The Advocate 05-07-2025 by The Advocate

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W e d n e s d ay, M ay 7, 2025

WORLD AWAITS NEW POPE

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FBI fumbled investigation of Scalise shooting, report says GOP-led panel says attacker’s motivations were downplayed

BY MARK BALLARD Staff writer

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By FRANCISCO SECO

Cardinal Francis Leo walks along St. Peter’s Square at the Vatican on Monday after attending the General Congregation of Cardinals in the New Synod Hall, where they are preparing for the upcoming conclave to elect the 267th Roman pontiff.

Conclave to make selection begins g Wednesday BY NICOLE WINFIELD

pope is chosen the voting is conducted: How a news meets a new pope. A look at how in the Sistine Chapel to select

Associated Press

The College of Cardinal

VATICAN CITY — Cardinals wrapped d up their pre-conclave meeting gs Tuesday, trying to identify a possible new pope who could follow Pop pe Francis and make the 2,000-yearold Catholic Church credible an nd relevant today, especially to youn ng people. Although they come from 70 diifferent countries, the 133 cardin nal electors seem fundamentally united in insisting that the question befo ore them isn’t so much whether th he church gets its first Asian or Afrrican pontiff, or a conservative or progressive. Rather, they say th he primary task facing them when the conclave opens Wednesday is to find nd a pope who can be both a pastor and a teacher, a bridge who can unite the church and preach peace. “We need a superman!” said Cardinal William Seng Chye Goh, the 67-year-old archbishop of Singapore. It is indeed a tall task, given the sexual abuse and financial scandals that have harmed the church’s reputation and the secularizing trends in many parts of the world that are turning people away from organized religion. Add to that the Holy

WEATHER HIGH 77 LOW 66 PAGE 8B

Entrance to ‘Room of Tears’

Scrutineers 3 1

2 Urns

bottom for pontiff’) with space at the Pontificem’ (‘I elect as supremethe ballot twice; three so-called the words ‘Eligo in Summum folds The rectangular ballot bears his handwriting, each cardinal notes his choice and g the elector’s choice; disguisin front of the altar. by lot, count the ballots in 4 If the cardinals are scrutineers, chosen earlier

The voting

1 One at a time, in order of seniority, each cardinal approaches the altar holding out his ballot; he kneels, offers a short prayer, rises and says aloud in Latin, ‘I call as my witness Christ the Lord, who will be my judge, that my vote is given I to the one who before God think should be elected.’

2 He places his ballot on a gold plate called a paten, slides the ballot into a large gold-plated urn and returns to his seat. Collected ballots if are removed and counted; d the total does not correspon to the number of electors, they are burned and a new vote is taken.

3 If numbers match, the first scrutineer opens a ballot and notes the name; the second repeats the process; the third reads the name aloud and writes the name; if one man vote, receives two-thirds of the a valid election has taken place; if the number is not divisible by three, two-thirds required. is one plus

Approx. 33 in. diameter

Papal selection

deadlocked after 13 days day of voting, they pause for a of prayer and reflection, then move on to runoff ballots between two leading candidates; ballots are burned in a stove after each day’s vote; black smoke indicates voting is inconclusive; white signifies there is a new pope.

Ballots inserted here

Thread

Backup stove

Chemicals used to color smoke

Voting: Only one name is permitted per ballot Source: Apostolic Constitution Graphic: Staff, TNS

Urn: Three urns replaced traditional chalices in 2005

, Universi Dominici Gregis,

‘The Papal Conclave: How

and Ballots: Joined with needle thread through the word ‘Eligo’ Do Cardinals Divine the Will

of God?’, ‘Conclave’ by John

Stoves: Used to burn ballots and produce smoke L. Allen Jr., Catholic Encyclopedi

a, AP

ä How a new pope

is chosen. PAGE 4A

See’s dire ﬁnancial state and often dysfunctional bureaucracy, and the job of being pope in the 21st century seems almost impossible. Francis named 108 of the 133 electors and selected cardinals in his image. But there is an element of uncertainty about the election since many of them didn’t know one another before last week, meaning they haven’t had much time to suss

outt who among them is best suited to llead the 1.4 billion-strong church. The cardinals held their last day T of pre-conclave meetings Tuesday mo orning, during which Francis’ fish herman’s ring and his official seal we ere destroyed in one of the final forrmal rites of the transition of his pon ntificate to the next. The cardinals will begin trying to T find d the new pope Wednesday afternoo on, when those “princes of the chu urch” walk solemnly into the Sistin ne Chapel to the meditative chant of the “Litany of the Saints.” They’ll tak ke their oaths of secrecy under the e daunting vision of heaven and he ell in Michelangelo’s “Last Judgment,” hear a meditation from a seniior cardinal, and then most likely cast their first ballot. cas Assuming no candidate secures the necessary two-thirds majority, or 89 votes, the cardinals will retire for the day and return on Thursday. They will have two ballots in the morning and then two in the afternoon, until a winner is found. Asked what the priorities of the cardinal electors were, Goh told reporters this week that the No. 1 issue was that the new pope must be

ä See CARDINALS, page 4A

WASHINGTON — The FBI bungled the investigation into the 2017 shooting that wounded House Majority Leader Steve Scalise and others, downplaying the attacker’s left-wing political motivations, a GOP-led congressional committee reported Tuesday. Republicans on the committee said criminal charges should be pursued against agents and others involved with the conclusions the FBI initially reached. Democrats Scalise pushed back, saying no evidence showed that those investigating the shooting were swayed by political considerations. Newly installed FBI director Kash Patel released the agency’s documents related to the shooting investigation to the committee. He was sworn in as director Feb. 21. “The FBI used false statements, manipulation of known facts, and biased and butchered analysis to support a narrative that (shooter James T. “Tom”) Hodgkinson committed suicide by cop without any nexus to domestic terrorism,” concluded GOP members of the House Permanent

ä See SCALISE, page 8A

Edwards denies withholding report on La. coastal project

Former governor sends detailed letter to Corps of Engineers BY ALEX LUBBEN Staff writer

Former Gov. John Bel Edwards has written a detailed letter to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers strongly denying that his administration “deliberately withheld” information about the Mid-Barataria Sediment Diversion, the mammoth $3 billion plan to help restore Louisiana’s eroding coastline. In the three-page letter and in an interview with The Times-Picayune, the former governor argued that details from the engineering study in question were in fact shared with the Corps. He also said the Corps then communicated to his administration that the study would have no impact on

ä See EDWARDS, page 6A

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Trump, Carney express differences on tariffs, 51st state

BRIEFS

FROM WIRE REPORTS

Ky. boy orders 70K candy suckers to share

LEXINGTON, Ky. — A Kentucky woman was in a sticky mess when she found stacks of boxes containing lollipops on her front doorstep. The surprise delivery was ordered by her young son while he played on her phone. Holly LaFavers says she tried stopping 8-year-old Liam’s Amazon order for about 70,000 DumDum suckers before the treats arrived but it was too late. Amazon had already delivered 22 cases to her home. “He told me that he wanted to have a carnival, and he was ordering the Dum-Dums as prizes for his carnival,” LaFavers said. “Again, he was being friendly, he was being kind to his friends.” The surprise got worse after a quick check of her bank account. She owed about $4,000 for the order. “When I saw what the number was, I just about fainted,” LaFavers said. Then she found out that eight more cases from the order were unaccounted for, she said. After a trip to the post office, those cases were returned to sender, she said. Her efforts to get a refund took a bit more time but she got her money back. LaFavers said she was changing some settings on her phone to make sure there’s never another surprise delivery at home.

Ex-NYT editor apologizes to Sarah Palin at trial NEW YORK — An emotional former opinion page editor for The New York Times delivered a tearful apology Thursday to Sarah Palin as he testified about a 2017 editorial that she says damaged her reputation. James Bennet testified that he “blew it” when he erroneously wrote that the former Alaska governor’s political action committee had contributed to an atmosphere of violence before a member of Congress was severely wounded in a 2011 mass shooting in Arizona. The Times has acknowledged the editorial was inaccurate but said it quickly corrected the “honest mistake.” Bennet got choked up and teary as he apologized to the onetime Republican vice presidential candidate, saying he was “really upset, and I still am, obviously.” A lawyer brought him a box of tissues as he testified for a second day at the defamation trial. “I did, and I do apologize to Governor Palin for this mistake,” Bennet said. Before a lunch break, Judge Jed S. Rakoff told lawyers that Bennet had offered a “heartfelt” and “moving” apology to Palin. Palin, who is scheduled to testify next week, seemed less impressed. She shrugged off the apology as she left the courthouse, questioning how much time had passed since the editorial was published and then corrected in less than a day.

Jury selection in Sean Combs trial proceeds NEW YORK — Jury selection resumed for a second day in the sex trafficking trial of Sean “Diddy” Combs as a federal judge and lawyers worked Tuesday to find a dozen New Yorkers who believe they can be fair despite any opinions they may have developed about the music mogul. Prosecutors say Combs exploited his fame and fortune to sexually abuse women and destroy young lives while defense attorneys say he engaged in sexual activity with consenting adults. The majority of prospective jurors questioned on Tuesday morning were disqualified after lawyers for Combs and prosecutors cited flaws in their answers to questions designed to see if they can be fair and unbiased. Several who were eliminated from the jury pool had seen or heard media reports related to the case, including some who said they saw a video in which Combs was hitting and kicking one of his accusers in a Los Angeles hotel hallway in 2016. But one man who had written on a questionnaire that the video left him with the “impression of an angry hostile person who is entitled” was not dismissed from the jury pool.

BY ROB GILLIES and JOSH BOAK Associated Press

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By OSAMAH ABDULRAHMAN

yemenis watch as smoke billows following Israeli airstrikes targeting a power plant and Sanaa Airport, in Sanaa, yemen, on Tuesday.

Israel says it disabled Yemen’s main airport BY ELENA BECATOROS and JON GAMBRELL Associated Press

JERUSALEM — Israel’s military on Tuesday launched airstrikes against Iranianbacked Houthi rebels in Yemen that it said fully disabled the international airport in the Yemeni capital, Sanaa. The strikes came hours before U.S. President Donald Trump said the United States would stop striking the Houthis, who he said had “capitulated” and agreed to stop targeting shipping in the Red Sea. The U.S. military under Trump separately had launched an intensified campaign of airstrikes targeting the Houthis since March 15. Israel’s attacks Tuesday were its second round of airstrikes launched on targets in Yemen in retaliation for a Houthi missile strike Sunday on Israel’s international airport. The Houthis’ satellite news channel al-Masirah confirmed that the airport in Sanaa was hit on Tuesday. Several power plants also were struck, Israel’s military said. Israeli television aired footage showing black plumes of smoke rising above the Sanaa skyline. Three people were killed and 38 wounded, according to the Houthicontrolled SABA news agency, which quoted health officials. The strike against the Sanaa airport came shortly after Israel’s military warned on social media that people should leave the area immediately, saying that “failure to evacuate the area endangers your lives.” Israel’s defense minister, Israel Katz, said the strike should be seen as a warning to the “head of the Iranian octopus,” which he said bears direct responsibility

for attacks by the Houthis against Israel. The Houthis have targeted Israel throughout the war in Gaza in solidarity with Palestinians there, while also targeting commercial and naval vessels on the Red Sea, raising their profile as the last member of Iran’s self-described “Axis of Resistance” capable of launching regular attacks on Israel. The U.N. special envoy for Yemen, Hans Grundberg, said the latest strikes carried out on Israel and Yemen’s airport marked a “grave escalation in an already fragile and volatile regional context.” He urged the parties to show restraint. Sunday’s missile attack struck an access road near Israel’s main airport near Tel Aviv, briefly halting flights and commuter traffic. Four people were slightly injured. It was the first time a missile struck the grounds of Ben Gurion airport since the October 2023 start of the war in Gaza. While most missiles launched by the Houthis have been intercepted, some have penetrated Israel’s missile defense systems, causing damage. On Monday, Israel targeted Houthi rebels in Yemen’s Red Sea province of Hodeida, killing at least one person and wounding 35. The rebels’ media office said at least six strikes hit the crucial Hodeida port, while others hit a cement factory in the district of Bajil, 34 miles northeast of Hodeida. The Houthi-run Health Ministry said the strikes killed at least four people and wounded 39 others. In March, Trump had vowed to use “overwhelming lethal force” after the Houthis said they would resume attacks on ships sailing off Yemen in response to Israel’s mounting another blockade on the Gaza Strip.

Ukraine drone attacks briefly shut down Moscow’s airports By The Associated Press All four international airports around Moscow temporarily suspended flights Tuesday as Russian forces intercepted more than 100 Ukrainian drones fired at almost a dozen Russian regions, the Defense Ministry in Moscow said. Nine other regional Russian airports also temporarily stopped operating as drones struck areas along the border with Ukraine and deeper inside Russia, according to Russia’s civil aviation agency, Rosaviatsia, and the Defense Ministry. The Moscow region was later attacked for a second time, with the capital’s major airports of Vnukovo and Domodedovo forced to ground flights again, while the city’s air defenses intercepted three drones, Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said. The drone assaults threatened a planned unilateral 72-hour ceasefire in the more than three-year war announced by President Vladimir Putin to coincide with celebrations in Moscow marking Victory Day in World War II. The day celebrating Moscow’s defeat of Nazi Germany in 1945 is Russia’s biggest secular holiday. Chinese President Xi Jinping, Brazilian leader Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and others will gather in

WASHINGTON — U.S. President Donald Trump and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney faced off in the Oval Ofﬁce on Tuesday and showed no signs of retreating from their gaping differences in an ongoing trade war that has shattered decades of trust between the two countries. The two kept it civil, but as for Trump’s calls to make Canada the 51st state, Carney insisted his nation was “not for sale” and Trump shot back, “time will tell.” Asked by a reporter if there was anything Carney could tell him to lift his tariffs of as much as 25% on Canada, Trump bluntly said: “No.” The U.S. president added for emphasis, “Just the way it is.” Carney acknowledged that no bit of rhetoric on tariffs would be enough to sway Trump, saying that “this is a bigger discussion.” “There are much bigger forces involved,” the Canadian leader continued. “And this will take some time and some discussions. And that’s why we’re here, to have those discussions.” The meeting between the two leaders showcased the full spectrum of Trump’s unique mix of aggression, hospitality and stubbornness. Shortly before Carney’s arrival, Trump insulted Canada by posting on social media that the United States didn’t need “ANYTHING” from its northern neighbor, only to then turn on the charm and praise Carney’s election win in person before showing his obstinance on matters of policy substance. Carney won the job of prime minister by promising to confront the increased aggression shown by Trump, even as he has preserved the calm demeanor of an economist who has led the central banks of both Canada and the United Kingdom. At times, Carney struggled to interject his views

and raised his hand to talk as Trump held forth at length and veered between topics, touching on California Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom, Carney’s predecessor, Justin Trudeau, and teasing a “great” upcoming announcement that’s “not necessarily on trade.” Trump offended Canada’s sense of pride and friendship by saying he wants to make Canada the 51st U.S. state and levying steep tariffs against an essential partner in the manufacturing of autos and the supply of oil, electricity and other goods. The outrage provoked by Trump enabled Carney’s Liberal Party to score a stunning comeback victory last month as the trade war and attacks on Canadian sovereignty have outraged voters. Trump said the two would not discuss making Canada part of the U.S., even as he insisted the idea would lead to lower taxes for Canadians. “It’s not for sale,” Carney said. “It won’t be for sale. Ever. But the opportunity is in the partnership and what we can build together.” Trump persisted by saying that the United States did not want to buy autos from Canada, even if the vehicles were also assembled in America. The U.S. leader insisted that the $63 billion trade deficit in goods — which he inflated to $200 billion — was a subsidy that needed to come an end. The meeting never devolved into the outburst that the public saw in Trump’s meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who was berated by the U.S. president and his team for not being sufficiently deferential. Nor did it have the ease of Trump’s sit-down with the United Kingdom’s Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who invited Trump for a visit provided by King Charles III. Carney later described his conversation with Trump as “wide ranging” and “constructive,” telling reporters that the prospect is there for positive negotiations but there would be “zigs and zags.”

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Rescue workers extinguish a fire in a building which was heavily damaged by a Russian strike on Kharkiv, Ukraine, on Tuesday. the Russian capital on Thursday for the 80th anniversary and watch a parade featuring thousands of troops accompanied by tanks and missiles. Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry urged foreign countries not to send military representatives to take part in the parade, as some have in the past. None is ofﬁcially conﬁrmed for this year’s event. Ukraine will regard the participation of foreign military personnel as “an affront to the memory of the victory over Nazism, to the memory of millions of Ukrainian front-line soldiers who liberated our country and all of Europe from Nazism eight decades ago,” a statement on the ministry’s website said. Security is expected to

be tight. Russian officials have warned that internet access could be restricted in Moscow during the celebrations and have told residents not to set off fireworks. Putin last week declared the brief unilateral truce “on humanitarian grounds” from May 8. Ukraine has demanded a longer ceasefire. Russia has effectively rejected a U.S. proposal for an immediate and full 30-day halt in the fighting by insisting on far-reaching conditions. Ukraine has accepted that proposal, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says. U.S. President Donald Trump said Monday that the brief truce “doesn’t sound like much, but it’s … a lot if you knew where we started from.”

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Spewing oil well brought under control Cleanup remains in coastal area near Bird’s Foot Delta

had to dig a path to the well. Coast Guard officials said a crane barge could reach the well early Sunday. Contractors brought in a capping stack to try to control the well but ended up not needing it, Coast Guard officials said. After contractors “successfully cut the flange” on the well, the cut wellhead “produced minimal discharge,” so the crews were

BY DAVID J. MITCHELL

Staff writer

Contractors have been able to dig their way into an out-of-control oil well through the shallow marshes of southern Plaquemines, cut off a failed piece of the equipment and stop the 82-year-old structure from continuing to spew oily water, the U.S. Coast Guard said. This “vital milestone” was reached midday Sunday and arrived three days after the Coast Guard took full control of the response. It pulled $10 million from a national emergency fund for oil and other kinds of spills, agency officials said Monday. Though the spill has stopped and its cause remains under investigation, a conservation nonprofit has raised the prospect that oily water had reached open water miles away from the contained area around the well on the Bird’s Foot Delta near Garden Island Bay. SkyTruth, which uses satellite imagery and other technology to identify environmental problems and is often critical of the oil and gas industry, has produced imagery from April 28 showing what it says are oil slicks tens of miles or more from the then-uncontrolled well. “The bright patches on this satellite image are characteristic of thin oil slicks, with an iridescent ‘rainbow’ appearance of thicker patches of oil surrounded by dull brownish gray fringes of thinner oil,” John Amos, CEO of SkyTruth, said in an email explaining his group’s conclusions. He said his group is “confident these are oil slicks,” based on his 30-plus years of analyzing satellite images of other spills in the Gulf and years of matching that analysis with findings from surface cruises and submersible dives. Asked about SkyTruth’s claims, Coast Guard officials said on Monday that aerial flights “have confirmed the presence of pollution beyond the primary containment area, with the majority of this sheening consisting of thin, unrecoverable layers of oil.” “We continue to evaluate environmental impacts through both aerial and onwater observations,” Coast Guard officials said.

Reported as ‘blowout’ Agency officials added that the overflights, plus satellite imagery, are essential to response efforts and are used to identify the extent of the spill and areas where oily product can be recovered. Coast Guard officials said on Monday that the size of the spill remains unknown but noted that response crews have recovered 79,212 gallons of oily water mixture. That’s enough to fill more

able to install what’s known as “a ﬂowback assembly” to regain control. This new assembly is tied to a temporary storage system for oily products. Coast Guard ofﬁcials have said they have no indications the well was struck before it began releasing oil. David J. Mitchell can be reached at dmitchell@ theadvocate.com.

PHOTOS PROVIDED By U.S. COAST GUARD

Some of the nearly three miles containment boom corral spilled oily water in coastal marshes in the Bird’s Foot Delta of the Mississippi River as skimmers and other vessels work to clean up the product Thursday. Absorbent bales can be seen around marsh islands and shores. A mix of oil, gas and water is spewing from an 82-year-old oil well near Garden Island Bay in southern Plaquemines Parish. The well, owned and operated by Spectrum OpCo only since last year, was shut in by a previous owners in but was not permanently plugged.

A contract well intervention team successfully cut the flange on the discharging wellhead of Spectrum OpCo’s dormant oil well in southern Plaquemines Parish on Sunday and brought it under control. The aerial image shows the well near Garden Island Bay after the top part of the well had been removed and the uncontrolled release had ceased. The well ran unabated for more than a week, spewing brownish oily water in the Bird’s Foot Delta of the Mississippi River. Responders were able to install a flowback assembly to regain control of the well. than three sizable, rectangular backyard pools 5 feet deep. First drilled in late 1942, the well has had multiple owners through the years but has been left dormant and inactive since late 2015, state records show. The well was never permanently plugged, however, in hopes of future production, state records show, and it broke loose somehow late last month. Except for missing signage, the well passed a state inspection in mid-2023. The current owner and operator, Spectrum OpCo LLC, which ﬁrst reported the leak as a “blowout” April 26, had taken control of that well along with a few hundred other wells in the area in a bankruptcy sale last year, federal court papers show. On Thursday, the Coast Guard federalized the well efforts “in response to the ongoing oil discharge and associated environmental risks” and said the decision was made “to ensure continuity of operations and continued mobilization of resources.” The decision removed

Spectrum OpCo from the uniﬁed response command, which still includes the state Oil Spill Coordinator’s Ofﬁce, and allowed the Coast Guard to tap the trust fund immediately, according to an agency guidance document.

‘Regrets the incident’ In a statement Monday afternoon, Spectrum ofﬁcials said they fully supported that change and, after it occurred, continued to offer their personnel and resources for the well response and the now-successful effort to bring it under control. “While we are pleased to have reached this milestone and gained control of the discharge, Spectrum OpCo sincerely regrets the incident and its potential impact on our neighbors and remains fully engaged and resolutely committed to assisting with the cleanup,” the officials said in a statement. The Oil Spill Liability Trust Fund is financed primarily with a 9-cents-per-barrel tax on domestic and imported crude oil. Coast Guard ofﬁcials said their response is continuing

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as responders “maintain ongoing wildlife and shoreline assessments to monitor impacts and protective measures.” Shoreline cleanup assessment technique teams are prioritizing sensitive habitats, the agency said, and officials have promised an extensive cleanup. “Cost ﬁgures may continue to change as the response continues,” Coast Guard officials said in a statement Monday. Spectrum, a company with Delaware and New York connections but that is essentially a Houston, Texasbased operation, remains the responsible party. The Coast Guard can seek to recoup the spent emergency dollars taken from the trust fund. The well response was complicated by the fact that it was in marsh and shallow water that were not deep enough for a barge to bring in control equipment. Crews

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CARDINALS

Continued from page 1A able to spread the Catholic faith and “make the church relevant in today’s time. How to reach out to young people, how to show a face of love, joy and hope.” But beyond that, there are some real-world geopolitical concerns to take into consideration. The Catholic Church is growing in Africa and Asia, both in numbers of baptized faithful and vocations to the priesthood and women’s religious orders. It is shrinking in traditionally Catholic bastions of Europe, with empty churches and the faithful formally leaving the church in places like Germany, many citing the abuse scandals. “Asia is ripe for evangelization and the harvest of vocations,” said the Rev. Robert Reyes, who studied in the seminary with Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle, the Filipino prelate considered a contender to be the first Asian pope. But should the pope necessarily reﬂect the new face of the Catholic Church, and inspire the faithful especially in the parts of the world where the momentum of growth is already underway? Does it even matter? Pope Francis was the first Latin American pope, and the region still counts the majority of the world’s Catholics. Indian Cardinal Oswald Gracias, the retired archbishop of Mumbai, said the church needs to become more Asian, culturally and spiritually. The “center of gravity of the world is shifting toward Asia,” he said. “The Asian church has much to give to the world.” At 80, Gracias won’t be participating in the conclave, but India has four cardinal-electors, and overall Asia counts 23, making it the second-biggest voting bloc after Europe, which has 53 (or likely 52, given that one is not expected to par-

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“I am not here for the Congo, I am not here for Africa, I am here for the universal church. That is our concern, the universal church. When we are done, I will return to Kinshasa and I will put back on my archbishop of Kinshasa hat and the struggle continues.”

How a new pope is chosen

The College of Cardinals meets in the Sistine Chapel to select a new pope. A look at how the voting is conducted: Entrance to ‘Room of Tears’

Scrutineers 3

CARDINAL FRIDOLIN AMBONGO BESUNGU, archbishop of Kinshasa, Congo

Urns 4

The voting The rectangular ballot bears the words ‘Eligo in Summum Pontificem’ (‘I elect as supreme pontiff’) with space at the bottom for the elector’s choice; disguising his handwriting, each cardinal notes his choice and folds the ballot twice; three so-called scrutineers, chosen earlier by lot, count the ballots in front of the altar. 1 One at a time, in order of seniority, each cardinal approaches the altar holding out his ballot; he kneels, offers a short prayer, rises and says aloud in Latin, ‘I call as my witness Christ the Lord, who will be my judge, that my vote is given to the one who before God I think should be elected.’

2 He places his ballot on a 3 If numbers match, the first scrutineer opens a ballot and gold plate called a paten, notes the name; the second slides the ballot into a large repeats the process; the third gold-plated urn and returns reads the name aloud and to his seat. Collected ballots writes the name; if one man are removed and counted; if receives two-thirds of the vote, the total does not correspond a valid election has taken to the number of electors, place; if the number is not they are burned and a new divisible by three, two-thirds vote is taken. plus one is required.

Approx. 33 in. diameter

Papal selection

4 If the cardinals are deadlocked after 13 days of voting, they pause for a day of prayer and reflection, then move on to runoff ballots between two leading candidates; ballots are burned in a stove after each day’s vote; black smoke indicates voting is inconclusive; white signifies there is a new pope.

Ballots inserted here

Thread

Backup stove

Chemicals used to color smoke

Voting: Only one name is permitted per ballot

Urn: Three urns replaced traditional chalices in 2005

Ballots: Joined with needle and thread through the word ‘Eligo’

Stoves: Used to burn ballots and produce smoke

Source: Apostolic Constitution, Universi Dominici Gregis, ‘The Papal Conclave: How Do Cardinals Divine the Will of God?’, ‘Conclave’ by John L. Allen Jr., Catholic Encyclopedia, AP Graphic: Staff, TNS

ticipate for health reasons). One of the big geopolitical issues facing the cardinals is China and the plight of the estimated 12 million Chinese Catholics there. Under Francis, the Vatican in 2018 inked a controversial agreement with Beijing

governing the appointment of bishops, which many conservatives decried as a sellout of the underground Chinese Catholics who had remained loyal to Rome during decades of communist persecution. The Vatican has defended the accord as

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the best deal it could get, but it remains to be seen if Francis’ successor will keep the policy. According to Vatican statistics, Catholics represent 3.3% of the population in Asia, but their numbers are growing, especially in terms

of seminarians, as they are in Africa, where Catholics represent about 20% of the population. Cardinal Fridolin Ambongo Besungu, the archbishop of Kinshasa, Congo, said he is in Rome to elect a pope for all the world’s Catholics.

“I am not here for the Congo, I am not here for Africa, I am here for the universal church. That is our concern, the universal church,” he told reporters. “When we are done, I will return to Kinshasa and I will put back on my archbishop of Kinshasa hat and the struggle continues.” Cardinal Jean-Paul Vesco, the chatty French-born archbishop of Algiers, Algeria, lamented last week that there hadn’t been enough time for the cardinals to get to know one another, since many of them had never met before and hail from 70 countries in the most geographically diverse conclave in history. “Every day, I say to myself, ‘Ah! Oh my God! There we have it!’ ” he said. For the cardinals, there is also the belief that they are guided by the Holy Spirit. There is a famous quote attributed to then-Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger in 1997, in comments to a Bavarian television station. The future Pope Benedict XVI said the Holy Spirit acted like a good educator in a conclave, allowing cardinals to freely choose a pope without dictating the precise candidate. “Probably the only assurance he offers is that the thing cannot be totally ruined,” Ratzinger reportedly said. “There are too many contrary instances of popes the Holy Spirit would obviously not have picked.”

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6A ■ Wednesday, May 7, 2025 ■ theadvocate.com ■ The Advocate

EDWARDS

Continued from page 1A the project’s permit. “The idea that I hid something is demonstrably false,” Edwards said in an interview. “Gov. (Jeff) Landry is trying to deflect attention and blame.” He wrote in the letter that the report “did not change the overall scientific basis for the project.” Landry, who opposes the diversion plan in its current form, alleges that his predecessor’s administration “hid” the report, which he says shows that the project “might not deliver as promised.” Landry said in a post on X that the project was “like a John Grisham novel, a real life ‘Pelican Brief.’” He has argued that Edwards’ administration was seeking to fast-track the plan to break ground before he left office in early 2024. The project eventually broke ground in August 2023. At the center of the controversy is a 500-page report, a modeling study of the flow of the Mississippi River through the diversion, which Landry says Edwards deep-sixed. After Landry accused Edwards of hiding the report, the Corps stated that the Edwards administration had indeed “deliberately withheld” it, citing that as part of its justification for suspending a key permit for the diversion project. “I had a sense of urgency about everything related to coastal restoration and protection. We lose a football field of land every 90 minutes,” Edwards said. “But there was never any shortcutting.” The letter, signed by Edwards and former Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority Chair Chip Kline, states that not only did they share the modeling study with the Corps, but that the Corps agreed with his administration’s assessment that the information was not relevant to the Corps’ environmental impact study. “Ultimately, NOAA and the Army Corps determined that the information and data were not relevant to their respective decisions to approve the funding and permitting of the (Mid-Barataria Sediment Diversion),” the letter states. “Your statement that CPRA deliberately withheld modeling results from you is not accurate and, therefore, should not serve as a basis for permit suspension.” Elizabeth Crochet, a spokesperson for Landry, said that “the former gov-

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able because the studies were project. In recent corresponconducted to look closely at a dence with CPRA, the Corps specific part of the diversion’s said that the FTN results structure or examine worst- “will not affect the permit,” case scenarios. Others did but noted that they should not take into account future have been provided for its sea level rise on the Missis- environmental review. But on April 25, the Corps sippi River, which resulted in lower land-building esti- suspended the state’s permit mates. And some examined for the project, pointing out what would happen if the di- that the Landry administraversion were closed entirely tion had “suspended confor a period of time, which struction” and said that “it CPRA never proposed to do. may not be able to afford Still, Edwards’ camp was the maintenance dredging evidently concerned about required to achieve MBSD’s how to disclose the differ- land-building objective.” It ing results, which the memo also noted that the Edwards said “raise legal, timing, and administration had “delibreputational concerns.” The erately withheld” the FTN lawyers recommended that report. CPRA “informally discuss” The Corps acknowledged the results with the Corps, that it had received Edin the hopes that the feds wards’ letter. “We are currently reviewSTAFF FILE PHOTO By CHRIS GRANGER would “agree with CPRA’s Then-Gov. John Bel Edwards, right center, walks to the ceremonial shovels to commemorate assessment … that those ing the correspondence results need not be incorpo- from Gov. Edwards and will the start of construction for the Mid-Barataria Sediment Diversion south of Belle Chasse on rated into the environmental certainly take it into considAug. 10, 2023. analysis.” eration as we strive to enThe Corps itself would sure our permitting decision ernor conspired with the may have to cover further miles the Edwards adminis- note in November 2020 that is based on the best available the studies that CPRA did information,” Corps spokesCorps to withhold informa- cost overruns. Already, tration said it would. The memo says that the submit were “adequate and person Ricky Boyett said in tion from the public.” She more than $500 million in acknowledged Edwards BP settlement funds have differing results are explain- sufficient” to assess the a statement. may have shared the report been spent on the project, with the Corps, “but they Dove said, and it is unclear failed to give public notice whether the state will have or put the information in the to pay that money back if the (environmental review),” project is killed. The Landry administration’s opposition she said. The Mid-Barataria proj- to it and associated delays ect, if built, would slice open may have made it imposthe Mississippi River near sible to resurrect. Ironton and divert its flow In his letter to the Corps, into Barataria Bay to cre- Edwards referred to a nineate an estimated 21 square page memo where his law• Handcrafted Bouquets miles of land over a half- yers described the “potencentury. Proponents of the tial risks associated with • Thoughtful Gifts project see it as crucial to disclosing or not disclosing & Keepsakes protecting areas along the the modeling results.” • Same-Day Delivery Louisiana coastline from That memo, obtained by flooding and storm surge, The Times-Picayune, laid Available and it has been the center- out discrepancies in reports • Serving Baton Rouge & piece in the state’s $50 bil- about the project and made lion plan to protect its coast. recommendations on how Denham Springs for 50-Years Its opponents counter that to handle them. The memo the inflow of fresh river wa- notes that reports from enter would kill off fish, oys- gineering consulting firm ters and shrimp that com- FTN were commissioned to munities rely on for their help design certain aspects livelihoods. The project is of the project, but produced also projected to kill off a results that conflicted with a larger model that was sent population of dolphins. Order now at CPRA Chair Gordon to the Corps. That larger rickeyheromans.com “Gordy” Dove emphasized modeling produced the data or visit us at that while he believed the the Edwards administration permit was “rushed,” the fact touted in selling the project Call 225-665-5181 Call 225-383-8383 of the matter is that “there is to the public. 121 Bass Pro Blvd. Ste.A 7450 Jefferson Hwy #390 Notably, the FTN studnot enough money to do it. There’s just no way you could ies, which weren’t primarFl owe r s . G i f t s . Ho m e. build it,” he said. “It’s way out ily aimed at assessing how of whack, moneywise.” much land the project would Some $2.92 billion in fund- build, estimated that under ing related to the 2010 BP specific circumstances Midoil spill has been approved Barataria could build far for the project, but the state less land than the 21 square

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SCALISE

Continued from page 1A Select Committee on Intelligence after reviewing 2,500 pages of the FBI’s case file. Republicans on the committee said criminal charges should be pursued against FBI agents and others. Scalise, R-Jefferson agreed, saying in a statement: “This report definitively shows the FBI completely mishandled the investigation into the Congressional baseball shooting of 2017 — ignoring crucial and obvious facts in order to sell a false narrative that the shooting was not politically motivated.” Scalise thanked Patel and committee members for “finally getting to the truth of the matter: This was a deliberate and planned act of domestic terrorism toward Republican members of Congress.” Scalise continued, “I encourage director Patel to adopt the recommendations of the Committee to ensure the intelligence community is rid of bias and to identify who was responsible for the misleading and incorrect conclusions and why, and ensure the FBI gets back to its mission of following the facts, wherever they may lead.” Democratic representatives, who make up a minority of the investigatory House panel, agreed that the FBI could have done more faster. But they said there was no clear evidence that the “delayed determination to classify the attack as domestic terrorism” was the result of political motivation, and they opposed going after FBI agents criminally. The FBI’s final conclusion was that Hodgkinson committed an act of domestic terrorism. “The minority strongly disagrees with the recommendation to consider criminal charges against intelligence analysts. Nothing in the report or in the record provides any predicate for such a proposal, and even the discussion threatens to

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“This report definitively shows the FBI completely mishandled the investigation into the Congressional baseball shooting of 2017 — ignoring crucial and obvious facts in order to sell a false narrative that the shooting was not politically motivated.” HOUSE MAJORITy LEADER STEVE SCALISE, R-Jefferson chill objective analysis and candid assessments,” the Democrats stated. Scalise was shot in 2017 during a June 14 practice of the Republican team for the annual Congressional baseball game with House Democrats at a public field in Alexandria, Virginia, which is about 6 miles from the U.S. Capitol. Hodgkinson, 66, was a Belleville, Illinois, resident with a history of domestic abuse and support for left-wing causes. He opened fire during the practice, hitting and almost killing Scalise. He also shot U.S. Capitol Police Officer Crystal Griner, congressional aide Zack Barth and Tyson Foods lobbyist Matt Mika. Hodgkinson apparently was motivated by opposition to the agenda being sought by President Donald Trump during his first term. He didn’t flee and was brought down after a 10-minute shootout with Capitol Police, who were there to protect Scalise, and the Alexandria Police Department. He later died in the hospital from multiple gunshots. The FBI in 2021 changed its preliminary “suicide by cop” conclusion, based on Hodgkinson not being affiliated with any extremist organizations, and called the shooting an act of domestic terrorism, based on his “personalized violent ideology.” The first flaw the committee cited was that the FBI didn’t properly identify the event as a baseball game practice. But they also found fault in the FBI not substantively interviewing Mo

ASSOCIATED PRESS FILE PHOTO By CLIFF OWEN

U.S. Rep. Steve Scalise, R-Jefferson, center, is announced onto the field at the start of the 57th Congressional Baseball Game at Nationals Park in Washington on June 14, 2018, one year after Scalise and some other congressional members were victims of a shooting at the baseball field they were practicing on in Alexandria, Va. Brooks, then a Republican representative from Alabama, whose name appeared on a list of six Republican congresspersons found on a piece of paper in Hodgkinson’s car. Other witnesses also were not interviewed, according to the report. Republicans also claimed that FBI initially downplayed Hodgkinson’s writings on social media and interviews with the shooter’s family, along with frequent comments on Facebook, which demonstrated his political motivations. “Whatever its political purpose, the FBI’s starting position was that the shooter was suicidal, hoping to die by gunﬁre with police. It appears to the Committee that investigative efforts and intelligence analysis then attempted to reinforce the ‘suicide by cop’ argument despite the clear and contrary facts of the case,” the report stated. Conservative Republicans recently have argued that the intelligence community has been “weaponized” in their work to forward a lib-

eral agenda and to target conservatives. The Republican majority on the committee recommended legislation to establish criminal liability for “the politicization of intelligence analysis.” That would include “senior agency ofﬁcials” who direct civil servants “to violate analytic standards, as well as civil servants who “manipulate raw intelligence” for political purposes. The committee recommended Patel initiate a swift review that addresses why the “FBI chose not to conduct substantive interviews of all the victims and other eyewitnesses.” And then Patel should “take actions necessary to achieve accountability for any misconduct.” The Democratic minority objected, countering that the reports include no evidence that political considerations played a role in the investigation. Also, there was no evidence presented that any threats were raised that would chill objective analysis about the shooting.

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Louisiana bills for teacher pay raises advance BY ELYSE CARMOSINO Staff writer

Louisiana lawmakers advanced two measures Tuesday that would revise the state constitution to pay for educator raises in later years, despite some concerns from teachers union leaders — including about a potential pay cut for teachers this coming school year. The bills would eliminate three constitutionally protected education trust funds, use the money to pay off retirement debt and put the savings toward higher salaries for teachers and school support staff. The House Appropriations Committee voted in favor of both bills, which repackage part of a constitutional amendment that voters rejected this year. If the Legislature passes the bills, the public still must vote to amend the state’s constitution. That vote would likely not happen until April, lawmakers say, leaving at least one school year where teachers and staff could see their current pay decrease. During the committee meeting, the president of the state’s largest teachers union told representatives that he could not support the bills in their current form because they do not guarantee that all eligible educators would receive the pay increases. Louisiana Federation of Teachers President Larry Carter also expressed worry that the raises would not be included in the state’s schoolfunding formula, which would prevent the money from being reallocated for other uses in the future. “We cannot rely on good intentions alone when it comes to educator paychecks,” he said. “We support the spirit of both bills, we really do, but we want to get some guarantees.” Carter raised similar concerns about the teacher-pay portion of Amendment 2, which voters shot down in the March 29 election. The union ultimately backed the amend-

ment after working with lawmakers on revisions — something it might try to do again with the new bills. On Tuesday, Appropriations Committee Chair Jack McFarland, R-Jonesboro, said he disagreed with Carter that the wording of one bill could leave out some eligible educators. He pointed to a line in the proposal that states each public school system “shall” provide a permanent salary increase. “It doesn’t give an option to the public school system” on what to do with the funds, he said. House Bill 579, by Rep. Julie Emerson, R-Carencro, eliminates three education trust funds in order to pay off debts related to the state’s teachers retirement system, for which individual school districts pay interest. House Bill 466 by Rep. Josh Carlson, R-Lafayette, requires school

systems to give teachers raises using the debt-payment savings. Carter, however, pointed out that educators would technically not receive raises if the bills pass. Instead, the resulting constitutional amendment would make the one-time stipends that educators have received the past two years — $2,000 for teachers and $1,000 for support staff — a recurring part of their annual salaries. Emerson noted that Carlson’s bill requires the state to step in to subsidize any school districts that are unable to cover the cost of the raises through their savings alone. She also said Tuesday that the state will pay for raises for educators and support staff who work in charter schools, many of which don’t pay into the state’s teachers retirement system. The bill does not mention charter schools

that don’t pay into the retirement system, but Emerson said their educators will also get raises. Emerson estimated that the cost to the state to pay for charter raises would likely be between $15 million and $20 million. Carter said it’s unacceptable that, even if the amendment to raise teacher pay in the future is approved, teachers could lose their stipends next school year. “Our educators deserve a genuine increase that acknowledges their contributions and the rising costs of living in this country,” he told the committee. Rep. Jason DeWitt, R-Tioga, told Carter that if the bills advance, the Louisiana Federation of Teachers must do more to inform its members of their intent. He said he fielded “a lot of phone calls” ahead of the March vote from constituents

who didn’t understand what Amendment 2 would do, noting that many were under the impression that the money for the raises would come from teachers’ retirement funds, which is not the case. “We need to do a better job next time of selling this with your group,” DeWitt said. Carter said his organization had done its best to let its members know the union supported the amendment. He also urged lawmakers

to consider additional ways to raise teacher pay. “The choice before this committee is to extend beyond simply preventing a pay reduction,” he said. “It’s about whether Louisiana will continue to allow its educators’ compensation to stagnate while celebrating the remarkable academic progress they’ve helped our students achieve.” Both bills now head to the House ﬂoor for debate.

