old children to adult criminal courts without law enforcement, district attorneys and judges weighing anumber of factors. Clerks, district attorneys and judges connected todistrict courtswould have to learnhow to handle confidential underage criminal matterswithout the benefit of years of learning the Louisiana Children’sCode. The code governs how thestate handles children who enter the judicial system for somethingthey are suspected of doing. As astate, we’veagreed that children should be treated differently from adults—and there are very specific rules that govern how children must be handled in thejudicial system

There are so manyspecifics that the latest print version of thecode takes two inches of shelf space.

That’sa lot to toss to clerks, DAs and judges on Aug. 1when

thelaw would becomeeffective if the Legislature approves it. As written, somechildren could face ajuvenilecourt judge fora misdemeanor and adistrict court judge for afelony connected to thesame actions.

The bill would strip DAsof their discretion of moving acase forward under the children’scode or the criminal code forthose 15 years old andup. Since childcases must have confidentiality,onwhich days and during which hours would district courts be closed to other matterstoprotect the confidentiality of children? Most district court judges probablyfeel that they have enoughwork. The felony cases juvenile court judges oversee include children 15 years old and older,but the Seabaugh bill instead could send their district court colleagues asignificant load of cases.

Seabaugh said don’tjudge his bill so fast. He told me his proposal has nothing to do with Amendment 3. It was written before the March 29 election, he said. Seabaugh thinks district courts are better prepared

to handle more serious youth crimecases. “Juvenile courts used to focus on misdemeanors, truancy,small things,” he explained. “Juvenile courts weren’tmeant to handle serious crimes.”

But whydoes he wanttolower the age to 15 foryouth felonies to go to district courts? “You’ve got to draw aline somewhere,” he added.

“The bill has nothing to do with charges or where they would do time,” the senator insisted. “The focus is on where the trial occurs.”

If achild has acase in an adult court it is farmore likely that that child’scase would get fumbled because judges and others don’t know the children’scode, making it morelikely that morechildren would be convicted as adults and sent to adult prisons. Where would they be housed? With people 10, 20 and 30 years older? There are so manychallenges and complications with this measure that this bill needs to be withdrawnassoon as possible. EmailWill Sutton at wsutton @theadvocate.com.

PHOTO PROVIDED By U.S. SEN. BILL CASSIDy’S OFFICE

U.S. Sen.Bill Cassidyspeaks March 20 at the Northlake-Mandeville RotaryClub in Mandeville.

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Forces of nurture

BY LUKE JOHNSON Staff writer

PROSSER,Wash. Jump intothe charcoal gray pickup truck that belongs to the unofficial mayor of Prosser.There are importantpeople to talkto, and thereare thingsto see.

Lanky and gray-haired, Mark Little punctuates hisfree-flowingchatterwith wisecracksand crooked grins, giving him amischievous airthat belies his upcoming 70thbirthday.Little has passed mostofthoseyears in this little pocket of theYakima Valley —40asan educator, four more as aretiree, all of them as acoach. He was at the hospital the day Kellen Moorewas born, and he is delighted to show off theNew Orleans Saintshead coach’shometown.

You’re there to figure out what kindofforces shape someone like Moore. What is it about this place —orhis upbringing, or his talents, or his demeanor —that takes someone from asmall town to thehelm of an NFL organization before his 37th birthday? What drivessomeone so outwardlyunassuming to set high school andcollege footballrecords, and to skip so many rungs on the professional ladder that he becomesthe NFL’s youngest head coach?

So Littlegrabs his keysand says,“Let’sgo.”

Transfer

BY KEVIN FOOTE Staff writer

Former Catholic High of Baton Rouge fourstar wide receiver Shelton Sampson doesn’t really know why his first two seasons at LSU weresounproductive.

It’snot something he’sspending anytime worrying about these days, either.He’stoo busy enjoying the process offitting into the wide receiver room for the UL Ragin’ Cajuns.

“Honestly,Itry not to look back, because it doesn’treally matter anymore,” Sampson said. “I couldn’treally tell you. The opportunities weren’tright, andIneededsomewhere where Icould showcasemy ability

After his senior high school season of 79 receptions for 1,152 yards and 18 scores, the 6-foot-4, 195-pound Sampsonwas rankedas high asthe No. 3receiver nationally and was aNo. 41 overallprospectnationallybyESPN andNo. 36 by On3’scomposite rankings.

He finished his senior season by participating in theUnder Armour All-American game But after not catching asingle pass toward the end of last season, Sampson beganwondering whether it was time to makeamove.

“I just wasn’tgetting the reps Iwanted and wasn’t gettingthe opportunities, so Iwanted to comesomewhere where Icould showcase my abilities and my talents,” Sampson said. Aboutthattime, former Catholic High

teammate Daniel Bealewas planting ideas in his friend’smind.

“Definitely,” SampsonsaidofBeale being part of his decision to transfer to UL.“He was texting me before Ieven hit the portal lastyear,telling me Icould comehereand we could have abig thing. That chemistry was already there,sothat definitelyplayed apart in me coming here.

Beale was the quarterback for two-and-ahalf yearsofSampson’s stellar career that produced school records of 140 catches, 2,495 yards and 31 touchdowns.

“Wewereonpoint,”Sampson said of his connection with Beale. “It wasthere. Idon’t

Closing in on green jacket

McIlroy round away from Masters win, career Grand Slam

BY DOUG FERGUSON AP golf writer

AUGUSTA, Ga. — Rory McIlroy

McIlroy

raced out to the best start the Masters has seen in its 91-year history with six straight 3s on his scorecard that shot him into the lead Saturday and left him 18 holes away from that coveted green jacket and the career Grand Slam.

McIlroy chipped in for eagle as part of his amazing start. And then he delivered another eagle late in the round as contenders were lining up behind him, a majestic 6-iron to 6 feet on the par-5 15th hole that carried him to a second straight 6-under 66.

“It was an awesome day and puts me in a great position going into tomorrow,” McIlroy said.

He led by two shots over a familiar foe Bryson DeChambeau, who delivered some magic of his own with a 45-foot birdie putt to start his round and a putt from nearly 50 feet for birdie on the 18th hole that gave him a 69.

It was DeChambeau who crushed McIlroy’s spirit last year at Pinehurst No 2 by beating him at the U.S. Open, stretching McIlroy’s drought in the majors to more than a decade.

“It will be the grandest stage we’ve had in a long time, and I’m excited for it,” DeChambeau said. “It’s going to be an electric atmosphere.”

Also familiar to McIlroy was his position going into the final day at Augusta National At stake Sunday is a chance to become only the sixth player to capture all four professional majors, a feat last accomplished nearly 25 years ago by Tiger Woods at the British Open.

Corey Conners, who went from a five-shot deficit to one shot behind McIlroy in a span of three holes on this wild Saturday, closed with eight straight pars for a 70 He was in third place, four shots behind No one else was closer than six shots of McIlroy. Justin Rose, who had a one-shot lead at the start of the day, shot 75 and was seven shots back.

Scottie Scheffler, the reigning champion and world’s No. 1 player, was stuck in neutral on a thrilling afternoon with so much movement.

He was having to stay in the game with tough pars and managed only two birdies in his round of 72. He also was seven shots behind.

Patrick Reed, who won the Masters in 2018, birdied two of the last three holes for a 69 and was at 6-under 210 along with Ludvig Aberg, the runner-up a year ago.

BROADCAST HIGHLIGHTS

LSU softball spots A&M seven runs, can’t rally back

The No. 3 Texas A&M softball team scored seven runs in the first inning, then had to hold on for dear life to beat No. 5 LSU 9-7 on Saturday in College Station, Texas. The Aggies (36-5, 10-3 SEC) took advantage of five first-inning walks and one hit batter from LSU freshman left-hander Jayden Heavener, who walked home three runs before giving up a three-run double to No. 9 hitter Kramer Eschete to knock her out of the game LSU (35-7, 8-6) responded with five runs in the third, then scored two more in the fifth to trim its deficit to 8-7.

Tori Edwards hit a grand slam in the third inning for the Tigers’ biggest blow

St. Louis SS Winn placed on IL with back problems

LSU DEs in rush to prove themselves

BY WILSON ALEXANDER Staff writer

Jack Pyburn likes to celebrate after he makes a stop, so when he sacked quarterback Garrett Nussmeier on the last play of the day for LSU starters, he danced.

The transfer defensive end raised his arms above his head, encouraged by linebacker West Weeks, and a frustrated Nussmeier tossed the ball back toward the middle of the field

It was a fitting end to the open practice Saturday in Tiger Stadium after the defensive ends impressed throughout the scrimmage. Pyburn, sophomore Gabriel Reliford and Nebraska transfer Jimari Butler all created pressure multiple times, making it tough for Nussmeier and the rest of the offense to move the ball.

Needing to restock the position, LSU added three defensive ends from the transfer portal in Pyburn, Butler and Patrick Payton from Florida State. Their arrival and Reliford’s development have given LSU confidence in the group.

“You’ve got mature players that have played a lot of football, and certainly that shows up,” coach

Brian Kelly said “It didn’t just show up today for me. It showed up every day in practice.”

Kelly changed the format of the spring game this year Instead of keeping score, LSU worked on special teams and red-zone situations before running full-field plays Kelly said LSU practiced “virtually every situation” that it would face in a game.

O-line combinations

The starting offensive line was the same as it has been for most of the spring with left tackle Tyree Adams, left guard Paul Mubenga, center DJ Chester right guard Coen Echols and right tackle Weston Davis Adams and Davis have the edge on their respective positions, though Northwestern transfer Josh Thompson brings tackle experience. Thompson and Virginia Tech

“You’ve got mature players that have played a lot of football, and certainly that shows up. It didn’t just show up today for me. It showed up every day in practice.”

KELLy, LSU coach

BRIAN

transfer Braelin Moore got plenty of work. At one point, Moore played center and Thompson was at left guard. Thompson also took reps as the second-team right tackle. It appears those seven are in contention for time heading into the rest of the offseason. Kelly said LSU would use the first eight or nine practices of preseason camp to make a decision on the starters, then spend the second half of August trying to build continuity among them before the season opener against Clemson.

Individual standouts

Early in the 7-on-7 period, sophomore cornerback PJWoodland dove for an interception off Nussmeier Woodland spent a lot of time with the first-team defense opposite Virginia Tech transfer Mansoor Delane

Ashton Stamps also practiced with the starters, while five-star freshman DJ Pickett and redshirt freshman Michael Turner stayed with the second team at cornerback. Florida transfer Ja’Keem Jackson was present but did not practice. Kentucky transfer Barion Brown made several catches in 7-on-7, including an over-the-shoulder grab in tight coverage down the sideline. He also caught two touchdowns, one of them when he came back to the ball as Nussmeier scrambled. Brown looks like he could make a difference.

Working on run game

Kelly cut off photography and videography of practice before a goal-line period, and he said the timing was intentional LSU didn’t want images circulating of a play

with Johnson at quarterback. Nussmeier lined up in the slot, and Johnson scored on a keeper Kelly first mentioned before spring practice that Johnson, a converted defensive back and running back, could help in certain situations. He ran the ball multiple times and threw a touchdown to early enrollee TaRon Francis as the third-team quarterback.

“I think he enhances what we can do in the red zone,” Kelly said.

“I think he enhances what we can do at that position in the running game. I mean, it’s hard. We saw that last year against teams that ran the quarterback against us.”

LSU has emphasized the run game this spring after averaging 116.4 yards rushing per game last season. Kelly said there has been “a concerted effort to be much more diverse” with misdirections, handoffs under center and varied schemes.

LSU needs to continue to work on it — the defense stuffed a few plays — but the intent could be seen.

Nussmeier scored on a quarterback draw during the goal-line period, and wide receiver Zavion Thomas scored on a handoff. Kaleb Jackson and Harlem Berry had some good runs, especially a 22-yarder by Berry against the backups.

Injury updates

Running back Caden Durham, defensive tackle Sydir Mitchell and wide receiver Destyn Hill did not practice. Mitchell went down with an injury earlier this week, but he had returned to practice Thursday Durham and Hill both suffered ankle injuries. Durham has an ankle sprain, Kelly said, so LSU held him out as a precaution. He might return to practice next week. Hill has a high-ankle sprain, so his availability for the last week of spring ball is uncertain.

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

The St. Louis Cardinals placed shortstop Masyn Winn on the 10day injured list Saturday and activated infielder Nolan Gorman.

Winn left the Cardinals’ 2-0 win against Philadelphia on Friday night with back spasms, and the team decided to take a safer approach to keep Winn healthy long term.

Winn also missed time last season and during spring training with stiffness in his back.

In putting Winn on the injured list, Marmol also wanted to ensure the Cardinals had the ability to make moves during a game if needed. When Winn left in the first inning Friday night, backup catcher Pedro Pages entered at second base while rookie Thomas Saggese took over Winn’s spot at shortstop.

NBA rescinds technical, allows Edwards to play

The Minnesota Timberwolves were hopeful after Friday night’s win over Brooklyn that the technical foul Anthony Edwards received would be rescinded. If it wasn’t, Edwards was set to be suspended for Sunday’s regularseason finale against Utah, a game that carries major playoff implications for the Wolves.

Win and they guarantee themselves a top-six playoff seed. Lose and they’re likely headed to Memphis for the first part of the play-in tournament.

The Wolves got their wish Saturday, as the league announced Edwards’ technical from the second quarter was rescinded and he can play Sunday Coach Chris Finch said Edwards had a right to be upset at some missed foul calls. He also didn’t think Edwards deserved the technical.

Florida QB Lagway set to start throwing soon

Forida quarterback DJ Lagway will “start throwing in a couple weeks,” coach Billy Napier said Saturday Lagway was limited throughout spring practice with a shoulder injury that lingered from last season and he played sparingly in the team’s annual spring game. Lagway played five snaps Saturday, all first-down handoffs.

Napier raised red flags last month when he said Lagway would be a limited participant during spring, his first as the team’s starter Instead of getting valuable repetitions, Lagway spent a month handing off, watching passing plays and calling the offense. Lagway missed some practice time last fall with shoulder soreness, a lingering issue from his high school days. But it never caused him to miss a game.

Logano fully recovered after bout with norovirus

Regining NASCAR Cup Series champion Joey Logano said a bout of norovirus sent him to the Darlington Raceway infield care center for medical treatment after last week’s race. The Team Penske star said he had been ailing throughout the week ahead of the 400-mile race that was run in unseasonably warm 89-degree weather He managed to complete all 297 laps and finish 13th.

“I had a stomach virus, that norovirus, and I thought I was good,” Logano said. “And then right before the race, I realized I was not good. I was able to get through the race, but I was pretty dehydrated afterward.”

Logano, 34, was grateful to recover in time for a busy week ahead of Sunday’s 500-lap race at Bristol

Motor Speedway

STAFF PHOTO By MICHAEL JOHNSON

quarterback Garrett Nussmeier makes an off-balance throw during Saturday’s open practice at Tiger Stadium. LSU changed the format of its spring game this year to more resemble a practice.

Continued from page 1C

From Little’s home on the banks of the Yakima River, which cuts through the heart of the town of about 6,000 people, he drives through the historic downtown and up into the hills to the house on Scenic Drive. He remembers watching young Kellen throw footballs to himself in the backyard He drives out of the hills, past the gleaming new high school, and winds around a bend to the dingy old building where he witnessed Kellen’s father, Tom, build something special. There, he says, is where the athletic teams lifted weights out of a double-wide trailer He acquires keys to the old gym where he knows Kellen’s Gatorade Player of the Year banner hangs. He apologizes for its tattered condition

From the old gym to Housel Middle School, where Little used to teach, everyone he encounters receives a bit of goodnatured ribbing — from the maintenance man to the office workers while he looks for the right people. Here are Jeff Appelgate, Kellen’s eighth-grade football coach, and Dean Smith, who taught Kellen in the gifted and talented program. Both have been here 33 years. There are Wendy Rodriguez (30 years) and Christine Essary (32 years), who both taught Kellen in the sixth grade. There is a long history here Appelgate pulls up a video that all those teachers who taught Kellen and remained in Prosser sent to him before Super Bowl LIX. In it, Appelgate jokingly thanks Kellen for letting him call plays back when Kellen was an eighth grader who knew more about the game than his coaches Little suggests meeting Kellen’s old babysitter, so he calls Rose Brown and directs the pickup back into the hills where she lives. She has known the Moore family for about 40 years, and she watched both Kellen and his younger brother Kirby, from the time they were in diapers through their childhood. She gave all the kids she watched nicknames; the Moore boys were “Kellenmeister” and “Kerbil Gerbil.” She seems somewhat embarrassed that she can’t help clapping when she sees Kellen on TV, though she knows he can’t hear When she sees him on her screen, she recognizes the same soft laugh he had as a child

What sort of place shaped Kellen Moore? Throw a rock in Prosser and you re likely to hit someone who can tell you The place that built Kellen Moore This clichéd phrase keeps popping up when you speak to people about Moore. Over and over again, they say it was all a “perfect storm.” The textbook definition of the phrase connotes something negative, or destructive, but that’s not the aim. It is a tidy way to describe something that is difficult to explain. The complex weave of place and people, of nature and nurture, of skill and opportunity, the many disparate things that all aligned in just the right way to produce someone like Kellen Moore.

Prosser is idyllic at sunset Viewed from the Horse Heaven hills where the wild mustangs once roamed, the setting sun casts golden light on those hills to the south and Rattlesnake Mountain to the north and the lush valley in between — wine vineyards, apple orchards, and fields of hops and wheat. Running through all of it is the shimmering sickle of the Yakima River. The postcard view of Prosser today is a fabrication of American ingenuity and hubris. Left to its own devices, Prosser would be an arid place where little but sagebrush grows. For millennia, the only inhabitants were the people of the Yakima Nation, who came to the falls of the wild river to catch salmon on their annual spawn migration.

That began to change when the town’s namesake, William Prosser, arrived and established a homestead in 1882 on the banks of the river. Those who followed found hard times, but those few who lasted lean years taming horses and coaxing wheat

from dry soil were rewarded.

Twenty years after William Prosser’s arrival, Congress passed the Reclamation Act, which gave the government authority to fund the large-scale irrigation of the American west. A dam tamed the wild river, destroying the Yakima Nation’s ancestral tradition and diverting the flow to suddenly lucrative farmland. President Theodore Roosevelt trekked to the Prosser train depot to praise the community making the “wilderness bloom like a rose.”

Water transformed Prosser, revealing the perfect storm of conditions that make it a vibrant place now Three hundred days of sun and 8 inches of rain per year, hot days, cool nights, volcanic soil — an agricultural industry sprouted from the desert, and a community lasted for more than 100 years until two teachers from Illinois arrived on their summer break, blown away by the beauty of the place.

Tom and Kris Moore fell in love with the area that summer while camping at a friend’s home in the nearby Tri Cities. They didn’t have to leave. The Prosser Mustangs, named after those wild horses that no longer lived there, needed a football coach.

In some ways, Kellen Moore’s path feels predetermined. He is the son of a coach, but he is also the grandson of a coach.

Thomas “Bert” Moore was a first-generation Irish immigrant. He served with the U.S. Marines during World War II, and afterward attended Western Illinois, where his accomplishments earned him a spot in the school’s athletics Hall of Fame. He is most well-known for his time coaching basketball at Bloom Township in the south Chicago suburbs, where his teams competed for state titles. One of his star players, sports executive Jerry Colangelo, once described him to the Chicago Tribune as a “tough, pugnosed competitor” who had a “demeanor that made you want to play for him.”

Tom Moore grew up in that environment

His life centered around his father’s sports programs, and then he went west and built one of his own.

Prosser won four games in 1986, Tom’s first season leading the program. It then won 21 of the next 22 league championships and four state titles before Tom stepped down in 2009 as one of the most successful football coaches in Washington state history

There’s shorthand for how he got there: TMF, for Tom Moore Football. The acronym is spoken like an inside joke, like the people

in on it know Tom despises it. It suggests that he is the center of it all, which may be the antithesis of what Tom Moore Football is actually about. It is a comprehensive system for building better men.

“Tom and the Prosser Mustang culture, throughout those 30 years, changed a generation,” says Josh Jelinek, who both played and coached under Tom at Prosser “We grew up knowing that if we did the right thing, we would be taken care of. We also knew the expectation was to not be mediocre, it was to be great Many of us took that challenge and embraced it.”

Little was already in Prosser when Tom arrived, and he witnessed the “absolute 180” the program took under his direction. When Tom wasn’t coaching football, he taught strength classes in the weight room and incorporated training elements that are common now, but not then. His kids ran sprints if they swore His football practices were scripted down to the smallest detail. Preparation and discipline were the hallmarks of his teams. And he would never, ever allow the circumstances of his environment — a one-school town whose talent is confined to the borders of the school district — to dictate his team’s success.

“Throughout the state, people knew where Prosser was and about Prosser football because of the success,” says Doug Fassler, who began coaching with Tom Moore in 1988 and still teaches at Prosser High today “Lots of people would come back and say ‘What are they doing there? Where are they getting these players? They’re just little farm-town kids.’

“They grew up together, and coach Moore established a culture of winning and raised the bar on the work ethic, what it takes, the weight room, the conditioning, et cetera. He created something that made our town special.”

Scores of small towns experience brief sports successes, but how do some sustain it over decades like Tom’s Prosser teams? Maybebyinvestinginit,soitcanself-sustain.

Patrick Zuniga moved to Prosser from a neighboring town right before he began high school. Like Jelinek, he is one of many who played under Tom, then later coached under him.

The Prosser he remembers is one that would come to a complete stop on Friday nights. The people inside Art Fiker Stadium would be parents, but also local business owners who’d offer 2-for-1 specials

with proceeds going to support the athletics program, and elementary school kids, envisioning their futures, trying to seek out those broad-shouldered team captains who visited their classrooms.

“It was kind of our own crop,” Zuniga says. “We grew it, we cultivated it.”

The coach’s son was no different than anyone else.

“The way we grew up, all we really wanted to be was Prosser Mustangs,” Kellen says. “It was the way we were raised.” Kellen was placed in Prosser’s gifted program for those who tested in the 97th percentile and above. Rodriguez, who taught his sixth-grade English class, described him as “always deep in thought, a high-level reader, writer, thinker.” Zuniga, who taught Kellen’s honors history class, remembers a boy with an incredibly pliable mind who applied metaphors to make complex things understandable. He showed an aptitude for tech, and throughout high school he worked in Smith’s S.W.A.T program — Students With an Attitude for Technology He helped students and teachers alike with computers, and it was not lost on Smith that the star quarterback was participating in something like this.

“In my gifted program, there were some students who didn’t have the social skills, and I always remember how he was one who would just gravitate to the students who might feel left out and he pulled them in,” Smith says. “He was very inclusive.”

