The Times-Picayune 08-24-2025

“In10years,you’renot goingto recognizeRichlandParish.”

AI BOOMTOWN

Themassive Meta data center emerging in northeastLouisiana is igniting agold rush of opportunity. It’s also changing arural wayoflife.

BY STEPHANIE RIEGEL Staff writer

RICHLAND PARISH The SMart

in Bee Bayou has always done abrisk business.

It’sthe only convenience store for miles amid the corn and soybean fields that line the old two-lane La. 80 in rural northeast Louisiana, and the only placetoget heaping to-go plates of friedchicken gizzards with mac andcheese

But everything suddenly changed this year —ever since Facebook parentcompany Meta broke ground on a$10 billion artificial intelligence data center in themiddle of acornfield in nearby Holly Ridge. Now thestore is slammed. Construction workers in neon safetyvests streaminnonstop for food, ice, cigarettes and gas. Saleshavemore than tripled. Store manager Ann Watson, 70,aBee Bayounative,

can’thireenoughworkersto staff the store’sshifts.

“We’re so busy we don’tget abreak,”Watsonsaid as she boxed personal pizzas fresh out of the oven and stacked them in awarming case. “They start lining up before 6a.m.”

Theboom isn’tconfinedto the SMart. Across Richland Parish, where the Meta site is located, land speculators are buying up property,paying 20 or 30 times more than they would have ayear ago.

Recreational vehicle parks and “man camps” are sprouting up in small towns nearby to accommodate the5,000

See BOOMTOWN, page 12A

Many displacedby Katrinahavecreated

BY JOHN SIMERMAN Staff writer

Cash Smith was thin on prospects and stranded insidethe Astrodomewhen avoice wafted over the PA system, about an offer: Free seats on aflight to Denver,aplace tolive when you get there, help landing a job.

Panelworks deal forsupplying HyundaiSteel plant

BY ANTHONY MCAULEY Staff writer

The $5.8 billionHyundai Steel plant that’sset to rise in Ascension Parish is akey projectfor Gov. JeffLandry’sadministration. And to make it work,Hyundaiand state officials have long knownthey would need anew port facility to bring raw materials in and send finished goods out to the Korean automaker’sassembly plants. The answer to that logistics problemcame last month, when the PortofSouth Louisiana was tapped to build and operate a new$25.5 million deepwater dock. The project, however,isonland controlledby the Port of Baton Rouge, which in years past mayhave raised thorny questions of controland ov er si ght that could’ve turnedinto a political brawl. But under thenewly establishedLouisiana Ports and Waterways Investment Commission, which has been tasked with directing public funds to important economic development projects, the ports hashed out an agreement.

“What made thedeal between Port of South Louisiana and Baton Rougethat much easier to accomplish is that the ports have been meeting regularly since late 2023.”

JOE TOOMy, Louisiana Ports and Waterways Investment Commission

“What madethe deal between Port of South Louisiana and Baton Rouge that much easier to accomplish is thatthe portshavebeen meeting regularly since late 2023,” said Joe Toomy,the shipping industry executive and former chair of thePort of NewOrleans whohas

ä See PORT, page 10A

“TheywantedthatdownSouth atmosphere back,” said Smith, whowould soon follow his family to Houston in 2010. Smithwas among thelast to remaininDenver from dozens of HurricaneKatrina evacuees who had accepted the samein-

“You’reyoung,you can start over,you’ll be strong,” his grandmother prodded. Smith, then 24, boarded aplanewith his two kids and other Hurricane Katrina evacuees, bound for the Rockies on apromise. The support was real. His pregnant wife, diverted by bus to Dallas,would soon join them. Aself-described “menace to society” back in New Orleans, Smith got ajob at aColorado universityand earned his GED. Family came, moving onto the same Denver street But the marriage soon frayed, he said. Relativesdecamped forTexas,including his wife andkids. In Colorado, something wasmissing.

vitation forafresh start. All of them ultimatelyleft, theColorado organizers said, usually for warmer climes in Louisiana or nearby metro areas, a pattern familiartothose who have studied adiaspora that scattered some 450,000 New

ä See DISPLACED, page 8A

BRIEFS FROM WIRE REPORTS

Lyle Menendez denied parole, same as brother LOS ANGELES Lyle Menendez was denied parole Friday by the same board that a day earlier rejected his brother Erik’s appeal for freedom after serving decades in prison for killing their parents at their Beverly Hills mansion. The reason was the same: misbehavior behind bars.

A panel of two commissioners denied Lyle Menendez parole for three years after a daylong hearing. Commissioners noted the older brother still displayed “anti-social personality traits like deception, minimization and rule-breaking that lie beneath that positive surface.”

The brothers were sentenced to life in prison in 1996 for fatally shooting their father, Jose Menendez and mother Kitty Menendez, in their Beverly Hills mansion almost exactly 36 years ago on Aug. 20, 1989. While defense attorneys argued that the brothers acted out of selfdefense after years of sexual abuse by their father, prosecutors said the brothers sought a multimillion-dollar inheritance.

A judge reduced their sentences in May, and they became immediately eligible for parole. The parole hearings marked the closest they have come to winning freedom since their convictions almost 30 years ago.

Erik Menendez, who is being held at the same prison in San Diego, was denied parole Thursday after commissioners determined his misbehavior in prison made him still a risk to public safety

A day later, Lyle Menendez told the parole board details about the abuse he suffered under his parents. He cried, face reddened, while delivering his closing statement. He seemed to still want to protect his “baby brother,” telling commissioners he took sole responsibility for the murders.

“I will never be able to make up for the harm and grief I caused everyone in my family,” he said. “I will be forever sorry.”

Truck driver accused in fatal crash denied bail

FORT PIERCE,Fla.— A truck driver accused of making an illegal Uturn that killed three people in Florida last week was denied bail Saturday.

The crash sparked a clash between the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and California Democratic Gov Gavin Newsom over Harjinder Singh, a native of India, obtaining a work permit and driver’s license in the state. The Trump administration says Singh was in the U.S. illegally Singh was charged with three state counts of vehicular homicide and immigration violations, and he was denied bail on all charges. He is being held in the St. Lucie County Jail, Lt. Andrew Bolonka from the St. Lucie County Sheriff’s Office said. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement has put a hold on him. California is one of 19 states, in addition to the District of Columbia, that issues licenses regardless of immigration status. Newsom’s press office responded on X that Singh obtained a work permit while Donald Trump was president, which Homeland Security spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin disputed. Florida authorities said Singh entered the U.S. illegally from Mexico in 2018. Singh made the illegal turn on the highway about 50 miles north of West Palm Beach, according to the Florida Highway Patrol. A minivan in the neighboring lane was unable to avoid the truck’s trailer and slammed into it, killing the minivan’s driver and two passengers 21 taken to hospitals after bus crash in Pa

ECONOMY BOROUGH, Pa. A bus carrying a junior high football team to a game crashed Saturday north of Pittsburgh, sending 21 of the 28 people on board to the hospital, officials said Twenty-five Aliquippa Junior High students and three adults were headed to a game in nearby Gibsonia. The crash occurred in Economy Borough, about 20 miles north of Pittsburgh. A Facebook page for the football team said each player was being evaluated.

U.S. seeks to deport Abrego Garcia

Immigration officials say they intend to send him to Uganda

BY TRAVIS LOLLER Associated Press

NASHVILLE, Tenn.

— Immigration officials said they intend to deport Kilmar Abrego Garcia to Uganda after he declined an offer to be sent to Costa Rica in exchange for remaining in jail and pleading guilty to human smuggling charges, his defense attorneys told a court Saturday

The Costa Rica offer came late Thursday and included a requirement that he remain in jail for the time being and then serve whatever sentence he would receive for pleading guilty, according to a brief filed in Tennessee, where the criminal case was brought

After Abrego Garcia left jail on Friday Immigration and Customs Enforcement notified his attorneys that he would be deported to Uganda and should report to immigration authorities on Monday

Later on Friday, “the government informed Mr Abrego that he has until first thing Monday morning precisely when he must report to ICE’s Baltimore Field Office to accept a plea in exchange for deportation to Costa Rica, or else that offer will be off the table forever,” his defense attorneys wrote. They declined to say whether he is still considering the offer Filed along with the brief was a letter from the Costa Rican government stating that Abrego Garcia would be welcomed to that country as a legal immigrant and wouldn’t face the possibility of detention.

Justice Department spokesperson Chad Gilmartin responded to the brief with a statement saying, “A federal grand jury has charged Abrego Garcia with serious federal crimes underscoring the clear danger this defendant presents to

the community. This defendant can plead guilty and accept responsibility or stand trial before a jury Either way we will hold Abrego Garcia accountable and protect the American people.” Abrego Garcia’s case became a flash point in President Donald Trump’s immigration agenda after he was mistakenly deported to El Salvador in March, despite a judge’s earlier determination that he faced a “well-founded fear” of violence there. Facing a court order, the Trump administration brought him back to the U.S. in June, only to detain him on human smuggling charges.

He pleaded not guilty and asked the judge to dismiss the case, claiming that it is an attempt to punish him for challenging his deportation to El Salvador The Saturday filing came as a supplement to that motion to dismiss, stating that the threat to deport him to Uganda

Abbott says he’ll swiftly sign redistricting plan

BY JIM VERTUNO, JOEY CAPPELLETTI and HALLIE GOLDEN Associated Press

AUSTIN,Texas Texas Gov Greg Abbott on Saturday promised to quickly sign off on a Republican-leaning congressional voting map gerrymandered to help the GOP maintain its slim majority in Congress.

“One Big Beautiful Map has passed the Senate and is on its way to my desk, where it will be swiftly signed into law,” Abbott said in a statement.

Texas lawmakers approved the final plans just hours before, inflaming an already tense battle unfolding among states as governors from both parties pledge to redraw maps with the goal of giving their political candidates a leg up in the 2026 midterm elections

In California, Democratic Gov Gavin Newsom has approved a special election to take place in November for residents to vote on a redrawn congressional map designed to help Democrats win five more House seats next year

Meanwhile, President Donald Trump has pushed other Republican-controlled states to also revise their maps to add more winnable GOP seats.

In Texas, the map includes five new districts that would favor Republicans.

The effort by Trump and Texas’ Republican-majority Legislature prompted state Democrats to hold a two-week walkout and kicked off a wave of redis-

tricting efforts across the country

Democrats had prepared for a final show of resistance, with plans to push the Senate vote into the early morning hours in a last-ditch attempt to delay passage. Yet Republicans blocked those efforts by citing a rule violation.

“What we have seen in this redistricting process has been maneuvers and mechanisms to shut down people’s voices,” said state Sen. Carol Alvarado, leader of the Senate Democratic caucus, on social media after the new map was finalized by the GOP-controlled Senate.

Democrats had already delayed the bill’s passage during hours of debate, pressing Republican Sen. Phil King, the measure’s sponsor, on the proposal’s legality, with many alleging that the redrawn districts violate the Voting Rights Act by diluting voters’ influence based on race.

King vehemently denied that accusation, saying, “I had two goals in mind: That all maps would be legal and would be better for Republican congressional candidates in Texas.”

The Texas redraw is already reshaping the 2026 race, with Democratic Rep. Lloyd Doggett, the dean of the state’s congressional delegation, announcing Thursday that he will not seek reelection to his Austin-based seat if the new map takes effect. Under the proposed map, Doggett’s district would overlap with that of another Democratic incumbent, Rep. Greg Casar

U.S. releases records on Emmett Till

BY GRAHAM LEE BREWER Associated Press

Just days ahead of the 70th anniversary of his killing, the federal government made public thousands of pages of records Friday on the lynching of Emmett Till.

The records in the National Archives, released by the Civil Rights Cold Case Records Review Board, detail how the Justice Department, the FBI, and the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights responded to the 1955 killing of 14-year-old Till. The records were released in accordance with the Civil Rights Cold Case Records Collection Act of 2018.

“Our thoughts are with the Till family,” the National Archives and Records Administration said in a news release.

The Chicago teenager was falsely accused of whistling at a white woman at a grocery store in rural Mississippi.

Four days later, Till was abducted from a great-uncle’s home in the predawn hours by Roy Bryant and John William “J. W.” Milam. The white men tortured and killed Till in a barn in a neighboring county, and his body was later found in the Tallahatchie River Bryant and Milam were charged with murder in Till’s death but were acquitted by an all-white-male jury Bryant and Milam later confessed to a reporter that they kidnapped and killed Till.

His killing galvanized the Civil Rights Movement after Till’s mother, Mamie Till-Mobley, insisted on an open casket so that the country could see the brutality.

Many of the records have never been seen by the public. They can be viewed in the Civil Rights Cold Case Records Collection on the National Archives and Records Administration website.

A member of the Till family did not immediately return a request for comment.

is more proof that the prosecution is vindictive.

“Despite having requested and received assurances from the government of Costa Rica that Mr Abrego would be accepted there, within minutes of his release from pretrial custody, an ICE representative informed Mr Abrego’s counsel that the government intended to deport Mr Abrego to Uganda,” his attorneys wrote in their filing.

The smuggling charges stem from a 2022 traffic stop in Tennessee for speeding. There were nine passengers in the car, and officers discussed among themselves their suspicions of smuggling. However, Abrego Garcia was allowed to continue driving with only a warning.

Abrego Garcia has an American wife and children and has lived in Maryland for years. Although he was deemed eligible for pretrial release last month, he remained in jail at the request of his attorneys, who feared the Republican administration could try to immediately deport him again if he were freed.

BY DEMETRIS NELLAS and MAE ANDERSON Associated Press

ATHENS,Greece The end of an exemption on tariff duties for low-value packages coming into the United States is causing multiple international postal services to pause shipping as they await more clarity on the rule. The exemption, known as the “de minimis” exemption, allows packages worth less than $800 to come into the U.S. duty free. A total of 1.36 billion packages were sent in 2024 under this exemption, for goods worth $64.6 billion, according to data from the U.S. Customs and Border Patrol Agency It expired Friday On Saturday postal services around Europe announced that they were suspending the shipment of many packages to the United States amid confusion over new import duties.

Postal services in Germany, Denmark, Sweden and Italy said they will stop shipping most merchandise to the U.S. effective immediately France and Austria will follow on Monday

The U.K.’s Royal Mail said it would halt shipments to the U.S. on Tuesday to allow time for those packages to arrive before duties kick in. Items originating in the United Kingdom worth over $100 — including gifts to friends and family — will incur a 10% duty, it said.

“Key questions remain unresolved, particularly regarding how and by whom customs duties will be collected in the future, what additional data will be required, and how the data transmission to the U.S. Customs and Border Protection will be carried out,” DHL, the largest shipping provider in Europe, said in a statement. The company said starting Saturday it “will no longer be able to accept and transport parcels and postal items containing goods from business customers destined for the US.” A trade framework agreed on by the U.S. and the European Union last month set a 15% tariff on the vast majority of products shipped from the EU. Packages under $800 will now also be subject to the tariff.

Gaza City becomes focus of famine, Israeli offensive

BY MARIAM DAGGA and SAMY MAGDY Associated Press

KHAN YOUNIS, Gaza Strip Is-

raeli strikes and gunfire

killed at least 33 Palestinians in Gaza on Saturday, including people sheltering in tents or seeking scarce food, local hospitals said as a famine in Gaza’s largest city puts new pressure on Israel over its 22-month offensive.

Israel’s defense minister has warned that Gaza City could be destroyed in a new military operation perhaps just days away even as famine spreads there

Aid groups have long warned that the war, sparked by Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, attack, and months of Israeli restrictions on food and medical supplies entering Gaza are causing starvation.

Israel has rejected the data-based famine declaration as “an outright lie.”

Ceasefire efforts are on hold as mediators await Israel’s next steps.

Israeli strikes killed at

gunfire killed at least five aid-seekers near the Zikim crossing with Israel, where U.N. and other truck convoys enter the territory, health officials at Sheikh Radwan field hospital told the AP

The Palestinian Journalists Syndicate said cameraman Khaled al-Madhoun was killed while covering events at the Zikim crossing, and asserted that he was targeted by Israeli troops. The local Palestine TV confirmed his death.

Eleven people were killed in attacks elsewhere, according to hospitals and the Palestinian Red Crescent.

Israel’s military said it was not aware of a strike in Khan Younis at that location and was looking into the other incidents.

AP journalists have seen chaos on roads leading to aid deliveries, and there have been almost daily reports of

Israeli troops firing toward aid-seekers. Israel’s military says it fires warning shots if people approach troops or pose a threat.

Mohamed Saada was among thousands seeking food in the Zikim area — and one of many who left empty-handed. He cited the “huge numbers of people,” the shootings and “trucks running over people.”

Some carried sacks of food like lentils and flour Others carried the wounded, including on a wooden pallet. They navigated fetid puddles and the rubble of war as temperatures reached above 92 degrees.

Friday’s famine report by the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification said nearly half a million people — about one-fourth of Gaza’s population face catastrophic hunger

The rare pronouncement came after Israel imposed

a 2½-month blockade on Gaza earlier this year, then resumed some access with a focus on a new U.S.-backed private aid supplier, the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office asserts it has allowed enough aid to enter during the war, while accusing Hamas of starving the hostages it holds. Many Israelis fear the assault on Gaza City could doom the 20 hostages who are believed to have survived since 2023. Another 30 are thought to be dead. Hundreds of thousands of Israelis protested a week ago for a deal to end the fighting and bring everyone home. Hamas has said it will release hostages in exchange for ending the war but rejects disarming without the creation of a Palestinian state.

least 17 people in southern Gaza, more than half of them women and children, according to morgue records and health officials at

Nasser Hospital. The officials said the strikes targeted tents sheltering displaced people in Khan Younis. In northern Gaza, Israeli

Tropical Storm Fernand forms

BY RICHARD TRIBOU

Sentinel (TNS)

ORLANDO, Fla. — Tropical Storm Fernand formed Saturday afternoon in the central Atlantic but was expected to remain over the open ocean. It was the sixth named storm of the season

According to NHC’s 4 p.m advisory, Fernand was about 405 miles south-southeast of Bermuda with maximum sustained winds of 40 mph and higher gusts with northward movement at 15 mph.

Tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 105 miles from the center

“A north-northeastward motion at a gradually increasing forward speed is anticipated during the next couple of days, followed by a

turn to the northeast,” forecasters said. “On the forecast track, Fernand should move well east of Bermuda and across the open waters of the subtropical North Atlantic.”

The forecast said some strengthening is expected during the next 48 hours and Fernand could be near hurricane strength Monday Weakening is expected to begin Tuesday

The other system tracked by the NHC was a tropical wave with disorganized showers and thunderstorms about 650 miles east of the Caribbean’s Windward Islands.

