The Acadiana Advocate 04-14-2025 by The Advocate

Couldtariffs help La. manufacturinggrowth?

BY ADAM DAIGLE Acadiana business editor

The statedgoal of President Donald Trump’s sweeping tariffs is to bring companies and their manufacturing jobs back to the United States.

ButinAcadiana, where there has beenaconcentrated focus on diversifying an economy overly reliant on oil and gas, manufacturing jobs have already been returning, and at aratehigher than the rest of the state.

Take Stephanie Clotiaux, for example.

Clotiaux was not even 30 years old when shebegan running the shop at herparents’ metal fabrication com-

Texassheriff:Lacy hadself-inflicted gunshotwound

BY WILSON ALEXANDER Staff writer

Kyren Lacy was found dead Saturday night in Houston from an apparent self-inﬂicted gunshot wound after acar

pany in Youngsville in 2016. Five years later,she was namedCEO. Go ahead and make your assumptions aboutayoung woman running amanufacturing company in an industry dominated by middle-agedmen, but you’d be incorrect. The industry,she said, hasbecome friendlier to women in the past ﬁveyears even while hercompany,Leading Edge Manufacturing, hasall men workinginthe shop.

Clotiaux admits she has to be on top of her game when dealing with men, andshe is.Her company,she says, is busierthan it’s ever been

chase with police, according to the Harris County Sheriff’s Ofﬁce.Hewas 24. Lacy was involved in averbal argument with afamily member anddischarged agun into the ground, the Sheriff’s Ofﬁce said Sunday When the Constable’sOffice responded to the scene at approximately11:15 p.m., they said Lacy had driven away in

his car Law enforcement tried to stop him 20 minutes later,and Lacy fled. He was involved in acar chase for several milesbefore crashing, the Sheriff’s Office said. Upon trying to removeLacy from the car and place him in custody,deputies saidthey discovered Lacy had suffered an apparent self-inflicted gunshot

wound and found ahandgun in the vehicle.Emergency personnel pronounced him dead at the scene. According to apreliminary investigation by the Sheriff’s Ofﬁcehomicidedetectives and crime scene units, Lacyshot himself during the pursuit and before thecar crashed. Police said areview of

camera and car dash-mounted video

Rethinking of defeated amendments also on table

BY ALYSE PFEIL |Staff writer

When the Louisiana Legislature gathers Monday in the State Capitol, it will begin debate on contentious issues ranging from improving roads and bridges to embracing the “Make America Healthy Again” movement to reducing the cost of car insurance.

Landry

State lawmakers are also trying to ﬁnd a waytorevive key pieces of a recently failed constitutional amendment that was aimed at rewriting an entire section of the state constitution governing state ﬁnances. And they will have to craft astate budget amid unpredictable federalspending cuts andthe specter of potential slashes to Medicaid.

Here are what state leaders say are among their top priorities.

Gov. Jeff Landry and legislative leaders in both the House andSenateare throwing their support behind an effort to restructure the Department of Transportationand Development.

“We’re hoping to see projects done faster still the samequality work, still all the safety

ä See PRIORITIES, page 4A

grantprogram amongproposedlegislation

BY SAM KARLIN

six bills directly addressing fortiﬁed roofs during the session that begins Monday If successful, proponents of the changes hope Louisiana can rapidly acceleratethe pace at which new, stronger roofsare built in the state. As aresult, they hope insurance companies will offerdiscounted premiums to homeowners in south Louisiana whohave

ä See ROOFS, page 4A

Israel intensifies strikes across Gaza

DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza A wave of Israeli strikes across Gaza on Sunday hit a hospital and other sites killing at least 21 people, including children, as Israel vowed to expand its security presence in the small coastal strip

The predawn strike on Al-Ahli Hospital in Gaza City was the latest of several attacks on northern Gaza’s last major hospital providing critical health care Hospital director Dr Fadel Naim said the emergency room, pharmacy and surrounding buildings were severely damaged, affecting over 100 patients and dozens of staff.

One patient, a girl, died during the evacuation following an Israeli warning because staff were unable to provide urgent care, Gaza’s Health Ministry said Israel said it struck a Hamas command and control center at the hospital, without providing evidence. Hamas denied the allegations. Al-Ahli Hospital is run by the Episcopal Diocese of Jerusalem, which condemned the attack, saying in a statement it happened on “Palm Sunday, the start of the Holy Week, the most sacred week of the Christian year.” Palm Sunday commemorates Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem, and worshipers in Gaza City marked it in a church whose gilded trim and intact walls were a contrast to the widespread debris elsewhere.

Doctor: Trump ‘fully fit’ to serve as president WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. Donald Trump’s doctor says the oldest man elected president is “fully fit” to serve a’s commander in chief as the White House released results Sunday of Trump’s recent physical exam

The 78-year-old Trump is 20 pounds lighter since his checkup as president in 2020 showed him bordering on obesity His physician, Navy Capt. Sean Barbabella, cited an “active lifestyle” that “continues to contribute signiﬁcantly” to the Republican president’s well-being.

Trump turns 79 on June 14

In a three-page summary of the comprehensive exam from Friday, the doctor said Trump is “fully ﬁt to execute the duties of Commander-in-Chief and Head of State.” Trump weighed 224 at the checkup, down from 244 at that physical more than four years ago. His BMI, or body mass index, which is a measure of one’s weight relative to height, is down to 28.0, which drops Trump to the category of overweight.

The summary noted that Trump previously had cataract surgery on both eyes, but gave no date or dates. A common procedure among aging people, the surgery typically involves removing a cloudy eye lens and replacing it with an artificial lens to help clear up vision In July 2024, according to the report, then-candidate Trump had a colonoscopy that found a benign polyp and the condition called diverticulosis. It’s a common condition in which the walls of the intestine weaken with age. It can lead to inflammation, though most people with it never experience any problems. Trump again passed a Montreal Cognitive Assessment test, a short screening test to assess different brain functions, Barbabella wrote.

Lutnick: New tariffs on semiconductors coming NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Tariff exemptions announced Friday on electronics like smartphones and laptops are only a temporary reprieve until the Trump administration develops a new tariff approach speciﬁc to the semiconductor industry, U.S Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said Sunday “They’re exempt from the reciprocal tariffs but they’re included in the semiconductor tariffs, which are coming in probably a month or two,” Lutnick told ABC’s “This Week” on Sunday President Donald Trump added to the confusion hours later, declaring on social media that there was no “exception” at all because the goods are “just moving to a different” bucket and will still face a 20% tariff as part of his administration’s move to punish China for its role in fentanyl trafﬁcking.

PENNSYLVANIA

1 booked in arson at governor’s mansion

Authorities say fire forced Shapiro and family to flee building

BY MARC LEVY Associated Press

HARRISBURG, Pa. — Police said Sunday a man was arrested and will face charges including attempted murder, terrorism and attempted arson in an early morning ﬁre that badly damaged the Pennsylvania governor’s mansion and forced Gov Josh Shapiro, his family and guests to quickly escape Sunday’s announcement came after Shapiro and his family were awakened by state troopers at about 2 a.m. and were evacuated from the official governor’s residence in the state capital of Harrisburg.

Shapiro told an afternoon news conference that he, his wife, their four children, two dogs and another family that had celebrated the Jewish holiday of Passover with his family at the residence on Saturday were awakened by state troopers.

No one was injured and the ﬁre was extinguished, according to authorities.

Pennsylvania State Police Col. Christopher Paris identiﬁed the man in custody as Cody Balmer, 38, of Harrisburg. Paris emphasized at a Sunday afternoon news conference that the investigation is continuing.

Dauphin County District Attorney Francis Chardo said that forthcoming charges will include attempted murder, terrorism, attempted arson and aggravated assault. Authorities said the suspect hopped over a fence surrounding the property and forcibly entered the residence before setting it on ﬁre. Police Deputy Commissioner George Bivens said Balmer had a homemade incendiary device and evaded police who knew there had been a breach.

Bivens said Balmer was later arrested in the area.

“I’m obviously emotional,” Shapiro said at the news conference. “When we were in the state dining room last night, we told the story of Passover” and the story of the Jewish exodus from bondage, he said. “I refuse to be trapped by the bondage that someone attempted to put on me by attacking us as they did last night.”

State police gave no other details about the cause of the ﬁre at the Susquehanna Riverfront mansion but said it caused a “signiﬁcant amount of damage” to a portion of the residence. Shapiro and his family had been sleeping in a different part of the residence, police said.

Shapiro, viewed as a potential White House contender for the Democratic Party in 2028, said he had received pledges of help from the Department of Justice, the FBI and the U.S. Attorney’s Ofﬁce as well as numerous messages of support from fellow governors and others.

The Harrisburg Bureau of Fire was called to the residence and, while they worked to put out the ﬁre, police evacuated Shapiro and his family from the residence safely, Shapiro said.

On Sunday ﬁre damage was visible on the residence’s south side, primarily to a large room often used for entertaining crowds and art displays Large westfacing windows were completely missing their glass panes and doors stood ajar amid signs of charring.

There was a police presence Sunday as yellow tape cordoned off an alleyway, investigators observed the damage inside and an ofﬁcer led a dog outside an iron security fence before investigators sawed off a section from the top of the security fence on the residence’s south side. They wrapped it in heavy black plastic and took it away in a vehicle.

Shapiro splits his time between the mansion that has housed governors since it was built in the 1960s and a home in Abington, about 100 miles east He posted a photograph on social media Saturday of the family’s Passover Seder table at the residence.

Despite ruling, U.S. still won’t say if it will return deported Md. man

Abrego Garcia wrongly sent to El Salvador prison

BY BILL BARROW Associated Press

The Trump administration is doubling down on its decision not to tell a federal court whether it has any plans to repatriate a Maryland man who was mistakenly deported last month and remains conﬁned in a notorious prison in El Salvador, despite a Supreme Court ruling and lower court order that the man should be returned to the United States.

The U.S. district court judge handling the case of Kilmar Abrego Garcia now is weighing whether to grant a request from the man’s legal team to compel the government to explain why it should not be held in contempt. Any move toward a contempt ﬁnding would represent an extraordinary turn in the Trump administration’s assertion of presidential authority both generally and speciﬁcally over immigration policy

The government’s latest daily status update, filed Sunday as required by Judge Paula Xinis, states essentially that the Trump administration has nothing to add beyond its Saturday statement that, for the first time, confirmed that Abrego Garcia, 29, was alive and remained in an El Salvador prison under the control of that country’s government. That means for the second consecutive day, the ad-

ministration has not addressed Xinis’ demands that the administration detail what steps it was taking to return Abrego Garcia to the United States.

The U.S. Supreme Court ruled last Thursday that the Trump administration must bring him back. Xinis followed that with an order Friday requiring the administration to disclose Abrego Garcia’s “current physical location and custodial status” and “what steps, if any, Defendants have taken (and) will take, and when, to facilitate” his return.

The Trump administration has asserted that Abrego Garcia, who lived in the U.S. for about 14 years before being deported, is a member of the MS-13 gang. Abrego Garcia has disputed that claim, and he has never been charged with any crime related to such activity The Trump administration has called his deportation a mistake but also has argued, essentially, that its conclusion about Abrego Garcia’s afﬁliation makes him ineligible for protection from the courts.

Abrego Garcia’s location was first confirmed to the court by Michael G. Kozak, who identified himself in the Saturday filing as a “Senior Bureau Official” in the State Department’s Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs Sunday’s status update was signed by Evan C. Katz, who was identified in the filing as assistant director of Enforcement and Removal Operations for the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency within the Department of Homeland Security

Russian missiles mar Palm Sunday celebrations

More than 30 killed in Ukrainian city

BY SAMYA KULLAB Associated Press

SUMY Ukraine Russian missiles struck the heart of the Ukrainian city of Sumy as people gathered to celebrate Palm Sunday, killing at least 34 people, ofﬁcials said, in the second large-scale attack to claim civilian lives in just over a week.

The two ballistic missiles hit around 10:15 a.m., officials said. Images from the scene showed lines of black body bags on the side of the road, while more bodies were seen wrapped in foil blankets among the debris. Video footage also showed fire crews fighting to extinguish the shells of burnedout cars among the rubble from damaged buildings.

The dead included two children, the State Emergency Service of Ukraine said in a statement. A further 117 people were wounded, including 15 children, it said.

“Only ﬁlthy scum can act like this taking the lives of ordinary people,” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said. In a statement on social media, he said the ﬁrst strike hit buildings belonging to a city university, while the second exploded above street level.

The head of the Ukrainian president’s office, Andriy Yermak, said the strike also used cluster munitions in an attempt to kill

as many people as possible.

The Associated Press was unable to verify the claim.

The attack on Sumy followed a deadly April 4 missile strike on Zelenskyy’s hometown of Kryvyi Rih that killed some 20 people, including nine children. Zelenskyy called for a global response to the attack. “Talks have never stopped ballistic missiles and aerial bombs. What’s needed is an attitude toward Russia that a terrorist deserves,” he said. Other world leaders also condemned the attack, with French President Emmanuel Macron saying that it undermined Washingtonled peace talks between the two sides.

“Everyone knows: This war was initiated by Russia alone. And today, it is clear that Russia alone chooses to continue it — with blatant disregard for human lives, international law and the diplomatic efforts” of U.S. President Donald Trump, he wrote in a statement.

Elsewhere in Ukraine two women, ages 62 and 68, and a 48-year-old man were killed in Russian attacks on the Kherson region, local Gov Oleksandr Prokudin said. Another person was killed during Russian shelling on Ukraine’s Donetsk region, Gov Vadym Filashkin said.

The mayor of the Ukrainian city of Kharkiv, Ihor Terekhov said a Russian strike hit one of the city’s kindergartens, shattering windows and damaging the building’s facade. No casualties were reported.

Rescue workers clear the rubble Sunday of a university building destroyed by a Russian missile strike on Sumy Ukraine.

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By MARC LEVy

Investigators responds to the scene after an overnight fire at the governor’s official residence on Sunday in Harrisburg, Pa

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO

Convalescing pope opensHolyWeekatVatican

Francisgives in-persongreeting at St.Peter’s Square

BY COLLEEN BARRY

Associated Press

VATICAN CITY Aconvalescing Pope Francis greeted the crowd in St. Peter’sSquare on Palm Sunday,wishing more than 20,000faithful a“Happy Palm Sunday, Happy Holy Week,” in yet another reassuring public sign of his recovery from a life-threatening battle with double pneumonia.

