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ELITE AGAIN Comeback victory propels Tigers into Elite Eight for third year in a row
ELECTION 2025
Elections will shape new city of St. George
Mayor, council seats and plan of government on ballot BY PATRICK SLOAN-TURNER
Staff writer
ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By yOUNG KWAK
LSU’s Sa’Myah Smith, left, and Aneesah Morrow celebrate after the Tigers’ 80-73 win over North Carolina State in the NCAA women’s basketball tournament on Friday in Spokane, Wash. Morrow led the Tigers with 30 points and 19 rebounds, while Smith contributed 21 points and 11 rebounds. Mikaylah Williams chipped in with 19 points, 8 rebounds and 6 assists. The Tigers play again Sunday with a chance to advance to the Final Four. ä Complete coverage in Sports, Page 1C.
‘I am forever grateful for the opportunity’
‘Unpredictable, unprecedented federal funding changes’ cited
BY HALEY MILLER Staff writer
ä See BREC, page 6A
WEATHER HIGH 79 LOW 67 PAGE 8A
ä See ELECTION, page 6A
LSU announces hiring freeze
BREC leader to leave in January BREC superintendent Corey Wilson announced at a meeting Thursday he will not renew his employment contract, which expires in January 2026, and will leave the agency on that date. “As a kid who directly benefited from the government service of having a park and recreation program right up the street from the public housing I grew up in, I know without Wilson a doubt, without a shadow of a doubt, that our efforts have had a lasting, positive impact in East Baton Rouge Parish and will continue to do so for years to come,” Wilson said
A decade after the first petition to incorporate, six years after voters approved the new city and nearly a year after the state Supreme Court upheld its incorporation, the city of St. George will choose its first elected leaders Saturday. Not only will a mayor’s race, a district council race and two at-large council seats be on the ballot, but voters will also approve or reject the proposed home-rule charter — a unique plan of government written by a local commission that has brought some controversy. INSIDE Saturday’s inaugural election comes down to three possibilities. Will voters back the ä Four established candidates and constitutional the charter they’ve endorsed? amendments Will they reject both in favor on the ballot in of newcomers and a different Louisiana. form of government? Or will their support be Page 3A ä What’s on the split? Though election season was ballot. Page 6A only about two months in St. George, the mayoral race between two Republicans quickly turned fiery. Appointed by Gov. Jeff Landry last year, interim Mayor Dustin Yates hopes to hang onto the job as the leader of a group of appointees who’ve built St. George’s foundation over the past year. But challenger Jim Morgan quickly established his candidacy with endorsements from firefighters’ unions in both St. George and Baton Rouge. He represents an effort to unseat a group of leaders some residents have criticized over the past year. The two unions opted for Morgan, a board commissioner of the St. George Fire Protection District, over Yates, who has served as chief administrative officer for the St. George Fire Department for 11 years. Yates has stumped on the importance of continued leadership as St. George takes shape, while also selling his experience in public service and his focus on bringing a school district to the new city. “Voters are looking for somebody that has a proven track record of leadership, St. George,” Yates said. “They’re looking for somebody that has stood up for and with the residents of St George. And that’s exactly what I’ve done.” Morgan’s campaign — which died and was
STAFF PHOTO By JAVIER GALLEGOS
LSU will enact a hiring freeze and consider eliminating some positions as the federal government seeks to slash funding for higher education.
tightening measures the public university will take in response to “unpredictable and unprecedented federal funding changes.” The school will pause hiring “with limited exceptions,” look for “redundant” positions to cut and explore usBY PATRICK WALL ing AI to take over some adand ELLYN COUVILLION ministrative tasks. Staff writers Universities nationwide LSU will enact a univer- have announced hiring sitywide hiring freeze and freezes, layoffs and other consider eliminating some cost-cutting measures after positions as the Trump ad- the Trump administration ministration seeks to slash said in February it would higher-education funding, reduce federal research LSU President William Tate funding by an estimated $4 billion annually. IV said Friday. In a letter to faculty and ä See LSU, page 6A staff, Tate outlined belt-
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100TH yEAR, NO. 272