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Bureau of Prisons deals with Search halted after boat carrying potential reopening of Alcatraz migrants capsized off San Diego By The Associated Press

BY MICHAEL R. SISAK and MICHAEL BALSAMO Associated Press

Eleven inmate deaths in less than two months. More than 4,000 staff vacancies. A $3 billion repair backlog. And now, a stunning directive from President Donald Trump for the crisis-plagued federal Bureau of Prisons to “REBUILD, AND OPEN ALCATRAZ!” — the notorious penitentiary on an island in San Francisco Bay that last held inmates more than 60 years ago. Even as the Bureau of Prisons struggles with short staffing, chronic violence and crumbling infrastructure at its current facilities, Trump is counting on the agency to fulfill his vision of rebooting the infamously inescapable prison known in movies and pop culture as “The Rock.” Trump declared in a social media post Sunday that a “substantially enlarged and rebuilt” Alcatraz will house the nation’s “most ruthless and violent Offenders.” It will “serve as a symbol of Law, Order, and JUSTICE,” he wrote on Truth Social. Newly appointed Bureau of Prisons Director William K. Marshall III said Monday that the agency “will vigorously pursue all avenues to support and implement the President’s agenda” and that he has ordered “an immediate assessment to determine our needs and the next steps.” “USP Alcatraz has a rich history. We look forward to restoring this powerful symbol of law, order, and justice,” Marshall said in a statement, echoing Trump’s post. “We will be actively working with our law enforcement and other federal partners to reinstate this very important mission.”

Alcatraz once an exemplar Alcatraz, a 22-acre islet with views of the Golden Gate Bridge and the San Francisco skyline, was once the crown jewel of the federal prison system and home to some of the nation’s most notorious criminals, including gangsters Al Capone and George “Machine Gun” Kelly. But skyrocketing repair

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By JED JACOBSOHN

Visitors tour the prison cells on Alcatraz Island on Monday in San Francisco. and supply costs compelled the Justice Department to close the prison in 1963, just 29 years after it opened, and the Bureau of Prisons has long since replaced Alcatraz with modern penitentiaries, including a maximum-security prison in Florence, Colorado. The former and perhaps future penitentiary is now a popular tourist attraction and a national historic landmark. It’s controlled by the National Park Service as part of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area, meaning the Bureau of Prisons could be in for an interagency tug of war if it tries to wrest away control of the island. Trump’s Alcatraz directive is yet another challenge for the Bureau of Prisons as it struggles to fix lingering problems while responding to the president’s priorities on incarceration and immigrant detention. The agency’s mission, as redefined under Trump, includes taking in thousands of immigration detainees under an agreement with the Department of Homeland Security. The problems at the Bureau of Prisons transcend administrations and facilities. An ongoing Associated Press investigation has uncovered deep, previously unreported flaws within the Bureau of Prisons over the last few years, including widespread criminal activity by employees, dozens of escapes, the free flow of guns, drugs and other contraband, and severe understaffing that has hampered responses to emergencies. Last year, then-President

Joe Biden signed a law strengthening oversight of the agency. It remains the Justice Department’s largest agency, with more than 30,000 employees, 155,000 inmates and an annual budget of about $8 billion, but the Trump administration’s costcutting measures have eliminated some pay bonuses that were credited with retaining and attracting new staff. That has resulted in long overtime shifts for some workers and the continued use of a policy known as augmentation, where prison nurses, cooks, teachers and other workers are pressed into duty to guard inmates. Infrastructure is buckling, too. A Bureau of Prisons ofﬁcial told Congress at a hearing in February that more than 4,000 beds within the system — the equivalent of at least two full prisons — are unusable because of dangerous conditions like leaking or failing roofs, mold, asbestos or lead.

Deaths in the system Since mid-March, 11 federal prison inmates have died. They include David Knezevich, a 37-year-old Florida businessman who was found dead April 28 in a suspected suicide at a federal jail in Miami. He was awaiting trial on charges he kidnapped and killed his estranged wife in Spain. And on April 24, inmate Ramadhan Jaabir Justice was killed in a ﬁght at the federal penitentiary in Pollock, Louisiana, where he was serving a nearly 11-year sentence for a conviction related to an armed robbery.

SAN DIEGO — The U.S. Coast Guard has suspended its search for seven people who went missing after a boat believed to be carrying migrants capsized off the San Diego coast, officials said Tuesday. The search effort stopped late Monday after crews combed the area via helicopter and a cutter for hours following the earlymorning capsizing of the boat, which killed at least three people whose bodies were recovered and injured at least four others who were rescued and taken to a hospital, Petty Officer Hunter Schnabel told The Associated Press. Nine people were initially reported missing, but two were later found and detained, Schnabel said.

He didn’t know which agency detained the individuals or why. The U.S. Border Patrol did not immediately respond to an email asking if it was involved. It isn’t clear if any of the seven people who were reported missing made it to shore on their own and left the area. Schnabel said they will be considered missing or unaccounted for unless there is a new development. Petty Officer Chris Sappey said it isn’t known where the boat was coming from before it ﬂipped shortly after sunrise about 35 miles north of the Mexico border. He described the vessel as a panga, which is a single or twin-engine open fishing boat commonly used by smugglers.

Migrants are increasingly turning to the risky alternative offered by smugglers to travel by sea to avoid heavily guarded land borders, including off California’s coast. Pangas leave the Mexican coast in the dead of night. In 2023, eight people were killed when two migrant smuggling boats approached a San Diego beach in heavy fog. One capsized in the surf. It was one of the deadliest maritime smuggling cases in waters off the U.S. coast. A federal judge sentenced a San Diego man to 18 years in prison in 2022 for piloting a small vessel overloaded with 32 migrants that smashed apart in powerful surf off San Diego’s coast, killing three people and injuring more than two dozen others.

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Rescue crews recover body of 10-year-old girl lost in Texas floods By The Associated Press BRENHAM, Texas — The body of a 10-year-old girl who was swept away in rapidly rising ﬂoodwaters has been recovered, Brenham Fire Chief Mark Donovan said Tuesday. Her body was found as forecasters warned that Tuesday could bring more heavy rains and ﬂooding to the Houston area and the state’s coast. Teams of people scoured the city of Brenham on Monday night, using drones with thermal imaging and dogs to try to find the girl. The

water rescue operation was scaled back overnight when heavy thunderstorms moved through the area, but four swift water rescue teams resumed operations early Tuesday, the Brenham Fire Department said in a social media post. The department was working with around a dozen supporting agencies to ﬁnd the girl, who was last seen at about 4 p.m. Monday. She was a student from Brenham Elementary School and support services will be available for students and staff, according to a Brenham

Independent School District social media post. “Our hearts are with the student’s family, and we ask our community to keep them in your thoughts and prayers during this incredibly difﬁcult time,” the district said. The next round of severe storms could bring as much as 6 inches of rain Tuesday to parts of southeastern Texas, according to the National Weather Service in Houston. Strong rip currents and ﬂooding along Gulf-facing beaches, especially during high tides, was also in the forecast.

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Conservative leader becomes Germany’s chancellor BY STEFANIE DAZIO and KIRSTEN GRIESHABER Associated Press

BERLIN — Conservative leader Friedrich Merz succeeded Tuesday in becoming Germany’s next chancellor, drawing applause and a palpable sense of relief in the parliament chamber after a historic loss in the first round of voting threatened the new government’s promises of stability. No other postwar candidate for German chancellor has failed to win on the first ballot. The stunning but shortlived defeat sent shock waves throughout Europe and dragged down the stock market. The DAX, the index of major German companies, fell by 1.8% at one point. The first round of voting, which was conducted by secret ballot, could affect Merz’s prospects for success and bring trouble to his coalition’s agenda, which includes reviving a stagnant economy and dealing with the rise of the far-right, anti-immigrant Alternative for Germany party. As the most populous mem-

ber state of the 27-nation European Union and the continent’s biggest economy, Germany is Europe’s diplomatic and economic heavyweight. Many had hoped Merz’s ascension would help the continent navigate the war in Ukraine Mertz and the confrontational trade policy of U.S. President Donald Trump. “The whole of Europe, perhaps even the whole world, is watching this second round of elections,” Jens Spahn, the head of the center-right Union bloc in the German parliament, said before the ﬁnal vote.

The aftermath Merz had been expected to easily win the vote to become Germany’s 10th chancellor since World War II, but the ﬁrst ballot in the lower house of parliament unexpectedly left him with 310 votes — well short of the 328 seats held by his coalition. Hours later in the second round, he earned 325 votes, surpassing the 316 needed to pass in the 630-seat Bundestag.

Because the votes were cast secretly, it was not immediately clear — and might never be — who defected from Merz’s camp. Merz’s coalition is led by his center-right Christian Democratic Union and its Bavarian sister party, the Christian Social Union. They are joined by the center-left Social Democrats led by outgoing Chancellor Olaf Scholz, who lost the national election in February. Volker Resing, Merz’s biographer, said Merz and his new ministers must now focus on the day-to-day business of running the country. “Tomorrow, this government must work, and it must make people forget how it started,” he told The Associated Press. “It must now show that it can get the economy going again. ... It must show that it can get illegal migration under control, and it must show that there is leadership again in Europe, especially in light of the threat from the east.” Merz did not directly address his first-round loss

Tuesday evening in his ﬁrst speech after being sworn in, saying only that he was grateful to be elected “in the second round of voting.” “So here we go. I am looking forward to the new task, and I am looking forward to working with you all in this house in a spirit of trust,” he said.

80th anniversary of WWII Tuesday’s voting came on the eve of the 80th anniversary of Nazi Germany’s unconditional surrender in World War II. The ballots were cast in the restored Reichstag building, where grafﬁti left by victorious Soviet troops has been preserved at several locations. The shadow of the war in Ukraine also loomed over the vote. Germany is the second-biggest supplier of military aid to Ukraine, after the United States.

U k r a i n e ’s P r e s i d e n t Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Tuesday that he seeks more European and transatlantic leadership from Germany following Merz’s win. “Ukraine is deeply grateful for the support of Germany and its people,” Zelenskyy wrote on social platform X. “Your helping hand has saved thousands and thousands of Ukrainian lives.” Overall, Germany is the fourth-largest defense spender in the world, according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, which studies trends in global military expenditures. Only the U.S., China and Russia are ahead. Germany rose to that rank thanks to an investment of $107 billion for its armed forces, a measure passed by lawmakers in 2022. Defense spending rose

again earlier this year, when parliament loosened the nation’s strict debt rules. The move has been closely watched by the rest of Europe as the Trump administration has threatened to pull back from its security commitment to the continent.

Trump administration The U.S. administration has bashed Germany repeatedly since Trump’s inauguration in January. Trump, who has German roots, often expressed his dislike of former Chancellor Angela Merkel during his ﬁrst term. This time around, Trump’s lieutenants are at the forefront — tech billionaire and Trump ally Elon Musk has supported AfD for months. He hosted a chat with coleader Alice Weidel that he livestreamed on X earlier this year to amplify her party’s message.

Bangladesh’s ex-premier returns BY JULHAS ALAM Associated Press

DHAKA, Bangladesh — Bangladesh’s ailing former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia returned to the country from London on Tuesday after four months of medical treatment, adding to pressure for its interim leaders to hold elections. The South Asian country has been under a government led by Nobel Peace Prize laureate Muhammad Yunus since former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina was ousted in a students-led mass uprising in August last year. Zia, Hasina’s archrival, and her Bangladesh Nationalist Party have been pushing Yunus’ government to hold a national election in December to return the country to democratic rule. Under Hasina, many opposition political parties including Zia’s BNP had either boycotted the polls or accused the authorities of rigging them. Many welcomed Hasina’s overthrow as a chance to return to democratic elections, but suspicion and uncertainty have surfaced in recent months about the new government’s commitment to hold elections soon. It has said the next election will be held in either December or by June next year, depending on the extent of reforms in various sectors. Her elder son, Tarique Rahman, leads the party as acting chief from exile in London. After Zia landed at 10:43 a.m., she was greeted by senior party leaders at Dhaka’s main airport. Zia, sitting in a wheelchair, smiled as she repeatedly raised her right hand to receive greetings.

Crowds gathered outside Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport to welcome the returning leader, amid tight security. Thousands of supporters, many carrying Bangladesh and BNP ﬂags, waited along about a 9-kilometer stretch of road leading to her house in Dhaka’s upscale Gulshan area. Accompanied by her two daughters-in-law, Zia arrived on a special air ambulance arranged by Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, who also arranged her transport to London in January. Zia suffers from various serious health conditions and she has not attended any public gatherings. Zia’s physical presence in the country has huge symbolic value for her party while Hasina is in exile in India.

Ahead of her arrival, BNP secretary-general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir said Tuesday her return will help Bangladesh restore the democratic process. “This is a joyous moment for us and the nation. At this crucial time for democracy, her presence marks a signiﬁcant day for the country. We believe that Khaleda Zia’s return will facilitate the path to democratic transition,” Fakhrul told reporters. Zia and Hasina have alternately ruled the country as prime ministers since 1991 when the country returned to a democracy after the ouster of authoritarian President H.M. Ershad. Zia served the country as prime minister three times, twice for full five-year terms and once for just a few months.

Notice is hereby given pursuant to Article 7, Section 23(C) of the Louisiana Constitution and R.S. 47:1705(B) that a public hearing of Livingston Parish Fire District 4 in Livingston Parish will be held at its regular meeting place located at 9760 Florida Blvd, Walker, LA 70785, June 16, 2025 at 6:00p.m. that the tax recipient body intends to consider levying additional or increased millage rates without further voter approval or adopting the adjusted millage rates after reassessment and rolling forward to rates not to exceed the prior year’s maximum. The estimated amount of tax revenues to be collected in the next year from the increased millage is $4,250,416.07, and the amount of increase in taxes attributable to the millage increase is $432,677.08.

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Amieva, H., Ouvrard, C., Giuloli, C., Meillon C., Rullier, L., & Dartigues, J. F. (2015). Self-reported hearing loss, hearing aids, and cognitive decline in elderly adults: A 25-year study. J Am Geriatr Soc. 2015 Oct;63 (10):2099 – 104. Doi: 10.1111/jgs.13649. 2Rechargeable option not available in all styles. See clinic for details. 1

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La. court weighs Orgeron divorce case Ex-wife seeks share of buyout

BY ANDREA GALLO Staff writer

An attorney for former LSU football coach Ed Orgeron argued to the Louisiana Supreme Court on Tuesday that his ex-wife is not entitled to money from his $17 million buyout, saying Orgeron received and earned the money after they were divorced. He and an attorney for Kelly Orgeron made opposite arguments

to the state’s high court in New Orleans over the divorce case. Ed Orgeron filed for divorce from his wife in 2020 shortly after winning the College Football National Championship. LSU ﬁred Orgeron in 2021 with a $17 million buyout after the divorce proceedings were underway. Kelly Orgeron has argued in court that she is entitled to some of the money from his termination agreement and previous sal-

ary. Her argument has largely hinged on a 2020 agreement that Ed Orgeron and LSU signed for $42 million before he ﬁled for divorce. By the time the LSU board of supervisors approved that deal, the divorce case had been opened in court. Robert Lowe, an attorney for Kelly Orgeron, said she sacriﬁced her career as a nurse practitioner to emotionally support her husband in his coaching career and raise their children. Once LSU won the national championship in 2020, Lowe said that Ed Orgeron told his

wife, “we ﬁnally made it.” The high was short-lived. “He had his agent call her and tell her he filed for divorce; he didn’t do it himself, and you can take from that what you will,” Lowe told the Supreme Court. “I believe his plan was to deprive her from this money.” But Randy Smith, representing Ed Orgeron, said the coach paid his ex-wife half of what he earned in the 43 days that lapsed between him inking a contract extension with LSU and filing for divorce. The contract extension raised his

salary to roughly $7 million a year. Smith said Ed Orgeron also paid his ex-wife half of the money in incentives he received for winning the national championship. His contract listed those earnings at $700,000. Smith asked the court to focus less on the dates of when Ed Orgeron signed contracts with LSU, and more of the substance of them. He said Ed Orgeron’s raise after winning the national championship still required him to work.

ä See ORGERON, page 2B

Baker loses lawsuit over schools State takeover of 2 ‘F’-rated schools still on hold BY CHARLES LUSSIER Staff writer

Two weeks after persuading one Baton Rouge judge to halt the takeover of two of its “F”-rated schools, the city of Baker school system failed to persuade another Baton Rouge judge that the takeovers violated the state’s Open Meetings Law. Ruling from the bench, ad hoc Judge Michael McDonald found Monday that the state board that oversees K-12 education in Louisiana remained on the right side of the law when it voted March 12 to take control of Baker Heights and Baker Middle schools, even though its meeting agenda that day made no mention of the schools or the takeovers. McDonald said “it would have been nice” if the board in question — the state Board of Elementary and Secondary Education — had provided more information on its March 12 agenda, but its failure to do so fell short of violating state law. McDonald did not explain why he ruled the way he did. He will codify his decision soon in a written ruling. Baker school officials now have to decide whether McDonald’s ruling is worth appealing. McDonald’s decision Monday has no immediate effect. An April 21 ruling by another Baton Rouge judge, Tarvald Smith, remains in effect, preventing the Baker school takeovers from proceeding. Smith found that BESE erred when it greenlit the takeovers but neglected to accept or reject a required reconstitution plan for the two “F”-rated schools that Baker submitted months earlier. The state has filed notice that it plans to appeal Smith’s April 21 ruling. Monday’s court hearing focused on a second lawsuit filed by Baker’s attorney, Dannie Garrett III. He asked the court to nullify the takeover of the two Baker schools because BESE violated Louisiana’s open meetings law. That law requires that “all public bodies, except the legislature and its committees and subcommittees” must post agendas for their meetings 24 hours in advance and “each item on the agenda shall be listed separately and described with reasonable specificity.” For decades, BESE has opted not to detail most of its planned actions on the agendas of its monthly meetings. Instead, it ratifies “Board Committee Reports” from committees that meet the day before and which handle almost all BESE business. The March 12

ä See BAKER, page 2B

STAFF PHOTOS By JAVIER GALLEGOS

GOOD EATS TOP: Vendor Emily Fekete smiles at a customer walking by her vegetable booth during the Red Stick Farmers Market at Goodwood Library on Tuesday. ABOVE: Shenetra Johnson coos to her son Victor, 2, as he sips a sample of Herb ‘N’ Bros juice. RIGHT: Big River Economic and Agricultural Development Alliance worker Allie Scheter, left, chats with LSU Agricultural Center nutrition and community health agent Eva Davis as she makes a strawberry pico de gallo.

WBR prepares for Man gets 5 years for sex 16-year-olds heavy rain, flooding trafficking Officials: Runaways Weather comes on heels of April deluge

BY HALEY MILLER

Staff writer

in a two-hour period, according to West Baton Rouge Parish President Jason Manola. Manola said the parish is working with an outside firm to conduct a drainage analysis and identify potential infrastructure investments, such as an additional culvert under La. 1, to mitigate future storms. “Our approach is a professional approach, using engineering firms, using model designs, instead of just going out and sticking a bucket in the ground,” Manola said. “We want to make sure what we’re doing is actually going to have a positive impact on all of our residents.”

West Baton Rouge is gearing up for another bout of heavy rain, storms and flash flooding in the coming days, less than two weeks after a downpour in the town of Addis triggered a rescue operation and forced 40 residents to evacuate. A flood watch is in effect for the parish through Thursday evening. The severe weather comes as some residents are still recovering from flash flooding in late April, when parts of Brusly and Email Haley Miller at haley. Addis received 6 inches of rain miller@theadvocate.com.

forced into prostitution

BY MATT BRUCE Staff writer

A man who recruited two 16-year-old girls to be sex workers at Baton Rouge motels was sentenced to five years in prison Monday. Chad Armstead, 31, pleaded guilty to pornography involving a juvenile and two counts of human trafficking during a hearing inside the 19th Judicial District Courthouse. District Judge Will Jorden sentenced the Baton Rouge man to 10 years on each of the trafficking convictions, but suspended five years of the term for each count and ordered Armstead to serve

the sentences simultaneously. He also imposed a concurrent 20year sentence for the child porn confession and suspended 15 years of the time in lockup, leaving a balance of ﬁve years behind bars for all three charges. After he is released, Armstead must serve three years of state probation and will be required to register as a sex offender for 25 years, according to the judge’s sentence. The trial was supposed to begin Monday on allegations Armstead used Instagram in early 2023 to recruit the two teenage girls, who were runaways from Department of Children and Family Services custody. He forced them to work as prostitutes, hiding the fact that they were underage in online sex

ä See SEX, page 2B

2B ■ Wednesday, May 7, 2025 ■ theadvocate.com ■ The Advocate

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Border Patrol arrests 48 in Louisiana, Mississippi Trump immigration crackdown widens

BY JAMES FINN

Staff writer

Federal Border Patrol agents arrested and deported dozens of people in a sweeping immigration enforcement operation along the Interstate 10 corridor in Louisiana and Mississippi in late April, ofﬁcials said, part of the Trump administration’s widening crackdown on immigration. The enforcement action, which federal officials described as a “highway interdiction operation” dubbed “Operation Magnolia,” yielded arrests of 48 people originally from Mexico, Nicaragua, Kazakhstan, Honduras, Colombia and Guatemala who are accused of entering the United States illegally, Border Patrol spokesperson Rob Brisley said in a written statement.

Border Patrol provided few additional details on the arrests. But combined with documents agents have ﬁled in federal court, the announcement sheds light on how the Trump administration is relying on vehicle surveillance and trafﬁc stops to carry out its immigration agenda in New Orleans and across the Gulf South. Border Patrol did not release the identities of those detained in the highway operation, apart from saying that eight of the people would be prosecuted in federal courts for illegal reentry to the U.S. — a criminal proceeding separate from the civil process migrants undergo when they appear in immigration courts. Federal prosecutors around the country are pursuing an unprecedented number of those criminal cases, mostly against people whose sole alleged crimes are reentering the country after being deported, as Trump marshals the Justice Department’s resources to support his immigration agenda. Historically, the department preferred to

leave such cases to the immigration court system. Besides the detainees charged with illegal reentry, Brisley said the recent Border Patrol operation led to the arrest of one person accused of being in the country illegally who would be charged with using false documents. Three U.S. citizens, too, face “various federal charges” stemming from the operation, Brisley said. He said Border Patrol agents seized $104,000 in cash, guns and magazines and other “illegal contraband.” The apparent strategy of detaining people along major roadways comes as Trump has used a broadening set of tactics in enacting his immigration agenda, which has included detaining students on college campuses and ratcheting up criminal prosecutions for low-level immigration felonies. Louisiana has emerged as a focal point of that agenda due in part to its high number of Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention centers.

Last month, the administration drew headlines after a 2-year-old girl appeared to have been deported despite pleas from immigration attorneys and the girl’s father to ICE ofﬁcials, including in an earlier legal filing, that asserted she had been born in Louisiana and was a U.S. citizen, according to an order issued by a Trump-appointed federal judge in Monroe. ICE ofﬁcials said the child’s mother, also deported, requested that her daughter remain with her, though immigration attorneys have disputed that account. Brisley declined to answer questions about the identities of the people arrested along I-10 last month, and about precisely where the arrests occurred and how Border Patrol elects to refer immigration detainees to the Justice Department for criminal prosecution.

tion — were not released. But in New Orleans in recent weeks, agents appear to have relied on traffic stops repeatedly to detain people accused of illegally reentering the country, according to federal court records. In several cases, they have done so after monitoring homes and vehicles. Border Patrol agents in New Orleans on April 10 pulled over a red GMC pickup they believed was owned and driven by people in the country without documentation, Border Patrol Intelligence Agent Francisco Del Valle wrote in an affidavit. The agents ran a check on the truck’s plates and saw that the vehicle was registered in Mississippi to what Del Valle and his colleagues believed was a “fictitious” person. Border Patrol agents view such registration as a common tactic used by people in the country illegally, Del Valle Traffic stops wrote, “because of the strict Operational details — in- identification laws at the Loucluding how Border Patrol isiana Department of Motor agents determined who to Vehicles.” The agents stopped the stop and detain in the opera-

Bill to abolish West Feliciana McDonald’s to open Port Commission advances off Juban Road

BY JAMES MINTON Contributing writer

A bill to abolish the West Feliciana Parish Port Commission advanced through a House committee on Wednesday. The move to delete the panel has been championed by Parish President Kenny Havard. The House Committee on Transportation, Highways and Public Works recommended House Bill 94 for consideration by the full House without objection. The bill was authored by Rep. Jeremy LaCombe and Sen. Glen Womack, who represent West Feliciana Parish.

ORGERON

Continued from page 1B

Courts have agreed so far with Ed Orgeron, ruling that his ex-wife was not entitled to money from his salary and buyout after they were divorced. They’ve ruled that the money was not reward for past performance, but compensation for future work. “The time and expendi-

BAKER

Continued from page 1B agenda listed ﬁve such committees by name, including its School Innovation and Turnaround Committee, the one that handled the Baker school takeovers, but said nothing more. The agenda from the previous day’s School Innovation and Turnaround Committee, however, was very detailed as to the proposed action concerning the two Baker schools. Amanda LaGrue, BESE’s attorney, said the board’s

SEX

Continued from page 1B advertisements, and kept a lion’s share of their earnings for himself, according to authorities. The Louisiana State Police Special Victims unit began investigating in April 2023 after responding to a hitand-run accident in which the girls were injured. Armstead’s arrest affidavit indicates they crashed hours after escaping the man by stealing his car. One of the teens told state troopers she ran away from Children and Family Services on Feb. 24, 2023, and began staying with an older

The Port Commission has been inactive for a number of years, although some members, including some appointed last year, have attempted to revive it to consider projects on the Mississippi River. Havard has clashed with Lauren Field and other commission members in recent months over the proposal to abolish the commission, which is a subdivision of the state. The port board voted in 2023 to ask the Legislature to abolish the commission, but Field and several other members have attempted to reverse that vote. However, no one appeared at the hearing to

protest the bill’s passage. Havard and commission members Paul Lambert and Andrew Grezafﬁ were on hand to speak in favor of the bill during the committee hearing, but only one representative posed a question about the reason for a b o l i s h - Havard ing the agency. LaCombe told Rep. Joy Walters the bill was proposed because the commission had asked for it, and Walters had no further questions.

It’s the sixth franchise for Livingston Parish

Good news for Livingston Parish residents who crave a McChicken or the iconic Happy Meal: The parish is getting another McDonald’s. A new location of the fastfood chain is breaking ground in June in Denham Springs. It will be on a 1-acre tract off Juban Road near Rouses. Once ground is broken, construction will take about ﬁve months, if weather conditions permit it. The store

is expected to open before the year ends, said Jonathan Walker of Maestri-Murrell Commercial Real Estate, who is representing McDonald’s in the sale. Walker said the location being in proximity to Juban Crossing’s retail shops will help generate more trafﬁc to the fast-food restaurant. This will be the sixth McDonald’s in Livingston Parish. There are four locations in Denham Springs already and one in Walker. Another McDonald’s location in Ascension Parish on La. 73 in Prairieville is currently under construction and should be open in the next few months, Walker said.

BY CLAIRE GRUNEWALD Staff writer

ture of the labor is what counts, not the date of the contract execution,” Smith said. “Here, the good work that Coach O did led to a raise … but he still had to go to work and he could be ﬁred any time.” Smith warned that if the court ruled in Kelly Orgeron’s favor, it could open up the ﬂoodgates. “Any spouse could come in however many years later and argue that any raise and any future job was

birthed during the marriage,” he said. LSU is still paying out Ed Orgeron’s $17 million buyout nearly four years after ﬁring him. The deal called for splitting the money into 18 installments from 2021 through 2025. He is set to receive his three ﬁnal payments later this year: $426,000 in June, $750,000 in July and $426,000 in December. Three justices on the state Supreme Court re-

cused themselves from hearing the case. Chief Justice John Weimer wrote in a recusal motion that he has “a personal friendship with one of the parties,” while Justice John Michael Guidry wrote in a filing that he “performed a judicial act in a related cause in another court.” Justice Will Crain did not elaborate on his reasons for recusing, and in his motion referenced the state’s Code of

Civil Procedure to “avoid the appearance of bias or prejudice.” Replacing the three of them were three retired judges sitting ad hoc: former 3rd Circuit Court of Appeal Judge John Conery; former state Supreme Court Justice Joseph Bleich; and former 22nd Judicial District Judge Martin Coady. Staff Writer John Simerman contributed to this report.

way of doing business is spelled out in state administrative code and that the public was sufficiently informed of the board’s actions thanks to the detailed agenda for the March 11 School Innovation and Turnaround Committee. Garrett argued that BESE rules are at odds with state law, that such information needs to be spelled out to at least some degree on the agendas of its regular meetings as well. “They simply chose to do it differently,” Garrett said. “We don’t believe they had a right to.”

Garrett put BESE President Ronnie Morris on the stand, quizzing him about how members of the public who showed up March 12 at the BESE meeting would know what they were planning to do in Baker. Morris said those details are found in the reports of the BESE committees. “To get that level of detail, you would have had to read the report (of the committee),” Morris said, adding that members of the public could also have attended or watched online the livestream of the committee that met the day before.

Garrett noted that the relevant committee meeting occurred 19 hours before BESE ratified its actions, and that such actions should have been listed on its agenda at least 24 hours before BESE met. “Without an in-depth understanding of everything

that happened the prior day … there is no way that the public would know what was happening at those meetings, and that’s what the law requires,” Garrett said.

man she identified as Armstead. He reached out to her on social media months before, and when she met with him shortly running away, they began having sex. According to the arrest report, he infected the teen with a sexually transmitted disease. Following that initial encounter, he made the girl pose for racy photos that he used to post as sex advertisements on trafficking websites. Prosecutors said Armstead arranged the meetups and forced the girls to have sex with men for money. One of the victims said he kept 80% of the profits she made, telling investigators most of the rendezvous occurred at

one of three Capital City locations: the Paradise Inn on Airline Highway, Oyo Hotel on Gwenadele Avenue or Motel 6 on Rieger Road. One of the girls said Armstead referred to himself as their “pimp” and slapped her when she told him she wanted to stop having sex for money. The second victim said she met Armstead about two weeks before the hit-andrun and he immediately told her to “go get in the shower so she could take nude pictures.” He posted the photos on three websites and began promoting her as a sex worker. Email Matt Bruce at matt. bruce@theadvocate.com.

Email Charles Lussier at clussier@theadvocate. com.

truck and detained the driver, Waulter Homero RaymundoMarcos, of Honduras, along with four passengers from Guatemala and Honduras suspected of being in the country without documentation. In other cases, Border Patrol agents described surveilling homes where undocumented people are suspected of living, then following vehicles that leave from those locations and performing traffic stops. In Terrytown on March 27, agents described in an affidavit monitoring a home inhabited by a “previously deported Guatemalan national.” When a Toyota Tundra departed the house around 7 a.m., Border Patrol agents performed a traffic stop on the vehicle and detained the driver, identified in court records as Neri Osbeli Argueta-Chun, and one passenger, Frailyn Argueta-Jeronimo, on allegations that they had reentered the country without permission. Email James Finn at jfinn@theadvocate.com.

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The Advocate ■ theadvocate.com ■ Wednesday, May 7, 2025 ■ 3B

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FROM STAFF AND WIRE REPORTS

U.S. expands attempt to break up Google

The U.S. Justice Department is doubling down on its attempt to break up Google by asking a federal judge to force the company to part with some of the technology powering the company’s digital ad network. The proposed dismantling coincides with an ongoing federal effort to separate Google’s Chrome browser from its dominant search engine. The government’s latest proposal was filed late Monday in a Virginia federal court 21/ 2 weeks after a federal judge ruled that its lucrative digital ad network has been improperly abusing its market power to stifle competition to the detriment of online publishers. In a 17-page filing, Justice Department lawyers argued that U.S. District Judge Leonie Brinkema should punish Google by ordering the company to offload its AdX business and DFP ad platform, tools that bring together advertisers, who want to market their products, and publishers, who want to sell commercial space on their sites, to bring in revenue. The government also is seeking other restrictions, including a 10-year ban on Google from operating a digital ad exchange, to undercut the power of a “recidivist monopolist.” Not surprisingly, it’s an idea that Google vehemently plans to oppose when the penalty phase of the antitrust case — known as remedy hearings — begins in late September. Google already has vowed to appeal Brinkema’s ruling that the technology powering the ad network has been breaking the law, but can’t do that until the judge rules on its punishment in a decision expected late this year or early next year. The Justice Department’s proposal “would cause economic chaos and technological dysfunction resulting in harm to millions of advertisers and publishers, and in so doing, degrade the experience of internet users,” Google said in a court filing late Monday. In its counterproposal, Google outlined a plan that it believes will bring more transparency to its ad network and eventually foster more competition. Google proposed the appointment of a trustee to oversee its behavior for three years. The attempt to tear down Google’s ad network comes on top of the Justice Department’s ongoing effort to have the company part with its popular Chrome browser and impose other restrictions to curtail the power of its ubiquitous search engine, which another federal judge branded an illegal monopoly in a ruling last August. The remedy hearings in the search case are scheduled to conclude later this month, with a ruling from U.S. District Judge Amit Mehta expected by Labor Day.

Rite Aid to close or sell off its stores Rite Aid customers can expect their local store to close or change ownership in the next few months, as the struggling drugstore chain goes through another bankruptcy ﬁling. The company plans to sell customer prescription ﬁles, inventory and other assets as it closes distribution centers and unloads store locations. Stores will remain open for now, but the company isn’t buying new inventory so bare shelves are likely become more common. “I think what we’ll progressively see is the stores will become more and more spartan,” retail analyst Neil Saunders said. The company runs 1,245 stores in 15 states, according to its website. It has a heavy presence in New York, Pennsylvania and California, which alone has 347 locations. Rite Aid no longer has stores in Louisiana; it largely left the state by 2018, after Walgreens bought 2,000 locations. Rite Aid said most of its stores will remain open for a few more months. All locations will eventually close or be sold to a new owner.

S&P 500 5,606.91 -43.47

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U.S. stocks sink for second day 20 years. The Dow Jones In- was sitting at only $20 less than a “pausing” its financial forecasts Companies detail than for 2025, in part because the dustrial Average and the Nasdaq year ago. The return to Earth for AI stocks “evolving U.S. tariff landscape” is also ﬁnished lower. damage from Trump’s composite Palantir Technologies was one of is happening as Trump’s tariffs making it difﬁcult to predict how trade war the heaviest weights on the mar- change the economic landscape much U.S. shoppers will spend

BY STAN CHOE and ALEX VEIGA AP business writers

U.S. stocks closed lower Tuesday as quarterly results show more companies are scrubbing their forecasts for upcoming profits because of uncertainty created by President Donald Trump’s tariffs. The S&P 500 fell, its second drop after breaking a nine-day winning streak, its longest such run in more

ket as it sank 12%. The company, which offers an AI platform for customers, dropped even though it reported a profit for the latest quarter that met analysts’ expectations and raised its forecast for revenue over the full year. AI-related companies have been finding it more difficult recently to convince investors to support their stocks after they’ve already shot so high. Palantir’s stock’s price remains near $110, when it

for other companies. Clorox CEO Linda Rendle said her company saw changes in shopping behavior during the ﬁrst three months of the year, for example, that led to lower revenue. The company reported both weaker revenue and proﬁt for the latest quarter than analysts expected. Clorox expects the slowdowns to continue in the current quarter, and its stock fell 2.4%. Mattel, meanwhile, said it’s

Vehicles for export are parked at a port in Pyeongtaek, South Korea, in April.

over the holiday season and the rest of this year. The toymaker closed 2.8% higher after also reporting better results for the latest quarter than analysts feared. Ford Motor said it’s expecting to take a $1.5 billion hit this year because of tariffs. The automaker also said it’s canceling financial forecasts for the full year because of “tariff-related uncertainty.” The stock rose 2.7%.

ASSOCIATED PRESS FILE PHOTO By LEE JIN-MAN

U.S. trade deficit hits record high Many try to get ahead of Trump tariffs

BY WYATTE GRANTHAM-PHILIPS AP business writer

NEW YORK — The U.S. trade deﬁcit soared to a record $140.5 billion in March as consumers and businesses alike tried to get ahead of President Donald Trump’s latest and most sweeping tariffs — with federal data showing an enormous stockpiling of pharmaceutical products. The deficit — which measures the gap between the value of goods and services the U.S. sells abroad against what it buys — has roughly doubled over the last year. In March 2024, that gap was just under $68.6 billion, according to Commerce Department records. According to federal data released Tuesday, U.S. exports for goods and services totaled about $278.5 billion in March, while imports climbed to nearly $419 billion. That’s up $500 million and $17.8 billion, respectively, from February trade. Consumer goods led the imports surge — increasing by $22.5 billion in March. And

pharma products in particular climbed $20.9 billion, the U.S. Census Bureau and Bureau of Economic Analysis noted, signaling that drugmakers sought to get ahead of Trump’s threats to slap tariffs on the sector. “While we had known consumer goods accounted for the bulk of March’s rise, we can now see pharmaceutical products were $20 billion higher — almost all of which were imported from Ireland,” analysts at Oxford Economics wrote in a Tuesday research note. “Uncertainty remains high, and broader signs of front-loading may be visible in coming months.” Imports of “capital goods,” like computers, as well as automotive parts and cars, also increased in March. But industrial supplies and materials, such as metal and crude oil coming into the U.S., fell — notably as steel and aluminum tariffs and other levies impacting energy took effect. And servicebased imports like travel also decreased. Overall, imports are ﬂooding into the U.S. for products that have — or are feared to soon be — caught in the crosshairs of the ongoing trade wars. Trump has threatened and imposed a series of steep tariffs in recent months. Much of March, in particular, was ﬁlled with anticipation and uncertainty

leading up to what the president called “Liberation Day” on April 2, when he announced new import taxes on nearly all of America’s trading partners. With the exception of China, higher tariff rates for many countries have since been postponed — but other sweeping levies remain. The White House insists that new tariffs will help close long-standing trade deﬁcits (the U.S. hasn’t sold the rest of the world more than it’s bought since 1975), reinvigorate manufacturing in America and generate government revenue. But economists are warning of significant consequences for businesses, households and economies worldwide under the levies that Trump has proposed. These new tariffs are already increasing operating costs for businesses that rely on a global supply chain — which, in turn, will hike prices for a range of goods that consumers buy each day. The recent surge in imports reﬂects efforts by companies across the country to bring in foreign goods before more duties kicked in. New orders for manufactured durable goods, for example, jumped 9.2% to $315.7 billion in March, according to Census Bureau data released last month.

150 to be hired for Shreveport airport maintenance facility SkyWest expects to open later this year

BY LIZ SWAINE Staff writer

SkyWest Airlines, the nation’s largest regional carrier, will be hiring 150 employees to staff a new maintenance facility at Shreveport Regional Airport. The Tuesday announcement came together quickly, said North Louisiana Economic Partnership Executive Director Justyn Dixon, because SkyWest needs to begin hiring ASAP. “These jobs are going to start being posted in the next 24 to 48 hours,” he said. The new jobs will have an average annual salary of $70,000. In addition, Louisiana Economic Development estimates the facility will lead to 375 indirect jobs. SkyWest expects the maintenance base will open in the second half of the year. The 152,000 square foot maintenance facility will move into an

existing hangar at SHV that was built in 1983 to house Rockwell. Over the years, the facility has been used by Boeing, Continental Express and Western Global Airlines. To help seal the deal with SkyWest, the Caddo Parish Industrial Development Board is providing a $250,000 performance-based grant, said IDB counsel Mike Busada, of Butler Snow. The grant will be matched by LED and Caddo Parish, putting the total vale of the package at $750,000. Northwest Louisiana’s electric franchise AEP/ SWEPCO is providing an energy efﬁciency grant of up to $200,000. Funding will also be routed to the airframe and power plant maintenance program at Southern University Shreveport so the school can continue to support the airport, Busada said. NLEP’s Dixon said this announcement is a step in the right direction in Northwest Louisiana. “When I got here four years ago, I said we need to be an aerospace community,” Dixon said.

STAFF PHOTO By JILL PICKETT

North Louisiana Economic Partnership President and CEO Justyn Dixon speaks Tuesday about SkyWest Airlines plans for a maintenance facility in Shreveport. “We have developable sites out at the airport. We have Barksdale Air Force Base, where 800 to 1000 well-trained individuals are outprocessing every year. We have an A&P school at Southern that needs to be propped up.” Shreveport Airports Director

Larry Blackwell said SkyWest is a solid partner for Shreveport. “They employ about 14,000 people, and with what they’re doing in the industry,” he said, “with regional jets and modifying regional jets, I see good things in the future for sure.”

4B ■ Wednesday, May 7, 2025 ■ theadvocate.com ■ The Advocate

Funerals Today Bergeron, Margaret

Holy Family Catholic Church in Port Allen at 11:30am.

Guy, Joyce

Wilbert Funeral Home, 24120 Railroad Ave, Plaquemine, LA at 11am.

Marino, Susan

Our Lady of Mercy Catholic Church, 445 Marquette Ave, Baton Rouge, LA at 10am.

Nesom Sheffield, Carlie

Seale Funeral Home in Denham Springs at 10:30 a.m.

Ransome, Brian

St. Ann’s Catholic Church Morganza, LA at 10:30am

Obituaries Battles, Baylor Austin

Baylor Austin Battles passed away on April 24, 2025, at the Naval Base in King’s Bay, Georgia. Baylor was born on Sunday, July 4, in Covington, 2004, Louisiana to Angela Brooke Battles. Baylor is survived by his mother, Brooke Bat‐ tles, stepmother Teresa Bartus (Chris), siblings Baylei Webre, Elijah Knox, Braylynn Battles, & Brook‐ Battles, maternal lynn grandparents Robert and Mary Battles, grandparents Tim and Valerie Knox, and grandmother Gail step Todora. He's also survived by his maternal aunts Becky Battles (Cody), Ste‐ vie Knox, Ashley Hall, aunts Dina Kutch (Aaron), Christie Williamson (Marc), maternal uncle Allen Bat‐ tles, uncle Zachery Knox, Joel Alack (Leslie), Neil Alack (Jessica), and Colby Nagem (Jene'e). He is also by his Aunt survived Becky's children Caden and Chloe who are more like his brother and sister. There are also many great aunts, great uncles, and cousins and he was deeply loved by each and every one of them. Baylor was preceded in death by Jerrilynn grandmother grandparets, Melancon, Evelyn Geraldine Battles and Clifford Nathan Bat‐ tles, his baby brother, Ben‐ nett Nathan Battles, grand‐ parents Margaret “Marty” and Anthony “Chili” Alack, grandparents Jimmie and Patti Knox, and Gerald and Margie Melancon, and step grandfather Frank Todora, Jr. Baylor grew up in Amite, Louisiana where he gradu‐ ated high school from Oak Forest Academy in 2022. He then studied at Southeast‐ ern Louisiana University for a year leading up to his decision to join the United States Navy. Baylor en‐ listed March 19, 2024, and shipped out May 7, 2024, to the Naval Training Center in Great Lakes, Illinois. He graduated from the U.S. Naval Recruit Training July 18, 2024, and was then sent to Groton, Connecticut, for Naval Submarine School. graduated from Baylor Submarine School on Janu‐ ary 24, 2025. After gradua‐ tion Baylor was stationed in King's Bay, Georgia where he was to spend the next 4 years in his career as a Sonar Technician on the USS Rhode Island. Bay‐ lor, our 4th of July baby, our B-man, Baylor Bear, our one of a kind with a big gentle heart and a great sense of humor. He had a big loving family and al‐ ways made time to visit with all of them. Baylor loved playing video games and while away could eas‐

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ily interact with his little sisters playing Roblox and with his brother playing Minecraft. He didn't just enjoy playing video games but also the technical com‐ ponent of making them and had become quite tech savvy over the years. Bay‐ a was deﬁnitely lor momma's boy, and they spent many weekends hit‐ ting up all the local garage sales or traveling. Baylor also loved running and would go for a nightly run around the naval base in King's Bay. He also liked to ﬁsh and very recently gained an interest in riding motor bikes which he would do on the weekends with some of his Navy bud‐ dies. Baylor would've been 21 this year and had just begun to really explore life and all its wonder. He was taken way too soon and left a big hole in the hearts of all who knew him be‐ cause to know him was to love him. He will be forever missed and never forgot‐ ten. Visitation at First Bap‐ tist Church of Amite from 10:00 a.m. until religious services at 12 noon on Sat‐ urday, May 10, 2025. Ser‐ vices conducted by Bro. Matt White. Interment Bat‐ tles Bennett Cemetery, Amite, LA. McKneely Fu‐ neral Home, Amite, in charge of arrangements. For an online guestbook, http://www. visit mckneelys.com.