There may have been a hundred different routes Kellen could have taken out of Prosser when he chose to leave. He decided early on to pour his gifts into sports. Kellen was a near constant presence around his father’s teams, and just like in school, he worked hard at understanding what was happening in front of him. When he was young, he sat in the stands with his mother and dissected what was happening on the field. When he got a little older, he moved into various on-field roles chasing the tee after a kickoff or working as a ball boy

There are stories about a precocious and quiet child, and then there are stories like this: Essary taught sixth-grade math and science at Prosser’s middle school. During breaks in class, the 11- or 12-year old boys would do things the kids of that age do, except for Kellen, who would find a quiet corner in the room and pull out a pen and paper

One day Essary realized he was drawing up football plays.

“His brain was zoned in to football from a very young age,” Essary says. “I didn’t realize how special that was.”

Kellen dissected football plays the way another kid might take apart a radio, trying to understand how and why it worked. He watched as much of the game as he could get his hands on, somehow acquiring nonbroadcast film of Texas Tech’s air raid offense, and thought about how he could apply it to his own high school offense. Everybody who coached him at the time maybe with the exception of his father, is convinced that Kellen understood football better than they did. He used to make his own playbooks. Hard copies weren’t a thing at Prosser, because Tom always believed the kids learned best through experience. But Kellen was not deterred, and he fabricated his own. Nobody in the Moore family seems to know where they are. They’re relics of a bygone era, and the Moores are not sentimental. But at least one exists. Little seemed to sense what was happening when Tom’s son started lighting up scoreboards and breaking records He managed to get his hands on one, and he held onto it over the years. It’s a plain white binder, with a cover sheet identifying it as the “2005 Prosser Passing Offense.” Crack its cover and see a bulleted list with the names for personnel packages and instructions for making checks at the line of scrimmage. Each individual sheet

TOP OF PAGE: A middle school autobiography in which Saints coach Kellen Moore laid out his goals as a youth in Prosser, Washington. CENTER: Moore throws a pass as a Prosser Mustang quarterback. RIGHT: Moore, right, poses with his brother Kirby, after a Prosser High School football game. Both were star football players for the Prosser Mustangs. Kirby is now the offensive coordinator for the University of Missouri.

STAFF PHOTOS By LUKE JOHNSON

Mark Little, Kellen’s former coach at Prosser High School, poses for a photo on March 30 at his home in Prosser, Wash.

A metal mustang sculpture is seen on the foreground at the Prosser High School football field on March 30 in Prosser, Wash.

MOORE

STAFF PHOTOS By LUKE JOHNSON, PROVIDED PHOTOS By MOORE FAMILy

shows aspecific playand its variations based on formation, as wellasaninlaid box that identifies the type ofdrop, handsignals and what areceiver issupposedtodo against acertain typeofcoverage.

It might be the only one left. Little laughs and says he may sell it on eBay if Kellenis ever enshrined in the Hall of Fame.

There are alot of stories about Kellen Moore the football player.Evenfor akid who threw for astate-record 173 touchdown passes in three seasonsatProsser, some of the storiesmay be enhanced by the passage of time and the legend that has grown since. But some stories arepreserved in the moment.

Zuniga was the head coach for Kellen’s freshman football team.Hestartslaughing before he can findthe image he’ssearching for on his phone, the box score from Kellen’sfirst football game as ahighschool athlete. He’slaughing becausehewas the head coach but leaningonhis freshman quarterback to helpcall the plays, and he’s laughing because he remembers the poor kids on the other side of theball runninga zero-blitz look the wholegame.

Final score: Prosser 91, Hanford 12. Kellen Moore’s11 completions went for239 yards and five touchdowns.

Theplace that Kellen Moorebuilt

About fivehours southeast of Prosser, the Gene Bleymaier footballfacility sits near thebanks of the Boise river,ontop of what used to bea grasslot where Boise State fans tailgated.

Walk into the state-of-the-art complex, up the stairs toward the football offices, and one of the first things to greetyou is a giant tile mosaic of Kellen throwing afootball. Continuedown the hall, and there’s another large mosaic piece of Kellen. Go farther and findablown-up versionofthe Sports Illustrated cover featuring Kellen —the one that was hanging on the walls of so many homes and classroomsinProsser. Walk into co-offensivecoordinatorNate Potter’soffice, with the largewindow overlooking the iconic blue turf, and findafloorto-ceiling likeness of Kellen loadingupto throw apass.

He is everywhere you look in the football building.Anyone who knows Kellen suggests that he probably hates this type ofdisplay,and they’re absolutely right.The building was built in 2013,two years after Kellen’s college career ended, andKellen dismisses the iconography inside it as “timing.”

“That’scalled, they were building the facility as Iwas leaving,” he says.“They’ll build somecooler and better things soon.”

He will findsome who agree with him, who will point out that he arrived to acollegeprogram alreadyonthe rise, that he playedunder abrilliantcoachingstaff andalongside several future NFL players. Itwas notaonemanshow.Their shared successeswere, in part, amatter of excellent timing. But not everybody feels thisway

“Thisbuilding,the reason it’shere, has alot to do with him and theimpact he had on the program,” says Potter, whowas Kellen’sBoise State teammatefor fiveyears.

The most well-knownmoment in Boise State history may have happened ayear before Kellen Moore arrivedoncampus.

The 2007 Fiesta Bowl, Boise State vs. Oklahoma. Ian Johnson taking the handoffon the game-winningStatue of Liberty play in overtime,then proposingtohis girlfriend on the broadcast.

That is what people thought about when they thought about Boise State —that and the blueturf. That win againstOklahoma resulted in the school securingfunding for the glass-windowed facade on the west side of the stadium, and it was the zenithofa great 10-year run after Boise Statetransitioned to the highest level of college football in the mid-90s But moments are fleeting.How do you take amoment and capitalize on it, to turn it into something with staying power? You take an already strong existing framework and add someone like Kellen Moore to supercharge thegrowth Jay Tust, now the sports director for KTVB-TV in Boise,started covering the team just before Kellen’sfinalseasonin 2011. The Broncos began that yearranked No. 5inThe Associated Press poll, afact

Washington outsidelinebacker Trent Murphyapplies pressure as Dallas Cowboys quarterback Kellen Moorelooks to make apass on Jan. 3, 2016, in Arlington, Texas.Moore threwthree touchdowns in what washis last game as an NFLquarterback.

Tust had ahardtime squaring with what his eyeswere tellinghim.

“They’re top 10 in thecountry,and they’re practicing in amiddle-school grass practice field during fall camp,” Tust says.

“And the mode of transportation is abunch of Idahokidsjumping in the back of pickup trucks and driving down Fairview (Avenue) to get back to campus.

“And then when they arrive at campus, they’regoing intothisold,dilapidated locker room that is completely outdated. They’re sharing asmall weight room with theentire school.”

Notlongafter theyopened that camp,the Broncos waxedGeorgia 35-21 in Atlanta in their season opener.That was what the Kellen Mooreera was all about at Boise State, Tust says. Doing more with less.

“Boiseloves to claimthatthey’re blue collar,” Tust says. “They writeitonthe backof their jerseys and things like that. But when you go over to the facility now, yourealize they actually have some pretty nicestuff. When Kellen was here, thatwas an era where Itruly believe that they didn’t have to embrace being blue collar because they were blue collar.”

Longtime Boise State head coach Chris Petersen seems to have little interest in fueling Kellen’sBoise legend with apocryphal tales. Themiddle-school field?They just needed some grass. The handmade playbook Kellen supposedly showed up with when he arrived at Boise, based off his own film study? Theonly thing that mattered is if he could play But Petersen also hasnoneed forit, because theBoise erawas proof in the pudding. And thebeautiful thing is the wayit all dawned on everyone. Not in someeureka moment, but in stages.

The production at Prosserforced Petersen to payattention. Then arecruiting camp, where it was impossible to get areal gauge on whether hisability wouldtranslate,but it was hardtoignore how fast he was getting the ball out of hishand. Petersen remembers thinking, “‘God,does he knowwhat he’s doing, or is he just feeling things?’ “So he got Kellen on campus, redshirted him and had him lead the scoutteam. And Petersen remembers howfrustrated his defensive coaches would be during practice, andthe waythey said, “Yeah, but we’re not going to see that this weekend,”and the eyebrows startedtoraisealittlemore.

And then there’s what happened in the meeting rooms.

“The thing aboutKellenthatwas just different —inall my years of coaching, he’satthe top of the chartonthis —isthe intensity,the attention and focus that he brought to meetings every day,”Petersen says. “And I’m talking when he redshirted hisfirst year.Itwas just different.” Kellen beat out

veteran Bush Hamdan for thestarting job in 2008, Petersen did nothave to wait long for the decision to be validated. Boise State traveled to Autzen Stadium to play Oregon in Week 3, and if there is one thing everybody can agree on, it is that the Oregon game removed any doubt that they’d found someone special.

Little saw it from the stands with a Prosser contingent: “I remember talking to Tom, like, ‘Oh,I hope he just doesn’tget crushed.’ Thenthey start playing, and it’s like, completion, completion, completion. It’sliketheywere playingone of our high school teams.”

LongtimeBoise State sports information director MaxCorbet saw from the press box: “Shoot, he just lights it up. Youcould just see it with him and theconfidence that he had. He just doesn’tget rattled, he had a great game, and .the rest is history.”

Petersen saw from the sideline: “Westill hadn’t been challenged yet. AndIjustremember in that game, early on,wehad a seven-stepdraw play-action, andhethrows acomeback.I’m watchinghim, and he gets detonated —likethe guy knocks him about 10 yards backwards. And I’mlike, ‘Oh no, we mighthavejustlostourquarterback.’Andhe pops over,smiling at the sidelinelike, ‘We’re rolling here, fellas.’ Then I’m like, ‘OK, this guy might have something here.’ “ Potter saw it from the field: “Players, coaching staff,everybody knewthathe was different.Inmymemory,that was theturning point in football terms,where everybody was like, ‘Oh,man, we’ve got somebodyspecial.’

While Kellen became one of the most prolific passers in collegefootballhistory,his Broncoslost just threegamesbya combined totaloffive points. He endeared himself to agrowing BoiseState fanbase with avibe Tust describes as, “low ego, high output.” People in the Boisearea really did start naming their kids Kellen.And people invested in the program.

Travis Hawkes was born and raised in Boise. He went to Boise State’sbusiness school and then co-founded asuccessful business in the area. In his sleek office, he has one room dedicated to Boise State memorabilia. In it, there are Kellen Moore bobbleheads and signedfootballs and a game-used jersey. Thereisalsoa nearly life-sized painting of him, which is actually asecret door to ahidden lounge.

“He alwaysdid thingsthe right way,” Hawkes says. “It’s afan’sdream. It’slike thereverse of the guy who is the best player whodisappoints youwithego or off-field actions or how he treats people.”

It was awave of momentum that carried BoiseState from the Statue of Liberty moment to something that felt more sustainable. Of course he didn’tsingle-handedly raise theBoise State football program from the

dust. But it is equally evident that the program that exists now probablydoesn’tlook the same without Kellen Moore’sinfluence.

“He changedthe trajectory of the program,” Potter says. “This growth and what we’re building here is all, in part,from what he did while he was aplayer.”

Theplan

What forces produced someone like KellenMoore?Maybea placelike Prosserdid “It’sa simple, smalltown,”Kellensays. “There’stwo stoplights.”

Well, actually, there are three now,the latest one being added afew years ago. WhatMooreleaves out is that Prosser did not install its first stoplight until he was in high school. Back then, there was awelcome sign posted somewhere in town that describedProsser as “a pleasant place with pleasant people.” That, he believes, is accurate. It has always been aplace where everyone knewand took careofeach other

Maybe it’s the people in the smalltown, like the teachers that nurtured his curiosity,orthe coaches who to this dayhang onto their unwavering belief in him

Kellenappeared in three games as an NFL player, alla footnotetoa forgettable 2015 season with the DallasCowboys. A footnote to all except those who remember and still believe.

With Little looking on, nodding, Fassler says, “I swear to God, Iknowhecould’ve done it in the NFL.”

Kellenstruggled in his first twogames, throwing four interceptions in apair of dismal losses. But he started the regular-season final at homeagainst Washington. And withLittle and someothers from Prosser in attendance, he turned in avintage Kellen performance, throwing for 435 yards and three touchdowns.

It was the last opportunity he’d have to see the field as aplayer.Heretired as a player before his 30th birthday and had a job coaching in the league weeks later.At 36 years old, Kellen Moore is the youngest head coach in the NFL. He takes over a Saints organization that is desperate for a winner,and the people in his past are convinced he is going to get it done.

“I know if it had broken differently and he had an opportunitytoactually play, he would’ve found aniche in the NFL, Ihave no doubt,”Fasslersays. “Because mentally he was twosteps ahead of you even at that level. Which led to his being agreat offensive coordinator and that kind of thing.

“He’sdifferent. He’sdifferent.”

Maybe he is the product of his family environment. His mother,aprincipal who fostered his mind, and his father,acoach who drew him and his younger brother to football. Kellen is an NFL head coach, and Kirby is aSoutheastern Conference offensive coordinator at Missouri. There are threegenerations of successful Moore coachesnow “It’snot acoincidence, and it’snot aonetime lightning strike for Tom, Kellen and Kirby,” Jelinek says. “This is in their blood andit’sintheir heart, and they’re very good at it. Ican’twait to see what he does.” YougotoProsser,and to Boise, and you try to uncover allofthose elements that combinedtomakethis perfect storm, and you cometothe conclusion that all these elements undoubtedly played apart in shaping the boy that becamethe coveted man And then youfind the last scrapofevidence. Aphoto of abooklet, typedout more than 20 years ago when Kellen was maybe 12 or 13 years old. When he was in middle school, ateacher assigned his class aproject that required students to write an autobiography.Ina short introduction, Kellen wrote about the central role football had played in his life, how he waslucky to grow up around the game, how he’d been on the sideline for every gamesince the first grade.

Some of it is funny kid stuff. He refers to himself throughout with the spoonerism “Mellen Koore.” He makessuretonote that he’s always hadhis ownroom, andthat he visits family in Chicago once ayear And then you get to the final page. The list of amiddle schooler’slong-term goals. Those are something else entirely

1. To startatquarterback for Prosser for at least twoyears.

2. To get ascholarship to play football or basketball.

3. To play college football or basketball.

4. To get adegree in sports management.

5. Then it would be to hopefully play in the NFLorthe NBA.

6. Would be to then be aGeneral Manager,Coach,orsomething like that for a football team. He went5-for-6 before he turned 40. The only thing he missed was his degree. Instead, he wasanacademic All-American while majoring in communications.

“I’ve never seen somebody with the single focus that he had to accomplish something, andthenitall worked outalmostlikeyou couldn’tplanitany better,” Fassler says. Little was there the day Kellen Moore was born. He watched Kellenthrow footballs to himself in thebackyard.He coached alongside Kellen’sfather fortwo anda half decades,and he likes to joke about shamelessly riding Tomand Kellen’scoattails. He has apersonalconnection with just about everyone whowas important in Kellen’slife, and he’shappy to introduce you to them

And Little understands.

“Weall want to do whatever we can to take creditfor Kellen,”Littlesays witha laugh “But unfortunately he had alot more to do withour success than we hadtodowithhis.”

The forces that shaped Kellen Moore were allaround him. In his Prosserfamily homeand in his classroom and football fields, on middle-school grass and blue fields among the right people in Idaho. But they were also within him Email Luke Johnsonat ljohnson@theadvocate.com.

TOP: Murals of Kellen Moore throughout Boise State’sGene Bleymaier football facility in Boise, Idaho. RIGHT: Boise State quarterback Kellen Moore holds up theMaaco Bowl trophyafter the Broncos defeated Arizona StateonDec. 22, 2011, in LasVegas.

STAFF PHOTOSByLUKE JOHNSON, AP FILE PHOTO

ASSOCIATED PRESS FILE PHOTO By MICHAEL AINSWORTH

STAFF PHOTO By BRAD KEMP

Cajuns softball falls to James Madison

UL drops second straight Sun Belt game to Dukes

BY KEVIN FOOTE Staff writer

As it turns out, not even coming home can provide some much-needed relief for the UL softball team these days.

One day after being shut out in the series opener Friday, James Madison held off a late Ragin’ Cajuns’ rally for an 8-7 win over UL on Saturday at Lamson Park to win the Sun Belt series. It was the fourth Sun Belt series loss this season, dropping UL to 19-22 overall and 5-9 in conference play James Madison improved to 18-20 and 5-9.

The final game of the series is scheduled for noon Sunday.

In the seventh inning, Mia Liscano had a bases-loaded walk and Maddie Hayden’s two-run single to cut the deficit to one run, Kayla Falterman lined out to left to end the threat with two runners in scoring position.

The Cajuns opened the scoring with two runs in the first inning. Hayden singled and scored on Emily Smith’s

RBI single. After a fielding error, Mia Norwood’s RBI single scored the second run. That lead didn’t last long, though. The Dukes got to UL starter Bethaney Noble for four runs in the second inning to seize the lead for good.

Cali Legzdin walked to get it going. Later, Lily Romero was hit by a pitch to force in a run and chase Noble. Payton List had an RBI single off reliever Tyra Clary and Reed Butler a two-run single.

UL tried to scratch back with single runs in the fifth and sixth innings.

Falterman singled and scored on a Sam Roe RBI single in the fifth It wasn’t as simple as that sounded, however. Initially, it appeared Roe’s sacrifice fly got Falterman home. But a miscommunication involving a pinch runner resulted in an automatic out at first base after an appeal, before Roe got her two-out RBI single up the middle.

In the sixth, Cecilia Vasquez led off with a double and scored on Laney Cre-

deur’s ground ball through the shortstop’s legs. The Cajuns ended up loading the bases with two outs, but the runners were stranded.

Vasquez finished with three hits. Her single in the bottom of the seventh helped the Cajuns cut the lead to 8-7.

UL’s uphill climb in the sixth grew because List hit a three-run homer to left in the top of the sixth.

UL reliever Sam Ryan gave up four runs on four hits, no walks and no strikeouts in 12⁄3 innings. Clary pitched three shutout innings. She gave up five hits and no walks and struck out five.

Noble reentered the game but gave up four runs on three hits, two walks with three strikeouts in 21⁄3 innings.

The Dukes outhit UL 12-11 in the game, which included eight errors (four by each team).

Kirsten Fleet (9-5) was the winning pitcher for James Madison, giving up two earned runs on eight hits and one walk in five innings.

ULM evens weekend series with Cajuns

UL baseball team falls 4-3 in 10 innings

BY KEVIN FOOTE Staff writer

The pitching was about the same as Friday’s sixrun victory, but UL’s hitting was not even close in Saturday’s 4-3 loss in 10 innings to even the road series against ULM at Lou St. Amant Field.

UL reliever Kevin McGehee found himself in a bases loaded, no-out situation in the bottom of the 10th and Marcus Aranda’s fielder’s choice grounder chased home the winning run.

The Cajuns dropped to 17-21 and 8-6 in league play, while ULM improved to 1719 and 4-10. UL had won 18 of the previous 21 games between the two teams.

The rubber game of the series is scheduled for 1 p.m. Sunday

UL got a clutch two-out, two-run double from Lee Amedee on a 3-2 count in the top of the eighth to tie the game, but it wasn’t enough.

UL scored first with a single run in the second. It could have been a bigger inning, but Drew Markle was picked off first base just before Jose Torres doubled in a run to deep right for the game’s first run. But ULM catcher Colby Lunsford was a thorn in the side of UL starter Andrew Herrmann.

First, Lunsford homered to lead off the fourth for a 2-1 Warhawks lead and then had a two-out RBI single on a 3-2 pitch in the fifth for a 3-1 lead.

Isaiah Walker’s sacrifice fly in the first for ULM was the game’s first run.

Herrmann allowed three runs on five hits, four walks and struck out three in 5.1 innings. Reliever Dylan Theut gave up one hit in one scoreless inning.

McGehee was the losing pitcher after surrendering

one run on three hits, one walk and one strikeout in three innings. Friday’s opener went much better for the Cajuns, who only needed two pitchers to cover the nine innings in a 9-3 victory Starter Chase Morgan allowed three runs on six hits, two walks and struck out five in five innings on 94 pitches Matthew Holzhammer went the final four innings, giving up no runs on two hits, two walks and striking out three. Amedee and Conor Higgs were the big hitters in the win. Amedee was 3 for 5 with a double and three RBIs and Higgs finished 2 for 3 with a homer and three RBIs. UL scored two runs in the second, third fifth and eighth innings. Higgs hit a two-run homer in the third. Amedee had RBI singles in the second and fifth and a run-scoring double in the seventh.

Email Kevin Foote at kfoote@theadvocate.com.

really know what to say The chemistry was tight.

The transition has gone smoothly so far in Lafayette “It’s been good so far, smooth,” Sampson said. “The environment here is great people, so the transition has really been easy for me.

“I’d say just the routine (was the toughest adjustement), but I’m getting the hang of it now I’d say it was a little challenging at first, but I’m getting used to it.” UL coach Mich ael Desormeaux also likes the early progress for Sampson

“Shelton has been exactly what we’d hope he’d be,” Desormeaux said. “Not even the ball part of it, but the work ethic and the attitude that he’s got and the way he shows up every day.”

In addition to Beale, Sampson said he’s enjoyed building a rapport with Ole Miss transfer quarterback Walker Howard as well

“It’s been good,” Sampson said. “I’ve been knowing Walker since high school. We were working out, and he was throwing routes to me. We’ve been familiar with each other, so it’s been smooth.”

Also easing his transition with the Cajuns is some familiar faces in the UL receiving room.

“The chemistry in the wide receiver room, we’ve been growing,” Sampson said.

“Everybody could ball, so we try not to think too much

about who is getting it. We just go out there and play

“The guys definitely welcomed me, so the transition has been smooth. I already knew guys like Charles Robertson being from the same area.” He’s also feeling comfortable with his new coaching staff.

“My relationship with them has been good so far,” Sampson said. “They believe in me and I believe in them. They’re giving me the op-

portunities that I’ve been looking for so far, so I can’t complain.”

On the practice field, Sampson said he’s been pleased with “making plays on the ball,” but he also knows there are still areas to improve. “What I’m continuing to work on are the details on my routes, like coming out of my breaks,” he said.

Email Kevin Foote at kfoote@theadvocate.com.

STAFF PHOTO By BRAD KEMP

UL wide receiver Shelton Sampson makes a catch during the first spring practice on Tuesday.

UL shortstop Cecilia Vasquez, fielding a ground ball in Friday’s game against James Madison, had three hits in the Cajuns’ 8-4 loss to James Madison on Saturday at Lamson Park.

LIVING

Honoring oneofthe first families of zydeco, Creole music

An empty field lies on 231 Parish Road 60-4-1 in the St. Landry Parish hamlet of Lawtell. There’snoevidence that the property once held the Offshore Lounge, arickety dancehall where more rain sometimes fellinside than outside.

YetRockin’ Sidney played weekend dances there, before he won aGrammy with his millionselling record “Don’tMess with My Toot Toot.” In the 1990s, Beau Jocque mixed zydeco with flavorsofWar, Santana, John Lee Hooker and rap for athunderous sound that took him from Lawtell to London to “The Late Show with David Letterman.”