Many in the crowd reached out to touch Francis’ hand or garments as he was brought in awheelchair down aramp to the main altar,where he issued his brief greeting into a microphone. The 88-year-old pope was not wearing nasal tubes for supplemental oxy-

gen, as he hadduring asimilarappearancelastSunday On hisway back to St.Peter’sBasilica fromwhere he had emerged, Francis stopped to bless arosary,and offered candy to aboy who greetedhim. The88-year-oldFrancis is enteringhis fourth week of convalescence during which doctors have advised him to avoid crowds. WhileFrancis is clearly eager to showheis feeling better,hehas not spoken more than afew words in public asherecoversfrom a severe respiratorycrisis that haslabored hisspeech. The Vatican saiditwas waitingto adviseon what role he may play in upcoming HolyWeek events leading up to Easter Sunday.

It was hissecond timein St. Peter’sSquare beforea crowd since leaving the hospital, followinglastSunday’s unexpected appearance that thrilled the faithful. He also met privately with King

Charles III and Queen Camilla this week, and made an impromptutourofSt. Peter’sBasilica, stopping to pray,and to thank apair of restorers fortheir work on the basilica’smasterpieces

On Saturday,the eveof Holy Week, Francis went to theSt. Mary Major Basilica in central Rome to pray privately before afavoriteicon of theVirgin Mary,Salus Populi Romani. The basilica,

which he typically visitsbefore andafter hisforeign trips, was also hisﬁrststop after leaving theGemelli hospital on March 23.

In the traditional Sunday blessing, the pontiff thanked thefaithfulfor theirprayers.

“At this timeofphysical weakness, they help me to feel God’scloseness, compassion and tenderness even more.” Forthe ninth week, including his ﬁve-week hospitalization starting Feb. 14, the blessing was delivered as atext.

The pope offered prayers for those suffering in the conflict in Sudan, which marks its second anniversary on Tuesday, andfor Lebanon, where civil war began 50 years ago, as well as for peace in Ukraine, the Middle East, Congo,Myanmar and South Sudan.

In aprepared PalmSunday homily read by atop Vatican cardinal,Francis urgedthe faithful to carry thecross

“of those who suffer around us” to mark the start of the solemn Holy Week. CardinalLeonardo Sandri, vicedean of the College of Cardinals, led the celebrations, leading aprocession of cardinals around the piazza’s central obelisk carrying an ornately braidedpalmthat recalls Jesus’ triumphant entranceinto Jerusalem, when crowdswaved palm branches to honor him.

The initialwelcome contrasts with the suffering that follows, leading up to his cruciﬁxion, which Christians observe on Good Friday,followedbyhis resurrection, celebrated on Easter Sunday. The faithful emerged from St. Peter’sSquare carrying blessed palm fronds or olive branches to mark the occasion. While the pope’sappearance was widely expected, pilgrims acknowledged some concern that gusts of wind might keep him from entering the square.

Trumpteamtries to projectconfidence, calm amid tariff moves

BY BILL BARROW Associated Press

ATLANTA— Trump adminis-

tration ofﬁcials were out in force across the television networks Sunday defending President Donald Trump’s economic policies after another week of reeling markets that saw the Republican administration reverse course on some of its steepest tariffs. Trump, meanwhile, said on his social media platform that there ultimately will be no exemptions for his sweeping tariff agenda, disputing characterizations that he has granted tariff exceptions for certain electronics, including smartphones, whoseproductionisconcentrated in China. Rather,Trump said, “those products are subject to the existing 20% Fentanyl Tariffs, andtheyare just moving to adifferent Tariff ‘bucket.’

White House advisers and Cabinet members tried to project conﬁdence and calm amidTrump’son-again, offagain approach to tariffson imported goods from around the world. But their explanations about the overall agenda, coupled with Trump’slatest statements, also reﬂected

shifting narratives from a president who, as acandidatein2024, promised an immediate economic boost andlower prices but now asks American businesses andconsumers forpatience.

Aweekago, Trump’s team stood by his promise to leave theimpending tariffs in placewithout exceptions. They used theirlatest news show appearances to defend hismove to ratchet back to a10% universal tariff for most nationsexcept China (145%), while seeming to grant exemptions for certain electronics like smartphones, laptops,harddrives, ﬂat-panelmonitorsand semiconductorchips.

Long before launching his ﬁrst presidential campaign in 2015, Trump bemoaned theoffshoring of U.S. manufacturing. Hispromise is to reindustrialize the United States and eliminate trade deﬁcits withothercountries

Last week, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, interviewedonCBS’ “Facethe Nation,” played up national security.“You’ve got to realize this is anational security issue,” he said, raising the worst-case scenarios of what could happen if theU.S.were involved in awar.Wedon’t

make medicine in this country anymore.Wedon’tmake ships. We don’thaveenough steel and aluminum to ﬁght a battle, right?” he said.

On Sunday, Lutnickstuck to that national security framing, but White House trade adviserPeter Navarro focused more on theimport taxes beingleverage in the bigger economic puzzle.

“The world cheats us They’ve been cheating us for decades,” Navarro said on NBC’s“Meet thePress.” He cited practices suchasdumpingproducts at unfairly low prices, currency manipulation and barriers to U.S. auto and agricultural productsentering foreign markets.

Navarro insisted the tariffs would yield broader bilateral tradedeals to address allthose issues. But he also reliedonaseparate justiﬁcation when discussing China: the illicit drug trade.

“China haskilledovera million people with their fentanyl,” he said.

Speaking before Trump’s Truth Social postdisputing the notion of exemptions, Lutnick alludedtothatcomingpolicy.“They’regoing to have aspecial focus-typeof tarifftomake sure that those products getreshored,” he

At least50 killed in east Congo

By The Associated Press

GOMA, Congo— At least 50 people were killed in weekend attacks in Congo’s conflict-battered east, authorities said Saturday.The government traded blame with Rwanda-backed rebels over who was responsible for the violence that quickly escalated the conﬂict in the region. The renewed violence that residents reportedinand around the region’slargest

city of Goma —which the M23 rebels control—was thebiggest threat yettoongoing peace efforts by both theGulfArab stateofQatar and African nations in the conﬂict that has raised fears of regional warfare.

Goma resident Amboma Safari recounted howhis family of four spent the night under their bed as they heard gunfire and bomb blasts through Friday night. “Wesaw corpses of soldiers, but we don’tknow

which group they are from,” Safari said.

In thesecondcityofBukavu, which the M23also controls, dozens of the armed Wazalendo local militia members who fight alongside Congoleseforces marchedfor afew hours toward thelocal airportas theyappeared to stage a challenge against the rebels.

The group, which later retreated, declared aceaseﬁre on Sundaytogive ongoing peace talks“achance.”

told ABC’s“This Week.” Navarro namedthe United Kingdom, the European Union,India, Japan, South Korea, Indonesia and Israel as among the nations in active negotiations with U.S. TradeRepresentative JamiesonGreer,Lutnick and other ofﬁcials

Greer saidonCBS that his goal was “to getmeaningful deals before 90 days” —the duration of Trump’spause— “and Ithink we’re goingtobe there with several countries in the next few weeks.”

Talks with China have not begun, he said. “Weexpect to have aconversation with them,” he said, emphasizing it wouldbebetween Trump andChinese President Xi Jinping.

Trumptook an aggressive tone himselfSundayinhis social media post,saying

“we will not be held hostage by other Countries, especially hostiletrading Nations like China, which will do everything within its power to disrespect the American People.”

Navarro wasnot as speciﬁc about Beijing. “Wehave opened up our invitation to them,” he said. Lutnick characterized the outreach as “soft entrees …through intermediaries.”

Pressed on whether there is any meaningful back and forth, Navarro said, “The president hasavery good relationship withPresident Xi.”

Then he proceeded to criticize several China’spolicies and trade practices.

Others confronted some of the more complexrealities of trying to achieve Trump’s goal of restoring abygone era of U.S. manufacturing.

Lutnicksuggested the focusisonreturning hightech jobs, while sidestepping questions about lowerskilled manufacturing of goods such as shoes that could mean higher prices because of higher wages for U.S. workers. But some of that high-tech production is whatTrump has, for now,exempted from the tariffs that he and his advisers frame as leveragefor forcing companies to open U.S. facilities. Kevin Hassett, director of the White House Economic Council, did acknowledge widespread angst.

“The survey data has been showing that people are anxious about the changes alittle bit,” he said, before steering his answer to employment rates.“The hard data,” he said, “has been really,really strong.”

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By GREGORIOBORGIA Pope Francis arrives Sunday at the end of Palm Sunday Mass on Sunday in St.Peter’sSquare at the Vatican.

measures in place,” said Senate President Cameron Henry, R-Metairie.

Henry emphasized the effort is not centered on ﬁring DOTD employees but is instead focused on speeding up project timelines and streamlining procedures.

“The goal is to improve DOTD and its current situation as it relates to project delivery communication with stakeholders and accountability,” said House Transportation Committee Chair Rep. Ryan Bourriaque, R-Abbeville.

Bourriaque, a key player in plans for the transportation department overhaul, said stronger accountability measures are aimed at keeping project timelines on track and reducing permitting delays.

Kate Kelly communications director for Landry, said “DOTD reform” also is among the governor’s top priorities this session.

Just months into his administration last year, Landry ordered his transportation secretary, Joe Donahue, to put together a plan to “rehabilitate” the oft-maligned department.

That resulted in a review of the agency by a private consultant as well as a 44-page Strategic Improvement Plan issued by DOTD, which conceded inefﬁcient and inconsistent project delivery is a pressing problem.

House Speaker Phillip DeVillier, R-Eunice, said the root of DOTD’s problems lies in an old system where “if you want something in your district, you have to vote a certain way.”

“Infrastructure has always been done through politics,” he said. “That’s what you see DOTD is built upon. What

ROOFS

Continued from page 1A

been hammered with soaring costs that have thrown the state into an insurance crisis. Some state officials even believe more insurers will be willing to write policies in storm-prone coastal Louisiana if a critical mass of homes are better equipped to withstand hurricanes.

One bill would set up a dedicated funding stream for a state grant program to give $10,000 each to homeowners that want fortiﬁed roofs. Several lawmakers are proposing various tax breaks to homeowners who voluntarily equip their homes with stronger roofs. Another bill would require insurers to offer a certain discount on premiums in exchange for fortiﬁed roofs, an effort that failed last year but may gain new support from Gov Jeff Landry this time.

State Rep. Aimee Freeman, D-New Orleans, is sponsoring a bill supported by Insurance Commissioner Tim Temple to require that any new roof in coastal parishes be built to the fortiﬁed standard. A similar bill was shelved in 2023 amid opposition from homebuilders.

we’re trying to do now is shift it and actually take care of our infrastructure for a change and make it a priority of the state.”

‘MAHA’

Landry has voiced support on social media for “MAHA” a slogan promoted by U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr that echoes President Donald Trump’s “Make America Great Again” catchphrase. The governor recently posted that he looks forward to working with Trump and Kennedy, who has drawn criticism for his skepticism of vaccines, “to bring the MAHA movement to the forefront in Louisiana.”

Sen. Patrick McMath, RCovington, champions the MAHA cause.

He is sponsoring a sweeping nutrition bill that would ban the purchase of soft drinks using federal food aid payments, prohibit the use of ultra-processed ingredients in public schools and require restaurants to tell customers if they cook with seed oils like canola or corn oil.

The plan would take time and money to implement, McMath has acknowledged. But it also is part of a campaign to pressure food companies to change ingredients in ultraprocessed products.

DeVillier said he is “excited” to learn more about McMath’s plan.

Henry said he expects “good things to come” from the nutrition legislation and called McMath’s proposed timeline for changes “very realistic.”

Taxes and spending

During a tax-focused special session in November, lawmakers approved major changes, including reducing individual and corporate in-

“We know that we can’t grant our way out of this problem,” Freeman said. “We’re (never) going to have the funding needed to grant everyone a fortiﬁed roof.”

The crop of bills underscores the enduring nature of the insurance crisis, which has not meaningfully abated for most homeowners in south Louisiana. On average, policyholders who saw their premium change have experienced a 9% increase since last year, according to a Times-Picayune | The Advocate review of state data.

Landry signed an industryfriendly package of bills last May that he and lawmakers said should help to lower costs, but has since said he’s frustrated with a lack of progress Temple remains bullish on the prospects of rate decreases this year

‘The way out’

Louisiana set up the fortified roof grant program in 2022, modeled on Alabama’s program that has seen widespread uptake and led to relief on insurance premiums. A fortiﬁed roof simply uses better nails, a water barrier underneath the shingles and techniques to strengthen the edges of a roof, which is where hurricane winds often start tearing it apart.

come tax rates and increasing the state sales tax rate.

They also proposed Amendment 2, a sweeping revision to the Louisiana Constitution’s tax and finance provisions.

But voters rejected the plan by wide margins on March 29 Lawmakers hoped to implement dozens of policy changes through Amendment 2. But now they have narrowed their focus and say they want to put at least a few of those before voters again.

One would free up money for more immediate spending needs by combining two state trust funds: the Budget Stabilization Fund, with a balance of $1.07 billion, and the Revenue Stabilization Trust Fund, with $2.73 billion.

The money funneled into those accounts can be spent in only certain cases, such as when the state is facing a budget shortfall or other emergency circumstances.

“We have more money in savings now than we’ve ever had,” DeVillier said. And the only way to accomplish certain goals “is by taking the resources that we have today and putting them to work,” he said.

DeVillier said some of that money could be used on road construction, water sector improvements long-delayed maintenance projects at universities and lowering sales and income taxes.

Henry also backs combining the two accounts to free up more money Aside from the trust fund plan, Henry DeVillier and Rep. Julie Emerson, a Carencro Republican who chairs the House tax-writing committee, all signaled that an effort to phase out a property tax on business inventory will also resurface during the session.

Education

A high-profile element in

So far, the state has allocated a collective $45 million to the program and doled out 2,332 grants to build fortiﬁed roofs, with 1,700 more in progress.

Fortified roofs are one of the few potential insurance crisis solutions that have garnered widespread, bipartisan support in the state. Democrats and some consumer and housing groups have hotly contested other free-market insurance strategies championed by the GOP-dominated Legislature and Temple.

Sen. Kirk Talbot, R-River Ridge, said it will take time to see more insurers enter the market and drive down rates.

In the meantime, he’s proposing adding a $10,000 tax credit for homeowners who voluntarily put a new fortiﬁed roof on their homes. That would dramatically increase the tax break for homeowners, who currently can only get a tax deduction of $5,000.

“That’s the way out,” Talbot said. “That’s the only way we’re all gonna live here, if you put a fortified roof on your house.”

‘No. 1 issue’

The state grant program has continued to win support at the Legislature, but Temple and some lawmakers hope to set up a permanent funding

the failed Amendment 2 was a plan to permanently increase the salaries of teachers by $2,000 and support staff by $1,000.

During the past two budget years, lawmakers twice approved that pay as a temporary stipend. But this year, the latest revenue projections show that lawmakers need to account for an expected $194 million shortfall.