Chemin, Joseph Murry

Joseph "Joe" Murry Chemin, 91, of Greenwell Springs, LA, passed away on April 28, 2025. Known affectionately as "Joe the Plumber" and "Joe Baby," he was a kindhearted man who often helped the Central community by providing free plumbing work to those in need. He is survived by his wife, JoAnn Barnes Chemin; his son, Joseph Barry Chemin (Marites); his daughter, Joani Ventrella (Gary); his grandchildren, Jonathan Chemin, Theresa Chemin, and Lauren Ventrella (Adam Brister); and his great-grandchild, Vivian Brister. He was preceded in death by his son, Joseph Murry Chemin Jr. Joe loved dancing and making people laugh. He is now reunited with many of his lifelong friends and son who passed before him. Visitation will be held Thursday, May 8, 2025, from 9:00 to 11:00 a.m. at Rabenhorst Funeral Home on Government St., followed by a memorial service at 11:00 a.m.

Jackson, Gladys Lee

Gladys Lee Fisher Jackson born on February 6, 1953 in Pride, La. To the late Louis and Mary Fisher,

departed this life on Tuesday April 29,2025 at the Crossing at Clarity Hospice. Celebration of Life on Saturday May 10,2025, at New Hope Baptist Church Slaughter , La. 70777. Visitation from 9am. to 11am with service beginning at 11:00 am.

Kendrick, John Michael

John Michael Kendrick of Baton Rouge, La passed away of heart failure on Sunday, May 4, 2025, at Our Lady of the Lake Hospital at age 76. He was a graduate of Istrouma High School Class of 1968. He worked for years as a draftsman for various engineering firms and later started his own business performing home inspections. In retirement he became Santa Claus bringing the joy of Christmas to children. He was an avid fisherman competing in tournaments and making long lasting friendships throughout his life. Michael is survived by his wife of 49 years, Barbara White Kendrick; brother, Ronnie Kendrick; children Rachael Goff (Steven); and Blaine Kendrick (Amy). He had six grandchildren, Alexa (Hootie), Andrew (Hammerhead), Carley (Honey Bunny), Matthew (Big Man), Laura (Queen), and Adam (Little Man). He was preceded in death by his parents Merwin and Mavis Kendrick. Visitation will be on Thursday, May 8, 2025, from 4:30 pm - 6:30 pm at Temple Baptist Church at 3650 O'Neal Lane, Baton Rouge, La followed by service at 6:30 pm. Arrangements with Church Funeral Services & Crematory.

Kenyon, Susan McCabe 'Sue'

listening whether or not you'd ever met before. Sue listened to your words and the music behind the words. If you've ever poured your heart out to Sue, you know what this kind of listening and love feels like. In 1983, Sue married her dear husband, Don, and together they raised their six children - Max Franz, Kristin (Stephen) Schexnayder, Mark (Susannah) Franz, Doug (Melissa) Kenyon, Brad (Chrissy) Kenyon, Matt (Laura) Kenyon. Sue and Don enjoyed time with their grandchildren, Justin, Joshua, William, Danielle, Gabrielle, Miranda, Courtney, Baileigh, Hannah, and Hudson; and their many great-grandchildren. Sue was predeceased by her beloved Don, her parents; son, Max, who was killed by a drunk driver in 1984; and granddaughter, Kaitlin Schexnayder. Sue's family is grateful for the care and support they received from Our Lady of the Lake Neuro ICU, OLOL Rehabilitation unit, Southside Gardens, and

Pinnacle Hospice and her many beloved friends. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that you take a friend to lunch in Sue's honor. A memorial service will be held on Friday, May 9, 2025 at University Presbyterian Church, 3240 Dalrymple Drive Baton Rouge, LA. Visitation at 1PM, Service at 2PM.

Madere, Maureen M.

Maureen M. Madere, 89, passed away on April 27, 2025. She was born on, in Bilston, England to John and Lucy (Fieldhouse) Grif‐ ﬁths. As a young child dur‐ ing WWII, Maureen’s family lived with the frequent threat of German air raids. Her family had an air raid shelter in their back yard,

and she carried a gas mask to school daily along with her classmates. Time outside was spent looking for shrapnel and evenings spent gathered were around the radio. Items were scarce and rationing was common. Maureen’s experiences as a young child shaped her perspec‐ tive throughout life. She was always grateful for the things given her. She was frugal herself but generous with others. Maureen grad‐ uated with the Class of 1952 from Our Lady of Mercy Convent in Wolver‐ hampton. She worked in in‐ telligence at GCHQ, the UK’s intelligence and secu‐ rity agency, where she met and married the love of her life, Harry A. Madere, dur‐ ing a joint social event with her American coun‐ terparts who worked in in‐ telligence for the United Maureen spent States. twenty-two years as a mili‐ wife traveling tary throughout the world while raising her four children. Upon Harry’s retirement, family moved to the hometown of Harry’s LA. Maureen LaPlace, spent her later years in ﬁshing, LA, Chauvin, shrimping, and gardening with Harry. She loved the peaceful serenity of living

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Born in Akron, Ohio, Sue grew up in California and Colorado with her brother, Don, and her sister, Ann. Sue's career choices flowed from her compassion. in 1976, Sue began her career at THE PHONE, later to be the BR Crisis Intervention Center. From volunteer to Deputy Director, Sue dedicated over 35 years to helping people in crisis. For many years, Sue also co-led the Children's Bereavement Group. After BRCIC, Sue worked in the Social Work department at the National Hansen's Disease Hospital in Carville. She enjoyed serving as a Doula to expectant mothers.

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Sue loved traveling with Don and spending time with family and friends. When she moved into Assisted Living, Sue had so many friends visit that one staff person asked, "Are you famous?" Sue knew how to love and care for others. She easily moved into active

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on the bayou. She became a resident of Francois Bend Assisted Living in 2020, where she formed many friendships. She enjoyed meeting new people and took time to listen to their life stories. She also had many stories of her own; and those who knew her loved to hear about her experiences unique throughout the world as a military wife, especially with her authentic British accent. She was preceded in death by her parents and her beloved spouse, Harry. She is survived by her brother, Gary (Janette) Grifﬁths of Burntwood, England; children, Michael Lee (Ana) Madere of Gon‐ zales, Vicky (Bob) De‐ Cristofaro of Seneca, SC, Tracey (Mark) Foley of Tomball, TX and Scott Madere of LaPlace; her James grandchildren, Madere of Ypsilanti, MI, Bobby Madere of Baton Rouge, Alex Madere of Gonzales, Eric (Molly) De‐ Cristofaro of Glenview, IL, Ashley (Kevin) Ekman of Greer, SC, Austin Foley of Tomball, TX, Bridgette (Aja) Madere of Aurora, CO, Josh (Julia) Madere of Walker, and Heather (Devin) Clift of seven greatLaPlace; grandchildren; and a niece, Lara Grifﬁths of Solihull, England. Visitation is from 12 pm – 2 pm, followed by a memorial service at 2 pm on May 10, 2025, at Millet Guidry Funeral Home, 2806 W. Airline Hwy, LaPlace. In‐ terment will follow at St. John Memorial Gardens, 2205 West Airline Hwy, LaPlace. Many thanks to the kind and compassion‐ ate staff at Francois Bend Assisted Living, the Hos‐ pice staff at Amedisys, and Griswold Home Care. To Share Memories or Condo‐ lences please visit www. milletguidry.com

beloved daughter, Dwanna Sandifer. She is survived by her husband of 62 years, Howard "Pete" Peterson; daughter Deanna West (Stuart); son Howard Glen Peterson Jr. (Jeana); brothers Bobby Stott (Betty), Elliott Stott (Mary), and Chuck Stott (Dorris); grandchildren Daniel Sandifer Jr., Jenson Sandifer, Tyler Peterson (Haylie), William West, Benjamin West (Amelia), Emma West Moreau (Kaden), Micah Claire West, Laiken Peterson, and Harvey Jean Peterson; and great-grandchildren Nicholas Sandifer, Liam Kai Sandifer, Whitley Peterson, Maxwell Moreau, and Truett Peterson. Pete would like to extend his heartfelt gratitude to the community for their visits, food, phone calls, and prayers during Ruth's illness. Special thanks to Clarity Hospice for their compassionate care and to Ms. Verna Robertson for her many years of loving and devoted service. In lieu of flowers, the family kindly requests donations to St. Jude's Children's Research Hospital. Rest in peace, Ruth. Your love and legacy will live on in our hearts. A ceremony celebrating Ruth's life will be held on Thursday May 8, 2025, at Galilee Baptist Church Zachary, visitation will begin at 11:00 am until time of service at 1:00 pm. Interment will follow at Greenoaks Memorial Park Cemetery. Arrangement with Church Funeral Services.

Ramirez, Gertrude C.

(Ray), Toni Troxclair, Emily Eskine, Lauren Southerland (Justin), Shelly Timmons (Austin), Aaron Eskine (Megan); and 11 great grandchildren, Annalee, Adeline, Bella, Niko, Angelo, Ava, Carter, Carley, Jude, Maggie, and Jacob. She is preceded in death by her husband Harold Ramirez, a sister Grace Ann Ourso, a brother, Leonard Canizaro, and parents Mary Campesi Canizaro and Joseph Canizaro. A visitation will be held on Thursday, May 8th, 2025, from 9:30am10:45am at Ourso Funeral Home, 31885 LA-1 N, White Castle, LA, 70788. A mass to follow at Our Lady of Prompt Succor Church in White Castle, LA with entombment to follow at OLPS mausoleum. Special thanks to the nurses at Landmark South Nursing Home and Life Source Hospice for the excellent care given to her. Rest in peace, Tude.

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Williams, Gertrude G.

Minister Gertrude G. Williams entered into eter‐ nal rest at Our Lady of the Regional Medical Lake Center on Thursday, May 1, 2025. She was an 83-year old native and resident of Port Allen, Louisiana. View‐ ing at Sunrise Baptist Church, Dr. Phillip Joseph, pastor, on Thursday, May 8, 2025 at 9:00 am until Cel‐ ebration of Life Service at 11:00 am conducted by Rev. Larry James; inter‐ ment at Second Baptist Church of West Baton Rouge Cemetery. Survivors include her sons, Wilson, Jr. and Adrain James; ﬁve grandchildren; a greatgranddaughter; and three siblings; other relatives and friends. Arrangements entrusted to Miller & Daughter Mortuary.

Peterson, Ruth Elaine Stott

Ruth Elaine Stott Peterson, a devoted wife, mother, grandmother, and great -grandmother, passed away on May 4, 2025, surrounded by her loving family. Born on December 11, 1942, Ruth was a gracious and loyal follower of Christ with an immense love for her family and others. Ruth graduated from McKowen High School in 1960, where she was a cheerleader, a member of the homecoming court, a basketball player, and a 4H member at the state level. She furthered her education at Baton Rouge Business College and began her career with ACME Refrigeration. Ruth then helped to support her husband, Howard "Pete" Peterson, in building Peterson's Air Conditioning over the next several decades. Ruth's love for the outdoors was evident in her enjoyment of deer hunting, fishing, and maintaining beautiful flower and vegetable gardens. Ruth was an avid sports fan, particularly enjoying LSU and Pelican games. She rarely missed watching a Tiger's sporting event. Ruth is preceded in death by her parents, Robert E. Stott and Lutretia Quave Stott, and her

Gertrude Canizaro Ramirez passed away peacefully at 7:38 p.m. on Thursday, May 1, 2025. She was 94 years old, a native of White Castle. She was a licensed practical nurse and later, for many years, she was self-employed and owned a jewelry and gift store in White Castle, LA which later became a floral and gift shop after she became a certified florist. After moving to Baton Rouge, she worked as a florist until the age of 83. Gertrude is survived by three sons, Ted Eskine, Jr, Brian Eskine, and Steven Eskine (Amanda); six grandchildren, Andrea Trosclair

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OPINION T H E A D V O C AT E.C O M/opinions

OUR VIEWS

Legislature should fix closed primary problem When lawmakers last year partially abandoned Louisiana’s popular open primary system in favor of party primaries, they created a big potential problem for tens of thousands of registered voters — one that could conceivably keep them from being able to fully participate in the electoral process. We’re relieved that the Legislature is working toward a solution that will keep people from being turned away when they try to vote for U.S. senators, members of the House of Representatives and other officials starting next spring. At issue is the way those who choose not to register with either major political party are treated. Under the new law, Democrats must vote in the Democratic primary and Republicans must vote in the Republican Party. Those who are not registered in a party can vote in either one (but of course not both). That’s straightforward enough, but there’s a catch: Louisiana recognizes three other official parties, including one called the Independent Party, and voters registered with them cannot vote in either major party primary. Nearly 150,000 people are registered as Independents (uppercase “I”), although it’s a logical bet that most of them meant to simply declare their independence — with a lowercase “i” — from any political party, large or small. In order to do that under the current system, voters must register as “no party.” With few exceptions, Louisiana voters have rarely had to worry about such nuances. But now that this is about to change, lawmakers are moving a bill aimed at making sure that voters who want to take part in next spring’s primaries don’t face an unpleasant surprise on Election Day. House Bill 420 by state Rep. Beth Billings, RDestrehan, would allow the Independent Party to dissolve itself — something its leader William Bryan, to his credit, supports. It would also allow Secretary of State Nancy Landry to switch registered Independents to no party, and require her to inform them of the change. Prospects for passage are promising; the bill was adopted by the House on a 90-2 vote and awaits action in the Senate. We’ll be honest: We thought the old system of voting worked just fine, and opposed adding party primaries for Congress, the state Supreme Court, the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education and the Public Service Commission. The new system isn’t just confusing; it’s also more costly because it adds a third election to each cycle. And polls show that most of the state’s voters prefer to be able to vote for their candidate of choice at each stage of the process, regardless of political party. But closed party primaries have long been a goal for the parties themselves, whose leaders believe it bolsters candidates who are true partisans. With Gov. Jeff Landry leading the way, last year’s law was passed for the benefit of political party insiders. This one would be for the voters who want to make sure their voices are heard. All of them.

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR ARE WELCOME. HERE ARE OUR GUIDELINES: Letters are published

identifying name, occupation and/or title and the writer’s city of residence. The Advocate | The Times-Picayune require a street 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.

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YOUR VIEWS

Locking up more kids won’t make us safer If we want to make our state safer for all Louisianans, lowering the age at which someone can be sent to adult prison is not the solution. As a matter of fact, there isn’t any substantive data supporting the notion that increasing the severity of punishment deters crime. Our energy, effort and budget should be focused on prevention. Furthermore, what research does show us is that the frontal lobe of the human brain isn’t fully developed for at least two decades, so treating juveniles as if they have adult capacities for complex decision-making is wrong. The people of Louisiana understand

Curb lawyer advertising to curb frivolous lawsuits raising insurance rates

that, as evidenced by the resounding defeat of Amendment 3 on March 29. Why then is state Sen. Alan Seabaugh proposing Senate Bill 74 that allows anyone 15 or older charged with a felony to be sent to adult prison? Our legislation should reﬂect the people we want to be. So ask yourself, are you a punitive, vengeful person? Do you want to live in a state where laws are based on punishment and vengeance? If the answers are no, then tell your representatives not to support this bad policy.

Auto insurance rates are outrageous, and there’s a reason for it that wasn’t mentioned by either Gov. Jeff Landry or Insurance Commissioner Tim Temple. There’s a proven correlation between relentless advertising by plaintiffs’ attorneys and settlements or lawsuits — frivolous and otherwise — against insurance companies. These ads, in my opinion, should be curtailed or even stopped completely. Plaintiffs’ attorney ads are designed to create the impression that plaintiffs will get a big money windfall as a result of an auto accident. This is a notion that’s geared towards a gullible audience who believes that their fender-bender is going to make them rich. I love the ones who say they got hundreds of thousands of dollars in a settlement (whether true or not). What these ads don’t say is that the settlement has to cover the cost of property damage, replacing the car, the medical bills, etc. that have to be paid from the settlement, nor do they say that the plaintiff’s attorneys will take 30% to 40% of the settlement as their fees. Not only is the advertising message deceptive, it also exacerbates the cost of everyone’s auto insurance in the long run. If we went back to not allowing plaintiffs’ attorneys to promote their services (it was not always like this), especially on television, we’d see a drop in insurance prices statewide because the “get rich quick” incentive to sue would not be thrown in the public’s face every single day. These ads do nothing except to beneﬁt plaintiffs’ attorneys, which is the point of advertising. However, the ultimate harm accrues to the public by creating outrageous, untenable auto insurance rates for everyone, while attorneys enrich themselves at the public’s expense.

MEGAN SHEEHAN-DEAN Baton Rouge

Expired inspection stickers are everywhere Am I the only one who notices that a lot — even a majority — of the cars in store parking lots and parked along the streets where I walk have expired inspection stickers? The law requires vehicles to be inspected regularly for safety reasons, but the practice seems to be much ignored. Perhaps the parish could earn con-

siderable money from ﬁning those whose vehicles have not been inspected as required. There is, of course, the problem of our short-staffed police force probably not having time to issue tickets for violations. But it seems to me that something needs to be done.

HENRY BRADSHER Baton Rouge

Dismissal of postal service is misguided Recently, I read Cal Thomas’ column about the U.S. Postal Service, and I was shocked and horrified by Thomas’ absolutely callous dismissal of a service that is both constitutionally required and also vitally necessary to many communities in this state and every other. Thomas’ main saw is the same one fiddled by modern conservatives: “Let’s privatize it and let the private enterprise do better.” First of all, we already have. UPS, DHL and dozens of other package delivery organizations make billions off of direct-to-consumer package delivery for everything under the sun, and it has given the Cal Thomases of the world a false sense of confidence that those same said services will be able to do what USPS already does to letters. The dirty little secret there is that most places in America aren’t profitable to deliver to, so a significant por-

tion of the private companies rely on the shipper of last resort to complete their deliveries. The reason for this is that the post ofﬁce has to deliver. It has to deliver to places like Jena and Ruston and LaSalle. UPS doesn’t. They can accept your money, take it part of the way, and then dump it at the local post ofﬁce for the rest of the trip (which is usually what happens). What Thomas is proposing, however, is to just let rural communities and impoverished areas just ... die. Die from a lack of medicines being delivered, die from a lack of communication, die from a lack of vital necessities delivered via physical mail. In the end, if Thomas really wants to improve the postal system, maybe he could just fully fund the thing — like we haven’t done for 30 years, because people like Thomas hate it for some reason.

JAN RAMSEY New Orleans

DANIEL MONACO Metairie

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COMMENTARY Gov. Landry’s insurance rate bill still needs safeguards The Louisiana Senate should not accept a bad insurance-rate bill pushed by Gov. Jeff Landry and passed by the state House. Unless the Senate adds at least one specific amendment, the bill is an invitation to unfairness and corruption. Worse, in the name of keeping insurance rates low, in the long run it could do the opposite. Rep. Gabe Firment, RPollock, the chair of the Quin Insurance Committee, Hillyer told The Times-Picayune | The Advocate’s Tyler Bridges that the bill “could be catastrophic for our insurance market.” Firment is right. The main thrust of the bill, now (after some legislative trickery) labeled House Bill 148, is to give the state insurance commissioner virtually unlimited authority to reject rate requests submitted by insurance companies. Insurance Commissioner Tim Temple wisely does not want such unlimited power for his office (and for his unknown successors). The bill would let the commissioner reject the rates, quite arbitrarily, even if the market for that type of insurance is competitive. A politically disfavored company could then be entirely out of luck, even if more objective analyses might indicate its request is reasonable. Companies might be chased out of the market altogether even as other insurers could benefit largely because they play political ball with a future commissioner. As disfavored companies stop writing contracts in Louisiana, competition could be reduced, with the remaining companies then being able to offer Louisiana consumers a take-it-or-leaveit proposition. Moreover, arbitrary power essentially becomes an invitation for all sorts of what most people would call corruption even if it isn’t technically illegal. As it is, three Louisiana insurance commissioners in the past 40 years have been convicted of actual crimes — which shows just how corrupting insurance regulatory powers can be. This bill,

STAFF PHOTO By JAVIER GALLEGOS

Gov. Jeff Landry speaks during a House committee meeting on insurance on April 16. unwisely, would expand those powers without adequate safeguards. Before the legislative sleight of hand that changed the bill’s number and ofﬁcial author, I had noted two strong, substantive objections to it. The new bill corrects only one of those ﬂaws, while Landry and his allies pretend that the one correction cures the whole problem. The bad provision that was dropped would have let the insurance commissioner actually set interim rates on his own. The potential for either abuse or just plain bad judgment there was obvious. The new bill doesn’t let him set the rates, but it still lets him reject rate requests without anything approaching objective reason. And if he rejects rate requests until he gets the rate he wants, that’s a backdoor way of letting him set the rates himself anyway. The potential for abuse is self-evident. What is needed, but what Landry essentially ordered to be excluded from

any reform bill, is language directing the commissioner to accept rate requests that are “actuarially justiﬁed.” That requirement to use real actuarial data would have provided at least semiobjective guidance to the commissioner. In other words, he should use real math, not some capricious claim of what is “unreasonably high,” which is all the guidance the ﬂawed Housepassed bill provides. Even if legislators want to give Landry a victory on pushing more responsibility on to the insurance commissioner, they would gravely err if they don’t reintroduce language about actuarial soundness. Otherwise, reelection opponents might hang around their necks the charge that they increased the likelihood of more corruption in the insurance industry. The charge would be entirely accurate. And their political discomfort would be well deserved. Quin Hillyer can be reached at quin.

Trump should know from Democrats that reputation is hard to recover Is President Donald Trump blinking? accumulated over decades of patient I certainly hope so. Because what he’s rectitude can be lost in one quick burst of irresponsibility. Once you’ve touched off is not just a trade war; it raised questions about your risks turning into a run on the integrity, it is hard to return to United States of America. the status quo. Financial markets can be unThat’s a lesson Trump should predictable, but relationships already have understood, betend to hold. For example, when you impose tariffs, your cause he watched it happen to currency should strengthen, a slew of left-leaning establishMegan ega because foreigners still need to ment institutions during their McArdle buy your currency to purchase “Great Awokening.” That peyour exports, while you’re buyriod saw a destruction of liberal reputational capital, which is one reaing less of their currency to purchase their exports. (At least, until they son Trump scored a second win over impose retaliatory tariffs that crush the strenuous objections of the liberal your exports.) professional class. And yet … the dollar is down since At this point, I hardly need to recap Trump started his “Liberation Day” how progressives, empowered by sotariff adventures. So is the S&P 500, cial media, reshaped institutions from of course, but bond yields haven’t 2013 to 2023. Some of these changes fallen like one would expect. Inveswere overdue, such as stronger polictors suddenly seem a bit wary of all ing of sexual harassment. Others, like things American. There are technical many of the DEI trainings, were wellreasons for some of this, trades being intended but somewhere between use“unwound” and so forth. But there’s a less and counterproductive. But much real risk we’re losing our status as the of what happened, including the firpremier destination for global finanings of prominent newspaper editors for publishing fairly common opinions cial capital — a status that is crucial to growing our economy and maintain- and the internal inquisitions that roiled many progressive organizaing our standard of living. (All that foreign money funds business investtions, was inimical to a pluralistic sociment.) And that means a real risk for ety and the institutions themselves. an administration that would like to The progressives meant well finance trillions of dollars’ worth of enough; they thought that the power unfunded tax cuts. and influence of the institutions they So it’s good news if Trump is reconworked for should be deployed to recsidering his tariff shock therapy and tify historical injustices. What they his attacks on Federal Reserve Chair failed to understand was that these Jerome H. Powell (which are really institutions’ power and influence conattacks on the independence of the sisted mostly of reputational capital. central bank and the soundness of our And reputational capital rests entirely currency). But it’s not great news, on the expectation that you will purbecause I fear it is coming too late. sue commonly accepted goals, such Trump might be learning a hard lesson as “the truth,” not some other, more about reputational capital: What was personal project.

In 2022, progressives seemed to be on the march to total victory within those institutions. It had become more and more difficult to hire conservatives (or even heterodox liberals), or get their opinions published. That victory proved entirely pyrrhic, because it ultimately cost progressives the influence they already had before the crowdsourced cultural revolution. Before, the liberal skew of newsrooms and faculty lounges exerted a gentle influence that nudged public consensus on various issues toward the progressive side. But today … well, if we can’t even convince skeptics that vaccines safely prevent measles, how are we supposed to convince them to embark on a bold social justice project? It will take those institutions decades to restore the trust they lost in the space of a few years — if indeed that trust can be regained at all. Among other consequences, that loss is what opened universities up to the current attacks by the Trump administration. Conservatives have long wanted to take universities down a peg, or 80, but they were constrained by the risk of a backlash from voters. That constraint no longer binds in the way it once did. The Trump administration is enjoying that fact very much, but it should also be haunted by it. See how quickly reputational capital can evaporate, how easily it is squandered when you try to spend it. Behold the would-be crusaders now wandering, bewildered, in the ruins of a kingdom they thought they had conquered — and worry that you might be next. Megan McArdle is on X, @asymmetricinfo.

Reality has a vote, in politics as in entertainment Reality has a vote. That is one lesson administered to the body of politics in the first 100 days of President Donald Trump’s second administration. After the president gleefully announced his “Liberation Day” tariffs on April 2, stock market prices fell sharply, and the bond market became, as Trump put it, “yippy.” So after just one week, on April 9, he put the Liberation Day tariffs on a 90-day pause. Perhaps contributing to this choice was automaker Stellantis’ April 3 decision to lay off workers in five U.S. factories. That can’t have been what he expected to happen and what he expected to do. Reality and widespread reactions to a policy I and many others regarded as “lunatic” caused him to change course. Reality has a vote. Something like that scenario has been playing out, in slower motion, on Trump’s attempts to Michael end the war between Russia and Barone Ukraine. Trump ultimately got Ukraine to agree to a cease fire after his contentious White House meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Feb. 28. But his confidence that he could similarly muscle Russian President Vladimir Putin has, so far, proved unfounded. Putin evidently calculates that prosecuting the war is a political necessity that outweighs any damage Trump could inflict. The issue simmers, momentarily out of the headlines. Reality has a vote. In the headlines recently was Trump’s anger at Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell for not somehow reducing interest rates. That’s a longstanding Trump cause, like his 40-year embrace of tariffs. Real estate developers operate on borrowed money and always want lower interest rates. However, Trump’s contemplation of firing Powell, contrary to statute, raised fears of a protracted legal struggle and chaos in monetary policy. It did not help that automaker Volvo announced it was laying off workers at three U.S. facilities. The stock market juddered downward again. Then The Wall Street Journal reported, “Word leaked that Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told a private investor conference that he expected trade tensions between the U.S. and China to ease soon.” Trump then signaled that his triple-digit tariffs on China might be lowered and that he has “no intention to fire” Powell. Reality once again has a vote. Through all this, Democrats have concentrated their attacks not on his wildly oscillating tariff pronouncements (some Democrats like tariffs) nor on his lack of success in ending Russia’s war on Ukraine (launched during former President Joe Biden’s time in office). They’ve been emphasizing instead his dispatch of an alleged gang member to El Salvador and its stringent prison. Legally, it’s a complex case: Defendant Kilmar Abrego Garcia undeniably illegally immigrated to the United States when he was 16 and is subject to a deportation order to anywhere but El Salvador; the Trump Justice Department is acting under the dubious legal authority of the Alien Enemies Act of 1798. I share the view that it’s unseemly for the U.S. government to send anyone to the grim El Salvador prisons. But I also think it has only limited responsibility for what happens to alleged illegal immigrants removed from this country. We have no way of knowing how many illegal immigrants have chosen or will choose self-deportation. But judging from the sharp decline in incoming foreign travelers, due largely to fears of U.S. policies, and the almost total elimination of illegal southern border crossings, the number of people self-deporting isn’t going to be small. It could easily be far greater than the number deported. I see Trump’s policies on trade, like his policies on immigration, as aimed at incentivizing people to do what he wants voluntarily. Salvadoran prisons will get illegal immigrants to self-deport, he thinks. Tariffs will get investors to build factories. A “warrior culture” defense secretary will spur enlistments. Remember that, in the decades before that escalator ride, Trump was in show business as a casino owner, resort franchiser and reality TV host. The goal is to attract the largest audience; the problem is that it’s not clear how. Or, as the screenwriter William Goldman said of Hollywood, “Nobody knows anything.” Trump thinks he knows something. Contrary to almost all expert opinions, he’s been elected president twice. So far, he’s taking more risks than in his first term but is adjusting when reality votes no. Whether that suppleness will continue is unclear. Unhappily, he seems unaware of the lasting damage he may be inflicting on the economy and body politic by his wild and difficult-to-predict major policy changes. Nothing in politics is free. Who will pay the price for that, and when, are matters yet to be determined. Michael Barone is on X, @MichaelBarone.

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Baton Rouge Weather TODAY

THURSDAY

FRIDAY

SATURDAY

SUNDAY

MONDAY

Mainly A.M. T-Storms - 80%

Numerous T-Storms - 70%

Isolated T-Storms - 40%

Isolated T-Storms - 30%

Partly Sunny 20%

HIGH

LOW

77° 66°

LOW

80° 66°

LOW

82° 61°

LOW

80° 60°

ALMANAC

LOW

77° 59°

LOW

81° 61°

TEMPERATURE

78°/66° 84°/62° 94° in 1952 46° in 1945

PRECIPITATION

THE NATION

Longview 83/63

TODAY

MODERATE

GOOD

READING 52 MAIN POLLUTANT Particulates

MAIN POLLUTANT Particulates

RIVER STAGES FLOOD STAGE 24-HOUR MISSISSIPPI STAGE CHANGE Memphis 34 18.40 +0.22 Vidalia-Natchez 48 53.60 -0.59 Red River Landing 48 58.00 -0.60 Baton Rouge 35 41.00 -0.60 Donaldsonville 27 29.90 -0.50 Reserve 22 23.12 -0.33 New Orleans 17 16.00 -0.19 OHIO 40

33.95

+0.78

-1.22

-0.28

18 29 8

-0.49 11.59 1.96

-0.25 -0.26 +0.08

13 15

3.53 2.55

-0.53 -0.68

47 34 29 20 12 6

37.00 29.42 26.45 19.06 10.70 6.61

-0.40 -0.39 -0.09 -0.16 +0.20 -0.03

COMITE

Near Olive AMITE

Near Darlington Denham Springs Port Vincent TICKFAW

Montpelier Holden ATCHAFALAYA

Simmesport Melville Krotz Springs Butte La Rose Bayou Sorrel Morgan City

New Orleans 79/70

Lake Charles 81/69

Shown are noon positions of weather systems and precipitation. Temperature bands are highs for the day.

Houma 78/69

Showers T-storms

Shown is today’s weather. Temperatures are today’s highs and tonight’s lows.

TIDES FT.

LOW

FT.

HIGH

Lake Pontchartrain (Tchefuncte River) 1:32a 0.4 Shell Beach 3:03p 1.1 South Point, Marsh Island 1:30a 1.5 Cypremort Point 3:31a 1.0 Grand Isle (Barataria Pass) 10:35a 0.7 Mississippi River (Southwest Pass) 9:49a 0.9 Wine Island 11:43a 0.9

HIGH

2:11p 7:31a 6:28a 9:43a 3:22a 1:37a 4:24a

0.3 0.6 0.9 0.6 0.5 0.6 0.6

8:50p 0.4 --------- 10:21p 0.6 2:01p 1.6 7:09p 0.8 4:12p 1.1 10:24p 0.6 ----- 6:01p 0.5 ----- 4:14p 0.7 ----- 7:03p 0.6

SUN AND MOON Sunrise today Sunset tonight Moonrise today Moonset today LAST

NEW

FIRST

MAY 12 MAY 20 MAY 26

FT.

LOW

FT.

Rain

Flurries

TODAY City

Austin Boston Dallas Fairbanks Honolulu Houston Las Vegas Louisville Miami Minneapolis

JUN 2

MAJOR

8:23a 8:57a 9:31a 10:07a 10:46a 11:30a 12:18p

MINOR

MAJOR

2:13a 8:43p 2:48a 9:17p 3:21a 9:51p 3:57a 10:28p 4:35a 11:08p 5:18a 11:53p 6:06a ----

Ice

Cold

Lo W

84 70 81 52 87 84 79 74 86 71

67 t 55 c 60 pc 35 c 73 sh 68 t 62 s 59 pc 74 s 44 s

84 70 75 59 86 86 87 74 89 69

62 s 48 c 59 t 35 pc 74 sh 65 t 70 s 48 t 74 pc 48 pc

Warm

TODAY City

Nashville New Orleans Orlando Philadelphia Phoenix Pittsburgh Raleigh St. Louis San Diego Tampa

Stationary

THURSDAY

Lo W

70 79 90 76 85 72 81 70 69 89

62 sh 70 t 69 t 58 pc 66 t 51 pc 61 pc 56 pc 59 pc 74 pc

75 79 91 76 96 67 83 74 71 88

59 t 69 t 69 t 56 t 72 s 44 t 63 pc 48 c 59 pc 74 t

97 61 69 87 68 57 90 62 69 49 76

77 s 45 c 48 c 61 s 47 r 37 r 76 pc 48 c 52 pc 32 pc 60 pc

102 64 62 85 58 50 94 65 69 50 71

77 pc 44 pc 49 t 58 r 43 c 34 pc 78 pc 48 pc 51 pc 34 c 58 pc

THE WORLD

The solunar period schedule allows planning days so you will be fishing in good territory or hunting in good cover during those times. Major periods begin at the times shown and last for 1.5 to 2 hours. The minor periods are shorter.

Today Thu. Fri. Sat. Sun. Mon. Tue.

Snow

THURSDAY

SOLUNAR TABLE

6:16 a.m. 7:47 p.m. 3:38 p.m. 3:35 a.m.

MINOR

2:33p 3:07p 3:41p 4:17p 4:57p 5:41p 6:30p

Amsterdam Bangkok Barcelona Berlin Brussels Cairo Dublin Frankfurt Havana Hong Kong Jerusalem

61 94 65 60 63 91 60 62 92 88 81

46 c 80 t 53 s 42 c 44 c 67 s 42 pc 48 c 70 s 79 sh 60 s

64 95 65 58 64 94 57 63 92 90 86

46 pc 81 t 57 pc 41 c 43 c 71 s 38 pc 45 c 69 s 81 sh 65 c

Kuwait City London Madrid Mexico City Montreal Moscow New Delhi Paris Rome Stockholm Tokyo

Weather (W): s-sunny, pc-partly cloudy, c-cloudy, sh-showers, t-thunderstorms, r-rain, sf-snow flurries, sn-snow, i-ice.

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10s 20s 30s 40s 50s 60s 70s 80s 90s 100s 110s

Baton Rouge 77/66

Lafayette 79/69

Beaumont 81/70

FULL

Hattiesburg 78/65

Alexandria 83/66

Many 84/66

Port Arthur 82/73

SOURCE: LOUISIANA DEQ AND AIRNOW.GOV

-0s

Jackson 80/65

AIR QUALITY YESTERDAY

-10

Monroe 84/66

Shreveport 86/67

24 hours through 5 p.m. Tue. 0.23” Month to date (normal) 0.58” (0.98”) year to date (normal) 18.20” (21.30”)

Cairo

The showers and thunderstorms are expected to linger into early Wednesday but may well use up most of the energy in the atmosphere, allowing for a break in the action by afternoon. Mainly cloudy skies will remain as temperatures hover in the upper 70s. Don’t get too comfortable in any dry time - more rain will be on the way. There is some uncertainty as to when the next round of showers and thunderstorms will develop. A weak impulse in the atmosphere could reasonably set off some more activity during the evening or overnight, but it is also plausible that there is not enough energy for storms until the atmosphere recharges and a stronger impulse arrives. Another round of showers and thunderstorms will spark later Thursday.

AROUND THE REGION

BATON ROUGE THROUGH 5 P.M. TUESDAy

High/low Normal high/low Record high Record low

Weather News by Chief Meteorologist Dr. Josh Eachus

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SPORTS

T H E A D V O C AT E.C O M

W e d n e s d ay, M ay 7, 2025

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LSU VS. MISSISSIPPI ST. • 10 A.M. WEDNESDAy • SECN

‘It’s all about the drip’ Fashion sometimes trumps function with baseball equipment

BY WILL GRAVES AP national writer

STAFF FILE PHOTO By MICHAEL JOHNSON

LSU coach Beth Torina, right, talks with pitcher Raelin Chaffin during an NCAA regional game against Prairie View on May 19, 2023, at Tiger Park. LSU could face Chaffin, now at Mississippi State, in its SEC Tournament opener on Wednesday morning.

CIRCLING BACK

LSU likely to face ex-Tiger to begin SEC tourney gauntlet BY JIM KLEINPETER Contributing writer

STAFF FILE PHOTO

Raelin Chaffin pitches against Southeastern Louisiana on April 10, 2024, at Tiger Park.

LSU softball opens the postseason with a familiar face likely in the opposing circle. Raelin Chaffin, who played three seasons at LSU before transferring to Mississippi State, is the ace for the Bulldogs and probably will get the start when the teams face off in an SEC Tournament game at 10 a.m. Wednesday at Georgia’s Jack Turner Stadium. Chaffin, a Bossier City native who played at Airline High School, transferred to Mississippi State after compiling a 23-8 overall record at LSU as the third starter. She blossomed

in 2025 with a 21-8 record for the No. 8-seeded Bulldogs (3716, 13-11 SEC), 2.53 ERA and 180 strikeouts in 166 innings. She also had four shutouts and three saves. While she’s likely to be highly motivated to face her former team, LSU coach Beth Torina said the Tigers have an advantage of familiarity with her, too. “She’s thrown in the majority of games and has a lion’s share of their SEC games,” Torina said. “I would expect to see her. “Our team will feel conﬁdent in any game we play. They don’t really care who’s on the other side, they’re going to play LSU softball. They’ll feel like they’ve seen her before. She’s

got some new pieces she’s added this year. Everyone knows she’s incredibly competitive and talented. We know we have our work cut out for us.” The No. 9-seeded Tigers (40-13, 12-12) have struggled through the second half of the SEC schedule, and Torina is hoping the conference tournament can give her team a reset and a shot at a top eight national seed. The winner of Wednesday’s game play’s No. 1-ranked Oklahoma, which is the SEC Tournament’s No. 1 seed. “More than anything (we) just need a little momentum and conﬁdence for our team,”

ä See LSU, page 3C

Sizing up the top ﬁve quarterbacks NFL analysts put their spin on QBs taken early in draft

SAM FARMER

Los Angeles Times (TNS) Although it felt at times there was only one quarterback in the NFL draft — the slip-sliding Shedeur Sanders who tumbled to the ﬁfth round — there were actually 14 selected over the three days. That’s Analysis tied for the most taken in a draft since 2016. To get a better understanding about some of these players, the Los Angeles Times spoke to quarterback analysts Rick Neuheisel and Greg Cosell, who spend countless hours studying the position and prospects. Neuheisel, a former UCLA quarterback, went on to become an offensive coordinator in the NFL and head coach at Colorado, Washington and his alma mater. Cosell, a senior producer for NFL Films and analyst for ESPN’s

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By GEORGE WALKER IV

Former Houston Oilers quarterback Warren Moon, left, speaks with quarterback Cam Ward, selected by the Tennessee Titans as the No. 1 overall pick in the NFL draft, on April 25 in Nashville, Tenn. “NFL Matchup,” spends much of his time breaking down game footage and evaluating college football players. The nephew of legendary broadcaster Howard Cosell, he’s widely respected in NFL circles for his knowledge of the game. Here’s a look at the ﬁve quarter-

backs selected before Cleveland drafted Sanders in the ﬁfth round:

Cam Ward No. 1 overall in Round 1 to Titans Ward played at three schools in his college football odyssey, beginning as a zero-star prospect

at Incarnate Word in San Antonio, Texas, before moving on to Washington State and Miami. Neuheisel believes Ward has some of the cool-under-pressure qualities of Kansas City quarterback Patrick Mahomes. That’s about as lofty as praise can get. “There’s no panic reﬂex,” Neuheisel said of Ward. “Which is exactly what plagued Will Levis (last season’s starter for the Titans) and why Levis can’t be the guy. Makes rushed decisions when things are falling apart, and Ward is the antithesis of that.” That’s not to say he’s a carbon copy of Mahomes. “He doesn’t have the arm talent that Patrick does,” Neuheisel said. “But he has the same Houdini qualities of getting out of trouble.” Here is a sampling of Cosell’s observations: Strengths: Could deliver with pace and touch when needed. Could take something off throws with precise ball placement. Showed a poised feel to work through progressions. Weaknesses: Strong tendency to drift on drop-backs without setting

ä See QBS, page 3C

PITTSBURGH — Andrew McCutchen hasn’t had the conversation with his 7-year-old son Steel yet, but the Pittsburgh Pirates star knows it’s probably coming at some point. Steel, already playing in a youth baseball league, will probably come home at one point and ask his five-time All-Star father if he can have whatever hot item his teammates might be wearing during a given spring. McCutchen plans to accommodate Steel up to a point. The oldest of McCutchen’s four children is already rocking an arm sleeve, just the way his dad does. Yet if Steel is hoping his father will spring for a sliding mitt — a padded glove a player can slip over one hand to protect it should the hand get stepped on while diving headfirst for a base — he probably shouldn’t get his hopes up. McCutchen, who has stolen 220 bases at the major-league level, never has worn one. And he’s quick to point out the next time the cleat of a fielder mashes his hand also will be the first. Still, the 38-year-old understands. Once upon a time, he was a 20-something who epitomized baseball cool, from his dreadlocks (long since shorn) to his goatee to his rope chain to the occasional skull cap he wore underneath his batting helmet, all of it designed to accentuate McCutchen’s innate blend of talent and charisma. “It’s all about the drip,” McCutchen said with a smile. Even if the “drip” (Gen Z slang for stylish clothes and their accessories) emphasizes fashion over function, particularly when it comes to the gloves — which look a bit like oven mitts — that are becoming just as ubiquitous in the Little Leagues as they are in the major leagues. Former major leaguer Scott Podsednik (career stolen base total: 309) is credited with “inventing” the sliding mitt during the late stages of his 11-year career. Tired of having his hand stepped on, Podsednik worked with a hand therapist for a solution. The initial mitts were relatively simple. A 2009 picture of Podsednik sliding into second base shows his left hand covered in what looks like a padded, modified batting glove, all wrapped in black to match the trim on his Chicago White Sox uniform. Things have gotten considerably more intricate over the years. Google “sliding mitt designs” and you’ll find themes ranging from the American flag to an ice cream cone to aliens to a poop emoji. Scott McMillen, a lawyer in the Chicago area, had no plans to get into the baseball accessory business. He first took notice of sliding mitts when his son Braydon, then 10, pointed out one of his teammates had one and said basically, “Oh hey dad, wouldn’t it be nice if I had one, too?” They headed to a local sporting goods store, where McMillen was surprised at the variety available.