“Some development of this system could occur during the next few days while the system moves quickly westward at about 20 to 25 mph,”

forecasters said.

The NHC gave it a 20% chance to develop in the next two to seven days.

What had been the season’s first hurricane, Hurricane Erin, which had grown into a Category 5 storm with 160 mph winds last week, turned extratropical on Friday without making landfall, although it was blamed for nine deaths in the Cape Verde Islands. As of Saturday it no longer showed Erin on its outlook map. It plowed across the Atlantic and turned to the north while dumping rain on the Leeward Islands, Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, the Turks & Caicos, Bahamas and Outer Banks of North Carolina as it skirted the U.S. East Coast.

Trumpmakinggoodonpromise of revenge

He vowedtouse poweragainst thosehebelieved wrongedhim

BY NICHOLAS RICCARDI Associated Press

Donald Trumpran on a promise to use the powers of the government for revenge against those he believed wronged him. He now appears to be fulfilling that campaign promise while threatening to expand his powers well beyond Washington.

On Friday,the FBI searched the home of John Bolton, Trump’sfirst-term national security adviserturned-critic, who recently in an interview called the administration“theretribution presidency.”

Trump’steam has opened investigations of Democrat Letitia James, the New York attorney general who sued Trump’scompany over alleged fraud for falsifying records, and Sen. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., who as a congressmanled Trump’s first impeachment.

The Republicanadministration has charged Rep. LaMonica McIver,D-N.J., over her actions at an immigration protest in Newark, New Jersey,after arresting Mayor Ras Baraka, also a Democrat. Under investigation,too,isformerNew York Gov.Andrew Cuomo, a candidate for New York City mayor Trump has directed prosecutors to investigate two other members of his first administration: Miles Taylor,who wrote abook warning of what he said were Trump’sauthoritarian tendencies, and Chris Krebs, who earned the president’s wrath forassuring voters that the 2020 election, which Trump lost to Democrat Joe Biden, was secure.

Theactions looklike the payback Trump saidhe would pursue after being hit with four separate sets of criminal charges during his four years out of office. Those included an

MARTIN

President DonaldTrump speaksFriday in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington.

indictment for his effortto overturn the2020election that was gutted by the U.S. Supreme Court, which said presidents have broadimmunity from prosecution for official acts while in office.

“Joe Bidenweaponizedhis administrationtotargetpolitical opponents —most famously,PresidentTrump,” Abigail Jackson,aWhite House spokeswoman, said Saturday.Trump, she said, “is restoring law andorder.”

In addition to making good on hispromises of retribution, Trump hasdeployed the militaryinto American cities tofight crime or help with immigration arrests. He hassentthousandsof National Guard troops and federal law enforcementofficers to patrol the streetsin thenation’s capital, after activating theGuard andMarines in LosAngeles earlier this year.

Taken together, theactions have alarmed Democrats and others who fear Trump is wielding the authority of his office to intimidatehis political opponentsand consolidate power in away that is unprecedented in American history

Election investigations

Trump began hissecond term by pardoning more than 1,500 people who were convicted of crimes during the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol. His Justice Department,meanwhile,has fired some federal prosecutors who had pursued those cases. AttorneyGeneralPam Bondi ordered agrand jury to lookinto the originsof the investigation of his 2016

campaign’stieswithRussia, andTrump hascalledonher departmenttoinvestigate former Democratic President Barack Obama.

The government’s watchdog agency has opened an investigation into Jack Smith, the special prosecutor who investigated Trump’sefforts to overturn the 2020 election resultsand theclassified documents stashed at his Florida estate. Those cases wereamong several that doggedTrump in the years between his presidential terms,including the New York fraud case and charges for election interference in Georgia brought by the Democratic prosecutor in Fulton County All those investigations led him to claim that Democrats had weaponized the government againsthim.

“Itisamazing to me the number of people theTrump administrationhas gone after,all of whom are identified by the factthattheyinvestigated or criticized Trump in oneway or another,”said StephenSaltzburg, aformer JusticeDepartment official who is aGeorge Washington Universitylaw professor

On Friday,Trump used governmental powers in other ways to further his goals.

Trump has been unsuccessfully trying to wrest control of theindependent Federal Reserve.After his housing director alleged that one of the central bank’s governors had committed mortgagefraud, Trump demanded she resign or be fired. He also announced

JudgeblocksTrump from cutting funding over ‘sanctuary’policies

BY SUDHIN THANAWALA Associated Press

Ajudge ruled late Friday the Trump administration cannot deny funding to Boston, Chicago, Denver,Los Angeles and30other citiesand counties because of policies that limit cooperation withfederalimmigration efforts.

U.S. District Judge William Orrick in San Francisco extended apreliminary injunction blocking the administration from cutting off or conditioning theuse of federal funds for so-called “sanctuary” jurisdictions. His earlier order protectedmore than adozen other cities and counties, including San Francisco, Portland andSeattle

An email to the White House late Friday was not immediately returned

In his ruling, Orrick said theadministration had offered no opposition to an extended injunctionexcept to saythe first injunction waswrong. It hasappealedthe first order Orrick also blocked the administration from imposing immigration-relatedconditions on two particular grantprograms.

The Trump administration has ratcheted up pressure on sanctuarycommunities as it seeks to make good on President Donald Trump’scampaign promise to remove mil

jurisdictions.Another order directsevery federal agency to ensurethatpayments to state andlocal governments do not “abet socalled ‘sanctuary’policies that seek to shield illegal aliens from deportation.”

The cities and counties that sued said billions of dollars were at risk.

Orrick, whowas nominatedbyPresident Barack Obama, saidthe executive orders and the“executive actions that have parroted them” were an unconstitutional “coercivethreat.”

In May,the Department of Homeland Security published alist of morethan500 “sanctuary jurisdictions,” sayingeach one would receive formal notification that the government haddeemedthemnoncompliant. It also said it would inform them if they were believed to be in violation of any federal criminal statutes.

The list was later removed from the department’s website after critics noted it included localities that have actively supported theadministration’stough immigration policies.

TheJustice Department has also sued New York, Los Angeles andother cities over their sanctuary policies.

There is no strict definitionfor sanctuary cities, but theterms generally describe placesthatlimit cooperation with Immigra

that Chicagocould be the next citysubject tomilitary deployments.

Bolton search

Vice President JD Vance denied that Bolton was being targeted because of his criticism of Trump. “Ifthere’s no crimehere, we’re not going to prosecute it,” Vancetold NBC’s“Meet the Press” on Friday

Trump said he told his staff not to inform him about the Bolton search ahead of time, but he stressed that he has authority over allprosecutions.

“I could know about it.I could be theone starting it,” thepresident told reporters. “I’mactually the chief law enforcement officer.”

Boltonoccupies aspecial placeinthe ranksofTrump critics. The longtime GOP foreign policy hawk wrote abook publishedin2020, after Trump had fired him the year before. The first Trump administration sued to block the book’srelease andopeneda grand jury investigation,both of which were haltedbythe Biden administration.

Bolton landed on alistof60 former officials drawn up by now-FBI DirectorKashPatel that he portrayed as atally of the “Executive Branch Deep State.” Critics warned it was an “enemies list.” When Trump returned to officein January,his administration revoked the security detail that had been assignedto Bolton,who faced Iranian assassination threats.

The FBI is now investigating Bolton forpotentially mishandling classified information, according to aperson familiarwiththe matter who was notauthorized to discuss theinvestigation publicly.Incontrast, Trump condemned the FBI’ssearch of his own Mar-a-Lago resort in 2022.

Retributioniswide-ranging

Trump has also targeted institutions that have defied him

Thepresident issued orders barring several law

firms that were involved in litigation against himorhis allies, or had hired his opponents, from doing business with the federal government. Trumpcut deals with several other firms to do free legal work rather than face penalties. He has targeted universitiesfor fundingcutsiftheydonot follow his administration’s directives. Hisadministrationfiled ajudicialmisconductcomplaint against ajudge who ruled that Trumpofficials likely committed criminal contempt by ignoring his directive to turn around planes carrying people being sent to anotorious prison in El Salvador The actionsare among steps that seem to be intensifying. Trump’sdefense secretary,Pete Hegseth,has fired several military leaders perceived to be critics of the president or not sufficiently loyal, and earlier this week theadministration revoked the security clearances of about three dozen current and former national security officials.

“It’swhathepromised,” said Justin Levitt, aformer Justice Departmentofficial and Biden White House staffer whoisalaw professor at Loyola Marymount University.“It’swhat bullies do when no one tells them ‘No.’”

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Ihavesuffered with numbness in my legs for5monthsbefore goingtoLeBlanc SpineCenter. Afterthe first initial consultation, Istarted Spinal Decompression treatmentsand within 3months, Ihad ahuge differencein mobility,reduced pain,and the numbness wassubsiding. Ihave improvedabout 80%fromthe treatments. Isleep better,walk withoutpain, anddue to cervical decompression,mymigraines arealmostnon-existent. Dr.Scott listened to my symptoms and begantotreat therootofmy problems.

Thedoctors andstaff are compassionateand very caring It feelslikeafamily andtheir patient’swellbeing really matters to them.I100%recommend LeBlancSpine Center!

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IcametoLeBlancSpine Center

becauseIhad been sufferingwith extreme back pain andleg pain forseveral weeks. Ihad triedother treatments, massage, NSAIDs and Tylenol, butIwas stillinpain. Ibegan Spinal Decompression treatments andnow Ifeel100% improved!WhatIlikemostabout my treatmentisthatitisnoninvasive anditeliminatedmypain My treatmentappointmentsare not long,and thetreatment is painfree.Since beginningtreatment at LeBlancSpine Center, Iamnow able to do allofmypreviousactivities andworkwithoutpain.I also have more range of motion.I would highlyrecommend LeBlancSpine Center!

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Forthe next 7days, we areofferingaspecial “Decompression Evaluation”offer,atnocostto you! What does this offer include? Everything we normally do in ournew patientevaluations:

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States rethinkpracticeofsetting speedlimits

BY JEFF McMURRAY Associated Press

Rose Hammond pushed authorities for years to lower the 55 mph speed limiton

atwo-lane road that passes her assisted living community,achurch, two schools anda busy parkthat hosts numerous youth sports leagues.

“What are you waiting for, somebody to get killed?” the 85-year-oldchidedofficials in northwest Ohio,complaining that nothing was being done about the motorcycles that race by almost daily

Amid growing public pressure, Sylvania Township asked county engineers in Marchtoanalyze whether Mitchaw Road’sposted speed is too high. The surprising answer: Technically it’s5mph too low

The reason dates back to studies on rural roads from the 1930s and 1940s that still play an outsized role in the way speed limits are set across the U.S. —evenin urban areas.

Born from that research was awidely accepted concept known as the 85% rule, which suggests aroad’s

level and the likelihood of conflicts, suchascollisions.

The report points out the 85% rule is based on dated researchand that “these historicroads are afar cry from thevibrant streets and arterials that typifycity streetstoday.”

capital of Madison has been changing signs acrossthe city,lowering the speed limit from 25 mphto20mph on local residential streets.

postedspeed should be tied to the 15th-fastestvehicle out of every100 traveling it in free-flowing traffic, rounded to the nearest 5 mphincrement

Butafter decades of closely following the rule, some states —with anudge from thefederal government —are seeking to modify if notreplaceitwhen setting guidelines for how local engineers should decide what speed limit to post

Theconcept assumes that aroad’ssafest speed isthe onemost vehicles travel neither too high nortoo low If drivers thinkthe speed limit shouldberaised, they cansimplysteponthe gas

and “votewith their feet,” as an old brochure from the Institute of Transportation Engineers once put it.

“The problemwith this approach is it creates this feedback loop,” said Jenny O’Connell, director of member programs for the National Association of City Transportation Officials. “People speed, and then the speed limitswill be ratcheted up to match that speed.”

The association developed an alternative to the 85% rule known as “CityLimits,” which aims to minimize the risk of injuriesfor allroad usersbysetting thespeed limit basedona formula that factors in astreet’sactivity

Amida recent spike in road deathsacross the country, the Federal Highway Administration sent asubtlebut important message to states that the85% rule isn’tactually arule at all and was carrying toomuch weight in determining local speed limits. In itsfirst update since 2009 to amanual that establishes nationalguidelinesfor traffic signs, theagency clarified that communities shouldalso consider such things as how the road is used, the risk to pedestrians, and thefrequency of crashes

Leah Shahum,who directs the Vision Zero Network, anonprofitadvocating forstreetsafety, said she wishes themanual had gone further in downplaying the 85% rule but acknowledges the change hasalready impacted the way somestates set speed limits.

“The 85th percentile should not be theHoly Grail or the Bible, and yet over and over again it is accepted as that,” Shahum said.

Under its “20isPlenty” campaign, the Wisconsin

When Seattletook asimilarstepina pilotprogram seven years ago, not only did it see anoticeable decline in serious injury crashesbut also a7%dropinthe 85th percentile speed,according to the Vision Zero Network.

Advocates for pedestriansand bicyclists saythe change helps, but is not enough.

“Westill have along way to go in California in terms of putting value on all road users,” said Kendra Ramsey, executive director of the California Bicycle Coalition.

“There’s stilla very heavy mindsetthat automobiles are the primary method of travel and they should be given priority and reverence.”

But Jay Beeber,executive director for policyatthe National Motorists Association, an advocacy organization for drivers,saidfollowing the 85% rule is usually the safest waytominimizethe variation in speed between drivers who abide by the posted limit and those who farexceed it.

“It doesn’treally matter what number you put on asign,”Beeber said. “The averagedriverdrivesthe nature of the roadway.It would be patently unfair for agovernment to build aroad to encourage people to drive 45 mph, put a30mph speed limit on it, and then ticket everyone for doing what they built the road to do.” Fears about oil prices prompted Congress in the 1970s to seta55mph national maximum speed limit, which it later relaxed to 65 mph before repealing the lawin1995 andhanding the authority to states. Since then, speed limits have kept climbing, withNorth Dakota this summerbecoming the ninth state to allow drivers to go 80 mph on some stretches of highway If elected officials in Sylvania Township, Ohio,got their way,Mitchaw Road’s posted speed limit would be cutdramatically —from 55 mph to 40 mph or lower.The county’sfinding that the 85% rule actually calls for raising it to 60 mphsurprised the town’sleaders, but not the engineers who ran the study “If we don’tmake decisions based on data, it’svery difficult to make good decisions,” Lucas County Engineer Mike Pniewski said. For now,the speedlimit will remainasitis. That’s because Ohio law sets maximumspeedsfor 15 different typesofroadways,regardless of what the 85% rule suggests.

Floridaputscities’ rainbow crosswalks in thecrosshairs

BY JEFF MARTINand JEFF MCMURRAY Associated Press

Multiple Florida cities are now facing deadlinesin the coming days after being ordered to paint overor remove so-called rainbow crosswalks, brightly colored street crossings meant to celebrate gay rights and LGBTQ pride.

In letters from the state transportation department, communities are being ordered to remove them by early next month.

“I am outraged by the StateofFlorida’sdecision to forcefully removePride crosswalks —symbols of love,support, andunity in our communities,” MiamiDade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava said Thursday

“They reflect the values we hold dear in Miami-Dade: respect,appreciationoffellowneighbors,and thefundamental right to live and love openly,” she said in a statement.

The warnings to communities across Florida come

after last week’s removal of arainbow-colored crossing marking the 2016 massacre outside the Pulse Nightclub in Orlando, where 49 people were gunned down. It was painted over in the middle of thenightbywork crews.

The issuehas been simmering since aJuly 1directive from U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, who gave U.S. governors 60 daystoidentify what he called safety improvements.

“Roads are for safety,not politicalmessages or artwork,” Duffy said in astatement at thetime.

Florida Gov.Ron DeSantis on Thursday said on X: “We will not allow our state roads to be commandeered for political purposes.”

Astatement from the Florida Department of Transportationsaidthe agency has a duty“to ensure thesafety andconsistency of public roadways and transportation systems.”

“That means ensuringour roadways are not utilized for social, political, orideological interests,”itsaid

Effortstoremove the crosswalksare “clearlyan anti-LGBTQ push on behalf of both thefederal governmentand the copycat version from the state government,” saidRand Hoch,founderof thePalm Beach County Human RightsCouncil.

“They’re basically blackmailing municipalities, counties and states by saying if you don’tdothis, we’re going to withhold funding,” Hoch said. “It’sabsolutely ridiculous.”

It is unclearwhether other states andcommunities outsideFloridaare being ordered to remove rainbow ings,b Fl ida is of

2016. The left-hand imageshows the crosswalkin2017.

will remove them by any appropriatemethod necessary without further notice.” In

aletter to Key West’scity manager, federalauthorities also threatened the “imme-

diate withholding” of state fundsifitfinds“additional violations.”

Pope affirmsright of pe return home afteranu

LeoXIV meets refugees from Chagos Islands

BY NICOLE WINFIELD Associated Press

ROME Pope Leo XIV strongly affirmed the right of people to return to their homes after an unjust exile, issuing the message during an audience Saturday with refugees from Chagos, the Indian Ocean archipelago that is home to the strategic U.S.-U.K. military base.

“No one can force them into exile,” history’sfirst American pope said.

Leo met with adelegation of about 15 refugees from Chagos, some 2,000 of whom who were evicted from their homes by Britain in the 1960s and 1970s so the United States could build a naval and bomber base on the largest of the islands, Diego Garcia.

Displaced islanders fought for years in U.K. courts for the right to go home. In May,Britain and Mauritius signed atreaty to hand sovereignty over the islands to Mauritius that allows resettlement, while stillensuring the future of the base.

Leotold the refugees he was “delighted” the treaty had been reached, saying it represented a“significant victory” in theirlong battleto “repair agrave injustice.He praised in particular the role of the Chagossian women in peacefully asserting their rights to go home.

“The renewed prospect of your return toyour native archipelago is an encour-

U.S.

aging sign and apowerful symbol on the international stage,” Leo said in French.

“All peoples, even the smallestand weakest,mustbe respected by the powerful in their identity and rights, in particular the right tolive on their land; andnoone can force them into exile.”

Leosaidhehoped that Mauritian authorities will commit to ensuringtheir return, andpledged the help of thelocal Catholic Church.

Oneofthe last remnantsof the British Empire, theChagos Islands have been underU.K. control since 1814.

Britainsplit the islands away from Mauritius, aformer British colony,in1965, three years before Mauritius gained independence.

Underthe Mayagreement, theU.K.willpay Mauritius an averageof$136 milliona year tolease back thebase foratleast99years. It establishes atrust fund to benefit the Chagossians and says “Mauritius is free to implement aprogram of resettlement” on the islands other than Diego Garcia.