With that budget hole looming, state leaders said they aren’t sure they can come up with the roughly $200 million needed to make the raises permanent.

“That’s a part of the conversation that we’re having,” said DeVillier, a sentiment echoed by Henry Landry this month sent a letter to teachers, writing “no existing alternative recurring resources exist to fund the permanent salary increase you deserve.”

But, Landry said, “my door is open to ﬁnding a solution.”

Rep. Jack McFarland, RJonesboro, chair of the House Budget Committee, said he’s “encouraged by members and the public that the teacher stipend is a priority.”

“Our education system is on the rise in Louisiana,” he said. “Teachers are playing a large role in that.”

Another issue stirring controversy for this session is funding for Landry’s signature education initiative, the LA GATOR Scholarship program, new taxpayer-funded school vouchers families can use for private schools or other education expenses.

Landry wants $93.5 million for GATOR scholarships for the next budget year, up from current-year funding of about $44 million for the state’s existing school voucher program.

Henry said he was “not remotely” expecting the $93.5 million ask and only supports

stream to continue doling out roof grants. After approving $30 million for the program for 2023, the Legislature approved $15 million last year

Rep. Troy Hebert, R-Lafayette, is sponsoring a bill to dedicate money from premium taxes and fees to the grant program, raising about $30 million a year That’s roughly enough for 3,000 homeowners annually

Insurers offer varying discounts for a fortiﬁed roof because it lowers risk and is seen as less likely to blow off during a hurricane. Roof damage is the most expensive form of damage from major storms for insurers, especially when it allows water to pour into a home.

“We’re trying to lessen damage to people’s homes to ultimately help them achieve lower home insurance rates,” Hebert said. He hopes his bill to set up a dedicated funding stream for the grant program will ensure the program is not subjected to the whims of the Legislature.

Hebert said his constituents are still being squeezed by high insurance premiums.

“It is the No. 1 issue,” he said.

Discount debate

Most people who are building fortified roofs here are

spending up to $50 million.

Budget worries

Dramatic federal funding cuts and fears that Congress will slash Medicaid spending have sparked worry in Louisiana.

Some, like McFarland, say they are remaining calm, proceeding with the facts available to them at any given time — and keeping an eye on what is happening in Washington.

“I can’t budget for something that I don’t know yet that the federal government’s gonna do,” he said.

McFarland said he has spoken with some members of Louisiana’s congressional delegation.

“I think everyone’s fully aware in D.C. that Louisiana has a signiﬁcant population that depends on Medicaid,” he said.

Last week McFarland said that despite widespread talk about cuts to health care and education, “I haven’t seen those yet.”

State health officials this month said they anticipate losing $86 million from eight federal grants eliminated by the Trump administration.

At a budget meeting last week, then-interim state Health Secretary Drew Maranto spoke to legislators about the possibility of federal funding cuts.

“If the feds make changes, we obviously would have to implement them,” he said. “The program as it is currently designed is unchanged.”

Asked if he had spoken with Louisiana’s congressional delegation, Maranto whose last day in that position was Friday — would only say that he has “engaged with the federal delegation over the last few weeks and will continue to do so.”

Henry has said he has dis-

doing so outside the grant program Since January 2024, the number of people doing so rose from 878 to 4,146, Ford said. The department has promoted strengthening roofs through TV ads in hopes that more Louisianans will upgrade their roofs voluntarily

A recent state audit found that getting a fortified roof in south Louisiana provides more benefits — premium discounts and fewer hurricane losses — than it costs in the long run. The median recipient in a survey conducted by the Louisiana Legislative Auditor’s Ofﬁce got a 22% insurance discount.

“This is a program that works,” Temple said. “People like it. It’s the most immediate way to get a reduction in your premium.”

Still, some housing advocates and lawmakers want the state to go further in guaranteeing discounts for building a stronger roof. Louisiana modeled its program on Alabama, which requires minimum discounts for upgraded roofs. So far, Louisiana has not done the same.

Sen. Royce Duplessis, DNew Orleans, ﬁled a bill to require insurers to offer a 20% minimum discount for a fortiﬁed roof. A similar bill failed in the Legislature last year, amid opposition from Temple.

cussed the issue with U.S. House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, with whom he is close.

Henry said he told Scalise that if federal funding is cut for a given program, the problem it is designed to address still exists — and states must then come up with the funding.

Auto insurance rates

Ahead of the session, Landry and DeVillier have both made lowering auto insurances rates a key priority albeit in distinct ways.

Landry this week unveiled the types of legislation he believes will achieve that goal — something he said would require accountability on the part of both insurance companies and trial lawyers who represent accident victims. DeVillier last summer directed some House legislative leaders to convene months’ worth of meetings aimed at determining why Louisiana’s auto insurance rates are so high.

“My committee chairs have done a very good job digging into this, and I’m hopeful that the insurance crisis that we have in Louisiana is going to be addressed this session,” he said. Henry emphasized the “tough” balancing act that state lawmakers are forced to make in debates over insurance rates.

While lawmakers are wary of insurance companies that want policyholders to cede their power to challenge the fairness of claims payments, Henry said, they also want to avoid over-regulating insurers and driving them away, reducing competition.

“We’re just trying to ﬁnd a happy medium in all of this,” he said. Staff writers Patrick Wall and Emily Woodruff contributed to this report.

Landry said in an interview late last year that he was frustrated with a lack of progress on property insurance premiums and that insurers should be required to step up and offer a minimum discount for fortified roofs. Duplessis said his bill is about fairness, given that insurance companies benefit from stronger roofs and the state is giving out taxpayerfunded grants to support the program. “We’re using state money to benefit insurance companies that are not guaranteeing at least a minimum discount? It’s bad policy,” he said. Temple said he’s pushing Hebert’s bill to make sure the program is funded in the future, and he said he supports a bill by Talbot to ramp up tax benefits for people who add a fortified roof. Temple also supports Freeman’s bill to require fortified roofs in coastal parishes when someone builds or reroofs a home. Temple pointed to Alabama, whose two coastal counties require fortified roofs in new builds and retrofits.

“We need to have the conversation,” he said. “I use Alabama as the gold standard Fairhope, Alabama, has a lot of homes close to the Gulf of Mexico that are affordable.”

did not indicate any shots were fired after the chase ended. Lacy was accused of causing a fatal car crash on Dec. 17 in Lafourche Parish that killed a 78-year-old man and injured two others. He faced counts of negligent homicide, felony hit-and-run and reckless operation of a vehicle, the Lafourche Parish Sheriff’s Ofﬁce said He turned himself in on Jan. 12 and was released after posting $151,000 bail.

A grand jury was scheduled to hear Lacy’s case

GROWTH

Continued from page 1A

in its 30-year existence.

“I’ve only butted heads with a few men in my path that I’ve had problems with,” Clotiaux said. “I’ve been in this business for 30 years I know what I’m doing and what I’m talking about. I’ve only come across a few people that I’ve had to ﬁght because they don’t like the fact that I’m a young woman.” Her company’s growth over the past 12 months has been significant, and it’s one of the examples of why many in the region are talking about a resurgence in local manufacturing. Leading Edge now has a Broussard location and increased its workforce from 20 in early 2024 to 50 now

A pivot in its customer base hints at one of the underlying movements behind a manufacturing resurgence. Ten years ago, about 80% of the business’ clients were in oil and gas. Now it’s less than 10% and includes the maritime industry and the power distribution market.

“With the constant up and down of oil and gas, we’d grow and have to shrink and grow and shrink,” Clotiaux said. “I started looking at long term, and sustainable growth wasn’t down that path. We’ve become more industry-based. We want to sell to as many industries as we can.” Much like Clotiaux’s company, manufacturing is bounding back in Lafayette Parish and Acadiana, Bureau of Labor Statistics data shows. The region has recovered the jobs lost during the pandemic as well as slightly more than half of the 5,000 lost during the oil slump of 2015 and 2016.

Monday His attorney, Matthew Ory, said in a statement Sunday that he believed the evidence would have led to a “declination of charges.”

Ory added he would demand a review of the police investigation.

“Kyren was a young man with immense promise, and he was crushed under the weight of an irresponsible and prejudiced process,” Ory said in the statement. “The pressure and perception likely became unbearable.”

Lacy a Thibodaux native, was one of LSU’s leading receivers last season with 58 receptions for 866 yards and nine touchdowns, which tied for the most in the SEC.

He recently worked out at LSU’s pro day in advance of the NFL Draft. “We’re saddened to learn of the tragic passing of former LSU football studentathlete Kyren Lacy,” LSU said in a statement “Our thoughts and prayers are with his family and loved ones, as well as his former teammates and coaches impacted by his passing.”

According to a release from Louisiana State Police, Lacy was driving a 2023 Dodge Charger on La. 20 near Perez Lane at the time of the December accident. He then “recklessly passed multiple vehicles at a high rate of speed by crossing the centerline and entering

the northbound lane while in a no-pass zone,” police said.

As the driver of a northbound pickup truck swerved to the right to avoid a collision with Lacy, the driver behind the truck took evasive action and crossed the centerline, striking a southbound Kia Sorento head on, police said.

After the accident, police said Lacy drove around the crash scene without stopping to help, call emergency services or report his part in the crash.

A passenger in the Kia Herman Hall, of Thibodaux, was transported to a hospital, where he died from his injuries.

Ory claimed in a statement

released Feb. 2 that Lacy did not cause the collision. The statement said, in part, that while Lacy “briefly passed other vehicles, he safely reentered his lane without incident.”

Lacy was a three-star recruit who began his career at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette. He played two seasons before transferring to LSU. Lacy caught 112 passes for 1,692 yards and 16 touchdowns in three seasons with the Tigers.

Lacy’s father, Kenny Lacy, encouraged parents to check on their children’s mental health after his son’s death.

“Young parents, start talking to your kids at a very early age and make sure

president and CEO of the Lafayette Economic Development Authority

“Something good is happening in manufacturing,” Mitchell said. “That’s the best industry to have in your area because they pay so well and it’s not intense to be able to train to get a job in manufacturing. We’ve had some really good, nicesized wins.”

There’s a growing sense of optimism among local leaders about manufacturing

Buoyed by the hundreds of jobs set to arrive with the First Solar plant in Iberia Parish, the region marked wins on other projects that will lead to hundreds more in the coming years.

It’s led to a diversiﬁcation within the manufacturing sector away from oil and gas, said Mandi Mitchell,

How much the Trump administration’s pending tariffs affect the region’s future is unclear When tariffs were announced on all countries last week, manufacturers with a presence outside the U.S. were either accelerating their onshoring plans or trying to determine a path forward, Mitchell said.

Regardless of how you feel about tariffs, One Acadiana President and CEO Troy Wayman told a Lafayette group this week, they can mean opportunities to onshore manufacturing jobs.

The long road back Acadiana Manufacturing spent decades serving the oil and gas industry out of its New Iberia shop, but in 2015

the place nearly went dark.

Owner David Decuir reduced the staff to his wife, his dad, one employee and himself.

“It was brutal for everyone in the industry,” he said. The job numbers illustrate the pain Nearly all of those 5,000 jobs lost in 2015 and 2016 were in Iberia and Lafayette parishes. In Iberia, the losses were especially painful as nearly 30% of its manufacturing jobs evaporated.

Since then Decuir’s company has clawed its way back thanks to diversiﬁcation efforts Not only does the it now have 16 employees with plans to hire three or four more, but the company invested in new equipment and is about to add more.

One project, valued at just under $1 million, is necessary due to increased demand from a major national client that Decuir declined to name. The project is so significant that it requires digging out some of the shop ﬂoor and pouring reinforced concrete to install the machine.

Decuir applied for the industrial tax exemption program with Louisiana Eco-

nomic Development to help ﬁnance it.

“We started investing in new equipment,” Decuir said. “For a shop our size, we’ve got equipment in here that basically no one around here has. We started getting into very high-end machinery and taking on projects that no one has equipment to do.”

California for processing, testing and shipping. That entire process will be moved to Lafayette by October, CEO Robert Schacht said.

‘Cheaper to operate here’

During the oil slump, Lafayette Parish job losses piled up to nearly 3,000 in just two years followed by 1,500 more during the pandemic, data shows. But since then it’s gained 2,600 and is about 400 jobs away from its 2014 peak.

So far, about a dozen have come from Westﬁeld Fluid Controls, the Californiabased company that opened a 30,000-square-foot facility in the LEDA industrial park in north Lafayette But the company will add 50 more by 2028.

Westﬁeld makes ﬂuid control components for aerospace and defense companies. Products are made in Lafayette and shipped to

“It’s cheaper to operate here,” he said. “In California, we were spending $15,000 a month on power Here, it’s half. That’s a big difference. Our property taxes, because of the industrial tax exemption, are $3,300 a year That’s pretty low compared to California, (which was) $56,000 a year in taxes.”

Behind the momentum

The momentum in the region and the state is getting noticed. Mike Tarantino, president and CEO of the Iberia Industrial Development Foundation, noted that at a national site selectors guild conference the First Solar project was “the talk of the show.”

Other companies have added wins to Iberia Parish, including the 600-job Cajun Industries location at the Port of Iberia. The parish also, with help from One Acadiana, expanded its Progress Point Business Park that

they are conﬁdent and comfortable confiding in you,” he wrote in a Facebook post. “Don’t be cool with ‘I’m Alright, or I’m good’ when you know deep down something isn’t right. Mental health is real, and for the most part, it’s invisible. Don’t ignore the signs, even if they may seem small.

“Our lives have changed forever and this will never be ok, but God needed my baby more than he was needed here. This has to be the biggest pill our families have had to swallow but I know the love and compassion in our families will get us through. This will never get easier, but we’ll learn to live with it.”

ofﬁcials there envision as a hub for advanced manufacturing.

It will house the University of Louisiana at Lafayette’s Iberia BioInnovation Accelerator and could be a destination for pharmaceutical companies.

“We’ve got some great partners across the board, some really great sites and some really great assets,” Tarantino said. “We’re building off our existing assets, and we’re putting a lot investment into it. I think wins like this and investments like this are going to go a long way to keeping us on that radar nationally, and that’s where you want to be.”

The projects have followed others across the state, including the Meta project planned for Richland Parish and the Hyundai steel plant planned for Ascension Parish that combined will employ nearly 2,000.

Getting local people skilled for those jobs is not a big challenge, he said. Many of those in the manufacturing sector are upgrading their skills through UL or South Louisiana Community College.

UL’s college of engineering recently launched concentrations in manufacturing management, construction management and structural engineering and coastal hazards to keep up with evolving workforce needs.

SoLaCC created an industrial maintenance technology program to meet the training needs of First Solar, spokesperson Anne Falgout said. It’s a 14-week session held at the New Iberia campus, and the session is also beneﬁcial for people who are working for other local manufacturers. That level of training and education, Mitchell noted, could make the region more attractive to other manufacturers.