ä See FASHION, page 3C

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO

San Diego Padres outfielder Fernando Tatis Jr. scores while wearing a sliding mitt against the Pittsburgh Pirates on Saturday.

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Florida gives Golden raise after title BY MARK LONG AP sportswriter

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Florida basketball coach Todd Golden has signed a contract extension that raises his annual salary to $6 million, a lucrative bump nearly a month after the Gators won the national championship. Golden inked a six-year, $40.5 million extension Tuesday night, adding a year to his current deal and putting him under contract through the 2030-31 season. He signed a two-year extension in March 2024 that increased his average salary to $4.1 million annually. His latest raise is a significant commitment from Florida and puts Golden nearly on par with football coach Billy Napier, who is scheduled to make $7.4 million in 2025. Golden’s deal pays $6 million a year (beginning April 16, 2025), with a $300,000 pay hike every year after. “Todd has done an incredible job getting Florida men’s basketball back where it belongs,” athletic director Scott Stricklin said in a statement. “We believed in his vision, his competitive nature and his modern approach to the game back in 2022, and he has validated that belief in a relatively short time and helped create memories of a lifetime for another generation of Gator fans.” The new money makes the 39-year-old Golden the secondhighest-paid basketball coach in the Southeastern Conference behind Arkansas’ John Calipari, who earns $8 million annually. Golden, once an assistant under Bruce Pearl at Auburn who got his first head coaching job at San Francisco in 2019, previously ranked 12th out of 16 coaches in the league. He now jumps to fifth among the seven active coaches with national titles, behind Bill Self of Kansas, Calipari, UConn’s Dan Hurley and Michigan State’s Tom Izzo. “As we’ve shown during our time in Gainesville, the University of Florida is an institution that has the resources, support, and people in place to compete and win national championships,” Golden said in a statement. Golden’s new deal is nearly fully guaranteed. Florida would owe him 85% of the remaining value if the school fired him without cause

AP sportswriter

Notre Dame and Clemson already know each other pretty well in football. That relationship will become even more familiar in the future after the two college football powers announced a 12-year home-and-home scheduling agreement on Tuesday that will pit them against each other annually from 2027 through 2038. Clemson and Notre Dame were already scheduled to play in 2027, 2028, 2031, 2034 and 2037. Under the revamped schedule, the Tigers will host the games during odd-numbered years during that time frame, while the Fighting Irish will host the games in even-numbered years. Clemson holds a 5-3 advantage in the all-time series, which has been highlighted by some memorable matchups. The teams have played six times since 2015 with Clemson winning four times, including both postseason matchups. Clemson defeated Notre Dame 30-3 in the College Football Playoff national semiﬁnal at the Cotton Bowl in 2018 before winning the national title two weeks later. In 2020, Notre Dame, playing as a full-time member of the Atlantic Coast Conference be-

LSU baseball’s final midweek game of the season Tuesday against Grambling was canceled because of inclement weather. The game will not be rescheduled, LSU announced, because there is not a date that aligns with the teams’ schedules. Tuesday’s cancellation means LSU finishes its nonconference slate with a 23-2 record. Its only losses came to Omaha on Feb. 22 and Northwestern State on April 22. LSU’s final nonconference game this season was a 15-2 victory in seven innings over Southeastern Louisiana on April 29. The next game for LSU (38-11, 15-9 SEC) will be Friday against Arkansas. First pitch from Alex Box Stadium for Game 1 is set for 6:30 p.m. The game will be available to stream on SEC Network+.

LSU women’s golf team falls back during regional

Tough conditions Tuesday led to a rough second round for the LSU women’s golf team in the NCAA Columbus Regional, with the Tigers now needing a strong performance in Wednesday’s ﬁnal round to advance to the NCAA championships. No. 2-seeded LSU fell from third to sixth place with a 21-overpar 309 to stand in sixth place at 17 over for the tournament, one stroke back of fifth-place SMU. The top ﬁve teams will advance. With temperatures in the low 50s plus steady wind and rain at Ohio State’s Scarlet Course, the best round any LSU player could manage was a 3-over 75 by senior Aine Donegan on Tuesday. Teammate Elsa Svensson is tied for 10th at 2 over after a 77. ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By ERIC GAy

Florida head coach Todd Golden celebrates after Florida beat Houston in the national championship game on April 7 in San Antonio.

“Todd has done an incredible job getting Florida men’s basketball back where it belongs. We believed in his vision, his competitive nature and his modern approach to the game ...” SCOTT STRICKLIN, Florida Gators athletic director at any point. Golden’s buyout to leave Gainesville starts at $16 million next season and drops annually: $11 million in 2026-27; $4 million in 2027-28; $3 million in 2028-29; $2 million in 2029-30; and $1 million in 2030-31. However, Golden can leave for the NBA at a much lower price. His NBA buyout begins at $3 million next season and drops to $2 million (2026-28) and then $1 million in 2028-29. Included in Golden’s annual compensation is a $500,000 signing bonus, a $500,000 annual longevity incentive and a $60,000 annual expense account. In addition to that, he gets

$70,000 annually in travel allowance for using the university athletic association’s plane and other fringe benefits valued at $62,000. He would get a $100,000 bonus for winning the SEC regularseason championship, a $50,000 bonus for winning the SEC Tournament, a $100,000 bonus for making the NCAA Tournament and a $50,000 bonus for every NCAA Tournament victory. With Golden at the helm for his third season in Gainesville, the Gators finished 36-4 and beat Houston to clinch the program’s third national title. They won their final 12 games, including four in the NCAA Tournament in come-from-behind fashion. Florida’s style of play under Golden has drawn rave reviews, leading to sellouts in eight of the team’s last 10 home games. Florida averaged 84.8 points a game this season after setting the program record (85.6) during the 2023-24 campaign. Golden became the third coach this century to win a national title within his first three seasons

on the job, joining North Carolina’s Roy Williams (2005) and UConn’s Kevin Ollie (2014) Williams and Ollie accomplished the feat in their second seasons. Golden has a modest rebuild on his hands now. Leading scorer Walter Clayton, the Final Four’s Most Outstanding Player, is headed to the NBA along with fellow guards Alijah Martin and Will Richard. Forwards Alex Condon and Rueben Chinyelu are going through the NBA draft process with the potential to stay in school and return for next season. Backup guard Denzel Aberdeen (Kentucky) and backup forward Sam Alexis (Indiana) transferred, and assistant coaches Kevin Hovde (Columbia) and John Andrzejek (Campbell) took head coaching jobs. Golden signed two guards out of the transfer portal — Princeton’s Xaivian Lee and Ohio’s AJ Brown — and have swingman CJ Ingram and guard Alex Lloyd joining the team as incoming freshmen.

Notre Dame, Clemson agree to 12-year series BY STEVE REED

LSU, Grambling baseball forced to cancel matchup

cause of COVID-19 scheduling concerns, beat the Tigers in a shootout, only to lose to Clemson in the ACC championship. “Even in just the last decade, matchups between Clemson and Notre Dame have produced incredibly memorable moments and games,” Clemson director of athletics Graham Neff said in a release. “We have immense excitement for the creation of this 12-year series between these two premier programs, as we know these will be must-see matchups for fans at Memorial Stadium and Notre Dame Stadium as well as television audiences nationwide.” Both teams reached the expanded College Football Playoff ﬁeld last year, with the Irish advancing to the national championship game before losing to Ohio State 34-23. Clemson has won nine or more games in 14 straight seasons — the nation’s second-longest active streak and the fourthlongest streak in major college football history. Notre Dame has won nine or more games in the last eight seasons. “We strive to consistently create a football schedule that positions us for success in the College Football Playoff, and that goal requires us to form historic

Rangers recall Carter; Seattle acquires Taveras

Evan Carter was recalled by the Texas Rangers on Tuesday from Triple-A Round Rock, where the outﬁelder had been all this season after being hurt most of last year following his impressive debut late in the run to their only World Series title in 2023. Carter started the season in the minors after hitting .158 in 14 spring training games. In 21 games for Round Rock, he hit .221 with three home runs, nine RBIs, 13 walks and six stolen bases. Outﬁelder Leody Taveras, who at 26 was one of the Rangers’ longesttenured players, was acquired by Seattle on a waiver claim. He had been with the Rangers since 2016, and made his big league debut in 2020. Texas had put him on outright waivers over the weekend.

Big 12 commissioner receives 3-year extension

IRVING, Texas — Big 12 commissioner Brett Yormark has received a three-year contract extension through 2030, the conference conﬁrmed Tuesday. ESPN first reported the Big 12 board of directors agreed to extend his original ﬁve-year contract, which was set to expire in 2027. Yormark was CEO of Jay-Z’s Roc Nation entertainment company when he was hired to take over for Bob Bowlsby in 2022. Yormark landed a six-year television contract extension with ESPN and Fox valued at $2.28 billion and shepherded the move of Colorado, Arizona, Arizona State and Utah to the Big 12 following the disintegration of the Pac-12.

OKC’s Presti awarded executive of the year

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO JACOB KUPFERMAN

Notre Dame quarterback Sam Hartman passes the ball while pressured by Clemson defensive tackle Peter Woods during a game on Nov. 4, 2023, in Clemson, S.C. partnerships like this one with Clemson,” Notre Dame vice president and director of athletics Pete Bevacqua said. “This rivalry has already produced some

of the most memorable moments in recent college football history, and our fans deserve these matchups to continue to make those indelible memories.”

Sam Presti of the Oklahoma City Thunder was announced Tuesday as the NBA’s executive of the year, the reward for building that team into a juggernaut that won a league-best 68 games this season. It is Presti’s first time winning the award and the first time since 1994 that the franchise — which was then called the Seattle SuperSonics — had its top executive voted as the winner. Bob Whitsitt won it that season. Presti, the Thunder’s executive vice president and general manager, got 10 first-place votes from a panel of 30 basketball executives — one from each of the NBA’s teams — who ranked their top three choices in order. Presti appeared on 22 of those 30 ballots.

The Advocate ■ theadvocate.com ■ Wednesday, May 7, 2025 ■ 3C

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FASHION

Continued from page 1C

ASSOCIATED PRESS FILE PHOTO By MICHAEL CONROy

The Saints took Louisville quarterback Tyler Shough in the second round of the NFL draft. Shough played for three different schools in college.

QBS

Continued from page 1C his feet and planting with a ﬁrm base. Too many drop-backs he was too loose in the pocket, bouncing and drifting without planting and ready to throw.

perience taking snaps under center. Arm strength above average. He does not possess a power arm that can drive the ball with higher-level velocity.

Tyler Shough

No. 40 in Round 2 to Saints Shough enters the NFL with extensive mileage on his odometer. He will be 26 at the start of the season Jaxson Dart and played for three schools — Oregon, Texas Tech and Louisville No. 25 in Round 1 to Giants — across seven years of college Neuheisel drew a comparison eligibility. between Dart and outstanding Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe “You don’t often talk about Burrow. seven-year careers,” Neuheisel “There’s lots to like about Jaxson said. “We had him on the radio and Dart,” he said. “If you look at his said, ‘When you left (high school yards per attempt, they’re Burrowin) Arizona for Oregon, did you esque. So that you’ve got to like.” foresee trips to Lubbock and LouEight Ole Miss players were draft- isville and all the different things ed this year, a school record, and that happened along the way?’ And Neuheisel likes that Dart recruited he says, ‘No, this was not part of most of them to transfer there. the plan.’ “He’s got that kind of personality “But all that stuff helps build, you as a consensus builder,” he said. know, some resilience. And in terms “That’s a trait that you like in a of — 10 years ago — this was the quarterback.” prototype quarterback. The 6-foot-5 Cosell’s observations: guy that can stand in there and is Strengths: Showed a feel for avoidathletic.” ing and escaping pressure in the Neuheisel said pairing Shough pocket. Efficient versus blitz. Knew and first-year Saints coach Kellen where his quick answers were and Moore “makes all the sense in the got the ball out of his hands to the world.” right receiver. Cosell’s observations: Strengths: Significant experience Weaknesses: No experience calling with the play-action passing game plays in a huddle and almost no ex-

LSU second baseman Sierra Daniel races out of the box against Alabama on April 5 in Tiger Park. STAFF PHOTO By MICHAEL JOHNSON

Timeless Tradition, Unmatched Quality

and working under center with his back to the defense. Natural sense of timing and rhythm to his pocket play that got better as the season progressed. Weaknesses: Ball placement at times not as precise as it must be on a consistent basis. He’s not a scattershot but he’s not exact. At times, he could be hesitant to turn it loose when the windows got a little tighter. Left some throws on the ﬁeld.

Jalen Milroe No. 92 in Round 3 to Seahawks At Alabama, Milroe was a threat with his arm and legs, and Neuheisel believes that Seahawks coach Mike Macdonald can use him the way Baltimore uses quarterback Lamar Jackson. Macdonald came from the Ravens. “He had a front-row seat watching what Lamar did to teams,” Neuheisel said. “He saw what Lamar did to defenses and how he forced them into single-high coverages and had his way with them. “Now, Milroe might not be Lamar, but he’s not far off in terms of his ability to run. And you would say that he’s actually been in more big games than Lamar was in college.” Cosell’s observations: Strengths: Willing to stand and deliver in the face of pressure, especially down the ﬁeld. Mental and physical pocket toughness. Compact deliv-

ery, but the natural arm strength to generate power and velocity on intermediate drive throws. Weaknesses: Too often too much head and eye movement on drop and set in the pocket. Result of not getting a clear picture. Ball placement at times remained erratic and inconsistent. Still missed far too many throws in clean pockets.

Dillon Gabriel No. 94 in Round 3 to Browns Gabriel spent his first three seasons at Central Florida, then transferred to Oklahoma before spending his final college season at Oregon. “He had some 100-yard rushing games as well as some big throwing games,” Neuheisel said. “I think the guy’s really good. Now, obviously, he’s small — a 5-10 guy. But so was Russell Wilson. So we’ll see. He’s efficient.” Cosell’s observations: Strengths: Showed comfortable feel for working the pocket both sliding and climbing to find space, step up and deliver. Great feel for both manipulating defenders with his eyes and/or quickly detecting coverage indicators. Weaknesses: Arm strength falls in average category. Does not possess the arm that can drive the ball with higher velocity. Deep balls had tendency to lose energy on the back end.

LSU

Continued from page 1C Torina said. “We’ve done a good job and have a strong résumé, but you want to feel good playing well as you move into the postseason. “We’re in every ball game. I think we’re actually playing pretty well. We’re just playing a really tough schedule. “Hopefully we can continue to play well, and the offense keeps scoring, challenging people. It puts us in a good spot. The saving grace is you get through the SEC Tournament, and you get one weekend without an SEC team.” The Bulldogs finished a game ahead of LSU in the conference standings and

ﬁnished the season by winning two games in threegame series against Ole Miss and Kentucky. The Bulldogs were swept by Oklahoma, and lost two of three against Texas and Tennessee in one of the toughest schedules in the SEC. Mississippi State batted .317 as a team and hit 72 home runs, the third most in the conference. Sierra Sacco leads the way with a .466 batting average, 11 homers and 48 RBIs. Kiara Sells also has 11 home runs with 38 RBIs, and Nadia Barbary has 10 homers and 43 RBIs. “They’re going to be challenging,” Torina said. “They’re talented, they’ve swung really well all year, we know their pitcher well. It’s a tough matchup, but we’ll give them our best.”

That was around 2021. By early 2024, McMillen had launched “Goat’d,” a specialty baseball accessory company with everything from sliding mitts to batting gloves to arm sleeves to headbands and more, many of them religiously inspired. Sales during their first full year? More than one million units. “We were surprised at how large the marketplace is,” McMillen said. Maybe he shouldn’t have been. Youth sports have bounced back from the COVID-19 pandemic, and many of those kids are also fans of the game, some of whom may have noticed their favorite major leaguer sporting a mitt when they’re on the bases. It’s one of the many ways in which the game has evolved over the years. When McMillen grew up, there wasn’t much swag to go around. “We had our baseball uniform and our glove (and) everyone looked the same, everyone was the same,” he said. “Now, everyone wants to express themselves individually. The best way to do that without acting like a clown is to wear something that shows people who you are.” Self-expression, however, doesn’t come cheap, particularly in an era when top-of-the-line bats are $400 or more. What amounts to an entry-level sliding mitt can go for $40, but Goat’d and others have versions that can fetch double that. That hasn’t stopped sales from being brisk, and McMillen points out it’s not merely a luxury item. “We don’t play football with 1940s safety equipment,” he said. “You feel better in the (batter’s) box when you have something that protects you, right? With a sliding mitt, it’s also like, ‘Hey this is fun. It’s cool. I want to be like my fave high school player, like my favorite college player.’ ”

SEC TOURNAMENT at Turner Stadium, Athens, Ga.; single-elimination format

Tuesday’s games

Game 1: No. 12 Georgia 8, No. 13 Kentucky 0, 5 innings Game 2: No. 11 Ole Miss 1, No. 14 Missouri 0 Game 3: No. 10 Alabama 3, No. 15 Auburn 2

Wednesday’s games

Game 4: No. 8 Mississippi State vs. No. 9 LSU, 10 a.m. Game 5: No. 5 Arkansas vs. No. 12 Georgia, 35 minutes after Game 4, SECN Game 6: No. 6 Florida vs. No. 11 Ole Miss, 4 p.m. Game 7: No. 7 South Carolina vs. No. 10 Alabama, 35 minutes after Game 6

Thursday’s games

Game 8: No. 1 Oklahoma vs. Winner of Game 4, 10 a.m., SEC Network Game 9: No. 4 Tennessee vs. Winner of Game 5, 35 minutes after Game 8 Game 10: No. 3 Texas vs. Winner of Game 6, 4 p.m. Game 11: No. 2 Texas A&M vs. Winner of Game 7, 35 minutes after Game 10

Friday’s games

Game 12: Winner of Game 8 vs. Winner of Game 9, 3 p.m. Game 13: Winner of Game 10 vs. Winner of Game 11, 35 minutes after Game 12

Saturday’s game

Championship game: 4 p.m.

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LSU gymnastics adds recruit for ’26 season

Jamal Murray, left, and Aaron Gordon of the Denver Nuggets celebrate after Gordon made a basket that won Game 1 against the Oklahoma City Thunder on Monday in Oklahoma City.

BY SCOTT RABALAIS

Staff writer

AP PHOTO By NATE BILLINGS

NBA playoffs sees close games become the norm BY TIM REYNOLDS AP basketball writer

Aaron Gordon went to the postgame interview room after his latest heroic moment for the Denver Nuggets, took a seat with his two nephews on his lap and waited for somebody to say something. He finally broke the silence. “Any questions?” he asked. Seems about right that he would ask that, given that so far in these NBA playoffs Gordon has been one of the players with all the answers in the biggest moments — when games are on the line. He has become the Mr. Game Winner of these playoffs, with a no-time-left dunk — believed to be the first of its kind in postseason history — to beat the Los Angeles Clippers in Round 1, then a 3-pointer with 2.8 seconds left to beat the Oklahoma City Thunder on Monday night. “Did I know it was in? I knew it wasn’t a miss,” Gordon said of his latest game winner. And Gordon isn’t alone in being part of these down-to-the-wire moments. Round 2 is just getting underway in the NBA postseason and already there have been 14 games decided by three points or fewer, matching or exceeding the total from each of the last 10 playoff years. The New York Knicks have won five games so far in the playoffs, four of them by three points or fewer. “We’re just going to keep fighting,” the Knicks’ Mikal Bridges

said after the Game 1 win at Boston. “That’s who we are ... and we keep showing it.” So far, 30% of games in this year’s playoffs going into Tuesday have been decided by three points or fewer. It’s happening about twice as often as it did last season and about three times as often as it did in other postseason runs over the last decade. And of those 14 games so far decided by three points or fewer, four of them have had a go-ahead basket in the ﬁnal 10 seconds. Gordon had two of them with the dunk vs. the Clippers and the 3-pointer vs. the Thunder. New York’s Jalen Brunson hitting a 3-pointer to beat Detroit in Round 1, and Indiana’s Tyrese Haliburton getting a layup with 1.4 seconds left in overtime of the Pacers’ series-clinching, frantic Game 5 rally in the ﬁnal moments to oust Milwaukee. “We got fortunate ... and Ty made a play to win the game,” Pacers coach Rick Carlisle said that night after Haliburton’s winner — a play that got overshadowed by an on-court dustup involving, among others, Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo and Haliburton’s father. “Fortune favors the bold.” Brunson was the NBA’s top clutch player this season. Haliburton is an Olympic champion. Gordon was part of Denver’s run to the NBA title two years ago. In the biggest moments, they know what is required. “It’s not about putting the team on my back,” Brunson said. “I have confidence in them. They

have confidence in me. We’re going to compete. We’re going to find the best way to attack each possession. It may look like I get the credit ... but it’s not just me.” Brunson had a chance to win Game 1 with a last-second floater in regulation — “not clutch enough,” he mused when asked about it after the Knicks finished off the overtime win — but the Knicks found a way anyway. New York was down by 20 in that game and won; Boston was 40-1 this season in games when it had a lead of 20 or more. Denver was down by 14 at Oklahoma City and won; the Thunder are 64-2 this season in games in which they led by at least 12 points against anybody besides the Nuggets, but they’re only 2-3 in such games against Denver. The Nuggets now have three wins by three points or fewer so far in these playoffs. Gordon is one of two players in the last quarter-century with two goahead shots in the last 10 seconds of playoff games in the same year; Nuggets teammate Jamal Murray did it last year, LeBron James has done it in two different postseasons during his career and Robert Horry — “Big Shot Bob,” some called him and rightly so — did it twice in the 2002 playoffs. “We make stupid mistakes,” Denver star Nikola Jokic, who had a historic 42-point, 22-rebound effort, told Altitude TV after the Game 1 win. “But we find a way.” At this time of year, finding a way is the only thing that’s required.

Westbrook’s performance helps sink his old squad BY CLIFF BRUNT AP sportswriter

OKLAHOMA CITY — Russell Westbrook had yet another magic moment in Oklahoma City. This time, it was for the visitors. Westbrook assisted on Aaron Gordon’s game-winning 3-pointer, and the Denver Nuggets stunned the top-seeded Oklahoma City Thunder 121-119 on Monday night. Westbrook scored 18 points on 7-for-13 shooting and was a key support player for Nikola Jokic’s monster 42-point, 22-rebound performance. It was Westbrook’s ﬁrst playoff game in Oklahoma City as an opponent. He started his career with the Thunder and was revered by their fans for keeping the team competitive after Kevin Durant left to join the Golden State Warriors in 2016. He had returned as an opponent in the regular season and had been cheered. Even in a playoff game he entered as a reserve in the first quarter, he received a loud standing ovation. By the end of the night, he gave the fans a painful reminder of why he meant so much to them. “I’m always grateful, truly,” he said. “You get into these fans, the people here. They gave me a chance, they believed in me when I was a little young teenager. ... The reason they love me is my competitive nature, competitive spirit, and I’m going to do that for my team.” Westbrook didn’t fully resemble the 2017 league MVP and two-

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By NATE BILLINGS

Denver Nuggets guard Russell Westbrook works to get to the basket as Oklahoma City Thunder guard Aaron Wiggins defends on Monday in Oklahoma City. time scoring champion who averaged a triple-double for three different seasons in a Thunder uniform. But he did enough to help the Nuggets rally from a doubledigit deﬁcit late. Westbrook said experience was critical. “It’s important,” he said. “Some things you just can’t teach. You know, just knowing what’s going on in the game, knowing, reading. You just kind of just go with the ﬂow. Experience is a big part of this time of year. And, you know, I’m blessed to be able to be a part of the team, you know, with the experience that we do have.” The crowd finally cheered against Westbrook when he missed a free throw with 2:18 remaining. The fans cheered again when he missed a 3-pointer that

could have given Denver the lead in the final minute. Westbrook fouled Oklahoma City’s Chet Holmgren with the Thunder up one and with 9.5 seconds remaining, but Holmgren missed both free throws, setting up the final sequence. Westbrook put pressure on the defense in the middle of the floor, then found Gordon, who made the shot over the 7-foot-1 Holmgren. Gordon appreciated Westbrook trusting him. “It’s nice to have it all culminate on a game winner, but it really comes down to my teammates, like Russ making a great play and finding me in transition and in rhythm, on time, on target,” Gordon said. “It helps when you have a Hall of Fame passer passing it to you.”

It was always Molly Brinkman’s intent to become a Tiger. It just turned out to be a Tiger of a different stripe. The former Clemson gymnastics recruit announced her decision to commit to LSU earlier this week via social media, helping fill the gaps on the Tigers’ roster left by 10 departing fourth-, fifth- and sixth-year seniors from the 2025 team. “I am so excited to announce that I have committed to LSU on a full athletic scholarship!!” Brinkman posted on her Instagram account, accompanied by a photo of her in a purple LSU T-shirt and flashing the school’s well-known “L” hand sign. “Through unfortunate circumstances, hard times, difficult and uncomfortable decisions, I have found my forever home at LSU. “I am so blessed to have the opportunity to be a part of this incredible team and I am so thankful to God, my teammates, coaches, future coaches, and family. “It was truly a leap of faith to open my recruiting back up but trusting God and His timing has led me to this incredible place. I am so excited for what the next four years has for me and the

amazing things this team will accomplish!” A native of Chandler, Arizona, Brinkman signed with Clemson in November but apparently decided to reopen her recruitment after the school ﬁred coach Amy Smith in April. Smith started the program at Clemson just two years ago. She was the subject of allegations in a November 2023 article in the Washington Post from gymnasts when she was head coach at Utah State and an assistant at North Carolina that she fostered a culture of unhealthy eating and verbally berated athletes. Brinkman is a five-time state high school champion in Arizona, where she competed as a Level 10 gymnast. LSU also welcomed another transfer prospect on a visit this past weekend in Denver’s Madison Ulrich. Ulrich competed as an individual in April at the NCAA championships as an all-arounder. She earned second-team postseason All-America honors in the allaround as well as on uneven bars and balance beam. The Fort Mill, South Carolina, native was a sophomore this past season and has two years of eligibility remaining.

Minnesota Lynx forward Napheesa Collier shoots over New york Liberty forward Jonquel Jones on Oct. 16 in Minneapolis. AP FILE PHOTO By ABBIE PARR

Lynx’s Collier poised for another WNBA title run BY ALANIS THAMES

Associated Press

Napheesa Collier drove to her left, stopped and hit a turnaround jumper over Aaliyah Edwards to capture the 1-on-1 tournament crown in the Unrivaled 3-on-3 women’s basketball league. When the shot went in, Collier let out a triumphant yell. The moment captured how the Minnesota Lynx All-Star forward spent her WNBA offseason: Physically and mentally working on her game and raising her profile. After Collier and the Lynx came up short in their bid for a title last season — falling to Breanna Stewart and the New York Liberty in the WNBA Finals — Collier went to work as a one of the marquee players in Unrivaled and co-founder of the league. “You always want to keep building,” Collier said during Lynx training camp. “Even though I had a good year last year, there’s always things you can improve on, things that I wanted to get better at from last year. Things that I worked really hard at during the offseason and at Unrivaled. “So really looking to implement that for this year.” All of Collier’s skills were on display during her eight-week stint with Unrivaled in Miami. She dazzled chase-down blocks, tough fadeaway jumpers and 3-pointers. The reigning WNBA Defensive Player of the Year honed the pieces of her game that made her a matchup nightmare in the league last year, and Collier’s poised to be even better in the 2025 season, which starts later this month. Lynx coach Cheryl Reeve likes to compare Collier’s work ethic to that of Las Vegas Aces forward A’ja Wilson, a three-time MVP of the league. “They each add something (to their game) every year,” Reeve said. “I think when A’ja Wilson comes back this year, she’s going to be even better than last year, which is scary — Same for Phee.” Collier has added something each year, whether that’s becoming more aggressive in hunting her shot or being a more consistent scorer off the dribble. That was clear during her stellar 2024 season, when Collier finished fifth in the league in scoring, third in rebounding and was the MVP runner-up behind Wilson. Averaging 20.4 points per game last season, Collier led the Lynx

to their deepest playoff run since 2017, when a Sylvia Fowles-led squad won the championship one year after falling just short. Collier is hoping for a similar run in 2025. “No one is going to feel sorry for us,” she said. “We don’t feel sorry for ourselves, but it is something that we use to fuel us. It’s just a feeling you don’t want to feel again, so making sure we’re coming in every single day, starting today, with good energy. “The coaches were telling us ... about how they lost in a heartbreaker in 2016, and they used that to fuel them for 2017. That’s the story that we want to have for this year.” For Collier, writing that story began with Unrivaled, the league she co-founded with Stewart to provide a stateside offseason option for WNBA players to compete while supplementing their income. Collier was the most dominant individual competitor in the 36-player league, unveiling an assortment of shot-making and defensive aggression. She was voted Unrivaled MVP after leading the league in points (25.7), field goals (10.4) and steals (2) per game while shooting 61.3% from the floor. Collier averaged 10.6 rebounds and 2.8 assists for the Lunar Owls, who finished with the best record in the league at 13-1. Collier took home $200,000 and elevated her brand after breezing through the field during Unrivaled’s 1-on-1 tournament. She scored the second-most points in an Unrivaled game when she dropped 38 on 16-of-27 shooting against Stewart’s Mist BC in February. Collier said her goal this offseason was to work on her ball-handling, which has improved since she came into the league out of UConn in 2019. Becoming a better ball-handler, she added, will help her be stronger in the paint. She also shot 32.7% from 3-point range at Unrivaled, her best from that range since her second season in the WNBA. But remembering that feeling of defeat in the finals is fueling Collier. “I’ve talked ad nauseam about last year,” she said, “but I think just using it to my advantage, honestly, where it does give me that leg up where I want to push just that little bit more. I want to win just that little bit more. That’s what it feels like.”

The Advocate ■ theadvocate.com ■ Wednesday, May 7, 2025 ■ 5C

lll

THE VARSITY ZONE

Catholic golfers get first title in 18 years BY ROBIN FAMBROUGH Staff writer

After six runner-up finishes in the past 18 years, Catholic High is an LHSAA golf champion again. Kevin Zheng shot a 2-under-par 35 over nine holes on the rain-shortened second day of the LHSAA tourney held at multiple courses in the Lafayette area. Zheng led his team to the Division I title on Tuesday at The Wetlands course, helping the Bears card a 27hole low score of 428 — ﬁve strokes ahead of C.E. Byrd of Shreveport. Zheng tied for fourth individually. “Everyone gave their all,” Zheng said. “We knew we had to play our round and not worry about having to chase anybody or whether anybody was chasing us. “The thing is, we all knew that if one of us made a mistake someone else would pick that person up. Nobody

PROVIDED PHOTO

Catholic golfer Kevin Zheng finished tied for fourth in Division I of the LHSAA golf championships on Tuesday in Lafayette

had to try and be a hero today.” Catholic entered the second day tied with Byrd at 285. Both teams were one stroke ahead of Jesuit. The Bears forged a five-stroke

advantage over the nine holes. Byrd finished at 433, followed by St. Thomas More at 441. Lafayette High’s Drew Sliman shot 34 on Tuesday and was the medalist with a two-day score of 101. Northshore’s Justin Lotz (102) and Duke Nitcher of Jesuit (103) were next. Zheng and Rylan Hess of St. Paul’s tied at 104. “We’ve had golf teams with a lot of talent before,” Catholic coach Christopher Davis said. “This team is talented. But the thing that sets them apart is the way they have responded to every challenge and played together as a team. I love this team. They play for each other.” Drew Prieto and David Marsh were the other top finishers for the Bears. Prieto led the way for Catholic on Monday. He finished with a two-day total of 106, good enough to tie for ninth place. Marsh finished at 108 and in tie for 11th.

Brusly freshman claims LHSAA medalist honor Two BR teams second at LHSAA golf tourney

BY ROBIN FAMBROUGH Staff writer

Brusly freshman Maci Williams was the girls Division I medalist while Sophia Macias finished second among Division II golfers, leading Episcopal to a second-place team finish on the rain-shortened final day of the LHSAA golf tournament held at multiple courses in the Lafayette area. Girls competitors at the Les Vieux Chenes course were not the only ones claiming team hardware. The Parkview Baptist boys made up six strokes over nine holes to push reigning champion Ascension Episcopal to the limit on Tuesday in Division III action before settling for second place, two strokes behind the Blue Gators. Williams entered Tuesday’s round one stroke behind Benton’s Grace Goodwin. She shot a 3-under 34 on nine holes to finish with a two-day total of 104. Goodwin carded a 38 on Tuesday and was second at 107. “Winning this means a lot

PROVIDED PHOTO

Brusly’s Maci Williams finished first in Division I at the LHSAA golf championships on Tuesday in youngsville.

to me because I am doing it for my school and my community,” Williams said. “I just took it slow today and tried to make one good decision at a time. “I didn’t hurry through it. I did play three practice rounds on the course, and I think that helped me, too.” Sacred Heart of New Orleans won the Division II

girls crown with a score of 234, eight strokes ahead of Episcopal. Jade Neves of Sacred Heart and Macias battled for the individual title with Neves (109) edging Macias by two strokes. Walker’s Evelynn Artieta (110) finished fourth individually in Division I. Benton won the Division I team title with a 215 score. With third-place finisher Jack Carter in a lead role, Parkview Baptist played perhaps its best team round of the season. “This is really bittersweet because we trailed by eight strokes after the first round and made up six strokes in nine holes,” Parkview coach Dale Spikes said. “We were hoping to play a full 18 holes … then the rain came. Look, I am so proud of this team.” The Eagles finished at 447, just two strokes behind Ascension Episcopal, which had the medalist in Noah Chauvin, who had a 27-hole tourney score of 106 that included a 36 on Tuesday. Carter finished at 108 and shot a 35 on the second day. Hunter Cope and Elliott Aucoin of Parkview also placed in the top 10 with scores of 112.

Three top seeds headline area baseball contingent Staff report

Three top-seeded teams face another best-of-three games challenge when the LHSAA baseball playoffs resume with the semifinal round on Thursday for several Baton Rouge area schools. Catholic High (Division I select) and Live Oak (Division I nonselect) are set to take different paths toward next week’s LHSAA tourney that begins May 15 at Sulphur’s McMurry Park for Divisions I-III select/ nonselect. The reigning champion Bears host a Division I newcomer, fourth-seeded St. Thomas More, at 5 p.m. Friday with two games set for Saturday. Live Oak plans to host No. 5 Benton for single games at 6 p.m. Thursday and Friday. A third game would be played Saturday. The other top seed, Division II nonse-

lect Brusly, is scheduled to start its series with No. 4 West Ouachita at 6 p.m. Friday with the possibility two Saturday games. The Dunham School, a No. 9 seed in Division III select, is the only local team set to travel for a best-of-three series. Coming off an upset of top-seeded Parkview Baptist, Dunham travels to No. 4 Catholic-New Iberia for a 6 p.m. Friday to begin its series. Second-seeded University is the other remaining Division III select squad. The Cubs plan to start their series with northshore-based Pope John Paul II, a third seed, with 6 p.m. games on Thursday and Friday.

B, C games moved The Baton Rouge area’s two remaining teams left in the single-elimination brackets, Class B Holden and Class C Family Chris-

tian, had their scheduled quarterﬁnals washed away on Tuesday. Sixth-seeded Holden is now set to travel to Winnsboro to play No. 3 Family Community at 5 p.m. Wednesday. Top-seeded Family Christian of Class C is tentatively set to host No. 8 Calvin at a site yet to be determined.

All-Metro teams Area coaches are scheduled to meet at 6:30 p.m. Thursday at Brusly High to select softball All-Metro teams for Class 5A-4A and 3A and below. Nominations should be emailed to Brusly coach Beau Bouvier at beau.bouvier@wbrschools.org. Meanwhile, area baseball coaches are asked to email All-Metro and LSWA AllState nominations to Robin Fambrough rfambrough@ theadvocate.com by May 16.

LHSAA GOLF CHAMPIONSHIPS Because of weather issues, the tournaments were shortened to 27 holes.

Division I boys

At The Wetlands-Lafayette Par 72 TEAM STANDINGS: 1. Catholic-Baton Rouge 285143—428. 2. C. E. Byrd 285-148—433. 3. St. Thomas More 297-144—441. 4. Jesuit 286-159—445. 5. Mandeville 291-155—446 INDIVIDUAL STANDINGS 1. Drew Sliman, Lafayette High 67-34—101 2. Justin Lotz, Northshore 66-36—102 3. Duke Nitcher, Jesuit 64-39—103 4. Rylan Hess, St. Paul’s 69-35—104 5. Kevin Zheng, Catholic-BR 69-35—104 6. (tie) Shepherd Smith, C. E. Byrd 70-35—105 James Holtsclaw, C. E. Byrd 71-34—105 William Porter, Neville 72-33—105 9. (tie) Maddox Mowad, Neville 66-40—106 Andres Prieto, Catholic-BR 69-37—106

Division II Boys

At The Farm d’Allie-Carencro Par 72 TEAM STANDINGS: 1. St. Louis Catholic 301-156—457. 2. Teurlings Catholic 329-156—485. 3. St. Charles Catholic 341-171—512. 4. Vandebilt Catholic 348-174—522. 5. Brusly 352-171—523 INDIVIDUAL STANDINGS 1. Kye Hanks, St. Louis Catholic 69-37—106 2. Fulton Pigeon, Holy Cross 75-38—113 3. Samuel Broussard, St. Louis 76-39—115 4. Kane Hanks, St. Louis 76-40—116 5. (tie) Brewer Cain, Teurlings Catholic 84-35—119 Dane Galiano, St. Charles Catholic 78-41—119 7 (tie) Kaine Stevens, North Vermilion 79-41—120 Jackson Dauzat, Teurlings Catholic 78-42—120 9. (tie) Jude LeBoeuf, South Lafourche 78-43—121 Evan Comeaux, St. Louis 81-40—121 Luke LeBeouf, St. Louis 80-41—121

Division III boys

At The Wetlands-Lafayette Par 72 TEAM STANDINGS: 1. Ascension Episcopal 292153—445. 2. Parkview Baptist 300-147—447. 3. Loyola Prep 309-154—463. 4.University High 319-156—475. 5. Episcopal 325-152—477. INDIVIDUAL STANDINGS 1. Noah Chauvin, Ascension Episcopal 70-36—106 2. Silas Lovett, Ouachita Christian 71-36—107 3. (tie) Jack Carter, Parkview 73-35—108 Jack Gilmer, Loyola Prep 71-37—108 5. (tie) Cooper Adams, Houma Chrstn 76-34—110 Ben Blanco, Ascension Episcopal 71-39—110 Jack Lauve, Loyola Prep 71-39—110 8. (tie) Hunter Cope, Parkview 73-39—112 Kruz Martin, Westlake 75-37—112 Elliot Aucoin, Parkview 77-35—112

Division IV boys At Cane Row Golf & Turf Club-New Iberia Par 72 TEAM STANDINGS: 1. Vermilion Catholic 344-173—517. 2. Westminster Christian 348-172—520. 3. Cedar Creek 347-178—525. 4. Quitman 360-172—532. 5. Castor 355-196—551. INDIVIDUAL STANDINGS 1. Alex Roebuck, Cedar Creek 70-39—109 2. Luke Wainwright, Grand Lake 71-40—111 3. Logan Heltz, Christ Episcopal 74-40—114 4. Wyatt Shiﬂett, Christ Episcopal 77-40—117 5. Jackson Davis, Westminster 82-39—121 6. (tie) Ivan Popp, Berchmans Academy 83-39—122 Carson Carrico, Choudrant 84-38—122 Hayden Patin, Vermilion Catholic 81-41—122 9. Brady LeGrange, St. John 85-38—123 10. Carlyn Ledet, Vermilion Catholic 83-41—124

Division I girls At Les Vieux Chenes-Youngsville Par 74 TEAM STANDINGS: 1. Benton 142-73—215. 2. Barbe 154-78—232. 3. Southside 165-79—244. 4. St. Joseph’s Academy 165-84—249. 5. Northshore 171-87—258. INDIVIDUAL STANDINGS 1. Maci Williams, Brusly 70-34—104 2. Grace Goodwin, Benton 69-38—107 3. Abigail McWilliams, Benton 73-35—108 4. Evelynn Artieta, Walker 74-36—110 5. Mattie Purgahn, Barbe 75-40—115 6. (tie) Maggie Dressler, Barbe 79-38—117 Kate Boersma, Ruston 79-38—117 8. Rhyan Marcelissen, Southside 84-37—121 9. (tie) Caroline Endsley, Southside 81-42—123 Scarlett Kirsch, St. Joseph’s 80-43—123

Division II girls At Les Vieux Chenes Golf Club-Youngsville Par 74 TEAM STANDINGS: 1. Academy of the Sacred Heart 158-76—2342. Episcopal 157-85—242. 3. Westlake 18493—277. 4. Ursuline Academy 194-90—284. 5. St. Louis Catholic 193-92—285 INDIVIDUAL STANDINGS 1. Jade Neves, Academy Sacred Heart 74-35—109 2. Sophia Macias, Episcopal 75-36—111 3. Ashley Biehl, Ursuline Academy 78-42—120 4. Madeline Rudolph, Acad. Sacred Heart 84-41—125 5. Ali Evans, Westlake 83-46—129 6. Reese Crooks, St. Louis 87-43—130 7. Marcella Rabalais, Episcopal 82-49—131 8. Kaylie Hui, Isidore Newman 87-45—132 9. Audrey Perry, St. Frederick 87-49—136 10. Grace Gunn, Academy Sacred Heart 93-47—140 Lilly Boyd, St. Mary’s 94-47—141 Lily Osbon, Evangel Christian 98-45—143 Kathryn Jackson, Loyola Prep 97-46—143

BASEBALL PLAYOFFS Nonselect

Division IV

Division I

Semiﬁnals No. 5 Benton at No. 1 Live Oak: Game 1 Thursday 6 p.m., Friday 6 p.m., Saturday 1 p.m. (if necessary) No. 11 Sam Houston at No. 2 Barbe: Times TBA

Division II

Semiﬁnals No. 4 West Ouachita at No. 1 Brusly: Game 1 Friday 6 p.m., Game 2: Saturday 2 p.m., Game 3: 5 p.m. (if necessary) No. 3 Lutcher at No. 2 North DeSoto, Game 1 Thursday 6 p.m., Friday 6 p.m., Saturday 1 p.m. (if necessary)

Division III

No. 4 Westlake at No. 1 Sterlington, Game 1 Thursday 6 p.m., Friday 6 p.m., Saturday noon (if necessary) No. 3 South Beauregard at No. 2 Erath, Game 1 Friday 6 p.m., Saturday 2 p.m., 4:30 p.m. (if necessary)

Quarterﬁnals No. 9 Montgomery at No. 1 Oak Grove, Wednesday 5:30 p.m. No. 5 Oakdale at No. 4 Mangham, Thursday 5 p.m. No. 6 Vinton at No. 3 DeQuincy, Thursday 6 p.m. No. 7 Grand Lake at No. 2 Welsh, Wednesday 5:30 p.m.