However,the deal does notrequirethe residentsto be resettled, andsomedisplaced islanders fear it will be even harder toreturn to their place of birthafter Mauritiustakes control.

LouisOlivierBancoult, the headof the Chagossian delegation who has fought for more than four decades for theright to go home, saidthe meeting had come together very muchatthe last minute thanks to the bishop in Port Louis, Mauritius. Speaking to the AP at a cafe near the Vatican, he marveled that eversince

tradetalks with India move forward, minister says

BYSUDHI RANJAN SEN Bloomberg News (TNS)

The U.S. and India continue to talk despite strained relations after U.S.President Donald Trump imposed tariffs on imports from the SouthAsian nationand threatened to slap penalties for buying Russian crude, a sign that the two nations are seeking to end adeadlock.

“Negotiations are still going on” and ties are not broken, India’sExternal Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar saidinNew Delhi on Saturday Trade talks between the two countries hit aroadblock after several roundsofnegotiations overthe past few months. Trump threatened to double tariffs on Indian exports to 50%bynext week

—arate that’s far higher than regional peers —partly to punish New Delhi for its Russian oilpurchases. U.S. trade negotiators deferred

their visit to Delhi thathad been scheduled for later this month, Bloomberg News reportedearlier Jaishankar’sstatement suggests that both nations are trying to find away out of thestalemate, just days ahead of the tariffs entering into force.

“Theapplication tariffs for tradeissues is novel,”the ministersaid, adding that “wehave not seen aU.S. President who has conducted foreign policy as publicly as the current one.”

The ministerdefended Indiadecisiontobuy discounted crude from Russia adding New Delhi had no discussion on the energy purchase with the Trump administration sinceitassumed office in January TradeMinister Piyush Goyal said at thesamemediaevent on Friday thatIndia is approaching U.S. trade relationships“with avery open mind”and “a positive outlook.”

Orleans residents across all 50 states. Turns out, Katrina migration was farfrom static or linear

According to research released this week by ElizabethFussell, a BrownUniversity professor who tracked the population shifts using closely held government data, those displaced from New Orleans kept moving around while concentrating in nearby metros, staying tethered to friends, family or other connections.

Baton Rouge and Atlanta received the largest numbers of New Orleans residents earlyon. But as years passed, Houstonand other Texas cities begantaking outsized roles in the diaspora.

Smith hadbeen “nowhere out of Louisiana, period” before the storm, the eldest of six kids raised by agrandmother in the Iberville housing development,when he boardedthe flight to Denver

“I couldn’tadapt. The breathing. The altitude,” he said. “I was not prepared for that high way of living. Then Igot homesick.”

Back in Houston, he landed ajob cutting grass outside George Bush Intercontinental Airport.

Fifteen years later,Smithisa senior inspector for the city,with no plans to move back to his hometown.

“I’m settled here. Ihaveagreat job. Imake realdecentmoney,” said Smith, now 44. “I love New Orleans, but Ididn’thave theright support to actually really enjoy New Orleans.”

Thetug of home

BeforeKatrinaand thelevee failures sent the population into flight, NewOrleanswas amongthe most insular cities in theU.S.

White residents tended to return to New Orleans farearlier than Black residents, afact that studies have linkedtomoresevere housing damage at lower elevations for Blacks, and aslow and biased Road Home recovery program, among other factors.

Black residentsalsotendedto be “much morelikely to be mobile and go in and out” of theNew Orleans area afterward, Fussell said. The gap eventually narrowed, with morethan 80% of Black New Orleanians returning to live in the metroareaatsomepoint by 2019, according to the research.

But Fussell also found big differences in what happened then. Displaced Black residents were morelikely to be mobile, moreoften toggling between NewOrleans and other locales.

“One of the big lessons from Hurricane Katrina is that adisaster that destroys housing and displaces people like this creates more mobility over alifetime,” she said. “People move, not only because of the hurricane, but perhaps because the place they ended up wasn’tthe place theywantto be.”

“Anybody who’slived in NewOrleans gets it: That pull,” saidSofia CurdumiPendley,aprofessor at the Icahn School of Medicine at New York Universitywho led the study.“Idon’t think that voiceever quieted down in people who were trying to get home.

Alltold, about two-thirds of the

Predictably, thedrawofhome loomedlargefor the displaced Social ties and “place attachment” were powerful engines driving Katrina migration well after the disaster,accordingtoareport this year in Traumatology,ajournal of theAmerican Psychological Association.

people whowereliving in NewOrleans before the storm were back ayear later,said Fussell, whoanalyzed census, death and other data to track the population of those 2005 New Orleansresidents over 14 years.

Manymoved repeatedly.Others died. Race played abig role in where peopleended up and the roads they took to getthere, Fussell found

Four Southern cities vied as top destinations: Baton Rouge, Atlanta,Houston andDallas. But their ranks changed over time, Fussell found. Houston andDallashave added moreKatrina migrants since 2005, while Baton Rouge and Atlanta have shed them Fussell, aprofessor at Tulane University when Katrina struck, saida “friends andfamily effect” guided migration on trackslaid before 2005, when departing Loui-

page 9A

sianans followedarobust Texas job market.

“The connections that were already there were helping to bringevenmore people to those places,” she said.

The research also showed that Atlanta, Houston and Dallas were more attractive to BlackNew Orleanians who were displaced by Katrina than for non-Black residents, by amargin of more than two to one.

Leaningonconnections

To Beatrice Soublet, staying in Atlanta only made sense.

She’d just retired as principal of a9th Ward grade school when Katrina threatened. Her then-fiance, Lawrence Soublet, was retired from the New Orleans Sewerage &Water Board and “knew what would happen if things went the wrong way,” she said.

They left in two cars for Dallas, staying afew days.

“I woke up one morning: ‘Why am Ipaying money for ahotel here when Ihave a daughter in Atlanta?’”Soublet said.

The family connection steered them east. The couple soonfound achurch in Atlanta with suitablemusic, and aschool, HopeHill, where they could volunteer Now 81, Soublet still keeps

aroundthe 2003 Corolla that shewheeled outofthe city with an aunt and her black cat,Madagascar.Trips to New Orleans have gotten shorter, mostlytosee her childhood friend Yvonne and grab gumboand oysters at Dookie Chase’s. She choked up recently as she counted her Katrina losses: longtime friends, church at St. Peter Claver, her“sweet little house on North Roman,” breakfast on Bayou St. John SoubletstayedinAtlanta because Lawrencehad received akidney transplant and worriedabout health care inNew Orleans. He passed in 2021.

“He didn’t want to dodge abullet,” she said. “I stayed here because Larry stayed, andthen wegot married, and this was ourlife. You make yourself at home becausehome is up inside of you, youknow?”

Georgiaontheir minds

Formost, thereasonsfor stayingaway from New Orleanswere complexand varied: home, jobs, education and health factored in Children were least likely to return in the early years.

“A lot of people were much better offsomewhere else andgood for them.Itwas awful,”said Tulane demographer Mark VanLandingham. “(The storm)provided an opportunity forpeople to see what else mightbeout there.”

For Normicka Forest, the

Atlanta suburbs were an immediate safe haven.

But avisit home just weeks afterthe storm sealedher decision to stay in Georgia. Forest foundher apartment in the B.W. Cooperhousing development caked in mold. The new paint job, the Spiderman-themedbedroom, the aquarium bathroom with fish. All of it wrecked.

“It was rough. The waterline. Ididn’t want to believe it,” she said. “There wasn’ta bone in my body yesterday, now, tomorrow,thatsaidI was moving back home.”

As Katrinaapproached, Forest plannedtostay in town —“Youknow thesaying, whenever there’sa storm: The bricks aren’t going anywhere” —but instead joineda family caravan crawling east. At a crammed hotel outside Atlanta, she got word of public housing 70 miles northwest

“I went tothe receptionist at thehotel andsaid,‘Print me outamap to Rome, Georgia,’”she said. “I stayedin Rome for six years.”

Forestenrolled at Georgia Highlands College and be-

ganenlisting friends to join her, forming asmallNew Orleansoutpost.

“I really recruited alot of people. It was anice chunk of people. There were some Katrina evacuees, all from the same community Iwas from,” she said.

Somemoved home. Forest went on to take ajob in Atlantawiththe state juvenile justice agency,where she works as abudget analyst

She’sproud of the moves she’s made in Georgia, while still keeping New Orleans close. She recently launched abusiness, Nola’sPeach Kreations, aiming to market productsonthe side.

“It’s like aspin on the New Orleans Icame from,” she said. “And where Iended up.”

Feelslike home

Ahundredmiles eastof Rome, Mark Fortier has tried to keep aNew Orleans beat going in Buford, acity of 17,000 that just opened a $62 million high school football complex.

“Towantsomething different and to actually attain it,

alot of times you have to remove yourself from certain situations,” said Fortier,60, abarberand DJ from the 7th Ward.

He’d packed up apregnant wife,aset of hair clippers, his Akita,MawMaw,and enough clothes for afew days, thinking of ashort stay away

“Theywere trying to take us up (Highway) 59. Isaid, ‘Ima take thisright turn,’”

saidFortier,who had lived forastint in Atlanta. “We literally drove the shoulder of the freeway from Mississippi to Georgia.”

Fortier said he leftbehind a“checkered”criminal past in NewOrleans, then bounced between barber chairs from Buford to Atlanta before opening his own shop.

Fora while, he helped set up shows through agroup called NewOrleans Connection, and popular tailgates near theGeorgiaDomefor Saints-Falcons games.

“I created an environment of New Orleans culture to feel like home,not being at home,” Fortiersaid,though there’sless of that activity now

“Somepeople moved back to NewOrleans. The crowd thatwas attending those parties20yearsago,now they had kids also, and they had lives,” he said. “Everything runs its course.”

In Georgia, Fortier said he’scut hair for star ballplayers and appeared on “Real Housewives of Atlanta.” His daughter Micah, aKatrina baby born in early 2006, is nowasophomore at Kennesaw State.

“If you ask her where she’sfrom, she says New Orleans,” said Fortier,who chuckled at the sentiment. “My whole not being in New Orleans is because of her Youhavetoembrace that change.And youhaveto want alittle bit better.”

beenoverseeing the Waterways Commission’sefforts.

If the Hyundai dockproject is successfully funded and built, it wouldrepresent thefirst tangible resultofLandry’splan to reshape the state’sport system. The strategy,which lookstoincrease and focus public port investment and cooperation,isalso aiming to curb the decades of parochialsquabbling that critics sayhas contributed to the state’s lossofmarket share to Gulf Coast rivals.

The fiveLouisianaports along the lower Mississippi River —the PortofBaton Rouge, PortofSouth Louisiana, PortofNew Orleans andthe ports in Plaquemines and St. Bernard parishes—collectively move over ahalf-billiontons annually,accounting fornearly 20% of all U.S. cargo volumes and morethan twice as much as nearest rival Houston.

The problem,according to many shipping industry players andstateeconomy boosters, is that for all their industrial might,they’venever worked well together.Each is overseen by its ownboard and represents the interestsofthe parishes where it hasjurisdiction.

That has meant that while container shipping has come to dominatetrade, the state has fallen behind, and it has costother potential investments, too, like manufacturing anddistribution centers. That’sstarting to change, according to port officials.

The Ascension Parish dock

investmentwould be part of approximately $600 million of proposed spending on infrastructure andother support efforts for the Korean industrial conglomerate’s project,whichwas announced earlier this year for the Riverplex Megapark on the west bank of the Mississippi River

The facility will be in the jurisdiction of the Port of Baton Rouge though it hasceded the project, via acooperative endeavor agreement, to the Port of South Louisiana, whoseterritory covers a54milestretch along theMississippi River, from Waggaman in JeffersonParish to Convent in St. James Parish.

The PortofSouth Louisiana has long planned to establishoperations on the west bank as part of its development strategy.However, lastyear,itabandoned abid to buy Avondale Global Gateway —which is in the PortofNew Orleans jurisdiction— after widespread opposition to the deal from state politicians and theshipping industry

Anew commission

The uproar over that proposed dealhelped spurrenewed talk about the need for astatewide portsplan.

That in turnled to the establishment by the Landry administration of theWaterways Investment Commission, via abill sponsored by Republican stateRep. Mark Wright, of St. TammanyParish, which hasbeentaskedwithsetting overall strategy and helping to direct stateand other fundstoward priority projects.

MicahCormier,PortofSouth Louisiana’schief commercial

officer,said the Hyundaidock would give theport the west bank foothold it had been looking for It could allow them to replicate there itseast bank Globalplex multimodal warehousing and manufacturing center as suppliers built to be near Hyundai.

“This could be acatalyst,” Cormier said. “Wehave had atremendous amount of interest since we’ve been looking at building on thewest bank.”

At its last meetinginJuly,the commission identified thePortof SouthLouisiana’sHyundaidock —dubbed“Project Huey” —as oneofseven priority portprojects which would requirevarious levels of state and other public funding.

Julia Fisher-Cormier,Landry’s commissioner of multimodal commerce and vice chair of the Waterways Commission, said the July resolution should be seen as one of severalefforts aimed at makingsure the state’sports are helping to accomplishthe administration’sbroader economic development goals Louisiana has 41 ports of various sizes that together supportone in fivejobs and contribute about 5% of the state’sbudget

However,despite the industry’s importance, critics have said the lack of astate-level strategy has meant that it haslost ground in recent decades, especially on the all-important container shipmarket,toHouston and Mobile.

In its resolution, thecommissionnoted thatthe Port Priority Program, which was established in 1989, is the only program available to fund port projects.

To date, it hasprovided less than

$1 billionintotal funding —less than$28 million ayear,onaverage —for port infrastructure and dredging projects across all of Louisiana’sports.

“Other Gulf statesprovide their portswith over $250 million annually for port infrastructure and waterways dredging projects in ordertoattractbusinessesand investment to their states, and to facilitate growth in international trade,” the commissionnoted.

LITand otherprojects

Topofthe commissions priority list is the Louisiana International Terminal the Port of New Orleans proposes building at Violet in St. Bernard Parish.

Though it still faces opposition from St. Bernard Parish Council and alarge section of thelocalpopulation,Landrymadeit clear in May that he backs the project when he appointed Michael Hecht, CEO of GNO Inc., the regional economic development agency,topush the project through.

It is expected to begin construction this year if it gets the green light from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers,withphase onecoming online in 2028.

The project priority list also includes the $95 millionFourchon Island Connectivityand Resiliency Project to build anew Fourchon Bridge andaccess road, which local officials sayare needed to develop Fourchon Islandin supportofdeepwater rig repair andother oilservices work.

Also included on the list is the $70 million Port of Terrebonne project to deepen the Houma Navigation Canal for oilrelated

traffic andthe $20million worth of enhancements at the Central Louisiana Regional Port in support of Fort Polk activities.

Toomy said the most significant progress is on the Big Five deepwater river ports. In an interview, he pointed to their recent agreement to fund astudy into how best they could jointly market themselvestoworld.

Polaris Analytics &Consulting has been commissioned to come up with amarketing strategy that will sell the ports’ collective strengths, both in terms of the commodities and containers it can move as well as how they can offer abasefor manufacturing and logistics.

The aim is to turn the tide for the regionand attract investment and jobs, likeMobile has done with its nearby Hyundaiand Mercedes-Benzplants, as well as the big Walmart distributioncenter there

There arestill some wrinkles. Plaquemines Port —now called Louisiana Gateway Port —isstill pursuing its plan for awest bank containerterminal, which would be built and operated by APM, though the Port of New Orleans opposesit.

Charles Tillotson, Gateway’s CEO, said thatthe privately funded project doesn’tconflict with the Louisiana International Terminal and should benefit from the five ports’ join marketing plan. “This initiative gives us abroader platform to highlight the strategic value of ourterminal withina regional framework,” he said. Email AnthonyMcAuley tmcauley@theadvocate.com.

temporary workersbeginning to arrive in aparish with apopulationof20,000.

New business permits have tripledsince the beginning of the year. Three new hotels and aDollarGeneral areinthe works.And all day, everyday,construction vehicles,big rigs pulling flatbed trailers and deep-bladdered dump trucks rumble up and down the country roads.

“The traffic and the noise don’t stop,” said Watson. In aplace where life hasalways moved slowly,residentssay the rapid change is at once exciting andunsettling. No one ever thought Richland Parish would be aboomtown. No one,theysay, ever thought much aboutRichland Parish at all.

Now,parish Assessor LeeBrown says everyone wants apiece of the action.

“It’schanging fastand we might as well get used to it,” Brown said “In 10 years, you’re not going to recognize Richland Parish.”

Opportunityand concern

The scale of the Meta project is hard to fathom, evenasittakes shape. Sitting on 2,250acres, it will consist of several buildings totaling 4million square feet—about the equivalent of 70 football fields —each lined with racks of powerful computers racing to outsmart thehumanbrain.Itwillconsume an estimated three times more electricity in ayear than the entire city of New Orleans. It will also create some 5,000 construction jobs andupto500 permanent ones. The project has been championed by everyone from Gov.Jeff Landry to local public officials, who say any number of new jobs is welcome in aparish that ranks amongthe poorest in the state. But thepotentialenvironmental impacts are raising concerns from advocacygroups and some residents. They worry about the area’swater supply,and whether residents will face problems if the localaquifer is tapped to cool the powerful computers. They also fear that ratepayers will ultimately be saddled with higher electricity bills.

The project has been on afast track since early 2024, when Landry’sadministration began working behind closed doors to woo Meta to the site. Landry is focused on the potential benefits that the data center will bring to the area.

Powell remembers riding around as atinychild in “Mr. George” Franklin’s Jeep Wagoneer, back when the community was so tightknit that the richestman in town looked after asharecropper’skid.

He remembers his family always having enough corntoeat.

He remembers the old Thompsonstore up theroad —recently sold to make way for what locals say will be a24-hour liquor store where kids would go for ice cream or aCoke.

Andheremembers beingskeptical when he heard rumors that Meta was planning something bigfor the Franklin Farms site, apiece of land he knewlike his own.

“The development taking place in Richland Parish is the start of an economic renaissanceinnorth Louisiana and throughout the entire state,” Landry said in astatement. “The investment by Metais aonce-in-a-lifetime transformational opportunity.Iamconfident that we will look back at thisproject as the catalyst that truly diversified Louisiana’seconomy.”

Back in theold days

Ronnie Powell, 68, has been watching the transformation from thefront porch of histrailer,which sits directly across atwo-laneroad from the Meta construction site.