But Jocque cut his chops at Thursday night jam sessions at the Offshore Lounge, owned by zydeco legend Roy Carrier Carrier’sown sons, which include Grammy winner Chubby Carrier,were regulars, too.

“It was just us, basically rehearsing,” said Chubby Carrier in avideo interview with Lafayette Travel. “But people come in, get abeer or two, and go on about their business.

“But people started hearing about it —‘Iunderstand y’all started playing at the club on Thursdays,’”hesaid. “… Alot of musicians playing today, that wasn’tplaying music, or zydeco music, learned at my daddy’sclub.”

That legacy takes center stage at “A Carrier Family Celebration” from 1p.m. to 5p.m. April 27, at the Yambilee Building in Opelousas. Generations of accordionists, including Chubby,Troy “Dikki Du” Carrier,Deontae Carrierand Dwight Carrier,along with rubboard player Laura “Zydeco T” Carrier,will perform.

Roy Carrier,who died in 2010, will be inducted into the Louisiana Music Hall of Fame. He entertained fans at home and along the East Coast with hits like “Whiskey Drinking Man,” “I’m Coming Home to Stay” and “What YouGonna Do with a Man like That.”

Other weekend activitiesinclude afamilyreunion, genealogy presentation and amusical instrument drive for students.

The Opelousas celebration will also be the first publicperformance in Louisiana for 87-yearold Andrew Carriere, wholives in Oakland, California. He is a living link to Carriere Brothers, an influential Creole music duo of his father Bebe’ and uncle Eraste Carriere

The Carriere Brotherswere popular inearly 20th century house dances called “La La,” where an acoustic, accordionfiddle sound laid the foundation for zydeco. The brotherswere recorded on a1977 album,“La La: Louisiana Black French Music,” with extensive liner

ä See CARRIERS, page 4D

School of Louisana in 2016.

Rememberingfamilybonds andembracing competitive nature forfun at Camp Rivera

BY MARGARETDELANEY

Staff writer

Dana Rivera said to expect chaos. Andthere was indeed chaos.

Aweekbefore Camp Rivera starts, Terrell Davis goes to his inlaws’ houseinBroussardtohelp them set up for aweekend full of competitive, family fun.

Living room furnitureistucked into the garage,bedsare made, couchesare setupfor sleeping, the fridge is stocked with drinks (both alcoholic and nonalcoholic) and the backyard is set up like an NCAADivision 1track meet Teepees areset up in theliving roomfor thegrandkids.All family members are equipped with matching T-shirtsand camp-style canteens. There aremultiplegamebrackets happening across the backyard. Children scream with joy on swings. Afull buffet of Louisiana classics is setupinthe kitchen and afull itinerary of activities. Competitions and games are listed for the family to play Everyyear, thecampbringsthe whole family together —Dana Rivera andher husbandJim, their four daughters, theirhusbands and nine grandkids ranging from ages one to 11. The Rivera family startedthis

traditionmore than adecadeago as celebration of family and another away to spend timetogether.The Riveras know alot about celebrating family In January 2015, Dana and Jim’s son, Parker, was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin’slymphoma. After treatmentatSt. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis, Tennessee, Parker rallied, but 18 months after his diagnosis, he died unexpectedly Thefamily’s attention to detail

and resourcefulness hasbrought the camp to life, according to Dana Rivera.Everybody hasa cabin number and has to check in on Friday and check out on Sunday Each year,Dana Rivera requires family members to sign adocument saying theyhad nottaken any performance-enhancing drugs before the prime-time competition —all in good fun, of course. Ax-throwing (foam axes forall),

What wasthe impact of Basque immigrants on

BY RACHELMIPRO Contributingwriter

New Orleans is famous for its French and Spanish influences, but one less-publicizedcommunity has quietly shaped thecity’s cultureaswell: the Basques. OneTimes-Picayune reader, intrigued by tales of werewolves and soldiers, asked Curious Louisianatoexplore thehistory of the Basque presence in the city.Mark Dispenza, awriter-

director,sent Curious Louisiana aquestion about the Basque community in New Orleans after working on ashoot. Dispenza wasresearching his short horror film, arougarou story setin1949 Acadiana, when he read “Werewolf Stories,” by Nick Redfern and Brad Steiger

“It contained legends of werewolves and shapeshifters from around the world,” Dispenza said. “One of the stories

concerned aBasque community in eastern NewOrleans that apparently terrorized aunit of British troops leading up to the Battle of NewOrleans. They were angry with the Brits for disrupting their livelihoods with all of that conflict and wentall loup garou on them.

“What aroused my interest mostwas the Basque reference, as Iwas completely unaware of

Students Kira Carter from left, Ja Mia Washington and Trey Lazarone wave the Basque flag during aprocession at the International

Herman Fuselier

PHOTOSByROBIN MAy

Grandchildren have their owngames to playduring the weekend of Camp Rivera in Broussard

Lauren Hadden,left, and Payton Davis and her son Holmes,1,compete in a fierce cornhole competition during the weekend of Camp Rivera.

AT THE TABLE

Stuffedpiquillopeppers offerataste of Spain

BY CATHERINE S. COMEAUX Contributing writer

Cooking with othersbringsout stories.

The tales bubble up naturally while chopping and hovering over simmering pots together.While stuffing piquillo peppers with Beatriz Wayman in her Lafayette kitchen, she sharedher method for creating this family-favorite recipe fromSpain and thememories it stirred up —like being erroneously associated withterrorism as afifth grader,her mother’s poultry-inspired biology lessons and how an ’80s alt-rock band helped shape her family Wayman spent her early childhood in the Basque region of Spain, where she was born near the industrial port city of Bilbao. At the time, the region was in upheaval due to aseparatist movement aggressivelyseeking independence from Spain. She recalled having to duck for cover when demonstrations would get out of hand, and plasticbullets would start flying.

“Growing up in the Basque region taughtmetonever judge an individual by the group,”Wayman said, recalling being taunted while on vacation because her family was from the Basque country Kids would call out, “Look, here come the terrorists!” To distance themselves from the mayhem of the separatist movement, her family moved to asmall town in thenearbyregion of Navarre while Wayman was still young Navarre, specificallythe area around Lodosa,isknown forits piquillo peppers, which trace their horticultural beginningsto South America, but, as aresult of centuries of cultivation, are considered anative Spanish variety. When roasted and pickled, the bird-beak-shaped peppers are brilliant red and mildly sweet Healthyfoods, neverfroma can As we stuff our mirlitonshere in the South with avariety of concoctions, so too the Spanish have many ways to stuff their piquillo peppers —like with ashrimp and mushroom combo or with salted cod and leeks. Wayman stuffs hers with beef and pancetta, pours ahomemade bechamel sauce on top, and then scatters the dish with Parmesan before

By The Associated Press

Today is Sunday,April 13, the 103rd day of 2025. There are 262 days left in the year Todayinhistory On April 13, 1997, 21-yearold Tiger Woods became the youngest golfer to win the Masters Tournament in Augusta, Georgia,finishing arecord 12 strokes ahead of TomKite in second place. On this date: In 1743, Thomas Jefferson, the third president of the United States, was born in Shadwell in the Virginia Colony In 1861, Fort Sumter in

Beatriz Wayman’spiquillo peppers are stuff withbeef and pancetta, with ahomemade bechamel sauce on top,and then covered withParmesan cheesebeforebaking

baking.

The Spanish cuisineWayman grewupwith was simple, not as spice-filled or flavor intense as what we are accustomed to in south Louisiana. Her mother focused on serving healthyfoods, never serving anythingfrom acan. She bakes her stuffed piquillo peppers with alight, homemade tomato sauce pouredontop

One of Wayman’sfondest childhood memories involves watching hermother readyachicken for roasting,pulling out the innards and explainingeach piece.

“It was like abiology lesson,” she said.

Thefamily would buy fresh milk early each week, reserving thecream for baking avanilla cakefor Sunday dessert. Wayman and her siblingswould routinely begfor ataste as the cake cooled, buttheywere repeatedly told no, and that they would have to wait until the next day

“But, what if we die tonight?!” they’d cry.

They didn’t die.Wayman went on to become abrooding teenager andfall in lovewiththe music of The Smiths. While fluent in Spanish and French, shewas desperate to learn the meaning of English lyrics like, “I am human, and I needtobeloved.” So she went to Londonasanaupair,where she

SouthCarolinafell to Confederate forces in thefirst battle of theCivil War. In 1873, members of the pro-White, paramilitary White League attacked Black state militia members defending acourthouseinColfax,Louisiana; three White men and as many as 150Black men were killed in what is known as theColfax Massacre, one of the worst acts of Reconstruction-era violence In 1943, President Franklin D. Roosevelt dedicated the Jefferson Memorial in Washington on the 200thanniversary of hisbirth.

began to understand Morrissey’s crooning.

After earning adegree in accounting, she found that production planning and purchasing excited her more. When thecompany she worked for in Spain was looking to expand in the Southern U.S., noting her English language skills, she was sent to Alabama where she met her husband. Following ajob opportunity,they moved to Lafayette several years ago. She tells her children, “You’re

TODAYINHISTORY

In 1964, Sidney Poitier becamethe first Black performer towin an Academy Award for acting in aleading role for his performance in “Lilies of the Field.” In 1999, right-to-die advocateDr. Jack Kevorkian was sentenced in Pontiac, Michigan, to 10 to 25 years in prison for second-degree murder for administering a lethal injection to apatient with ALS,also known as Lou Gehrig’sdisease. (Kevorkian ultimately served eight years before being paroled.)

In 2005, adefiant Eric Rudolph pleaded guiltyto

in this world because of The Smiths.” She currentlyworks as alogistics business development manager —asort of travel agent for freight —incharge of finding the mostefficient way to ship awide varietyofgoods from popcorn to roller coasters. Wayman pointed out that Piquillo de Lodosa peppers have denomination of origin status (similar to how onlybubbly wine from the Champagne region of France may be soldas“Champagne,” only piquillo peppers growninthe specified areas of Navarre, may be sold as Piquillo de Lodosa.) The moreaffordable piquillo peppers readily availableinU.S. stores typically originate in Peru —still just as vibrantand delicious. Trythem with her recipe, ask a friend to help, and see what stories come up.

Stuffed Piquillo Peppers

Serves 10-12; Recipe by Beatriz Wayman

4jars (approximately 48 ounces) piquillo peppers in water

2small onions, chopped fine and divided 2-4 tablespoons olive oilfor sautéing, divided 3clovesgarlic, crushed or chopped fine and divided 4ounces pancetta or thick-cut serrano ham,chopped fine 2pounds lean ground beef 3tablespoons flour Saltand black peppertotaste 1 8 teaspoon freshly gratednutmeg, optional

1-3tablespoonschoppedparsley, divided 1cup milk 1/4 to 1/2 cupgratedParmesan cheese 16 ounces heavywhipping cream

1. Drain the peppers, retaining thepepper water.Lay the peppers out on atray and pat dry Set aside 5-6peppers (the broken ones and their pieces will do).

2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

3. Saute 1cup chopped onions in olive oil. Add2cloves garlic and pancetta, then continue to saute as the pancetta releases its fat.

4. Addground meat and saute until cooked

5. Sprinkle flour over ground meat, stir over medium heat to cook the flour forabout 3-5 minutes.

6. Add1tablespoon chopped parsley,salt, pepper,optional nutmeg and milk. Continue to

carrying out the deadly bombing at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics and three other attacks in back-to-back court appearances in Birmingham,Alabama, and Atlanta.

In 2009, at his second trial, music producer Phil Spector was found guilty by aLos Angeles jury of second-degree murder in theshooting of actor Lana Clarkson. (Later sentenced to 19 years to life, Spector died in prison in January 2021.)

In 2011, Afederal jury in San Francisco convicted baseball slugger Barry Bonds of asingle charge of

stir over medium heat forabout 5-7 minutes as the meat mixture thickens.

7. Remove meat mixture from heat and let cool until manageable.

8. While meat cools, makethe bechamel sauce by sauteing 1/2 cup onion in olive oil until caramelized. Add 1clove crushed garlic and saute forabout 30 seconds.

9. Add reserved peppers and sauté over medium heat, 1-2 minutes.

10. Add reserved pepper water and bring to aboil, stir,then reduce heat.

11. Stir in 16 ounces heavy cream and continue stirring for about 3-5 minutes as sauce slightly thickens. Add salt and pepper to taste.

12. Remove sauce from heat and pour into afree-standing blender or suitable container for an immersion blender.Blend until all ingredients are incorporated and set aside.

13. Stuff peppers with approximately 1-2 tablespoons of meat mixture each, being careful not to overstuff.Place peppers in a single layer,dividing between two oven-proof casserole dishes.

14. Pour sauce over peppers and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.

15. Bake forabout 15 minutes until hot and bubbly

16. Serve with asprinkling of parsley.Pairs wellwith pinot noir, acrunchy baguette and agreen salad.

Recipe tips:

n Piquillo peppers can be found at Fresh Market, typically in 11 or 12-ounce jars.

n When adding salt, take into consideration the sodium content of the jarred peppers, which can range from 40-310 milligrams.

n This recipe makes alarge batch of stuffed peppers. Extras can be frozen either before baking or after.When ready to cook frozen unbaked peppers, bake them straight from frozen, adding extra baking time. When ready to reheat frozen baked peppers, allow them to thaw in the refrigerator before reheating.

n If you end up with leftover peppers, toss them in asalad, or saute them with olive oil and garlic to be served as aside with steak.

n If you end up with leftover meat,serve it in awrap or over pasta with ared sauce.

obstruction of justice but failed to reach averdict on the three counts at the heart of allegations that he knowingly used steroids and human growth hormoneand lied to agrand jury about it. (Bonds’ conviction forobstruction was overturned in 2015.)

In 2016, the Golden State Warriors becamethe NBA’s first 73-win team by beating the Memphis Grizzlies 125104, breaking the 72-win record set by the Chicago Bulls in 1996.

In 2017, Pentagon officials said U.S. forces struck atunnel complex of the Islamic State group in east-

ern Afghanistan with the GBU-43/B MOAB “mother of all bombs,” the largest non-nuclear weapon ever used in combat by the military Today’sbirthdays: Singer Al Green is 79. Actor Ron Perlman is 75. Singer Peabo Bryson is 74. Bandleaderdrummer Max Weinberg is 74. Chess grandmaster Garry Kasparov is 62. Golf Hall of Famer Davis Love III is 61. Actor-comedian Caroline Rhea is 61. Actor Rick Schroder is 55. Actor Glenn Howerton is 49. Actor Kelli Giddish is 45. Singer-rapper Ty Dolla $ign is 43. Actor Allison Williamsis37.

Dear Harriette: Icurrently livewith my boyfriend —inpart because Ihave nowhere else to go. When we were first dating, Iwas living alone, but abouttwo years into our relationship Ilost my job, and my boyfriend graciously invited me to move in with him. At the time, it felt OK. I didn’tlike being in aposition of need, but that aside, things were going reallywell between us, so Ifelt OK with thechange. Now we’ve been living together for alittle overayear.I still haven’tgotten acareer job again, but things are starting to feel toxic. Ihave been workingparttime jobs recently because Ifeel so overwhelmed, but I’m still not financially comfortable enough to move out. What can Idotoget out of this situation? —Toxic Roomie Dear Toxic Roomie: Is there anywhere else you can live right now? With your parents? A

sibling? Another friend? If you have any alternative, explore that right away so that you can create asituation where youdon’t feel trapped or compromised. Explaintoanyoneyou may be able to move in withexactly what your situation is and what you can currently contribute to the household. Also, talk to yourboyfriend. What exactly is toxic about your relationship now? Is it truly about himand hisbehavior,orcould it be due to your personal stress, or acombination of both? Is this something you can talk through, or doyou actually need to move? Now may be atime of reckoning for you to deal withreality out in the open.You will need to be vulnerablewith him and yourself, which may be perfect. Even if youbothagree that it is time for youtomove, you can agree on a timeline. Bottom line: communicate.

Aboveall, if you feel you are in real danger,please call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at (800) 799-7233.

Dear Harriette: Lastyear,Istarted partnering withalocal business to put on eventsthat allowed for people to get acquainted with new neighbors without all the awkwardness. Istruggled piecing this together on my own, but Imade it happen! Aclose friend of minecontinued to show amajor lack of support (not showing up when she said she would, showing up and being sour,being hyper judgmental about event turnouts, etc.). She told me my eventsweren’treally “her scene.” The past year we’ve been moredistant compared to years past Afew days ago, she invited me to an event she will be hosting at alocal business with an emphasis on icebreaking and meeting new people. Iknow this sounds childish, but Ican’thelp but feel offended. She was so judgmental towardmeand my efforts,and now she is doing thesame kind of work. How can Iaddress this without sounding totally immature? —Unsupported Friend

Dear Unsupported Friend: Do some

sleuthing first. Go to your friend’s event and see what she does. Hopefully she hasn’tstolen any of your ideas. After the event, schedule atimetotalk to her.Tell her exactlyhow you feel —unsupported during the entire time that you were building your business and duped after she chose to do something similar.Tell her that you do not feel like she has treated youlike afriend. Dear Harriette: My father and Iare estranged and have been my entirelife. He and my mom had me when they wereyoung —19or 20, Ibelieve. My mom loved me and did the best she could with me, andher mother helped do the job as well. Eventually Irealized who my father was and that alot of people in my townknew him and his new family.Heismarried and has afew other children, apparently.Recently,hereached out and sent me aletter that basically explained all the reasons he never showed up forme, none of which seemed valid to me —hewas too young, his mom didn’tapprove, he didn’tknow how to be adad,

etc. For somereason, though, my mom really wants me to give him achance. Why is that? —Absent Dad

Dear Absent Dad: The fact that you have adad whoisnow reaching out meanssomething, even though you don’tknow him.It doesn’trequire you to do anything, but aren’tyou curious? Who is this man?Asanadult who has mademany different choices since he and your mother created you as teenagers, he has built alife. What can you learn from him?

It could be beneficial to you simply to meet him and learn a bit about him.You can do that without expectations. Youhave a complete lifewithout him,soyou don’tneed to go into the meeting hoping foranything. Go and listen to what he has to say.Learn who he is. Just be present. After you meet him,ifyou decide you want to get to know him,great. If not, you don’thave an obligation to do anything more.

Sendquestions to askharriette@ harriettecole.com. Underemployedroommatefeels

Beatriz Wayman bakesher stuffed piquillo peppers with alight, homemade tomato sauce poured on top

PHOTOSByCATHERINE S. COMEAUX

Harriette Cole

FriendsofAcadianabringsBroadway to Lafayette

Kris Wartelle

The University of Louisiana Lafayette Opera Guild and Friends of Music Acadiana presented the Fourth Cabaret Series event: Broadway’s Greatest Tony Award Winners. The two performances were held on April 5-6 at River Oaks in Lafayette. The concertincluded a complimentary Champagne pour, Irish coffee bar anddesserts. The spectacular evening celebrated Broadway’sbest, “Come to the Cabaret.” The talentedstudent singers performed songs from Broadway musicals thathave wonTony awards. “Fiddler on theRoof,” “Annie,” “Wicked,” “Phantom of theOpera,” and “Cabaret” were just afew of the award-winning pieces audiences enjoyed. We cannot say enough about UL-Lafayette’smusic and vocal programs. These gifted students never fail to impress.Thanks to groups like Friends of Musicand fundraisers like this one, they can continue providing world-class entertainment in Lafayette. If you have not had the chance to hear one of their concerts, you can check out the scheduleof performances on the UL website at https://music.louisiana.edu/ news-events/news. Congrats to all the student vocalists on a wonderful evening of musicand Broadway magic.

PHOTOSByKRISWARTELLE

TeresaLuong,MatthewHawthorne and Katie Smith

Ande Hakeman, D.J. and NookoMoore and Shawn Roy

Renee Laughlin, CarolynFrench and Margaret Ruffin

Madison Kyle, Nicholas Pevey, AveryLawhornand Jordyn Smith

Lily Chapman, Mandi Chapman, Donella Smith, and Kyle Smith

JayRuffin, Timand Michelle Kyle

Anna McMurry, Rae Poche, Jacen Agregaard, and Elora Finch

Mike Huber and Chuck Lein

EGG-STRA CHARGE?

Soaringegg prices hittingconsumers,businessesalike

BY SERENA PUANG Staff writer

At Simple Joe Cafe on Government Street, owner Sean Braswell has added a75-cent charge per egg with the plan to take the charge off when egg prices drop back to normal levels. He pays about92 cents an egg. He goes through about 3,000 eggs per week.

“It’sjust astronomical,” Braswell said of egg prices. “I realized that Icould not possibly raise my prices high enough.”

Egg prices in February were 58.8% higher than they were the sametimelast year due to birdflu.

According to arecent surveyand analysis by Clarify Capital, over a third of Americans havestopped buying eggs. The same survey revealsthat Louisiana has seen a 243% increase in egg pricesthis year compared to 2018.

To cope, some BatonRouge restaurants have addedanextra charge for eggs or increased their menu prices in response to rapid “egg-flation.” On the customer side, there has been an increase in interest in owning backyard chickens.

In January and midway through February,heestimates that he’s lost $7,000 due to egg prices and it’snot just eggs. Since 2020, Braswell estimates that prices for things like half and half, bacon and milk have at least doubled. Some have gone up by 300%. Braswell has adjusted his menu prices three times since then, but always by a dollar or less.

“No one wants to pay $25 for an omelet,” he said.

Many people may think that restaurantsbuy their eggsfrom specialsupplierswho would give them abetter deal, but for many small businesses like individually owned restaurants, that’s not the case. Braswell said he pays the same retail prices everyone else does.

When he opened his business in 2015, he priced dishes 40% lower

RIVERA

Continued from page1D

darts (also made of foam andplastic), giant Connect Four, cornhole, costume competitions and more fill the action-packedschedule. The kiddos have schedulednap times, as’mores social and planned meal times.

Eight years in, some events have been removed from the family games (for various reasons): n Musical chairs got alittle violent. The family’scompetitiveness caused afew too many mishaps.

n They stopped doing trivia because some claimed it was too focused on books —and Ally Romero, ateacher,simply knows too much about books for the gametobefair

n Lip syncing was not for the faint of heart. Many battles with stage fright (and glorious moments of the family in colorful wigs) ended the “best karaoke challenge.”

Other games, like creating the best Lego tower,makingKentucky Derby-style hats and play-dough creations, were simply removed from the game schedule because

CARRIERS

Continued from page1D

notes by folkloristNickSpitzer

The album contains their original song “Blue Runner,” a driving, instrumental two-step thatisnow considered azydeco standard. One side of the album features the Lawtell Playboys, with Eraste Carriere’sson,fiddler Calvin Carriere.