Select

Division I

Semiﬁnals No. 4 St. Thomas More at No. 1 Catholic High: Game 1 Friday 5 p.m., Saturday noon, 3 p.m. (if necessary) No. 3 Brother Martin at No. 2 Holy Cross, Game 1 Thursday 6:30 p.m., Friday 6:30 p.m., Saturday (if necessary)

Division II

No. 5 Vandebilt at No. 1 Teurlings: Game 1 Thursday 4 p.m., Friday 4 p.m., Saturday 1 p.m. (if necessary)

No. 7 E.D. White at No. 6 Hannan: Game 1 Thursday 6 p.m., Friday 6 p.m., Saturday noon (if necessary)

Division III

Semiﬁnals No. 9 Dunham at No. 4 Catholic High New Iberia, Game 1 Friday 6 p.m., Saturday noon, 2 p.m. (if necessary) No. 3 Pope John Paul II at No. 2 University, Game 1 Thursday 6 p.m., Friday 6 p.m., Saturday noon (if necessary)

Division IV

Quarterﬁnals No. 8 St. Frederick at No. 1 Covenant Christian, Friday 7 p.m. No. 12 Ouachita Christian at No. 4 Ascension Christian, Thursday 4 p.m. No. 11 Riverside Academy at No. 3 Opelousas Catholic, Wednesday 4 p.m. No. 7 Ascension Episcopal at No. 2 Vermilion Catholic, Friday 6 p.m.

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6C ■ Wednesday, May 7, 2025 ■ theadvocate.com ■ The Advocate

Sovereignty to skip the Preakness lll

BY STEPHEN WHYNO

ä Preakness. 5:50 P.M. MAy 17, NBC

Kentucky Derby winner Sovereignty will not run in the Preakness Stakes, officials announced Tuesday, meaning there won’t be a Triple Crown champion for a seventh consecutive year. “We received a call today from trainer Bill Mott that Sovereignty will not be competing in the Preakness,” said Mike Rogers, executive VP of 1/ST Racing, which operates the Preakness. “We extend our congratulations to the connections of Sovereignty and respect their decision.” Mott told Preakness ofﬁcials the plan will be to enter Sovereignty in the Belmont Stakes, the third jewel of the Triple Crown, on June 7 at Saratoga Race Course in upstate New York. Mott on Sunday morning had foreshadowed skipping the Preakness in the name of long-term interests. “We want to do what’s best for the horse,” he told reporters at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky. “Of course, you always think about a Triple Crown, and that’s not something we’re not going to think about.” Sovereignty won a muddy Derby with jockey Junior Alvarado at odds of 7-1 by passing favorite Journalism down the stretch. United Arab Emirates-based Godolphin owns Sovereignty. A call and a message sent by The As-

sociated Press to Godolphin’s U.S. director of bloodstock, Michael Banahan, were not immediately returned. This is the fourth time since Justify won all three races in 2018 that the Preakness will go on without a true shot at a Triple Crown. The two-week turnaround from the Kentucky Derby to the Preakness and changes in modern racing have sparked debate around the sport about spacing out the races. Prominent owner Mike Repole earlier Tuesday posted on social media a proposal to move the Belmont to second in the Triple Crown order, four weeks after the Kentucky Derby and sliding the Preakness back further with the aim of keeping more of the top horses involved. “The Preakness being run two weeks after the Kentucky Derby, in this new day and age in racing, shows the lack of vision and leadership needed to evolve this sport,” Repole wrote. “I expect the top three ﬁnishers of this year’s Derby to skip the Preakness and go right to the Belmont.” No decision has been made on second-place ﬁnisher Journalism or third-place Baeza for the 150th running of the Preakness, the last at Pimlico Race Course before it is knocked down and rebuilt.

Associated Press

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By JEFF ROBERSON

Sovereignty, ridden by Junior Alvarado, crosses the finish line to win the 151st running of the Kentucky Derby on Saturday at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Ky.

SCOREBOARD Odds

Central Division

NBA Wednesday FAVORITE at BOSTON at OKLA. CITY

LINE O/U 10½ (211½) 11 (230½)

UNDERDOG New York Denver

MLB Wednesday American League

FAVORITE Seattle at BOSTON at KANSAS CITY at MINNESOTA Toronto

LINE -120 -126 -210 OFF -118

UNDERDOG LINE at ATHLETICS +102 Texas +108 Chi. White Sox +176 Baltimore OFF at LA ANGELS +100

FAVORITE LINE at ST. LOUIS -172 at CHICAGO CUBS -130 N.Y Mets -124 at MIAMI OFF Cincinnati -116

UNDERDOG LINE Pittsburgh +144 San Francisco +110 at ARIZONA +106 LA Dodgers OFF at ATLANTA -102

FAVORITE LINE at WASHINGTON OFF Houston -130 at N.Y YANKEES -174 Philadelphia -130 Detroit -180

UNDERDOG LINE Cleveland OFF at MILWAUKEE +110 San Diego +146 at TAMPA BAY +110 at COLORADO +152

National League

Interleague

NHL Wednesday

FAVORITE Florida Dallas

LINE -137 -125

UNDERDOG at TORONTO at WINNIPEG

LINE +114 +104

College baseball Area schedule Monday’s games None scheduled.

Tuesday’s games

McNeese State at Southern, ccd. Jackson State at Nicholls, ccd. South Alabama at Southeastern, ccd. Grambling at LSU, ccd. UNO at Tulane, ccd.

Thursday’s games

Southern at Alabama A&M, 2 p.m. UL-Monroe at Coastal Carolina, 5 p.m. UL at Southern Miss, 6 p.m. Southeastern at Nicholls, 6 p.m. UNO at Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, 6 p.m. Louisiana Tech at Jacksonville State, 6 p.m. Bethune-Cookman at Grambling, 6 p.m. Tulane at Memphis, 6:05 p.m. Arkansas at LSU, 6:30 p.m. McNeese St. at NW State, 6:30 p.m.

College softball

GB — 2 2½ 7 12

Seattle Athletics Houston Texas Los Angeles

W 20 20 17 17 13

L 14 16 17 18 20

Pct .588 .556 .500 .486 .394

GB — 1 3 3½ 6½

West Division

Monday’s Games

San Diego 4, N.Y. Yankees 3 Kansas City 3, Chicago White Sox 0 Milwaukee 5, Houston 1 Athletics 7, Seattle 6, 11 innings Cleveland at Washington, ppd.

Championship series Game 1: Southeastern at McNeese, 6 p.m. Thursday Game 2: Southeastern at McNeese, 6 p.m Friday Game 3: Southeastern at McNeese, 6 p.m Saturday (if necessary)

Minnesota vs. Golden State

Wednesday’s Games

Cleveland (Allen 1-2) at Washington (Parker 3-2), 11:05 a.m. Houston (Valdez 1-4) at Milwaukee (Priester 1-0), 12:10 p.m. Seattle (Woo 4-1) at Athletics (Hoglund 1-0), 2:35 p.m. Texas (Mahle 3-1) at Boston (Houck 0-2), 5:45 p.m. Philadelphia (Sánchez 3-1) at Tampa Bay (Baz 3-1), 6:05 p.m. San Diego (Cease 1-2) at N.Y. Yankees (Fried 6-0), 6:05 p.m. Baltimore (Kremer 3-4) at Minnesota (Woods Richardson 2-2), 6:40 p.m. Chicago White Sox (Cannon 2-3) at Kansas City (Wacha 1-4), 6:40 p.m. Detroit (Mize 5-1) at Colorado (Freeland 0-4), 7:40 p.m. Toronto (Berríos 1-1) at L.A. Angels (Kikuchi 0-4), 8:38 p.m.

New York Philadelphia Washington Atlanta Miami

W 23 19 17 16 13

L 13 15 19 18 21

Pct .639 .559 .472 .471 .382

GB — 3 6 6 9

Chicago Cincinnati Milwaukee St. Louis Pittsburgh

W 22 18 18 17 12

L 14 18 18 19 24

Pct .611 .500 .500 .472 .333

GB — 4 4 5 10

Los Angeles San Diego San Francisco Arizona Colorado

W 24 23 22 18 6

L 11 11 14 17 28

Pct .686 .676 .611 .514 .176

GB — ½ 2½ 6 17½

NFCA coaches poll The NFCADivision I Top 25 coaches poll is voted on by 31 NCAA Division I head coaches with one representing each of the Division I Conferences. Records reﬂect games played through Sunday. Rec. Pts. Prv. 1. Texas A&M (17) 43-9 754 2 2. Oklahoma (10) 43-7 746 1 3. Texas (2) 45-9 691 4 4. Oregon (1) 47-6 657 3 5. Tennessee 40-13 641 5 6. Florida State 44-8 611 7 7. Arkansas (1) 38-11 585 8 Florida 43-13 585 9 9. UCLA 47-9 542 6 10. LSU 40-13 501 10 11. Texas Tech 39-11 459 11 12. Arizona 43-10 445 12 13. Virginia Tech 40-10 381 13 14. South Carolina 39-14 374 14 15. Clemson 41-12 359 15 16. Stanford 39-10 315 16 17. Mississippi State 35-15 269 18 18. Ole Miss 35-16 225 17 19. Nebraska 38-12 217 20 20. Alabama 36-20 190 19 21. Duke 37-15 148 22 22. Ohio State 43-11-1 126 21 23. Oklahoma State 33-17 93 23 24. Grand Canyon 43-6 89 24 25. Virginia 36-16 38 25 Others receiving votes: Florida Atlantic 22, Georgia 7, Liberty 4, UCF 1.

Major League Baseball

Monday’s Games

Atlanta 4, Cincinnati 0 L.A. Dodgers 7, Miami 4 San Diego 4, N.Y. Yankees 3 Chicago Cubs 9, San Francisco 2 Milwaukee 5, Houston 1 St. Louis 6, Pittsburgh 3 N.Y. Mets 5, Arizona 4 Cleveland at Washington, ppd.

Tuesday’s Games

Washington 10, Cleveland 9 Cleveland at Washington, n, 2nd game L.A. Dodgers at Miami, n Philadelphia at Tampa Bay, n San Diego at N.Y. Yankees, n Cincinnati at Atlanta, n Houston at Milwaukee, n San Francisco at Chicago Cubs, n Pittsburgh at St. Louis, n Detroit at Colorado, ppd. N.Y. Mets at Arizona, n

Wednesday’s Games

Cleveland (Allen 1-2) at Washington (Parker 3-2), 11:05 a.m. Houston (Valdez 1-4) at Milwaukee (Priester 1-0), 12:10 p.m. Pittsburgh (Keller 1-3) at St. Louis (Gray 3-1), 12:15 p.m. San Francisco (Ray 4-0) at Chicago Cubs (Brown 3-2), 1:20 p.m. N.Y. Mets (Senga 3-2) at Arizona (Kelly 3-1), 2:40 p.m. L.A. Dodgers (TBD) at Miami (Bellozo 0-2), 3:40 p.m. Philadelphia (Sánchez 3-1) at Tampa Bay (Baz 3-1), 6:05 p.m. San Diego (Cease 1-2) at N.Y. Yankees (Fried 6-0), 6:05 p.m. Cincinnati (Greene 4-2) at Atlanta (Holmes 2-2), 6:15 p.m. Detroit (Mize 5-1) at Colorado (Freeland 0-4), 7:40 p.m.

Pro basketball

American League

NBA playoff glance

L 16 18 18 18 20

Pct .543 .500 .471 .471 .394

GB — 1½ 2½ 2½ 5

SECOND ROUND (Best-of-7; x-if necessary)

Eastern Conference Indiana 2, Cleveland 0

New York 1, Boston 0

Monday: New York 108, Boston 105, OT Wednesday: New York at Boston, 6 p.m. Saturday: Boston at New York, 2:30 p.m. Monday, May 12: Boston at New York, 6:30 p.m. x-Wednesday, May 14: New York at Boston, TBA x-Friday, May 16: Boston at New York, TBA x-Monday, May 19: New York at Boston, TBA Western Conference

Denver 1, Oklahoma City 0

Washington 10, Cleveland 9 Cleveland at Washington, n, 2nd game Texas at Boston, n Philadelphia at Tampa Bay, n San Diego at N.Y. Yankees, n Baltimore at Minnesota, n Chicago White Sox at Kansas City, n Houston at Milwaukee, n Detroit at Colorado, n Toronto at L.A. Angels, n Seattle at Athletics, n

Central Division

Sunday, May 11: Cleveland at Indiana, 7 p.m. x-Tuesday, May 13: Indiana at Cleveland, TBA x-Thursday, May 15: Cleveland at Indiana, TBA x-Sunday, May 18: Indiana at Cleveland, TBA

Monday: Denver 121, Oklahoma City 119 Wednesday: Denver at Oklahoma City, 8:30 p.m. Friday, May 9: Oklahoma City at Denver, 9 p.m. Sunday, May 11: Oklahoma City at Denver, 2:30 p.m. x-Tuesday, May 13: Denver at Oklahoma City, TBA x-Thursday, May 15: Oklahoma City at Denver, TBA x-Sunday, May 18: Denver at Okla. City, TBA

Tuesday’s Games

West Division

Area schedule Southland Conference tournament

W 19 18 16 16 13

Pct .629 .571 .556 .429 .286

East Division

Friday’s games

New York Boston Tampa Bay Toronto Baltimore

L 13 15 16 20 25

National League

UL-Monroe at Coastal Carolina, 5 p.m. UNO at Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, 6 p.m. Southeastern at Nicholls, 6 p.m.

East Division

Detroit Cleveland Kansas City Minnesota Chicago

W 22 20 20 15 10

Sunday: Indiana 121, Cleveland 112 Tuesday: Indiana 120, Cleveland 119 Friday, May 9: Cleveland at Indiana, 6:30 p.m.

Tuesday: Golden State at Minnesota, n Thursday: Golden State at Minnesota, 7:30 p.m. Saturday, May 10: Minnesota at Golden State, 7:30 p.m. Monday, May 12: Minnesota at Golden State, 9 p.m. x-Wednesday, May 14: Golden State at Minnesota, TBA x-Sunday, May 18: Minnesota at Golden State, TBA x-Tuesday, May 20: Golden State at Minnesota, TBA

Hockey NHL playoff glance SECOND ROUND

(Best-of-7; x-if necessary)

EASTERN CONFERENCE Washington vs. Carolina

Tuesday: Carolina at Washington, 6 p.m. Thursday: Carolina at Washington, 6 p.m. Saturday: Washington at Carolina, 5 p.m. Monday, May 12: Washington at Carolina, 6 p.m. x-Thursday, May 15: Carolina at Washington, TBA x-Saturday, May 17: Washington at Carolina, TBA x-Monday, May 19: Carolina at Washington, TBA

Toronto 1, Florida 0

Monday: Toronto 5, Florida 4 Wednesday: Florida at Toronto, 6 p.m. Friday: Toronto at Florida, 6 p.m. Sunday, May 11: Toronto at Florida, 6:30 p.m. x-Wednesday, May 14: Florida at Toronto, TBA x-Friday, May 16: Toronto at Florida, TBA x-Sunday, May 18: Florida at Toronto, TBA

WESTERN CONFERENCE Winnipeg vs. Dallas

Wednesday: Dallas at Winnipeg, 8:30 p.m. Friday: Dallas at Winnipeg, 8:30 p.m. Sunday: Winnipeg at Dallas, 3:30 p.m. Tuesday, May 13: Winnipeg at Dallas, 7 p.m. x-Thursday, May 15: Dallas at Winnipeg, TBA x-Saturday, May 17: Winnipeg at Dallas, TBA x-Monday, May 19: Dallas at Winnipeg, TBA

Vegas vs. Edmonton

Tuesday: Edmonton at Vegas, n Thursday: Edmonton at Vegas, 8:30 p.m. Saturday: Vegas at Edmonton, 8 p.m. Monday, May 12: Vegas at Edmonton, 8:30 p.m. x-Wednesday, May 14: Edmonton at Vegas, TBA x-Friday, May 16: Vegas at Edmonton, TBA x-Sunday, May 18: Edmonton at Vegas, TBA

Golf PGA Tour FedEx Cup leaders Through May 4 1. Rory McIlroy 2. Scottie Schefﬂer 3. Justin Thomas 4. Sepp Straka 5. Russell Henley 6. Andrew Novak 7. Ludvig Aberg 8. Corey Conners 9. Maverick McNealy 10. Collin Morikawa 11. J.J. Spaun 12. Justin Rose 13. Brian Harman 14. Sungjae Im 15. Hideki Matsuyama 16. Daniel Berger 17. Shane Lowry 18. Michael Kim 19. Thomas Detry 20. Nick Taylor 21. Ben Grifﬁn 22. Lucas Glover 23. Tom Hoge 24. Tommy Fleetwood 25. Min Woo Lee 26. Harris English 27. Patrick Cantlay 28. Jason Day 29. Viktor Hovland 30. Sam Stevens 31. Akshay Bhatia 32. Joe Highsmith 33. Jacob Bridgeman

Points 2,463 1,928 1,669 1,429 1,404 1,380 1,278 1,235 1,190 1,170 1,090 1,038 1,020 1,003 999 950 928 922 919 871 845 835 828 813 764 761 731 716 701 684 681 638 634

Money $13,326,650 $6,711,197 $6,920,663 $4,628,709 $6,223,775 $5,587,605 $5,704,223 $4,201,631 $4,808,051 $5,939,464 $4,698,535 $4,119,619 $3,413,200 $3,574,300 $4,674,913 $3,268,816 $3,983,758 $2,988,673 $2,885,990 $2,848,556 $2,698,090 $3,075,113 $3,258,797 $2,794,188 $2,754,836 $2,673,954 $2,665,380 $2,376,872 $2,396,023 $2,439,139 $2,556,137 $2,131,856 $2,108,829

34. Keegan Bradley 35. Denny McCarthy 36. Ryan Gerard 37. Patrick Rodgers 38. Brian Campbell 39. Jordan Spieth 40. Bud Cauley 41. Cameron Davis 42. Si Woo Kim 43. Jake Knapp 44. Robert Macintyre 45. Taylor Pendrith 46. Aaron Rai 47. Mackenzie Hughes 48. Stephan Jaeger 49. Nicolas Echavarria 50. Tony Finau 51. Sam Burns 52. Eric Cole 53. Erik Van Rooyen 54. Jhonattan Vegas 55. J.T. Poston 56. Karl Vilips 57. Gary Woodland 58. Billy Horschel 59. Danny Walker 60. Davis Thompson 61. Harry Hall 62. Byeong Hun An 63. Alex Smalley 64. Ryo Hisatsune 65. Isaiah Salinda 66. Aldrich Potgieter 67. Xander Schauffele 68. Sami Valimaki 69. Max Greyserman 70. Garrick Higgo 71. Keith Mitchell 72. Rasmus Hojgaard 73. Wyndham Clark 74. Joel Dahmen 75. Alejandro Tosti 76. Nicolai Hojgaard 77. Henrik Norlander 78. Tom Kim 79. Zach Johnson 80. Max McGreevy 81. Cameron Young 82. Justin Lower 83. Kevin Yu 84. Chan Kim 85. C. Bezuidenhout 86. Taylor Moore 87. Matthew McCarty 88. Sam Ryder 89. Davis Riley 90. Lee Hodges 91. Adam Schenk 92. Ricky Castillo 93. Will Zalatoris 94. Charley Hoffman 95. Kevin Roy 96. Mark Hubbard 97. Michael Thorbjornsen 98. Seamus Power 99. Chad Ramey 100. Chris Gotterup 101. Austin Eckroat 102. Hayden Springer 103. Patrick Fishburn 104. Sahith Theegala 105. Andrew Putnam 106. Jeremy Paul 107. Chandler Phillips 108. Matti Schmid 109. Kris Ventura 110. Adam Hadwin 111. Rico Hoey 112. Frankie Capan 113. Vince Whaley 114. Max Homa 115. Doug Ghim 116. Will Gordon 117. Beau Hossler 118. Steven Fisk 119. Jesper Svensson 120. Nick Dunlap 121. Adam Scott 122. Brice Garnett 123. Trey Mullinax 124. Chris Kirk 125. Rickie Fowler 126. Kurt Kitayama 127. Matt Fitzpatrick 128. Greyson Sigg 129. Quade Cummins 130. Victor Perez 131. Matt Kuchar 132. Thorbjorn Olesen 133. Nate Lashley 134. Takumi Kanaya 135. Lanto Grifﬁn 136. Joseph Bramlett 137. Will Chandler 138. Ryan Fox 139. Taylor Dickson 140. Mac Meissner 141. Camilo Villegas 142. Jackson Suber 143. Danny Willett 144. Antoine Rozner 145. Dylan Wu 146. Emiliano Grillo 147. David Lipsky 148. Matteo Manassero 149. William Mouw 150. Paul Peterson

624 619 610 572 570 562 553 538 530 518 504 501 501 496 487 478 478 470 458 428 427 413 410 401 399 398 394 385 379 372 361 361 355 354 351 348 344 342 339 333 331 330 313 296 291 287 287 280 274 267 263 262 257 255 255 243 242 241 240 239 228 226 225 220 219 219 218 217 216 213 209 207 203 201 193 192 188 187 182 181 179 179 179 178 176 168 167 163 161 161 156 155 153 152 149 148 146 143 140 139 136 132 130 122 122 120 117 116 114 113 112 110 108 105 105 104 101

$2,146,684 $2,166,130 $1,987,864 $1,997,974 $1,535,458 $2,051,024 $1,817,328 $1,695,606 $1,956,471 $1,889,818 $1,930,740 $1,836,368 $1,923,430 $1,614,598 $1,660,411 $1,540,093 $1,653,951 $1,740,508 $1,605,445 $1,494,563 $1,352,745 $1,427,348 $1,088,224 $1,339,454 $1,333,554 $1,195,358 $1,508,835 $1,167,547 $1,402,550 $1,216,997 $1,182,959 $1,061,300 $922,541 $1,258,156 $1,198,249 $1,321,760 $842,945 $931,878 $1,132,802 $1,309,010 $933,798 $1,000,684 $942,924 $826,252 $923,693 $840,200 $983,924 $991,550 $882,675 $894,830 $732,534 $1,010,431 $902,652 $972,884 $867,750 $853,644 $793,810 $744,617 $747,692 $956,253 $694,228 $589,426 $709,253 $634,742 $774,763 $624,917 $557,238 $935,583 $680,746 $676,902 $832,659 $543,493 $482,580 $582,417 $498,768 $601,555 $663,181 $590,083 $587,077 $484,852 $705,833 $528,667 $645,830 $566,704 $447,561 $505,184 $654,875 $711,272 $462,699 $430,505 $655,950 $500,153 $558,070 $651,161 $430,696 $330,449 $386,144 $455,167 $429,431 $394,703 $412,960 $372,533 $334,295 $412,983 $478,728 $382,726 $348,835 $414,909 $369,549 $356,169 $379,957 $330,617 $319,359 $330,966 $264,398 $286,313 $304,725

Transactions BASEBALL Major League Baseball American League BALTIMORE ORIOLES — Sent RF Tyler O’Neill on a rehab assignment to Norfolk (IL). CHICAGO WHITE SOX — Sent RHP Jesse Scholtens on a rehab assignment to Winston-Salem (SAL). Sent RHP Penn Murfee outright to Charlotte (IL). Sent 1B Bobby Dalbec outright to Charlotte. CLEVELAND GUARDIANS — Recalled RHP Zak Kent from Columbus (IL).

KANSAS CITY ROYALS — Agreed to terms with RF Rudy Martin on a minor league contract. LOS ANGELES ANGELS — Reinstated 3B Yoán Moncada from the 10-day IL. Designated RHP Touki Toussaint for assignment. Sent RHP Sam Bachman on a rehab assignment to Inland Empire (CAL). Selected the contract of RHP Connor Brogdon from Salt Lake (PCL). Optioned RHP Michael Darrell-Hicks to Salt Lake. Optioned OF Niko Kavadas to Salt Lake. Selected the contract of RHP Héctor Neris from Salt Lake. NEW YORK YANKEES — Sent RHP Scott Effross on a rehab assignment to FCL Yankees. Designated RHP Carlos Carrasco for assignment. Recalled RHP Yerry de los Santos from Scranton/Wilkes Barre (IL). Transferred the rehab assignment of INF DJ LeMahieu from Somerset (EL) to Scranton/ Wilkes-Barre. SEATTLE MARINERS — Reinstated 3B Dylan Moore from the 10-day (IL). Optioned 2B Samad Taylor to Tacoma (PCL). Claimed OF Leody Taveras off waivers from the Texas Rangers. Designated RHP Luis Castillo for assignment. TAMPA BAY RAYS — Placed RHP Hunter Bigge on the 15-day IL, retroactive to May 2, 2025. Sent RF Josh Lowe on a rehab assignment to FCL Rays. Recalled RHP Cole Sulser from Durham (IL). TEXAS RANGERS — Recalled OF Evan Carter from Round Rock (PCL). Agreed to terms with LHP Ty Blach and RHP Robert Dugger on minor league contracts. Released RHP Hunter Strickland. National League ARIZONA DIAMONDBACKS — Recalled RHP Cristian Mena from Reno (PCL). Optioned LHP Tommy Henry to Reno. CINCINNATI REDS — Sent RHP Rhett Lowder on a rehab assignment to ACL Reds. Placed 2B Tyler Callihan on the 10-day IL. Recalled RHP Lyon Richardson from Louisville (IL). Recalled LF Jacob Hurtubise from Louisville. Optioned RHP Yosver Zulueta to Louisville. LOS ANGELES DODGERS — Recalled RHP J.P. Feyereisen from Oklahoma City (PCL). Designated RHP Yoendrys Gómez for assignment. Recalled CF James Outman from Oklahoma City (PCL). Placed RF Teoscar Hernandez on the 10-day IL. MILWAUKEE BREWERS — Sent LHP Aaron Ashby on a rehab assignment to ACL Brewers. Sent RHP Brandon Woodruff on a rehab assignment to Nashville (IL). NEW YORK METS — Sent RHP Paul Blackburn on a rehab assignment to Syracuse (IL). PITTSBURGH PIRATES — Transferred the rehab assignments of INF Spencer Horwitz and RHP Dauri Moreta to Indianapolis (IL). SAN DIEGO PADRES — Sent 2B Jake Cronenworth on a rehab assignment to El Paso (PCL). Reinstated CF Jackson Merrill from the 10-day IL. Optioned C Luis Campusano to El Paso. WASHINGTON NATIONALS — Recalled RHP Zach Brzykcy from Rochester (IL). Agreed to terms with RHPs Parker Dunshee and Adrian Sampson on minor league contracts. BASKETBALL Women’s National Basketball Association DALLAS WINGS — Waived C Aaronette Vonleh. Exercised their contract option with F Maddy Siegrist. SEATTLE STORM — Waived Gs Jordan Hobbs and Madison Conner. FOOTBALL National Football League BALTIMORE RAVENS — Released K Justin Tucker with a post-June 1 designation. Signed OT Joseph Noteboom to a contract. CINCINNATI BENGALS — Restructured the contract of S Geno Stone. DENVER BRONCOS — Signed TE Caleb Lohner to a rookie contract. KANSAS CITY CHIEFS — Placed DE B.J. Thompson on the reserve/non-football illness list. Released CB Robert Rochell. Waived/Injured DB Will Brooks and Justin Lockhart. Signed WR Jimmy Holiday, LB Cooper McDonald and DB Major Williams to contracts. Signed OT Josh Simmons to a rookie contract. SEATTLE SEAHAWKS — Waived DE T.J. Jackson and LB Jackson Woodard. HOCKEY National Hockey League BOSTON BRUINS — Signed C Patrick Brown to a one-year, two-way contract. FLORIDA PANTHERS — Signed D Ludvig Jansson to a three-year, entry-level contract. NEW JERSEY DEVILS — Signed F Arseniy Gritsyuk to a one-year, entry level contract starting in 2025-26. SOCCER Major League Soccer COLORADO RAPIDS — Loaned D Michael Edwards to Charleston Battery (USL Championship) for the remainder of the 2025 season. COLLEGE FLORIDA GATORS — Signed men’s head basketball coach Todd Golden to a six-year contract extension.

LIVING

T H E A D V O C AT E.C O M

W e d n e s d ay, M ay 7, 2025

1dn

Lauren Cheramie BON VIVANT

A crawﬁsh cook-off, new po-boy of the month and dinner pairing Bon vi·vant /noun/ a sociable person who has cultivated and reﬁned tastes, especially with respect to food and drink.

New food on the block Try the May po-boy of the month at Jed’s Local, 672 Jefferson Highway, in Baton Rouge. For every order of the “BLT with a Twist” po-boy — made with candied bacon, fried green tomatoes, romaine lettuce and house-made remoulade on Gendusa French bread for $12.99 — Jed’s will donate money to the McLindon Family Foundation, which provides adaptive bikes to children with special needs.

PROVIDED PHOTOS

Thousands of people attended the first Night Market in Baton Rouge in 2023 to celebrate Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month at Electric Depot.

Good night

From pandan horchata to Korean birria ramen tacos, here’s your guide to Night Market BTR 2025

PROVIDED PHOTO

Try the May po-boy of the month at Jed’s Local, 672 Jefferson Highway, in Baton Rouge. For every order of the ‘BLT with a Twist’ po-boy, Jed’s will donate money to the McLindon Family Foundation, which provides adaptive bikes to children with special needs.

BY SERENA PUANG

onderfully curated Asian street food vendors, lion dance performances, live music — this is what Baton Rouge has come to know as Night Market BTR. The event was started in 2023 by Laura Siu-Ngyuen, and it’s coming back to the city on Saturday. Siu-Ngyuen organized and curated the vendors for the initial market after traveling to California and seeing a night market there. “Why can’t we have that in Baton Rouge? Why not us?” she remembers asking herself. The first year, she said, was a pilot program — just to see if there would be interest and support. The second year was confirmation. They moved it into a different space, and people showed up. Some even said they didn’t have enough time to try all the dishes they wanted because the lines were long. This year, SiuNgyuen is bringing night market back with more than 60 vendors from across the state. One vendor is traveling from Texas to have their first pop-up here. They’ve also expanded their hours to 3 p.m. to 9 p.m. and relocated to the foot of the Capitol building.

In the know Crawfish cook-off: 2:30 p.m. Saturday at St. Jean Vianney Catholic School, 16266 S. Harrells Ferry Road, Baton Rouge Join the St. Jean Vianney community for its fourth annual crawfish cook-off. More than 20 local teams are competing for the title of “Best Crawfish” and “Best Lagniappe.” Admission includes all-you-can-eat crawfish, as well as jambalaya and pizza. A live band will provide entertainment. Tickets start at $20 for ages 8 to 14 and $30 for adults, available for purchase at ticketleap.events/ tickets/sjv-mens-club/sjv2025-crawfish-cookoff. Mother’s Day brunch: 10:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday at Solera, 4205 Perkins Road, Baton Rouge Plan for brunch at Solera for Mother’s Day with a special prix fixe, two-course menu for $35. The menu includes dishes like crab and corn bisque, braised lamb shoulder, olive oil cake and more. Call (225) 2564192 to make reservations.

Wine and spirits Vodka pairing dinner: 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. Thursday at Sullivan’s Steakhouse, 5252 Corporate Blvd., Baton Rouge Indulge in a five-course, prix fixe menu paired with vodka cocktails. Participants will compare and contrast the flavor profiles of the spirits from different grains and regions. Some of the menu pairings include nigiri sushi with a haku lychee martini, a bone-in filet mignon with a “Tito’s Transfusion” cocktail and sea scallops with a French martini. Tickets are $119, available for purchase at sullivanssteak house.com/promotions.

ä See BON VIVANT, page 3D

Staff writer

The three kinds of rice burgers Japa Rice will be featuring at Night Market BTR. Each vendor is tasked with creating a menu that represents their business and/or has a story behind it. For Sara Yamasaki, who moved from Japan less than three years ago and now co-runs the Mary Lee Donuts in Watson, going to Night Market felt empowering. “I didn’t know there were that many Asians in Baton Rouge,” she said. After attending for the past two years, she wants to try her hand at selling food. She and her husband,

Don Moon, are piloting Japa Rice this year. They’ll be selling shredded beef, chicken and ﬁsh ﬂavored burgers made with sushi rice buns. The couple says they felt that there was a hole in the market for rice burgers, popular in Japan and South Korea. If they do well, they’ll consider doing more pop-ups and events in the future. In past years, the night market has introduced some amazing popups to the city that go far beyond the one day. Last year, Oni 225, an onigiri pop-up, and Mlem Mlem, a bakery pop-up with treats and teas/ drinks, debuted at Night Market and went on to pop up regularly throughout the year. Some of Mlem Mlem’s menu items have a little fusion element to them, like their Pandan Horchata, a nod to when co-founder Vina Pham worked at Zero Degrees, an Asian-Hispanic fusion fast food chain that used to be near LSU. Both Mlem Mlem and Oni 225 will be back this year. Pham said that she was excited to try the new vendors. She loves seeing people start new ventures, and since she’s worked at the two previous night markets, she’s liked seeing how it gets bigger every year. “It’s great to see how much

ä See MARKET, page 2D

THE BEST THINGS WE ATE THIS WEEK

Festival fare, simple bites highlight favorite meals Caesar-ish salad at BLDG 5

Staff report

Caesar-ish salad

n Bldg 5, 2805 Kalurah St., Baton

Rouge

STAFF PHOTO By LAUREN CHERAMIE

While my favorite thing to order at Bldg 5 is the Little Italy board, I decided to try something new. Enter the Bldg 5 Caesar-ish salad, which features marinated grilled chicken, crisp romaine and spinach, shaved parmesan, roasted yellow corn,

hearts of palm, croutons and Caesar dressing. The salad was fresh and easy to enjoy for dinner, but I could easily see this being a great lunch item. I do wish, though, that I had paired it with a bowl of soup. I guess I’ll just have to go back for more research! — Lauren Cheramie, features coordinator

ä See BEST, page 2D

2D ■ Wednesday, May 7, 2025 ■ theadvocate.com ■ The Advocate

lll

TODAY IN HISTORY By The Associated Press Today is Wednesday, May 7, the 127th day of 2025. There are 238 days left in the year. Today in history: On May 7, 1915, a German U-boat torpedoed and sank the British liner RMS Lusitania off the southern coast of Ireland, killing 1,198 people, including 128 Americans, out of the nearly 2,000 on board. On this date: In 1945, Nazi Germany signed an unconditional surrender at Allied headquarters in Rheims, France, ending its role in World War II. In 1954, the 55-day Battle of Dien Bien Phu in Vietnam ended with Vietnamese insurgents overrunning French forces; it would be the last major battle of the First Indochina War. In 1975, President Gerald R. Ford formally declared an end to the “Vietnam era.” In Ho Chi Minh City — formerly Saigon — the Viet Cong celebrated its takeover. In 1977, Seattle Slew won the Kentucky Derby, the ﬁrst of his

Triple Crown victories. In 1984, Monsanto and six other chemical companies agreed to pay a $180 million settlement to Vietnam veterans who were exposed to the chemical herbicide Agent Orange during the Vietnam War. In 2020, Georgia authorities arrested a White father and son and charged them with murder in the February shooting death of Ahmaud Arbery, a Black man they had pursued in a truck after spotting him running in their neighborhood near the port city of Brunswick. (The two men and a third White man would be convicted of murder in state court and hate crimes in federal court.) Today’s birthdays: Singer Thelma Houston is 82. Rock musician Bill Kreutzmann (Grateful Dead) is 79. Actor/former boxer Randall “Tex” Cobb is 75. Actor Breckin Meyer is 51. Reggaeton musician J Balvin is 40. Actorcomedian Aidy Bryant is 38. Actor-writer Maya Erskine is 38. Actor Alexander Ludwig is 33. YouTube personality MrBeast (Jimmy Donaldson) is 27.

PROVIDED PHOTO

Hue Pham, from left, Night Market BTR founder Laura Siu Nguyen and Tuan Pham at the grand opening of Offset Smoker BBQ.

MARKET

Continued from page 1D growth there is,” she said. Night Market BTR is selling tickets this year. Presale tickets are $5. A portion of the proceeds will go to the Southern Lotus Lion Dance Association, specifically designated for scholarships. The dancers, many of whom are high school students, will also be performing at the market. Of the 60-plus vendors from across the state, here are 20 of this year’s Baton Rouge-based vendors and their planned Night Market BTR offerings: STAFF PHOTO By SERENA PUANG

Sushi rolls from Geisha, Sushi with Flair in Prairieville. From left, are the geisha roll, mango tango roll and cherry blossom roll.

BEST

Oni 225 n Snowcrab Onigiri n Beef Onigiri

n Skewers: Lao sausage, chicken and pork n Papaya salad

n Snowdog

Miso Smokey

n Spam Onigiri

n Vegan Kimchi

Continued from page 1D

STAFF FILE PHOTO By HILARy SCHEINUK

Oni 225’s Shawn Cao prepares a caramelized beef onigiri at a pop-up at Sneaker Politics in Baton Rouge.

Mlem Mlem

n Smoked Fried Wings (sweet

Sushi

n Crinkle Cookies n Tres Leches

soy glaze and sweet chili dry rub) n Brisket Fried Rice n Pecan Brittle

Airline Highway, Prairieville

n Che Thai

Chai Thai Lao

n Che Troi Nuoc

n Geisha, Sushi with Flair, 17097

When going to a sushi place for the ﬁrst time, my MO is to never go alone and to always split multiple rolls. I’ve heard good things about Geisha — they’re sister restaurants with the Patio Tex-Mex Fusion, which is my happy place, and their rolls did not disappoint. I ordered the geisha roll (their signature), the mango tango roll and the cherry blossom roll. All were good but the cherry blossom roll stole the show. The snow crab, whiteﬁsh, tuna and salmon paired perfectly, and I’m a big fan of their soy wrapping (in lieu of seaweed). — Serena Puang, features writer

Pulled pork hand pies

n Louisiana Locavores, Festival

food pop-up, Lafayette

One of the best parts of going to Festival International in Lafayette is getting the opportunity to try new-to-me dishes alongside old favorites. This year, the Louisiana Locavores booth called me back several times to try their barbacoa rice and gravy, pulled pork and green chili pimento cheese hand pies,

STAFF PHOTO By JOANNA BROWN

Sopapilla cheesecake and pulled pork hand pies with green chile pimento cheese from Louisiana Locavores.

and sopapilla cheesecake bars. Each dish was a unique twist on well-loved eats. The hand pies were ﬂavorful without being overstuffed (or too dry, a common meat pie issue), with a pepper jelly dipping sauce that added an extra-sweet zing to the savory pies. The sopapilla cheesecake bars had a caramelized cinnamon-sugar layer on top, adding delightful complexity to the rich cheesecake. And you could really taste the fresh, local ingredients in Louisiana Locavore’s rice and gravy, which layered extremely well with the smokiness of the shredded brisket. This eatery can be found at local farmers markets and festivals, so follow them on social media to see where they’ll end up next. — Joanna Brown, staff writer

n Suong Sao Mat Uong (grass

jelly drink) n Pandan Horchata

Japa Rice

n Rice Burger (beef/chicken/ﬁsh)

King Kong Milk Tea n Dragon Bomb

n Mango Pineapple n Passion Fruit

n Oolong Milktea

n Chicken Satay n Laab Chicken

n Pad Woon Sen n Pad Ped

Micropharms n Thai Ribs n Brisket

n Curry Tofu

n Butter Chicken

Philly Dat Up n Beef Phillys

n Chicken Phillys

It’s so Lao n Laab beef

n Lao jerky with sticky rice and joew

n Nemburger

n Bun Chay Delight

n Coconut Gem Coffee Dessert n Jade Bean Delight Drink

Em’s Bakery n Japanese Cheesecake n Hokkaido Milk Bread

Besteas Sip & Bite

n Fruit Tea

Offset Smoker BBQ

n Tamarind Glazed St. Louis Ribs

Bowl on the Geaux n Crawﬁsh Curry Noodles

n Cajun French Fries

Tasty T’s Street Eats

n Mango with Purple Sticky Rice

n Thai Lemonade

n Matcha Milktea n Egg rolls

n Thai Green Milk Tea

n Thai Tea

n Pork Satay Roti

n Popcorn chicken

n Strawberry Matcha Latte

n Thai Tea

n Brown Sugar

n Black Milktea

n Rose Garden Tea

n Brown Sugar Milk Tea n Taro Milk Tea

n Ube Cheesecake n Banh Mi

n Spring Rolls

Brucey Bites

n Krispi Kani Egg Roll

n Korean BBQ Brisket

n Grilled Chicken + Rice

n Viet Pork Skewers

Seoul Stop n Kimbap

n Korea Birria Ramen Tacos n Braised Beef Croquettes

HouseBrew LLC

n Onigiri

n Vietnamese Coffee

n Sausage Bun

n Coffee Brew Latte

n Fruit Sando

Sunshine Chicken n Chicken Wings

Boba Partea n Garlic Cream Cheese Bread n Sausage Twist n Macaron

n Fried Wonton n Sweet Bread n Brown Bubu

n Jaguar Boost Tea n Matcha Latte

Little Kitchen BR n Pork Barbecue on a Stick n Pork Adobo n Lumpia

n Halo-halo n Pansit

Email Serena Puang at serena. puang@theadvocate.com.