He grew up in Holly Ridge on landwhere hisfamilyhas lived for more than 80 years.His grandfatherwas asharecropper for theFranklins,the wealthy,landowning family that soldwhat is now the Meta site to the state of Louisiana in the early 2000sinan ultimately unsuccessful effortto lure aToyota plant to the state.

In the months since, he’s watched as the field he overlooks was cleared, the ground excavated,utilitypoles installed and cables buried. Modular buildings and massivecranes dotthe landscape.

Construction vehicles kick up a constantswirl of dust and the twolane road that onceaccommodated mostly tractorshas already been re-paved.

“I hate to see the times changing,” Powellsaid over theroar of an oversized backhoe. “I loved the smallfarms.Everybody helped one another.”

‘Peoplewanttobehere’

Truth be told, the timeshave beenchanging in Richland Parish for decades, it just wasn’thappeningatsuch abreakneck pace and was largelya study in stagnation and decline.

Farming is no longer tenable except for thewealthiest farmersand largest farms. Thepopulation in the parishhas remained flat since 1990.Seven of theeight cotton gins in operation back then have sinceclosed down.There’s still plenty of corn and soybeans, but fewer smallfarmsand fewer farm-related jobs.

Economic development officials in theparish, with amedianannual income of $30,000, have been tryingtojump-start the local economy for years. The Meta project is the supercharge they’ve been

waiting for

“Our leads have morethan doubled sincethe beginningofthe year,” said Rob Cleveland, president andCEO of Grow NELA, the regional economic development organization. “People want to be here because of Meta.” Examples abound. AHoustonbased subcontractor on the proj-

ect is leasing a100,000-square-foot warehouse in Monroe to build a new pipe fabrication facility

Another Texas company,4-Horn Trench andShoring, is opening a Shreveport office to supply equipment and workers to the site and otherspinoff businesses,creating 10 new jobs in the short term and more, the companysuggests,in

the future.

Southern States Equipment of Ruston is leasing construction equipment to subcontractors. Baton Rouge-basedFive S, which does heavycivil construction, is filling thesitewithcrush aggregate it hasbrought down from its quarry in Missouri.

The rooftop baratthe newHotel Monroe in downtown Monroe is apopular gathering spot forthe managers and executives overseeing the project.

“On any given night, they may have 15 or so rooms,” said developer andownerMike Echols, who openedthe hotel in June. “Wethink that will pick up dramatically.” Gold rush mentality

In arural community where everyone knows one another,the newcomers stand out. Their accents are different. Their T-shirts and baseball caps bear the logos of national firmsand faraway employers.

Jason Mageearrivedinmid-July and was the first to laydown his stake in the Bee Bayou RV Park, whichhad opened for business just days earlier ABirminghamnative, Magee is

a mechanical contractor who has followed opportunity around the country Jobs have taken him out west to build nuclear power plants and back east to work on refineries. The Meta site will keep him in Richland Parish for the next two to three years, he thinks.

“They pay a travel package, so it’s good money,” said Magee, who lives in a souped-up RV he bought from his dad and stepmom.

He can sense the gold rush mentality that has taken hold of the area. The owner of his RV park is planning to invest several million dollars to build up to 70 pads as well as single-family homes, he says. He’s already conversant in the local gossip about the eye-popping prices speculators are rumored to be paying for raw dirt.

“A lot of people are making money around here,” he said.

Getting overwhelmed

Soon, much larger lodging sites will open. A mile or so down the road, construction is underway on Mammoth Industries’ Holly Ridge Lodge and RV Resort, a 130acre workforce housing development that will accommodate 300 RVs and 1,000 workers in modular buildings. Its amenities will include soccer fields, basketball courts, a barbershop and a theater.

Monroe-based developer John Lauve’s company, Corporate Mobile Housing, is also building one in nearby Dunn, an unincorporated area that consists of an interstate exit, a church, some long-abandoned weather-beaten structures and a potato processing plant.

Lauve’s Dunn Village and RV Park is directly across from the potato plant in the shadows of a water tower. Workers have begun clearing the grassy field to make way for the RV pads and modular buildings that will eventually accommodate 550 workers and include a cafeteria and workout facility

“The infrastructure around here is going to get overwhelmed pretty quickly,” said Lauve, who scouted out seven or eight sites before landing on the parcel in Dunn earlier this spring. “That’s why they need people like us to build personnel facilities.”

The activity is spawning a real estate frenzy. Farmland that averaged $2,500 an acre a year ago is being offered for $50,000 to $60,000 an acre today, according to listings Property owners have put giant “for sale” signs up in the yards of their homes, farms and vacant lots.

Locals spread the word about who got what for their property Verifying the information is difficult, Brown, the assessor said. Many sale prices are being recorded as a nominal amount, like $100 “and other valuable considerations.” Some real estate brokers are being asked to sign nondisclosure agreements.

Powell recently fielded an offer for his 5-acre property for $54,000 an acre. Most of his friends have already sold and moved away

“We haven’t really decided what we’re going to do,” said Powell, who lives on the property with his wife, daughter, two grandchildren and one of his five great-grandchildren. “This property belongs to the whole family.”

Hope for the future

Shelbie and Jeffery Stephenson see opportunity and hope in the Meta project.

They’ve set up their Hebrews Coffee and Eats Food Truck across the road from the entrance to the construction site. With its menu of specialty lattes and pressed paninis, it looks like it belongs in a trendy big city neighborhood. In the middle of Holly Ridge, it looks like a mirage.

“When I heard Meta was coming, I said, ‘We gotta be there,’ ” said Shelbie Stephenson, who bought a franchise and the used food truck in a matter of weeks last December from the owner of the original Hebrews brick and mortar store in nearby Rayville.

Things came together for the couple quickly They opened in February, not long after contractors had begun clearing the fields. Shelbie Stephenson went up to the construction trailers menus in hand.

The first week, they sold out of

pastries every day The second week, they got a call from the catering director of one of the big contractors, asking if they could do 500 breakfast burritos.

“I’m not a ‘no’ kind of person, even though I wasn’t sure how we’d make it happen,” she said.

They made it happen. Now, they cater lunch twice a month for the contractor and do a bustling daily breakfast business.

The Stephensons see this as their one shot to stay in north Louisiana. Until they bought the food truck, Jeffery Stephenson was working offshore, FaceTiming their three young daughters before bed every night. Now he can tuck them in.

“Times are changing,” he said. Either you adapt or get left behind.”

Nearby Chris Beard is selling hamburgers and daily lunch specials from his Chillin’ Out food truck. He’s also grateful for the influx of new customers. But he is a generation older than the Stephensons and worries about the changes

“It’s progress,” Beard said. “But the sense of community is gone.” Getting out

Greg and Jeanne Thompson have decided they want no part of it.

Thompson’s family has owned land all around the project site for decades, and he’d planned to spend his retirement in the spacious ranch-style home his parents built for $18,000 in the early 1960s. Now he’s selling his land as fast as he can, and fetching more than $50,000 an acre for some parcels.

“I don’t want to spend my retirement years across the road from a natural gas turbine,” said Thompson, 66, who doesn’t know yet where they’ll go.

The Thompsons are bitter that locals didn’t have a say in the project, though there isn’t much they could have done to stop it. The state had secured the site years earlier for the Toyota plant, and there aren’t any zoning rules in Richland Parish anyway

Jeanne Thompson worries that the new development — hotels, man camps, dollar stores won’t create good-paying jobs or sustainable wealth and will leave the parish with a lot of junk real estate when the boom is over and things settle down.

“The kind of jobs they’re creating won’t help the folks who live out here,” she said. “They’re farmers. That is all they have ever known.”

Greg Thompson is sad his four grandsons, who live in Monroe and come visit on weekends, won’t be able to enjoy the land he and his brothers grew up on. He understands that things change This is more than change.

“Our way of life is fixing to disappear,” he said.

Brown, the assessor, is philosophical about it. He feels bad for the families that have lived on the land for generations. He also thinks Meta is creating opportunities for the parish.

“There is good and bad in everything,” Brown said. “It is change. Some people have accepted it easier than others.”

Email Stephanie Riegel at stephanie.riegel@theadvocate. com.

EDUCATION

Former banker teaches kids to manage money

Q&A WITH TIFFANy MURRAy FINANCIAL LITERARy TEACHER

BY ELYSE CARMOSINO

Staff writer

Tiffany Murray took an uncon-

ventional path to becoming a high school finance teacher

A banker for more than two decades, Murray spent her early career at Total Choice Federal Credit Union in Laplace and Hahnville. She was a loan officer and branch manager before working her way up to vice president of business development, then vice president of operations.

But when the bank decided to open a branch at Destrehan High School in St. Charles Parish in 2018, Murray said she found a new calling: helping young people learn how to manage their money “A lot of kids had no idea how to even open or balance a checking account,” she said. “They’re not getting that at home, so I decided I wanted to teach it.”

After a year working with students at Destrehan and another year at a credit union branch at East St. John School in St John Parish, Murray became a substitute teacher, which only solidified her desire to become a full-time educator, she said.

She decided to enroll at the University of Holy Cross in New Orleans to work toward her teaching certification.

This month, she began her first full year as a finance teacher at L.W. Higgins High School in Jefferson Parish, where she’s ready to put 20 years of banking knowledge to use as she helps with the districtwide rollout of Jefferson’s new financial literacy curriculum, which aims to equip students for real-life financial situations

like paying bills, applying for a credit card or buying a home. The course’s launch coincides with the start of a new state law that requires high schoolers to complete a financial literacy course in order to graduate.

Whether young people are trying to make sense of the latest economic news or preparing to enter the workforce, they “need to know how to manage money,”

Murray said

She recently spoke about what it means to teach financial literacy The interview has been condensed and edited for clarity

Why is financial literacy important for teens?

You always need to know how to manage your money You have to understand how money works and how to make your money work for you

We hear a lot from students who say they want to have generational wealth, but the next generation needs to know how to manage their money to have that wealth.

That starts with financial literacy

What was it like working at high schoolbased credit unions?

We would train students to work as tellers and show them how to count money We also had class time where we would talk about understanding credit. What does it look like to manage money, budget, save, apply for a loan?

A lot of students hadn’t even seen a check before, so we would need to tell them that when someone asks for your signature on one, you have to actually write it in person Simple stuff.

A lot of them are also really into Cash App (a digital platform for sending and receiving money), but wouldn’t know that every

time they withdraw their money, Cash App charges them a fee. They like using Cash App cards, but I wanted to get them to open a checking or savings account and build a relationship with a bank.

Having worked at one, I know how important that relationship is.

Why should students get familiar with their local banks?

You get to know who’s in your community and who’s working in your community You go into a bank and they know your name, and they can help you apply for a car or your first home loan.

Do the students you work with have a foundation of financial literacy at home? Or are many of them learning alongside their parents?

A lot of them do not get it from home. Parents will say that a child needs to stay in their lane and not ask about things like that.

But you can engage (kids). You have to tell them why you’re doing something. You have to tell them things like, “Turn off that light if you’re not using it, because guess what? It’s going to have an impact on your electric bill.”

Things like that are important.

What will you be teaching in your class this year?

This year, we’re talking about money personalities and behavioral economics. Are you a saver? Are you a balancer?

We’ll go in-depth to realize how they’re actually spending their money It’s also about understanding the behavior of the economy and what drives spending.

We’re in a recession, and I’m telling my students where prices are rising. For instance, I may

WE’RE ASKING EXPERTS ACROSS THE STATE HOW TO TACKLE THE BIGGEST CHALLENGES FACING LOUISIANA

tell them that the price of eggs is

higher, so I may not buy eggs this week. When you understand how you spend your money, it might make you spend less.

The state recently passed a new law requiring high schoolers to complete at least one finance course before they graduate. Do you want to see more policies like that in the future?

Definitely

Not everybody is going to a four-year college. Some may be just going for (an associate degree) or going straight into the workforce, so requiring kids to

LOUISIANAPOLITICS

Redistrictingcasemay enddecades-old civilrightslaw

WASHINGTON —Legal scholars say it’spossible the U.S. Supreme Court could use the redistricting case that will determine whether Louisiana sends one or two Black representatives to Congress as a vehicle to invalidate 60-year-old civil rights protections.

Last year,the Supreme Court heardarguments in Louisiana v. Callais on how best to balance Section 2 of the VotingRights Act, which allows configuringdistricts in away that minorities have an opportunity to elect one of their own, and theEqual Protection Clause, which forbids creating districtsbased on race.

The high court punted adecision last term andasked fornew arguments on whether Section 2, theremaining legal tool to enforce the Voting Rights Act,is now obsolete,thusviolating the 14thand 15th amendmentstothe U.S. Constitution.

“As sad as it is, it makes perverse sense that the conservative Supreme Court of this era will use this moment to kill Section 2ofthe VRA,” wrote Marc Elias of Democracy Docket, aliberalleaning group that trackselection law If the court does as Elias suggests it might, Louisiana could lose both of its Black-majority congressional districts —the 2nd District represented by U.S. Rep. Troy Carter,D-New Orleans, and the 6th District representedby U.S. Rep. Cleo Fields, D-Baton Rouge —and revert to six congressional districts configured to ensure the election of six White Republicans.

“If that happens, it would likely amount to the largest decline in minority representation” since the late 1800s, when Southern Whites reassumed government authority after the Civil Warand promptly disenfranchised Black voters, said Harvard LawSchool Professor NicholasStephanopoulos during apodcast hosted by the National ConstitutionCenter, anonpartisan, nonprofit chartered by Congress to increase awareness of the U.S. Constitution.

“I’m not sure if people have really come to terms with how seismic this change could be,” Stephanopoulos said. “The court looks like it’snow interested in a broader holding in Callais, butall of the narrower options still re-

Nungesser seizes on shrimp controversy

Mark Ballard CAPITOL BUZZ staff reports Nungesser

Lt. Gov.Billy Nungesser has seized on arecent FDA warning that some shrimp imported from Indonesiamay be contaminated with aradioactive substance, urging the federal government to implement aseafood inspection fee he has long supported. On Tuesday,Walmart announced arecall on certain Great Value raw frozen shrimp after the FDA detected cesium-137, aradioactive isotope, on ashipment from

mainavailable and maybe hopefully will look more attractive to thecourt when it really stares at theprospect nullifying Section 2.”

Nobody will know the full result until the nine justices release their decision.

Still, observers who follow the Supreme Court closely say the tealeaves of judicial actions often suggest possible outcomes.

Certainly,that wasonthe mind of LouisianaHouse Speaker Phillip DeVillier

The Eunice Republican texted Louisiana House members to keep their schedules flexible between Oct. 23 and Nov.13incase the Supreme Court decision requires statelegislators to redraw election district maps.

Legalscholarssay the high court’sdecision —particularly setting an early Oct. 15 hearing signals that the 6-3 conservative majority might be readytoset asideone of the last major civil rightsprotections from the 1960s.

“Did they rush the argument in this case to increase theodds of a decisionthat wouldenable more anti-Democratic racial gerryman-

thecompany that provides it.

In aletter to President Donald Trump andLouisiana’scongressional delegation, Nungesser said the incident showed the need for tougher regulation of imported seafood. “With millions of pounds of seafood imported into our country each year,much of it grown under unsafe and unsanitary conditions, it is only amatteroftimebefore dan-

dering before the2026 midterm elections? We cannot rule that out,” Katherine AnnShaw,aprofessor at theUniversityofPennsylvania Law School, said on the Strict Scrutiny podcast

The 14th Amendment tothe U.S. Constitution, ratified in 1868, ensured citizenship and due process for the formerly enslaved population. The 15thAmendment followed in 1870 to protect those rightswith prohibitions against denying theright to votebased on “race, color,orprevious condition of servitude.”

Butthose amendments weren’t enforced in the South for another century In 1965, abipartisan Congress passed theVoting RightsAct focused on policies and procedures that kept African Americans from registering and voting.

As time passed and the more overt forms of racism subsided, courts began finding that parts of the VotingRightsAct were no longer necessary Section 2doesn’trequire minority-majority districts. What is mandated, under provisions

gerous productscauseseriousharm to the American people,”hewrote.

Nungesser proposesanew fee of 10 cents per pound on imported seafood. He argues that fee would generate about $600 million ayear, which could be used to hire tensof thousands of additional food inspectors.

“This fee would notonly help protect consumers, but alsolevel the playing field for our domestic seafood producers whoalready meet the highest standards of safety and quality,” Nungesser wrote.

Nungesser has advocated for the seafood fee for years, backedby theLouisiana Seafood Promotion andMarketing Board andstate fishing associations. The National Lieutenant Governors Association,

pushed by Republican President Ronald Reagan in 1982, is that states with histories of polarized voting and diluting minority voices must allow minority-majority districtsif, generally,voters with like interests live close enough together

Section 2only kicks in if astate meets alist of conditions, such as ahistory of White majorities never electing aBlack candidate —asisthe case in Louisiana.

When conditions such as segregated communities and polarized voting cease to exist —ashas happened in parts of the Northeast and West —Section 2nolonger applies. Similar provisions are in other laws, and dumping Section 2 could lead to legal challenges to protectionsfor employment, housing anddisabilities, which may be abridge too farfor the SupremeCourt at this point, legal scholars agreed across several different podcasts and seminars.

Still, Justice Brett Kavanaugh has indicated —and Justice Clarence Thomas has stated outright —that theConstitution doesn’t

where Nungesser wasonce the chairman, also supports the fee. Landry digs LSU for ‘twerk performance,’housing

Jeff Landry scoldedLSU on social media last weekover twocontroversies on campus as students arrived for the fall semester

“Classes haven’tevenstarted at LSU and students have been welcomed with adegenerate twerk performance and rodents in their living spaces,” Landry wrote on X.

“Wemustdemand excellence at LSUand we must get anew President as soon as possible.”

Landry wasreferencinga welcome weekevent at LSU where a crowd of students gathered outside

allow forrace to be apart of any legal decisions, even though for ashort timerace wasincluded to ensure Black participation in government and politics where state policies had previously forbidden any

Basically,the argument is that “racial relations are generally better and it no longer can be justified under our constitutional separation of powers, the general authority that states have to redistrict and the fact that the 14th Amendment prohibits discrimination on the basis of race,” said Bradley Smith of Capital University Law School in Columbus, Ohio, and chair of the Federal Election Commission under Republican President George W. Bush.

“Classifying voters on the basis of race and requiring it by law would seem to violate the 14th Amendment and in away that is no longer justified. That’s the $64,000 question facing the court,” Smith added.

Email Mark Ballardat mballard@theadvocate.com.

the Pete Maravich AssemblyCenter. Videosspread widely on social media of awoman perched on a high railing, dancing provocatively He was also referencing reports that theuniversity ran out of oncampus housing spaces, and some students were placed in an apartment complex thathad pestproblems.