“If we can support First Solar in making these solar panels, can we not also do semiconductor chips?” she said. “There are other things we can do. And you also think about the biohealth space with pharmaceuticals, (pharmaceutical company) Eli Lilly just announced they’re going to onshore manufacturing back to the U.S It’s something we should all be looking at competing for.”

Email Adam Daigle at adaigle@theadvocate.com.

STAFF PHOTO By LESLIE WESTBROOK

Fabricator Dustin Fuller welds an aluminum enclosure component on April 3 at Leading Edge Manufacturing in youngsville.

Clotiaux

Schacht

High schoolers can get new distinction

Students who pass new civics test will receive ‘Freedom Seal’ on diplomas

BY ELYSE CARMOSINO

FAR RIGHT: Cattle egrets perch in a tree during a birding expedition Friday at Live Oak Farm. The farm was placed under a conservation easement last year so that it will remain intact for future agricultural uses and wildlife habitat preservation.

BELOW: Erik Johnson, director of conservation science with Audubon Delta, points out a hawk to other birders during an expedition Friday.

ä More from the Live Oak Farm birding expedition PAGE 4B

BIRDS OF A FEATHER

state’s new K-12 social studies standards, known as the “Freedom Framework.”

UNO could return to LSU system

Proposed legislation could help university’s financial crisis

MARIE FAZIO Staff writer

Mayor says money will go toward road projects

BY STEPHEN MARCANTEL Staff writer

new bill in the state Legislature

return the University of

University of Louisiana system in 2011.

BY STEPHEN MARCANTEL Staff writer

STAFF FILE PHOTO By BRETT DUKE

could set into motion a plan to

New Orleans to the LSU system.

RIGHT: A bald eagle soars overhead during a birding expedition Friday at Live Oak Farm in Vermilion Parish.

STAFF PHOTOS By LESLIE WESTBROOK

We need areal accounting of DOGE

Iwould like to see afair and honest reckoning ofthe real fiscal benefit of replacing our inspectors general program with the Department of GovernmentEfficiency.Asfar as Ican tell from several news sources, DOGE has “saved” taxpayers between $9 billion and $65billion; that is atremendous disparity,and Ihave no idea what this mysteriousgroup is costing the governmenttorun. Even if the unelected Elon Musk is offering his services gratis, it would be unfair (and certainly unwise) for me to assumethat all themany techies surrounding himare doing likewise. So,what’s thecost? Then we can compare this with the facts of the government audit that determined that, in 2023, the inspectors general uncovered wasteand fraudtothe tune of $90.1 billion. This same audit determined that thecost to taxpayers was $1 spent for every $26recovered. That soundslike apretty good use of tax dollars. With all the boasting and bragging of this administration, it might be useful to look at honest and independent evaluation of the actual numbers. The inspectors generalhave been successfully used to catchmisuse, wasteand fraud in government on behalf of the American public. Iamskepticalofany politician who seeks to undo the independent work of an oversight committee and replace it with an appointed group with responsibilities only to that politician. Where has common sense gone?

REV.MICHAELKUHN NewOrleans

YOUR VIEWS

Hurtingrenewableshurts everyone,even oiland gas

Recently,amid federal uncertainty, Diamond Offshoreterminated its agreement with Louisiana to develop offshore wind in state waters. Diamond, aglobal oil and gas companybased in Texas, is among many energyplayers navigating shifting policies.

While President Donald Trumphas promised policies favoring fossil fuels, industry expertsrecognize that modernenergy production is deeply integrated. Undermining renewables ultimately harmsthe very oil and gas industries Trumpaims to protect. Companies like Diamond consume vast amounts of electricity,and adiverse energy portfoliolowers costs —beneﬁting their bottom line. Investing in offshore wind and other renewables remains in their best interest.

Ourenergy future is increasingly interwoven. An “all of the above” approach is essential to meeting rising energy demand, but it’salso driven by ﬁnancial markets, where traditional energy producers are investing heavily in renewables. Their priority is reliable, cost-effective energy,regardless of the source. Take the Louisiana Energy Users Group,

acoalition of major industrial consumers advocating for better electricity options through theLouisiana Public Service Commission. Major oil and gas producers including Chevron, ExxonMobil and Shell —support diversiﬁed energy access to maintain affordabilityand reliability

While LEUG membersmay beneﬁt from expanded fossil fuel development, they also recognize the value of investments in solar,wind and other renewables. Federal tax credits, recently enhancedtosupport domestic production and legacy energy communities, create new opportunities to meet growing demand while reducing costs —even for fossil fuel companies. Renewable energy prices have plummeted, offering traditional energy producers a competitive edge. Framing energy as azerosum battle between old and new technologies is counterproductive. Instead, fostering collaboration across theenergy sector will ensure areliable, affordable and sustainable future for all.

JOSHUABASSECHES assistant professor of environmental studies and public policy at Tulane University

What coverage of Hoffman’sexecution should teachus

Thank youfor your excellent reporting on the execution of Jessie Hoffman on March 18 bythe stateofLouisiana at the Louisiana State Penitentiary at Angola. Ihave been visiting Angola for over 15 years (withtime out for the pandemic) to help leada monthly Bible study sponsored by the Episcopal Diocese of Louisianaand to helpleadanannualthree-dayretreatsponsored by KairosPrison Ministry International.Every time Icheck through themain gate, Imeditate on theappropriateness of thesign statingthatIamentering the Louisiana State Penitentiary.This is aplace for people to be imprisoned—tolimit theirharmful behavior,tobepunished and to do penance.

As aChristian, Iamopposed to the death penalty.Jesus toldthe accusers of the woman caught in adultery that anyone of themwith-

out sin could throw the ﬁrststone to put her to death. They all walked away. “Go,sin no more,” Jesus told the woman. Idid not know Hoffman, but Iwas moved by theguest columnonMarch 17 written by The Rev.Michaela Bono, his Buddhist priest chaplain on death row. She described him as ahumble, changed man whoserved as a“mentor,guiding younger men on their own paths to peace and helping them manage conﬂict and choose alife away from violence.”

Our life and our bodies are giventousby God,not the state. The state does not have the right to terminateanyone’slife. Icannot imagine Jesus looking down from His cross afﬁrming this or any execution.

RICHARD SAXER NewOrleans

Jewish voices must denounce deportation of Khalil

The detention and threatened deportation of Mahmoud Khalil, aPalestinian green card holder whohas not been charged with acrime, is a clear violation of the First Amendmentand athreat to the civil liberties that prevent the United States from morphing into adictatorship. Khalil, arecent graduate of Columbia University,was astudent negotiator during the Gazasolidarity encampment on Columbia’s campus. On March 8, federal immigration agents abducted Khalil and took him to the LaSalle Detention Center in Jena, an ICEfacility with ahistory of deaths and allegations of abuse. The Trumpadministration has since revoked his green card and is attempting to deport him As Jews, we have watched in horror as tens of thousands of Palestinians in Gazaand the West Bank are murdered in the nameofour supposed safety.Now,wewitness as the Trumpadministration begins to disappear activists here —inour name, and in our homeofLouisiana. The experience of being stripped of legal status is familiar to Jewish people, as it has happened to us throughout our history.We know what comes next. The Trump administration has escalated the U.S. government’slongstanding campaign of violence against immigrants and asylum seekers, manyof whom are held in appalling conditions in ICEfacilities across Louisiana. And ICEhas begun to target morestudent protestors, including Palestinian Columbia student Leqaa Kordia. These repressive actions are clearly meanttostoke fear and to disrupt carefully tended networks of solidarity.Asthe administration mobilizes against immigrants, activists, trans people, universities, and the basic rights that hold our society together,wehave amessage: Louisiana is watching. And we will not be afraid. We will continue to show up and speak out. CYPRESS ATLAS organizer,Jewish Voicefor Peace NewOrleans

Letterspublished

LETTERSTOTHE EDITOR

AREWELCOME.HEREARE

TO SEND US ALETTER SCAN HERE

OUR GUIDELINES: Letters are published identifying name and the writer’scity of residence.The Advocate |The Times-Picayune require astreet address and phone number for verification purposes, but that information is not published. Letters are not to exceed 300 words. Letters to the Editor,The Advocate, P.O. Box 588, Baton Rouge, LA 70821-0588, or email letters@theadvocate.com.

Aggressive drivingoninterstates gettingout of hand

Speed limits, especially on the interstate, needtobeenforced. Ihave witnessed more peoplegetting mad because someone passinginthe left lane isn’tdoing it fastenough while road ragers think theleft lane is for traveling 90 mph to 120 mph.

People don’thave the right to tail others or cut and slam on their breaks. Ihave witnessed road ragers doing this to others without consequence multiple times.

That is causing theaccidents, and while slow driving in theleft lane may contribute, it’sthesehigh-ratespeeders and aggressive drivers that are notbeing addressed. They are amuch bigger problem than someonedoing the speed limit and passing slower drivers in theleft-hand lanes.

VICTORIA CROWLEY Metairie

Gingrich,not Clinton, deserves credit forbalancing budget

TheClinton administration didn’ttackle balancing the budget, as stated by MuhammadYungai in arecent letter.Actually he fought for deﬁcit spending like every other Democrat had always done. The Republicansled byNewt Gingrich presented the balanced budget and Bill Clinton vetoed it,

but theRepublicans managed to override theveto and as usual Democrats stole the credit for doing this.Facts are facts. Clinton did not balance thebudget intentionally. He fought it and lost.

DAVID BASSHAM Houma

do reflectviewpoints of newspaper’s readers

Iamwriting in response to a March 19 letter where Patrick Grossie, of Lafayette, complained that “conservative viewpoints were not adequately represented” in this newspaper.Hereferences the fact that conservative viewsare the majority in Louisiana.

However,Kamala Harris won 82.2% of the vote in Orleans Parish. Further,itismyunderstanding that letters on the editorial page are representative of the majority point of view of letters received on various topics.

Idon’tbelieve that there’sany journalistic rule stating that conservative and liberal viewpoints should be equally presented by which letters to the editor are chosen to run. GENE SHAPIRO NewOrleans

ASSOCIATED PRESS FILE PHOTO

Offshore windpower could be asource of energyfor many industries.

ASSOCIATED PRESS FILE PHOTO

Elon Musk attends the finalsfor the NCAA wrestling championship on March 22 in Philadelphia. Musk is thedriving force behind the Department of Government Efficiency

COMMENTARY

WALT’S CAPTION CONTEST

WINNER: Debbie Thomas,Baton Rouge

EGGDECORATING

Nice! We received 669 entries in this week’sCartoon Caption Contest,with lots of zany approaches and snarky lines! Our winner’spunchline wasshortand funny, and it fit perfectly from acat’sperspective! Great work everyone!Asalways, when we have duplicate entries, and we always do,wepick the earliest sent in.Here arethisweek’s winner and finalists.Well played, Folks! —Walt

PETER KOVACS, BATONROUGE: “Eggs are so pricey, it’s cheaper to paint your pets.”

FRANK ARRIGO,BATON ROUGE: “It won’t lastlong.He didn’t use primer first.”

DONALD BOREY,GONZALES: “Do youthink this is how Blue Dog gothis start?”

CHRIS DU PASSAGE, MANDEVILLE: “Atleast youget a bath, I’vegottaclean this myself.”

HOWARD W. STREIFFER, METAIRIE: “No more sugar for the kid!!”

PETER A.VIGLIA II, EVERGREEN, CO.: “Todaywas better before he woke up.”

ROBERT KOHN, RIVER RIDGE: “I knewMom nevershould have enrolled him in that ContemporaryArt Camp!”

LARRYDEBLIEUX, METAIRIE: “Just imagine what this kid could do to afreight train!”

JIM FLOCK, HARAHAN: “Amazing! He also managed to getsome on the eggs!”

JANGARDNER, SPRING,TEXAS: “He’sgonna need a bigger basket.”

MARTHA STARNES,KENNER: “Next year,I’m hiding the eggs… and the paint!”

SHEREE MURRAY, BATONROUGE: “And theywant himto take overtheir Home Decorating Business!”

JEFFHARTZHEIM,FUQUAY-VARINA, N.C.: “These aren’t evenmyspring colors!”

CAMILLELINDSEY,BATON ROUGE: “Talk about abad dyejob.”

JASON BONE, NEWORLEANS: “This is the last time I encouragehis artistic side.”

Asab former Louisiana, ingalong Johnson, Steve Scalise, the priorities licans. Und we cut revitalized oritized American Now,a Republicans remain Trump’ strengthening standing ministration’ That means measures conservative that would sion of TheKids onesuch children parental awayfrom unelected This legislation government deemed sue that

LETTER writer’sc published.

Whytenure andacademic freedomare important

KIRT H. ULFERS,METAIRIE: “I always wanted to be a calico cat, butthisisa bit much!”

DAVID DELGADO,NEW ORLEANS: “He’sonhis wayto becoming aJackson Square Fixture!”

RORY STEEN, DENVER, CO.: “Any chanceyou know how to operate abathtub?”

JOHN BARRERA, CONCORD,N.C.: “Jimmy’snoPicasso that’s forsure!!”

LYNN ROBERTSON, PORT ALLEN: “He’s imitating the stockmarket!”

RALPH STEPHENS,BATON ROUGE: “We finally agree on something.Thiswas abad idea!!”

DONNA REUTER, METAIRIE: “This egg dyeing is not all it’s crackeduptobe.”

RICH WOLF,WESTMINSTER, MD.: “Just be ok with it and we getCadbury eggs.”

CHARLES THEAUX,PONCHATOULA: “I feel likeone of those psychedelic posters from the 60s.

MARIANO HINOJOSA, BATONROUGE: “I givehim an ‘A’ forcreativity and an ‘F’ forcommonsense.”

SHERRI LINDSEY, BATONROUGE: “And youthought there was nothing worsethan fetching.”

BUDDYGALLO,ABBEVILLE: “Dotheystill payfor hisart classes?!?”

MICHELE STARNES, KENNER: “I groom myselffor eight hoursa day, and nowthis!”

LEANNE WEILL, BATONROUGE: “They’re so expensive that they DO merit theFabergé treatment!”

BONNIE LOSEE, LAFAYETTE: “It’s goingtotakeforever to lick this off!”