The Advocate ■ theadvocate.com ■ Wednesday, May 7, 2025 ■ 3D

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Getting rid of bitterness in coffee If you keep feeding them, they’re going to stick around guests will get the idea and Dear Miss Manners: When go home. hosting a cocktail hour, Dear Miss Manners: I am curhow does the hostess gracefully navigate rently being treated the quantity of food for a medical probserved? For exlem. The issue is expected to fully ample, if the cheese resolve in time, but platter is reduced to it is temporarily a few bites, should forcing me to work the hostess be conJudith part-time, and prestantly monitoring Martin vents me from parand replenishing it, MISS even if the planned ticipating in certain MANNERS “hour” has passed? activities that are I certainly don’t standard in my line want to appear stingy of work. with guests. But bringing I therefore have to exout more food seems to plain to clients and others encourage lingering and that my current availdrifting into dinner time ability is limited. I usually and beyond. give them an abbreviated I was taught that as a version of the reason, just guest, I should not take so they know that I’m not the last piece of anything making something up to — crackers, nuts, candy avoid doing the work, or to or cheese. Is that still the give myself more time to case? It seems to me that get it done. empty platters should Most people just sympasignal that it’s time to say thize and wish me a speedy “thanks and goodbye.” But recovery, which is ﬁne. But does it appear churlish to some interject very relileave the bowls and platgious wishes for me, such as assuring me that “The ters empty? good Lord is looking out Gentle reader: Fill or clear for you and will take care any empty receptacle, in which category Miss Man- of you for a full recovery.” This makes me uncomners includes the guests. So if Uncle Lance is fortable — ﬁrst because I lingering by the dessert don’t appreciate inserting table, hoping for somereligious beliefs into busithing more, swoop him ness transactions in genup and introduce him to eral, and second because any available guest in the I do not subscribe to the next room. Eventually the same religion as the person table will be empty and the making this statement.

I know that people who say this mean well, so I usually just say “Thank you” and try to move quickly to another topic. Is there a graceful way to discourage these comments? Gentle reader: Here is a perhaps-novel way to discourage people from introducing their personal beliefs into professional dealings: Don’t you do it ﬁrst. This includes stating your belief that your explanations may not be believed. Rather than abbreviate your medical diagnosis, omit it entirely. You can stop talking after saying, “I have a medical condition that temporarily requires me to work part-time,” and Miss Manners thinks you have every chance of being taken at your word. She cannot promise an instant recovery for the current pandemic of Too Much Information: You may still have to say “thank you” from religious well-wishers and move on. But it is a start. Send questions to Miss Manners at her website, www.missmanners. com; to her email, dearmissmanners@gmail. com; or through postal mail to Miss Manners, Universal Uclick, 1130 Walnut St., Kansas City, MO 64106.

Dear Heloise: Recently, you it each morning until you find your sweet spot. — Karel, ran a letter from a reader in Kalamazoo, Michigan who was wondering how to get rid of the bitterness Preheating the oven that was creeping into her coffee. Your suggestion of Dear Heloise: I have somethoroughly cleaning the thing to add to S. from Virpot was a great first ginia’s letter regardstep. If this didn’t ing recipes and telldo the trick for her, ing one to preheat I’d like to suggest the oven first thing. adding salt to her I had one recipe that next pot! This tip first said to preheat was popularized by the oven to 350 F, food science expert Hints from then continued to Heloise give directions for a Alton Brown, even though the trick has marinade. They said been used for much longer. to marinate the meat for 4-6 A quick internet search hours. Huh? will bring up any number of Needless to say, I made suggestions, ranging from some revision to the order adding salt to your cup to of things to do in that reciusing it when brewing the pe. — D., from Tucson,Arizona whole pot. Brown suggests D., it looks like someone a ½ teaspoon of salt for forgot to proofread the inevery cup of water and 2 structions! — Heloise teaspoons of ground coffee. Dish sterilizers It really works! But start with less salt than Brown Dear Heloise: Dishwashers recommends, then increase should actually be termed

“dish sterilizers.” The idea that you shouldn’t rinse the dried stuff before putting it in dishwasher is wrong. It all ends up in the ﬁlter, and who checks that? Consider your dishwasher as a ﬁnal step in getting your dishes really clean. You can tell I’m very passionate about this. — Pat D., Irvine, California Pat, this is correct. Never put food-encrusted plates or other dishes directly in the dishwasher. It’s there to clean your dishes, not as a garbage disposal to wash away leftover food. — Heloise

Prolonging ripeness Dear Heloise: Store avocados in the refrigerator inside of a container of water that is ﬁlled halfway up. It will help them ripen and last for so much longer! — Jo Marie Hejna, via email Send a hint to heloise@ heloise.com.

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BON VIVANT

Continued from page 1D Bubbles and brunch walkabout: 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday at Hokus Pokus Liquor, 17524 Airline Highway, Prairieville Enjoy this walkaboutstyle tasting with bubbles, mimosas and brunchinspired bites. Tickets are $15 per person, available

at www.hokuspokusliquor. com/events/-mother-s-daybubbles-brunch-walkabout. Cooking and cocktails: 6 p.m. Sunday at Oxbow Rum Distillery, 760 St. Philip St., Baton Rouge Combine the art of cooking, the magic of mixology and the allure of premium rum with Oxbow Distillery and Brittany Marshall of 4 On The Geaux Kitchen and Catering. Participate in an

N O R T H A M ER I CA’S

Oxbow distillery tour, cooking demonstration, cocktail demonstration, tasting session and more. There are only 60 seats per session. Tickets are $125 per person, available for purchase by calling (225) 615-8044. If you have an upcoming food event or a kitchen question, email lauren. cheramie@theadvocate. com. Cheers!

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4D ■ Wednesday, May 7, 2025 ■ theadvocate.com ■ The Advocate

FrAnK And erneSt

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zodIAC TAURUS (April 20-May 20) Say no to temptation, overspending and taking on responsibilities that don't belong to you. Promote and market yourself instead of being someone else's minion. GEMINI (May 21-June 20) Declutter your life. Eliminate what tires you out and stands in your way. It's time to enjoy life and let go of whatever stands between you and your happiness. CANCER (June 21-July 22) Refuse to let uncertainty stop you from chasing your dreams. Stand up, be counted and take responsibility for your success. Do your due diligence and handle your affairs personally. LEO (July 23-Aug. 22) Listen, learn and gather information that might come in handy later. Expect someone to interfere or try to pressure you into making changes that are better for them than for you. VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) Dig deep, connect the dots and ask experts. Following your heart and putting your ideas in motion will give you the wherewithal to complete your mission. Learn everything you can. LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23) Stay tight-lipped until you have verified the facts and organized your thoughts. Keep your life simple; be direct, and do not allow anyone to talk you into something that might encroach on your well-being. SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 22) Don't let anger eat your energy. Get out, network and join forces with people who offer stability and loyalty, and push your way

forward. A personal gain will require hands-on help. SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 23-Dec. 21) Trust your instincts and abilities, and bypass anyone trying to stand in your way. Worry less about who follows and more about doing things for yourself and reaping the rewards. CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) Be honest regarding monetary situations. Don't spend what you don't have or get involved with people who encourage you do so. Focus on home, family and the changes necessary to make life easier. AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) Get out and promote your cause. Update your skills and use them to fill an in-demand niche. An innovative approach to business, lifestyle and the things that make you happy will pay off. PISCES (Feb. 20-March 20) Look for the positive in everyone. Align yourself with people already on the same page as you. Do your own thing and protect your assets, ideas and valuable connections. ARIES (March 21-April 19) Expand your interests, friendships and haunts. Getting out and discovering what's available in your community will give you the boost you need to make something happen. The horoscope, an entertainment feature, is not based on scientific fact. © 2025 by NEA, Inc., dist. By Andrews McMeel Syndication

For better or For WorSe WonderWord

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beetLe bAILeY CeLebrItY CIpher Celebrity Cipher cryptograms are created from quotations by famous people, past and present. Each letter in the cipher stands for another.

TODAy'S CLUE: R EQUALS X

Mother GooSe And GrIMM

SherMAn’S LAGoon FAMILY CIrCUS

dooneSbUrY

The Advocate ■ theadvocate.com ■ Wednesday, May 7, 2025 ■ 5D

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CurTiS

Hi and LoiS

Sudoku InstructIons: Sudoku is a number-placing puzzle based on a 9x9 grid with several given numbers. The object is to place the numbers 1 to 9 in the 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 from Monday to Sunday. Yesterday’s Puzzle Answer

BaBY BLueS

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6D ■ Wednesday, May 7, 2025 ■ theadvocate.com ■ The Advocate

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B.C.

Bridge BY PHILLIP ALDER Gene Mora, who writes the “Graffiti” cartoon, used this line: “If at first you do succeed, try not to look surprised.” If you work out the right line of play in this deal, try not to look surprised! What would you do in three no-trump after West leads his fourth-highest spade? Do not be concerned about a low doubleton when opening one no-trump. Here, if you open one club, your partner will respond one diamond. What would you do then? You would have no accurately descriptive rebid. You start with seven top tricks: one spade (because of the opening lead), two hearts, two diamonds and two clubs. You must establish two more club winners to get home. First, though, what do you do at trick one? With honor-doubleton on the board, put up the honor; here, the king. (If it were queen-doubleton on the board and kingthird in your hand, you would play the queen.) If East plays low, work hard to keep him off the lead, so that he cannot push a spade through your queen. Here, though, East takes the king with his ace and returns the 10. You duck and win the third spade. Now you must not let West win a trick, because he would then cash two spade tricks to defeat you. It is time for

garfield

Pearls Before swiNe

hagar the horriBle

an avoidance play. Lead a diamond to dummy’s king and call for a club. When East plays the queen, let him take the trick. And when West follows suit, you are home. If instead East plays a lower club, take the trick and cash the other high honor, hoping that West did not start with queen-third. © 2025 by NEA, Inc., dist. By Andrews McMeel Syndication

wuzzles Each Wuzzle is a word riddle which creates a disguised word, phrase, name, place, saying, etc. For example: NOON GOOD = GOOD AFTERNOON

PiCKles

Previous answers:

mallard fillmore

word game INsTRucTIoNs: 1. Words must be of four or more letters. 2. Words that acquire four letters by the addition of “s,” such as “bats” or “dies,” are not allowed. 3. Additional words made by adding a “d” or an “s” may not be used. 4. Proper nouns, slang words, or vulgar or sexually explicit words are not allowed.

ToDAY’s WoRD — PARALYsIs: puh-RAL-ih-sis: Complete or partial loss of

Bizarro

marmaduKe

function. Average mark 23 words Time limit 45 minutes Can you find 38 or more words in PARALYSIS? YEsTERDAY’s WoRD — MEPHITIc mice mite emit epic etch ethic pitch pith hemic

hemp itch item tech temp them time chime chimp

chip chit cite

loCKhorNs hidato Yesterday’s Puzzle Answer

today’s thought “The Lord is good, a strong hold in the day of trouble; and he knows them that trust in him.” Nahum 1:7

It is a blessing to know the Lord. Are you trusting him? G.E. Dean

The Advocate ■ theadvocate.com ■ Wednesday, May 7, 2025 ■ 7D

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classiﬁeds.theadvocate.com | 225-383-0111 821 GOOSE ST THE ESTATE OF HAZEL MAXWELL LAWSON

Announcements ANYONE knowing the whereabouts of any property owner, heir or other related person, in regard to the properties listed below, please contact the East Baton Rouge CityParish, Department of Development – Neighborhood Revitalization Ofﬁce at 225-389-8680. 3155 CHARLOTTE DR NADIA J RAUDALES MENDEZ

6240 E GLEN CT KEISHA N. MCCRAY 8045 BRANDON DR JASON WARREN MURRAY 10493 E GRANDEUR AVE GEORGE ROBERT NASH 7833 PALOMAR DR SYLVIA L VINNING

1702 MAST DR LOUISIANA PROPERTY ACQUISITION & MANAGEMENT, LLC; ROBERT HAIRFORD

8013 BRANDON DR RRC INVESTMENT PROPERTIES, LLC; ROBERT DRAKE THIBODEAUX

1921 75TH AVE ANDREA N DAVIS

10350 OLIPHANT RD KAMI LYNNE ROCCAFORTE

1923 75TH AVE LADONNA ROBERTSON

10509 SHERMOOR DR CLAUDE RILEY KIMBRELL JR

7551 SOMERSET ST TEXACO, INC

11922 AUBURN DR THEODORE L ELLIS

5152 CLAYTON ST GLORIA D. KNOX MORTGAGE

275 KIMBRO DR MORTON C HURSTON, JR.

Sealed Bids shall be ad‐ dressed to Acadia Parish Police Jury, and delivered to 505 Northeast Court Circle, Crowley, LA 70527 or submitted by elec‐ tronic bid at www. madereng.com not later than 10:00 a.m., on May 27, 2025. Any bid received after the specified time and date will not be con‐ sidered. The sealed bids will be publicly opened and read aloud at 10:00 a.m., on May 27, 2025 at the Aca‐ dia Parish Police Jury lo‐ cated at 505 Northeast Court Circle, Crowley, LA 70527. A Non-Mandatory / PREBID CONFERENCE WILL BE HELD: TIME & DATE: 10:00 a.m. on May 15, 2025 LOCATION: LeGros Memorial Airport Terminal Building Airport Road Estherwood, LA Attendance at the PreBid Conference is not mandatory in order to bid on the project; how‐ ever, bidders are encour‐ aged to attend. It is the responsibility of all po‐ tential bidders to visit the job site to assess the location and conditions prior to bidding. The Instructions to Bid‐ ders, Bid Form, Contract, Plans, Specifications, and Forms of Bid Bond, Performance Bond and Payment Bond, and other bidding documents may be examined at the office of the Engineer for the contract; Mader Engi‐ neering, Inc. located at 1245 South College Road, Building 1, Lafayette, LA 70503; (337-989-8047). Copies shall be obtained at the Engineer’s office (upon payment of a de‐ posit of $120.00) or may be downloaded from the Mader Engineering Plan Room as hosted by Cen‐ tral Bidding (subject to fees and conditions). The deposit will be refunded upon request in accor‐ dance with R.S. 38:2212, but Central Bidding fees are not refundable. Contractors submitting bids shall be licensed under LA R.S. 37:21502164, Highway, Street and Bridge Construction. The bidder shall show his li‐ cense number on the bid and on the sealed enve‐ lope submitting the bid. The signature on the bid must be that of an autho‐ rized representative of the corporation, partner‐ ship or other legal entity, as defined by Louisiana Public Bid Law Revised Statute 38:2212.A.(1)(c) which dictates parties authorized to submit bids for public contracts. All required Certificates of Liability Insurance shall list the “Owner” as “additionally insured”. The Owner reserves the right to reject any and all bids for just cause; such actions will be in accor‐ dance with Title 38 of the Louisiana Revised

2732 N LARK ST U.S. THRIFT & LOAN CORPORATION 13644 MC CLURE ST ALVIN D. NORTHERN 6514 KLEINPETER RD TUMECA BATISTE

Anyone knowing the whereabouts of VICKIE CORKERN AND/OR THE HEIRS OF NATHAN CORKERN., please contact Attorney ALLISON B. COSTANZA, 225-664-4335 acostanzalaw@gmail.com. 139681-May 5-7, 3t $109 Advertising Looking to promote your services or find a new hire? Deliver your classified message statewide for as little as $265 per week through the Louisiana Press Association’s Classified Network. Pre-payment required. To learn more, email advertising@lapress.com or call 225-344-9309.

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Statutes. In accordance with R.S. 38:2212 (A)(1) (b), the provisions and requirements stated in the Bidding Documents shall not be waived by any entity.

Acadia Parish Police Jury

g April 23 & 30, and May 7, 2025

In accordance with R.S. 38:2212 (A)(1)(b), the pro‐ visions and requirements stated in the Bidding Documents shall not be waived by any entity.

138099 April 30, May 7, 14, 3t $2,101.12

The proposed contract is under and subject to ex‐ ecutive Order 11246 of September 24, 1965. The Bidder’s attention is called to the “Equal Op‐ portunity Clause” and the “Standard Federal Equal Employment Op‐ portunity Construction Contract Specifications” set forth in the Specifica‐ tions. Affirmative Action Requirements as well as goals for minority and fe‐ male participation on contracts and subcon‐ tracts of $10,000 or more are established within the Specifications. The successful bidder will be required to sub‐ mit Certifications regard‐ ing Foreign Trade Restric‐ tions under 49 CFR part 30, Government Wide De‐ barment and Suspension as per 2 CFR part 180 and Non-segregated Facilities as per 41 CFR § 60-1.8. Attention to Bidders is particularly called to the requirements as to con‐ ditions of employment to be observed and mini‐ mum wage rates to be paid under the Davis Bacon Act Requirements. All applicable Federal, State, Local laws, ordi‐ nances, and the rules and regulations of all au‐ thorities having jurisdic‐ tion over construction of the project shall apply to the contract throughout. Notice is hereby given that the project is funded through Federal and State Grants which funds will not be available at the time of bidding. The Owner may reject all bids and cancel this solicita‐ tion should adequate funding not be secured within 30 days after bid opening. The time limits stipulated in LA. R.S. 38:2215(D) do not apply based upon the statutory exception that “the con‐ tract is to be financed in whole or in part by fed‐ eral or other funds which will not be readily avail‐ able at the time bids are opened.” Each Bidder must de‐ posit with his/her bid, security in the amount of at least five percent (5%) of the total bid price, provided on the specified form and subject to the conditions provided in the Information for Bid‐ ders. Sureties used for obtaining bonds must appear as acceptable on the U. S. Department of Treasury Circular 570. OWNER

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PUBLICATION/DATES: April 30, 2025 May 7, 2025 May 14, 2025

PUBLIC NOTICE --ADVERTISEMENT FOR BIDS BID PROPOSAL NO. 50-00147722 Sealed Bids will be elec‐ tronically through our EProcurement site at www.jeffparishbids.net until 2:00 p.m., May 29, 2025 and publicly opened thereafter. At no charge, bidders may submit via Jefferson Parish’s elec‐ tronic procurement page by visiting www.jeffpar ishbids.net to register for this free site. Bids will be accepted and received through Central Bidding until 2 p.m. The public bid opening will be held at the West Bank Purchasing Department at 200 Derbigny Street, Suite 4400, Gretna, LA 70053 beginning at 2:30 p.m. on each bid opening date for the following project: Bucktown Harbor Park Playground & Site Amenities Public Works NO. 2025-003-CM Departments of Ecosystem & Coastal with Parks & Recreation The project consists of the construction of a the‐ matic playground includ‐ ing an earthen hill and pile supported retaining wall and elevated plat‐ form, a wood framed structure resembling a shrimp boat, several play structures including climbing nets and slides and spinners, rubberized playground safety sur‐ facing, concrete side‐ walks and plazas, and landscaping Purchases for this pro‐ ject shall be exempt from state sales and use tax according to La. R.S. 47:301(8)(c)(i). The suc‐ cessful bidder shall be granted the tax-exempt status of Jefferson Parish via Form R-1020, Designa‐ tion of Construction Con‐ tractor as Agent of a Governmental Entity Sales Tax Exemption Cer‐ tiﬁcate. Form R-1020 is distributed by the Louisiana Department of Revenue. All prospective bidders are invited to attend this non-mandatory pre-bid conference which will be held at 9:00 a.m. on May 8, 2025 at Lakeshore Playground located at 1125 Rosa Ave, Metairie, LA 70005. However, fail‐ ure to attend the pre-bid conference shall not re‐ lieve the bidder of re‐ sponsibility for informa‐ tion discussed at the conference. Furthermore, failure to attend the prebid conference and in‐ spection does not relieve the successful bidder from the necessity of fur‐ nishing materials or per‐ forming any work that may be required to com‐ plete the work in accor‐ dance with the speciﬁca‐ tion with no additional cost to the owner. Late Bids are not ac‐ cepted. Jefferson Parish strongly encourages the involve‐ ment of minority and/or woman-owned business enterprises (DBE’s, in‐ cluding MBE’s, WBE’s and SBE’s) to stimulate par‐ ticipation in procurement and assistance pro‐ grams. Baton Rouge Advocate: il d

For additional informa‐ tion, please visit the Pur‐ chasing Webpage at https://www.jeffparish. gov/464/Purchasing or you may call 504-3642678. 137335 April 23, 30, May 7, 3t $160.60 PUBLIC NOTICE --ADVERTISEMENT FOR BIDS City of Zachary (herein referred to as the "Owner") hereby solicits sealed bids for the 2025 Road Rehabilitation and Improvements Program project described as fol‐ lows: STATEMENT OF WORK (PEC Project No. 11807): Asphalt road patching, cold planing, asphalt overlay, and associated appurtenances. Sealed Bids shall be ad‐ dressed to the City of Zachary, and delivered to the Zachary City Hall, 4700 Main Street (Post Office Box 310), Zachary, LA 70791) not later than 2:00 p.m. on June 12th, 2025. Any bid received after the specified time and date will not be con‐ sidered. The sealed bids will be publicly opened and read aloud at 2:00p.m. on June 12th, 2025, at the Zachary City Hall located at 4700 Main Street, Zachary, LA 70791. Complete Bid Docu‐ ments, Instructions to Bidders, Bid Form, Con‐ tract, Plans, Specifica‐ tions, and Forms of the Bid Bond, Performance Bond and Payment Bond, and other bidding docu‐ ments may be down‐ loaded from the Profes‐ sional Engineering Con‐ sultants (PEC) Plan Room as hosted by Central Bid‐ ding https://www.cen tralbidding.com (subject to fees and conditions). For any questions re‐ garding the website call Central Bidding at 225810-4814. Prospective Bidders are solely re‐ sponsible for obtaining the most up-to-date bid‐ ding Documents from the designated website. Bids will be received by mail and/or hand delivery to the location as stated above. In addition to paper bids, electronic bids and electronic bid bonds for the following project will be accepted by the City of Zachary. Electronic bids and elec‐ tronic bid bonds must be submitted through the Professional Engineering Consultants (PEC) Plan Room as hosted by Cen‐ tral Bidding https:// www.centralbidding.com prior to the electronic bidding deadline. Begin‐ ning at 2:00 p.m. on June 12th, 2025, all bids will be downloaded. No bids will be accepted after the said date and time. Complete Bid Documents may also be examined by emailing info@pecla.com or at the Office of the En‐ gineer for the contract; Professional Engineering Consultants Corp. lo‐ cated at 7600 Innovation Park Drive, Baton Rouge, La 70820; (225-769-2810). Hard copies may be ob‐ tained at this office upon payment of a deposit of $150.00. This deposit will be refunded upon re‐ quest in accordance with R.S. 38:2212. Contractors submitting bids shall be licensed under LA R.S. 37:21502164, Highway, Street and Bridge Construction. The bidder shall show his li‐ cense number on the bid and on the sealed enve‐ lope submitting the bid. The Owner reserves the

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Public Notices Bids/Proposals

The proposed contract is subject to the Buy Ameri‐ can provision under 49 USC § 50101.

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Public Notices Bids/Proposals

It is the policy of the De‐ partment of Transporta‐ tion (DOTD) that disad‐ vantaged business enter‐ prises as defined in 49 CFR Part 26 shall have the maximum opportu‐ nity to participate in the performance of con‐ tracts financed in whole or in part with Federal funds. All bidders shall make good faith efforts, as defined in 49 CFR Part 26, Regulations of the Of‐ fice of Secretary of Transportation, to sub‐ contract 5.14% of the dol‐ lar value of the prime contract to small busi‐ ness concerns owned and controlled by so‐ cially and economically disadvantaged individu‐ als (DBE).

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Public Notices Bids/Proposals

Public Notices

STATEMENT OF WORK: Installation of woven wire wildlife fencing, chain-link fencing, gates, and drainage pipes.

12533 BRITAIN AVE JBFH CORPORATION

936 PROGRESS ST JOHNNY TURNER

5168 JEFFERSON AVE DOMINIC S BONFANTI

Acadia Parish Police Jury (herein referred to as the "Owner") hereby solicits sealed bids for LeGros Memorial Airport, Air‐ ﬁeld Perimeter Fencing – Phase 2 project de‐ scribed as follows:

6185 PONTOTOC ST GARY TRAHAN

3022 TORONTO DR LEONARD KOHN

2411 EDGEWOOD DR DEBRA LYNN PERRY GORDON

2849 LORRAINE ST DENNIS JOSLIN

Anyone knowing the whereabouts of Derek Hopwood, his succession representative(s), child(ren), and/or heirs, please contact Wyman E. Bankston, P.O. Box 305, Livingston, Louisiana 70754 at (225) 435-4980. 139963-5/7-8-9-3t $109.00

1748 PORT DR 48 PORT DR, LLC; JOSHUA BUCKMINISTER

1123 N 49TH ST ETHEL JEAN PORTER BOWERS

REGION

1834 WIMPOLE ST TOM DREW WAFER, JR.

1843 MISSOURI ST THE ESTATE OF JAMES A HOPKINS

823 E POLK ST DANNY R JOHNSON

FOR

139716-May 5-11, 7t $3,798

4547 GLEN OAKS DR DEIDRA D SANDERFORD-CARMENA

11148 STANLEY AUBIN LN NATIONWIDE REAL ESTATE INVESTMENT, LLC; HARRY SMITH

5776 ATLANTA AVE HIV/AIDS ALLIANCE TWO (HAART), INC; KACY FITZGERALD

11922 AUBURN DR THEODORE L ELLIS

6642 E MONARCH AVE THE ESTATE OF JACKIE R. NOEL

4017 SCARBOROUGH DR THE ESTATE OF FREDDIE J GREEN; AUDREY F GREEN

5871 E GRAND CT TOMMY DUKE, III

6167 PONTOTOC ST GARY LEE TRAHAN

6318 PONTOTOC ST JOSHUA D ENNIS

1736 MAST DR SPOT LIGHT ENTERPRISE, LLC; GARY JACKSON

6642 E MONARCH AVE THE ESTATE OF JACKIE R. NOEL

10743 SANDRINGHAM AVE MICHAEL ARVIN DANIEL

5248 HAMMOND ST TM CAPITAL, LLC

11955 MOLLYLEA DR ANDREW FORRESTER

5155 GREENWELL ST MARIA DE JESUS BEDOLLA-MARIANO

6336 PONTOTOC ST MARY FRANCES SCHMIEDER; C/O JULIUS SCHMIEDER, JR

2652 TATE ST THOMAS & SONS ENTERPRISE OF LA

9255 REDWOOD LAKE BLVD JIMMY BO

6185 PONTOTOC ST GARY TRAHAN

9396 GREENWELL SPRINGS RD BARRIOS INVESTMENTS, LLC

4554 HOLLYWOOD ST CEDRICK KELLY

1621 FOUNTAIN AVE ROSELL A LANDS

ADVERTISEMENT FOR BIDS

1843 MISSOURI ST THE ESTATE OF JAMES A HOPKINS

11960 RUTGERS CT MARIA JUAN-GUEVARA

2089 FOUNTAIN AVE CHRISTIAN MAJOR

PUBLIC NOTICE ---

10037 AVENUE H PROPERTYVEST, INC

748 N 22ND ST ROGER CADOR

1523 OLIVE ST NORMA MAE WILLIAMS ROSS

Public Notices Bids/Proposals

149 GRETA AVE ALPHONSO OTIS POTTER, III

1755 EDDIE ROBINSON SR DR BEAGLE, RON REAL ESTATE & DEVELOPMENT, LLC

650 WOODDALE BLVD SPECIAL HANDS HOME REPAIR SERVICE, LLC; TOMMIE DYER

7852 PHEBUS DR FEDERAL NATIONAL ASSOCIATION

4746 JEFFERSON AVE THE ESTATE OF ROBERT JOHNSON, JR.

5565 HALSEY ST DINESHIA SCOTT

MACHINERY/TOOLS Machine Shop Closed, Drills, Taps, Endmills, Micrometers & more! 225-369-1675

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Public Notices Bids/Proposals

right to reject any and all bids for just cause; such actions will be in accor‐ dance with Title 38 of the Louisiana Revised Statutes. In accordance with R.S. 38:2212 (A)(1)(b), the pro‐ visions and requirements stated in the Bidding Documents shall not be waived by any entity. Each Bidder must de‐ posit with his/her bid, security in the amount of at least ﬁve percent (5%) of the total bid price, provided on the speciﬁed form and subject to the conditions provided in the Information for Bid‐ ders. Sureties used for obtaining bonds must appear as acceptable on the U. S. Department of Treasury Circular 570.

Public Notices Bids/Proposals

Sealed Bids will be re‐ ceived electronically through our E-Procure‐ ment site at www.jeffpar ishbids.net until 2:00 p.m., May 22, 2025 and publicly opened there‐ after. At no charge, bid‐ ders may submit via Jef‐ ferson Parish’s electronic procurement page by visiting www.jeffparishb ids.net to register for this free site. Bids will be accepted and received through Central Bidding until 2 p.m. The public bid opening will be held at the West Bank Purchasing Department at 200 Derbigny Street, Suite 4400, Gretna, LA 70053 beginning at 2:30 p.m. on each bid opening date for the following project:

OWNER CITY OF ZACHARY

Two (2) Year Contract for the Supply of Pump River Sand and Batture Sand for the Jefferson Parish Public Works Department of Sewerage and All Agencies and Municipali‐ ties

BY: /s/ DAVID MCDAVID, MAYOR

Late Bids are not ac‐ cepted.

PUBLICATION/DATES The Advocate

Jefferson Parish strongly encourages the involve‐ ment of minority and/or woman-owned business enterprises (DBE’s, in‐ cluding MBE’s, WBE’s and SBE’s) to stimulate par‐ ticipation in procurement and assistance pro‐ grams.

No bidder may withdraw his/her bid within fortyﬁve (45) days after the actual date of the open‐ ing thereof.

Wednesday, May 7, 2025 Wednesday, May 14, 2025 Wednesday, May 21, 2025 139023 May 7, 14, 21, 3t $193.91 PUBLIC NOTICE ---

Baton Rouge Advocate: May 7, and 14, 2025

ADVERTISEMENT FOR BIDS NO. 50-00147589

For additional informa‐ tion, please visit the Pur‐ chasing Webpage at http://purchasing. jeffparish.net or call 504364-2678.

Sealed Bids will be re‐ ceived electronically through our E-Procure‐ ment site at www.jeffpar ishbids.net until 2:00 p.m., May 29, 2025 and publicly opened there‐ after. At no charge, bid‐ ders may submit via Jef‐ ferson Parish’s electronic procurement page by visiting www.jeffparishb ids.net to register for this free site. Bids will be accepted and received through Central Bidding until 2 p.m. The public bid opening will be held at the West Bank Purchasing Department at 200 Derbigny Street, Suite 4400, Gretna, LA 70053 beginning at 2:30 p.m. on each bid opening date for the following project: Three (3) Year Contract to Perform Annual Load Bank Testing & Preventative Maintenance on Various Generators for the Jefferson Parish Department of General Services Late Bids are not ac‐ cepted. Jefferson Parish strongly encourages the involve‐ ment of minority and/or woman-owned business enterprises (DBE’s, in‐ cluding MBE’s, WBE’s and SBE’s) to stimulate par‐ ticipation in procurement and assistance pro‐ grams. Baton Rouge Advocate: April 23, 30, and May 7, 2025 For additional informa‐ tion, please visit the Pur‐ chasing Webpage at http://purchasing. jeffparish.net or call 504364-2678. 137536-apr 23-30-may 73t $96.91 PUBLIC NOTICE --ADVERTISEMENT FOR BIDS NO. 50-00147877

139779 May 7, 14, 2t $71.60 PUBLIC NOTICE --ADVERTISEMENT REQUEST FOR BID BID #50016-10336 ROOF REPLACEMENT FOR HENRY THURMAN BUILDING OWNER: SOUTHERN UNUVERSITY AND A&M COLLEGE BATON ROUGE CAMPUS STATE BUILDING ID # S02150 SITE CODE: 2-17-038 STATE PROJECT NO. 01-107-24-05 WBS PROJECT NO. F.19002599 BID DATE AND TIME: MAY 29, 2025-10:30 AM Sealed bids will be re‐ ceived by Southern Uni‐ versity, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, in the Pur‐ chasing Department, 8100 James L. Prestage Drive, PO Box 9543, J. S. Clark Administration Building Annex, South Entrance, First Floor East, Baton Rouge, LA 70813. Bids will be opened and read aloud in a public meeting in the Southern University Purchasing Department. MAIL OR HAND-DELIVER BID TO PURCHASING DEPARTMENT NO LATER THAN 10:30 AM on MAY 29, 2025 Bidders are solely re‐ sponsible for ensuring timely delivery of their bids. The Southern Uni‐ versity Purchasing De‐ partment is not responsi‐ ble for any delays caused by bidders’ chosen means of delivery. Failure to meet the bid deadline submittal date and time shall result in rejection of bid. Architect/Designer: Holly & Smith 2302 Magazine Street New Orleans, LA 70130 Ph. 504-585-1315 Environmental Engineer: Ritter Consulting i

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Public Notices Bids/Proposals

g Engineer 2014 West Pinhook Road Lafayette, LA 70508 Ph. 337-984-8498

y Federal Register, or by a Louisiana domiciled in‐ surance company with at least an A-:VI rating or higher in the latest print‐ ing of the A.M. Best's Key Rating Guide or by an in‐ surance company that is either domiciled in Louisiana or owned by Louisiana residents and is licensed to write surety bonds. No surety or insurance company shall write a performance bond which is in excess of the amount indicated as ap‐ proved by the U.S. De‐ partment of the Treasury Financial Management Service list or by a Louisiana domiciled in‐ surance company with an A-:VI rating by A.M. Best up to a limit of 10 percent of policyholders' surplus as shown by A.M. Best; companies autho‐ rized by this Paragraph who are not on the trea‐ sury list shall not write a performance bond when the penalty exceeds 15 percent of its capital and surplus, such capital and surplus being the amount by which the company's assets ex‐ ceed its liabilities as re‐ flected by the most re‐ cent financial state‐ ments filed by the com‐ pany with the Depart‐ ment of Insurance. In addition, any perfor‐ mance bond furnished shall be written by a surety or insurance com‐ pany that is currently li‐ censed or authorized to do business in the State of Louisiana. The bond must be received within twelve (12) working days from the date of notifica‐ tion.

ALL BID SPECIFICATIONS AND ADDENDA CAN BE OBTAINED BY ACCESSING THE LA STATE PROCURE‐ MENT WEBSITE https://wwwcfprd.doa. louisiana.gov/osp/lapac/ pubMain.cfm. (Search by bid # 5001610336) We highly recommend registering your com‐ pany with Louisiana State Procure‐ ment/LAPAC Mandatory Pre-Bid Con‐ ference & Site Visit: MAY 12, 2025 @ 10:30 AM Conference & Site Visit Location: Physical Plant Department (Southern University Campus) Benjamin H. Kraft Build‐ ing, 515 James L. Hunt Street Baton Rouge, La 70813 Site Visit Location Tele‐ phone Number: 225-7714741 or 225-771-6241 Participants shall be in attendance by 10:30 a.m. and sign sheet provided by the Purchasing De‐ partment. Bidders shall visit the site and be familiarized with the local conditions under which the work is to be performed. No ad‐ ditional compensation will be granted because of unusual difficulties, which may be encoun‐ tered in the execution of any portion of the work. Inquiries will be ac‐ cepted until May 16, 2025 by 5:00 p.m. Inquiries shall be submitted to Linda Antoine at lin‐ da_antoine@subr.edu Responses to inquiries will be posted on LAPACLA State Procurement website by May 22, 2025 by 5:00 PM. Any person requiring special accommodations should notify the Pur‐ chasing Office of the type(s) of accommoda‐ tion required not less than seven (7) days be‐ fore the bid opening date. Additional contact is Wilbert Rossett, South‐ ern University Safety De‐ partment at wilbert. rossett@sus.edu or 225771-3101. 5% Security All bids must be accom‐ panied by bid security equal to five (5%) per‐ cent of the sum of the base bid and all alter‐ nates, if applicable and must be in the form of a certified/official check, cashier’s check or bid bond, made payable to Southern University and A & M College. Surety represents that it is listed on the current U.S. Department of the Trea‐ sury Financial Manage‐ ment Service list of ap‐ proved bonding compa‐ nies and that is listed thereon as approved for amount equal to or greater than the amount for which it obligates it‐ self in this instrument. No bid bond indicating an obligation of less than five percent (5%) by any method is acceptable. Performance & Payment Bond Successful Proposer shall be required to fur‐ nish a performance (surety) bond. The amount will be deter‐ mined during contract negotiations for the pe‐ riod the contract is in ef‐ fect. The Bond should be made payable to South‐ ern University. Any per‐ formance bond furnished shall be written by a surety or insurance com‐ pany currently on the U.S. Department of the Treasury Financial Man‐ agement Service list of approved bonding com‐ panies which is pub‐ lished annually in the d l i b

Bidders shall include the following on envelope of choice: company’s name, address, Louisiana con‐ tractor’s license number, bid number, bid opening date and time. Bids may be withdrawn by written, telegraphic fax notice or email and received at the address or email address desig‐ nated in the Invitation to Bid prior to the time set for bid opening, as recorded by date stamp at the Purchasing Office. Bids received after clos‐ ing time will be returned unopened. Evidence of authority to submit the bid shall be required in accordance with R.S. 38:2212(a)(1)(c) and/or R.S. 39:1594(c)(2)(d). The Southern University System is a participant in the Louisiana for the Small Entrepreneurships Program (the Hudson Ini‐ tiative) and the Louisiana Initiative for Veterans and Service-Connected Disabled VeteransOwned Business Small Entrepreneurships. Bid‐ ders are encouraged to consider participation. A list of certified vendors and additional informa‐ tion can be obtained from website http:// www.ledsmallbiz.com. Potential participants may also register at this website. Any questions concern‐ ing bid documents, please contact Mary Jane Spruel, Assistant Di‐ rector of Purchasing at (225) 771-2800 or email to maryjane_spruel@subr. edu No bid may be with‐ drawn for a period of forty-five (45) days after receipt of bids, except under the provisions of LA. R.S. 38:2214. Bidder is required to comply with provisions and require‐ ments of LA R.S. 38:2212(B)(5). The University reserves the right to reject all bids and to waive any infor‐ malities incidental thereto. Bids shall be accepted from Contractors who

Public Notices Bids/Proposals

are licensed under LA. R.S. 37:2150-2192 for the classification of 72000000 Building & Construction, 72100000 Building Con‐ struction & Support, 72101600 Roofing & Sid‐ ing, 72130000 General Building Construction, 712136000 Commercial or Industrial Construction. SOUTHERN UNIVERSITY & A&M COLLEGE AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER Linda A. Antoine, Director of Purchasing DATES ADVERTISED APRIL 23 & April 30, 2025 & MAY 7, 2025 137607 April 23, 30, May 7, 3t $312.27 PUBLIC NOTICE --ADVERTISEMENT REQUEST FOR BID BID #50016-10337 CHILLER REPLACMENT-US ARMY ROTC BUILDING OWNER: SOUTHERN UN‐ UVERSITY AND A&M COL‐ LEGE BATON ROUGE CAMPUS STATE BUILDING ID # S02124 SITE CODE: 2-17-038 STATE PROJECT NO. 09671-22-01 WBS PROJECT NO. F.19002566 BID DATE AND TIME: JUNE 3, 2025 @ 10:30 AM Sealed bids will be re‐ ceived by Southern Uni‐ versity, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, in the Pur‐ chasing Department, 8100 James L. Prestage Drive, PO Box 9543, J. S. Clark Administration Building Annex, South Entrance, First Floor East, Baton Rouge, LA 70813. Bids will be opened and read aloud in a public meeting in the Southern University Purchasing Department. MAIL OR HAND-DELIVER BID TO PURCHASING DE‐ PARTMENT NO LATER THAN 10:30 AM-on JUNE 3, 2025 Bidders are solely re‐ sponsible for ensuring timely delivery of their bids. The Southern Uni‐ versity Purchasing De‐ partment is not responsi‐ ble for any delays caused by bidders’ chosen means of delivery. Failure to meet the bid deadline submittal date and time shall result in rejection of bid. Use link to submit bid on‐ line: Electronic system to sub‐ mit RFQ: http://www.sus.edu/bid certification Engineer Firm: Parish En‐ gineering 7600 Innovative Park Drive Baton Rouge, LA 70820 Ph. 332-0222 Email: adeshotel@ parisheng.com ALL BID SPECIFICATIONS AND ADDENDA CAN BE OBTAINED BY ACCESSING THE LA STATE PROCURE‐ MENT WEBSITE https://wwwcfprd.doa. louisiana.gov/osp/lapac/ pubMain.cfm. (Search by bid # 5001610336) We highly recommend registering your com‐ pany with Louisiana State Procure‐ ment/LAPAC Mandatory Pre-Bid Con‐ ference & Site Visit: MAY16, 2025 @ 10:30 AM Conference & Site Visit Location: Physical Plant Department (Southern University Campus) Benjamin H. Kraft Build‐ ing, 515 James L. Hunt Street Baton Rouge, La 70813 Site Visit Location Tele‐ phone Number: 225-7714741 or 225-771-6241 Participants shall be in d b

8D ■ Wednesday, May 7, 2025 ■ theadvocate.com ■ The Advocate

lll

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The Advocate ■ theadvocate.com ■ Wednesday, May 7, 2025 ■ 9D