The celebration also serves as afundraiser for the forthcoming documentary,“Zydeco by Birth.” Wayne Kahn, Roy Carrier’slongtime producer at Right on Rhythm Records in Washington, D.C., has compiled current interviewsand rare home videos to illustrate the family’sheritage. Find more details at zydecobybirth.com. Congrats to the Carriers on their time to shine as oneofthe first familiesofzydeco and Creole music.

Herman Fuselier is executive director of the St. Landry Parish Tourist Commission. Alongtime journalist covering Louisiana music and culture, he lives in Opelousas. His “Zydeco Stomp” show airs at noon Saturdays on KRVS 88.7 FM.

than they are now. With those prices, he hada23% profit margin. Now,hesaid, he’slucky if he can make 10%

Others have adjusted their menu prices or taken othercost-saving measures. At Fiery Crab, two eggsused to be$2, but now it’s$4.

At Fork NSpoon, the restaurant hasn’tchanged its prices yet, but according to manager Samantha Abshire, the staff switched from buying extra-largeeggs to large eggs. The staff also buys their eggs from Walmart instead of their regular food distributor now —it’sactually cheaper that way Therun on chickens

In March, wholesale egg prices fell rapidly,prompting some to ask if the price hike was partially due to egg producers limiting supply to keep prices up.Thisled the Justice Department to open an in-

vestigation intopossible egg gouging. According to reporting by The New York Times, consumers may notfeel those pricedrops until after the grocery stores’ current inventory sells out,ornot at all if grocery stores choose not topass savings on toconsumers.

Locally,Anthony Buquoi, owner of Outpost Feed and Outdoors in Walker, saidthere’s been asurge in interest in owning chickens at home. As an animal feed/supply store, Outpost receives shipments of baby chicks and other poultry animals every Thursday.Usually, they getashipment of chicks and have them throughout theweek. Now,they sellout within the day, usually within an hour

Thecurrent situationisn’t as bad as during the COVIDlockdown,Buquoisaid, but sincemidFebruary,whenthe store gotits first shipment, Outpost had40-60

The Camp Riveradormitoryisset up for sleeping

weekend.

they wanted something new Healthycompetition

Thebackyardgames are amix of protests, shouts of triumphand cries of loss, ruckus about toes stepping over clearlymarked white lines in thegrass and extreme athletic focus.

CURIOUS

Continued from page1D

Basque history in NewOrleans.”

Making theirmark

Several prominentBasques have made their mark on thecity

In a2011 story in TheTimesPicayune, aNew Orleans Basque historian namedMichel-Antoine Goitia-Nicolas said famed pirate andsmugglerJean Lafitte, known for helpingdefend New Orleans during theWar of 1812, was of Basqueheritage. While todaythe influence of this group is less well-known, traces of this identity can be found throughlast names.

Goitia-Nicolas attributed Basque origin to family names like Barbe, Begue, Chachere, Charbonnet,Gayarre, Goyeneche, Lacombe, Lemoyne, Mandeville and Marigny.

BrittanyPowellKennedy,senior professor of practice in the Department of Spanish and Portuguese at Tulane University,agreed.

“I think youprobably have alot of New Orleanians who have what they consider to be very strange last names that theythink might be Spanishor French, but that are probably

Terrell Davis, the long-winning champion, stared at the giant Connect Four tower for twominutes afterhis unprecedentedlossto 16th seed Ally Romero. And true to Dana Rivera’sword, chaos did ensue as many family members ranaround in circles with their arms abovetheir heads, cheering

Basque,” Kennedysaid.

Straddling foreignborders

The region itself, an autonomouscommunity called Basque Country,straddles the border between France and Spain, with four of its seven historic provinces located in northern Spain and three provinces in southwest France. People of this region, used to life on theports, were attracted to New Orleans’ booming maritime industry

Kennedy said steady Basque migration into New Orleansoccurred during theIndustrial Revolution (1760-1840), when rapid-fire industrialization led to ships making frequent journeys to thePort of New Orleans.

people in line wrapped around thebuildingwaiting forthe store to open its doors at 8a.m. In midMarch, the staffhad to implement afive-chicken-per-breed rule for thefirst timebecause people were buying up allthe chickens.

On the last Thursday in March, Outpost had alarger-than-usual shipment of chickens: morethan 400 day-old chicks sent in cardboard boxes via USPS. Buquoi said he had to put in hischick orders forthe entire year by November, before egg prices began to soar.In years past, he’sbeen able to add to the orderstoadjust to demand. This year,what they ordered is what they got.

“Ifthere’sanyone here not for poultry, youcan come on in!” Buquoi holleredright as theywere opening. Only acouple of people got out of line.

Saraand Rebecca Spears arrived

with glee forthe unexpected win.

“It’sbecause Iwas holding my kid,”Davissaid.“Hewaslikeacounterweight and threw off my game.”

However,when nap timestarted for the kids, the adults gathered together to talk about future plans —the competitive edge loosening just slightly.

They discussed their next trip to Memphis, atrip they make every year for the St.Jude run and for Parker’sbirthday in June. They debated the designs of the camp Tshirtsand reminisced about times together at LSU and UL tailgates.

Giving back to St.Jude

Everyyear,Dana Rivera organizes abig event in Broussard for St.Jude —they raised $30,000 last year alone.

“Wecan never repay St. Jude for what they did forour family,” DanaRivera said. “We’ll always give back when we can.”

The Riveras inviteeveryone in theneighborhood, and Jim Rivera makes agiant pastalaya forthe event.

The family also participates in theSt. Jude run twoweeks before Christmas each year.They stay at

“There’samassive port in the Basque Country.New Orleans was, and still is, one of the biggest portsinthe U.S. And so alot of Basque fishermen, specifically Basque shipmen, end up here and stick around.”

Building up industry

“They’re seafarers,” Kennedy said. “They’re fishermen,and Basque fishermen find their way to various parts of the Americas throughout their history, theearliest being in Newfoundland in the17th century

“You have alot of immigration from Basque Country.There’s apart of it that’sonthe Spanish side, and there’spart of it that’s on the French side. Both sides have immigrantsfor different reasons, but also just fishing and shipping.”

at 5:40 a.m. They just started raisingchickens this year,partially motivated by the high price of eggs. Theyown 11 chickens and planned to buy five more.

“It’sanew little hobby for us,” Sara Spears said.

But they weren’tfirst in line. Randy Avara, wholives in Walker, was first. He arrived at the Outpost at 4:45 a.m. to ensure he gotthe breeds he wanted.

“It’snot cheaper to raise chickens,” he said. “The price of eggs are going down, but whatthey don’trealize is chickens need to be 18 weeks (old) before they can lay.”

That fact, combined with the priceoffeed,the pen, heating lamps for the chickens and other labor/chicken costs means that the cost of raising chickens still outweighs the price of eggs, even if they’re $9 adozen. Still, that doesn’tstop people from wanting to try to raise chickens, increase their flocksorget into the egg-selling business themselves.

However,the price of chicks has gone up as well.

Buqoui said thehatchery has raised its prices by $1 per chick over the last year,and four of the so-called“chickentenders” from theOutpost line interviewed for this article agreedthatprices at the Outpost have nearly doubled: from$4per chickto$8for some breeds.

Flocks, whether kept at homeor in commercial poultry farms, are still susceptible to thesame bird flu that caused the egg shortage. Backyard chickensare also often targeted by natural predators like foxes and possums. It remains to be seen what will happentoretail egg prices forthe rest of 2025 Some economists say there’sreason to hope forareturn to normal, while others, like the USDA project, say it might get worse. Meanwhile, in Baton Rouge, the worst of the scramble for eggs is over (easy).

Email SerenaPuang at serena. puang@theadvocate.com.

the Peabody, where everyone from the bellhops to the managers know them

Ontheweekendtheysaidgoodbye to Parker Rivera, theRivera family (in true Louisiana fashion) invited alloftheir friendsand family to the Peabodybar to celebrate hislife

The Peabody, after protests from the Riveras, covered the entire tab forthe family Now,the Riveras are regulars at the iconic Memphis hotel and makeapoint to see the ducks ride the elevator to the rooftop with the duck master Parker Rivera wasanhonorary duckmaster at one point while he wasreceiving treatment at the hospital.

As the family lounged on the beautifulLouisiana spring day, they werealready making plans to see each other again, even though the games werefar from complete and the winner not yet announced.

“It’sjust nice,” Dana Rivera said. “Tohave all this family,all this joy, here in one place every year.”

Email Margaret DeLaney at margaret.delaney@theadvocate. com.

Kennedy said Basque culture waslikely clouded because American and British people living in the city probably classified people from the region as simply French or Spanish, without grappling with the complexities of their identity

Kennedy said Emile Zatarain Sr., who built the spice and condimentbusiness Zatarain’s, wasanother notable Basque influencer Kennedy said Zatarain identified as aSpanish Basque, and had ties to the Pasai area, his family’soriginal home. Others from the region have quietly built up the NewOrleans port and shipping industry,living and working in the coastal south.

Kennedy described Basque immigrants in the 19th century as predominantly Catholic, insular and proud of their culture. The Basques are one of theoldest cultures in Europe, with roots in the Basque Country going back thousands of years. “They have theirown language which is not related to any other language in the world,” Kennedy said. “It’s alanguage isolate. And they’re very proud of the fact that they’ve managed to preserve this language.”

“I really think it’skind of atestament to when we think about the various groups that have been in the city,” Kennedy said. “There are just aton of influences, and maybe there are somethat we don’tsee today.”

Do you have aquestion about something in Louisiana that’s got you curious? Email your question to curiouslouisiana@ theadvocate.com. Include your name, phonenumber andthe city where you live.

Zatarain

PHOTO By ROBINMAy

during the camp’s

STAFF PHOTO By JAVIER GALLEGOS

Employee Kayla Lee grabs acardboard box that reads‘future flock inside’ from thetop of the babychick crates as lines of customers wrap around the shop at Outpost Feed and Outdoors in Walker

TRAVEL

Paddle throughthe stumpy swamps at Chicot StatePark

BY CATHERINE S. COMEAUX Contributing writer

Editor’snote:The writer and her family spent three summers exploring state, national and provincial parks, traveling by minivan from Louisiana to Alaska, to Nova Scotia, and all along the Mississippi River in between. This year,she turns her attention to Louisiana state parks to discover the natural beauty of the South less than aday’s drive from home.

Chicot State Park is Louisiana’slargeststate park, encompassing awide variety of habitats within its 6,400 acres in Evangeline Parish, where visitors can listen for barred owls in abottomland hardwood forest, paddle through the dangling Spanish moss of acypress tupelo swamp, or hike the slight hills of a hardwood slope forest.

The inexperienced naturalist might not know the differing characteristics of these habitats, but avisit to theLouisiana State Arboretum within the park will enlighten and enhance the experience.

Ironically,the heavily forested park takes its name from the stumps left behind when 2,000 acres of its bottomland forests were cleared by the Civilian Conservation Corps in 1939 to create alake for the soonto-be-designated state park

The Corps also built amilelong levee to encourage the low-lying acreage of chicot (or stumps in French) to retain water

The rains filled the leveed lowlands, it was stocked with fish, and Lake Chicot

was born Hindsight might question theecological logic of cutting down so many acres of trees to create astate park, which was ultimately being set aside for preservation of its forested beauty.However,the dictumofthe day was to create jobsduring the Great Depression,and so they did. Aportable sawmill turned the felled forest into lumber for useatthis andother state parks. Thankfully,nature has a way of working withour

TRAVEL TROUBLESHOOTER

By ChristopherElliott

tendencies to trytocontrol her,and LakeChicot has becomehome to myriad forms of wildlife, while fishing has becomeone of themain attractions of the statepark.

Likeanything man-made, thelake requires maintenance. Water control structures areroutinely utilized to lower thelake levels —helping to control the overgrowth of aquatic vegetation and improving fish habitat.Additionally,herbicides and biological con-

trols like salvinia weevils have been used to inhibit theovergrowthofnuisance plantslike giant salvinia. Call ahead with questions about lake levels during a visit.(Interested in learning about ways the state manages aquatic vegetation?Contact the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries at 225-765-2800.)

Another main attraction is the Louisiana StateArboretum State Preservation Area, which is comprised of 600 acres within the state park set aside in 1961 as atree-focused botanical garden. It is asprawling outdoor classroom with

well-marked flora and educational signage throughout its five and ahalf miles of hiking trails.

Anature center brings to focus the various habitats represented throughout the park and surrounding region and provides awealth of information about the surrounding environment.

The hiking trails throughout the arboretum and the park offer easy hills with morethan 200 feet of elevation change. These inclines might be ho-hum to visitors from higher grounds, but to us whose calves are more accustomed to the flatlands of Louisiana, it is noticeable and fun.

There areafew sections of trails with boardwalks accessible to anyone using awheelchair.For added adventure plus expanded access, Chicot (and several otherstate parks) have all-terrain chairs available. Picture awheelchair with trackslike atank. These electric-poweredchairs arespecially designed to be usedondesignated

trails andcan be reserved in advance.

The lake, the arboretum and the hills are awonderfulway to spend timeimmersed in the natural beauty of Louisiana. As Iwas recently pulling my kayak out of the lake (with the help of ahiker whomagically appeared out of the woods to offer ahand —thank you again, ma’am),I watched acouple packing up their fishing gear and asked, “What did you catch?” “Time—just agood time out on the lake —plus a bass and asac-a-lait, but we let those go.” For agood time out in the wilds, Ihear they’re catching out on Lake Chicot.

Know before yougo

n The closest grocery stores are in Ville Platte.

n Wheelchair accessible and/or pet-friendly cabins are available.

n Be tick aware, especially in the warmermonths. Research tactics foravoiding and dealing with ticks.

n The better sights for tent camping are on Loop Aand Loop Dinthe South Landing Campground.

n All-terrain chairs for trail accessibility must be reserved at least 48 hours in advance.

n For information on how to possibly use your library card to enhance your visit to our state parks, visit CheckOutLouisiana.org and find out if your local library is one of the 19 public library systemsthat offers Geaux Explore backpacks which include afree park pass, binoculars, compass, magnifying glass, bird guide, wildlifeguide, trees and wildflower guide.

Airlinemixes up ticket names, requires abig feetofix

Christopher Elliott

I’m trying to getarefund for a ticket on ITA, and I’m hoping you can help me.We had tickets on ITA to flyfrom Dallas to Barcelona to catch acruise. My grandson, Jacob,could not makethe cruise, so four months before our departure, Icalled ITAtocancel his flight Just before our departure, I checked the remaining three passengers and Ifound out Jacob had not been canceled by ITA. Instead, it had canceled one of the other passengers who wasgoing on the

cruise. Instead of simply changing the name on the reservation (Jose instead of Jacob), ITAforced me to spend another $604 andrefunded Jacob’sticketwhichwas much less ($268). This cancellationmistake was ITA’s, not mine. Iamrequesting arefund of the $335 differenceincost between the original andreplacement tickets. Icalled ITAand they told me that someone wouldcontact me that day, but they never did.Can you help? —Jose Portela,Dallas

ITAshouldhave canceled the correct ticket,but if it didn’t, it should have fixed

theticket quickly Youcould have avoided this problem entirely.It looks like you called ITA to makethe cancellation. That’sabsolutely fine, but ITAalso allows you to cancel areservation by sending an email tobookingschangesrefunds@itaairways.com. Why would you want to do that? Because you’ll have a paper trail of the cancellation with the correct name of the passenger on the canceled ticket. It looks like thecall center agent misunderstood your request and canceled the wrong ticket.

Another thing you could have done was tocarefully review theemail ITAsent you withthe cancellation confirmation. This would contain the correct information

To be extra sure, you could have checked the other reservations to ensure they were still active. That’ssomething Iwould highly recommendifyou trytocancel by phone.

You’re absolutely right, thebest solution would have been for ITAto change the name on theactivereservation to thecorrect one. Butairlines claim

Mourning or acelebration of life?

there are security reasons whythat isn’tallowed. Personally,I believe there are also money reasons —because at least in your case, ITAinitially benefited from its own error

I’mnot surprised ITA didn’tcall you back when it said it would. I’ve heard that promise so manytimes from customer service agents, and I’msure it’s just away to get you off the phone. I’ve never gotten a call back within 24 hours, and Idon’tknow of anyone whohas.

Youcould have appealed this to one of the ITAex-

ecutive contacts Ipublish on my consumer advocacy site, Elliott.org. Abrief,polite email might have persuaded the airline to refund you the fare difference. Icontacted the airline on your behalf,and ITAissued arefund of the fare difference plus a$150 future trip credit as an apology Christopher Elliott is the founder of Elliott Advocacy anonprofit organization that helps consumerssolve their problems. Email him at chris@elliott.org or get help by contacting him on his site.

Dear Miss Manners: We are holding acelebration of life for my 28-year-old son at an airplane hangar.I’m saying “Wear anything!” because we want it to be about celebrating his life more than mourning his death. Iplan to wear white. Do you make adistinction between funerals and celebrations of life, or doyou believe mourning prevails regardless? Iamnot criticizing;beliefs are beliefs. Iguess I’m questioning my actions at awobbly time Gentle reader: Youraise an interesting question: Does a “celebration of life” require etiquette adjustmentsfroma funeral, which it is increasingly replacing?

Funerals used to be set rituals, usually religious ones. Eulogies were given by clergy members, who were unlikely to have known the deceased as well as their relatives and friends, and could inadvertently makemistakes —misattributing specific virtues, for example. Sometimes the eulogist was astranger, reducedtosaying things like “She loved life,” as if that were aunique characteristic. So the choice of eulogists turned to those who could speak

from close knowledge, and there were more and more speeches, sometimes followed by spontaneousremarksfrom other mourners. This format was far more evocative of the deceased, with specificexamples that rang true, rather than generalities that sometimes didnot.

When such talks exceeded the ceremonial part, theevent was renamed a“celebration of life.”

Miss Mannersunderstands that many,perhapsmost,people prefer this name. For one thing,itis alot more cheerful. But thereare dangers. Onethatmany people have noticed is that noteveryoneisgifted at this. There are sometimes declarationsofhow much the deceasedadmiredthe speaker. There have beentastelessjokes and revelations, andlengthy impositionsonthe patience of even the most bereaved

Butthere is another danger in thevery premise of acelebration of life: theattempt to banish sadness. So please do not mandatecheerfulness. This loss is a tragedy,and grief should not be made to seem out of place. You maysuccumb to it yourself. TheAmerican color of mourning is black, althoughthe code is only sporadically observed (except in cases of funerals for national figures).But Miss Mannersisnot going to say you should not wear white —a

mourning color in other cultures —ifitmakes you feel better

Dear Miss Manners: Iamblessed with awonderful doctor who is caring, highly intelligent, personable and who always has time for me. Ithank her for her care and personal concern for me at each visit Is there something else Ican do to show my appreciation? I am on amodest budget, but Ioften give gift cards (with anote) to mail carriers,janitors and other servicepeople who take pride in their work and go above and beyond their duties. Iassumemydoctor would have no need for the$20 grocery gift card Iusually use as athank-you. What would you suggest?

Gentlereader: What about giving her something priceless, which is what she has given you?

Not only would it fit your budget,but it would cost you little effort because you have already done it.Just writeout the appreciation you have sent to Miss Manners and send it to your doctor

Send questions to Miss Manners at her website,www missmanners.com; to her email, dearmissmanners@ gmail.com; or through postal mailtoMissManners, Universal Uclick,1130 Walnut St., Kansas City,MO64106.

Dear Heloise: recent letter in which the reader talked about using leftovers to makesoup made me chuckle as I’ve always done this. My family,however,is less delicate and has always called mine “garbage pail soup.” They also know that if they particularly like ameal I’ve prepared, they’d better enjoy it because they’ll never see it again. Inever have the same combination of leftovers! —Resourceful Mom, via email Resourceful Mom,I love leftovers, and your method of reusing them is terrific. In aworld where so manygohungry and somedie for lack of food, we are lucky to have an abundance of food that we enjoy

Within thenext 24 hours, 21,00025,000 people worldwide will die from hunger,10,000 of which are children. Across the globe, 850 million people are undernourished. Just something to consider —Heloise Unwelcomeguests

Dear Heloise: In regards to the Wisconsin couple whodon’twant any moredrop-ins at their lake house, Iwould suggest the following idea: Setupdays with the friends who they want to come to their lake house, then set up aschedule of other available days when others may visit (aka those prone to drop

in). Then send this schedule out to these folks. This way, they know that they’re allowed to come but only on the available days, provided no one else has signed up forthose days. They can use aprogram such as SignUpGenius to manage it. —Martha M., GlenAllen,Virginia Martha, it was alittle morethan ascheduling conflict. It wasthe disrespect of their privacy,aswell as the expense and labor involved. Apparently,some people thought that because they were family or a close friend, they could drop in at anytime or drop off their children. There are days when none of us want company.Instead, we would rather just relax and enjoy the day without any noise, people or pets to look after and no dinners to prepare. We had acouple of letters saying that the letter was rude, but sometimes you need to take drastic action to get the message across to people whodon’tseem to be listening. The words “please call before you come” seem to go in one ear and out the other —Heloise Sticky cookie sheets

Dear Readers: To prevent atough cleaning from messy cookie sheets or baking pans, take these steps. Either line the cookie sheets with foil or parchment paper,oruse an oil-based spray.There is less cleaning to do after baking. —Heloise Send ahinttoheloise@heloise.com.

Cabinsfor

PHOTOSByCATHERINE S. COMEAUX Chicot StatePark was named after the chicots, or stumps, found throughout the Evangeline Parish swamp.

Hints from Heloise

BETWEEN THEPAGES WITH MEL HARRISON

In sixthAlexBoydthriller, author takesreaders to N.O.

BY JUDYBERGERON Staff writer

Mel Harrison is aworld traveler and, fortunately for readers, so is Alex Boyd.

Amid the twists and turns of each installment of the “An Alex Boyd Thriller” series, one is taken on atrip through Egypt, England and Italy,among other stops abroad.

It only adds to the entertainment level as Boyd and partner Rachel Smith are plunged into perplexing, page-turning,lifeor-death assignments as special agents. If areader is new to this sixbook series, it’sOKto start with the New Orleansset “Crescent City Carnage,” according to Harrison. “I deliberately wrote the series so that each book can standalone. Having each book set in adifferent country helpsthis approach,” the author said.“However,ifareader wants to see the growth of Alex and Rachel, both as individuals as well as in their relationship, then they should start at the beginning, ‘Deathin Pakistan,’ and then move forward.”

We caught up withthe author to see what else he had to say about hisbooks and his life.

This Q&A was edited for length and clarity

Are you anative of New Orleans, or have youlived there at some point?

Iamnot anative of New Orleans, but my wife is. She was raised in Mid-Cityand went to Tulane. Ifirst visited New Orleans in 1975 while stillinthe Foreign Service and immediately loved the city’sarchitecture,food and the sense of history that theresidents felt. Over the years, we have lived in the FrenchQuarter,the Garden District and in Covington Your books’ main characters,Alexand Rachel, seem patterned after you and your wife. Did that makecharacter development

easier or moredifficult?