LSU is searching foranew president after WilliamTate left for Rutgers in June. Asearch committee said last week it hopes to select his replacement by December Landry has aimedhis social media ireatLSU before, including in two cases where he called for discipline against professors who criticized him or President Donald Trump.

THE GULF COAST

Cozy cafe is serving up Southern cuisine for all

Mockingbird Cafe is the ‘living room of Bay St. Louis’

BY POET WOLFE Staff writer

When Mockingbird Cafe opened in 2006, a year after Hurricane Katrina devastated Bay St. Louis, it was meant to be nothing more than a quaint coffee shop. Today, in a white house with a gable roof in downtown, it is now a restaurant that draws both locals and vacationers traveling along the Gulf Coast.

The cafe quickly became known as “the living room of Bay St Louis,” said its owner Alicein Schwabacher, attracting everyone from day workers to families

“It just became like a hub for the community,” she said, “And we were happy to be a part of it.

The outdoor area feels like a hip backyard, with wooden picnic tables and dusty barrels sitting on gravel, beneath a shed-style roof decked with strings of twinkling lights.

And inside, the cafe resembles a home more than a business. Canvases from local artists line the walls, with acrylic scenes of animals and cloudy landscapes Tucked between an empty brick fireplace and two teal couches for customers to sit at the coffee bar, where baristas serve drinks, pastries and full meals Schwabacher originally hadn’t planned for her establishment to offer such a lengthy menu. That changed when her friend Jeff Hinson, a Bay St Louis native who co-owns Flour Moon Bagels in New Orleans, encouraged her to expand the cafe into a restaurant.

“When it first opened, I just wanted a coffee shop. I wanted to serve soup and pie and coffee,” Schwabacher said, laughing. “And then it grew into a restaurant. The food service started on the cafe’s side porch, where her uncle would flip burgers cleverly dubbed the “Mockingburger” — on the grill. Over time, the menu gradually expanded to include Southern dishes like biscuits and gravy and pulled pork and grits

The cafe also cooks up classic breakfast dishes such as burritos stuffed with scrambled eggs, bacon, sausage, spinach, avocado and cheddar cheese, with sides of salsa and sriracha sour cream. It offers a meatless version of the breakfast burrito with fillings like zucchini, squash, onion and mushrooms.

Beyond breakfast, customers can choose from a wide range of healthy and hearty lunches, including sandwiches and salads. One standout is the turkey quinoa wrap, which combines shaved turkey quinoa, feta and sun-dried tomatoes covered in homemade basil aioli.

Mockingbird Cafe’s evolution from a small coffee shop to a popular eatery points to a larger trend in Bay St. Louis a community that’s dining scene withered after Katrina but has since come back to life. Email Poet Wolfe at poet.wolfe@theadvocate.com.

SEPTEMBER 10-12

TheTulane Future of Energy Forumconvenes leadersinbusiness, academia, government, and nonprofitsfromaround theworld to engage in critical discussions. Get inspired bygroundbreaking talks, thought-provoking panels, and dynamic networking opportunitiesthat will shapethe energy conversation foryears to come.

FEATURED SPEAKERS

COLLETTE HIRSTIUS

JIM BURKE

President of Shell USA

ROBGUTHRIE

CEOofENFRA (formerly Bernhard)

DREW MARSH

Chair&CEO of Entergy Corporation

President &CEO of VistraCorp

TIMOTHY J. POCHÉ

CEOofDelta Utilities

BOBBYTUDOR

Founder&CEO of Artemis EnergyPartners

BY LINLEY SANDERS Associated Press

WASHINGTON— FewerAmericans are reporting that they drink alcohol amid a growingbeliefthateven moderate alcohol consumption is ahealth risk, according to aGallup poll released earlier this month.

Arecord highpercentage of U.S. adults, 53%, now say moderate drinking is bad for their health, up from 28% in 2015.

The uptick in doubt about alcohol’sbenefits is largely driven by young adults the age group that is most likely to believe drinking “one or two drinks aday” can cause health hazards —but older adults are also now increasinglylikely to think moderate drinking carries risks

As concerns abouthealth impacts rise, fewer Americans arereportingthatthey drink.

The survey finds that 54% of U.S. adults say they drink alcoholic beveragessuch as liquor,wine or beer.That’s lower than at anyother point in the past three decades.

The findingsofthe poll, which was conducted in July,indicatethatafter years of many believing that moderate drinking was harmless —oreven beneficial —worries about alcohol consumptionare taking hold. According to Gallup’s data, even those who consume alcohol are drinking less.

The federal government is updating new dietary guidelines, including those aroundalcohol. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, government data showed U.S. alcohol consumption was trending up. Butother government surveys have

shown adeclineincertain types of drinking, particularly among teenagers and young adults. This comesalongside a new drumbeat of information about alcohol’srisks. While moderate drinking was once thoughttohave benefitsfor heart health, health professionals in recent yearshave pointed to overwhelmingevidence thatalcoholconsumption leads to negative health outcomes and is aleading cause of cancer

Younger adults have been quicker than older Americans toaccept that drinking is harmful, but older adults are comingaroundtothe same view

About two-thirds of 18- to 34-year-olds believe moderatedrinkingisunhealthy according to the poll, up from about4in10in2015. Olderadults are less likely to see alcohol as harmful —about halfof Americans age55orolder believe this —but that’s asubstantial increase, too.

In 2015, only about 2in 10 adults age 55 or older thought alcohol was bad for their health.

In the past, moderate drinking was thought to have some benefits. That ideacame from imperfect studies that largely didn’t include youngerpeople and couldn’tprove cause and effect. Now the scientific consensus has shifted, and several countries recently loweredtheir alcoholconsumption recommendations.Earlier this year,the outgoing U.S. surgeon general, VivekMurthy, recommended alabel on bottlesof beer,wine and liquor that wouldclearly outline the link between alcohol consumption and cancer

Thefederal government’s current dietary guidelines recommend Americans not drink or,ifthey do consume alcohol,men shouldlimit themselves to two drinks a dayorfewer while women

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should stick to one or fewer

Gallup’sdirector of U.S social research,Lydia Saad, said shiftinghealthadvice throughout older Americans’ lives may be areason they have been moregradual than young adults to recognize alcohol as harmful.

“Olderfolks may be a little more hardened in termsofthe whiplashthat they get withrecommendations,” Saad said. “It may take them alittle longerto absorb or acceptthe information. Whereas,for young folks, this is the environment that they’vegrown up in in many cases,itwould be the first thing young adults would have heard as they were coming into adulthood.”

The government is expected to release new guidelines later this year, under thedirective of healthsecretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who has promisedbig changes. Kennedy has not hinted at how the alcohol recommendations may shift.

Drinking ratesfall

Slightly morethan half of Americans, 54%, reportthat theydrink alcohol —alow in Gallup’sdatathat is es-

Many Americansare fortunate to havedental coverage fortheir entire working life, through employer-provided benefits.Whenthose benefits end with retirement, paying dental bills out-of-pocket can come as a shock, leading people to putoff or even go without care. Simply put —without dentalinsurance, there may be an importantgap in your healthcare coverage.

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 Shop forcoveragewithnoannual maximum on cash benefits. Some planshaveannual maximums of $1,000.

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fora checkup .$190 for afilling. $1,213 fora crown.3 Unexpected bills likethis can be arealburden especially if you’re on afixed income.

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pecially pronounced among women and young adults. Young Americans’ alcoholconsumption hasbeen

trending downward for years, accelerating the overall decline in alcohol consumption.Insharp contrast with Gallup’sfindings two decades ago, when young adults were likeliest to report drinking, young adults’ drinking rate is now slightly below middle-aged andolderadults. Americans’ reported drinking is among the lowest since the question was first askedin1939. Formost of the last few decades, at least 6in10Americans have reported drinking alcoholic beverages, only dipping belowthat point afew times in the question’shistory

Consuminglessalcohol

Even if concerns about health risks aren’t causing some adults to give up alcoholentirely, these worries could be influencing how often they drink.

The surveyfound that adults who think moderate drinking is bad for one’s health arejust as likely as people who don’tshare those concerns to report that they drink, but fewerofthe people with health worries had consumed alcohol recently Abouthalfofthose who worry moderate drinking is unhealthy said they had a drink in the previous week, compared with about 7in10 who did not think drinking wasbad fortheir health. Overall, only about onequarter of Americanswho drink said they had consumed alcohol in the prior 24 hours, arecord low in the survey.Roughly 4in10said that it had been morethan a week sincethey had poured adrink.

-David M.

NOLA.COM | Sunday, auguSt 24, 2025 1Bn

Plant explosion ignites health concerns

Oily residue coats cars, homes in Roseland

BY EMILY WOODRUFF and BOB WARREN Staff writers

Smoke rose from the stillburning tanks at Smitty’s Supply in Roseland on Saturday, and although the thick plumes had eased since the explosion the day before,

Jefferson Parish uses tech to reduce crime

Drones will soon be positioned to respond to calls

BY MICHELLE HUNTER Staff writer

After hitting a record low in 2024, crime rates in unincorporated Jefferson Parish continued to decline during the first six months of 2025, according to statistics released by the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office.

But Sheriff Joe Lopinto hopes new technology can keep the downward trend going. The bomb squad has been using a robot “dog” since December, and deputies will start deploying first responder drones next month.

The department saw an 18% decrease in overall crime during the first half of the year when compared with the same time period last year. There were drops in all seven of the major categories of crime reported to the FBI.

“I’m as happy as can be,” Lopinto said “I want the number to be zero, but I can’t complain with how low the numbers are.”

The data in Jefferson Parish mirrors reports of declining crime in neighboring Orleans Parish and across the country

That comes as no surprise to Jacque Ellison, president of the Westminster Park Civic Association. Sheriff’s Office representatives regularly provide her group with localized crime stats.

“We see deputies patrolling our area frequently, and their response times are quick,” said Ellison, whose neighborhood includes the subdivision along LaPlace Boulevard in Marrero, behind L.W. Higgins High School.

The data released by the Sheriff’s Office does not include the municipalities of Kenner, Gretna, Harahan, Westwego, Jean Lafitte or Grand Isle.

Homicides were down 27% with Sheriff’s Office detectives

See TECH, page 2B

a strong chemical smell perme-

ated nearby communities in Tan-

gipahoa Parish, an oily sheen coat-

ing many of the cars, homes and other outdoor surfaces.

“You got oil on the ground, oil on the road,” said Gerri Stout, 66, who evacuated to Amite City with her husband under a mandatory order

for residents within a mile of the automotive lubricant manufacturing plant. “We got oil on our car, and we brought our car with us to the shelter.”

Waiting in line to wash his Chevy Silverado pickup at a car wash near Interstate 55 in Amite City on Saturday morning, Ross Cutrer

said he’s trying not to fixate on the black substance covering everything or what it might mean for his health.

“I don’t dwell on it. But I did have a sore throat last night,” he said “You can kind of taste it in the air.”

Later Saturday night, State Police said the fire was 90% contained.

State and local officials expressed relief that no injuries or

deaths were reported. But they do not yet have answers for what caused the blast, what materials caught fire, when it might be extinguished or what the health and environmental implications of the explosion could be.

“It’s still a very active scene,”

Tangipahoa Parish President Robby Miller told reporters at an

Bonjour, Little Red Schoolhouse

BY MARIE FAZIO and SOPHIE KASAKOVE Staff writer

Yellow school buses bounced down a mostly-empty Royal Street on Monday morning, pausing to drop students off at the historic French Quarter building known as the “Little Red Schoolhouse” while curious onlookers watched from their balconies.

After a two-year hiatus that left the neighborhood without a school for the first time since the Ursuline nuns established one in the 1720s, school is back in session in the French Quarter

This week, Lycée Français De La Nouvelle-Orleans, a French immersion charter school, moved its youngest students into the historic red-brick building at 721 St Philip St. that has been vacant since Homer Plessy Community Schools moved out in 2023.

See SCHOOL, page 8B

Lycée Français move puts historic French Quarter building back into session

Kindergarten

N.O. lizards carry record lead levels

Study finds concentrations that would kill humans

BY EMILY WOODRUFF Staff writer

The brown lizards scampering on New Orleans porches and sunning themselves on sidewalks should be dead by any other standard.

That’s because the Cuban brown anoles live with the highest blood lead levels ever documented in a vertebrate, according to a Tulane Universi-

ty study published this month. Despite lead concentrations that would kill humans and other animals, the reptiles thrive, darting across fences and blending into the city’s leafy yards. What started out as an effort to assess the impact on animals of high levels of lead in New Orleans took a turn when the scientists discovered just how high the levels are, shocking the researchers so much they repeated the initial test, thinking there might have been a mistake.

“I don’t think anyone would have assumed lizards would be rockstar heavy metal-tolerant animals, but here we are,” said Alex Gunderson,

assistant professor of ecology and evolutionary biology at Tulane and a co-author of the study

The study, published in Environmental Research, found that lizards caught across the city averaged nearly 1,000 micrograms per deciliter of lead in their blood, with one animal topping 3,000. By comparison, health effects in people appear well below 100, and there is no safe level of exposure. In a person, the levels of lead the lizards would mean they were “probably dead,” said Gunderson. Lead is a potent neurotoxin that damages brains,

Heat check

Researchers study impact of fans on factory floor workers

BY DAVID J MITCHELL Staff writer

EXPLOSION

Continued from page 1B

at-times

“We know

questions. We’re working to

answers.” Miller said the main focus so far has been, and remains, bringing the fire under control.

“We’re fighting a big fire,” he said. “It’s not as big as yesterday, but it’s still big.”

Once the fire is completely suppressed, cleanup operations will begin and a hotline will be established for cleanup inquiries, State Police said.

Health concerns Stout, who has asthma and lung disease, said she was already feeling the effects.

“It’s been really bad on me, yesterday and today, too,” she said.

Smitty’s officials told state regulators in 2023 that the facility’s storage tanks can typically hold ethanol, charcoal lighter fluid, gas oil mixture, motor oil, lubricants and hydraulic fluids, diesel, brake fluid, grease and a variety of unnamed water-based chemicals, according to the report.

During the news conference Saturday morning, Sgt. William Huggins, of the State Police, said air monitoring in the area has shown “nondetect levels or results below any actionable thresholds.”

Other communities hit by lubricant plant fires have seen a gap between official readings and what residents experienced When a Lubrizol facility caught fire in France in 2019, monitors picked up only brief spikes in chemicals, and officials said overall pollution levels stayed within safe limits. Even so, residents reported foul smells, anxiety and a lower quality of life, and some firefighters later showed changes in routine health tests.

A 2021 fire at a Chemtool plant in Illinois brought similar concerns. Government agencies said the air was mostly safe, but surveys found more than half of residents had new or worsening symptoms, including coughs, headaches and eye irritation, while others reported fatigue and trouble sleeping.

An Environmental Protection Agency aircraft is monitoring the area for benzene, small particles and volatile organic compounds. The Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality said that in addition to air monitoring, it is collecting water samples that will be analyzed with results expected within the next 48 hours.

Daniel Harrington, a certified industrial hygienist and assistant professor at LSU’s School of Public Health, said those are important compounds to monitor but they may not cover the full range of chemicals burning in the plant that has led to the oily residue.

Harrington said exposures are likely to affect vulnerable groups most — including children, seniors and people with asthma or other respiratory conditions and recommended treating contact with

oily deposits as you would with spilled motor oil. While tightly fitted N95 masks can help with fine particles, they will not protect against chemical vapors Contamination could linger in homes and on surfaces, especially during calm nights like the one forecast for Saturday The mental health impacts to people dealing with job uncertainty and loss of property could also be significant, he said.

“There is a long tail to these disasters,” said Harrington. Past safety concerns

Smitty’s uses large heaters to warm motor oil and other products In at least one instance in November overheated oil created a foul odor that drew complaints from residents, according to documents from the DEQ At that time, the company shut off a heater, which took a week to cool to the correct temperature

State Rep. Kim Coates, RPonchatoula, said she had spoken with DEQ, which was placing booms in waterways and sand in ditches to contain oil and fire debris that landed in the Tangipahoa River.

“With rain falling alongside the fire and fire water, this is a tough fight for crews on the ground,” she said by text

message

Capt. Russell Graham, commander of State Police Public Affairs Section, said seven people went to the emergency room after the blast but were evaluated and released.

Residents should be able to return to their homes Sunday or Monday, said Tanya Mabry director of housing for Tangipahoa Parish. They were still sheltering people at an evacuation shelter in Amite City About 200 signed up for the shelter and 46 slept there Friday night as people started to make arrangements to stay with family and friends.

Gov Jeff Landry said in a social media post that he and his wife, Sharon, have residents in their prayers.

“We are working closely with local officials to extinguish the fire,” he said. “This is still an ongoing situation, and we urge all in the area to continue following evacuation.”

With roughly 450 employees, Smitty’s is an anchor in Tangipahoa Parish. Robertson said many of them were in touch, and while they are grateful no one was killed in the explosion, they are mentally shaken and wondering how long they will be employed.

Covering about 20 acres, Smitty’s blends and distributes oil and other lubricants under the Super S, Shell, Quaker State, Castrol, Exxon, Valvoline and many other brand names and also provides contract oil, lubrication and treatment product manufacture.

The facility, which has 20 separate tank farms holding a combined 8.7 million gallons, also makes its own plastic bottles for motor oil and other products and manufactures grease. Staff writers Willie Swett and David Mitchell contributed to this report

The lunch break had just begun Thursday at the NovelAire Technologies manufacturing plant off South Choctaw Drive in Baton Rouge, but some of the guys heading off the factory floor had an extra task to finish before they ate and took a bathroom break.

Just outside the break room door, each man stood on a precise scale to measure his weight while a researcher took his temperature, and the worker had to answer questions about how he was feeling.

In a plant where workers grind, shape and snip sheet metal to build equipment for heating and air conditioning efficiency and other purposes, the men were also serving as test subjects to see how their bodies responded to the summer heat — when the factory floor is cooled with fans and, at times, when it isn’t.

Researchers and company officials said the workers are part of a joint project to study worker heat stress that has been commissioned by NovelAire’s sister company, Madison Air, and the University of CaliforniaBerkeley’s Center for the Built Environment.

Often, air-conditioning large manufacturing spaces isn’t cost-effective or practical, so the research project is examining the cooling benefit of the fans at a price lower than the cost of AC, the researchers said.