American universities, including those in our state, are universally recognized to be the greatest in the world. We produce by far the mostoriginal, lifesaving research and the mostworld leaders in every ﬁeld, from astronomy to zoology The foundations for this greatness are academic freedom and tenure, which are currently,and we believe wrongly,under attack. Academic freedom can be hard to understand, but it does not mean that professors can say or do anything they like. It means that students and scholars are able to produce cutting-edge knowledge unconstrained by private or political interests, without fear or favor.We

nd acniversally nscholpeers such ents andapproaches. across these principles uture leaders to their discovery at stitutions which do not private or political ingreat, because the lies in its accessibilall. and across the naother public educabecometargets of Executive orders have of “indoctrinaamong the internationose expertise and accusations, intaking downwebsites words such as “dicourse materials, applications. These acreckless, and are having such as the cancellaof course syllabi displays. here than academic losing access to created for the Park Service, the Control and Prevention, the National Instiothers. to create adangerapparatus, one that may that this nation simdiverse. These accuse of dereliction researchers ost to educate our world. Finally, of data robs the to knowledge and ur tax dollars and of our democracy Boyd professors, status conveyed upon System,with the supBoyds from all across that we and our collike all humans. iting academic freeaccess to freelynot makeusgreat, us to second- or our students of education they deserve. Louisiana’sleaders community,ingovernmental entertainment and hospivital universities suggest that we annually to the health care syssectors depend on the systems. ensures that across all access to knowledge vor aprofessor in History and R. emeritus professor Coastand the

Roger Villere GUEST COLUMNIST

Suzanne L. Marchand GUEST COLUMNIST

R. Eugene Turner GUEST COLUMNIST

HAVING AHOOT

Last month, Senate President Cameron Henry and House Speaker Phillip DeVillier initiated the process when theyrequested the Board of Regents study the feasibility of the move. The study detailed UNO’s struggle to attract and retain students and the university’ssubstantial debt, which Board of Regents officials said could be as high as $30 million, double the amount university ofﬁcials had previously estimated.

CIVICS

On Tuesday,a groupof high schoolers from around the state representing Louisiana’sLegislative Youth Advisory Council, an organization that aimstofoster agreater appreciation and understanding of civicparticipation among Louisiana students, testiﬁed in favor of the seal before the state school board. They told members that recognizing achievement in civics education is crucial to increasing political awareness among young peopleand encouraging them to learn their rights in the democratic process.

“Civics isn’tjust asubject in school, it’safoundation of how we live, work and lead in our schools, communities and country,” said Lafayette High School junior Spencer Croft. Adopting the seal will send the message “that what students do outside the classroom is just as important as what they learn inside of it.”

Students take the exam the same year they takecivics in high school, whichis typically during their sophomore year,adepartment spokesman said.

Categories on the test include thefoundations of the United States government and how civilrights in the U.S. have developed over time; the role of the U.S. government in developing domestic, foreign andeconomic policies; and the national, state and local political processes and how citizens participate in those processes.

Beginning next school year,those who score mastery or above willreceive the seal and honor cord to wearfor graduation.Stu-

Governing systems have significant authority over the collegesand universities they oversee. They supervisethe schools’ leaders, provide ﬁscal oversightand approve hiring andstafﬁngplans.

Thestudy did notexplain how changing systems would beneﬁt UNO or what impact it would have on the LSUsystem

Aftertwo-thirds of members in the House and Senate approvethe legislation, the shift must also be approved by the Southern Association of Colleges andSchools Commission on Colleges, UNO’s accreditinginstitution.

dentswho graduate next year but who took the test previously will also be eligible.

Brumley pointed out that only22% of eighthgraders in the U.S. performed at or aboveproﬁcientonanational civics exam in 2022.

“Wecan improvethat by making sure we have rigorous standards to teach civics in ourclassrooms,”he said Tuesday,adding that Louisiana “has done more in the last few years in regards to history and civics education” than any other state.

SinceBrumleytookonhis role in 2020, Louisiana has introduced several changes to its social studies standards.

In 2022, the state adopted the “Freedom Framework” for social studies education,a revamped version of thestandards thattell “the storyofAmerican exceptionalism as well as the nation’scontinuous journey towardsbecoming amore perfect union,”a news releasefromthe state Department of Education said. High schoolers are taught that thefailure of communistpolicyand the assertion of American principles led to the end of the Cold War, according to apamphlet that outlines the standards. They also learn how individuals such as Rosa Parks, Malcolm Xand Medgar Evers contributed to the expansion of American civil rights.

Most recently,the state board of education voted unanimously last month to align the state’sfourth and fifth gradesocialstudies standardswithPresident Donald Trump’sexecutive order requiring that the Gulf of Mexico be renamed to the GulfofAmerica. Brinkley Bennett,a junior at St.Joseph’sAcademyin

According to thebill, UNO President Kathy Johnson must notify theaccrediting agency by Aug. 1statingher intent to shiftUNO’s governance to LSU. If theagency approves the move, UNO andall its “assets, funds, obligations, liabilities, programs, and functions”willbeimmediately transferred to theLSU system

The bill says that theUL system will continue managingUNO untilapproval is granted, but in themeantime, it should “enter into agreements to transfer as manyadministrative and supervisory functions” of

SHOOTING

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transported to ahospital after the March 19 shooting and died of her injuriesSaturday according to KLFY reports.

Police responded that night to reports of shots being ﬁred outside of Sam’sPlace in Crowley, according to CrowleyChiefof Police Troy Hebert. Upon arrival, policelearned that an argument had broken outbetween patrons over apool game Onepatron pulled out agun during the argument. The staff askedhim to leave. The patron and his mother were both seen leaving the bar in ablack 2004 Ford Ranger With Venable driving,police said,the bannedpatronpulled thegun out again before shooting several times into the air

Five minutes later, police re-

DOTD

Continuedfrom page1B

“For the last couple of years, I’ve triedtocashinorutilize the creditsacrossour city and Iwas unsuccessful at ﬁnding any place DOTD would allow me to utilize those credits,”Rittersaid. “I started referring to it as Monopoly money.”

Thecity, on several occasions over theyears, attemptedtouse the funds on road projects, but DOTD would always deem the projectsineligible for onereason or another In one instance, the city wanted to improve aproblematic intersection, but DOTD said too few crashes occurred there. Ritter

UNO as possible to the LSU system

The bill also says theUL system should continue funding UNO untilthe transfer occurs, and should not make employment decisions aboutUNO administrators or faculty withoutapproval of the LSU system board.

Aspokespersonfrom UNO declinedtocomment on the bill. Aspokespersonfor LSU did not respond to inquiries.

UL system President Rick Gallot saidonMonday that if the legislation passesand is signedinto law,the UL systemwilldo“everything we cantomakethe transition seamless.”

sponded to reports of ashooting outside ahome in the1000 block of East Ash Street. Upon arrival, police found Venable inside the vehicle, suffering from agunshot wound to the back of her head. The suspect approached the homeowner after the shooting, Hebert said.

The homeowner then called lawenforcementtoreportthe incident. Police did not name the suspect, butsaidhehas felony warrantsinother jurisdictions. They believe he ﬂed the area. No arrests have been made in the shooting.

An investigation is ongoing. Police are asking anyone with information on the shooting to contact the Crowley Police Department at (337) 783-1234.

StephenMarcantel writes for The Acadiana Advocate as aReport forAmerica corps member.Email him at stephen. marcantel@theadvocate.com.

noted as the city continues to grow, the intersection is expected to become agreater issue.

But when Gov.Jeff Landry installed Joe Donahue as secretary of DOTD, Ritter reached out to ﬁnd away that those funds could be released.OnTuesday, the funds were giventothe city “I justexpressedmyfrustration. We just raninto roadblock after roadblock consistently when trying to utilizethose credits,” Rittersaid.

Ritter saidthe money will used on local matches for grant-funded road projectsinthe city

StephenMarcantel writes for The Acadiana Advocate as aReport forAmerica corps member.Email him at stephen. marcantel@theadvocate.com.

The potential shift in governance has been pitched as away to revitalize UNO, whichhas struggled with reduced revenue due to dropping enrollment, compounded by expensive annual contracts and athletic commitments, the study found.

At its peak before HurricaneKatrina,UNO had more than 17,000 students. Lastfall, it hadabout 6,500 students.

“Weanticipate this transfer will produce abold vision to strategically redesign UNO and position it as amajor developer of talent for the Greater New Orleans

Region,” Board of Regents Chair Misti Cordell said in astatement after the board unanimously approvedthe study last month. In thelast year,UNO has already taken steps to right the ship, including consolidating itsfive collegesinto two, closing buildings, laying offand furloughing staff members. Still, officials have said that those measures will fall short of fully making up the deficit, and university officialshaveleftopenthe possibility of morelayoffs or furloughs in the future. Staff writer Patrick Wall contributed reporting.

Baton Rouge, saidoffering aspecial distinction to high schoolerswho demonstrate astrong understanding of civics will help encourage “an entire generation of students” to participate in democracy “A healthy democracy

LOTTERY SATURDAY,APRIL 12, 2025

PICK 3: 2-4-3

depends on active involvement of its citizens, but that participation doesn’thap-

pen on its own,” she said. “It’ssomething we have to learn.”

Email ElyseCarmosino at ecarmosino@theadvocate. com.

STAFF PHOTO By LESLIEWESTBROOK

Abarred owlkeeps

Vermilion

Morrow’s tenacity an assetfor WNBA teams

LSUstar’srebounding numberscould easily translateto thepros

BY REED DARCEY Staff writer

It’seasy to measurethe impactthatAneesah Morrow made on her DePaul and LSU teams across her dominant four-year collegiate career

It’strickier to project how all of her production will translate to theWNBA.

Only one woman in NCAA Division Ihistory has ever posted more career double-doubles thanMorrow,and just two haveever grabbed more rebounds. TheLSU staraccomplished both of those featseventhough

she’sonly 6-foot-1,addingtothe signiﬁcance of her achievements yet complicatingmatters for WNBA teamstasked with ﬁnding theright role for her in theleague. Is she aguard? Awing? Aforward?

Dallas Wings general manager Curt Miller —the lucky recipient of theNo. 1pick of Monday’sdraft andthe rights to select UConnstar Paige Bueckers —doesn’tthink hispeersshouldoverthink it

“She’ll be adog,” he said on Thursday Millersaid Morrow’srebounding numbers “pop off thecharts.”From her freshman season at DePaul through her senior year at LSU, she grabbed1,714boards— over 300 more than any other Division Iplayer corralled over that span.

But will the WNBAteam that chooses Morrow move her to the perimeter? Givenher size, will it station herfarther away from thepaint andask hertoshoot more 3s?

“I think whichever franchise is fortunate to endupwith her,”Millersaid, “isgetting areally talented player, ﬁrstand foremost. I, personally,inmydecadeinthis league, think thatrebounding has translated, and players that rebounded in college ended up rebounding in thepros.”

AngelReese added evidence to support that theory last season.

As arookie, shepulled down13.1 rebounds per game—aWNBA record. Reese also set the league record for totalboards in asingle season (446) before she injured her wrist

FORTHE BOOKS

Cajuns avoidsweep with win over JMU

BY KEVIN FOOTE Staff writer

The UL softball team was determined to avoidthe program’sﬁrst Sun Belt series sweep in 14 seasons, so don’texpect the Ragin’ Cajuns to quibble over the details after rolling past James Madison 9-2onSunday at Lamson Park. SevenofUL’snine runs were unearned, thanks largely because of four errors.

“That’swhatweneed to do,” UL coach Alyson Habetz said. “If they’re going to makeerrors, we need to capitalize on them and then extend an inning.”

The best aspect of the win was the continuedsteadypitching from true freshman Mallory Wheeler

“She’sthe real deal,” Habetz said. “She has the speed —the veloand the movement, and we have other pitchers who can complementhere.”

Wheelerimprovedto8-8ontheseasonafter givinguptworunsonﬁvehits,threewalksand twostrikeouts in six innings and 92 pitches.

BY DOUG FERGUSON AP golf writer

AUGUSTA,Ga. Rory McIlroy turned another major collapse into his grandest moment of all, hittinga wedge into 3feet for birdie in asudden-death playoff Sunday to ﬁnally win the Masters and take his place in golf history as thesixth player to claimthe career Grand Slam. What should havebeen acoronation for McIlroy along the back nine at Augusta National turned into aheart-racing, lead-changing jaw-dropping ﬁnish at golf’s greatest theater that ended withMcIlroy on hisknees sobbing with joy and disbelief.

“I started to wonder if it would ever be my time,” McIlroy said in Butler Cabin before Scottie Schefﬂer helped him into thegreen jacket. It ended with moreheartache for Justin Rose,who lost toSergio Gar-

cia in aplayoff in 2017 andforced this one with aclutch 20-foot birdie on the18th hole for a6-under 66. He woundupjoining Ben Hogan as the only players to lose twice in playoffs at AugustaNational.

McIlroy lost atwo-shot lead in two holes at the start.Helost afour-shot lead on the back nine in amatter of three holes with shocking misses, oneofthema wedgeintothe tributary of Rae’sCreek on thepar-5 13th

Andright when it looked as though he would blow another major,McIlroy delivered two majestic shots when nothing less would do, two birdies that sent him to the18th hole with aone-shot lead. That still wasn’t enough. He missed a5-foot par puttfor a1-over 73 and the ﬁrst Masters playoff in eight years.

McIlroy’swedge bounced ontothe slope of the topshelf with enough

BYLUKE JOHNSON Staff writer

Four rookies topped 1,000yards receiving last season, aﬁrst in NFLhistory,but it would be asurprise if the 2025 class came close to repeating that milestone. This year’sclass of receivers is generally considered to be one of the weaker ones in recent memory—atleast in termsoftopend talent. But while there might not be an obvious ready-made No. 1inthis class, like Ja’Marr Chase or Malik Nabers,

GRAND SLAM SIXPACK

ä See MORROW, page 3C STAFF

JOHNSON

Aneesah Morrow is honored

1,500 career reboundsbefore agame against Texas A&M on Jan. 26.

after winning

against Justin Rose in the final round at the Masterstournament on

—Scott Rabalais

On TV

COLLEGE BASEBALL

10 a.m. Oregon vs.

6p.m.WesternIntercollegiateGOLF

3:30 p.m. Rutgers at Michigan BTN

6p.m. Oklahoma at Alabama SECN

MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL

6p.m.* Kansas City at N.y.yankees MLBN

10 p.m.* Colorado at L.A. Dodgers MLBN NBA GLEAGUE

7p.m. NBAGLeague FinalsESPN2 NHL

6p.m. Dallas at Detroit NHLN

9p.m.Los Angeles at Edmonton NHLN MEN’S SOCCER

2p.m.CoventryCity at Hull City CBSSN Fulham at AFC BournemouthUSA WNBA

6:30 p.m.WNBAdraft: Rounds 1-3 ESPN *Joinedinprogress

LSUbatsfallsilentagain

Auburn sweeps Tigers after 3-2victory

BY KOKI RILEY Staff writer

AUBURN, Ala. In the eighth inning, with runners on second and third and one out, it was the perfect time for LSU baseball to break through. Its offense had struggled all week, only scoring 11 runs over its past three games. This was agolden opportunity to buck that trend before it returned to Baton Rouge for anine-game homestand.