Alex Boyd, my protagonist, is patterned after my own career as aspecialagentwiththe Diplomatic Security Service. In the books, he is assigned to the same places where Iserved. Naturally, Iembellished thestorylines and dangers that he faces to create excitingscenes for my readers. This madecharacterdevelopment relatively easy,although Imust saythat Alexistougher than me andspeaks morelanguagesthan Ido.

As for Rachel Smith, his wife, sheisafictional creation.

My own wife is not nearly as tall as Rachel, nor does she have martial arts skills. She is, however, as smart and beautiful as Rachel. Because Rachel is fictional, Ihad to create what thereaders might like in afemale character who is brilliant and athletic —and has apersonality that candominate most people.

Can you elaborate on what ledtoyour receiving two high governmental honors?

In separate years, Ireceived both the State Department’s Award for Valor and the worldwide Security Officer of the Year while serving in athree-year assignmentinIslamabad, Pakistan The assignment was very dangerous for all Americans in the U.S. Embassy.The threat of terrorism andmob violence was high.

As for the Award for Valor while servingasthe senior regional security officer at theembassy in Islamabad, 8,000 rioters attacked theAmerican Cultural Center.Iand afew other embassy staff were presentinthe center during themulti-hourattack We fought off therioters, who hadbrokenall of the building’s windows, tried unsuccessfully to force their way intothe center, andset fire to theembassy motorpool cars outside

As for theSecurity Officer of theYear award, that was for sustained performance over the prioryear operating in an environment ofterrorist threats, actual bombingsand violent demonstrations.

Walk us throughyourchoice of New

Orleansasthe setting at this point in the series.

Ialways set my books in places that Iknow well. Having lived in New Orleans several times,Ifelt the city offered avariety of things that could makeanexcellent settingfor a thriller

The city’sculture and history are unique in America, as can be seen through thevoices of its residents. The level of violence in certain areas and at certain times can be significant and adds danger to thestory. The food is unparalleled and its architecture is afeast for the eyes.

Also, oneofmygoals in writing the series was to expose readers to thereal world of the U.S. State Department’sDiplomatic SecurityService, aservice that is represented around theworld in about 250 locations. Butitalso has domestic field offices across America handling criminal investigationsand VIP protection.

What were someofthe essential things you had to getcorrect when setting your storyinthe Big Easy?

When Ifirst conceptualized writing “Crescent City Carnage,” set in theBig Easy,Iknew Iwanted the murdered victim to be a ForeignService officer of African American Creole descent. Yet, Iknew little of theCreole heritage and culture.

Ispent hours talking to afew lifelong residents of New Orleans and many more hours researching information. Of course, Ihad lived in New Orleans several times,soIalso drew upon personal knowledge as well. For other essential things, like restaurants, streetsand locations, Idoublechecked what Ihad remembered, and then triple-checked them during my last vacation to the city

When did you first becomeinterested in writing?

Ihave always been an avid reader of action-adventure books, commonly called thrillers. Toward theend of my 28-year career,Ibecame interested in

writing aseries based upon adventures that Ihad experienced. Where Ilive now,there are several creative writing clubs, so turning my ideas into action-packed novels was ano-brainer

Where do yousee AlexBoydgoing from here?

In my six-book series, Alex Boydhas increased his responsibilities and gained senior rank. Eventually,I will have to place him at the pinnacle of the Diplomatic Security Service. But before that happens, Iwill have him facing different and more dangerous threats overseas.

Meanwhile, Rachel Smith, his wife, is approaching ambassadorial rank, having moved on from being asenior press and political officer.Thisisareal-world conundrum in the Foreign Service when aworking couple are both skilled and are outstanding officers.

Youhavetraveled to so manyplaces where do you still want to go?

My wife and Ihave visited

about 120 countries and lived/ worked forseveral years each in six of them, plus one of us has worked in another 20 countries formany months at atime. In the future, my wife will prefer to explore new places we have not yet visited, while Iprefer to return to our old haunts in Italy,France and the UK. Who are the authors youfollow or who inspire you?

Ilearned my craft from reading authors whowrite great thrillers such as James Patterson, David Baldacci, Nelson DeMille and Harlan Coben. But there are so manyothers whoI also read, such as Stieg Larsson, Robert Parker, Lee Child and Vince Flynn. Ialso gain inspiration from Ernest Hemingway,John le Carré, and in early times, from Agatha Christie, Alastair McLean and Ian Fleming. It is impossible to list all whohave influenced what Iwrite.

Email Judy Bergeron at jbergeron@theadvocate.com.

Newmemoirraisesdebateabout future of magazines

When The Atlantic editorJeffrey Goldberg arrived in Louisiana last month to speak at the New Orleans Book Festival, he needednointroduction.

Even those who don’treadhis magazine have come to know about Goldberg, who became part of anational controversy when he was accidentally included on messages shared by members of the Trump administration while they planned military strikes in Yemen.

Wiser people have already covered that issue, which Iwon’t rehash here. But Goldberg’s recent prominence in the headlines and his Book Fest visit affirmed an often overlooked reality: Though magazines are frequently lamented as media relics, The Atlantic continuesto play an important role in national life. That’show Goldbergwas included, however clumsily,ina keyconversation among Wash-

DannyHeitman AT RANDOM

ington’skey players. He’sasomebody,the kind of figurelisted among the contacts of the influential I’ve been thinking about this while reading Graydon Carter’s newmemoir,“When the Going WasGood.” It’sachatty and convivial reminiscence, walking us through Carter’syounger days at Time, then editing the humor magazine Spy and VanityFair The book’ssubtitle, “An editor’s adventures during the last golden age of magazines,” tells youall youneed to know about Carter’s views on the state of periodical

journalism.Clearly,hethinks the salad days of magazines are behind him There are reasons to be glum. Time, Carter’sformer workplace, clearly isn’twhat it used to be, and the rise of online culture has complicated the fortunes of legacy publications such as Esquire. The penultimatechapter of Carter’smemoir,titled “The Golden Age Begins to Tarnish,” revisitsacorporate shake-up that nudged him to leave Esquire. Carter isn’tthe only magazine veteran tosound an elegiac note about the future of magazines. In his 2023 memoir,“The Noise of Typewriters,”Time stalwart Lance Morrow was equally funereal, speaking of his witness to the magazine’s“waning days.” But The Atlantic’sexperience thesedays paints amorehopeful picture.

Lastyear,The Wall Street Journal reported that The Atlantic

is profitable, and its newsroom is growing. Under Goldberg, the magazine is getting back to basics, with afocus on solid reporting and stellar content. While

still publishing print issues, the magazine has also used its online platform to offer an expanded menu of stories and commentary Notably,inamedia world that’s often deeply polarized, The Atlantic’sopinion writers publish policy critiques aimed at both the right and left. The magazine is also committedtothe oldfashioned notion that readers should be willing to pay for quality content.

After hitting The Atlantic’s paywall last year,Ibought asubscription to keep up with Arthur C. Brooks, who writes alively columnfor the magazine on the art of happiness. As for Carter,hemust not really believe that the age of magazines is done. Since leaving Esquire, he’sstarted another magazine called Air Mail.

Email Danny Heitman at danny@ dannyheitman.com

Harrison

TURMOIL TRADEIN

BY TIMOTHY BOONE

A week and a half of wild gyrations in the stock market has left Louisiana investors feeling shaken. Stocks plunged after President Donald Trump announced far-reaching new tariffs on nearly all U.S. trading partners on April 2, part of an effort he said would shift manufacturing back to America and punish countries he said were taking advantage of taxpayers. Then, on Wednesday, the S&P 500 had its best single day since the 2008 financial crisis, soaring 9.5% after Trump backed down, pausing nearly all the tariffs for 90 days. But that Wednesday rally was followed by a drop

Thursday

Uncertainty has remained high, and whipsawing markets have left everyone from global CEOs to penny-pinching retirees questioning what’s ahead for the economy and financial markets.

But local financial experts, who acknowledged there were moves investors could make to shore up their portfolios, largely offered one piece of advice for stockholders: Stay the course, keep working toward personal financial goals and don’t make any drastic moves.

“You prepare clients well for the ebbs and flows of the market and any surprises that come along,” said Pete

ä See INVESTORS, page 2E

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By RICHARD DREW Specialist Philip Finale works on the floor of the New york Stock Exchange. Stocks plunged after President Donald Trump announced farreaching tariffs on April 2. But on Wednesday, he backed down, pausing nearly all the tariffs for 90 days.

Lumen holds firm on La. HQ while presence shrinks

BY STEPHANIE RIEGEL

it works to strengthen its balance sheet.

LED Secretary Susan Bourgeois said there’s value in the company continuing to identify Monroe as its corporate headquarters and she’s gotten no indication that Lumen is packing up and shipping out. But she acknowledged the nature of the company’s presence in the state has changed. “There isn’t a human ecosystem attached to the headquarters,

See LUMEN, page 2E

Club4 Fitness to open in old Lafayette Lanessite

Ahealth club chain with locations across the southeast will move into the formerLafayette Lanes space on Johnston Street Club4 Fitness, which opened a Lafayette location at 4510 Ambassador Caffery Parkway about seven years ago,will move into the space at 2825 Johnston St., according to Clinton Shepard, acommercial real estate agent with Lee &Associates.

The 38,170-square-foot building has been empty since Lafayette Lanes closed in August 2021 following 62 years of operation. The business had been mandated to close during the COVID-19 pandemic,and the general manager at the time cited the fallout from that along with an agingbuilding andthe location being away from the center of business inLafayette.

The building was granted ademolition permit from Lafayette Consolidated Government for just under $250,000 in December, records show Club4 Fitness has nine Louisiana locations. It opened its first fitness center in Mississippi in 2002.

LEDAJob Fair May 13 at Cajundome

Nearly 100 of the region’stop employers will be on hand to screen job candidates at the LafayetteEconomic Development Authority’sannual Job Fair from 9a.m. to 1p.m. May 13 at the Cajundome Convention Center in Lafayette Now in its 30th year,the LEDA Job Fair is the largest job recruitment event in Acadiana. Sinceits inception, hundreds of Acadiana’s topemployers havesuccessfully recruited job candidates at the event.

The E-ApplicationStation and mobile unit, sponsored by the Louisiana Workforce CommissionAmerican Job Center and Acadiana Workforce Solutions, will help job seekers apply for available positions at participating companies, in addition to searching and applying for thousands of additional jobs in the region and throughout the state.

The event is free for job seekers, whoshould dressprofessionally andbring copies of their résumés

Visit lafayette.org/LEDAjobfair for the latest job fair updates and list of participating employers.

BUILDINGPERMITS

Issued April 2-8

Commercial alterations

RESTAURANT: 431 Jefferson St., parklet in front of Sunday’s Soda Fountain; applicant and contractor, Michael and Setareh Delcambre; $2,500.

MEDICAL: 1400SurreySt., renovation of formercar dealership to Surrey Street Community Health Center; applicant, Iberia Comprehensive Community Health Center; contractor, M.D.Descant; $13.4 million

OTHER: 300 Dugas Road, roof replacementand sprinkler repair at firedepartment training center; applicant andcontractor, Castle Row Construction; $778,000.

SCHOOL: 3000 W. CongressSt., convert anatural grassfieldto an artificial turf football field at Lafayette High School;applicant, Vermilion Architects; contractor, T3 Global Projects; $1.6 million.

RESTAURANT: 4701 Ambassador Caffery Parkway;description,two bathrooms and lights; applicant,Gotcha; contractor, none listed; $35,000.

OFFICE: 600 Jefferson St., HVAC renovation for the11th floorofthe Chase Tower; applicant and contractor, Johnston Controls; $320,500. Newresidential

103 MATHERSON WAY: self-contractor, $396,000.

124 BUROAK DRIVE: DR Horton, $209,700.

126 BUR OAKDRIVE: DR Horton, $244,800.

127 BUR OAKDRIVE: DR Horton, $215,010.

122 EDEN RIDGE ST., DUSON: DR Horton, $236,520.

120 EDEN RIDGE ST., DUSON: DR Horton, $225,450.

121 TOLMARK ROAD,DUSON: Manuel Builders, $224,640.

318 WHITE PINE DRIVE: DR Horton, $215,010.

316 WHITE PINE DRIVE: DR Horton, $212,580.

Fool’sTake: Pfizer,a dividend giant

405 RAYMONDST.: Legendary Contractors, $387,720.

811 WHITMORE ROAD,SCOTT: Milton HebertConstruction, $406,980.

231 CAMERONSCOVE, CARENCRO: Manuel Builders,$163,620.

144 BRATTLE COURT: DSLD,$215,820.

120 STEEP MEADOWS LANE: DSLD, $219,690.

131 BRATTLE COURT: DSLD,$167,940.

1308 MARTIN LUTHERKING DRIVE: Reliance Real EstateGroup, $109,980.

122 1/2 JOHNNY ST.: Reliance Real Estate Group,$109,980.

122 JOHNNY ST.: Reliance Real Estate Group, $109,980.

1310 MARTIN LUTHERKING DRIVE: Reliance Real EstateGroup, $109,980. 1312 MARTIN LUTHERKING DRIVE: Reliance Real EstateGroup, $75,000.

113 BIG LAKERUN, YOUNGSVILLE: Francez Builders,$350,000.

313 BENSON GROVE DRIVE, YOUNGSVILLE: LevelConstruction &Development, $308,334.

303 BENSON GROVE DRIVE, YOUNGSVILLE: LevelConstruction &Development, $295,074.

106 BENSON GROVE DRIVE, YOUNGSVILLE: LevelConstruction &Development, $308,334.

103 EMBARK LANE,YOUNGSVILLE: Manuel Builders,$190,000.

205 CENTRAL VILLAGE WAY, YOUNGSVILLE: Manuel Builders, $190,000

209 CENTRAL VILLAGE WAY, YOUNGSVILLE: Manuel Builders, $190,000

707 IBERIA ST YOUNGSVILLE: Manuel Builders,$190,000.

300 ASHGROVE LANE, BROUSSARD: Blue LakeHomes, $700,000.

100 ALEXANDER PALM WAY, BROUSSARD: SignatureSeries Homes, $250,000

101 TRAVELERS PALM WAY, BROUSSARD: SignatureSeries Homes, $250,000

102 LAKES EDGE DRIVE,BROUSSARD: AM Design, $284,380.

INVESTORS

Continuedfrom page 1E

Bush, who manages $450 million at HorizonFinancialGroup in Baton Rouge. “You build aportfolio to prepare for timeslike this.”

One positive thing about therecent marketswings is thatitshows theadvantage of allocating assets. Bushsaidhehadsomeclientscome to his office, expecting to seea20% drop in their investments.

They were surprised to seethe declineswere smaller than they feared. “Real estate, gold, value stocks, the big blue chips, they hung in well,” he said. ‘Holding theirbreath’

Trump’selection last year sparked ajump in stocksasinvestors hoped for market-friendly policieslikelower taxesand relaxed regulations. But he alsospoke abouttariffs, andhis decision earlier this month to call for sweeping tariffs on every majorU.S.trading partnerimmediately prompted a marketswoon.

Mainstream economistssaid the tariffs would slowgrowth and boostinflation. Corporate leaders said they were preparing for lower spending. Some influential CEOs said arecession was likely

PeterRicchiuti, afinance professoratTulane University,called Trump’stariffs “a self-inflicted wound” thatupended aU.S.economy with record lowunemployment and astock marketcoming off two years of gains thatexceeded 20%.

“This is theworst economicmove of anypresidentialadministration in the past 90 years,” said Ricchiuti, who tracks regionalstocks across the South through the university’s Burkenroad Reports. To find something with more of anegative effect,hesaid you have to go back to the policiesofPresident Herbert

LUMEN

Continuedfrom page 1E

whichisnot ideal for thelocal economy,” Bourgeois said. “People aren’t there eatinglunchorusing the child care center down the street.Itwould be much better for Monroe to have thatbuilding full of people.”

For itspart, Lumen says it has no plans to leave thestate entirely Mark Molzen, Lumen’s company spokesperson,saidthatMonroe “isour hometown”and it is committedtostaying in thestate

“Lumen hasbuilt andcontinues to invest in our network, thebackbone of the AI economy,and we engage with state leaders to exploreopportunities that support economic growthand innovation,” said Molzen, who is based in Phoenix.

‘Hybridisthe future’

Lumen was founded in 1930 as a small regional telephone company. Overthe years, it grew through acquisitions andmergers,rebrandingalongthe way from Century TeltoCenturyLink to LumenTechnologies. At one point in the 2010s, it wasthe third-largesttelecommunications company in the U.S.

Hoover that led to the Great Depression. Jude Melville, CEO of b1Bank, said the uncertaintyaround tariffs over the past twomonths has ledto fewer clients seeking loans compared withthe endoflast year.But he said the recent moves by Trump hadn’tyet raisedthe possibilityof higher defaults.

“It’snot offthe charts andthere arenomaterial signs of credit degradation,” he said. “People are holding theirbreath fora second and seeing where things sort out.”

Themarketswingshavenot affected b1Bank’soperations or how it will invest capital, Melville said. Management looksatwhatdecisions arebest in the long term and doesn’toperate based on the dayto-day stock price. “Butcertainly,a rising stock market givesyou more options,” he said.

Trade, politics andstock trading Local investmentadvisers said thatit’sbeen easy to tell their clients’ political leanings by how they’ve reacted to the market swings. Trumpsupporters want to hold steady,while“never-Trump” Republicans andDemocrats are more likely to see calamity ahead. Butletting personalpolitics influence financialmoves isn’ta good idea, they said.

“Trump is the elephant in the room, but he’s the elephant that wonthe election,”saidMickey Guidry,managing partner with AltusWealth Management in Baton Rouge. “That influenced the perception of what is going on.”

Guidry,who manages $900 million, said he’sbeen looking to keep clients diversified. That includes moving into small and mediumcap stocks, defensive stocksand those that paydividends.Some examples of defensivestocksare pharmaceuticals, tobacco companiesand brewers.

“Nomatter what theeconomy is

“Due to our remote work model, we chose to forgo future incentives,” Molzen said.“Ourcorporateheadquarters remains in Monroe, and we take great pride in our presence here.”

Today,Lumen has a“key operational presence” in Denver, accordingtoits website.Inadditiontothe leaders in Denver,three other top executives are based in Seattle, where Tier 3, acompany Lumen acquired in 2014, was located. Twoothers are in Toronto and California. Of Lumen’sC-suite leadership, itsinterim executive counsel and an executive vice president for mass markets are in Monroe.

The company no longer runs key departments like salesand marketing, accounting or human resources from Monroe. Molzen saidsince the remote work policy was implemented, “our functions arenot tiedtospecific locations, allowing us to have employees performing work around the world.”

‘Upwardspiral’

people are going to drink beer and smoke cigarettes,” he said.

John Paul Caswell, president of Iron Horse Financial in Baton Rouge, said while the fluctuations in stock prices are jarring, the only clients who are losing money are those pulling out of the market.

“Nobodywants to see adownturn in their 401(k), but we’ve been proactive in making calls andmaking sure ourclientsare comfortable,” he said.

Thefact that theU.S.continues to addprivate sector jobs andoil prices are falling suggests that the economy could remain resilient, Caswell said.

That, along with lowerstock prices,could lead people to get into the market. “For people who have never invested, it’sa great time to get in,” he said.

Caswell said some clients are watching the market closely, ready to jump in.

The lingering question is what will happen next with tariffs. Will Trump go back to taking ahard line? Or is he using the threat of raising the cost of exporting goods to negotiate concessions from trading partners?

Austin Zaunbrecher,head of investments andadvice in Louisiana forJ.P.MorganPrivate Bank, said the least likely outcomeisareturn to the trade status quo.

“We’re talking to ourclientsto see what we can do to make them moreresilient in the long term,” he said.

That involves making investments in conservative, stable sectors, such as infrastructure, buying gold and rebalancing portfolios, moving out of stocks and into bonds.

“There’s alot of uncertainty,” he said.

EmailTimothy Boone at tboone@theadvocate.com.

hancecivic life andmakes it easier to raise philanthropic dollars.

“When you’re fundraising fora hospital or putting on aroad race fora local charity,the first door youknock on is thecorporate CEO,” Tulane University professor Peter Ricchiuti said.

Given Lumen’sgrowth through acquisitions and mergers over the years, Ricchiutiisnot surprised thatits presenceinnorth Louisiana has diminished.

“When corporations merge, you often see them shift things around, relocate key people,” he said. “They all say it won’thappen. It does.”

Synergiesand opportunities

For themoment, Lumen continues to lease about 50,000 square feet in the newer of the two buildings it donated to ULMin2023. The lease runs until 2026. Mozen said the company will work with the landlord as the renewal approaches “tomakethe best decision” about how to move forward.

Youmay know 175-year-old pharmaceutical company Pfizer (NYSE: PFE) best forits COVID-19 vaccine, but investors have long known the company as areliable dividend payer Pfizer has increased its dividend for 16 straight years, and its dividend yield was recently afat 7.1%, meaning that a$1,000 position in the stock would generate $71over ayear Pfizer will lose patent exclusivity on several lucrative drugsover the next few years, but it stillexpects to deliver solid growth in the second half of this decade.Thanks in part to several acquisitions, it has multiple new growth drivers in its

lineup, includingmigraine therapy Nurtec ODT (gained through its 2022 acquisition of Biohaven Pharmaceutical) and cancer drug Padcev (picked up via the 2023 buyout of Seagen). With the Seagen acquisition, Pfizer believes it may produce as many as eight breakthrough drugs and add $10 billion to its sales by 2030.

Happily for investors, Pfizeris generating enough cash flow to cover its dividend. In 2024, it paid $9.5 billion in dividends, while generating over $9.8 billion of free cash flow,not including $3 billion in cash proceeds from selling mostof its stakeinBritishconsumer health care company Haleon. The stock is attractively priced, too; its forwardlookingprice-to-earnings(P/E) ratio has been in the single digits forawhile, and was recently below 8.3. (The MotleyFool owns shares of and recommends Pfizer.)

In recentyears, thecompany hasshifted moreofits operations to other cities,notably Denver,the home base of Qwest and Level 3 Communications, large companies Lumen acquired.

But in 2015, the companynearly doubled the size of its Monroe campus with thecompletion of a new, state-of-the-art officebuilding intended to accommodate morethan1,000 employees

The company received $23.8 million in grants from thestate’s Mega-Project Development Fund andRapid Response Fund to be paid over severalyearsinreturn for creating 1,146 new jobs and retainingthe corporateheadquarters through 2020.

The deal was later amended to extend through 2023.But during thepandemic, Lumen, like many tech companies around the country,moved to aremotework model.

When it comes to corporate headquarters,citiesinLouisiana have been losing ground for decades to places like Austin, Texas; Nashville,Tennesse; and Atlanta. Still, as recently as the 1990s, several homegrown companies regularly appearedonthe prestigious Fortune 500 list, including Tidewater, McDermottInternational,Freeport McMoRan, and Louisiana Land and Exploration. CenturyLink,now Lumen,Entergyand The Shaw Group joined the listinthe early2000s. Today, Entergy and Lumen are the only twostill basedinthe state.

