THE
ACADIANA
ADVOCATE
T H E A C A D I A N A A D V O C AT E.C O M
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T h u r s d ay, F e b r u a ry 13, 2025
OUT ON A HIGH NOTE
Friends and family gather to remember Sid Williams BY JOANNA BROWN
Staff writer
During his funeral Wednesday in Lafayette the life story of Sidney Joseph Williams was read out loud. There were the usual details that make up a biography — where he was born, who his parents were, who he married. There was an extensive list of children, grandchildren, greatgrandchildren and other relatives, indicating a long life well lived. But for Sid Williams’ many friends, fans and business associates throughout Acadiana, his profound impact was summed up with one simple line: “Some of his greatest achievements include being a self-taught Sid Williams musician.” Williams, 73, died in Lafayette on Feb. 2. A native of St. Martinville, he taught himself how to play the accordion at a young age. Thanks to the music, Williams would go on to become a larger-than-life figure in the zydeco community, launching El Sid O’s Zydeco & Blues Club at 1523 N. St. Antoine St., in 1984. As operator of one of the region’s last remaining original zydeco clubs, Williams provided a stage for such luminaries as Grammy winner Buckwheat Zydeco. His brother, Grammynominated musician Nathan Williams, frequently played at the club with his band, Nathan & the Zydeco Cha-Chas. The Williams family, and other zydeco stars from across the region, such as Reggie Dural, Lee Allen Zeno and Rockin’ Dopsie Jr. were in attendance at Wednesday’s funeral Mass at the Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist. In a moving moment, Williams’ brother and nephew (Nathan Williams Jr., of Lil’ Nate & the Zydeco Big Timers) played a bittersweet rendition of “I’m Coming Home” with other family
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House releases budget
Johnson and Scalise pitch ‘one beautiful bill’ to advance President Trump’s agenda BY MARK BALLARD Staff writer
WASHINGTON — After weeks of negotiations between the warring factions of Republicans in Congress, the House’s two leaders — both from Louisiana — released Wednesday a federal budget that cuts taxes by $4.5 trillion and axes $1.5 trillion in spending. The 45-page budget resolution increases by $4 trillion the $36.1 trillion amount the government can borrow, and adds language that will allow energy companies to increase oil and gas production and close the border — all issues President Donald Trump campaigned on. The name of House Budget Committee Chair Jodey Arrington, R-Texas, is on the spending blueprint, but it is the product of hours of joint negotiations in which Johnson, from the northwest Louisiana town of Benton, and Scalise, of Jefferson Parish, played key roles. But the plan still could be undone by restless Republicans who want even steeper cuts. And a deadline looms: If no budget or temporary extension passes by March 14, the government could shut down. The plan would require House committees to reduce the budgets for agencies they oversee by a total of $1.5 trillion. For example, the House Agriculture Committee would need to cut $230 billion, an amount that indicates Republican lawmakers may look to change the requirements for receiv-
ä See BUDGET, page 5A
ABOVE: Mourners line up to pay their respects at funeral services for Sid Williams on Wednesday at St. John’s Cathedral. LEFT: Susanna Williams, widow of Sid Williams, is offered condolences by visitors on Wednesday. ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By J. SCOTT APPLEWHITE
ä See WILLIAMS, page 5A
PHOTOS By ROBIN MAy
Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, R-Benton, right, and Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-Jefferson, speak with reporters on Tuesday.
Advocates press state for answers on $3 billion coastal project BY MIKE SMITH Staff writer
Coastal advocates are pressing state officials for answers on the future of the $3 billion Mid-Barataria Sediment Diversion project, an unprecedented wetlands res-
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to move forward with the project, but Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority executive director Glenn Ledet instead focused his comments on other large-scale works on the books for the coming fiscal year. The Mid-Barataria project was
long seen as the linchpin of the state’s coastal master plan, intended to both build land and nourish other marsh-building projects in the region by mimicking the geological processes that created south Louisiana. Long a goal of coastal advocates and a range of
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toration plan years in the works but recently thrown into doubt because of opposition from Gov. Jeff Landry. Few of those answers emerged at a public hearing Tuesday on the state’s annual coastal plan. Advocates there urged the state
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scientists, the project took off because of fines and settlement dollars paid out after the 2010 BP oil spill. But it has been controversial from the start, largely because of
ä See COASTAL, page 5A
100TH yEAR, NO. 228