Trailing 3-0, sophomore Steven Milam grounded out to drive in arun beforesophomoreJake Brown hit atwo-out, run-scoring single to cut the LSU deﬁcit to3-2.

“It’s late in thegame,” Brown said. “All that you can really do is try to get the bat to the next person.” But those signs of life weren’t enough forLSU to squeakby with avictory. Auburn won 3-2to sweep the series on Sunday afternoon at Plainsman Park.

It was the ﬁrst time Auburn (2610, 9-6 SEC) has swept LSU(31-7, 10-5) since 1988.

“I got some good advice before I came out here from another coach in the league indirectly,”LSU coach Jay Johnson said. “You’re going to take apunch to the gut. You’re going to get sweptatsome point on the road in this league.

“Holding it together,staying together and moving forward, and making it about coaching baseball is what makes the difference.”

LSU finished the afternoon with four hits. Outside of the eighth inning, junior Chris Stanfield’sdouble in the fifth and freshman Der-

ek Curiel’ssingle in the third were its only hits. LSUdidn’tstrikeout much (only ﬁve times), but hit into alitany of ﬂy outs (13)

Theonly other inning where LSU seriously threatened was in theﬁfth. It had runners on second andthird with nobody out.

Butinstead of putting up a crooked number,Curiel popped outtosecondbase, junior Jared Jones struck out and junior DanielDickinson struck out withthe bases loaded after awalk. LSU’s deﬁcitremained at 3-0.

“That game was there for the taking today,” Johnson said, “and we didn’tdoit.” Sundaywas abrief outing for

LSUright-handed starter Chase Shores. The redshirt sophomore only lasted two innings, surrendering three hits, three earned runs and two walks. He allowed atwo-run double in theﬁrstinningbeforeallowinganother runonaground ball double play in thesecond. Shores startedthe thirdbut he hit the leadoff batter andwas replaced by junior right-hander Zac Cowan.

“(After)two and ahalf games of notscoring alot, Ididn’tfeellike we could afford to get behind by ﬁve,” Johnsonsaid. “So we put a guy in that doesn’tgive up runs.” Cowanmaintainedhis brilliance

to keep LSU within striking distance, tossing 42/3 shutout innings. He only recordedtwo strikeouts butinduced nine ﬂy outs and 38 of his50pitches werestrikes. Freshman right-hander Casan Evans replaced Cowan with two runnersonand two outs in the seventh inning. Evans forced aﬂyout to endthe inning before tossing a scoreless eighth.

After Sunday,Evans and Cowan bothhold ERAs under 0.80. LSUreturns home on Tuesday to face McNeese State. First pitch fromAlexBox Stadium is set for 6:30 p.m. and thegame will be availabletostreamonSEC Network+.

UL fallsto ULM, continuestostruggleatplate

BY KEVIN FOOTE Staff writer

For the second straight week, the UL baseball team pitched good enough to win aSun Beltseries.

But for the second straight week, the hitting for the Ragin’ Cajuns wasn’tquite good enough in a3-2 loss to UL-Monroe on Sunday at Lou St. AmantField in Monroe.

The loss dropped UL to 17-22 overall and 8-7 in league play while ULM improved to 18-19 and 5-10. The Cajuns will next play at 6p.m. Thursday at Old Dominion

The lackofscoring wasted another quality outing from sophomore right-hander JR Tollett, who only allowed three runs on seven hits and one walk and struck out two in 61 3 innings.

Southpaw reliever RileyMarcotte pitchedthe ﬁnal 12⁄3 innings, giving up no runs on one hit with onestrikeout.

ULM reliever Zach Shaw (30) got the winafter three hitless innings with one walk and four

CAJUNS

Continued from page1C

“My confidence is definitely pretty high,” Wheeler said.“Ifeel really good. My team has been backing me.

“It feels goodknowing that she (Habetz) has conﬁdence inmeand knowing how everyone’ssohappy for me to get the start. That really helps alot too.”

It was Wheeler’sthird consecutive quality start.

“I’m deﬁnitely just trustingmyself more and not trying tobeperfect,” Wheeler said. “I’m just going outthere and throwing theball as hard as Ican and just knowing they’re going to miss it or my defense is going to make theplay.” For the second straight day,UL posted two runs in the ﬁrst inning. Mia Norwood’smisplayed

strikeoutsas he ﬁnished thegame.

ULM starter BrennanEager was also effective, surrendering two runsonsix hits, onewalk and three strikeouts in sixinnings.

UL opened the scoring in the first inningwhenLuke Yuhasz doubledand scoredonCaleb Stelly’sgroundout

Colby Lunsford continueda strong weekend at theplatewith atwo-run home run in thesecond inning for a2-1 lead.

The Cajuns tied thegame with arun in the fourth. Stelly and Lee Amedee both singled andMaddox Mandino’sgroundout scored therun.

But the Cajuns only finished with six hits.

Thewinning runwas scored in the bottomofthe seventh when Michelle Artzberger singled ahead of Tony Lindwedel’s sacriﬁce bunt. Isaiah Walker thenhit an RBIsingle through the right side.

Email KevinFoote at kfoote@ theadvocate.com

ground ball to third with two outs got onerun home ahead of an Erin Ardoin RBI single.

TheCajuns addedathirdunearned run inthe secondwhen Mia Liscano reached on aﬁelding error at ﬁrst and scored on Emily Smith’stwo-outdouble.

JamesMadison trimmed that lead with tworuns in the third.

Reed Butler’sdouble chased home the first run and Jasmine Hall’s sacrificeflyscored the secondone.

In thefourth, UL strandedtwo runners in scoringposition with no outs,but achieved some redemption with four runs in the fifth. More sloppy Dukes’ defense aided in theframe, but so did RBI singles from Gabbie Stutes and MaddieHayden and aLaney Credeur sacrifice flytoleft.

“When we had second and third with no outs and didn’tcome through,itwas like, ‘You’re kidding me?’,” Habetz said. “Thenthe

No. 3Texas A&Msoftball claims4-1 win vs. LSU

Third-ranked Texas A&M completed aseries sweep of fifthranked LSU with a4-1 victory on Sunday in College Station, Texas. LSU moves to 35-8 and 8-7 in the Southeastern Conference.Texas A&M improves to 37-5 and 11-3. LSU pitcher Tatum Clopton (5-1) went ﬁveinnings.Clopton struck out two and gave up four runs on four hits and two walks. Texas A&M pitcherEmily Leavitt (4-0) earned the win after striking out two and surrendering onehit andone walk in four innings. Avery Hodge led LSU offensively,going 2for 3including adouble anda run scored.MaciBergeron added an RBI single in the seventh inning. The Aggies’ big hit was a three-run homer by KK Dement in the fourth.

Yankees’Stroman takes shot for swellinginknee

NEWYORK— New York Yankees pitcher Marcus Stroman had a cortisone shot to treat swelling in his inﬂamed leftknee.

Stroman wenttoahospital for scansafter the 33-year righthander mentioned pain to the team following Friday’sstart, whenhe allowed ﬁve runs and got twoouts in arainy 9-1 loss to the San Francisco Giants.

Stroman was placed on the 15dayinjuredlist Saturday, oneday after throwing 46 pitches in steady rain. Boone said he did not know how much time Stroman will miss but hoped his absence would be short-term

Stroman hadsurgery on March 19, 2015, to repair atornACL in his leftknee. He returned to amajor league mound that Sept. 12.

Celtics coachsays Brown had injections for knee Boston Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla has conﬁrmed areport that JaylenBrown receivedinjections during the week to help his troublesomeright knee that’slimited his playing timethe past month. It was first reported by ESPN that Brownreceivedpainmanagement injections. The reigning Finals MVPsat outFriday’svictory over Charlotte and missed Sunday’sregular season ﬁnale win in the rematch against the Hornets. Mazzulla says it’s“just part of the rehab process forhim to get back to be his absolute best.” In Boston’srun to the championship last spring, Brown was their main defender against the opponents’ top scorer Mazzulla said it was the player’s decision to sit out. In doing so, he became ineligible forpostseason awards because he’ll be short of theleague’sthresholdfor total games played.

Alcaraz drops firstset, then cruisestotitle

CarlosAlcaraz hasdefeated an injury-striken Lorenzo Musetti 3-6, 6-1, 6-0 to winthe Monte Carlo ﬁnaland secure his sixth Masters 1000 career title.

Alcaraz cruised to his first Monte Carlotrophy and his18th tour-level victory. The21-year-old Spaniard will reach No. 2inthe world rankings following the triumph in Monaco.

Musetti started showing signs of aright-leginjury in the third setand receivedtreatment at 0-3. The 23-year-old Italian had trouble moving and keeping up with Alcaraz toward the end of the match. Alcaraz has struggledattimes this year and was coming offan opening-roundlosstoDavid Gofﬁn in Miami.

off the bench.” The Cajuns got two more runs in the sixth behinda Stutes RBI single and bunt base hit from Liscano.

“Honestly,every at-bat, I’mjust trying to drive in runs, so we can win,”Stutes said. “Everything Ido is for my team, for other people. I’ve been the sameatthe plate.

“I try to keep it the same. The one thing we can control is our head space, so I’ve kept my head space level the whole time with thesame mindset.” Stutesﬁnishedthe game 2-for-3 with three RBIs.

“Wewanted to findaway and fight until theend,”Stutes said. “Wewere fighting from the start, playinglikewewere down from thestart. Find away to winevery single inning. That’sthe kind of mindsetwehad today.”

next inning, we found away.Iwas proud of them for that and Iwas proud of all thepeople who came

Email Kevin Foote at kfoote@theadvocate.com.

Verstappen has rough day, finishes sixth at Bahrain SAKHIR, Bahrain From ﬁrst to last —atleast brieﬂy —inthe space of aweek.

Aqualifying master class put Formula 1reigning champion Max Verstappen on course for victory in Japan last week butonSunday in Bahrain he wasfar off the pace. At one stage Verstappen even ended up in last positioninthe race, before recovering to ﬁnish sixth andminimize theground lost in the standings. Verstappen started seventh but steadily lost places —including being overtaken by 18-year-old rookie Andrea Kimi Antonelli and his old rival Lewis Hamilton —and complainedoftirewear,brake problemsand overheating.

STAFF FILE PHOTO By BRAD KEMP

UL starting pitcher JR Tollett pitched well again in the Cajuns’3-2 road loss to UL-Monroe on Sunday

STAFF FILEPHOTO By MICHAEL JOHNSON LSUoutielder JakeBrown,shown in action against Mississippi State on March 29 at Alex Box Stadium, had an RBI single in Sunday’s3-2 road loss to Auburn.

near the end of the year,opening the door for Las VegasAces superstar A’ja Wilson to pass her up on the leaderboard and set it herself (451).

Morrow and Reese finished their four-year collegiatecareers with identical rebounding averages (12.3).Morrowalso scored more points per game (20.5) than Reese(18.6), who was selected by theChicago Sky with the No. 7overall pickinthe 2024 draft.

ESPN’slatest mock draft projected the Golden State Valkyries to scoop up Morrow with the No. 5overall selection —the first draft choice in the expansion franchise’shistory

“It talks about tenacity,” Miller said. “It talks about desire. Rebounding is abig hustlestatistic. So, systems,coaches willdeter-

minewhatthey want her to do at the prolevel, and whoever ends up with her,but Ithink using the term in agood way,all of us are looking to add dogs to our locker room,and Ithink we all believe that she’ll be adog in alocker room.”

Morrow hasashot to become the first LSU player chosen with one of thefirst fivepicks of the WNBA Draftsince the Sky selectedHall-of-Famecenter Sylvia Fowles with theNo. 2overall pick ofthe 2008 draft.

Only two former Tigers have ever been picked in the top ﬁve: Fowles and Seimone Augustus. Morrow can becomethe third at 6:30 p.m.Monday,whenthe 2025 draft beginsonESPN. The new WNBA season will start on Friday,May 16.

Email ReedDarcey at reed darcey@theadvocate.com. For more LSU sports updates, sign up for our newsletter at theadvocate.com/lsunewsletter

SAINTS

Continued from page1C

injury-plagued 2024 seasons when they combined to play in just 14 games. Injuriesare going to continue to be aconcern for Olave and Shaheed because of their comparatively slight frames.

Those two have beenspectacular at times, but even when they’ve shared the field, the Saints have clearly lacked apossession receiver to complement their skills. That still remains somewhat true even after the Saints added veteran Brandin Cooks in free agency

At tight end, the Saintsjust committed to Juwan Johnson for three years. Johnson has ﬂashed big-time ability as amove tight end, but he has never managed to sustain it over the courseofafull season. Does the Saints’ ﬁnancial commitment to Johnsonmean they can’tuse ahigh-level draft asset on another pass-catching tight end? That remains to be seen. Here are some receivers who couldbeintriguing options for the Saints with their selections on Days 1and 2ofthe NFLdraft

TETAIROA MCMILLAN •ARIZONA:

Not only is McMillan widely consideredthe top receiver in this class—potentially the onlyone that would go in the top 10 —but he also possesses the exact skillset the Saints have been missing since Michael Thomas injured hisankle in the 2020 season opener.The 6-foot-4, 219-pound McMillan is acontested-catch artist, using his big frame and velcro hands to box out defenders and beat them to the ball. Though he reportedly ran an impressive 40-yarddash at a private workout, he is not considered aburner who separates withspeed. That did not stop him from racking up 174 catches for 2,721 yards in his ﬁnal two seasons with theWildcats.

TE TYLER WARREN •PENN STATE: The track record for ﬁrst-roundtight ends isn’tgreat, but the nature of the position is changing,and Brock Bowers is coming offone of the greatest rookie seasonsby atight end. This isn’tto say Warren is going to follow in Bowers’ footsteps, but he might be the only tight end worth considering with the Saints pick. He was adynamic all-purpose weapon in hisﬁnalseasonwith Penn State, tallying 104 receptions for

Curtainclosesonone of worst seasonsinPelicans’ history

It seemsﬁtting that the player selected toaddress theSmoothie King Center crowd before the New OrleansPelicans’ season

ﬁnale was wearing asling on his right arm

An injured player not in uniform pretty much tells thestory of this dreadful season.

1,233 yardsalong with 218 rushingyards andfour touchdowns (while averaging 8.4 yards per carry). He is aversatile weapon whocould ﬁndanimmediate impactroleinMoore’soffense.

WR LUTHER BURDEN •MISSOURI:

This timeayear ago, Burden was considered apotential top-10 pick after asuperb2023 season with Mizzou.His star has dimmedsome after his production fell off acliff in 2024 (1,212 receiving yards to 676). Though he is notthe big-bodied receiver that McMillan is (Burden is 6-0, 204 pounds), hedoes proﬁle as aslot receiver withrun-afterthe-catch ability,which would ﬁt nicely with what Olave and Shaheed already bringtothe table.