Having the headquarters of large companies, whether on the Fortune 500 list or not, matters to acity or region for many reasons, experts say

“Corporate headquarters are catalysts for growth, innovation and community prosperity,” ElizabethHuff, economicdirector of theSugar Land, Texas, Office of Economic Development, wrote in atrade publication in 2024. It makes recruiting top talent easier,creating “an upward spiral,”she added. The presence of corporate executives in acommunity can also en-

In themeantime, theuniversity is workingwith LED on aplan to market the building, according to Dan Robertson, who chairs the nonprofit ULMFacilitiesCorporation Board, the entity that was gifted the property Robertson said given the building’sfiber optics capabilities, a likely use would be to leverage the planned artificial intelligence data center under construction for Facebook parent companyMeta in nearby Richland Parish and lease the space to arelated to atech company LEDisinvolvedinthe discussions, according to Bourgeois, who saidthe availabilityofthe buildings has caught the attention Gov. Jeff Landry and other officials.

“The size,qualityand the way they werebuilt makes thebuildings an incredible but very unique asset,” Bourgeois said. “ULM and the state are working together to determine how we market it for itshighest andbestuse that serves ULM, the Monroeregionand the state as awhole.”

EmailStephanie Riegel at stephanie.riegel@theadvocate. com.

Motley Fool

BUSINESS WITH GRAySTREAM

Business leader says carbon capturevital to La.growth

BY BLAKE PATERSON Staff writer

When Gov.Jeff Landry tapped W. Gray Stream lastyear to chair the newly created Louisiana Economic Development Partnership, the 45-year-old Lake Charles businessman was skeptical

In his years as president of the Stream Cos. and founderofGulf Coast Sequestration, Stream has seen plenty of boards and commissions attempt,unsuccessfully,to tackle Louisiana’smany challenges. He knew that if the 11-member board of business leaderswanted to make adifference in its role providing advice to the state’s economic development team, it needed to break the mold.

After six months at the group’s helm, Stream is upbeat about the board’sprogress. In March, it signed offonanew economicdevelopment strategy that aimsto transform Louisiana into themost innovative economy in theSouth. Its goal is for Louisiana to have the highest wage growth in theregion and positive net migrationinall parts of the state Stream didn’tgrow up in Louisiana, but his family has deep roots in the state, where the family business, Stream Cos., is among the largest landowners.

In 2018, he founded Gulf Coast Sequestration to develop acarbon capture and sequestration hubin Calcasieu Parish. In this week’s Talking Business, Stream discusses why carbon capture technology is necessary for Louisianatogrow, despite opposition from asmall group of Republican lawmakers in the Legislature, and his role as chair of the new private sector board. Comments have been edited for length and clarity

Tell us about Stream Cos.

The Stream Cos. is ahumble family business. It started out with land surveying, which turned into land acquisition aroundagriculture, cattle, timber and so forth. That turned into properties that had oil and gas production. And then it transitioned into otherbusinesses as well: realestate devel-

PROVIDED PHOTO

Gray Stream, president of the Stream Cos. and founder of Gulf Coast Sequestration, is leading the 11-member Louisiana Economic Development Partnership,which recently signed off on anew economic development strategythat aimstotransformLouisiana into the most innovativeeconomy in theSouth.

opment,hotelsand other private businesses. We sometimes will try to help start things and grow themand exit. Others, like our wetlands company —which has restored tensofthousands of acres of coastal wetlands and marshes —wehold onto. We are still very much, no pun intended, rooted in theland. We’re very connected to thedirt here in the state.

How muchland do y’allhaveinyour portfolio?

We don’ttend totalk about specific acreage, butit’salow sixfigure acreage amount. So it’sa meaningful holding of primarily agriculture, timber and coastal properties.

What promptedyou to create Gulf Coast Sequestration in 2018?

Thereisa very large amount of industrialactivitythat has alot of emissions that need to be decarbonized. Therewere alsoindustries that were looking to invest in

Louisiana, but if they didn’thave solutions to decarbonize their materials, they couldn’tget their financing. We wantedtoconstruct asolutionsothe industry that wantedtolocate here didn’thave the uncertaintyofwaiting. Meta, for instance, said they wanted low carbon power.Wehave all this gas-fired power,which is lowcost. Putcarbon capture and sequestration on it, and it’slow carbon. That’swhat we need. Anybody with logic seesthatthat’sif you’re trying to growthe economy, that this is avery elegant solution.

President Donald Trump has pushed fora returntotraditional fossil fuels but thus far hasn’tannounced cuts to federal tax credits that are keyto financing carbon capture and sequestration projects.Where do Louisiana’s federal lawmakers stand on CCS? Whoare your biggest advocates? Ithink there’sbeen apositive level of support, but Idon’tthink ourdelegation is monolithic. You

have some whothink that anythingbuilt on the basis of lowering greenhouse gasemissionsisamisguided use of resources. Youhave some whothink it’sagood thing and industry has to have solutions andthis is the waytodoit. I’ve been pleasedwith the support. I thinkthe leaders of our delegation understand it well. On the Senate side, Sen. (Bill) Cassidy has been so deeply involved in energy policy,and trying to ensure that we’re positioningourselves in Louisiana for new energytechnologiesand being proactive about it.

Youserved as chairofGov.Jeff Landry’s transition committeeonEnergy, Chemical and Maritime Industry policy,and also advised Gov.John Bel Edwards’ Climate Initiatives Task Force. Howdoyou think Louisiana should approach the energytransition?

I’m personally an all-of-theabove guy. Ithink that’sthe only practical, pragmatic way to be. The energytransitionisnot apolitical

thing. Things are always evolving technologically.The demand, particularly forelectricity,isbeing drivenupa steep curve.Typically,that’sbeing addressed with ahydrocarbon-basedresource and that’sgoing to continue to be the case. At the same, there are all these other solutions that are also being developed. Youwant to be on theside of innovation. That’s where growth is going to be. There’sapush among some lawmakers to limit CCS in Louisiana in the upcoming legislative session. One proposal would give votersthe opportunity to decide whether they want CCS in their parish. What do youmake of the oppositionbrewing against CCS? The basis forthose bills are basically some folks that have stoked up somelocal voices that don’treally understand, but they’re loud and they’re worked up and, you know,there may not even be that manyofthem,but they can scare enough people to get in aroom and at alocal level try to shut things down that are good forthe state. Ithink that sometimes legislators feel that they have to do things in response to some folks that, whether they’reinformedproperly or not, areeffective at creating anxiety

Howdoyou view your role on the Louisiana Economic Development Partnership? What do youthink about LED’sprogress so far? We’re aresource and we’re a meansfor feedback and accountability. Secretary (Susan) Bourgeois is awesome. Ihave an enormous amount of respect for her and the culture that she’sbuilding. The governor madeagreat pick there.She andthe staff have a huge, emotionally healthy appetite for criticalfeedback, because they don’tthink we’re doing everything right. That’sthe point. If you think you’re alreadya rock starand everything’sgreat, then why try to improve? There’sanambitionto do things better.You seeagroup of people there that are hungry to be productive and get results for the citizens of the state.

Email Blake Paterson at bpaterson@theadvocate.com and followhim on Twitter, @blakepater

Music therapy for the lungs

La. patients learn breath control using harmonica

BY MARGARET DeLANEY Staff writer

A musician needs full lungs to play the harmonica — that makes the pocket-size instrument just what the doctor ordered for respiratory therapy patients at Baton Rouge General Pulmonary Rehabilitation Center

Jaqueline McCarthy, a musical therapist at Baton Rouge General, teaches the weekly classes split up into 15 minute one-on-one sessions.

McCarthy, a former opera singer, also leads a special class once a month for patients wanting to learn the harmonica as respiratory therapy treatment, which helps patients with types of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, such as emphysema and chronic bronchitis.

In the class, patients learned the Louisiana classic “You Are My Sunshine.”

Playing the harmonica strengthens the diaphragm and teaches pursed-lip breathing, which helps better oxygenate the blood, according to Jessica Richardson, a registered nurse and team leader at the center

The technique enables people to inhale and exhale more air, by breathing in through their nose and then breathing out through puckered lips.

“Patients with long-term lung conditions can use this harmonica therapy to strengthen the body,” Richardson said. “The breathing techniques increase the levels of oxygen and makes the diaphragm stronger.”

The deep, deliberate breaths used in playing the harmonica help patients with damaged lungs inflate microscopic air sacs called alveoli, which

Beebe learns how to

the

are where the blood exchanges CO2 for oxygen. In contrast, breathing quick, shallow breaths will cause the alveoli to collapse, making it harder to get air sacs to inflate again — sort of like when blowing up a balloon.

The best thing about learning to play the harmonica, according to music instructor McCarthy, is that patients don’t need previous musical experi-

ence to get the benefits. The harmonica will make it sound good no matter what.

The sheet music is comprised of pluses and minuses (indicating inhales or exhales, respectively) and numbers one through six (indicating where on the harmonica to play).

ä See MUSIC, page 2X

BY GENARO C. ARMAS

Heart Association News (TNS)

American

It’s an ability and skill often taken for granted. It affects quality of life and has been linked to heart disease and stroke. As we age and our muscles weaken, balance becomes crucial to staying active and supporting a healthy heart and brain.

“Balance is important because it’s one of the attributes that allows you do to physical activity,” said Dr Kelley Gabriel, a professor of epidemiology and associate dean at the University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Public Health. “Everything you do involves some level of balance — standing at the sink, mopping, walking the dog. It’s embedded into almost every single activity.”

According to federal physical activity guidelines, balance training should be part of the weekly exercise routine for older adults to help prevent falls, another frequent problem for stroke survivors. Such exercises include walking backward, standing on one leg or using a wobble board Use caution and work with a coach or training partner if needed. Activities that strengthen the back, abdomen and legs also improve balance, according to the guidelines.

Balance is a “multifaceted physiological process” that involves vision, the vestibular system in the inner ear and the nervous system, researchers wrote in a 2024 study in the Journal of the American Heart Association.

The Swedish study included 4,927 participants without cardiovascular disease who were 70 years old. Their balance was measured at the start of the study using a balance board.

After five years of follow-up, researchers found that problems with lateral balance — the ability to remain stable while shifting weight from one side of the body to the other — were associated with a higher risk for heart attack and stroke.

Similarly, a 2023 study in the European Journal of Medical Research found that among nearly 130,000 adults age 60 and older in Korea, those with balance impairment may be at increased risk for coronary heart disease or stroke

Two 2024 studies — one in the Journal of Prevention of Alzheimer’s disease and the other in the Journals of Gerontology Series A — also found an association between balance impairment and increased risk of dementia among older adults.

Dr Pei-Shiun Chang, associate professor of community and health systems at the University of Indiana School of Nursing in Bloomington, said that while impaired balance may be an

Patricia

play

harmonica recently at the Baton Rouge General Pulmonary Rehabilitation Center

PHOTOS By APRIL BUFFINGTON

Music therapist Jaqueline McCarthy, center, teaches COPD patients how to play the harmonica at the Baton Rouge General Pulmonary Rehabilitation Center

HEALTH MAKER

Bringing ‘living drugs’ to Louisiana

Doctor uses genetically altered cells to treat blood cancer patients

BY MARGARET DeLANEY Staff writer

CAR T-cell therapy, also known as Chimeric Antigen Receptor T-cell therapy, is a personalized form of immunotherapy treatment that genetically modifies a patient’s immune system to target and destroy cancer cells. It is used to treat some types of blood cancer including multiple myeloma.

The success of CAR T-cell therapy is promising with significant remission rates in patients who have not responded to standard cancer treatments.

Dr Laura Finn is the section chair of hematology at Ochsner MD Anderson Cancer Center She received her medical degree from Louisiana State University School of Medicine in New Orleans before completing her residency in internal medicine at Earl K. Long at LSU in Baton Rouge.

Finn went on to a hematology and oncology fellowship at Mayo Clinic School of Graduate Medical Education in Jacksonville, Florida. She also completed advanced training in stem cell transplant as a Mayo Clinic Scholar at the University of Minnesota.

Now, Finn is the director of Ochsner Health’s Hematology and Stem Cell Transplant Program where she studies blood disorders with a research focus in leukemia and myelodysplastic syndrome.

Finn played a major role in bringing CAR T-cell therapy to Louisiana residents, from New Orleans to Lafayette.

Tell me about stem cell transplants and how they work.

Multiple myeloma is the No.

Dr Laura Finn is chair of hematology at Ochsner MD Anderson Cancer Center

1 blood cancer that which an autologous stem cell transplant is performed for An autologous stem cell transplant is a type of transplant that doesn’t require a donor: the patients are going to be donating their stem cells to themselves.

Here’s how it works: At diagnosis, a patient of myeloma receives different types of immune therapy Very rigorous chemotherapy is primarily used to treat multiple myeloma, and the intent is to get patients into remission before a stem cell transplant (remission is when a patient has undetectable cancer by all our available tests).

When a patient enters remission, the blood system in their bone marrow is back to normal or near normal health. At that point, there is a procedure, a little bit like donating blood, that we

use to get their stem cells.

We then keep the stem cells in reserve before the autologous transplant patient comes to the hospital. Then, that patient will receive chemotherapy The intent of that chemotherapy is to remove what is diseased, the remaining cancer in their blood and marrow system — even if we can’t see it by our tests.

Then, we give them back their healthy stem cells. There’s going to be several million of them going back into the body

A stem cell can repopulate the entire blood and immune system just from a few cells. The intention of the transplant is to regrow the immune system in its healthy state again.

By doing this, it’s not a cure for multiple myeloma, but it can improve what we call “progression free survival” survival without evidence of cancer for, on average, about five years.

Who qualifies for stem cell transplant treatment?

When we first meet a patient with multiple myeloma, one of the first things we ask ourselves is if they are transplant eligible.

Very few things that would make someone ineligible. We’ve transplanted patients up to their 80s.

It’s primarily based on a patient’s underlying health: Would there be any reason due to another underlying diagnosis (heart health or lung health) that would prevent a patient from receiving chemotherapy?

During a transplant, a patient will not have an immune system at all for about two weeks. We make sure that the risk factor,

should something happen like an infection, is low If someone is in relatively good health, very few other health conditions, they qualify for the treatment.

Another big part is that patients need a support system of family and friends to be there after the transplant. They make sure patients get the necessary things like medicines, meals and transports to and from appointments while recovering from a transplant.

If someone has good baseline health, is physically active and has a good social support system, then it’s safe to have autologous transplant.

What is CAR T-cell therapy, and why is it different than current treatment?

CAR T therapy is approved and indicated for a patient who needs what is called a “second-line treatment” for their myeloma. This could be for a patient who went through all the steps to get the transplant and now needs a new treatment. This second-line treatment is very similar to the autologous transplant. The one difference is a patient doesn’t have to be in remission to go through CAR T — a patient can be in any stage of myeloma. At one of our stem cell therapy sites, instead of collecting stem cells, we collect lymphocytes — another cell of the immune system. And, instead of holding them in the reserve, we send the lymphocytes to a company that genetically alters the cells to attack multiple myeloma cancer cells.

These new genetically altered cells are now considered a drug. They’re a medicine.

BALANCE

Continued from page 1X

early indicator of brain and heart health, and vice versa, “you can never say if someone has issues with their balance that they also have some issues with their brain or heart. You need to dig more into their” medical history Gabriel agreed, saying that direct connections between balance and heart and brain health cannot be made because conditions such as cardiovascular disease and dementia develop over decades, and may arise because of other risk factors.

“It becomes very challenging to measure the relationship between balance and things like cardiovascular disease and dementia given balance is so challenging to isolate from other aspects of physical activity,” she said.

A patient comes back to our site and receives chemotherapy to reduce the number of remaining lymphocytes (so there’s new space for the medicinal lymphocytes). Then, they receive the genetically altered lymphocytes by an IV drip.

Patients receiving this treatment stay in the hospital for a couple weeks as their immune system adjusts to have this new lymphocyte that can recognize and attack their myeloma indefinitely Has this treatment been successful in Louisiana?

Twenty years ago, the average survival of myeloma was three years. Now, the average survival is eight to 10 years. In Louisiana, we have one of the highest incidences of myeloma in the country We’re seventh in the nation for diagnosis and the national average age is 65. We’re an exception to that. The average age of diagnosis is closer to 45 in Louisiana, especially among African Americans.

We’ve done over 50 CAR T therapies here at Ochsner for lymphoma, multi myeloma and other patients that qualify What we have seen is over 75% of patients respond well to CAR-T therapy Patients tend to maintain, on average, that good response for about two years — a little less for some and a little bit more for others.

People are starting to talk about a cure for myeloma — which has been unheard of for decades. I think we’re going to continue to add decades onto our survival time with these technologies.

Email Margaret DeLaney at margaret.delaney@theadvocate. com.

“Balance is important because it’s one of the attributes that allows you do to physical activity. Everything you do involves some level of balance — standing at the sink, mopping, walking the dog. It’s embedded into almost every single activity.”

DR. KELLEy GABRIEL, a professor of epidemiology and associate dean at the University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Public Health

strengthen the foot and lower leg muscles, and work with a rehabilitation specialist or family member who can assist if needed. Gradually build up duration and intensity

Continued from page 1X

“The music also gives patients a chance to practice their breathing, and are really able to hear how well their breath control is,” McCarthy said.

Practicing the songs, like “You Are My Sunshine,” gives patients an auditory cue for their lung health. It can also provide patients with something positive (like their favorite song) and very focused, actionable task to improve their health.

“Patients can practice songs over and over again until it sounds right,” Mary Malloy said, music supervisor for Baton Rouge General’s Arts in Medicine program. “It’s also just fun.”

Proven differences in lung health

Patients at Baton Rouge General’s harmonica class started with breathing exercises in their chairs to make sure their posture was best for quality breathing (shoulders back, chin parallel to the floor, etc.).

The class placed their hands on their stomachs practiced control of the diaphragm making sure the stomach pushes the hand out to expand and retract when taking deep breaths.

Then it was time to “break out the harmonicas,” McCarthy said.

The musicians warmed up with long inhales followed by short exhales, and long exhales followed by short inhales. The breathing

pattern is meant to show patients the difference in volume based on breathing power.

“It take much more work to play softly than really loud,” said harmonica instructor McCarthy, “We try to get the breathing and the sounds as controlled as possible.”

Breathing long inhales helps with oxygenation, and a slow, soft exhale helps get rid of CO2 in the lungs.

The harmonica is another way to tell how well patients are breathing, according to registered nurse Richardson. “We can hear the notes and how long patients are actually inhaling and exhaling,” Richardson said.

In a 2020 study from the National Library of Medicine, patients attended 12 weeks of harmonica training sessions for 2 hours a week and were encouraged to practice at home

The pilot study showed that the harmonica program significantly improved measurements used to assess respiratory muscle strength (like PImax, PEmax and 6-minute walk distance) in patients after rehabilitation. In order to measure the effectiveness of harmonica therapy Richardson and her team at Baton Rouge General measure a patients’ oxygen levels before and after their one-on-one harmonica sessions. Most of the time, the oxygen levels improve

According to Richardson, the effectiveness of the musical treatment can depend on the patient, and at what point in their exercises the therapy was (before or after vari-

ous activities on the treadmill, bike, stretches and more)

“The order that is most helpful for better breathing is very patientspecific,” Richardson said. “But patients tend to love it either way.”

Using music to heal

Beginning in 2012, the Baton Rouge General Arts in Medicine therapy program has provided patients at the Baton Rouge hospital for many different ways to de-stress and find healing through the arts, including painting, knitting, crocheting, live music events, drawing and much more.

“Sometimes the act of focusing on a project or using music to destress can really make a difference for our patients,” Malloy said.

In 2019, the program began to expose babies in the NICU to calming, rhythmic sounds that are designed to help babies grown and heal.

Studies show music therapy in the NICU provides a host of benefits, including a stabilized heart rate and improved breathing, feeding, weight gain and sleep. In the NICU, mimicking the sounds of the womb and reducing loud, disruptive noises can be beneficial for premature infants, as they experience a different soundscape than in the womb.

Specifically, Baton Rouge General’s music therapists use low-frequency sounds, like those from the ocean disc (a hollow, circular drum that mimics wound sounds) and a gato box (a wooden box with soft pedals that simulates a mother’s heartbeat), can be used to simulate the intrauterine environment

One relationship that is more certain, Gabriel said, is that the more active someone is, the better their balance is likely to be. And balance is a key factor in preventing falls, which is the leading cause of injury among adults 65 and older, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Clinicians should assess balance and risk for falling in people with cardiovascular diseases, according to a 2022 American Heart Association scientific statement that says patients with any loss of balance should be referred for physical therapy Balance exercises can help with the recovery process for those who have had a heart event or stroke. People should plan their exercise program with a health care professional, Chang said. Start slowly with exercises that

“Maybe start with a short walk in your neighborhood, and once you feel like you can tolerate that level, slowly increase intensity Then move on to other exercises,” Chang said. She recommended toe stands, which is a balance exercise that requires someone to stand or move on the tips of their toes, as great balance training for older adults since it strengthens the calves and ankles.

In general, many lower-body strength training exercises can improve balance for people of all ages. Practicing yoga and Pilates can help with balance, strength and flexibility

Chang also recommends qigong, a form of traditional Chinese mind-body exercise, as another practice that can improve balance, flexibility, muscle strength and overall health, especially for older adults.

Qigong, which is similar to tai chi, combines slow and precise body movements with controlled breathing and mental focus.

WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU

The Louisiana Health section is focused on providing in-depth, personal accounts of health in the state.This section looks at medical innovations, health discoveries, state and national health statistics and re-examining tried and true methods on ways to live well.

Health editions will also profile people who are advancing health for the state of Louisiana. Do you have a health story? We want to hear from you. Email margaret.delaney@ theadvocate.com to submit health questions, stories and more.

PROVIDED PHOTO

PHOTO By APRIL BUFFINGTON

Music therapist Jaqueline McCarthy, left, teaches COPD patients how to play the harmonica recently at the Baton Rouge General Pulmonary Rehabilitation Center MUSIC

Eat Fit Live Fit

BROUGHT

TO YO UB Y

EatFit-style festing:Enjoy Louisiana’sbiggest outdoor celebrations and still feel your best

Otherscallitspring. AcrossSouthLouisiana,it’sFestival Season.Ourstreets,parks andfairgroundsfillwith vibrantmusic,eclectic art,spiritedcrowdsand, ofcourse,unbelievable food.Facedwithso manydecadentlydeliciousoptions,itcanbe temptingtohitpauseon ourwellnessgoals.But, withabitofplanningand know-how,itispossibletoenjoyfest-filled weekendsandstillfeel yourbest.