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Public Notices Bids/Proposals p attendance by 10:30 a.m. and sign sheet provided by the Purchasing De‐ partment. Bidders shall visit the site and be familiarized with the local conditions under which the work is to be performed. No ad‐ ditional compensation will be granted because of unusual difficulties, which may be encoun‐ tered in the execution of any portion of the work. Inquiries will be ac‐ cepted until May 26, 2025 by 5:00 p.m. Inquiries shall be submitted to Linda Antoine at lin‐ da_antoine@subr.edu Responses to inquiries will be posted on LAPACLA State Procurement website by May 26, 2025 by 5:00 PM. Any person requiring special accommodations should notify the Pur‐ chasing Office of the type(s) of accommoda‐ tion required not less than seven (7) days be‐ fore the bid opening date. Additional contact is Wilbert Rossett, South‐ ern University Safety De‐ partment at wilbert. rossett@sus.edu or 225771-3101. 5% Security All bids must be accom‐ panied by bid security equal to five (5%) per‐ cent of the sum of the base bid and all alter‐ nates, if applicable and must be in the form of a certified/official check, cashier’s check or bid bond, made payable to Southern University and A & M College. Surety represents that it is listed on the current U.S. Department of the Trea‐ sury Financial Manage‐ ment Service list of ap‐ proved bonding compa‐ nies and that is listed thereon as approved for amount equal to or greater than the amount for which it obligates it‐ self in this instrument. No bid bond indicating an obligation of less than five percent (5%) by any method is acceptable. Performance & Payment Bond Successful Proposer shall be required to fur‐ nish a performance (surety) bond. The amount will be deter‐ mined during contract negotiations for the pe‐ riod the contract is in ef‐ fect. The Bond should be made payable to South‐ ern University. Any per‐ formance bond furnished shall be written by a surety or insurance com‐ pany currently on the U.S. Department of the Treasury Financial Man‐ agement Service list of approved bonding com‐ panies which is pub‐ lished annually in the Federal Register, or by a Louisiana domiciled in‐ surance company with at least an A-:VI rating or higher in the latest print‐ ing of the A.M. Best's Key Rating Guide or by an in‐ surance company that is either domiciled in Louisiana or owned by Louisiana residents and is licensed to write surety bonds. No surety or insurance company shall write a performance bond which is in excess of the amount indicated as ap‐ proved by the U.S. De‐ partment of the Treasury Financial Management Service list or by a Louisiana domiciled in‐ surance company with an A-:VI rating by A.M. Best up to a limit of 10 percent of policyholders' surplus as shown by A.M. Best; companies autho‐ rized by this Paragraph who are not on the trea‐ sury list shall not write a performance bond when the penalty exceeds 15 percent of its capital and surplus, such capital and surplus being the amount by which the company's assets ex‐ ceed its liabilities as re‐ flected by the most re‐ cent financial state‐ ments filed by the com‐ pany with the Depart‐ ment of Insurance. In addition, any perfor‐ mance bond furnished shall be written by a surety or insurance com‐ pany that is currently li‐ censed or authorized to do business in the State of Louisiana. The bond must be received within twelve (12) working days from the date of notifica‐ tion. Bidders shall include the following on envelope of choice: company’s name, address, Louisiana con‐ tractor’s license number, bid number, bid opening date and time. Bids may be withdrawn by written, telegraphic fax notice or email and received at the address or email address desig‐ nated in the Invitation to Bid prior to the time set for bid opening, as recorded by date stamp at the Purchasing Office. Bids received after clos‐ ing time will be returned unopened. Evidence of authority to submit the bid shall be required in accordance with R.S. 38:2212(a)(1)(c) and/or R.S. 39:1594(c)(2)(d). The Southern University System is a participant in the Louisiana for the Small Entrepreneurships Program (the Hudson Ini‐ tiative) and the Louisiana Initiative for Veterans and Service-Connected Disabled VeteransOwned Business Small Entrepreneurships. Bid‐ ders are encouraged to consider participation. A list of certified vendors and additional informa‐ tion can be obtained from website http:// www.ledsmallbiz.com. Potential participants may also register at this website. Any questions concern‐ ing bid documents, please contact Mary Jane Spruel, Assistant Di‐ rector of Purchasing at (225) 771-2800 or email to maryjane_spruel@subr. edu No bid may be with‐ drawn for a period of forty-five (45) days after receipt of bids, except under the provisions of LA. R.S. 38:2214. Bidder is required to comply with provisions and require‐ ments of LA R.S. 38:2212(B)(5). The University reserves the right to reject all bids and to waive any infor‐ malities incidental thereto. Bids shall be accepted from Contractors who are licensed under LA. R.S. 37:2150-2192 for the classification of 72000000 Building & Construction, 72100000 Building Con‐ struction & Support, 72130000 General Build‐ ing Construction, 712136000 Commercial or Industrial Construction, 72102300 Heating and Air Conditioning, Chillers. SOUTHERN UNIVERSITY & A&M COLLEGE AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER Linda A. Antoine, Director of Purchasing DATES ADVERTISED APRIL 30, 2025, MAY 7, 2025 & MAY 14, 2025 138662-may 7-14-21-3t $313.02

PRINT ADVERTISING WORKS

Public Notices Bids/Proposals

PUBLIC NOTICE --Audubon Commission in‐ vites bids from licensed general contractors or contractors with a spe‐ cialty license in fencing to provide fencing in the direct aftermath of a Tropical System or Hurri‐ cane for all Audubon Na‐ ture Institute Facilities; Audubon Zoo & Park, Species Survival Center & Wilderness Park, and Audubon Louisiana Na‐ ture Center. Successful Bidder(s) shall provide post disas‐ ter services required for disaster fence work to remove damaged fenc‐ ing, temporarily secure existing fencing, and purchase and install new fencing. This procure‐ ment is subject to CFR 2 Part 200 and Louisiana Public Bid Law, Title 38. Bids must be submitted at or before May 23, 2025, at 10:00 am. Bids shall be submitted in sealed en‐ velopes marked “PostDisaster Fencing”. Bid‐ ders shall supply one (1) original bid either hard copy or electronically. Bids must be submitted at the following location: Audubon Nature Insti‐ tute, Procurement & Risk Management Depart‐ ment, Attention: Cecilie H. Primeaux, 6500 Maga‐ zine Street, New Orleans, La. 70118 or sent UPS, FedEx, USPS at or before date and time specified. Bids may be submitted electronically through https://www.bidnetdirec t.com/louisiana/audubon natureinstitute It is the vendor’s responsibility to contact Bid Net well in advance of bid opening date if the bid will be submitted electronically to establish an account that will allow for secure bidding. Bids may not be faxed or emailed. A multi-year pre-event con‐ tract will be awarded, but no obligation shall exist until a Notice to Proceed is issued for the repair of damages caused by a natural dis‐ aster such as but not limited to a tropical storm or hurricane. Audubon reserves the right to award multiple contract(s) if it is deemed necessary and/or cost beneficial in mitigating the damages in a timely manner. Bids must be submitted to the following: Audubon Na‐ ture Institute, Cecilie H. Primeaux,6500 Magazine Street, New Orleans, LA 70118. All questions re‐ garding this bid invita‐ tion shall be addressed in writing, seven days prior to bid opening. 138092-apr 25-30-may 73t $119.70 PUBLIC NOTICE --East Baton Rouge Parish School System Child Nutrition Program Advertisement for Sealed Bids Notice is hereby given by the following School Food Authority, the East Baton Rouge Parish School System will re‐ ceive sealed bids for LARGE EQUIPMENT for the Child Nutrition Pro‐ gram. The deadline for submission of Sealed bids is no later than 2 p.m. on Wed., May 14, 2025, Central Standard Time. Bids may be hand deliv‐ ered, mailed, or submit‐ ted electronically via Bid Express.com. There is a monetary charge to sub‐ mit bids electronically. Detailed specifications and bid requests may be obtained by contacting the East Baton Rouge Parish School System, Child Nutrition Program, Purchasing Dept. at 225226-3782 or bids may be picked up at the Child Nutrition Program, Pur‐ chasing Dept. at 3000 North Sherwood Forest Drive, Baton Rouge, La. 70814 between 8 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. The deadline for submitting questions concerning this bid is Wed., May 14, 2025. Writ‐ ten responses will be provided no later than Wed., May 14, 2025. No pre-bid meeting is sched‐ uled for this bid. Bids will be opened and publicly read aloud at 2:00 p.m., Central Stan‐ dard Time, on Wed., May 14, 2025 at the East Baton Rouge Parish School Sys‐ tem, Child Nutrition Pro‐ gram Office, Building A, Room #035 at 3000 North Sherwood Forest Drive, Baton Rouge, Louisiana 70814. This is a notice that the public is invited to participate in the bid opening. The East Baton Rouge Parish School Sys‐ tem, Child Nutrition Pro‐ gram is funded 96 per‐ cent with federal funds for an approximate total of $32,533.065.00 per year. This institution is an equal opportunity provider. Publication Dates: 1st Insertion Wednesday, April 23, 2025 2nd Insertion Wednesday, May 7, 2025 137515-apr 23-may 7-2t $57.38

PUBLIC NOTICE --May 01, 2025 PUBLIC NOTICE INVITATION TO BID Sealed bids will be re‐ ceived electronically by the Purchasing Depart‐ ment, NICHOLLS STATE UNIVERSITY, Thibodaux, La. on, 05/22/2025 at 3:00 P.M. for: “Bid Number SB01905–Re-Bid 30 Yard Dumpster Bin Rental and Disposal of Bulk Trash” At which time and place the bids will be publicly opened and read aloud. Any bid received after closing time will be re‐ turned unopened. Copies of the specifica‐ tions may be obtained in electronic format by vis‐ iting the State of Louisiana, Office of State Purchasing, LaPAC Web http://wwwprd1. Site, doa.louisiana.gov/OSP/ LaPAC/pubMain.cfm. Copies of specifications are on file in the Office of the Director of Purchas‐ ing, NICHOLLS STATE UNI‐ VERSITY, Thibodaux, LA. To obtain a copy of the specifications from Nicholls State University, call (985) 448-4031 or eterry.dupre@ mail nicholls.edu. Bids must be returned to the Purchasing Office at bids@nicholls.edu by the due date and time refer‐ enced. Bids must be sub‐ mitted on the forms en‐ closed with the bid spec‐ ification, and in strict conformity with the in‐ tent of same without modifications. Bids must be signed in ink, dated, and title of person sign‐ ing the bid should be shown on the bid. No bid may be with‐ drawn after the sched‐ uled closing time for re‐ ceipt of bids for at least thirty (30) days. The University reserves the right to reject any or all bids, and to waive any informalities. Evidence of authority to submit the bid shall be required in accordance with R.S. 38:2212(B)(5) and/or R.S. 39:1594(C)(4). Evidence of General Lia‐

Public Notices Bids/Proposals

bility Insurance, Auto Li‐ ability Insurance, and Workers Compensation Insurance shall be re‐ quired. An Equal Opportunity Employer.

Owner: Audubon Regional Library Title: Rodderick Mathews, President Date: April 15, 2025

NICHOLLS STATE UNIVERSITY THIBODAUX, LOUISIANA

137267-apr 30-may 7-1421-4t $1,573.84

Terry G. Dupre, Sr. Director of Purchasing, Property Control and Support Services Administration

PUBLIC NOTICE ---

TO APPEAR: 05/07/2025 BID DUE: 05/22/2025 139577-may 22-1t $29.20 PUBLIC NOTICE --NOTICE TO BIDDERS Sealed bids will be re‐ ceived at the Louisiana Tech University Purchas‐ ing Ofﬁce, P.O. Box 3157 T.S., 408 Keeny Hall, Louisiana Tech Univer‐ sity, Ruston, Louisiana until 2:00 P.M., May 30, 2025 at which time and place they will be pub‐ licly opened for the fol‐ lowing: Bid Number 50012-608-25: Admissions Promo Kit Blanket Bid 2025-2026 Speciﬁcations and bid documents for the above may be obtained from the Director of Purchas‐ ing, Louisiana Tech Uni‐ versity, Ruston, Louisiana; phone 318257-4205 or fax request to 318-257-3772. Evidence of authority to submit the bid shall be required in accordance with R.S. 38:2212 (B)(5) and/or R.S. 39:1594 (C)(4).

REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL RFP 0502 Jefferson Parish Depart‐ ment of Purchasing is so‐ liciting Request for Pro‐ posals (RFPs) from quali‐ fied firms to provide Pro‐ fessional Consulting Ser‐ vices to Update Develop‐ ment Related Ordinances and Design Guidelines for a Comprehensive Uni‐ fied Development Code (UDC) RFP specifications may be obtained by visiting the Jefferson Parish Pur‐ chasing Department webpage at https:// www.jeffparish.gov/464/ Purchasing and selecting the LaPAC Tab. RFPs may also be viewed and sub‐ mitted online free of charge at: www.jeffpar ishbids.net or www.cen tralbidding.com. Submissions will only be accepted electronically via the Parish’s e-Pro‐ curement system, Cen‐ tral Bidding. Responses will be received until 3:30 P.M. on June 6, 2025. Jef‐ ferson Parish no longer accepts manual submis‐ sions. All vendors will be required to register with Central Bidding. Late proposals are not accepted.

Any person requiring special accommodations shall notify Louisiana Tech University of the type(s) of accommoda‐ tions required not less than seven (7) days be‐ fore the bid opening.

139737-may 7-1t $13.48

Baton Rouge Advocate: May 7, 14, and 21, 2025

PUBLIC NOTICE --NOTICE TO BIDDERS SP# 768 Sealed bids will be re‐ ceived by the Procure‐ ment Section of the Divi‐ sion of Administration, 1201 N. 3rd. St., 2nd. Floor, Suite 2-160, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, at 10:00 A.M. for the follow‐ ing: RFx No. 3000024746, UTV for LDWF, 5/20/25 RFx No. 3000024508, Class B Uniforms – LSP/DPS, 5/28/25 Bid proposal forms, in‐ formation and speciﬁca‐ tions may be obtained by accessing the bid num‐ ber in LaPac at www.doa. Louisiana.gov/osp or from the procurement section listed above. No bids will be received after the date and hour speciﬁed. The right is re‐ served to reject any and all bids and to waive any informalities. Tom Ketterer Director of State Procurement FAX (225) 342-8688 139774 May 7, 1t $12.05 PUBLIC NOTICE --Owner: AUDUBON REGIONAL LIBRARY, CLINTON, LA Project: AUDUBON REGIONAL LIBRARY PARKING AND PLAYGROUND CONSTRUCTION ADVERTISEMENT FOR BIDS Sealed Bids for the con‐ struction of “Audubon Regional Library Parking and Playground Con‐ struction" for “Audubon Regional Library Board of Directors” will be re‐ ceived by the Audubon Regional Library at the Clinton Library Branch, 11023 Bank Avenue; Clin‐ ton, LA 70722, until 10:00 a.m. (CDT) Tuesday, May 27, 2025, at which time the Bids received will be publicly opened and read. The Project con‐ sists of: Construction of parking lot and ground

new play‐

Contract term: 120 calendar days Bids will be received for a single prime Contract. Bids shall be on a Lump Sum price basis with Al‐ ternates as indicated in the Bid Form. The Issuing Office for the Bidding Documents is: Roy T. Dufreche & Associ‐ ates, LLC; 40402 Edgar Traylor Road; Hammond, LA 70403; (985) 507-4414; Roy T. Dufreche; roy@ roydufreche.com. Prospective Bidders may examine the Bidding Documents at the Issuing Office between the hours of 8:00 am – 4:00 pm (Monday-Friday) and shall obtain copies of the Bidding Documents from the Issuing Office as de‐ scribed herein. Bidding Documents may also be examined at the Audubon Regional Li‐ brary Office at 11023 Bank Avenue, Clinton, La 70722. Complete Bid Documents for this project are avail‐ able in electronic form. They may be obtained without charge and with‐ out deposit from Roy T. Dufreche & Associates, LLC. Printed copies are not available from the designer, but arrange‐ ments can be made to obtain them through most reprographic firms. To request electronic Bid Documents, please email the designer as noted below. Plan holders are responsible for their own reproduction cost. Ques‐ tions about this proce‐ dure shall be directed to the designer at: Roy T. Dufreche & Associates, LLC P.O. Box 1075 40402 Edgar Traylor Road Hammond, La 70404 985-507-4414 roy@roydufreche.com (Roy Dufreche) A pre-bid conference will be held at 10:00 am on Thursday, May 15, 2025, at the Project Site; 11023 Banks Avenue, Clinton, Louisiana 70722. Attendance at the prebid conference is highly encouraged but is not mandatory. All bidders shall meet the requirements of the State of Louisiana Con‐ tractors Licensing Law, Louisiana Revised Statute 37:2150through 216, as amended. Sureties used for obtain‐ ing Bonds must appear as acceptable on the De‐ partment of Treasury Cir‐ cular 570. In accordance with R.S. 38:2212 (A) (1) (b), the provisions and require‐ ments stated in the Ad‐ vertisement for Bids and those required on the Bid form shall not be consid‐ ered as informalities and shall not be waived. The Owner reserves the right to reject any or all bids.

For additional informa‐ tion, please visit the Pur‐ chasing Webpage at https://www.jeffparish. gov/464/Purchasing or call 504-364-2678. 139549 May 7, 14, 21, 3t $95.92

PUBLIC NOTICE Sealed Bids for Camp Minden Forest Products Sale 0525, Camp Minden, Minden, Louisiana will be received until 10:00 a.m. CT on Thursday, May 29, 2025, at Building 1472 Conference Room, 100 Louisiana Boulevard, Camp Minden, Minden, Louisiana. All properly submitted bids will be opened at that time and the bid amounts publi‐ cally announced. Bidders and/or their representa‐ tives are encouraged to attend the Bid Opening. Complete Bidding Docu‐ ments may be obtained without charge by re‐ questing via email at Christopher.L.Robinett4. nfg@army.mil, via mail, or in person at Louisiana Military Department, Camp Minden, ATTN: Forestry Program Man‐ ager (Building 1472), 100 Louisiana Boulevard, Minden, LA 71055-7908 or via telephone at 318-3824158. The sale consists of Pine and Hardwood Forest Products located on TWO (2) compartments be‐ longing to the Louisiana Military Department which are described as follows: Description of Sale: The forest products in Item #1, Compartment #6 (Thinning) stands on 258 acres, more or less and Item #2, Compartment #18 (Clear-cut) stands on 44 acres, more or less. Items #1and #2 are lo‐ cated in Bossier and Webster Parish. All bids shall be accom‐ panied by bid de‐ posit/advance payment of $40,000.00 for Item #1 and $23,000.00 for Item #2. The form of this se‐ curity shall be as stated in the Instructions to Bid‐ ders included in the Invi‐ tation to Bid Packet for this project. Any person requiring special accommodations shall notify the Forestry Program Manager at 318382-4158 not less than seven (7) days before the bid opening. The Louisiana Military Department reserves the right to accept or reject any and all Bids. The pro‐ visions and requirements of those stated in the ad‐ vertisement for bids and those required on the bid form shall not be waivered. The Louisiana Military Department Deputy Director for Con‐ tracting and Purchasing and the Louisiana Con‐ tracting Officer do not possess authority to waive any informality in‐ cidental thereto. The Owner shall incur no obligation to the Con‐ tractor until the Contract between Owner and Con‐ tractor is fully executed. 137254 April 30, May 7, 14, 3t $113.37 PUBLIC NOTICE Sealed Bids for the Louisiana Army National Guard Lafayette Readi‐ ness Center, 2320 West Congress Street, Lafayette, LA 70506 will be received in the Dining Facility at the Louisiana Army National Guard, 1806 Surrey Street, Lafayette, LA 70508, until 1:00 p.m. CT on Wednes‐ day, June 18, 2025. ANY PERSON REQUIRING SPECIAL ACCOMMODA‐ TIONS SHALL NOTIFY DAVID L HOWLEY OF THE TYPE(S) OF ACCOMMO‐ DATION REQUIRED NOT LESS THAN SEVEN (7) DAYS BEFORE THE BID OPENING. Complete Bid Documents for this project are avail‐ able in electronic form. They may be obtained without charge and with‐ out deposit from Holly & Smith Architects, APAC. Printed copies are not available from the De‐ signer, but arrangements can be made to obtain them through most re‐ prographic firms. Plan holders are responsible for their own reproduc‐ tion costs. Questions about this procedure shall be directed to the Designer at Holly & Smith Architects, APAC, 208 N. Cate Street, Hammond, LA 70401. Phone (985) 345-5210. Attention: Paul Morvant. E-Mail Address: paul@hollyandsmith. com. A Mandatory Pre-Bid conference and site visit is scheduled for 1:00 p.m. CT on, Wednesday, May 14, 2025, at the Dining Fa‐ cility at the Louisiana Army National Guard, 1806 Surrey Street, Lafayette, LA 70508. At‐ tendance at this Confer‐ ence is mandatory. Prospective bidders must attend the entire mandatory Pre-Bid con‐ ference in order to sub‐ mit a bid. The Construc‐ tion and Facilities Man‐ agement Office point of contact is David L. How‐ ley, Email: david.l.howley. nfg@army.mil CFMO ildi ffi

ast eliciaa Public Notices

Public Notices Bids/Proposals g y Building #3022, Office #235, 6400 St Claude Av‐ enue, New Orleans, LA 70117, 504-278-8129. BIDS SHALL BE ACCEPTED ONLY FROM CONTRACTORS THAT ATTEND THE ENTIRE MANDATORY PRE-BID CONFERENCE. ANY PERSON REQUIRING SPECIAL ACCOMMODA‐ TIONS SHALL NOTIFY DAVID L HOWLEY OF THE TYPE(S) OF ACCOMMO‐ DATION REQUIRED NOT LESS THAN FIVE (5) DAYS BEFORE THE MANDATORY PRE-BID CONFERENCE. All Bids must be accom‐ panied by Bid Security equal to five percent (5%) of the Base Bid and Additional Bid Items (ABI) and must be in the form of a certified check, cashier’s check or bid bond. Bids shall be accepted from Contractors who are licensed under LA. R.S. 37:2150-2192 for the classification of BUILD‐ ING CONSTRUCTION. Bid‐ der is required to comply with provisions and re‐ quirements of LA R.S. 38:2212(B)(5). The successful Bidder will be required to fur‐ nish a Performance and Payment Bond written by a company licensed to do business in the State of Louisiana, equal to 100% of the Contract amount, including Addi‐ tional Bid Items (ABI), if required.

PUBLIC NOTICE --PUBLIC NOTICE --- PUBLIC NOTICE Hearings and/or Public Hearings will be held at the East Feliciana Parish Police Jury 12064 Marston St., Clinton; dur‐ ing a regular meeting of the Planning & Zoning Commission meeting Tuesday, May 27, 2025 – 5:30pm for the purpose indicated: A public hear‐ ing to be set for rezoning of 1105 Longwood Drive Jackson, Louisiana 70748. From C-2 to R-4 for Feli‐ ciana Oaks RV Park , LLC. PUBLIC NOTICE --- PUBLIC NOTICE Hearings and/or Public Hearings will be held at the East Feliciana Parish Police Jury 12064 Marston St., Clinton; dur‐ ing a regular meeting of the Planning & Zoning Commission meeting Tuesday, May 27, 2025 – 5:30pm for the purpose indicated: A public hear‐ ing to be set for rezoning of 19098 Highway 1, Lot 4 Clinton, Louisiana 70722. From A-2 to C-2 for The Point Bar, LLC. 138464-apr 30-may 7-1421-3t $112.28

Legal Notices

PUBLIC NOTICE --18TH JUDICIAL DISTRICT COURT PARISH OF POINTE COUPEE STATE OF LOUISIANA

No Bid may be with‐ drawn for a period of forty-five (45) days after receipt of Bids except under the provisions of LA R.S. 38:2214. Electronic Bid Docu‐ ments may be submitted by Contractors to the Construction & Facilities Management Office by submitting their bid along with their bid secu‐ rity to https://www.cen tralauctionhouse.com/. Electronic bids must be submitted so as to be posted prior to 1:00 p.m. CT on Wednesday, June 18, 2025. Hard copies of the contractor’s elec‐ tronically submitted packet must be sent to ATTN: David L Howley, Construction and Facility Maintenance Office Building #3022, Office #235, 6400 St Claude Ave, New Orleans, LA 70117, telephone 504-278-8129. Contractors MUST attend the mandatory Pre-Bid conference scheduled for 1:00 p.m. CT on Wednes‐ day, May 14, 2025, at the listed above location in order to submit an elec‐ tronic bid. The Owner reserves the right to accept or reject any and all Bids for just cause. In accordance with directives and guid‐ ance published by Facil‐ ity Planning and Control, the Louisiana Revised Statutes, the provisions and requirements of those stated in the ad‐ vertisement for bids and those required on the bid not be form shall waivered. The Louisiana Military Department Deputy Director for Con‐ tracting and Purchasing and the State Contract‐ ing Officer do not pos‐ sess authority to waive any informality inciden‐ tal thereto. The Owner shall incur no obligation to the Contractor until the Contract between Owner and Contractor is fully executed. The Louisiana Military Department is a partici‐ pant in the Louisiana Ini‐ tiative for Small Entre‐ preneurships (SE) Pro‐ gram (the Hudson Initia‐ tive) and the VeteranOwned and Service-Con‐ nected Disabled VeteranOwned Small Entrepre‐ neurships Program (the Veteran Initiative). Bid‐ ders are encouraged to consider participation. 136154 April 23, 30, May 7, 3t $208.66

NUMBER 50394 DIVISION “D” IN THE MATTER OF THE INTERDICTION OF WILLIAM WINDSOR PIPES NOTICE OF APPLICATION TO SELL IMMOVABLE PROPERTY AT PRIVATE SALE

Legal Notices

Municipal Address: 2243 Bernwood Drive, Baton Rouge, LA 70816

1986, as amended (the “Code”) located in the Parishes of Ascension, East Feliciana, Iberville, Livingston, Pointe Coupee, St. Helena, West Baton Rouge and West Feliciana, State of Louisiana (the “Capital Area”) and such other parishes whose govern‐ ing authorities execute cooperative endeavor agreements with the Au‐ thority. The Bonds shall be issued under the Act and shall be authorized pursuant to the provi‐ sions of an Indenture of Trust (the “Indenture”) between the Authority and Regions Bank, as trustee (the “Trustee”).

Any person who opposes this proposed sale must ﬁle his or her opposition within seven (7) days from the day on which the last publication of this notice appears. BY ORDER OF THE COURT __________________ Deputy Clerk of Court 18th Judicial District Court 137044 April 17, May 7, 2t $98.53 PUBLIC NOTICE ---

Legal Notices

The Bonds shall be obligations secured under the Indenture by an irrevocable pledge by the Authority unto the Trustee on behalf of the registered owners of the Bonds, of GNMA Securi‐ ties, the Fannie Mae Se‐ curities, and Freddie Mac Securities (collectively, “Certiﬁcates”) the backed by pools of quali‐ fying ﬁrst mortgage loans (the “First Mort‐ gage Loans”). The Bonds shall bear such dates, mature at such times (not exceeding forty-two (42) years from their date of issuance), bear inter‐ est at such rate or rates (not exceeding ten per centum (10%) per annum) and carry such exchangeability privi‐ leges as shall be pro‐ vided for in the Inden‐ ture. The Bonds shall be issuable in such denomi‐ nations, be in fully regis‐ tered form without coupons, carry such reg‐ istration and exchangeability privileges, be payable in such medium of payment and at such place or places, and be subject to such terms of redemption as such In‐ denture may provide.

CAPITAL AREA FINANCE AUTHORITY NOTICE OF INTENTION TO ISSUE NOT EXCEEDING $100,000,000 Single Family Mortgage Revenue Bonds AND NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING The Board of Trustees of the Capital Area Finance Authority (the “Author‐ ity”), a public trust duly created pursuant to the provisions of Chapter 2-A of Title 9 of the Louisiana Revised Statutes of 1950, as amended (R.S. 9:23419:2347, inclusive) (the “Act”) for the benefit of the Parish of East Baton Rouge, State of Louisiana (hereinafter sometimes referred to as the “Parish”), does hereby give notice of its inten‐ tion to issue in an amount not to exceed One Hundred Million Dol‐ lars ($100,000,000) of cap‐ tioned bonds in one or more series (the “Bonds”). The Tax-Ex‐ empt Bonds will finance first mortgage loans to low and moderate home‐ buyers in accordance with the requirements of Section 143 of the Inter‐ nal Revenue Code of

The Bonds will, before the delivery thereof, be approved by the State Bond Commission as well as by said Board of h

y Trustees as the govern‐ ing body of the Authority. The issuance of the Bonds will not directly or indirectly obligate the Parish, the State or any political subdivision thereof, to provide any funds for the payment of the Bonds. The Bonds will not be nor shall they ever be considered a debt of the Parish, the State or any political subdivision thereof, within the meaning of the Constitution or statutes of the State of Louisiana and will not and shall never consti‐ tute a pledge of the credit or taxing power of the Parish, the State, or any political subdivision thereof. Neither the Parish nor the State or any political subdivision thereof, shall in any man‐ ner be liable for the pay‐ ment of the principal and the interest on the Bonds or for the performance of any agreement or pledge of any kind which may be undertaken by the Au‐ thority and no breach by the Authority of any agreement shall create any obligation upon the Parish, the State or any political subdivision thereof. The Authority has no taxing power and is not entitled to receive any funds from the Parish, the State, or any political subdivision thereof, or any govern‐ mental body. The Authority shall meet in open and public session on June 19, 2025, at four (4:00) o’clock p.m. at the Authority’s ofﬁce at 601 St. Ferdinand Street, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, for the pur‐ pose of hearing any ob‐ jections to the proposed issuance of the Bonds. If a petition is presented to the Authority at this open and public meeting, duly signed by not less than ﬁve percent of the electors of the Parish voting at the last special or general election ob‐ jecting to the issuance of h d h id

NOTICE IS GIVEN that the Donald Barry Pipes and Brenda Daigle Pipes, the curator and undercu‐ rator of the interdict, William Windsor Pipes, have petitioned this court for authority to sell the following described immovable property be‐ longing to the interdict, all at private sale in ac‐ cordance with the applic‐ able provisions of the Louisiana Code of Civil Procedure, all for the sum of One Hundred, Forty-Five Thousand Dol‐ lars and no/100 ($145,000.00) Dollars, cash, and all in accor‐ dance with the terms and conditions set forth on the written purchase agreement attached as Exhibit A to the said peti‐ tion. The immovable property proposed to be sold through this private sale is described as fol‐ lows: All of interdict’s right, title and interest in and to: ONE (1) certain piece or portion of ground, to‐ gether with all the build‐ ings and improvements thereon, and all or the rights, ways, privileges, servitudes, appurte‐ nances and advantages thereunto belonging or in anywise appertaining, situated in the Parish of East Baton Rouge, State of Louisiana, in that sub‐ division known as WEDGEWOOD, SIXTH FIL‐ ING, and designated on the official plan thereof, on file and of record in the office of the Clerk and Recorder of the Parish of East Baton Rouge, State of Louisiana, as LOT NUM‐ BER FOUR HUNDRED THIRTY EIGHT (438), said subdivision, said lot hav‐ ing such measurements and dimensions and being subject to such servitudes as are more particularly described on said subdivision map.

137104-481213-April 24-May 14-21x $ 2,215.29

LOUISIANA DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES OFFICE OF COASTAL MANAGEMENT COASTAL USE PERMITS NOT REQUIRED OF ACTIVITIES EXEMPT FROM PERMITTING AND/OR CORPS AREA OR GENERAL PERMIT NAME PORT OF SOUTH LOUISIANA TERREBONNE PARISH CONSOLIDATED GOVERNMENT LOW CARBON LOGISTICS CCS TRANSPORT LLC CRESCENT MIDSTREAM, LLC PLAQUEMINES PORT HARBOR & TERMINAL DISTRICT PEREZ, ARTHUR SHELL PIPELINE COMPANY LP TARGA SHELL PIPELINE COMPANY LP TERREBONNE LEVEE AND CONSERVATION DISTRICT GEOENGINEERS, INC. WAGGONNER & BALL, INC. GULF SOUTH PIPELINE COMPANY, LLC JEFFERSON PARISH ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT CPRA

PARISH CUPNO ST. JOHN THE BAPTIST P20240503 TERREBONNE P20240550

COENO MVN-2008-03537-MM MVN-2024-00618-SQ

ST. JAMES

P20240722

MVN-2024-00154-CM

JEFFERSON PLAQUEMINES

P20240966 P20240980

MVN-2025-00023-EDM

JEFFERSON ST. CHARLES CALCASIEU IBERVILLE TERREBONNE

P20250119 P20250220 P20250222 P20250230 P20250232

CAMERON ST. TAMMANY TERREBONNE JEFFERSON LAFOURCHE

P20250236 P20250255 P20250256 P20250269 P20250280

MVN-2025-00287-CA MVN 2025-00315 WB

LOUISIANA DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES OFFICE OF COASTAL MANAGEMENT PERMITS ISSUED WITH CONDITIONS TO MINIMIZE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS NAME ENTERGY LOUISIANA, LLC CAMERON PARISH GRAVITY DRAINAGE DISTRICT #3 VENTURE GLOBAL CP2 LNG, LLC EXXONMOBIL PRODUCTION COMPANY HIGH BAR OPERATING COMPANY, LLC GRAND ISLE INDEPENDENT LEVEE DISTRICT GREATER LAFOURCHE PORT COMMISSION ENTERGY LOUISIANA, LLC CPRA OMES, MICHAEL AND HELEN BROCKHAUS, JOSHUA ST. JAMES PARISH GOVERNMENT TEXAS PETROLEUM INVESTMENT CO CPRA DAIGLE, CHAD ENTERGY LOUISIANA, LLC TERREBONNE PARISH CONSOLIDATED GOVERNMENT

PARISH CALCASIEU CAMERON CAMERON CAMERON CAMERON JEFFERSON LAFOURCHE ORLEANS PLAQUEMINES ST. BERNARD ST. BERNARD ST. JAMES ST. MARY ST. TAMMANY TERREBONNE TERREBONNE TERREBONNE

CUPNO P20240909 P20200648 P20211131 P20250177 P20250228 P20220960 P20220311 P20250244 P20230190 P20240268 P20240526 P20240873 P20250227 P20230090 P20230550 P20250017 P20250143

COENO MVN-2024-00958-WKK MVN-2020-00781-WB MVN-2021-00560-WII MVN-2025-00231-WB MVN-2022-00681-CF

MVN-2024-00586-ECS MVN-2024-00413-CA MVN-2023-01107-WBB MVN-2025-00047-WFF MVN 2022-0547 WB

LOUISIANA DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES OFFICE OF COASTAL MANAGEMENT PERMITS APPLICATIONS WITHDRAWN NAME TOWN OF DELCAMBRE

PARISH VERMILION

CUPNO P20240899

COENO MVN-2024-01007-WQQ

WITHDRAWN DATE 04/22/2025

LOUISIANA DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES OFFICE OF COASTAL MANAGEMENT LOCAL CONCERN PERMIT APPLICATIONS NAME PARISH DORE ENERGY CAMERON DORE ENERGY CAMERON KAYODE, LOVE CAMERON ROYER, HEATHER ST. TAMMANY SEYMOUR VENTURES, LLC ST. TAMMANY DAVIS, REBECCA ST. TAMMANY AT&T MOBILITY, LLC TERREBONNE TERREBONNE PARISH CONSOLIDATED GOVERNMENT TERREBONNE 139635-489322-may 7-1t $ 181.30

CUPNO P20250265 P20250266 P20250278 P20250284 P20250288 P20250292 P20250145 P20250291

10D ■ Wednesday, May 7, 2025 ■ theadvocate.com ■ The Advocate Legal Notices

Legal Notices

jecting to the issuance of the Bonds, then said Bonds will not be issued until approved by a vote of the majority of the qualified electors of the Parish who vote in a spe‐ cial election held for the purpose of approving the issuance of the Bonds in the manner provided by the Act, and such peti‐ tion must be accompa‐ nied by a certificate of the East Baton Rouge Parish Registrar of Vot‐ ers certifying that the signers of the petition are qualified electors of the Parish and the num‐ ber of signers amounts to not less than five per‐ cent of the electors of the Parish in number vot‐ ing at the last special or general election.

where the property is lo cated} . Copies of all court docu‐ ments in this case, in‐ cluding orders, are avail‐ able at the Clerk of the Circuit Court’s ofﬁce. You may review these docu‐ ments upon request.