While Mizzou routinely tried to hitthe easy button with Burden (75% of hiscareer catches were made within 10 yards of theline of scrimmage, according to Pro Football Focus), there might be more to his gamethanhewas allowed to show in college.

WR JAYDEN HIGGINS •IOWASTATE: Higgins originally focused on basketballinhigh school before committinghimself moretoward football in his junior year He was atwo-star recruit who began hiscareer at Eastern Kentuckybefore finishing with Iowa State. Higginsbroke out in hisfinalseason there,making87 catches for 1,187 yards. He has a prototypicalbuild for an outside receiver,standing 6-4, but he might fit best asa power slot in theNFL

WR JACK BECH •TCU: Bech is a Louisiana product whobegan his career at LSU before finishing at TCU, where heproved himself with an outstanding season to close hiscollege career (62 receptions, 1,034 yards, nine touchdowns).Hefollowed that up with astandoutweek at the Senior Bowl, where he finished as thegame’sMVP.Heprofiles as aslot receiver in theNFL.

TE MASON TAYLOR •LSU: Taylor ﬁnishedhis career as LSU’salltime leader in receptions by a tightend, recording 129 receptions in three seasons.Throughout theprocess leading up to the draft, he has been trying to convince teams that he is acomplete tight end whocan impact thegame as areceiver or as a blocker, andhis 6-5, 251-pound frame should allow him to play in line —though he is probably farther alongasa pass -atcher

Email Luke Johnson at ljohnson@theadvocate.com.

“Obviously it didn’tgoasweexpected,”Murphy told thecrowd.

“But it’s going to be better next year Ican promise you that.”

Truthbetold, it would be hard to get much worse.

The curtain closed on one of the worst seasons in franchise historyonSunday witha115-100 loss to theOklahomaCity Thunder

It’sthe second straight season thePelicans’ season ended with a loss to the Thunder.But this one surely felt different.

The loss last season was in Game 4ofaﬁrst-round playoff sweep in ameaningful game in late April.

Sunday’sloss cameinameaningless game in aseason where meaningless games becamethe norm

The players who were supposed to help thePelicans take the next step this season —Zion Williamson, CJ McCollum,HerbJones, Yves Missi, Jordan Hawkins, Kelly Olynyk and Bruce Brown —were all sitting on the bench in street clothes watching the Thunder drive theﬁnal nail in this season’scofﬁn. Meanwhile, Jose Alvarado played alongside mostly players who spent much of their time this season with the GLeague Birmingham Stallions.

The Pelicansﬁnished 21-61, marking thesecond worst season in franchise history.Only theNew OrleansHornets had atougher season in 2004, ﬁnishing 18-64.

“We’ve dealt withthe injury bug before, but this obviously was thestrongest one,”Murphy said before thegame. “It sucks, especially withateam so talented We never really get to see the full group and its full potential. It sucks. It’slife. It’sbasketball. Things happen like that and you just have to moveonand ﬂip to thenext chapter.”

Only Pelicans’ owner Gayle Benson, who watched from her suiteabove section 101, knows what the pages of the next chapter will look like.

Fivemonths after ﬁring Saints’ head coach Dennis Allen,Benson will have to now takealong hard look at making changes to her

other franchise. The future of executive VP of basketball operations David Grifﬁn and head coach Willie Green both seem uncertain after such adisastrous season.

Pelicans’ coach Willie Green said after thegamethat he hasn’t had any talks with the front ofﬁce about his future. But Green offered an honest assessment of how his fourth season went.

“I didn’tdogreat,” Green said. “I have to take full ownership of where we are right now as ateam. I’ll go back and reﬂect. Iwas beating myselfupevery gametrying to ﬁgure outhow to get us competing and playing at the highest level that we can play.Wefailed. Ifailed.” Season ticket holders are frustrated and rightfully so. Not just with the losses, but also all the injuries. The quintet of Williamson, McCollum, Jones, Murphy and Dejounte Murray missed atotal of 220 games, all variables that madethis season atough pill to swallow for everybody

“That’s the mostdifﬁcult part, there is so much you can’tcontrol,” Greensaid. “You have to sometimes surrender to it and continue to ﬁght and stay in there.”

The Pelicans, whogot agamehigh 20 points from Antonio Reeves and adouble double (10 points, 16 rebounds) from Jeremiah Robinson-Earl, put up aﬁght against OKC. It helped, of course, that the Thunder had already wrapped up the top seed in the Western Conference and rested their starters.

There were plenty Pelicans’ games this season that weren’t close. They lost ﬁve games this season by 40 or morepoints, including the worst loss in franchise history (153-104) to the MiamiHeat on Friday.Ending the season on a7-gamelosing streak is understandable with the players the Pelicans had available downthe stretch. It’s what they did in November and December when they were close to full strength that concerned Murphy

“Wehave to be better as a team,” Murphy said. “There werealot of things we weren’t doing on our end. We wereout there healthy and just ﬁne. We had enough guys out there to win games and we weren’tpulling through games. We’ve got to get better and mature moreasateam and be morecohesive.”

Sunday was also the end of a frustrating season forall sports fans in the city.Coupled with the Saints’ 5-12 ﬁnish, the 26 combined wins by the twoNew Orleans franchises ties the record forthe fewest wins ever.In2004, the Saints went 8-8 and the thenHornets ﬁnished 18-64. Who knowshow different this Pelicans’ season would have been if not forall the injuries?

But, as Alvarado reminded us afew weeks ago, nobody really cares about that.

“I’m pretty sure everybody gets tired of the ‘what if?’”Alvarado said. “Weknow how good we are. The ‘what if’isgetting pretty tired. We’ve got to just do it.” This season, they didn’t. Thankfully,it’sover

MASTERS

Continuedfrom page1C

spin to trickle down to 3feet. And when Rose missed from 15 feet, McIlroy ﬁnally sealed it.

McIlroywent11longyears without amajor,knowing theMasters green jacket was all that kept him from joining Tiger Woods, Jack Nicklaus, Gary Player,Ben Hogan and Gene Sarazen as the only winners of golf’s four professional majors. He raised both arms and let the putter fall behind him, and before long he was on his knees, then his forehead on the18th green as his chest heaved with emotion. So ended one of the wildest Sundays at amajor that is known for them. U.S. Open champion Bryson DeChambeau, who beat McIlroy at Pinehurst No. 2last June, had the lead after two holes when McIlroy opened with adouble bogey

He crashed out with apair of three-putts andtwo shots into the water on the back nine,closing with a75.

Ludvig Aberg, arunner-up in his Masters debut ayear ago, suddenly hadashare of the lead when McIlroy fell apartonthe middle of the back nine. He missed a birdie putt fromthe fringe to take thelead,thenﬁnishedbogey-triple bogey Rose had every reason to believe he threw away his chances on Saturday with a75that put him seven shotsbehind, and then two bogeys on the front nine. Even as he steadiedhimself, he was four shots back and running out of time. He did his part in a10-birdie round and that dynamic birdie putt to cap it off. McIlroy helped in abig way Nothing was moreshocking than the13th. McIlroy playeditsafe, leavinghimself abig target and alob wedge. He missed his mark by some 20 yards, the ball disappearing into the tributary of Rae’s

Creek and leading to double bogey Then cameatee shot into the pine straw that led to another bogey,and the lead was gone again. But he wasresilient as ever —he’s been like that his entire career Seeminglyintrouble leftofthe 15th fairway, McIlroy hit7-iron around the trees and onto the green to 6feet. He missed the eagle putt —the birdie still helped him regain a share of the lead.Two holes later, facing asemi-blind shot, he drilled 8-ironand chased after it, urging it to “Go! Go!Go! Go!” Anditdid, barely clearing the bunker and rolling out to 2feet for birdie and aone-shot lead.

Turnsout that wasn’t enough either.Hehit into abunker from the fairway.Hemissed the 5-foot putt for the win. There was more work to do.But the35-year-old from Northern Ireland never wavered in what he came to Augusta National to do. He leaves with agreen jacket.

Rory McIlroycelebrates winningina playoff against JustinRose after the ﬁnal round of the Masters tournament on Sunday in Augusta, Ga

STAFF FILE PHOTO By MICHAELJOHNSON

LSU forward Aneesah Morrow reaches forarebound in the ﬁrst quarter of agame against TexasA&M on Jan. 26 atthe Pete Maravich Assembly Center

STAFFPHOTO By SCOTT THRELKELD

Pelicans coachWillie Green watches the courtduring agame against the Oklahoma City Thunder on Sunday at the SmoothieKingCenter.The Pelicans ended their season with a115-100 loss to Oklahoma.

Rod Walker

LIVING

Adventures on thewater

St.Bernard couple uses theirshrimpboatto sail the6,000-mileLoopover5 months

BY BARRYLEMOINE

Contributing writer

If this were aromantic comedy, it wouldbecalled“Tracyand Stacie’sBig Adventure.”Ifitwerea seafaring adventure novel, thetitle could be “Around the Loop in 125 Days.” Whatever you call it, the five-monthnautical journey that St. Bernard residents Tracy and Stacie Alfonso recently completed was thetrip of alifetime.

Now the couple is home and their shrimp boat dockedonce again at Delacroix Island aftercompleting the 6,000 mile Great Loop.

Tracy Alfonso, whogrew up in acommercial fishing family and shrimped all of his life, had dreamedofnavigatingthe Great Loop since he heard aboutit. Called the greatest boatadventure in North America, thejourney entails circumnavigating muchofthe United States and parts of Canada. Therouteisinmostly protected waters. Itincludes the Atlantic IntracoastalWaterway,New York State canals, Canadiancanals,the Great Lakes, inland riversand the Gulf.What makes thevoyage so specialisthat “Loopers” take on this adventure using their own boats in their own time. Some have done it in as little as sixweeks.Oth-

the 630-foot-tall GatewayArch in St. Louis, Missouri.

ers havetaken years to complete it.

Stacie Alfonso, aretired principalfromthe St.BernardParish Public Schools,was intrigued by the challenge, butnot as much as her husband. “I was hesitant to go,but in July 2023, Tracy gotsickand went into cardiac arrest. After this lifechanging experience, we decided it was time to do this,” she said.

Gettingready forthe journey To prepare,the couple began

researchingthe GreatLoop, deciding on the right vessel for the journey.After much deliberation, they chose the boat they know best —the Stacie Lynn, a41-foot Laﬁtte Skiff and the family shrimpboat. Stacie Alfonsosaidithad everythingthey needed. “Wehave anice galleywitha largeboothtoeat at, and we have abedroom and bathroom downstairs in the Vofthe boat. Thebedroom has twofull-size bunks.Weused oneasacloset for thetrip.”

Her husband madeimprovements beforehand. Working with his sonand other family and friends, he cleaned and painted it, installeda newgenerator,put the dinghy on deck, installed awasher/ dryercomboand asmall freezer, and put up alarger tarp for shade. Afly bridge was alsoadded so “I couldcould driveuptop,and we couldsee everything,” he explained.

After fueling up with 750 gallons of diesel, andloading 150 gallonsof water and provisions aboard to last several months, (including Louisiana seafood in the freezer), the Alfonsos were ready to embark.

The Stacie Lynn departed Delacroix Island on May 23, 2024. Each

ä See JOURNEY, page 6C

WholeFoods launches Chantillylatte with La.ties

CHERAMIE

BYLAUREN

Staff writer

The cult-favorite, New Orleans-born Berry Chantilly Cake is now available in latte form. Have your cake, and drinkit too. Whole Foods announced on its socialmedia that itscoffee bar launched the BerryChantilly Latte, and it’snow available at selectlocations

“Indulge in the flavorof

creamy vanilla sweetened with berries and awhisper of almond,” apromotional sign reads. The coffee-based drink is offeredhot or iced, and in full transparency,itdoesn’t taste exactly likethe cake. The almond flavor is so faintthatit’s difficulttodetect.However,the coffee flavor is complemented by asweetness that most likely comes from theberry syrups. The drink is delicious but not

exactly like the cake. The traditionalconfection ﬁlled with fresh berriesoriginated on Magazine Street at the Whole FoodsArabella Station store in NewOrleans. Chaya Conrad, who worked in the bakerysection, whipped up the cake basedonher grandmother’s recipe, andsoonenough, Whole Foodsstores added it to their bakery menus.

ä See

Easy activities aidthose living with lowvision anddementia

What are some activitiesfor the visually impaired?

Managing everyday tasks is morechallenging forthose whoare visually impaired and whoalso have dementia. Affected individuals with vision impairment face ahost of obstacles because of their condition. They are first and foremost considered afall risk because of reduced mobility and must be assessed regularly.Internally,they lose confidence, and the individual often feels a“burden” to others. The social exclusion, such as limited accessibility in public venues like movies and restaurants, promotes loneliness and further isolation. Additionally,the visually impaired have limited awareness of available support services and often have financial constraints forthe assistance they need.

In planning activities for the visually impaired, communication is mostimportant, and is not much different from communicating with an individual with dementia without avision impairment. For instance, always speak in a normal tone and use everyday language, identifying yourself upon arrival. Avoid patronizing language, don’tassumethey need things simpliﬁed, and ask before offering assistance and follow their instructions. With the visually impaired, provide speciﬁc directions instead of vague references and describe visual details when relevant. Be the guide and describe environmental changes such as if there’sastep down or achange in the layout of the room. Above all, respect their individuality and independence. According to goldencarers. com, manyactivities can be planned forthose individuals whoare visually impaired.

n READ ALOUD: Read books, magazines or newspapers tailored to their interests.

n TALKING BOOKS: Borrow audiobooks from the library for independent listening.

n SHARE JOKES: Lighthearted humor can liftspirits and spark conversations.

n TACTILEGAMES: Play textured board games like dominoes or tactile chess.

n COFFEE OUTINGS: Weekly trips to acafe provide social and sensory stimulation.

n AIR DRYCLAY: Working with clay encourages creativity through touch.

n SOCIAL GROUPS: Connect individuals with peer support groups forsocialization.

n VOLUNTEER COMPANIONSHIP: Arrange forregular visits from volunteers.

An iced Berry Chantilly Latte from Whole Foods

n PET THERAPY: Visits from gentle animals can provide comfort and joy

n GENTLE EXERCISE: Activities like chair yoga or tai chi with verbal cues help maintain mobility

n LISTEN TO THERADIO: Engage with talk shows, book readings or music programs.

n GARDENING: Plant herbs in

PROVIDED PHOTOS

The Stacie Lynn motors toward theStatue of Liberty on Liberty Island in Newyork Harbor.The boat is a41-foot Lafitte Skiff that servesasthe Alfonso family shrimp boat.