Planahead Manyfestivalspost foodvendorlineups onlineinadvance,giving ustheopportunitytolookforoptionsthat alignwithournutritionalneedsandpreferences.Whetheryou’reaimingtokeep carbsincheckorlookingforvegetarianor gluten-freedishes,takingaquickpeekat themenuaheadoftimecanhelpyoumap outyourfestfoodgameplan,narrowing downthevendors’dishesyouwanttotry SpotlightonJazzFest

ingredientslikefreshproduce,leanproteinsandplant-basedfats.Andit’snotjust aboutbeingnutritious.Carefullycrafted bytalentedchefsandcooks,theseEatFit dishesarealsodeliciousandinteresting centeredonqualityingredientslayered withlocalandglobalflavors.

CongoSquare.Threeofmyfavorites (favoritepeopleandfavoritedishes)are here:

Festfood:Nutritionalstrategies

OneofLouisiana’smosticonicfestivalsistheNewOrleansJazz&Heritage FestivalpresentedbyShell,spanningtwo weeksanddrawingvisitorsfromaround theglobe.Belovedforitslegendarymusicandiconicfoodofferings,JazzFestis amassivecelebrationfilledwithenergy andcreativity.

Iamthrilledtosharethatthisyear, morethan24JazzFestfoodvendor menuswillfeatureEatFitoptions, dishesthathavenorefinedwhitecarbs, littleornoaddedsugar,andwholesome

YoucanfindthelistofEatFit-approved dishesatnojazzfest.com/foodorviathe freeEatFitmobileappwhereyoucan browsefestvendors,viewphotosandsee nutritionfactsforeachEatFitdish.

MyfirstfoodstopatJazzFestisalways

•GambianFoods(CharlieMendy): Spicygrilledtofuandveggieswith peanutsauce(vegan) •Palmer’sCuisine(JessicaDandridge andhermom,DinahCampbell): Jamaicanchickenwithdouble steamedvegetables •Bennachin(FantaTambajang):Pouletfricasseewithjamajamaspinach MynextstopisFoodArea1forthe shrimpandlumpcrabravigotebyPapa NinetyCateringandthebrusselssprouts (quitepossiblythebestI’veevertasted) bySmokeStreetCatering.Another favorite,thecochondelaitpo-boyfrom Walker’sBBQ,isnowavailableoverasalad.Ialsolovethesunflowersaladwith grilledshrimpbyTenTalentsCatering. FoodArea2isamustforDanaHonn’s handmadetacosfromTempero’sMarket KitchenandforCharleyPierre’sgrilled shrimppikliz,aHaitiandishbyFritai. Anddon’tmisstheVietnamesebeef skewers—perfectlymarinatedand tender—byBahnMiinHeritageSquare. There’smore,ofcourse,butthisisasnapshotofmytopJazzFestfavorites. BeyondJazzFest,SouthLouisianais quiteliterallybrimmingwithfestivals. FrombarbecuecompetitionsinBatonRougetoFestivalInternationalde LouisianeinLafayette,similarwellness principlesapply.

MollyKimball,RD,CSSD,isaregistereddietitian withOchsnerHealthandfounderofOchsner’sEatFit nonprofitinitiative.Formorewellnesscontent,tuneinto Molly’spodcast,FUELEDWellness+Nutrition,andfollow @MollykimballRDand@EatFitOchsneronsocialmedia. Emailnutrition@ochsner.orgtoconnectwithMollyor scheduleaconsultwithherteam.

LA.RANKS 4THFOR ADULTS

BY THENUMBERS

•Sharewithafriend.Iwouldhavea hardtimepolishingoffallthefavorite dishesonmylistifItriedtodoitsolo. I’mallaboutsharingwithfriends.Not onlydoesitgiveusopportunitiesto trymoredishes,butitalsohelpskeep thingsabitmorebudgetfriendly.

•Scopeoutthemenuaheadoftime. Mapoutyourgameplanandsee whatsplurgesaretrulyworththe indulgence.

•Lookforqualityingredients.Focus ondishescenteredonfreshingredientslikegrilledleanproteinsand vegetables.

•Doubletheveg.Mostvendorsare happytoserveupdoublevegetables inplaceofastarchlikericeorpasta. Justbeawaretheremaybeanupcharge.

•Stayhydrated.Gettingenough fluidsiscriticalwhentheheatindex issoaring.Itcanhelpyoufeelyour bestonalongdayoutatthefest—as wellasthenextday.Water,flavored sparklingwater,unsweetenedtea andnon-alcoholicbeerallserveto hydrateuseffectively.

Savorthefullexperience Ofcourse,ourlocalfestivalsareabout morethanjustfood.They’reacelebration ofculture,musicandcommunity.Yes,nutritionmatters,butsodoessavoringthe moment—soakingupthemusic,strolling throughlocalartists’boothsandspending timewithfriends,botholdandnew. Ifyou’reatJazzFestorseekingout healthiermenuoptionsstatewide,don’t forgettodownloadthefreeEatFitmobileapp,auser-friendlyguideforfinding nutritiousdishes—duringfestivalseason andallyearlong.

WITH MULTIPLE CHRONICCONDITIONS

Chronic conditions cover a rangeofhealth conditions lasting more than ayear.Some chronic conditions only require ongoing medical attention. Others limit daily functions such as eating, bathing and mobility

The more chronic conditions an individual has, the higher their risk of the following outcomes: n physical, social and cognitive limitations; n longer hospital stays; n adverse drug events; n death.

In 2023, the averagepercentage of adults whohad three or more chronic health conditions in the United States is 10.7% Louisiana’saverageis 14.3%

Adults with three or more of the following chronic health conditions are considered for this data:

n arthritis, n asthma, n chronic kidneydisease, n chronic obstructivepulmonary disease, n cardiovascular disease (heart disease, heartattack or stroke), n cancer (excluding nonmelanomaskincancer), n depression, n diabetes.

West Virginia had the highest rate of adults with multiple chronicconditions with 20.4% of adults,followedbyTennessee (16.1%), Alabama (14.6%), Louisiana (14.3%)and Arkansas (14.1%).

NewJerseyhad the lowest rate of adults with multiple chronic conditions with 7.5% of adults, followedbyCalifornia (7.6%), Hawaii (7.7%), Alaska (8.3%)and Texas (8.3%).

Multiple chronicconditionsper state

Percentage

4symptomsare warningsigns

Diseasehas been rising amongyounger people forthe past twodecades

By Mayo Clinic News Network (TNS)

Colorectal cancer,the thirdmost common cancerinthe U.S., has been rising among younger people for the past two decades. It is not one type of cancer but two cancers: colon cancer,which starts in the large intestine, and rectalcancer,which begins in the last part of the large intestine,

known as the rectum.

Dr.Derek Ebner,a Mayo Clinic gastroenterologist,notes that colorectal cancer has been increasing in adults under age50, particularly for rectal cancer

He saysit’simportant toknow thewarning signs of colorectal cancer and to not delay medical treatment

“Historically,colorectal cancer was equally divided along the colon andrectum, but particularly forthose with early onset colorectal cancer —age lessthan 50— we’re seeing higher rates of rectal cancer among theyounger onset,” says Dr.Ebner Case of colorectalcancerhas

been increasing in adultsunder age 50, particularly for rectal cancer

Warningsigns andsymptoms

Dr.Ebner says four keysymptoms have been identifiedfor people under 50 who arediagnosed with colorectal cancer

“Abdominalpain, diarrhea, seeing blood with bowel motions, as well as iron deficiencyanemia,” he says.

Dr.Ebner notes that blood loss after bowel movements, even if notvisibly apparent, can lead to low iron levels

“If on ablood test, for example, we see asign of iron deficiency,

of

colorectal cancer

thatwould then prompt us to explorefurther,”hesays.

Even though it may be embarrassing, he stresses, “If you have any of those symptoms, you need to share it with ahealth care provider.Thatway,theycan navigatethose subsequent steps.”

That canleadtoearly treatment and better outcomes.

Reducing risks

While it’snot possible to completely prevent cancer,there are ways to reduce your risks, and that includes followinga healthy lifestyle. “Abiding by ahealthy lifestyle is critical,” says Dr.Ebner

“Following awell-rounded diet, staying physically active, for instance, perhaps canbeprotective. The other key,though,is just being very mindful of those symptoms,and then also underscoring theimportance of screening.”

n Screening:Talktoyourhealth care team about colorectal cancer screening.

n Exercise: Aim for 30 minutes of exercise most days.

n Nutrition: Eatfruits, veggies andwhole grains.

n Weight: Maintainahealthy weight.

n Lifestyle: Don’tsmoke;limit alcohol consumption.

Molly Kimball RD,CSSD

Howto handle

Natural waysto beatspringallergies

Forthosewhowanttoexplorenaturalremedies,herearesome optionsthatmayhelppreventallergiesfrominterferingwithyour enjoymentoflife.

Butterbur.Studiesindicatethisherbiseffectiveintreatingspring allergies.OnesuchstudyconductedinSwitzerlandshowedbutterbur tobeastrongantihistaminethatworkswellincontrollinghayfever symptomswithoutcausingdrowsiness

Greentea.StudiesbyJapanesescientistsshowthatgreenteacontainsa substancethatblockscertainallergicresponsesinthehumanbody.

Netipot.Filledwithdistilledwaterandsalt,thissmall,long-spoutedpot canbeaneffectivewaytoclearcloggedsinuspassages

Humidifier Youcancounteractallergy-relatednasaldryness,whichcan leadtocongestionandswelling,withahumidifierthatreleaseswater vaporintotheair.

Eucalyptusoil.Anaturalsubstancethatcomesfromeucalyptusleaves thisoilhasbeenshownbyvariousstudiestoreduceinflammation-caused allergies.Addafewdropstoabowlofsteamingwaterandbreatheinthe vapors.

Spicyfood.Somespicyfoods–andwehaveoursharehereinsouth Louisiana–canproviderelieffromallergysymptomssuchasnasal congestionandwateryeyes

High-efficiencyparticulateair(HEPA)filter Vacuumingyourfloor regularlycanhelpridyourhomeofpollen.AddingaHEPAfiltertoyour vacuumwillfurtherminimizepollenaccumulation.

Protectiveclothing.Wearingsunglasses,wide-brimmedhats,longpants andotherprotectiveclothingwhenyougooutdoorscanhelpprotect yourskinandeyesfrompollenexposure.

Thereisnomagiccureforallergies.However,therearethreedifferentclassesof allergymedicationthatcanhelpcontrolsymptoms:antihistamines,nasalsprays anddecongestants.Antihistaminesandintranasalsteroidspraysarethetwomain medicationsrecommendedtotreatallergysymptoms.

Antihistaminesblocktheeffectsofthehistaminereleased whenyouencounteranallergen.Byinhibitingtheallergic response,theyreducesymptomsofitching,sneezingandrunny nose.Therearetwogenerationsofantihistamines.Benadryl (diphenhydramine)andchlorpheniraminearepartofthefirst generation.Second-generationantihistaminesincludeZyrtec, Allegra,Xyzal,Claritinandtheirgenericcounterparts.

Intranasalsteroidspraysworkbydecreasinginflammation withinthenasalpassages,therebyrelievingnasalallergy

allergies spring

Seasonalallergiesareanannoyingrealityforthemorethan 50millionAmericanswhosneezeandsniffletheirwaythrough springeachyear.Warmingspringtemperaturesprompttrees, grassesandweedstoreleasepollentofertilizeotherplants.

Thegoodnewsisthatyoucantakestepstomanage yourallergysymptoms.Inadditiontonasalcorticosteroids andantihistamines,thereareotherwaysto minimizeseasonalsuffering.

Easy way pollenexposure and manageseasonal allergies:

Keepwindowsclosedandruntheairconditioningwhileathome andinthecar.

Whenpollenandmoldlevelsarehigh,stayindoorsasmuch aspossible.

Ifyouneedtospendprolongedtimeoutdoors,trywearingapollen maskoradustmask

Whenyoucomeinsidefromoutdooractivities,leaveyourshoesat thedoorstepand,ifpossible,washyourhairandchangeyourclothes

Vacuumyourhomeatleasttwiceaweekandhosethepollenoff yourcarandfrontporch/stepsoften.

Don’thangclothingorlinensoutsidetodry.

Takeallergymedicationasprescribed.

symptoms.SteroidsprayslikeFlonase(fluticasonepropionate)andNasacort (triamcinolone)maybegintoprovidesomehelpwithsymptomsafterabout sixto10hours,butitcantakeuptoseveralweeksofdailyuseforfullrelief.

Decongestantsdon’thelpwithsneezinganditching,butthey canhelpunclogbreathingpassageswhenallergensbringon stuffiness.Theycombatcongestionbyconstrictingbloodvessels toreduceswellinginthenose,allowingmucusandairtoflow morefreelyinyoursinuses.However,decongestantuseshould belimitedduetopotentialsideeffectslikeelevatedblood pressureanddifficultysleeping.DecongestantslikeAfrinnasal spraycanbeaddictiveandcausesignificantreboundswellingif usedtoooften.Theyshouldonlybeusedfortwotothreedays atatime.

‘Connected allthe

dots in m li e’

NewLa. lawhelps adoptees find theirbirth mothers

BY TYLER BRIDGES Staff writer

Born in NewOrleans and adopted at eight weeks, Elise Lewis found her birth parents in 1996 when she was 28.

But something important was missing: herbirth certificate, withall the details it contained.

A2022law gave Lewis and other adoptees in Louisiana the right to obtain it.

When the birth certificate arrived in themail, “I literally burstinto tears,” said Lewis, who grew up in BatonRouge but now lives in Minnesota. “It was the most emotional thing. Isaw my mother’s handwriting. Ifelt like Iwas complete Ididn’thave any secretsanymore.”

Others have used the law to find and meet their birth mothers.

COURTESy OF JON HARRIS

JonHarris, right, wasable to meet his birth mother for the first time thanks to anew Louisiana lawthat allowedhim to getacopyofhis full birthcertificate.

About 1,650 people in Louisiana have received theirbirth certificates since 2022, accordingto the state health department. Adoptees have to be at least 24 to requestit.

“A grown person ought to be able to get their birth certificate, andthat’s what it’sall about,”said state Rep. Chuck Owen, R-Rosepine,whenhe presented the bill three years ago. He told his colleagues he hadbeen adopted.

“This billisabout agrown person having access to adocument that they arenamed in butcan’t access because of agovernment edict,” Owen said.

House Bill 450, which overturned a 1977 law,passed with an overwhelmingmajority in boththe Houseand Senate. Opponents expressed concerns that birth mothers whowanted no contact with their child would be contacted and because of that fear they could choose to have anabortion instead of giving up the child to adoption.

If the adopted person reaches out to their birth mother,“the twocan have an adult conversation,”said Lewis, who worked with Owen to winpassage of the legislation. “Wehave not heard of any backlash or ill effects from this law.”

Louisiana joined 10 other states in allowing adoptees to obtain theirbirth certificates,Owen said. His bill allows mothers to check abox saying they don’teverwanttobecontacted.Owen

said only two mothers have done that Jon Harris, 54, was alerted about the existenceofHB450 just before it passed Harris always knew he was adopted and appreciated growing up in what he calls “a great Christianfamily” in Shreveport.

By hisearly 20s, Harris wanted to learn his family history

“My adopted momand dad and I didn’thave alot of similar interests,” Harris said. “Dad was achurchminister,while Iliked motorcycles.Where does that come from? On every doctor’svisit, theywould ask: ‘Doyou haveany medical history?’ IsaidI didn’tknow.’”

Harris’parents told him he had been born in Shreveport and adopted at the Volunteers of America girls’ home there.

Thecenter could give him only limited information because of the 1977 law. Harris learnedthathis birth mother was light-skinned and blonde, hadgreen eyes, was 5’3” and weighed 100 pounds. His birth father was into cars andmotorcycles.Her parents didn’thave alot of means, and her father was aveteran.

That was it.

“They said everything else was underlock and key,” Harris said. “I joined an adoptee forum but ran into dead end after dead end. Ilooked into

hiring an attorney,but it wasgoing to be expensive.Every fewyears, I’d revisit the forumsand make another post.”

Like Lewis, Harris was ecstatic when he receivedthe birth certificate. Then Harris asked himself: “Is my birth mother still alive? Will Iever findmybirth father?The certificate said unknown.”

An executiverecruiter in Texas, Harris set out to use his work skills to find his mother

Within acouple of days, he found 12 phone numbers for peoplewith her name.

“I began calling with ascript,” Harris said. “I would say my birth date” and say “if it means anything to you, please give me acall.”

Twoweeks later,onaSunday morning beforechurch, Harrisreceived atext from awoman saying that the birthdate meant something to her ShecalledHarristhatafternoon, and “andwetalked for hours. She was ecstatic to meet me. She was 18 at thetimeand aseniorinhighschool. She got her nursing degree, her master’sdegree, was in the Armyfor many, manyyears. Herfear was that Ihad been in awar and gotten killed. She thought about meevery day and looked for me for awhile.”

ä See ADOPTION, page 2

Thelittle lessons matter:From mnemonics to manners

With the Inspired section, we focus on people whoare working toward solutions —some big, somesmall.

The thing is, sometimes the small things can becomebig —or makeahuge difference in how a situation evolves.

Growing up, my mother believed that table manners mattered, but at our casual family-oriented table, we rarely had abread dish beside the plate.

Iwill also add here that Iam the worst at leftand right. While I usually can point out north, south, east and westwherever Iam, I have to think hard every single timeI have to figure out leftfrom right. (I realize that may makeno sense to the manypeople out there to whom it comes so naturally.)

The truth is, Ilove agood mnemonic device. They have helped me remember so manydifferent things through the years. Wayback in elementary school piano lessons, my first piano teacher,Mrs. Winnie Mae Mitchell, taught me to read the keys on the lines of atreble clef with Every GoodBoy DoesFine.

In high school, Mrs. Donna McLean, my junior English teacher,taught me to spell necessary with, “A cess pool is necessary.”

In college, Dr.MaryAnn Dazey taught me to spell separate with, “There is ‘a rat’ in separate.” Somewhere along the way,I learned Roy G. Biv to remember the order of the colors of aspectrum —red, orange, yellow,green, blue, indigo and violet.

I’mafan of learning new things, but manyyears have passed since Iadded ahelpful mnemonic to my collection. However,about a month ago, Ifound myself sitting at acrowded table full of professors —and one of them taught me something new

The dinner ended up being lovely all the way around —great food and delightful company However,aswewere all arriving, things wereabit awkward. No one seemed to know anyone particularly well, and we just weren’t sure where we weresupposed to sit or the exact order of things for this unusual gathering of folks.

Nonetheless, we all took our seats. Small plates and multiple glasses crowded the table among aplethora of utensils, large and small plates galore. The waiter handed me abread basket. Itook a roll and had that momentofpanic. Which one is my bread plate?

Iquickly handed the bread to the dinner guest beside me who seemed to be struck by the same indecision Iwas trying not to acknowledge.

Dr.Jonathan H. Earle, dean of the LSU Honors College, wassitting directly across from me and noticed us trying to sort out the plates and glasses. He and Ihad met once before, but we didn’tknow each other wellbyany stretch. He began to liftboth of his hands in front of his face, making the OK sign with both thumbs and index fingers. Then he said, “B and D” several times in arow

He said this like we would all know exactly what he was talking about.

Ihad no clue. Rather than remain in the “B and D” dark, Iasked, “What are you doing with your hands, and what do you mean by saying ‘B and D?’”

KEEPING THE SOUND GOING

Preservation Hall program works to make sure New Orleans’ musical legacy gets passed on

BY HANNAH LEVITAN Staff writer

On a windy Thursday morning, a group of nearly 60 fourth graders from Christian Brothers School crammed into Preservation Hall, where the creaky wooden floors and faded paint gave testament to the venue’s history

Despite the buzz of construction next door, the sea of bright-eyed students watched as six local musicians took their positions while tuning their instruments — including a trombone, cello, drums, clarinet, trumpet and piano.

The Preservation Hall Foundation is working to expand the iconic jazz shrine, increasing its footprint to 730 St. Peter St Plans include growing its music education initiatives that are aimed at inspiring the next generation of jazz musicians. Meanwhile, veterans like Roderick “Rev” Paulin continue to breathe life into the storied walls of the iconic venue. Filled with music and students, the energy inside the hall was palpable.

Once the group finished their rendition of “His Eye is on the Sparrow,” and the room fell silent, they opened the floor for questions. Immediately, hands eagerly shot up. “How long have you been a band?” one student asked.

Trumpeter Mark Braud turned

to his friends and laughed. “Since this morning.”

Though Braud said they rarely play in the same configuration, New Orleans musicians have a certain way of communicating, speaking the common language of jazz.

It’s that language the soul of the New Orleans’ music scene — that program managers at the Preservation Hall Foundation are hoping to pass on to the next generation, launching a five-year “PASS IT ON” campaign with the goal of reigniting intergenerational connections to preserve the city’s musical and cultural legacy.

Jazz in the heart of New Orleans

Jazz has been a cornerstone of New Orleans culture for more than 100 years. It’s everywhere: on the stoops of shotgun homes, vibrating from the corners of backstreets, in the living rooms of posh Uptown homes and lingering in the dingy alleyways of the French Quarter

For Charlotte Farris, a New Orleans native and music teacher at Christian Brothers School, introducing her class to the musical genre and one of its fountainheads was imperative.

“There’s been so much that has come out of Preservation Hall,” Farris said. “You feel it when you walk in the door I walked in there and felt a lump in my throat.”

Even at 9 a.m., the hall was

brimming with energy. But field trips are limited. A lot of kids won’t have that same experience.

Preservation Hall Foundation programs manager Pamela Blackmon is working to change that.

“What used to happen on stoops and in living rooms and down the street, it’s not there anymore,” Blackmon said.

“To access the culture that you’re from, as a kid, it has to be presented to you by your family or by your school.”

ADOPTION

Continued from page 1

For many young people, those connections have faded.

By expanding a building that embodies the spirit of jazz, the Preservation Hall Foundation is working toward the chance to pump life back into something that, according to Blackmon, is eroding throughout the city

Passing on the culture Paulin, who has been with Preservation Hall for several years and is the director of Jazz Studies

at Southern University, began taking music lessons when he was the same age as Farris’ students. He said there’s a huge education component that’s not talked about when it comes to New Orleans music.

“Many of the musicians come from school bands and they had great music educators, who have always been behind the scenes,” Paulin said.

“Many of us come from musical families, but we also had musical families in schools.”

Music education and outreach programs are at the forefront of the jazz hub’s $25 million campaign for their new era. In partnering with other organizations and schools, the Preservation Hall Foundation is able to expose students to jazz, who, otherwise, wouldn’t have the opportunity Music teachers like Farris hope they, too, can pass the culture along.

“This culture has changed the world, and [my students] get to be a part of it,” Farris said.

“I hope that I can also inspire them to continue it because if we don’t have people continuing it, spreading it and talking about it, it’s going to go away and that would be awful.”