All interested parties are invited to attend the meeting as a public hear‐ ing for the purpose of re‐ ceiving comments on and hearing any objec‐ tions to the proposed is‐ suance of the Bonds. All interested parties are in‐ vited to attend such pub‐ lic hearing to express their views. Questions or requests for additional information may be di‐ rected to the Authority as follows: Capital Area Finance Authority 601 St. Ferdinand Street, Baton Rouge, Louisiana 70802 Telephone: (225) 771-8567 Attention: Vickie Theriot The Bonds herein pro‐ posed are in addition to any other bonds, notes or debt obligations heretofore proposed by the Authority. This is not an offer to sell nor the solicitation of an offer to buy the Bonds. This notice of in‐ tention to issue Bonds by the Authority is man‐ dated by the provisions of Louisiana Revised Statute 9:2347(A)(1). THUS DONE AND SIGNED at Baton Rouge, Louisiana, on this, the 17th day of April, 2025. CAPITAL AREA FINANCE AUTHORITY By: /s/ Russell L. Mosely Chairperson, Board of Trustees

By: /s/ Justin Gaudet Secretary-Treasurer, Board of Trustees 137539 April 23, 30, May 7, 14, 4t $398.56 PUBLIC NOTICE --Clinton Plaza 2025 Lim‐ ited Partnership is proposing to acquire and substantially rehabilitate Clinton Plaza, an existing 32-unit family apartment complex located at 11800 Marston Street, Clinton, LA, East Feliciana Parish. The public may obtain more information by con‐ tacting John Huff at (334)749-0885 or E-Mail‐ ing: huffdev@huffmgt. com. This project will be comprised of 10 two-bed‐ room units and 22 threebedroom units. Maxi‐ mum number of units will be 32 units. This pro‐ ject will serve primarily families, including veter‐ ans, disabled house‐ holds, and households with children through the provision of a community facility and/or associ‐ ated supportive services tailored to household needs. This project is competing for 9% Tax Credits provided by the Louisiana Housing Cor‐ poration. The estimated total development cost is $6,479,584, and to be ﬁ‐ nanced with a $682,196 USDA, Rural Development Section 515 ﬁrst mort‐ gage loan, $750,000 USDA, Rural Development Section 538 second mort‐ gage loan, $4,714,481 in equity generated primar‐ ily from the Tax Credits, $34,810 developer loan, and $297,997 owner re‐ serves contribution. 139746-may 7-14-21-28-4t $557.49

PUBLIC NOTICE --High Point 2025 Limited Partnership is proposing to acquire and substan‐ tially rehabilitate High Point Apartments, an ex‐ isting 48-unit elderly apartment complex lo‐ cated at 13823 Achord Lane, Walker, LA, Liv‐ ingston Parish. The pub‐ lic may obtain more in‐ formation by contacting John Huff at (334)7490885 or E-Mailing: huffdev@huffmgt.com. This project will be com‐ prised of 32 one-bed‐ room units and 16 twobedroom units. Maxi‐ mum number of units will be 48 units. This pro‐ ject will serve primarily elderly households, in‐ cluding veterans and dis‐ abled households through the provision of a community facility and/or associated sup‐ portive services tailored to household needs. This project is competing for 9% Tax Credits provided by the Louisiana Housing Corporation. The esti‐ mated total development cost is $9,135,598, and to be financed with a $1,030,626 USDA, Rural Development Section 515 first mortgage loan, $850,000 USDA, Rural De‐ velopment Section 538 second mortgage loan, $6,969,233 in equity gen‐ erated primarily from the Tax Credits, $41,732 de‐ veloper loan, and $243,907 owner reserves contribution. 139741-may 7-14-21-3t $439.72 PUBLIC NOTICE --IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF THE FIRST JUDICIAL CIRCUIT, IN AND FOR SANTA ROSA COUNTY, FLORIDA TREVELL C. SMITH, , Petitioner and Case No.: 24001114DRMXAX Division: E ROSHAWNDA ROACH, BRYSON JOHNSON , Respondent. NOTICE OF ACTION FOR {Specify action} SERVICE BY PUBLICATION TO: {name of Respon‐ dent} BRYSON JOHNSON {Respondent’s last known address| 12092 ROTTERDAM AVE, GEIS‐ MAR, LA 70734 YOU ARE NOTIFIED that an action for {identify the type of case} PETI‐ TION FOR PATERNITY has been filed against you and that you are required to serve a copy of your written defenses, if any, to it on {name of Peti‐ tioner} TREVELL SMITH, whose address is 3728 W LOUISIANA STATE DR, KENNER, LA 70065, on or before {date }06/01/2025, and file the original with the clerk of this Court at {clerk’s address} FAMILY LAW, 4025 AVALON BLVD, MILTON, FLORIDA 32583, before service on Petitioner or immediately thereafter. If you fail to do so, a de‐ fault may be entered against you for the relief demanded in the peti‐ tion. {If applicable, insert the legal description of real property, a specific de‐ scription of personal property, and the name of the county in Florida where the property is lo‐ t d}

You must keep the Clerk of the Circuit Court’s of‐ fice notified of your cur‐ rent address. (You may file Designation of Cur‐ rent Mailing and E-Mail Address, Florida Supreme Court Approved Family Law Form 12.915.) Future papers in this law‐ suit will be mailed or emailed to the addresses on record at the clerk’s office. WARNING: Rule 12.285, Florida Family Law Rules of Procedure, requires certain automatic disclo‐ sure of documents and information. Failure to comply can result in sanctions, including dis‐ missal or striking of pleadings. Dated: 04/29/2025 . CLERK OF THE CIRCUIT COURT By: {Deputy Clerk} IF A NONLAWYER HELPED YOU FILL OUT THIS FORM, HE/SHE MUST FILL IN THE BLANKS BELOW: [fill in all blanks] This form was prepared for the Petitioner. This form was completed with the assistance of: {name of individual} , {name of business} , {address} , {city} ,{state} , {zip code} , {telephone number} 139637-may 7,14,21,28-4t $1302.72 PUBLIC NOTICE LOUISIANA DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY (LDEQ) EVONIK CORPORATION LAFAYETTE PLANT DRAFT HAZARDOUS WASTE OPERATING PERMIT RENEWAL The LDEQ, Office of Envi‐ ronmental Services, is accepting written com‐ ments on Draft Haz‐ ardous Waste Operating Permit Renewal for Evonik Corporation, 100 American Boulevard, Lafayette, Louisiana 70508 for the Lafayette Plant hazardous waste management units (Boil‐ ers #6 & #7). The facility is located at 100 Ameri‐ can Boulevard, Lafayette, Lafayette Parish. Evonik Corporation is proposing to continue the operation of three hazardous waste storage container areas. A working draft of the draft permit was pro‐ vided to Evonik Corpora‐ tion and the remarks submitted on behalf of Evonik Corporation and the Department's re‐ sponses hereto, are in‐ cluded in the permit record that is available for public review. Comments and requests for a public hearing or notification of the final decision can be submit‐ ted online on the public notice webpage (http:// www.deq.louisiana.gov/ public-notices), via per‐ sonal delivery, U.S. mail, or email. Comments and requests for public hear‐ ings must be received by 4:30 pm CDT, Monday, June 23, 2025. Delivery may be made to the drop-box at 602 N. 5th St., Baton Rouge, LA 70802. U.S. Mail may be sent to LDEQ, Public Participa‐ tion Group, P.O. Box 4313, Baton Rouge, LA 708214313, and emails may be submitted to DEQ.PUB LICNOTICES@LA.GOV. Persons wishing to re‐ ceive notice of the final permit action must in‐ clude a complete mailing address when submitting comments. Please see additional in‐ structions for comment submission, hand deliv‐ ery and information re‐ garding electronic sub‐ mission at http://www. deq.louisiana.gov/page/ the-public-participationgroup or call (225) 2193276. If LDEQ finds a signifi‐ cant degree of public in‐ terest, a public hearing will be held. LDEQ will send notification of the final permit decision to the applicant and to each person who has submitted written com‐ ments or a written re‐ quest for notification of the final decision. The draft Hazardous Waste Operating Permit for Evonik Corporation is available for review at the LDEQ, Public Records Center, 602 North 5th Street, Baton Rouge, LA. Viewing hours are from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday (except holidays). The available information can also be accessed electronically on the Electronic Document Management System (EDMS) on the DEQ public website at www.deq. louisiana.gov. Additional copies may be reviewed at the Lafayette Public Library, Main Branch, 301 W. Congress Street, Lafayette, Louisiana 70501. Previous notices have been published in The Advocate and The Daily Advertiser on Wednes‐ day, June 21, 2023. Inquiries or requests for additional information regarding this permit ac‐ tion should be directed to Amber Fowler, LDEQ, Waste Permits Division, P.O. Box 4313, Baton Rouge, LA 70821-4313, phone (225) 219-3068. Persons wishing to be in‐ cluded on the LDEQ per‐ mit public notice mailing list, wishing to receive the permit public notices via email by subscribing to the LDEQ permits pub‐ lic notice List Server, or for other public partici‐ pation related questions should contact the Public Participation Group in writing at LDEQ, P.O. Box 4313, Baton Rouge, LA 70821-4313, by email at DEQ.PUBLICNOTICES@LA. GOV or by phone at (225) 219-3035. Permit public notices in‐ cluding electronic access to the draft permit and associated information can be viewed on the LDEQ permits public webpage at http://www. deq.louisiana.gov/publicnotices and general in‐ formation related to the public participation in permitting activities can be viewed at. http:// www.deq.louisiana.gov/ page/the-public-partici pation-group. All correspondence should specify AI Num‐ ber 28267, Permit Num‐ ber LAD 980 622 161-OPRN-2, and Activity Num‐ ber PER20230002. Scheduled Publication Date: Wednesday, May 7, 2025 (Advocate, Daily Ad‐ vertiser, and KPEL-FM 96.5) 139126 May 7, 1t $492.96

PUBLIC NOTICE --Ofﬁce of the City Constable Post Ofﬁce Box 1471 Baton Rouge, Louisiana 70821

Legal Notices

CONSTABLE’S SALE SUIT NUMBER: 24-05634-C REGAL CREDIT CORPORATION VS LESLIE EMDEN ACTING UNDER AND BY VIRTUE OF A WRIT OF SEIZURE AND SALE IS‐ SUED OUT OF THE HON‐ ORABLE COURT AFORE‐ SAID, IN THE ABOVE ENTI‐ TLED AND NUMBERED CASE, DATED THE 18TH DAY OF FEBRUARY, 2025, AND TO ME DIRECTED, I DID SEIZE AND WILL BE‐ GINNING AT 10:00 A.M. ON WEDNESDAY THE 7TH DAY OF MAY, 2025, IN THE BASEMENT LOBBY OF THE BATON ROUGE CITY COURT BUILDING, OFFER FOR SALE AT PUBLIC AUCTION THE FOLLOW‐ ING DESCRIBED PROP‐ ERTY TO WIT: 2014 NISSAN VERSA NOTE VIN #3N1CE2CP2EL352156 TERMS OF SALE: CASH TO THE HIGHEST BIDDER, AT PUBLIC AUCTION WITH APPRAISEMENT AND AC‐ CORDING TO LAW. DATED THIS 16th DAY OF APRIL, 2025 TERRICA L. WILLIAMS CITY CONSTABLE 137248-apr 21-1t PUBLIC NOTICE --PUBLIC HEARING NOTICE TOWN OF JACKSON The Town of Jackson will hold a public hearing at 5:45 p.m. on Monday, May 12, 2025 at the Jack‐ son Volunteer Fire De‐ partment located at 1631 Charter Street, Jackson, LA 70748. The purpose of the meeting is to obtain views on the community development needs of the Town of Jackson and to discuss the submis‐ sion of an application for funding under the State of Louisiana FY 2026/2027 Community Development Block Grant (LCDBG) Pro‐ gram. The following items will be discussed at the hearing. A. The amount of funds available for proposed community development activities; B. The range of activities available that may be un‐ dertaken, including the estimated amount of funds proposed to be used for activities that will meet the State Pro‐ gram’s National Objec‐ tive: to beneﬁt persons of low and moderate in‐ come, slum and blight properties and urgent need. C. The plans of the Town for minimizing displaced persons as a result of ac‐ tivities assisted with such funds and the bene‐ ﬁts to be provided by the Town to persons actually displaced as a result of such activities; and D. The Town’s past per‐ formance on LCDBG pro‐ jects funded by the State of Louisiana. All residents, particularly low and moderate in‐ come persons and resi‐ dents of slum and blighted areas of the Town of Jackson are en‐ couraged to attend this meeting. Accommodations will be made for persons with disabilities and non-Eng‐ lish speaking individuals provided that three day notice is received by the Town. Those citizens unable to attend this hearing may submit their views and proposals until May 16, 2025 in writing to: Town of Jackson, P. O. Box 1150, Jackson, LA 70748. 134388-May 7-1t $28.69

lll

Legal Notices

ACTION IN ACCORDANCE WITH LAW:

vised Statute 47:2201 et seq. and Metropolitan Council Ordinance num‐ ber 19514, the Parish of East Baton Rouge has been authorized to sell this property as adjudi‐ cated property. You have been identified as a party who might have a vested or contingent in‐ terest in said property, which was assessed in the name(s) of Haywood Reed and was adjudi‐ cated to the Parish of East Baton Rouge in the year of 2016 for unpaid taxes for the year of 2015. The sale will take place in accordance with the provisions of LA R.S. 47:2201 et seq. Your inter‐ est in the property will be terminated if you do not redeem the property by making all required payments to the tax col‐ lector listed below or file a lawsuit in accordance with law within Sixty (60) Days of the date of the first publication of this notice, or the recording of an act transferring ownership, if later.

2016. The sale will take place in accordance with the provisions of LA R.S. 47:2201 et seq. Your inter‐ est in the property will be terminated if you do not redeem the property by making all required payments to the tax col‐ lector listed below or ﬁle a lawsuit in accordance with law within Sixty (60) Days of the date of the ﬁrst publication of this notice, or the recording of an act transferring ownership, if later.

ber 19507, the Parish of East Baton Rouge has been authorized to sell this property as adjudi‐ cated property. You have been identified as a party who might have a vested or contingent in‐ terest in said property, which was assessed in the name(s) of Lucious Simmons and was adju‐ dicated to the Parish of East Baton Rouge in the year of 2020 for unpaid taxes for the year of 2019. The sale will take place in accordance with the provisions of LA R.S. 47:2201 et seq. Your inter‐ est in the property will be terminated if you do not redeem the property by making all required payments to the tax col‐ lector listed below or file a lawsuit in accordance with law within six (6) months of the date of the first publication of this notice, or the recording of an act transferring ownership, if later.

y This 4.12-acre property is lo‐ cated at 16325 Bree Drive, Lot C-1-A-1-A, of the Rounsaville Property. The applicant requests a variance to the Compre‐ hensive Zoning Code: 12.3.b.2 from 25 to 10 feet. The request is in the R/A (Rural/Agricultural) zoning district. (Appli‐ cant/Owner: Harris Reams)

70130, and to serve on the attorneys for Limita‐ tion Plaintiff, Liskow & Lewis, 701 Poydras Street, Suite 5000, New Orleans, LA 70319, a copy thereof on or before the 27th day of May, 2025, or be forever defaulted. Per‐ sonal attendance is not required. Any claimant desiring to contest either the right to exoneration from and/or the right to limitation of liability shall ﬁle and serve an answer, all as required by Rule F of the Supple‐ mental Rules for Certain Admiralty and Maritime Claims contained in the Federal Rules of Civil Pro‐ cedure.

Lot 5 pt., Swart Improvements thereon believed to bear on Mu‐ nicipal No. () Terrace Street. By virtue of the provi‐ sions of Louisiana Re‐ vised Statute 47:2201 et seq. and Metropolitan Council Ordinance num‐ ber 19482, the Parish of East Baton Rouge has been authorized to sell this property as adjudi‐ cated property. You have been identified as a party who might have a vested or contingent in‐ terest in said property, which was assessed in the name(s) of Dolores Baranco, and was adjudi‐ cated to the Parish of East Baton Rouge in the year of 1989 for unpaid taxes for the year of 1988. The sale will take place in accordance with the provisions of LA R.S. 47:2201 et seq. Your inter‐ est in the property will be terminated if you do not redeem the property by making all required payments to the tax col‐ lector listed below or file a lawsuit in accordance with law within sixty (60) days of the date of the first publication of this notice, or the recording of an act transferring ownership, if later. Tax collector: East Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff 222 St. Louis Street, 2ND Floor Baton Rouge, Louisiana 70802 (225) 389-4810 139433 May 7, 14, 2t $93.16 PUBLIC NOTICE --Recquisition 11297661 NOTICE OF SALE OF ADJUDICATED PROPERTY Rosa Ann Elliott, Carla A. Jones, Monique J. Elliott, Kiarra S. Elliot, Craig J. El‐ liot, Jr., Mar Stevens, Clarence David Brown Jr., and Carmen Renee Hunter THIS NOTICE BY PUBLICA‐ TION IS NOTIFICATION THAT YOUR RIGHTS OR INTEREST IN THE FOL‐ LOWING DESCRIBED PROPERTY LOCATED IN EAST BATON ROUGE PARISH, LOUISIANA MAY BE TERMINATED BY OP‐ ERATION OF LAW IF YOU DO NOT TAKE FURTHER ACTION IN ACCORDANCE WITH LAW: Lot 13 pt., Square 268, Swart Improvements thereon believed to bear on Mu‐ nicipal No. () South 10th Street. By virtue of the provi‐ sions of Louisiana Re‐ vised Statute 47:2201 et seq. and Metropolitan Council Ordinance num‐ ber 19481, the Parish of East Baton Rouge has been authorized to sell this property as adjudi‐ cated property. You have been identified as a party who might have a vested or contingent in‐ terest in said property, which was assessed in the name(s) of Clarence Elliott, and was adjudi‐ cated to the Parish of East Baton Rouge in the year of 1980 for unpaid taxes for the year of 1979. The sale will take place in accordance with the provisions of LA R.S. 47:2201 et seq. Your inter‐ est in the property will be terminated if you do not redeem the property by making all required payments to the tax col‐ lector listed below or file a lawsuit in accordance with law within sixty (60) days of the date of the first publication of this notice, or the recording of an act transferring ownership, if later.

Recquisition 11297661 NOTICE OF SALE OF ADJUDICATED PROPERTY

Tax collector: East Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff 222 St. Louis Street, 2ND Floor Baton Rouge, Louisiana 70802 (225) 389-4810

Lewis Watkins and Nellie Watkins

139440 May 7, 14, 2t $83.06

THIS NOTICE BY PUBLICA‐ TION IS NOTIFICATION THAT YOUR RIGHTS OR INTEREST IN THE FOL‐ LOWING DESCRIBED PROPERTY LOCATED IN EAST BATON ROUGE PARISH, LOUISIANA MAY BE TERMINATED BY OP‐ ERATION OF LAW IF YOU DO NOT TAKE FURTHER ACTION IN ACCORDANCE WITH LAW:

PUBLIC NOTICE ---

Lot 3+ Square 5 Greenville Addition Improvements thereon believed to bear on Mu‐ nicipal No. () North 39th Street. By virtue of the provi‐ sions of Louisiana Re‐ vised Statute 47:2201 et seq. and Metropolitan Council Ordinance num‐ ber 19502, the Parish of East Baton Rouge has been authorized to sell this property as adjudi‐ cated property. You have been identified as a party who might have a vested or contingent in‐ terest in said property, which was assessed in the name(s) of Louis Watkins and was adjudi‐ cated to the Parish of East Baton Rouge in the year of 2018 for unpaid taxes for the year of 2017. The sale will take place in accordance with the provisions of LA R.S. 47:2201 et seq. Your inter‐ est in the property will be terminated if you do not redeem the property by making all required payments to the tax col‐ lector listed below or file a lawsuit in accordance with law within Sixty (60) Days of the date of the first publication of this notice, or the recording of an act transferring ownership, if later. Tax collector: East Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff 222 St. Louis Street, 2ND Floor Baton Rouge, Louisiana 70802 (225) 389-4810 139436 May 7, 14, 2t $78.34

PUBLIC NOTICE --Recquisition 11297661 NOTICE OF SALE OF ADJUDICATED PROPERTY The Heirs of Dolores Baranco Means Washin‐ ton, Wayne A. Matthews, Ronald R. Matthews, Dol‐ lie Michelle Leonie Matthews Johnson, The Heirs of Raymond Baranco, Jr., Denise Baranco, The Heirs of Joseph Samuel Clark Baranco Sr., June Carlyn Baranco Gumbel, Darryl G. Baranco, The Heirs of Joseph Samuel Clark Baranco, Jr., Mignon Anita Baranco Lamotte Fontenette, Christopher Peter Baranco, The Heirs of Robert Gabriel Daigre Baranco Jr., Edith B. Baranco, David Brian Baranco, Robert Gabriel Daigre Baranco, III, Ramon M. Baranco, Schy‐ vanda T. Baranco THIS NOTICE BY PUBLICA‐ TION IS NOTIFICATION THAT YOUR RIGHTS OR INTEREST IN THE FOL‐ LOWING DESCRIBED PROPERTY LOCATED IN EAST BATON ROUGE PARISH, LOUISIANA MAY BE TERMINATED BY OP‐ ERATION OF LAW IF YOU DO NOT TAKE FURTHER ACTION IN ACCORDANCE WITH LAW

Recquisition 11297661 NOTICE OF SALE OF ADJUDICATED PROPERTY Ruthie Bell Williams Parson Albert THIS NOTICE BY PUBLICA‐ TION IS NOTIFICATION THAT YOUR RIGHTS OR INTEREST IN THE FOL‐ LOWING DESCRIBED PROPERTY LOCATED IN EAST BATON ROUGE PARISH, LOUISIANA MAY BE TERMINATED BY OP‐ ERATION OF LAW IF YOU DO NOT TAKE FURTHER ACTION IN ACCORDANCE WITH LAW: Lot 3 Square F Crawford Addition Improvements thereon believed to bear on Mu‐ nicipal No. () Erie Street. By virtue of the provi‐ sions of Louisiana Re‐ vised Statute 47:2201 et seq. and Metropolitan Council Ordinance num‐ ber 19426, the Parish of East Baton Rouge has been authorized to sell this property as adjudi‐ cated property. You have been identified as a party who might have a vested or contingent in‐ terest in said property, which was assessed in the name(s) of Ruthie Bell Albert, and was adju‐ dicated to the Parish of East Baton Rouge in the year of 2017 for unpaid taxes for the year of 2016. The sale will take place in accordance with the provisions of LA R.S. 47:2201 et seq. Your inter‐ est in the property will be terminated if you do not redeem the property by making all required payments to the tax col‐ lector listed below or file a lawsuit in accordance with law within sixty (60) days of the date of the first publication of this notice, or the recording of an act transferring ownership, if later. Tax collector: East Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff 222 St. Louis Street, 2ND Floor Baton Rouge, Louisiana 70802 (225) 389-4810 139442 May 7, 14, 2t $78.34

PUBLIC NOTICE --Recquisition 11297661 NOTICE OF SALE OF ADJUDICATED PROPERTY Haywood Reed THIS NOTICE BY PUBLICA‐ TION IS NOTIFICATION THAT YOUR RIGHTS OR INTEREST IN THE FOL‐ LOWING DESCRIBED PROPERTY LOCATED IN EAST BATON ROUGE PARISH, LOUISIANA MAY BE TERMINATED BY OP‐ ERATION OF LAW IF YOU DO NOT TAKE FURTHER ACTION IN ACCORDANCE WITH LAW: Lot 12 Square 13 Greenville Extension Improvements thereon believed to bear on Mu‐ nicipal No. () Provost Street. By virtue of the provi‐ sions of Louisiana Re‐ vised Statute 47:2201 et d li

Tax collector: East Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff 222 St. Louis Street, 2ND Floor Baton Rouge, Louisiana 70802 (225) 389-4810 139444 May 7, 14, 2t $79.02 PUBLIC NOTICE --Recquisition 11297661 NOTICE OF SALE OF ADJUDICATED PROPERTY Shantill L. Smith THIS NOTICE BY PUBLICA‐ TION IS NOTIFICATION THAT YOUR RIGHTS OR INTEREST IN THE FOL‐ LOWING DESCRIBED PROPERTY LOCATED IN EAST BATON ROUGE PARISH, LOUISIANA MAY BE TERMINATED BY OP‐ ERATION OF LAW IF YOU DO NOT TAKE FURTHER ACTION IN ACCORDANCE WITH LAW: Square 59 North Baton Rouge Improvements thereon believed to bear on Mu‐ nicipal No. () Central Road. By virtue of the provi‐ sions of Louisiana Re‐ vised Statute 47:2201 et seq. and Metropolitan Council Ordinance num‐ ber 19486, the Parish of East Baton Rouge has been authorized to sell this property as adjudi‐ cated property. You have been identified as a party who might have a vested or contingent in‐ terest in said property, which was assessed in the name(s) of Laronda Shantill Smith and was adjudicated to the Parish of East Baton Rouge in the year of 2019 for un‐ paid taxes for the year of 2018. The sale will take place in accordance with the provisions of LA R.S. 47:2201 et seq. Your inter‐ est in the property will be terminated if you do not redeem the property by making all required payments to the tax col‐ lector listed below or file a lawsuit in accordance with law within Sixty (60) Days of the date of the first publication of this notice, or the recording of an act transferring ownership, if later. Tax collector: East Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff 222 St. Louis Street, 2ND Floor Baton Rouge, Louisiana 70802 (225) 389-4810 139451 May 7, 14, 2t $78.34

PUBLIC NOTICE --Recquisition 11297661 NOTICE OF SALE OF ADJUDICATED PROPERTY Harrell Duncan THIS NOTICE BY PUBLICA‐ TION IS NOTIFICATION THAT YOUR RIGHTS OR INTEREST IN THE FOL‐ LOWING DESCRIBED PROPERTY LOCATED IN EAST BATON ROUGE PARISH, LOUISIANA MAY BE TERMINATED BY OP‐ ERATION OF LAW IF YOU DO NOT TAKE FURTHER ACTION IN ACCORDANCE WITH LAW: Lot 316 Glen Oaks Improvements thereon believed to bear on Mu‐ nicipal No. () Sumrall Drive. By virtue of the provi‐ sions of Louisiana Re‐ vised Statute 47:2201 et seq. and Metropolitan Council Ordinance num‐ ber 19463, the Parish of East Baton Rouge has been authorized to sell this property as adjudi‐ cated property. You have been identified as a party who might have a vested or contingent in‐ terest in said property, which was assessed in the name(s) of Harrell Kirt Duncan Sr., and was adjudicated to the Parish of East Baton Rouge in the year of 2017 for un‐ paid taxes for the year of 2016. The sale will take place in accordance with the provisions of LA R.S. 47:2201 et seq. Your inter‐ est in the property will be terminated if you do not redeem the property by making all required payments to the tax col‐ lector listed below or file a lawsuit in accordance with law within sixty (60) days of the date of the first publication of this notice, or the recording of an act transferring ownership, if later. Tax collector: East Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff 222 St. Louis Street, 2ND Floor Baton Rouge, Louisiana 70802 (225) 389-4810 139456 May 7, 14, 2t $77.66

PUBLIC NOTICE --Recquisition 11297661 NOTICE OF SALE OF ADJUDICATED PROPERTY Frank East and Allie Rae East THIS NOTICE BY PUBLICA‐ TION IS NOTIFICATION THAT YOUR RIGHTS OR INTEREST IN THE FOL‐ LOWING DESCRIBED PROPERTY LOCATED IN EAST BATON ROUGE PARISH, LOUISIANA MAY BE TERMINATED BY OP‐ ERATION OF LAW IF YOU DO NOT TAKE FURTHER ACTION IN ACCORDANCE WITH LAW: Lot 30, East Glen Improvements thereon believed to bear on Mu‐ nicipal No. () Calion Drive. By virtue of the provi‐ sions of Louisiana Re‐ vised Statute 47:2201 et seq. and Metropolitan Council Ordinance num‐ ber 19464, the Parish of East Baton Rouge has been authorized to sell this property as adjudi‐ cated property. You have been identiﬁed as a party who might have a vested or contingent in‐ terest in said property, which was assessed in the name(s) of Frank East and was adjudi‐ cated to the Parish of East Baton Rouge in the year of 2017 for unpaid taxes for the year of 2016. The sale will take

Tax collector: East Baton Rouge Parish Sher‐ iff 222 St. Louis Street, 2ND Floor Baton Rouge, Louisiana 70802 (225) 389-4810 139465 May 7, 14, 2t $79.02

PUBLIC NOTICE --Recquisition 11297661 NOTICE OF SALE OF ADJUDICATED PROPERTY The Heirs of Geraldine Warren Domino, The Heirs of Alex Domino Jr., Alex j. Domino, Anthony T. Domino, Adriane Domino, The Heirs of Matlean Domino Gray, The Heirs of Avis Domino Green, Jean G. Jackson, The Heirs of Nettles Green Jr., The Heirs of Agnes M. Domino Gray, Eugene Gray, The Heirs of Eric Gray, The Heirs of Al‐ bert Domino, the Heirs of Rone Domino Hawkins, Theodore Hawkins Jr., Duanne Ray Hawkins Cooper, Daretia Maria Hawkins, Mary W. Du‐ plantier, Debra A. Jones, Marsha L. Cooper, Michael A. White, The Heirs of Margarette Ann Starks Domino, Adrianne Rachaelle Domino Adams, Alex James Domino, Anthony Trevon Domino THIS NOTICE BY PUBLICA‐ TION IS NOTIFICATION THAT YOUR RIGHTS OR INTEREST IN THE FOL‐ LOWING DESCRIBED PROPERTY LOCATED IN EAST BATON ROUGE PARISH, LOUISIANA MAY BE TERMINATED BY OP‐ ERATION OF LAW IF YOU DO NOT TAKE FURTHER ACTION IN ACCORDANCE WITH LAW: Lot 2 Square 5 South Baton Rouge Improvements thereon believed to bear on Mu‐ nicipal No. () East Wash‐ ington Street. By virtue of the provi‐ sions of Louisiana Re‐ vised Statute 47:2201 et seq. and Metropolitan Council Ordinance num‐ ber 19479, the Parish of East Baton Rouge has been authorized to sell this property as adjudi‐ cated property. You have been identified as a party who might have a vested or contingent in‐ terest in said property, which was assessed in the name(s) of Alex Domino, and was adjudi‐ cated to the Parish of East Baton Rouge in the year of 2019 for unpaid taxes for the year of 2018. The sale will take place in accordance with the provisions of LA R.S. 47:2201 et seq. Your inter‐ est in the property will be terminated if you do not redeem the property by making all required payments to the tax col‐ lector listed below or file a lawsuit in accordance with law within sixty (60) days of the date of the first publication of this notice, or the recording of an act transferring ownership, if later. Tax collector: East Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff 222 St. Louis Street, 2ND Floor Baton Rouge, Louisiana 70802 (225) 389-4810 139463 May 7, 14, 2t $97.20 PUBLIC NOTICE --Recquisition 11297661 NOTICE OF SALE OF ADJUDICATED PROPERTY Catherine Sterling, Samantha Jo Easley, Roger David Sterling, Isaac Jason Sterling, Westin Samuel Sterling, and Theodore Dean Ster‐ ling THIS NOTICE BY PUBLICA‐ TION IS NOTIFICATION THAT YOUR RIGHTS OR INTEREST IN THE FOL‐ LOWING DESCRIBED PROPERTY LOCATED IN EAST BATON ROUGE PARISH, LOUISIANA MAY BE TERMINATED BY OP‐ ERATION OF LAW IF YOU DO NOT TAKE FURTHER ACTION IN ACCORDANCE WITH LAW: Lot 21 pt., Swart Improvements thereon believed to bear on Mu‐ nicipal No. () Senette Street. By virtue of the provi‐ sions of Louisiana Re‐ vised Statute 47:2201 et seq. and Metropolitan Council Ordinance num‐ ber 19480, the Parish of East Baton Rouge has been authorized to sell this property as adjudi‐ cated property. You have been identified as a party who might have a vested or contingent in‐ terest in said property, which was assessed in the name(s) of Dale Ster‐ ling and was adjudicated to the Parish of East Baton Rouge in the year of 2020 for unpaid taxes for the year of 2019. The sale will take place in ac‐ cordance with the provi‐ sions of LA R.S. 47:2201 et seq. Your interest in the property will be termi‐ nated if you do not re‐ deem the property by making all required pay‐ ments to the tax collec‐ tor listed below or file a lawsuit in accordance with law within six (6) months of the date of the first publication of this notice, or the recording of an act transferring ownership, if later.

Tax collector: East Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff 222 St. Louis Street, 2ND Floor Baton Rouge, Louisiana 70802 (225) 389-4810 139425 May 7, 14, 2t $77.66

PUBLIC NOTICE --Recquisition 11297661 NOTICE OF SALE OF ADJUDICATED PROPERTY Levi Ruffin THIS NOTICE BY PUBLICA‐ TION IS NOTIFICATION THAT YOUR RIGHTS OR INTEREST IN THE FOL‐ LOWING DESCRIBED PROPERTY LOCATED IN EAST BATON ROUGE PARISH, LOUISIANA MAY BE TERMINATED BY OP‐ ERATION OF LAW IF YOU DO NOT TAKE FURTHER ACTION IN ACCORDANCE WITH LAW: Lot 153 East Dayton Improvements thereon believed to bear on Mu‐ nicipal No. () Hazelwood Drive. By virtue of the provi‐ sions of Louisiana Re‐ vised Statute 47:2201 et seq. and Metropolitan Council Ordinance num‐ ber 19460, the Parish of East Baton Rouge has been authorized to sell this property as adjudi‐ cated property. You have been identified as a party who might have a vested or contingent in‐ terest in said property, which was assessed in the name(s) of Levi Ruf‐ fin, and was adjudicated to the Parish of East Baton Rouge in the year of 2020 for unpaid taxes for the year of 2019. The sale will take place in ac‐ cordance with the provi‐ sions of LA R.S. 47:2201 et seq. Your interest in the property will be termi‐ nated if you do not re‐ deem the property by making all required pay‐ ments to the tax collec‐ tor listed below or file a lawsuit in accordance with law within six (6) months of the date of the first publication of this notice, or the recording of an act transferring ownership, if later. Tax collector: East Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff 222 St. Louis Street, 2ND Floor Baton Rouge, Louisiana 70802 (225) 389-4810 139431 May 7, 14, 2t $77.66 PUBLIC NOTICE Request for Scenic River Permit on Savannah Branch The Secretary of the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF) as Administrator of the Louisiana Natural and Scenic Rivers System is currently considering the application of En‐ tergy Services, Inc. (En‐ tergy) for a permit to construct a new 230-kV electrical transmission line within a 125-footwide right-of-way that Savannah will span Branch. Copies of the ap‐ plication can be re‐ viewed by the public at the LDWF main office, 2000 Quail Drive, Baton Rouge, LA. The public is invited to comment on this permit request for a period of forty-five (45) days. Responses should be mailed to LDWF Scenic Rivers Program, 2000 Quail Drive, Baton Rouge, LA 70808. 139808 May 7, 1t $117.28 PUBLIC NOTICE The City of Central Board of Adjustment will hold a public hearing on Thurs‐ day, May 22, 2025, at 5:00 pm at the Central Com‐ munity School System School Board Office at 11576 Sullivan Road, Cen‐ tral, LA 70818, to consider the following: V25-04: Variance for Roof Pitch. This 0.55-acre property is located at 7162 Shady Park Dr, Lot LC-1 of the R.W. Wolfeser Property. The applicant requests a variance to Sec. 3.3.E. of the Compre‐ hensive Zoning Code to allow a roof pitch less than 6:12 in the R-2 (Sin‐ gle-Family Residence) zoning district. (Appli‐ cant: Melissa Martin) V25-05: Variance to re‐ duce side setback for an Accessory Structure. This 4 12 t i l

V25-06: Variance to allow carport in front yard and an accessory structure in side yard. This 0.33-acre property is located at 15045 E. Beaver Drive, Lot 277, of the Crystal Place Subdivision. The appli‐ cant requests a variance to the Comprehensive Zoning Code: 2.2.b & 2.2.c. The request is in the R-1 (Single-Family Residence) zoning dis‐ trict. (Applicant/Owner: E.D. Bernard Jr.) 139417 May 3, 7, 13, 3t $86.80

PUBLIC NOTICE The City of Central Plan‐ ning & Zoning Commis‐ sions will hold public hearings on Thursday, May 22, 2025, at 6:00 pm at the Central Commu‐ nity School System School Board Office at 11576 Sullivan Road, Cen‐ tral, LA 70818, to consider the following: Planning Commission E25-03: Exchange of Property between Lots A2-D formerly of the West‐ brook Property & 3-B of being a portion of the American Lung Assoc. Property. These 4.65-acre properties are located at 23838 & 23828 Greenwell Springs Road in the R/A (Rural/Agricultural) zon‐ ing district. (Applicant: Ronald Cappo) S25-06-F: Subdivision of Tract E-2 from the E.C. Spurgeon Property. This 40.60-acre property is lo‐ cated on the west side of Blackwater Road, north of Dyer Road, Lot ID Num‐ ber 171004729. The appli‐ cant is requesting to subdivide one tract into five tracts in the R/A (Rural/Agricultural) zon‐ ing district. (Applicant: Alvin Fairburn on behalf of Marcia Wood) S25-07-F: Subdivision of Tracts B-1-B-3-A of the Keowen Property. This 8.83-acre property is lo‐ cated at 10223 Arleen Ave. The applicants re‐ quest to subdivide one tract into two tracts in the R/A (Rural/Agricul‐ tural) zoning district. (Applicants: Stephen La‐ Cour on behalf of Chris Dunaway) S25-08-F: Subdivision of Tract 3-A-1 of being a portion of the American Lung Assoc. Property. This 7.77-acre property is located on Greenwell Springs Road, near the Denham Road intersec‐ tion. The applicant is re‐ questing to subdivide one tract into two tracts in the R/A (Rural/Agricul‐ tural) zoning district. (Applicant: Ronald Cappo) V25-07: Waiver of Public Sewer Requirement for Tract C of the Former A.L. Kennedy Property. This 30.51-acre property is lo‐ cated at 15215 French‐ town Road. The applicant requests a waiver of Sec. 7:14.3.2 of the Unified De‐ velopment Code for pub‐ lic sewer connection within 500 feet. The prop‐ erty is in the R/A (Rural/Agricultural) zon‐ ing district. (Applicant: Louis Edwin Miremont) 139405 May 3, 7, 13, 3t $117.13 PUBLIC NOTICE --UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT EASTERN DISTRICT OF LOUISIANA IN THE MATTER OF IN‐ GRAM BARGE COMPANY LLC, AS OWNER OF THE BARGE IN176102 AND ITS MACHINERY, GEAR, TACKLE, APPAREL AND ALL OTHER APPURTE‐ NANCES, PETITIONING FOR EXONERATION FROM AND/OR LIMITATION OF LIABILITY CASE NO. 25-730 SECTION: L (5) JUDGE: Eldon E. Fallon MAGISTRATE: Michael North NOTICE OF COMPLAINT FOR EXONERATION FROM AND/OR LIMITATION OF LIABILITY NOTICE is hereby given that Ingram Barge Com‐ pany LLC, as owner of the barge IN176102, has filed a Complaint pur‐ suant to 46 U.S.C. §§ 30501 et seq., claiming the right to exoneration from and/or limitation of liability for any loss, damage, injury, or de‐ struction caused by or resulting from an Octo‐ ber 15, 2024, incident wherein Mr. Gage Garcia purportedly fell over‐ board while the M/V HONEST BOB was in proximity to the IN‐ 176102. All persons asserting claims with respect to which the Verified Com‐ plaint seeks exoneration from or limitation of lia‐ bility are advised and ad‐ monished to file their re‐ spective claims with the Clerk of the Court for the United States District Court, Eastern District of Louisiana, 500 Poydras Street, New Orleans, LA 70130, and to serve on h f i i

Tax collector: East Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff 222 St. Louis Street, 2ND Floor Baton Rouge, Louisiana 70802 (225) 389-4810 139469 May 7, 14, 2t $82.38

PUBLIC NOTICE --Recquisition 11297661 NOTICE OF SALE OF ADJUDICATED PROPERTY Lucious Simmons THIS NOTICE BY PUBLICA‐ TION IS NOTIFICATION THAT YOUR RIGHTS OR INTEREST IN THE FOL‐ LOWING DESCRIBED PROPERTY LOCATED IN EAST BATON ROUGE PARISH, LOUISIANA MAY BE TERMINATED BY OP‐ ERATION OF LAW IF YOU DO NOT TAKE FURTHER ACTION IN ACCORDANCE WITH LAW: Lot E Square 261 Swart Improvements thereon believed to bear on Mu‐ nicipal No. () Napoleon Street. By virtue of the provi‐ sions of Louisiana Re‐ vised Statute 47:2201 et seq. and Metropolitan Council Ordinance num‐ ber 19507, the Parish of h

139321-488429-MAY 5-7-3T $ 218.31

Date: Apr 24 2025 Carol L. Michel Name of clerk of court L. Guillot Deputy clerk's signature 138670-apr 30-may 7-1421-4t $1,037.28

Public Notices Nat Res Coastal

PUBLIC NOTICE --NOTICE the La. Dept. of Energy and Natural Re‐ sources, Office of Coastal Management (OCM) has received the following application(s) for a Coastal Use Permit (CUP) in accordance with the State and Local Coastal Resources Man‐ agement Act of 1978, as amended, (La. R.S. 49:214.21-214.41), and the rules and regulations of the Coastal Resources Program. Applications for the proposed work may be inspected at 617 North 3rd Street, Room 1078, Baton Rouge, LA or on the OCM web page at: http://dnr.louisiana.gov/ index.cfm?md=pagebui lder&tmp=home& pid=591. Copies may be obtained upon payment of cost of copying. Writ‐ ten comments, including suggestions for modifi‐ cations or objections to the proposed work and stating the reasons thereof, are being so‐ licited from the public. Comments must be re‐ ceived within 25 days of the date of publication of this notice. Comments should be uploaded to our electronic record, but may be mailed or emailed to the desig‐ nated OCM Reviewer. All comments must contain the appropriate applica‐ tion number and the commenter's full name and contact information. Any person may request, in writing, within the comment period speci‐ fied in this notice, that a State or Federal public hearing be held to con‐ sider this application. Re‐ quests for public hear‐ ings shall state, with par‐ ticularity, the reasons for holding a public hearing and must contain the name and contact infor‐ mation of the requester. Below are the referenced application(s): *********OCM; P. O. Box 44487, Baton Rouge, LA 70804-4487; Phone: (225) 342-4766; Email: bryan. alleman2@la.gov; OCM Reviewer: Bryan Alle‐ CUP NUMBER: man; P20250257 Name: Consolidated Gravity Drainage District 1 of West Calcasieu c/o Southland Environmen‐ tal, LLC 510 Clarence Street Lake Charles, LA 70601 Attn: Jared King Lo‐ cation: Calcasieu Parish, LA; Lat.: 30-3-49.12N, Long.: 93-31-3.72W; Sec‐ tion 32 T11S R11W; East of Gum Cove Road Sul‐ phur, Description: Pro‐ posal to add an addi‐ tional 48" culvert adja‐ cent to existing culverts within existing lateral east of Gum Cove Road. The aggregate on the ac‐ cess road will be re‐ moved and stockpiled and existing spoil on-site used as fill then covered by stockpiled aggregate; 35 cy in total. 139974-may 7-1t $28.92

Public Notices Successios

LEGAL NOTICE NOTICE IS GIVEN that Jewell Alva Simon, Ad‐ ministrator of the Suc‐ cession of Leroy Simon, Probate No. 115,458, Div. 21, 19th JDC, East Baton Rouge Parish, Louisiana is applying for authority to sell at private sale, the decedent’s immovable property located in East Baton Rouge Parish and bearing mu‐ nicipal address of 12649 Mollylea Drive, Baton Rouge, Louisiana 70815 for no less the sum of ONE HUNDRED EIGHTYFIVE THOUSAND AND 00/ ($185,000.00) DOLLARS, less seller’s costs at closing. Any opposition to the application must be ﬁled within seven (7) days from the date of the last publication. Addi‐ tional details are con‐ tained in ﬁlings available at the Clerk of Court for East Baton Rouge Parish. 139810 May 7, 27, 2t $46.68

NEWS 24/7 ON

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Our Place, Your Pace.

Bigand Visits

Bigger Impact

9M Visitors

$1.7B

Total Visitor Spend

38,500

Jobs Supported By Tourism

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Letter From Our President & CEO

ourism continued to be a steady driver of Baton Rouge’s economy in 2024, highlighted by the launch of a brand-new annual holiday lights event and a steady stream of more than 300 conventions, meetings and sporting events throughout the year.

Louisiana Lights, our new month-long, elevated holiday event at Burden Museum & Gardens, attracted almost 40,000 guests from all over the country and received high acclaim online. With new light vignettes added each year, VBR plans to build on this momentum to drive end-of-year leisure visitor traffic. Through increased PR efforts and targeted advertising, we’re encouraging drive-market visitors to choose Baton Rouge for a multi-day, familyfriendly holiday trip. Our sales team and industry partners stayed busy in 2024 hosting a long list of groups including the Mississippi River Cities & Towns Initiative, the Southeast Museums Conference and the Alliance of Area Business Publishers. Sports visitation continued to be a major opportunity for our market, with events that ranged from youth baseball tournaments to the U.S. Police Canine Association 2024 National Trials. Another sports-related highlight for Baton Rouge was hosting the Savannah Bananas’ first ever game in a major collegiate stadium. Through a partnership with LSU, we hosted the popular comedic baseball team for three sold-out nights in Alex Box. For these events and more, we welcomed 9 million visitors to the Capital City in 2024 and supported more than 38,000 local jobs. The impact of tourism in our city is continuing to grow, but we must prioritize major development throughout our community to continue to achieve this impact. VBR is working with the Mayor-President, all five of our municipalities and key partners on the expansion and new development of convention facilities and sports/event venues. Already in 2025, we are hosting 58,000 bowlers, refining our local story, highlighting the everyday richness of our community and raising up local ambassadors to build community pride and create visitor connections. Our team remains dedicated to inviting leisure and business travelers to discover our place at their own pace.

Jill Kidder President & CEO Visit Baton Rouge

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2024 Key Events & Meeting Highlights Louisiana Lights

Louisiana Marathon

VBR partnered with Burden Museum & Gardens to launch Louisiana Lights, a month-long walkable holiday lighting event with 10 unique displays. The event drew 39,263 guests, including visitors from six countries, 45 states and all 64 Louisiana parishes.

Runners from 47 states and 10 countries traveled to Baton Rouge for the annual Louisiana Marathon in Baton Rouge. The race generates between $2 million and $4 million in economic impact each year, with nearly every hotel in downtown Baton Rouge selling out.

Savannah Bananas

Southeastern Museums Conference

VBR partnered with LSU to host the Savannah Bananas as they brough their unique blend of baseball and entertainment to Alex Box Stadium. The three-night event brought in $1.2 Million in economic impact with 142,000 people entering the ticket rafﬂe.

In October, the Southeastern Museums Conference (SEMC), the major regional networking organization for museums and their staff in the southeastern states, held its 2024 Annual Meeting in Baton Rouge. The conference was held at the Hilton Baton Rouge Capitol Center, hosted 400+ attendees and drew a $329K economic impact to the city.

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Hospitality Matters Visit Baton Rouge is the official Destination Marketing Organization for East Baton Rouge Parish and is funded by a portion of the hotel occupancy tax collected from visitors’ hotel room bookings - not locals. It’s a minimal cost to our visitors that has a far-reaching impact on bettering our community. Visitors to the Capital City reduce the cost of household taxes by $1K each year. There were also 38,500 Jobs supported by tourism in 2024. To support hospitality professionals, local business owners or just proud residents, Visit Baton Rouge created a FREE hospitality training tool to help answer the question, “What is there to do in Baton Rouge?” The Capital City Champions Academy is an online course that can be completed in less than 30 minutes. To complete the course and earn your Capital City Champions lapel pin visit champions.visitbatonrouge.com.

Sightseeing & Storytelling Baton Rouge locals are the ultimate tour guides and your excitement about our unique attractions, restaurants and retail is contagious. Visitors want to share our secrets too, with the charm of the city turning them into storytellers. Whether it’s your favorite local hidden gems or a long-time city staple – we invite you to share with your friends and family. Our Place, Your Pace.

To Find Your Pace, go to VisitBatonRouge.com