“Anecdotally, we know, it’s hot and it gets hotter when you don’t have fans, so they are providing the data to back up what advantage you get, and we can estimate our productivity and the gains we’re able benefit from having these fans,” said George Latour, NovelAire’s director of operations

Though small office spaces at NovelAire’s two factory buildings have air conditioning, the workshop floors don’t. Instead, they have about 35 fans, including oversize ceiling fans built by Big Ass Fans, another sister company of NovelAire and Madison Air

The factory floors constitute 52,000 square feet, reach roughly two stories high and have several large bay doors that were opened to the midday skies on Thursday

The impact of heat

Officials with Madison Air hope the study will provide them data for an information campaign aimed at the 95% of warehouses and factories that don’t have fans or air conditioning.

But the joint company-university study also comes as increasing attention is being paid to the health risk from heat in the workplace, both indoor and outdoor, as the climate warms and heat waves have become more frequent.

In 2024 a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration analysis of weather data for 50 large U.S. cities, including Baton Rouge and New Orleans, found the number, intensity and frequency of heat waves and the duration of the season for heat waves all increased between 1961 and 2023.

Glenda Anderson, a University of Sydney researcher working on the NovelAire project, said the study provides important real-world research on worker heat stress that is lacking in the scientific literature.

“As the world gets warmer, we need to make sure that we are protecting our workers,” Anderson said. Federal labor officials reported an average of nearly 3,390 heat-related worker injuries between 2011 and 2020 that led to missed days of work, though various analyses suggest that number is greatly underreported. Heat also leads to a few dozen deaths per year, federal data show

Measuring sweat Charlie Huizenga, a research specialist with the UC Berkeley center, said that during the current threeweek study phase, the buildings’ fans are being turned off for half the day and turned back on for the other half as researchers measure the conditions on the factory floor and in the workers who volunteered for the study

The workers who are test subjects wear heart rate monitors in addition to doing the questionnaires and weighins.

Huizenga said the collection of data is designed to figure out how much the workers are sweating, a signifier of heat stress, because sweating is the body’s way of cooling down its core temperature.

Early data from the project has found workers have been losing as much as 4 pounds of sweat during the half-day when the fans are off up to 8 pounds for a full day

“So that’s enough of a signal for us to measure with the scale, right? If we’re tracking everything they’re drinking, everything they’re eating. Before and after they go to the bathroom, we weigh them, so the only other thing coming in and out of them is the sweat, so that’s how we can estimate that. Yeah, so it’s a lot,” Huizenga said. He said early data from this past week has shown that running the fans appears cut that sweat loss significantly, though it was too soon provide

ple intentionally neglected Cristian, leaving him alone in their Metairie home for eight hours.

investigating 10 killings during the first six months of 2025 — 13 as of Aug. 15 when Tirrell Gilmore Sr 48, was gunned down outside of a Marrero bar

“We’ve only been in the ‘teens’ three times in the last 50 years,” Lopinto noted.

Local deaths

Still, the losses this year have been no less devastating for local families, including the deaths of Dung Pham, 40, and her daughter, Amy Bohne, 2, fatally shot by Pham’s husband, Glenn Bohne Jr

Glenn Bohne was shot and killed by Sheriff’s Office deputies who responded to the family’s River Ridge home after the couple’s 13-year-old daughter called 911.

Investigators this year arrested another parent accused of killing their child following the April 19 death of Cristian Rodriquez Padilla, a 7-year-old boy who had cerebral palsy, relied on a feeding tube and required constant care.

Detectives booked the boy’s mother, Karla Padilla Pavon, and her boyfriend, Hovet Vela Espinoza, with second-degree murder, after authorities said the cou-

Cristian died of asphyxia due to suffocation while they were gone, according to authorities.

Other crimes

Other violent crimes, including rape and robbery, were down 22% and 34%, respectively Property crime was also down, including a 1% drop in burglaries and a 20% dip in thefts.

Lopinto said it’s difficult to pinpoint why crime continues to take a slide.

“We only control what we can control,” he said of law enforcement However, Lopinto said the Sheriff’s Office does an efficient job of identifying and arresting suspects, which, in turn, helps decrease future crime rates.

“If we have 1,000 burglaries, it’s not because I have 1,000 burglars,” Lopinto said. “Taking one person off the street can get rid of 10% of those crimes.”

Robot dog?

In addition to the legwork put in by deputies to solve crimes, the Sheriff’s Office often gives credit to technology Lopinto previously lauded the proliferation of mounted crime cameras as well as private security systems, including doorbell

hard figures, Huizenga said. Huizenga pointed out that fans don’t cool the air but increase the evaporation of sweat, the physical mechanism that cools body temperature.

Though some indicators suggest fans lose effectiveness at around 95 degrees, the surface temperature of skin, Huizenga said his work is showing the threshold is probably closer to 104 degrees, which is similar if a bit higher, than other published research.

‘You can do more’

Fred Agbulu, 56, of Baton Rouge, a supervisor at NovelAire who has worked for the company for 17 years, said he and his co-workers see the impact the fans make.

Several of them were hesitant initially to do the study, he said, because they already knew how the fans have helped since they were installed about four years ago and didn’t want them to be turned off.

“For me,” Agbulu said, “I like experimenting I wanted to see actually what the difference is and it showed me it’s a big difference. It’s a big difference.” As a floor supervisor, he said he can see the difference in productivity in himself and others by the end of the day

“So, with the fans, you can do more,” Agbulu said.

Amid petitions from public advocacy groups and state attorneys general, the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration under thenPresident Joe Biden began steps in 2021 to create new rules for a wide swath of businesses to protect an estimated 150 million workers from the risk of heat stress.

The proposed rules have been opened to public hearings and several comment periods and remain in one under the Trump administration, which has moved quickly to unravel many Biden-era regulations to spur economic growth.

The heat rules have drawn tens of thousands of comments, including from industry, farming, road construction and others that want more flexibility on proposed temperature triggers that would require protective measures.

OSHA officials said the agency is waiting on a final comment period to end before deciding how to proceed. David J. Mitchell can be reached at dmitchell@theadvocate.com.

cameras, with helping authorities catch criminals.

In December, the department began using HAVOC, an agile robot “dog” that can climb stairs, open doors, reach into spaces and give authorities a better lay of the land via cameras and thermal imaging.

Made by Boston Dynamics, HAVOC is operated by the Sheriff’s Office LASER Division (Land, Air, and Sea Emergency Rescue), according to Sgt. Brandon Veal, spokesperson for the department.

The $355,000 robot was purchased for the department’s bomb squad using a federal grant. But HAVOC has also lent a hand to the SWAT team, Veal said.

New drones at JPSO

Next month, the Sheriff’s Office is expected to roll out more crime-fighting technology, according to Lopinto.

The department will begin deploying first responder drones from Skydio.

The Sheriff’s Office will position 23 drones with docking stations around the parish from which they’ll be able to quickly respond to certain types of 911 calls, according to Lopinto.

“Obviously, they won’t respond to a theft inside somebody’s house. You need a deputy on scene to take that kind of report,” Lopinto said.

But a drone could be launched if the department receives a report of a burglar pulling car door handles on a street. Within seconds, the drone’s cameras could find the perpetrator while flying silently above, recording the suspect’s actions and providing a location for responding deputies, according to Lopinto.

“We can use the information to coordinate our response and make an apprehension,” he said. The drones can be controlled off-site, meaning they don’t need an on-scene operator The Sheriff’s Office is expected to release more information about the new first responder drone program in about a month.

“Hopefully, we can drive down crime rates even further,” Lopinto said.

Email Michelle Hunter at mhunter@theadvocate. com.

Bodungen, Frederick

Breaux, Oscar

Brett, Harold

Busby, Henry

CaswellJr.,Erwin

Clarkson Jr.,Arthur

Courtney,C.C

Goertzen,Christopher Hankel,Alexander

Jambon, Billy

Kinsey,Laura

Licciardi, David

Lutz,Fred

Rabito Sr., Felix

Richard, Terry

Sustendal, George

EJefferson

LA Muhleisen

Bodungen, Frederick

NewOrleans

Charbonnet

Breaux, Oscar

JacobSchoen

CaswellJr.,Erwin

fun-loving andspirited witha passionfor hissun‐set ridesonhis motorcy‐cle.He also hada love for music andplayedguitar withhis close friends. Frederick wasa graduate ofHolyCross High School in1972. He worked as a loyal employee of the UnitedStatedPostalSer‐viceinKenner, LA until re‐tirementand served in the UnitedStatesAir Force. He issurvivedbyhis beloved wifeKathleen Bodungen, and hislovingchildrenson Philip Joseph Bodungen; grandchildren anddaugh‐ter Monica Bodungen Guerra(Marc)along with his stepsons Blaine and Brandon Wall,his mother MargaretChurch Ben‐brook,sisterMaryLee Riv‐iere(Don),along with niecesand nephews. Sur‐vived by brotherDennis Michael Bodungen (Cheryl) who sadlypassed10days later.The familywillbe forever grateful to Hospice Staff of Anvoifor theloving careand comforttheypro‐vided during his finaldays. Relatives andfriends are invited to amemorialmass withvisitationthatwillbe heldinhis honoratSt. MaryMagdalenCatholic Church,6425 W Metairie Ave,Metairie, Louisiana 70003, on August 29, 2025, withvisitationat 11:30AM followedbythe memorial massat1:00PM. Following the memorial services will bea toastofpraisefor the celebration of life at The Kampat2317 HickoryAve inHarahan,Louisiana 70123. To sharememories orcondolences,please visit www.muhleisen.com.

Harold Brett Jr., affectionatelyknown as "Sandy" of Sandy's Tuxedo Rentalsand Sales, passed away peacefully on August 16, 2025 at theage of 89, surrounded by his loving daughters and family

inspiring all who knew him to keep dreaming and living alifeofgratitude

He was preceded in death by his parents, Harold Brett Sr. and MargueritePetermann Brett;and in-laws, Richard Raymond Alfortish, Sr. and Rita Berry Alfortish.

He is survived by his daughters, Sandy Brett Spitale (Gerald Spitale), BonnieBrett Frey (Larry Frey); grandchildren, Jessica Spitale Fresina (Trent Fresina), Brent Spitale(ShelbyGoutreaux Spitale), Jordy Spitale, Ashley Frey Puente (Jason Puente), CallieFrey Lafranca (WillLafranca); great-grandchildren, Carsyn and Reagan Fresina, Addison and Skylar Spitale and anew addition expectedinthe Spring of 2026.

The family extends heartfelt thanksto Harold's caregivers: Deidra Wells, Dr. Winoka Banks, and Compassus Hospice.

Lake Lawn Metairie Breaux,Oscar Frederick

Brett, Harold

Hankel,Alexander

Richard, Terry

Rieger,William St Tammany

Audubon

Goertzen,Christopher EJ Fielding

Busby, Henry

Rabito Sr., Felix West Bank

Mothe

Jambon, Billy

Obituaries

Bodungen,Frederick Joseph

FrederickJosephBodun‐gen passed away peace‐fully on Thursday,July17, 2025, at theage of 71 in Kenner, LA.Hewas pre‐ceded in deathbyhis fa‐ther, FrederickRobertBo‐dungen. Born on October 14, 1953, in NewOrleans Frederick wasknown for his commitmentasa lov‐ing father andhusband along with beingone of the foundersofthe Wild Hogs Motorcycle Club.Hewas

OscarFrederick Breaux, diedonSunday, August 17 2025 at ChateaudeNotre DameCommunity Care CenterinNew Orleansat the ageof84. Mr.Breaux was born on September10, 1940 to thelateSheldon J. Sr. andAntonia Ingraham Breaux. He leaves to cher‐ish precious memories,his children, Oscar, Jr., Lawrence, Sr.and Simone Scott (Curtis); grandson, Lawrence, Jr four siblings a host of nieces,nephews, other relativesand friends. A Celebrationservice hon‐oring thelifeand legacy of the late OscarF.Breaux willbeheldinthe Chapel ofCharbonnetLabat Glapion FuneralHome, 1615 St.PhilipStreet,New Orleans,LA70116 on Tues‐day,August26, 2025 at 10 am. IntermentRestHaven Cemetery. Visitation 9am inthe Chapel.Pleasesign onlineguestbook at www charbonnetfuneralhome. com. Charbonnet Labat Glapion,Directors,(504)581 4411.

BorninNew Orleans on April29, 1936, Harold was a lifelong resident of thecity where he attended Alcee Fortier HighSchool and Tulane University. He was amember of the Air National Guard of Louisiana and theReserve of the United States Air Force.In1958, he purchaseda clothingstore on Metairie Road,which he transformed intoSandy's TuxedoRentalsand Sales For over five decades, Haroldbecame abeloved figure in JeffersonParish and atrusted name in the wedding and MardiGras communities.Alongside his wife Diane and her parents, he builtone of the area'smost successful businesses, outfitting celebrities andlocals alike for their most memorable occasions. To many, "Sandy" was more than a businessman—he was a friend.

Haroldwas adevoted husband to Diane Alfortish Brett for63years, and a deeply cherished father, grandfather, and greatgrandfather. Hiszest for life and unwavering positivity touched everyone he met.

He was amember of several Carnival organizations, including Endymion, Atlas, Rhea, Zeus and the Knights of Jason. He proudly supported his daughters as they reigned as Queen of Endymion in 1979 and 1983. Harold also enjoyed dressing and supporting theJefferson Parish St.Patrick's Day ParadeCommittee,the Louisiana Irish/Italian Marching Club and various organizations throughout thecity.

Harold's greatest joy came from travel and time spent with family.Whether traveling abroad or enjoying simple fishing trips on Lake Pontchartrain—he made every moment an adventure. He shared his love of bowling, opera, classic music, and new cars with hisdaughters, and created lasting memories withhis twogirls sharing dinnershows and dancing at theRoosevelt's Blue Room, and mornings with his good friend, Harry LeeatThe Coffee Pot on Metairie Road

He instilled in his daughters thevaluesofhard work,curiosity, and perseverance, involving them in thefamily business and encouraging them to pursue theirown paths to success. As agrandfather and great-grandfather, he was aquiet butlovingpresence, alwayscheering from thesidelinesand sharing wisdom and joy.

Harold willberemembered forhis entrepreneurial spirit, his devotion to Diane, and his enduring optimism. He remainedactiveand engaged until his final days,

In lieu of flowers,donations may be madetothe JeffersonCouncil on Aging -Meals Program. Attn: Development Department, 6620 RiversideDrive, Suite 216, Metairie, LA 70003

Relatives and friends are invitedtoattend the funeral services at Lake Lawn Metairie Funeral Home,5100 Pontchartrain BlvdinNew Orleans, on Wednesday, August 27, 2025. Visitation willbegin at 11 AM witha Memorial Mass following at 1PMin thechapel. Harold willbe laid to rest in Lake Lawn Park immediately after the Mass has concluded

To view and sign the family guestbook, please visit lakelawnmetairie.com

HenryChelton Busby, age 86, of Mandeville, Louisiana,passedaway peacefully with familypre‐sentonWednesday,Au‐gust20, 2025. He wasborn onOctober 25, 1938, in Franklinton,Louisiana Chelton wasthe most lov‐ing husbandtohis beloved wife, JimmieNell, with whomheshared68won‐derfulyears of marriage Together they builta fam‐ily grounded in faith,love, and devotion.Hewas a proud father,a doting grandfather,and awon‐derfulgreat-grandfather whose presence brought joy andcomfort to allgen‐erationsofhis family. Chel‐ton honorablyservedhis country in theUnited StatesAir Forcefor four years,including 18 months stationed in Alaska.Fol‐lowinghis military service, hededicated more than fourdecades to McDer‐mottInternational,retiring after 42 yearsofhardwork and commitment.Above all else, Cheltonwas atrue servant of theLord. His deep love forJesus Christ shinedthrough hislifeand touched everyone who had the blessing of knowing him.Hefaithfully served for many yearsasa Dea‐con at theFirst Baptist Church of Mandeville, where he waslater hon‐oredwiththe titleofDea‐con Emeritus.His legacy of faith,love, andservice will continuetoliveonthrough his family, friends, andall whose liveshetouched Chelton is survived by his lovingwifeof68years,Jim‐mie S. Busby; hisdaughterin-law, BarbaraBusby,and son-in-law, Pete Clement; his grandchildren, PJ Clement (Kristen), Whitney Nielsen (Matt),Megan Gouzy (Joshua),Travis Clement (Marley),and Jamie Brantley (Richard); and hisgreat-grandchil‐dren, Hudson andNora (Megan),Martin(Whitney) Madelyn (Jamie), and Quincy, Kellen, andSullivan (Travis). He is also survived byhis sister,RubyE.New‐man,along with many ex‐tended familymembers

anddearfriends.Hewas precededindeath by his parents,JohnC.Busby and MaryLou Boutwell Busby; his children,ChetW.Busby and Lisa B. Clement; his brothers, Marshall I. Busby and WilliamR.Busby;and his brother-in-law,Lavon Newman. Relativesand friends areinvited to at‐tendthe memorial service onWednesday,August27, 2025, at 11:00 AM at First Baptist Church of Mandev‐ille, with visitation begin‐ningat9:00AM. Interment willfollowatPinecrest MemorialGardens in Cov‐ington, Louisiana. E. J. FieldingFuneralHomeof Covington,Louisiana,is honored to be entrusted withMr. Busby’sfuneral arrangements. Hisfamily invites youtoshare thoughts, memories,and condolences by signingan onlineguestbook at www ejfieldingfh.com

Rieger,William CaswellJr.,Erwin Anthony

Caswell, Jr.,age 91, wasborninNew Orleans,Louisiana on Oc‐tober 27, 1933. He passed awayonAugust19, 2025 Erwin livedinMetairiefor the past 35 years. He was precededindeath by his wifeof64years,Diane Leche Caswell, hisparents, Erwin A. Caswell, Sr and MaryRuthMorvant Caswell, andhis twobroth‐ers,MikeCaswell andBob Caswell. Allthree sons wereproud Jesuit High School graduates. He is the fatherofDeborah Caswell Comeaux (Joseph) and DeniseCaswell Benge (Thomas), thegrandfather ofNicoleElise Comeaux, AshleyComeaux Neelis (Todd),AmandaMarie Benge,and theGreatGrandfather of Caswell GeorgeNeelis,Quinn McGilvrayNeelis,and Charlotte JosephineNeelis Heisalsosurvivedbysix niecesand nephews. Erwin wasa 1952 graduate of Je‐