As her students erupted in applause after the band’s final performance at the historic jazz hall, Farris smiled, knowing the morning had struck the right chord.

access to information I would never have had.” He learned his birth father died about 20 years ago. Harris and his mother met in San Diego in 2023.

“The connection, the reunion, all the wonderful bonuses — it has been a full restoration, a complete 360,” Harris said. “It connected all the dots in my life. I love my adopted parents, but we had nothing in common. I know now why I’m a

STAFF PHOTO By HANNAH LEVITAN

A group of nearly 60 fourth graders from Christian Brothers School listens as five members of the Preservation Hall musicians network perform on March 20.

STAFF PHOTO By HANNAH LEVITAN

Preservation Hall is increasing its footprint at 730-732 St. Peter St. Plans include growing its music education initiatives that are aimed at inspiring the next generation of jazz musicians.

FILE PHOTO By SOPHIA GERMER

Musician Louis Ford plays the clarinet at Preservation Hall.

Mark Braud performs at a CD release party in 2017 at Preservation Hall in New Orleans.

PROVIDED PHOTO

Q&A WITHLAUREN BORDELON

Sex-forwardcouples therapistoffersmarriagetips

‘Loveisinthe thanksgivings’

BY LAUREN CHERAMIE Staff writer

Lauren Bordelon, LPC, is a licensed professional counselor andcoach. She owns Bordelon Counseling in Lafayette andis the founder of Modern Marriage Coaching. In her practice, she helps high-conflictcouples save their relationship and rebuild connection. With abackground in mental health and apassion for modernizing marriage dynamics, Bordelon specializes in communication, relational living andconflict resolution.

Bordelon supports couples who feel stuck in painful patterns offering them tools to calm their nervous systems, communicate effectively and create balanced, emotionallysupportive partnerships. She is committed tobuilding strong,healthy communities andbelieves that when people heal relationships, they heal the world.

This interviewwas edited for length and clarity

What is a“sex-forward” couples counseling practice?

Over time, I’ve incorporated work from the Gottman Method, Esther Perel and Terry Real. I recognize that sex is going tobe ahard conversationfor people to dive into —always.

Iwork to immediately break downany fear barriers. In the firstsession,I am going to assess thehealth of your sexual relationship just like Iwouldyour communication, whichallows me to show couples that there is nothing off-topic. We need to break the ice and get vulnerable because all of these topics are going to be hard, so it’sthe one way Ibreak the ice of vulnerability.Italso tells me a story about how they’re relating to eachother.Wetalk about sex from the beginning, and then we

PROVIDED PHOTO Lauren Bordelon, alicensed professional counselor and coach in Lafayette, supports couples whofeel stuck in painful patterns—offering themtoolstocalm their nervous systems, communicate effectively and createbalanced, emotionally supportivepartnerships.

work toward how your emotional relationship affects your sexual relationships, vice versa, and how people connect to one another physically

Do couples find it easy to talk to you about their sexual relationships because

you’re approaching it with a“birds-eye” view? Absolutely.Not to mention, I’m working to help normalizethat these conversations need to happen in thefirst place. We assume that if our partner

loves us,theywould just know what we like— areable to read our minds. It’sjust not true. The movies can’taccurately get what it’s like to be in atrue marriage forever In thebeginning, youtalk, and you’reenamoredwith oneanother.But we forgetthat we still need to do thatevenwhen we’re 40 years down the line. Ifeel like Ihave to normalize that this is how couplesdoit—this is how couples successfully leadamonogamous marriage for 50 years. While everycouple, and certainly every person, is different, aretheregeneral tips for how to makeamarriagelast?

Your sexual world cannot just exist in your bedroom, meaning that we have to be engaging with one another in afriendly way Youhave to have some kind of level of physical touch outside of thebedroom.

If your partner isn’ttelling you anything exceptfor,“Howare thekids?,” there isn’tmuch of a feeling of emotional safety to go intothe vulnerability of sex. I talktopeople abouthow foreplay happens the moment that your lastorgasm just ended, because everything leads to the next time that you arenow trying to be intimate with your partner. Again, it doesn’thavetobe just sex.Wehavetotune into enjoying oneanotherfrequently throughout the week. It’stough to do in this world where we have so much going on,but abig thing is playfulness —having fun on purposewith each other.Thatis where connection is built. That is how people feel more safe in a sexual way, too. Do you think there’sstill astigma surrounding women’s sexual freedom, or is society moving forward?

Ithink that there still is a stigma, butIdothink we’re in transition. Within the past 60 yearswith contraceptionand the sexual revolution, women gottobefree with their sexuality in ways that it was just reproduction before. Couples arehaving to engage a

lotmorevulnerably in discussing whatworks andwhat doesn’t work.

People arelearning howtotalk aboutit.

Women aremorelikely to be disengaged fromsex earlier than men with their monogamous partners, andthat’sbecause there hastobeastory that goes on.Women require alot more outside of the bedroom in order to feel emotionally safe.

But if it’snot being cultivated in the home,then, generally,sex drops off, andthenthe couple starts to feel like, “Do we even love each otheranymore?”

Really,it’sjust trying to reengage with oneanother and create aromantic plotinyourworld. Do something to remind your partnerthatyou do,infact, feel love forthemoutside of the bedroom.

What aresome nonsexual ways to show love or supporttowardyour partner?

The sexualshowoflove is so minimalinregards to how frequently we should be showing that. Whatwewantistoknow thatweare topofmind, that they careabout us.

The easystuff is saying please andthank you. Iknowmyhusband takesout the trash on Thursdays. Why should Ihave to saythank you? Because it’snice, anditfeelsgood.That’sthe way we connect

Leavealittle sticky note on the mirror,sendthemafunny text or videothatremindedyou of them —just really simple things that say, “Hey, Isee you, and Isee what youdoinour world every day.”

Small things oftenbuild trust —trust thatIamemotionally connected to youand safe with you. If Idon’t touchyou outside of the bedroom, thatdoes not bode well for emotional connection.

Love is in the thanksgivings. It’sinthe gratitude. It’stalking aboutthe small character you love aboutyourpartner and reminding themthatyou see it.

FAITH & VALUES

A groundbreaking synagogue lures burned-out techies with digital strategies (and ecstatic dance)

BY KATHRYN POST Contributing writer

Like many fast-growing organizations, Chochmat HaLev tracks new relationships using customer relations management software Brittany Berman, Chochmat’s “community weaver,” logs newcomers’ interests and schedules digitally generated follow-ups. After meeting someone in person for coffee, Berman connects them to at least one other person at Chochmat

“If someone meets you and asks you to reflect on your experience, then there’s a chance to make meaning,” said Berman. “And once meaning is made, then there’s more buy-in.”

The process is essential for sustainable growth, said Chochmat’s board president, Estee Solomon Gray, who spent years working in the tech world.

One of the keys to Berman’s work, too, is the small-group meetups she organizes, as well as events such as intergenerational Shabbat dinners. While it has a wide constituency among its tech-world neighbors, with more than a few non-Jewish members, Chochmat HaLev is a Jewish Renewal synagogue.

At a time when loneliness has been described as an epidemic not least, some say because of how our tech isolates us — Chochmat HaLev has been using technology’s approach to making connections between people to build community

“This building is infrastructure,” said Solomon Gray, gesturing around her in the courtyard of Chochmat, a former Baptist church in the tiled-roof Spanish colonial style. “But there’s another whole kind of infrastructure that is the relational infrastructure,” she adds, “which is a fabric, a mesh of relationships in which you are living together, cocreating together.”

Chochmat’s approach has been working, almost tripling its membership to 350 since 2022, many of them younger people with ties to Silicon Valley and to Burning Man. Given that attendance has declined across the broader U.S. religious landscape (though recent data shows that has leveled off) and the trend toward disaffiliation with volunteer groups of all kinds, from religious institutions to Elks and, famously, bowling leagues, Chochmat is an outlier Close to sundown on a February Friday people of all ages crowded the sidewalks in a residential corner of Berkeley for Chochmat HaLev’s Kabbalat Shabbat service, welcoming the Sabbath with songs. Many attendees were wearing some combination of flannels, beanies, yarmulkes, K-95 masks or puffer coats. Packing into the synagogue, for the next two hours they joined in a dance-filled, ecstatic worship service drenched in Jewish mysticism.

Zvika Krieger, the community’s spiritual leader, addressed the roughly 300 people sitting in chairs or standing around the fringes of the room.

“Whether you encounter the divine through singing and dancing and prayers, maybe through wisdom text and ethical wisdom, maybe through silence and meditation, or maybe it’s a struggle with this whole idea of God altogether, you are so welcome here at Chochmat HaLev, and you are in good company,” he said.

When the music began, low at first, the energy in the room also built gradually As melodies from the strings and voices swelled, then accelerated, people leapt from their seats, grabbing each other’s hands and dancing along the perimeter of the sanctuary Afterward, members gathered in the courtyard for a potluck, or oneg, and lingered late into the evening.

“I never would have imagined that I would want to spend my Friday nights at a Jewish event,” said David Steuer, a 56-year-old raised in a Reform Jewish community in Wisconsin who joined Chochmat in 2022. “It feels miraculous. I really look forward to coming here.” Krieger, a 41-year-old, queer, sex-positive rabbi with prior experience at Meta, TikTok and the U.S. State Department, is no small part of the success of

Chachmat since being hired three years ago. He helped revive the synagogue’s long history of ecstatic dance and introduced the OpenLev program — soulful coworking time throughout the synagogue, free for members, with a suggested donation of $36 for nonmembers. The program intersperses the workday with meditation, yoga and Jewish rituals for things like celebrating milestones or grieving job loss.

He also hired Berman, who facilitated conversation groups on topics such as Israel and Palestine, all as part of nurturing a close-knit spiritual community that’s also deeply embodied.

“We’re in a loneliness epidemic right now,” said Krieger “People are hungry for connection, and there are also a lot of spiritual seekers who are looking for meaning, looking for purpose, but traditional organized religion has rubbed them the wrong way or it’s just stodgy or sterile or too conservative for them.”

Rabbi Ron Wolfson, author of “Relational Judaism: Using the Power of Relationships to Transform the Jewish Community,” agreed that people are a more powerful draw than programming or liturgy “As wonderful as a religious service might be, and I’m sure the worship services at Chochmat are fantastic,” he said, “the bottom line is, people will come for a program or even a worship service, but they’ll stay because of relationships,” he said.

He added that Chochmat’s growth strategies fit a playbook embraced by many successful Jewish communities in the last decade Indeed, Wolfson pointed out, Chochmat’s small groups and

its welcome to the unaffiliated echo the tactics of Rick Warren’s Saddleback Church, a multicampus evangelical Christian megachurch in Orange County, south of Los Angeles.

“Rick’s mantra is always, if a new person can feel connected to five to seven other people, quickly, they’ll feel like they belong,” said Wolfson.

At a recent coworking session at the synagogue, a therapist, a professional clown and development director were among the 30 or so adults in attendance. Krieger offered a blessing for overcoming writer’s block, inviting attendees to touch the sanctuary’s ark (where the Torah scrolls are kept), then open its doors as a symbol of opening a portal to creativity, inspiration and “birthing energy.”

“I really like the idea of trying to bring divine into work, and not compartmentalize so much,” said Allyson Greenlon, a newer member who began attending Chochmat after long hiatus from Judaism. “I started a job around the same time I started coming here, and that job’s been exhausting,” she said. “I want to resist my life circling around my job.”

Ben Poretzky, a 32-year-old with a background in the corporate world who began attending in 2022, partnered with Krieger to develop the concept for OpenLev Poretzky said participants appreciate the “gentle co-regulation” that comes from working alongside others, and the “sacred co-snacking” that occurs via indepth chats at the snack table. Several participants have reported finding roommates, work connections or even romantic partners through OpenLev and

the concept has grown so popular that it’s spawned imitators as far away as Brooklyn, New York.

Chochmat’s growth has come amid the flurry of layoffs in the Bay Area, and Krieger noted that former tech sector workers have lost not only jobs, but their sense of belonging. “What might it be like to have a community that is resilient, so that if you either get fired or you leave your job, you don’t lose all your friends? Your workday community can be constant even as your work life changes,” he said.

Krieger said he’s not interested in leading a mega-synagogue He hopes to cap the Kabbalat Shabbat services at their current size — 300 people feels like the right number to be able to know who you’re praying with, said Krieger — perhaps adding more services. Nor does he want, he says, to be put on a pedestal as a “guru.”

That self-awareness, experts say, could make Chochmat’s acceleration sustainable long-term.

“There’s always a masked fragility, even in growing congregations,” said Mark Mulder, director of urban studies at Calvin University and co-author of the book “The Church Must Grow or Perish: Robert H. Schuller and the Business of American Christianity.” “As long as you have money coming in, as long as you have a charismatic person, as long as you have the right constituency in your area, there’s a stability But if you lose one of those three legs of the stool, even these fast-growing places can collapse quite quickly.”

Longtime members point out, however, that innovation is part of Chochmat’s DNA. Founded in the 1990s by Rabbi Avram Davis and Tikkun magazine cofounder Nan Fink Gefen as a meditation center that trained Jewish spiritual leaders, it fused Eastern spiritual practices with Jewish mysticism and dance. A 2010 Forward article dubbed its prayer services “a Jewish rave.”

“When they started it, it was, ‘How do we take all the best parts of the crazy, ultra-f–ing Orthodox and include it in our Berkley world?” said Shoshana Phoenixx, who has been part of Chochmat since the 1990s. “Let’s smoke a lot of dope and drink a lot of slivovitz and teach meditation.’ So, I got wasted every Shabbat for the first 10 years of Chochmat at the rabbi’s house.” Its anti-institutional legacy lives on in members who prefer to call it a “spiritual community,” rather than a synagogue, an edge supported by newer, younger members and, they claim, its rabbi.

“Zvika brought in younger people he knew, and the families are back,” said Andrew Utiger, a former Catholic lay pastor who served as Chochmat’s first

non-Jewish board member “It’s always been an amazing community There’s just been different iterations.”

A 2020 Pew Research Center study that Wolfson cited showed that only 35% of Jewish Americans report living in a household with at least one formal member of a synagogue While that percentage varies by location, said Wolfson, communities like Chochmat, which center Judaism but welcome members with a range of beliefs, feel approachable to the large percentage of unaffiliated Jews.

That’s especially true in the wake of what many in the Jewish world are calling “the surge,” the anecdotal influx of interest in Jewish religious life since the Hamas attacks on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023.

The surge has been palpable at Chochmat, where more than 100 new members have joined since the war broke out.

One of those members is Solomon Gray, the board president, who is half-Israeli; in the days after the attacks, she experienced what she described as “smithereens of consciousness.”

Long skeptical of synagogue membership, when she walked into Chochmat’s sanctuary doors for the first time in October 2023, she encountered a room full of people who were physically engaged and spiritually present, and her body “went quiet.”

“There is an openness and seriousness of connection and movement and being in this together that I have not seen anywhere before,” she said.

Krieger is careful to note that its community is connected, but not of one mind. Chochmat explicitly welcomes all perspectives on Israel and Palestine, for instance, and Chochmat’s leaders believe that being in community with those you disagree with is a spiritual practice.

Krieger delivers short sermons or drashes that feature proPalestinian and pro-Israel perspectives, and the congregation formed an eight-week, 10-member dialogue group with opposing views on the crisis.

Krieger has also added a pause during the lively Friday evening services, inviting people to pair up and reflect on that night’s teaching, as well as post-service potlucks, “Ask Me Anything” sessions and talks on topics such as polyamory and psychedelics.

“It’s not about studying texts and religious observance of rituals. It’s about being in relationship with other people as a way of connecting with the divine,” said Krieger

“And deep relationship is not something that just happens on the sidelines; it’s something that you actually have to foster and cultivate as a spiritual practice.”

RNS PHOTOS By KATHRyN POST

Congregants place hands on one another’s shoulders during the Chochmat HaLev Kabbalat Shabbat service on Feb 21 in Berkeley, Calif

Rabbi Zvika Krieger, center left, leads coworking OpenLev program participants in viewing the Torah at Chochmat HaLev.

SUNDAY, April 13, 2025

CURTIS / by Ray Billingsley

SLYLOCK FOX / by Bob Weber Jr

GET FUZZY / by Darby Conley

HAGAR THE HORRIBLE / by Chris Browne

MOTHER GOOSE AND GRIMM / by Mike Peters

ZIGGY / by Tom Wilson

ZITS / by Jerry Scott and Jim Borgman

SALLY FORTH / by Francesco Marciuliano & Jim Keefe

PEARLS BEFORE SWINE /byStephan Pastis

directions: Make a 2- to 7-letter word from the letters in each row Add points of each word, using scoring directions at right. Finally, 7-letter words get 50-point bonus. “Blanks” used as any letter have no point value All the words are in the Official SCRABBLE® Players Dictionary, 5th Edition.

word game

instructions: 1. Words must be of four or more letters. 2. Words that acquire four letters by the addition of “s,” such as “bats” or “dies,” are not allowed. 3. Additional words made by adding a “d” or an “s” may not be used. 4. Proper nouns, slang words, or vulgar or sexually explicit words are not allowed.

todAY's Word — eXtrinsic: ex-TRINzik: Extraneous or originating from or on the outside

Average mark 46 words

Time limit 60 minutes

Can you find 59 or more words in EXTRINSIC?

ken ken

instructions: 1 -Each rowand each column must contain thenumbers 1through4 (easy) or 1through6 (challenging) without repeating 2 -The numbers within the heavily outlinedboxes, called cages, must combine using thegiven operation (inany order)toproduce the target numbersinthe top-left corners. 3 -Freebies: Fillinthe single-boxcages withthe numberinthe top-left corner

instructions: Sudoku is anumber-placing puzzle based on a 9x9 gridwith several given numbers. The object is to placethe numbers 1to 9in theempty squares so that each row,each column and each 3x3 boxcontains the same number only once. The difficultylevel of the Conceptis Sudoku increases from Monday to Sunday

directions: Complete thegridso that numbers 1–132 connect horizontally, vertically or diagonally

Sudoku

Remarkable deal

OurthankstoRichardPavlicek, from Florida, for bringing this remarkable deal to our attention.

Pavlicek has long been one of the USA’s top players and teachers and has contributed to bridge on many levels.

Thisdealwasplayed,according to Pavlicek, in an unsophisticated bridge game where a bid of four no-trumpwasalwaysBlackwood.

Southdiscoveredthatpartnerhad no aces not a surprise and one king, obviously the king of spades

Even if North held one of the missing jacks, thirteen tricks would not be certain so South settled for six no-trump.

South won the opening spade leadwithhisace,cashedthreetop hearts, and exited with a heart to East’s jack.

East shifted accurately to a low diamond — the slam could be made on a club shift and South bravely played his 10. That got him to 11 tricks, but he had to give East a club trick later and settled for down one. A maddening result!

with any lead but a trump Seven of a red suit makes by ruffing the 10 of the other red suit, taking the club finesse, and then finessing for the jack of trumps. We’ll leave it to interested readers to work out the play in seven clubs.

Edited by Rich Norris and Joyce Nichols Lewis

super Quiz

SUBJECT: STATE MOTTOS

(e.g., Iowa’s motto is “Our liberties we prize and our we will maintain.” Answer: Rights.)

FRESHMAN LEVEL

1. This state’s motto is “North to the future.”

Answer________

2. The state motto translates to “If you seek a pleasant peninsula, look around you.” Answer________

3. Its motto is “In God we trust.” Answer________

4. This state’s motto translates to “The star of the north.” Answer________

5. California’s one-word motto means “I have found it.” Answer________

GRADUATE LEVEL

Even worse, Pavlicek tells us that North-South can make a grand slam in each of the four suits, just not in no-trump. Seven spadeswillmakeonatrumpcoup

Tannah Hirsch welcomes readers’ responses sent in care of this newspaper or to Tribune Content Agency inc., 2225 Kenmore Ave., Suite 114, Buffalo, Ny 14207. E-mail responses may be sent to gorenbridge@ aol.com. © 2025 Tribune Content Agency

6. This state’s motto is “The crossroads of America. Answer________

7. Ohio’s motto is “With all things are possible.” Answer________

8. Maryland’s motto is “Strong deeds, gentle ” Answer________ 9. The motto of New Hampshire is “Live free or ___.” Answer________ 10. Montana’s motto is “Oro y plata,” meaning “Gold and ____.” Answer________

ARIES (March 21-April 19) Refuse to let anger set in when common sense and action are necessary An emotional incident can crush a meaningful relationship. Don’t say anything you’ll regret.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20) The changes you make will be uplifting and leave you plenty of opportunities to incorporate something you love to do into your daily routine. Shift your thinking to enforce saving and reduce debt.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20) Observe what’s happening and assess your position before you decide to get involved Get up to speed

with what’s legit and what’s fake to ensure your safety and wellbeing.

CANCER (June 21-July 22) Take a hard look at your finances. A shift is taking place that can make or break your ability to maintain your lifestyle. Avoid spending too much on expensive entertainment.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22) Keep moving in a direction that gives you hope and a desire to keep learning and pressing forward. Avoid groups eager to take advantage of you or compromise your reputatio.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept 22) Consider your needs before you compro-

mise to support or please someone else. When you no longer like a person or situation, it’s time to move on. Adjust your life to fulfill your dreams and satisfy your soul.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23) A change will do wonders for your mental and emotional health Go for a hike or engage in a get-together with someone who brightens your day Look for opportunity and seize the moment. SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 22) Participate in something that motivates you to make lifestyle changes. A chance meeting or connecting with someone whose contributions meld

well with your expertise looks promising. SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 23-Dec. 21) Be an observer, a thinker and a fence-sitter. Refuse to jump into someone else’s scheme or put your reputation on the line. Reformat your schedule and surroundings to suit your needs.

CAPRICORN (Dec 22-Jan. 19) Focus more on saving money, lowering debt and adding greater security to your life and surroundings Refrain from letting your emotions step in and take control.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) Put yourself and your emotional well-being

first. Maintaining balance ensures you aren’t jeopardizing your health or letting temptation set in or lead you astray PISCES (Feb 20-March 20) Balance your books before you go on a spending spree. Put your energy into personal growth, self-improvement and doing things that make you happy. Spend some time with your loved ones.

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

goren Bridge

1. Alaska. 2. Michigan.3.Florida. 4. Minnesota. 5. Eureka. 6. Indiana. 7. God.8.Words. 9. Die. 10. Silver.11. Maine.12. Confidence.13. Rhode Island.14. Thus always totyrants. 15.Wyoming.

SCORING: 24 to 30 points —congratulations, doctor; 18 to 23 points—honorsgraduate; 13 to 17 points —you’replenty smart, but no grind; 5to12points —you really shouldhit the booksharder;1point to 4points —enroll in remedial courses immediately; 0points who reads thequestions to you?

Saturday's Cryptoquote: Spring, when the earth tilts closer to the sun, runs astricttimetable of flowers. —Alice Oswald

jeFF mACnelly’sshoe/ by Gary Brookins &Susie MacNelly