2025 COLLEGE BASEBALL PREVIEW: UL, LSU AND MORE 1C THE
ACADIANA
ADVOCATE T H E A C A D I A N A A D V O C AT E.C O M
|
F r i d ay, F e b r u a ry 14, 2025
Landry takes national spotlight
Governor promotes Louisiana and himself amid recent events
$2.00X
Lafayette interim police chief gets job
Trouard appointed to position following national search BY MEGAN WYATT
Staff writer
Interim Lafayette Police Chief Paul Trouard has been named to the permanent position, MayorPresident Monique Boulet announced Thursday. Trouard’s appointment follows a national search after years of leadership upheaval at the Lafayette Police Department. He is the seventh person to hold the position since 2020. “With public safety as a top priority, I knew it was important for our City to have a fair process with good candidates. I want to thank all four applicants and 10 panelists who went through this Trouard process with us,” Boulet said in a statement. “Paul Trouard stood out at every stage. His steady leadership, strategic vision, and commitment to Lafayette earned him overwhelming support from the evaluation panel. I have full confidence that Chief Trouard will continue to bring stability, accountability and a forward-thinking approach to the department. I look forward to
ä See CHIEF, page 5A
STAFF PHOTO By CHRIS GRANGER
Gov. Jeff Landry talks to the media inside the Louisiana Now Pavilion during Super Bowl festivities last week. BY TYLER BRIDGES Staff writer
An elegant reception at the French ambassador’s residence. A White House bill signing. A fancy Washington Mardi Gras ball. An extravagant dinner at New Orleans’ City Park hosted by Saints owner Gayle Benson. Flights on private planes of big campaign donors. A forum to promote investment in Louisiana. Forgoing a hotel in New Orleans during Super Bowl week for nights on a friend’s yacht. Watching the game in a Superdome suite with President Donald Trump. Gov. Jeff Landry had an eventful time over the past month, spent mostly in Washington and New Orleans, showcasing Louisiana — and himself. Landry traveled at least four times to Washington to join with the crowd of conservatives trying to impress Trump and his inner circle. Landry accompanied two cabinet
“When you’re a governor promoting your state, you’re obviously promoting your own brand. I don’t know how he does one without the other. There’s no two ways about it.” CHARLIE COOK, publisher of the nonpartisan Cook Political Report secretaries during their visits to New Orleans to view security measures before the Super Bowl, and he hosted investors, business executives, elected officials and public relations officials at a pavilion erected by the state on Convention Center Boulevard. “He was visible and passionate. That gets people excited about visiting and hopefully makes them want to invest here,” said Lt. Gov. Billy Nungesser. Said Jefferson Republican U.S. House Majority Leader Steve Scalise of Landry: “He was everywhere
La. schools tops in reading recovery
in town. I ran into him at so many stops.” Charlie Cook, a Shreveport native who gained renown in Washington as publisher of the nonpartisan Cook Political Report, said one of a governor’s roles is to be the state’s chief salesperson. “When you’re a governor promoting your state, you’re obviously promoting your own brand,” Cook said. “I don’t know how he does one without the other. There’s no two ways about it.” In trying to gain favor with Trump and his inner circle, Landry has invited speculation about his political future. The governor has pledged to serve his full term and is raising money for his reelection in 2027. John Breaux, who spent more than 30 years in Congress split between the House and the Senate, guesses that Landry is positioning himself for a run as a MAGA-style candidate
Louisiana students led the nation in recovering from pandemic learning loss in reading and made the second biggest recovery in math, according to a new report. It also found that Louisiana is the only ä Lafayette state where the average student has returned to pre-pan- Parish students performing above demic achievement levels. Between 2019 and 2024, pre-pandemic Louisiana students gained levels. PAGE 1B an average of one-fifth of a grade level in math and nearly 30% of a grade level in reading, even as their peers in many other states fell further behind, according to the latest Education Recovery
ä See LANDRY, page 7A
ä See SCHOOLS, page 7A
Report ranks success in bouncing back after pandemic
BY ELYSE CARMOSINO Staff writer
Louisiana ends mass vaccinations Seasonal vaccine promotion banned by state surgeon general
letter criticizing the state’s COVID-19 response and public health institutions. The letter was posted on the Louisiana Health Department’s website as the U.S. Senate voted to confirm Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a vaccine critic, as Health and Human Services secretary. BY EMILY WOODRUFF Abraham’s message directed emStaff writer ployees to avoid recommending vacLouisiana Surgeon General Dr. Ralph cines and instead provide data and Abraham sent an internal directive to encourage residents to consult their state health workers Thursday ending health care providers. long-standing mass vaccination efforts “Rather than instructing individuand banning staff from promoting sea- als to receive any and all vaccines, sonal vaccines, while publicly issuing a LDH staff should communicate data
WEATHER HIGH 63 LOW 44 PAGE 16C
ä Vaccine skeptic Robert F. Kennedy Jr. sworn in as health chief. PAGE 5A
regarding the reduced risk of disease, hospitalization, and death associated with a vaccine and encourage individuals to discuss considerations for vaccination with their healthcare provider,” Abraham wrote in his communication, obtained by The Times-Picayune. Officials with the state Health Department did not respond to a request for
STAFF FILE PHOTO By DAVID GRUNFELD
Louisiana Surgeon General Dr. Ralph Abraham has put an ä See ENDS, page 5A end to mass vaccination efforts by state health workers.
Business ......................6A Commentary ................3B Nation-World ................2A Classified .....................4B Living.........................11C Opinion ........................2B Comics-Puzzles 13C-15C Metro ...........................1B Sports ..........................1C
100TH yEAR, NO. 229