4B ✦ Sunday,August 24,2025 ✦ nola.com ✦ TheTimes-Picayune suit High School where he was amemberofthe foot‐balland trackteams.He was afullbackofthe foot‐ballteam, thecityCoChampions in 1950 and 1951, anda sprinter on the track team which were state championsin1950 and 1951 andNew Orleans citychampions in 1950 1951 and1952.InMay 1952, Jesuitparticipatedin the HarrisrelaysheldinBaton Rouge.Erwin wonthe 100yard, 220-yard and440-yard dashesand received the mostvaluabletrackman award.Erwin attended Loy‐ola University on an Ath‐letic Scholarshipand re‐ceiveda Business Adminis‐tration degree in 1956 and a LawDegreein1970. He was amemberofthe track teamfor 4years andwas anchoronthree sprint relay teams, whichset Loy‐ola school recordsin1953 1954 and1955. He com‐peted in theCentral Colle‐giate Conference Meet,the NCAAmeet,the National AAU Meet andthree Sugar Bowltrack meets. He held the Loyola school recordin the 220-yard dash.Hewas captain of thetrack team in1956 andwas awarded Loyola’soutstanding track‐man that same year.He alsoreceivedLoyola’sout‐standingstudent-athlete award.Hewas inducted intoLoyola’sAthleticHall ofFamein2000and in 2013 receivedLoyola’sannual St. Sebastianaward forhis contributionto the school’sathleticprogram and as Chairman of the Coach JimMcCafferty Scholarship Fund.He servedonvarious school committees over theyears for both Jesuit andLoyola. Erwin served in theU.S Army, active duty,and ac‐tivereserves, from 1956 to 1964, stationedatFort Knox, Kentucky andFort Bliss, Texas. He attained the rank of captainand was honorablydischarged in1964.Hewas amember ofthe LouisianaState Bar Associationand aNotary PublicinJefferson Parish Hewas aformermember and officerofthe Men’s ClubofResurrectionofOur LordParish, theNew Or‐leans East YMCA,and the Donna VillaImprovement Association, wherehe servedaspresident in 1970-1971. In the1960s he officiated CYOfootball, basketball, andsoftball, and coachedboys’ softball atResurrectionofour Lord parishfor severalyears.He was amemberofthe Knights of Columbus, Council 12686, TheRosary Altar Society, theLegionof Mary, andthe St.Vincent DePaulSociety/Helping Hands of St.Catherine of Siena parish,where he has been aparishioner for35 years.Erwin wasa Land‐man/Attorney, having workedfor ShellOil Com‐pany, TheLouisiana Land and Exploration Company, where he retiredasman‐agerofthe leaserecords department, Texaco Oil Company,LandManage‐mentServicesand LLOG Exploration Co.Hewas a memberofthe American and NewOrleans Petro‐leumLandman Associa‐tions during hiscareer in the oiland gasindustry. Erwin enjoyedplaying golf withfellowworkers and familymembers.Hecom‐peted in 5K,10K andhalfmarathons on weekends Heran and finished the New OrleansMarathonat the ageof56. He enjoyed traveling with Dianeon trips to othercountries and going to casinos in Louisiana andthe Missis‐sippi Gulf Coast. He was blessedwitha loving wife two daughters, three granddaughters, two great-grandsons anda great-granddaughter.The familywillreceive friends from11AMuntil 1PM MondayAugust25atJacob Schoen& SonFuneral Home3827Canal St.A MassofChristian Burial willbecelebratedat1 PM inthe J. GaricSchoen Chapel, Father Timothy Hedrick Celebrant. En‐tombmenttofollowat Greenwood Mausoleum. ArrangementsbyJacob Schoen& SonFuneral Home. Condolencesmay beleftatwww.schoenfh. com

years. He was the son of the late Capt. Arthur Alexander Clarkson (USN Ret.)and Elizabeth Portner Clarkson and brotherof the late Elizabeth Clarkson Jackson and Mary Clarkson DeArmas. He is survived by his brother-inlaw, Dr. Joseph Berengher Brechtel.

He is also survived by his fivedaughters, who loved him very much and willmiss him dearly: JacquelynRutgers Clarkson, Cynthia Clarkson Alsfeld(Lenny), Diane Clarkson Hastings (Scott), Kevin Clarkson Sanders (Mike) and PatriciaDavies Clarkson

Buzz and Jackiewere very proud of theirten grandchildren: William Michael Sanders, Jr. (Sarah), Elizabeth Sanders Greyson (Lukas), Margaret AlsfeldKaul (Chris), KatherineHastings Lewis (Peter),MaryCaswell Alsfeld, Arthur Alexander Clarkson Sanders (Molly), Leonard Clarkson Alsfeld (Ashlyn), John Mc Williams Alsfeld(Mary Robin), Scott Davis Hastings, Jr. (Sissi) and Reginald Lee Hastings II (Liz). Theywerefurther delighted by the arrival of their seventeen greatgrandchildren.

Buzz was bornin Annapolis,Maryland, wherehis father was a professor of mathematics atthe U.S. NavalAcademy. He and his family lived around the world whilehis father servedinthe United States Navy. After moving to NewOrleanswhen his father was appointed the Commanding Officer of the Naval Station, BuzzgraduatedfromBehrman High School with the love of his life, Jackie Brechtel.HeattendedTulane University and receivedboth aB.S. in Psychologyand aMasters inPublic Health Administration.

He servedinthe United States Air Forceasa radar andcommunications specialist, achieving the rank ofCaptain. During the VietnamWar,hecommanded aradar site for one year on the island of Kumejima in the East China Sea. Jackie and his five daughters remained in New Orleans

Following his service to our country,Buzzrejoined his family in New Orleans, whereheworked as an Administrator forvarious localorganizationsthat helped youth in need.

After manyyearsofconsultingwork, Buzzjoined LSU Medical School as the Administrator forthe Department of Medicine, whereheworked until he retired.

Buzz loved the great outdoors and livedtohunt and fish with allofhis wonderful buddies.

He donated his body to LSU Medical School, BureauofAnatomical Services.

Acelebration of his life willbeheldonJanuary 17, 2026 at TrinityEpiscopal Church. Visitation will be from 12 pm-1 pm, with the Celebration of Lifeservice at 1p.m. Abrief reception at the church willfollow.

Interment willbeprivate.

The family wouldlike to thankthe staffand medical team at Inspired Living Memory Care facilityfor thecompassionate and lovingcarehereceived during thelastyear of his life

Inlieuofflowers, please consider donations to the LSU HealthSciences Center Foundation, https:/ /give.lsuhealthfoundation. org/tribute;The National World WarIIMuseum:

https://www.nationalww2 museum.org/give/honoryour-hero/tribute-gifts-national-wwii-museum; and theLouisiana Wildlifeand Fisheries Foundation, https://www.lawff.org/trib ute-donations

Courtney, C.C.

C.C. Courtney, legendary NewOrleans radio personality, award-winning playwright, and actor,diedof cancer on June 17 in Asheville, NorthCarolina. He was 85.

During the1960s, his rich voice, wit, and charisma earnedhim thetitle "Duke of the Dial."Hewas averypopular performer who often served as Master of Ceremonies for thehottest local and touring actsofthe day, including Professor Longhair, Dr. John, JerryLee Lewis, and The Beatles. And his fans oftengathered to chase himthroughthe streetsof NewOrleans at theconclusionofhis broadcasts.

In 1965, actor Steve McQueen encouraged him to study acting with Sanford Meisner at the NeighborhoodPlayhouse in NewYork. After graduating,hestarred in NBC's The Doctorsand co-wrote thehit rock musical Salvation. As asongwriter he madethe Billboard Top 10 and several other Billboard charts. He also won the1970 Drama Desk Award forMost Promising Musical Writer.

Courtney worked in film, television, theater,and publishing. He also earned twoMFA degrees before returning to teach acting at theNeighborhood Playhouse.

He is survivedbyhis wife, Helen Lindberg,and son, Kat Courtney, of Eureka, Montana Memorial donations may be madetothe NeighborhoodPlayhouse or theArbor Day Foundationat www.cccourtney.com

work.Inhis firstweek at Illinois,Chris metmusicol‐ogy studentValerie Woodring;the twowere married in 1980. Theirlives together centered on their familyand on theirshared interests in musicteaching and research.Theyoften traveledtogether to field‐worksites,libraries,and archivesinMexico, Europe, orthe United States,some‐times with theirchildren, and were each other’s first and best readers. In 1983–84, they livedinVienna, where Valeriehelda Ful‐brightfellowshipfor dis‐sertation research on music of JohannesBrahms, and in 1988–89, they lived inNorwaywhile Chrisheld a Fulbrightprofessorship atthe University of Trond‐heim. Christook greatjoy inhis family—hiswife; daughters,KateGoertzen (Erek Dyskant) andEllen Kimsey(Isaac Kimsey); grandchildren,Micah and June Goertzen-Dyskant and Holly Kimsey;his sister Kathleen Goertzen;his niece,NicoleChalmela (Ravi Chalmela); andhis brother-in-law, Bill Woodring.Healsodearly loved andavidlycollected steel-stringguitars,on which he played both folkinspiredmusic andclassi‐cal pieces.Inaddition to the instruments’ sound,he was entrancedbytheir beauty, theirdifferent shapes, andthe feel,color, and grainoftheir woods. Hesoughtbeautyalso through travel—Oaxaca, Is‐tanbul, Berlin,and Basel werefavoritedestinations andthrough viewingart makingand listeningto music,and readingthe workofskilled writers. He and Valeriepaddled their canoe regularlythrough the bayous of southeast‐ern Louisiana, where they found peaceand spiritual refreshment.Chris was passionateabout food,ide‐allyspicy—hethought it was only fairifthe food had achanceto fightback andwas an accom‐plished cook.Heloved fine musical performances,the Bachcello suites,lan‐guages, tennis,handmade items,roadtrips,and the natural world. He began collectingbutterfliesinhis youth,and couldnamethe species andfamilyofmost any that he saw. Hisfamily fondlyremembers vaca‐tions in theVWcamper van,exploring Oaxacan markets,attending fiddle contests, thedelicious meals he made,his playing guitarand singinginthe livingroom,his facebeam‐ing with pridefor achild or grandchild,and hissly

smile after tellinga joke he knewwas bad. ChrisGo‐ertzen’sscholarly work ex‐ploresthe placeofmusic, other arts,and traditional craftsinculture andinthe lives of thosewho create orenjoy them.Inaddition tomorethan30journal ar‐ticlesand book chapters, hepublished sevenbooks: Fiddlingfor Norway:Re‐vival andIdentity(1997); SouthernFiddlersand Fid‐dle Contests (2008);Made inMexico: Tradition, Tourism,and PoliticalFer‐mentinOaxaca(2010); GeorgeP.Knauff’sVirginia Reelsand theHistory of AmericanFiddling(2017); AmericanAntebellumFid‐dling (2020);Rugs, Guitars, and Fiddling: Intensifica‐tionand theRichModern Lives of TraditionalArts (2022);and EckRobertson atthe Crossroads of Amer‐icanFiddling(2025),a study of aTexas fiddler who in 1922 made the first commercialrecordingsof country musicand whose playing profoundly influ‐enced theshape of Texas fiddling. With DavidHursh, Chris coauthored Good Medicineand Good Music: A BiographyofMrs.Joe Person, Patent Remedy En‐trepreneurand Musician (2009),and with TimRice and JamesPorter, he coeditedthe Europe vol‐ume of theGarland Ency‐clopediaofWorld Music (2000).Chris wasanactive memberofthe American FolkloreSociety andthe Society forEthnomusicol‐ogy.For severalyears,he playedviola with the NorthshoreCommunity Or‐chestra in Slidell. After teachinginseven other states, Chrisjoinedthe music faculty of TheUni‐versity of Southern Missis‐sippi in Hattiesburg in 2000 asanAssociate Professor; heretired in 2022 at the rankofProfessor andwas awarded emeritus status Hetaughtone course at LoyolaUniversityNew Or‐leans in spring semesters of2023–25. Chriswas abril‐liant,devoted,and popular teacher with arelaxed de‐meanorand somewhatun‐conventionalmethods.He loved sharinghis knowl‐edgeand experienceswith students, challengingthem toexpandtheir thinking and equippingthemfor ca‐reersinmusic perfor‐mance,teaching, ethnomu‐sicology,and other fields His students recall him bringinghomemadebread toclass, wearingsandals inall weather, trouncing the unsuspecting at ping pong, andsupplying the coldclassroom with blan‐kets he wouldplayfully

throw. Remembrancescan befound on USM’sFace‐book page.Visit Dr.Go‐ertzen’sobituarypageon www.AudubonFuneralH ome.com fora direct link Those whose livesChris Goertzentouched will re‐memberhis authenticity his playfulsense of humor, his stubborn forge-ahead attitude,his kind heart, and hisloveofbeauty. Our loveand thoughts arewith you,preciousone

With profound sadness, we announce thepassing of Alexander "Alex" Hankel,a man of endless talents, afierceloyalty, anda loving heart. He left us on Monday, August 18, 2025, at theage of 49, leavingbehinda legacy of creativity, kindness, anddeliciousBBQ. Aproud NewOrleanian born on December 7, 1975, Alex carried the spirit of thecitywithhim everywhere, even after moving to State Line, MS.Hewas a graduate of Brother Martin High School (1994), Delgado, and LSU, where he earned hisdegree in GraphicDesign— atestament to his creative eye Alex wasa builder anda maker. With hishands, he couldbring anythingto life. As theowner of Cross Cut and Walk Studios and former ownerofHankel Electric,hechanneled his mechanical mindintoeveryproject, whetheritwas for work or for passion.His determination shone brightestinhis woodworking, whereheoncetook a cast-off motor and transformed it into afully functional lathe —a symbol of hisability to seepotential whereotherssaw only scrap. He wasa die-hard fan of theSaintsand LSU, butnothingbroughthim more joythan sharinga

meal with those he loved. He inherited aspecial touch from his father, grilling asteak so perfectly it became the stuff of legend. Alex's love for music, golf, fishing, and skateboarding was as vast as his circle of friends, but what people will remember most was his kind and gentle heart, especially for children. He adored making them laugh and was often the one to make sure every kid at the party had asmile on their face. He was aproud member of Hog Dat Nation, abrotherhood forged in camaraderie and cooking.

Alex is survived by his adoring wifeand soulmate, Tara Clement Hankel; his loving mother, Susan Tribou Hankel; his brother and friend, Andrew Yung Hankel (Elizabeth); and his nephew, Alexander. He is also survived by his aunts Joycelyn, Hallie, and Debbie (Pete); uncles Ricky, Daryl (Yordanka), and Arthur (Jeanne); and numerous cousinsand friends. He was reunited in death with his beloved father and best friend, Alan Hankel; his grandparents Nathan and Joyce Hankel and Tillman and Claire Tribou; and his uncle Nathan Hankel. Relatives and friends are invited to celebrate Alex's lifeatLakeLawn MetairieFuneral Home on Tuesday, August26, 2025, with visitation from 9a.m. to 12 p.m.and aMass at noon. Flowers are welcome as are donations in his memory to his Hogs for the Cause team, Hog Dat Nation at https://www.hog datnation.com/.Toview and sign the online guestbook, please visit www.lak elawnmetairie.com

BillyMason Jambon en‐tered into eternalreston August19, 2025. Beloved son of thelateDoris Buf‐foneJambonand Mason Jambon. BrotherofBobby Jambon. Father of Billy Jambon, Jr.A native of New Orleans,and longtime resi‐dentofHarvey, LA.Rela‐tives andFriends of the Familyare invitedtoat‐tendthe Memorial Visita‐tionatMothe Funeral Home, 2100 Westbank Expy, Harvey,LAonThurs‐day,August28, 2025 from 9 AMuntil Memorial Mass timeat11AM. Interment Our Lady of Prompt Succor Cemetery, Westwego, LA Toviewand sign theonline guestbook visitwww.mot hefunerals.com.

Kinsey, Laura Defley

Laura Marie Kinsey (née Defley), 62, passed away on Sunday July 13, 2025, in Baltimore, Maryland. Born on February 16, 1963, she spent her early years in Port Sulphur, Louisiana before attending Loyola University in New Orleans Laura is survived by Steve, her beloved husband of 38 years; their son Emile; siblingsMark Defley, Michele Defley, Michael Defley (and his wife Leslie),and Paula Defley, and nieces Eliza and Sarah. She was preceded in death by her parents, Josephine Ann Wooton Defley and Joseph Edward Defley, Jr. Laura Marie Kinsey will be remembered for her unwavering kindness, powerful voice—both literal and figurative—and steadfast belief in the dignity of every human being. May her memory bring comfortto all who knew her.

Joseph

DavidJosephLicciardi was born on January17th, 1963, in NewOrleans, Louisiana,toDavid Liccia‐rdi andMarie (Mizie) OlivierLicciardi.Hewas

found to have passedaway onAugust15th, 2025. His suddenlossfrompresum‐ablynatural causes was unexpected,and hisfamily isprofoundly saddened David waspredeceased by grandparents, Ruth &Paul Olivier and Almira & JosephLicciardi,Sr.,as wellashis father,David Licciardi.David J. Licciardi issurvivedbyhis only son and best friend,David B. (Stevie) Licciardi, his mother, Mizie Licciardi, and siblings,Beth (Jay) Schwander,Jill (Carl) Buh‐ler,and Paul (Karen)Lic‐ciardi, as well as by his aunt,Carol Blanchard, uncle,Joseph(Simonne) Licciardi,Jr.,and many nieces, nephews, grand‐nieces, grandnephews,and cousins—a full familyis grievinghis loss.Always anexcellent student, David attended St.AngelaMerici School forelementaryand graduated with honors fromJesuitHighSchool in 1981. He received hisB.S.in ManagementfromTulane Universityin1985 andhis MBA from theUniversityof New Orleansin2004. After college,David worked with his father as arealestate appraiser. Then,for 27 years,David worked as a Louisiana certified residen‐tialappraiser forthe Jef‐fersonParishAssessor’s Office.David wasa truly giftedmusician; he could playanythingbyear Thoughpiano washis first instrument, he also loved the guitar.His familyand friends lovedtohearhim play. Davidshareda love of the Beatles with his mother, andhis witty humor couldlight up a room with laughter.Hehad a passionfor familyand cityhistory and enjoyed learninglittleknown facts about buildings, homes, and past inhabitantsof New Orleans. Spending quality time with family and friendswas hisfa‐voritepartofany day— whether it wastaking walks with hisson and grand-dog, Marty, or call‐ing aloved onejusttosay hi.” Davidwillbegreatly missed. Gone toosoon Relatives andfriends are invited to attend thevisita‐tiononWednesday,August 27, 2025, 11AM at St.Fran‐cis Xavier Catholic Church 444 Metairie Rd., with the FuneralMassbeginning at 1PM.A gravesideblessing willfollowatMetairie Cemetery, 5100 Pontchar‐train Blvd.Uponthe con‐clusion of theservice friends andfamilyare in‐vited to areception at the home of MizieLicciardi

Lutz,Fred E.