TheStacie Lynn passes

Aquaticphysicaltherapy aboonfor some patients

Dear Doctors: Ihad atotal hip replacement. Ialso have arthritis It has made it hardto getback on my feet. My doctor is wanting me to try aquatic physical therapy. Is it all that different from the regular physical therapy I’ve already been doing? Why would it be more helpful?

Dear reader: For those who are not familiar,physical therapy is ahealth care practice designed to restore or improve strength, balance,ﬂexibility,range ofmotion,coordination and mobility.It can also improve cardiovascular health and can help reduceinﬂammation. Physical therapyisoften recommended for people recovering from an injury,surgery or illness. In addition to awide range of exercises, it mayalso include the use of massage,heat treatments, electrical stimulation,

Dr.Elizabeth Ko

Dr.Eve Glazier ASK THE DOCTORS

manualtherapy and visualization. Drug-free pain controland pain management arealso important componentsofthis practice. Aquatic physical therapy and nonaquatic physical therapyshare the same goals.The difference is that aquatic physical therapy harnesses theunique properties of waterinorder toachieve them. To that end, it takesplace in warm water, typically apoolthat has beenheated to between 89 and

95 degrees. The warmth helps increaseblood ﬂow,and thus oxygen delivery,tothe targetareas.It often alsohas asoothing effect on the body and the mind

Because water is dense, it creates steady resistance as you movethrough it.The degree of resistance can be adjusted by changing speed or direction, and with the use of equipment such as weights, ﬂoats, paddles or webs. Andbecause water resistance is multidirectional, it engages the muscles and connective tissues morecompletely than the same land-based exercise would.

Anotherbeneﬁt of aquatic therapy is something known as hydrostatic pressure. That’sthe gentle but steady force thatwater exerts on your body when you’re submergedinatub or apool. Hydrostatic pressure can boost lymphatic

Facing thehomeschooling debacle

universe.

Dear Heloise: I’d like to chime in on homeschooling with afew of my observations since Ihave several friends who homeschool. They use high-quality,outside materials and attend activities withother similar families. This is especially helpful for children who are experiencing delays in reading. These are bright children! The extra time and attention of homeschooling catches them up. However,Ihave seen parents who homeschool and have deficiencies, and they often pass these deficiencies on to their children. Finally,Iworked in a large, bustling law office. We could tell when acompletely homeschooled child got ajob as areceptionist. They were like ababe in the woods with little understanding of how to interact with alarge group of people, and theiron-thespot problem-solving skills were weak. Being in school provides such skills

circulation andhelpease swelling in the joints and tissues, anditadds an additional physical cue to track the position or trajectory of alimb

Perhaps most importantisbuoyancy,which liftsand supports the body during exercise. This allows the musclestowork without the stress and pressure of gravityon the joints andconnective tissues. Research has shownthat aquatic physical therapy can be beneﬁcial to people whoare recovering from joint-replacement surgery

This is particularly true forthose, like yourself, whohave undergone atotal hip replacement. Exercising in water provides the resistance needed to build and strengthenmuscle. The warmth helps muscle to becomemore pliant, and the buoyancy of water eases pressure on the new joint.

Oneinteresting study compared

By The Associated Press

the post-surgical recovery of hip-replacement patients whodid only land-based physical therapy and those whoalso included the aquatic version. The researchers found that patients whose physical therapy regimens included both types of PT had afaster and moresuccessful recovery Full recovery after total hip replacement can take from six months to ayear.Regular physical therapy is crucial to asuccessfuloutcome. Whichever form of PT you choose, be sure to follow the complete treatment plan.

Sendyour questions to askthedoctors@mednet.ucla edu, or write: Ask theDoctors, c/oUCLA HealthSciences Media Relations, 10880 Wilshire Blvd.,Suite1450, Los Angeles CA, 90024.

TODAYINHISTORY

Thedecision to homeschool children shouldn’t cost amother ajob she enjoysand is successful at, unless thechild’s needs make it necessary.Myadviceisfor parents wantingtohomeschool is to do so for part of theK-12 years, with at least three years in apublic or privateschool. If the mother (or father) wants to remain working, ﬁnd aMontessori school to cover theyears that you’d wantyourchild to behomeschooled. —Mrs.Young, in Roanoke,Virginia Mrs.Young,wereceived numerous letters on this subject …some prohomeschooling andothers against theidea. Afew suggested that if the father was so keen on homeschooling, he should quithis job and do it.

didn’tlike teaching. They missed interacting with adults or missed the work that they enjoyed before. A few even said they were resentful of having the “duty” of teaching placed on their shoulders. So, I’d have to say it’s an individual decision and one where thestay-at-home parent has to be fully on board with the task, or there will be problems.

—Heloise Coloredkeys

Dear Heloise: Ihave so many doors, storage unitsand lockboxes that Idecided to get akey made for each lock in adifferent color.It saves alot of confusion. I also made anote of each color and what it unlocks, and Ikeep it in my day planner in case Iforget. Nancy R., in Lima,Ohio Teaching children to swim

Today is Monday, April 14, the 104th day of 2025. There are 261 days left in the year

Todayinhistory:

On April14, 1865, President Abraham Lincoln was shot and mortally wounded by John Wilkes Booth during aperformance of the play “OurAmerican Cousin” at Ford’sTheatre in Washington; Lincoln was taken to aboarding house across the street and died thefollowing morning at 7:22 am.

On this date:

In 1912, theBritish liner

LATTE

Continuedfrom page5C

RMS Titanic collided with an iceberg in the North Atlantic at 11:40 p.m., ship’s time, and began sinking. (The ship wentunder two and ahalf hours later,killing over 1,500 people.)

In 1935, the devastating “Black Sunday” dust storm descended upon the central Plains as hundreds of thousands of tons of airborne topsoil turned a sunny afternoon into total darkness.

In 2021, aWhite former suburban Minneapolis police ofﬁcer,Kim Potter, wascharged with seconddegree manslaughter for

More importantly,homeschooling that uses nonsecular science materialsdoes society agreat disservice. We benefit from the discoveries and clarifications that scientific minds provide about our world and the

JOURNEY

Continued from page5C

day,the couple would witness thesunrise,eat breakfast, and travel for about ﬁve hours. Life on thewater

Stacie Alfonso said the usual speed was about8 knots. “This is our comfort zone, and the most fuel-efﬁcient way for us to travel. The boat can run up to 28 knots, but we would burn50 gallons an hour.At8knots we burn 3to4gallons an hour.”

Along the way,she would cook, bake or grill. “In the evening we either anchor out or dock at amarina, and if we were at atown, we wouldtouritand usually have dinner there.” But Tracy Alfonso was on amission. After reaching a destination his motto was simple: “OK, we’ve seen it Time to move on to thenext spot.” Along the way,they would always meet new people, many of whom were on the

ACTIVITIES

Continued from page5C

pots for arewarding, handson experience.

n COOKING TOGETHER: Prepare simple meals together for sensory enjoyment.

n TRIVIA GAMES: Share quizzes, riddles or wordpuzzles for mental stimulation.

n NATURE WALKS: Enjoy outdoor walks while experiencing natural sounds and scents.

n FISHING: Findsafe locations where individualscan

Afterdoingresearch on thematter,I’ve come to believe that aprivate school or even apublic oneisagood option. Yes, homeschooling has itsadvantages, and if the parent is interested in teaching their children, they should go for it.

However,wehad alarge number ofletters from peoplewho hated being tied to thehouse all day or just

Loop as well.

There were afew challengingexperiences. “In the Neuse River inNorth Carolina, asquall came, bringing extremelyrough seas and heavy,blindingrain,” StacieAlfonso recalled.“With limitedvisibility,Tracy was abletouse theGPS and radartoguide us to asafe spot to wait out the weather.”

She also recalled traversingthe aptly namedStoney Lake, outside of Ontario, Canada. “When he turned out of thechannel toward otherboatsdockedthere, ourboat ended upona rock. Tracy wentstraighttowork. He launched the dinghy, which helped theboat to lift up, and then he grabbed the bow rope and pulled the big boatoff of therock withthe dinghy.”

Experiencing bigmoments

Tracy Alfonso said one highlight stands out above therest —305 feet inthe air to be exact. When they reached the NewYork Harborand gota picture of the Stacie Lynn in frontof the Statue of Liberty.“We couldn’tbelieve we made it

enjoy thepeacefulness of ﬁshing and theoutdoors

n CHILDREN’S VISITS: Organize visits from local schoolchildren to foster intergenerational connections.

n AROMATHERAPY SESSIONS: Exploreessential oils and scents for relaxation and sensory enrichment.

n LISTEN TO PODCASTS: Introduce engaging podcasts coveringavarietyoftopics.

n BIRD-WATCHING: Setupa bird feeder so individuals can enjoy listening to birds in the yard. Vision impairment and

Dear Heloise: Iadvise parents to make sure that kids know they can swim even with clothes on. Children have fallen in thewater and panicked because they weren’tinswimwear.You could have afun “practice” session in shortsand tennis shoes toshow them how it works. Ilove to read your column daily —Pat, retired elementaryteacher Send ahinttoheloise@ heloise.com.

to theStatue of Liberty on ourown shrimp boat,probably the only shrimp boat to ever anchor there.”

By the end of the trip, they had befriended several wealthy boat owners. “Weleft Louisiana on a shrimpboat, and here we are in Canada eating hors d’oeuvres and drinking Champagne on theback of ayacht,” he said.

Theexperiencewas lifechanging anda reminder of thegood in the world, Stacie Alfonso said. “With the hustleand bustleofthe world today,wesometimes forget that there arelots of good people out there. We made some of what we feel will be lifelong friendships with somewonderful people.”

And the couple has documented proof of theirincredible journey. Recently they received acertificate of achievement,a BaccaLooperate Degree from America’sGreat Loop Cruisers Association honoring them with the title of Gold Looper It reads, “May the life lessons, friendships and memories gained on this journey last alifetime.”

dementia can make everyday tasks morechallenging, but withthe right support, individuals can maintain their independence, stay engaged and continue enjoyingtheir favoriteactivities

Dana Territo is an Alzheimer’s advocate and author of “What My Grandchildren Taught Me About Alzheimer’s Disease.” She hosts“The Memory Whisperer.” Emailher at thememorywhisperer@ gmail.com.

The cake is nowavailable forpurchase in Whole Foods Markets across the United States. ButinLouisiana so far,the latte is only available at locations in Baton Rouge and Shreveport.

Conradleft Whole Foods to become the bakery director for Rouses Markets but now owns Bywater Bakery in New Orleans, where she’sstill baking andselling incredible Chantilly cakes.

Last year,Whole Foods altered the recipe for its bythe-slice, single-serving offering of the cake. The new version featured fruit compote instead of fresh fruit in the cake’slayers. After revolt-like reactions from customers, the grocery store chain reverted back to the original recipe. The Berry Chantilly Latte is available at Whole Foods foralimited time. Staff writer Chelsea Shannon contributed to this report.

Hints from Heloise

ARIES (March 21-April 19) Let your creative imagination leadthe way, and you'll devise aplanthat helps you modify how you approach life, love and happiness. Investmoretime in becoming self-reliant.

TAURUS (April 20-May20) Ashift in how youlive andcare for yourself will lead to ahealthy routine. Displaying your skills to encourage an efficient environmentwillpositionyou forsuccess in otheraspects of your life.

GEMINI(May 21-June 20) Setting up a networking system that helps get your message intothe mainstream will draw attention to what you have to offer. Don't promise more than you can deliver

CANCER (June 21-July 22) Test your skills, use your imagination and participate in an eventthat can make adifference. Raising your awarenessand your skills will contribute to your success.

LEO(July 23-Aug.22) Go wherethe action is anddoyourpart.It'suptoeveryone —you included —toget involved in bringing aboutpositive change. Keep your finger on the pulse of anything thatmotivates you.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) Take noteof what your loved ones aredoing. Protecting and supportingothers will give youpeace of mind, insight and a unique perspective regarding thepossibilities.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23) Putmorethought and energy into your surroundings, how

you live and what you can do to make yourspace more user-friendly. Making alist of your priorities will help you use your time and energy efficiently.

SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 22) Participate and spread joy to thoseyou encounter Share your knowledge, experience and talents,and you'll attract people who help you reach your desired results.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 23-Dec. 21) Check to seewhat you can part with before you make plans or allocate funds. Someone closetoyou will trytoconvince you to takeonmorethan you can handle.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) Ajoint ventureorcommitment will play out favorably if youdesignate whoisresponsible for what. Adetailed agreement will help you maintain equality and encourage long-termstability.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) High energy put to good usewill bring handsome rewards. Map out your plan for the day and begin knocking things off your to-do list with avengeance. What you accomplish will be gratifying.

PISCES(Feb. 20-March 20) Consider your cost of living and create afinancial plan that helps you save money. Take an interest in maintaining ahealthy and vibrant lifestyle to offset medical issues and costs

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

TODAy'S CLUE: DEQUALS P

CeLebrItY CIpher

beetLe bAILeY Mother GooSe And GrIMM

Sudoku

InstructIons: Sudoku is anumber-placing puzzle based on a9x9 gridwith several given numbers. The object is to place the numbers 1to9inthe empty squares so that each row, each column and each 3x3 box contains the same number only once. The difficulty level of the Sudoku increases fromMonday to Sunday.

Saturday’s PuzzleAnswer

THe wiZard oF id

BLondie

BaBY BLueS

Hi and LoiS

BY PHILLIP ALDER

P.G. Wodehouse, aprolific English author who spent alot of his life on Long Island,hadseveralunhappyexperiences with aunts when he was young. He transferredthisanimositytohisbooks,including this passage from aBertieWooster and Jeeves novel: “There camefrom withoutthe hoof-beats of agalloping relative, and Aunt Dahlia whizzed in.”

Bridge players—whetheranaunt or an uncle or another relative —need entries for various reasons, including to cash winners, to takefinessesand to draw trumps. In this deal,whatisthe critical entrycardthatallows South to make four spades after West leads the heart queen?

Asimple Stayman sequenceleads to four spades. (Note that ared-suit lead defeatsthree no-trump.)

South starts with four losers: onein each suit. The careless declarer wins trickoneandimmediatelyplaysatrump. But then West canwin with his ace and lead another heart(Eastbeingcareful to complete ahigh-lowtoshow his doubleton).SuddenlySouth cannot avoid going down one.

Themore thoughtful declarer realizes that he must eliminate theheart loser before touching trumps. And once the diamond ace has been dislodged, he can discardtwoheartsfromtheboard.Buthe must be careful to win thefirst trick with dummy’s king. South then calls forthe diamond six. East wins and returns the heart five,but declarer takes that with his carefully conservedhand entry, the heart ace, and cashes his two diamond winners,discardingdummy’sremaining hearts. Finally, with only three losers, he plays on trumps.