Fred E. Lutz, acherished son of Louisiana, passed awayonMay 31, 2025,at the ageof77. Born on January24, 1948, in Monroe,Louisiana, Fred grew up with adeep appreciationfor Louisiana traditions and alove for community. His early years in Monroe shaped the generous, hardworking, and thoughtful man he would become.

Fredmoved to New Orleans, LAin1970, attending Tulane University, and graduated with aBachelor of Arts Degree.During this time he began his 55 year love affair with the "Big Easy" and everythingit had to offer. Fred embracedits culture, marching with the Society of Saint Anne in 1975,joining theKreweofArmeniusin 1976, and ultimately was crowned King in 1980.A avid loverofMardiGras season, Fred hosted lavish partiesonBourbon Street.. .always donning a fashionable costume.

Fred discoveredhis love of musicals and theater in 70'sand 80'sand performedinnumerous shows at the Children's Corner at Le Petit Theatre, the Jefferson Playhouse, and the GalleryCircle. His love of theatre inspired nearannual tripstoNew York City to attend the hottest broadwayshows.

Fred's began hiscareer in the banking industry before hejoined LSU Health Sciences Center School of Medicine in 1975. During his 40-year tenure, he servedasa Business Manager, successfully leadingseveraldepartments withinthe School of Medicine,and served as a valuedresource to many of his coworkers, while mentoringand developing long-lasting friendships along the way. Hisprofessionalism, kindness, and dedicationtouchedthe livesofmany.

Fred was precededin deathbyhis belovedmother Shirley Folmar Lutz.His kind heartand gentle spirit

were most evident in the compassionate care he providedtohis mother,enriching bothoftheir lives; his grandmotherJean "Mimi" Folmart Barnwell, and his aunts Carolyn Rodriguez,Billy Polito and Lou-Ann. He is survivedbyhis cousins EricRowzee (Anette) and ChrisRowzee (Amy); dear friends Billy Smith and Caleb Guillory, who were his chosen family and exhibitedsuch love and carethroughout Fred's life;and countless friends and neighborsfromall walks of life Fred's legacy is one of kindness,humility, and quietgrace.Hewillbe deeply missed butforever remembered in thehearts of those fortunate enough to haveknown him. In lieu of flowers,the family and friends kindly request donations be madetoFoodfor Friends at Crescent Care https://w ww.crescentcare.org/don ate/ or Project Lazarus NewOrleans https://proje ctlazarus.net/donate/

Dr.Felix G. Rabito,Sr., age 95, of Mandeville Louisiana,passedawayon Thursday,August21, 2025, athis home surrounded by his loving family. He was bornonMay 13, 1930, in New Orleans, Louisiana, the second sonofAnthony Rabitoand Amelia Chetta Rabito. He is survived by his loving wife of 69 years, JanicePedelahoreRabito; their four children,Gia M. Rabito(SidBhansali),Feli‐cia A. Rabito (William Elli‐son), Felix G. Rabito,Jr. (Mary FrancesSlahetkaRa‐bito) andMichael S. Rabito (RobinJermann Rabito); six grandchildren, Kather‐ine DiLeo(DavidBrand), Ara Ellison, EmilyEllison, Felix M. Rabito,Julia Rabito and Thomas Rabito;and manyextendedfamily members andfriends.He was preceded in deathby his olderbrother Anthony Rabito, Jr.and hisyounger brother,Frank Rabito,both ofNew Orleans. Felix grad‐uated from Tulane Univer‐sityand LSUMedical School with hisResidency spent at CharityHospital. Duringthe Korean Conflict, heservedinthe United StatesAirforceasAir Force Captain,Medical Corp sta‐tionedatLangley AirForce BaseinHampton,Virginia. Returning to NewOrleans, hebecamea highly re‐spected anddevoted physician practicing Inter‐nal Medicine andCardiol‐ogy until he retiredatage 85. Felix startedhis prac‐ticeofmedicineatBaptist, Mercy andHotel Dieu hos‐pitals, before committing himself to thedevelop‐mentofalarge multi-spe‐cialtyinternalmedicine practice, theInternalMedi‐cineGroup (IMG), affiliated withPendelton Memorial Methodist Hospital in New Orleans East.There he su‐pervisedthe firstCardiac Catheterization Laboratory atMethodist and, together withhis partners,grew IMGtobeone of the largest groupofphysicians inpracticeinNew Orleans expanding to communities inEastSt. Tammanyand Jefferson parishes.Adja‐centtoMethodist,heand his partners builtthe Med‐icalCenterofEastNew Or‐leans,a 13-storymedical complex which housed multi-specialties to better serve thegrowing commu‐nityofEastNew Orleans. Throughouthis career,he heldleadershippositions inmanymedical societies and received numerous recognitionsincluding the AmericanCollege of Physi‐cians Laureate Award. He was also amedical consul‐tanttoChevron OilCom‐pany, ShellOil Company, Louisiana Land &Explo‐ration, andwas aconsul‐tanttothe FederalAviation Administration. AfterFelix retired from IMG, he and Janicerelocated to their weekendhomeinMandev‐ille, where he establisheda solopracticeand enjoyed serving hispatientsfor an‐other 15 years. Felix and Janiceweremembers of the Beau Chenegolfing community fornearly50 years andhad many friends both Northand South of thelake. He wasa memberofSt. Pius theX and Mary Queen of Peace parishesand supported manyCatholiccharities Felix found beauty in his travels to Europe andthe AmericanWest. He loved opera,literature, art, his‐toryand politics.Hewas passionateabout golf which he enjoyedplaying withJanice, proudlystat‐ing that together they had theperfect game –she the

long game andhethe short game.His life was fullofmanywinswithhis devoted Janice by hisside. What Felix wasmostpas‐sionate aboutwas hisfam‐ily –his wife,his children their spouses, andhis grandchildren –all of whomgavehim endless joy throughout hisblessed life. In lieu of flowers, con‐tributionsinmemoryofDr. Rabitomay be made to a charity of your choice.Rel‐ativesand friendsare in‐vited to attend thememor‐ial serviceonThursday August28, 2025, at 12:00 PMatMaryQueen of Peace Catholic Church, WestCausewayApproach Mandeville, Louisiana, with visitationbeginning at 11:00 AM.Interment will be heldprivately at AllSaints Mausoleum,5100 Pontchartrain Boulevard, New Orleans, Louisiana. E. J.FieldingFuneralHomeof Covington,Louisiana,is honored to be entrusted withDr. Rabito’s funeral arrangements. Hisfamily invites youtoshare thoughts, memories,and condolences by signingan onlineguestbook at www ejfieldingfh.com

TerryAnn Richard passed away unexpectedly on August 9, 2025. She was preceded in deathbyher parents, ElsieRamagos Richard and JosephLee Richard, allnativesofNew Orleans, theirlineage going back generations. Terryissurvivedbyher brother, LeeJoseph Richard, sister-in-law, Irene BakerRichard, her godchild,Annette Brewer, and ahost of "special" nieces and nephews, Thomas "Toby" Dempsey (Pamela), Logan F. Dempsey, Quinn T. Dempsey, Ashley P. Dempsey, Dylan T. Dempsey, and Meghan D. Crosby(Lee Crosby, Jr.)

Terrywas adevout Catholicwho attended Catholic schools from kindergarten throughhigh schoolatSt. Anthony of Padua Elementary School and Cabrini HighSchool. She then attended LSUfor several years. Due to her happy, friendly personality,Terry madelifelong friends during those schoolyears going allthe way back to kindergarten. Following her years at LSU, Terry went to workfor Haase ConstructioninNew Orleans. Whenthe oiland gas industry beganrevving up,she started acareerat Shell OilCompanyasan InformationManagement Tech whereshe spent the rest of her working years untilretirement.Needless to say, she madeeven morefriends. Terryvalued all her many friendships andfound such joyintheir conversation and laughter. As alifelong parishioner of St.Clement of Rome Catholic Church, she was recognized forher many services.She was especially devoted to theBlessed MotherMary and Father Seelos. They brought her peace and comfort throughout her life

The family wouldliketo express their deepest appreciationtothe devoted doctors and nurses at East JeffersonHospitalLCMC.

Relatives and friends are invitedtoattend a memorial service on Wednesday, August 27, 2025 at LakeLawn Metairie Funeral Home,5100 Pontchartrain Blvd. New Orleans, LA.Visitation will beginat10:00 AM with Mass to be held at 12:00 PM,celebrated by Father Joe Kraft of St. Clement of Rome, accompanied by Deacon Uriel Durr of Cabrini HighSchool. Areception willfollowatthe Lake Lawn EventCenter. Inurnment will be private at alaterdate. In lieu of flowers,donations may be madetoThe American Heart Association, Cabrini High School,orany charityof your choice. To view or signthe online guest book, visit wwwlakelawnmetairie.co m

Rieger, William Raymond 'Ray'

William "Ray" RaymondRieger, Jr., anative and lifelongresident of NewOrleans,passed away peacefully on August 16, 2025 at theage of 77.

He wasprecededin death by his belovedwife, Melanie DeluzainRieger; andparents, William "Bill" Rieger,Sr. andNorma Alexander Rieger

Ray is survivedbyhis daughters, Cherie Rieger Webb (Larry) and Danielle Rieger Burlison (Robert); grandchildren, Luke and Laura Burlison; andsister, KathleenRiegerLouviere.

He received abachelor's degree in business from Southeastern University and wasproud to serve his countryasa member of theUnited States AirForce from 1972 until 1976. After hisservice in theAir Force, he workedfor theUnited States Postal Service as a postal clerkfor many years. He was an avid golferand apassionate NewYorkYankeesand NewOrleans Saintsfan

Ray washeavilyinvolved with his church and wasanactivemember of St.Matthew theApostle's Saint Vincent de Paul Society. To honor the church that meantso much to him, please consider adonation to St Matthew theApostle parish in lieu of floral tributes

Relativesand friends are invited to attendthe funeral servicesatSt. Matthew theApostle Catholic Church,10021 JeffersonHighwayinRiver Ridge,Louisiana, on Saturday, August 30, 2025. Visitation will begin at 10:30 AM with aMemorial Mass followingat12PM. Ray will be laidtorest besidehis wife and parents in Lake LawnParkprivately at alater date.

Go Yanks!

To view andsignthe familyguestbook, please visit lakelawnmetairie.com

George Frank Sustendal, III passedawaypeacefully on Friday, August 1, 2025, from complications followinga strokewhich left him bedriddenfor the past 5½ years. Born on June 3, 1940, in NewOrleans,LA, George attendedSam Barthe Junior High School and graduatedfromSt.

Stanislaus High School. He attendedTulane University, wherehewas a proudmember of Alpha Tau Omegafraternity. He later earnedhis degree from Columbia University in NewYorkCity. George served honorably in the U.S. Navy, spending time aboardthe aircraft carrier USSRandolphand at Guantanamo Bay Naval Base in Cuba. George andhis beloved wife, Pat,shareda passion for travel, exploring destinations across the globe. Hislifelonglove for the water began as an avocation andevolvedintoa remarkable career in the worldofyachting.He sailed charter boats in the Caribbean,built boats in Australia, andbrokered yachts in Fort Lauderdale He representedprestigious shipbuilderssuchas LürssenofGermanyand Royal Huisman of the Netherlands, andcontributedtothe restoration of legendaryJ-class yachts like Endeavour. He wasalso involvedinthe construction of Maxi yachts for Europeanroyalty. Familyand friends often said,"If therewas aboat around,he'dbeinit. If it wasa sailboat, he would raceit—evenifthere was no race." From the Southern Ocean Racing Circuit to theBiloxiYacht Club, andeven twicecompleting thegrueling Sydney-to-HobartRace, George's competitive spirit andskillatthe helm were unmatched. He wasgenerouswith hisknowledge, mentoring young sailors andalways willingtodiscuss tactics, answer questions, or offer ahelpful tip. George wasa former member of theSouthern Yacht Club, TheNew York Yacht Club, StormTrysail Club, Royal Tasmanian Yacht Club, andthe Biloxi Yacht Club. In thecommunity, he wasactive with theBiloxiBusinessmen's Club, theSlavonian Lodge, andservedasa directorof theOhr-O'Keefe Museum of Art. He wasprecededin death by hisparents, Dr George F. Sustendal, Jr andMary Sue Anderson Sustendal; and hissister, SueCecileSustendal, all of NewOrleans George is survivedby hischerished wife, Ethelyn Patricia Connor Joachim, Ph.D.,ofOcean Springs, MS;his sister,Diane Sustendal Labouisse;his brothers, Michael Francis (Catherine) Sustendal of NewOrleans,LA, andC Don(Gerry) Sustendal of Madisonville,LA; hisstepsons, Brian Connor Joachimand Craig (Beth) JoachimofOceanSprings, MS.ToBrian,George was affectionately knownas his"Bonus Dad." Private serviceswill be held Bradford-O'Keefe Funeral Home is honored to serve the familyof George Frank Sustendal, III

OPINION

OURVIEWS

Twenty

yearslater, what Katrinarevealedabout us

Twodecades is alongtime. Long enough foranew generationto havegrown up with no memory of that terrible day in 2005 when the floodwalls broke and waterbegan rising so suddenly,soawfully and so devastatingly Yetfor those wholived through it, cane Katrinacan feel likeyesterday It’shard to forget thepanic and the uncertainty.The surreal scenes of desperation and grief, playing out in familiar but alsobarelyrecognizable places. The smell of damp, moldy Sheetrock and freezers that had been stuffed withseafood before the power wentout

Thelives lost and foreverchanged.

It’s also hard to forget in the weeks and months that followed the worry etched on the faces of friendsand neighbors grappling with questions that would determinethe fate of acity,astate and aregion. Would we rebuild? Can we rebuild? How torebuild?

But perhaps the20th anniversaryofKatrina this week is theperfect vantage point to see the answers to those thorny questions, to assess notonlywhatwas lost but what’s been built.Perhapswecan finally take abreath from all theorganizing, planning andmaking ourcase —tostop and see clearly what we’ve achieved and what is left to do NewOrleans —then, nowand forever —is the creativeventure of thepeoplewho live hereand who love it.And 20 yearsafter Katrina, we can say,unequivocally,that when all seemed lost, New Orleanians, with the help of fellow Louisianans andpeople all over the country and world,loved it back to life.

It’s still here because of countless people whose names we didn’t know back then, and forthe most part still don’t.It’shere because of big decisions, yes, butalso countless small ones.

Lest we forget, in thoseearly days, it was a leapoffaith to bet on New Orleans’ ultimate survival. And indeed, some on thenational levelquestioned whether acitysopoor,lowlying and vulnerable to extreme weather should exist at all.

The city was still dark andempty then, with evacuated residents just starting to wrap their heads aroundwhat thelong, difficultroad back would look like There would beangry political fightsin thosefirst years, over which areas should be prioritized and how tofairly rebuild communities where manydidn’t haveenough

insurance coverage, over replicating what was lost versus seizing theonce-in-a-lifetime opportunity to transform —all against the backdrop of grief for those who didn’tsurvive and who were struggling wherever they to find their way home.

In theend, thefederal government came through with ahard-fought $120 billion to remakeschools, improve and fortify flood protection and create from scratch atroubled but ultimately massive residential rebuilding program.So did stateleaders, as well as Louisiana’s Congressional delegation and local officials. The national and international philanthropic community stepped up beyond all expectations.

But, with the benefit of hindsight, it’s clear that New Orleansisnot still here because of them. The real heroes of the recovery were individuals who rolled up their sleeves, put pencils to paper and slept in cramped trailers while they put thepieces back together They’re thepeople who refused to give up on their homes, their people, their culture and their neighborhoods —even if outside planners suggested turning them intogreen space.

They’re theresidents of Baton Rouge, Lafayette, Alexandria, Shreveport and all over Louisianawho offered temporary shelter and achance to regroup. They’re thefolks who volunteered more hours than theycould count to haul families’soggy possessions to thecurb or dream up reform plans.

They’re also thefriends and strangers who made up thesecond wave, those who saw thesuffering, flocked here to help from just about everywhere, injected desperately needed new energy and, in many cases, never left

There were communal touchstones, starting with theSaints’ epic return to theSuperdomein2006. Butthere also were amillion private, intimate ones: the return of electricitytoa rebuilt home, aconversation with student volunteers who justwanted to let the people here know someone cared, neighbors coming together on Saturday mornings to plan out what they wanted their little corner of the community to be.

The amount of work done, of sweat equity invested over these two decades to get us to this point, is mind-boggling, when you think

about it.

Butstill, so much moreisneeded.

For as much as the past 20 years have been atriumph of will and of intent, fartoo many of the challenges that Katrina revealed to the world still vex us. The education system has been promisingly revamped, but chronic infrastructure shortcomings and the dearth of well-paying jobs still drive our young people to seek opportunity elsewhere.

The cost of living —particularly when it comes to housing and insurance —has skyrocketed,exacerbating the factors that kept toomany in what has long been alow-wage service economy from returning in the first place.

There’ve been spectacular flood control improvements since the storm,but in the age of climate change and extreme weather,weremain frighteningly exposed to the elements. And often lately,the can-do spirit of the early post-Katrina years seemstohave morphed into malaise.

For awhile after Katrina, the area grew Now it’sshrinking, alarmingly,just as it was before that fateful Aug. 29. Census figures peg greater NewOrleans as the fastest shrinking metro area in the country,with population downnearly 4% between 2020 and 2024. Statewide, census estimates show that two-thirds of Louisiana parishes lost population in 2024.

This anniversary comes as New Orleans is at an inflection point. It has seen somestunning successes in recent months, attracting business, hosting aSuper Bowl. But there is also asense that we’re forgetting someofthe hard-won lessons we learned after Katrina. Letthis anniversary be areminder of what can happen when we all set our minds to a larger cause.

Because if we get the basics right, we’ve got so much to offer.We’re apeople who cook together,play music together anddance together in thestreet. We greet strangers instead of looking past them,honor creativity and embrace eccentricity.The lowscan be awfully low,but no place can match our highs. And when the chips are down, we fight for this place that we love, aplace that, 20 years ago, we simply refused to let die.

That’swho the people of this region were after Katrina.

That’swho we still are.

COMMENTARY

Amtrak MardiGrastrain awin forall

The Amtrak Mardi Gras Service is abig winner

The train route between New Orleans and Mobile, Alabama, is a winner for Amtrak, awinnerfor NewOrleans, awinner for Mobile, awinner for the Mississippi Coast, awinner for riders and awinner for public safety For safety,it’sawinner to the extent that it reduces the number of drivers on Interstate 10, which has become ahaven for rude and dangerous motorists. It’sanobvious winner for all the places along the route because it surely will increase thenumber of visitors to and from each place, thusdriving economic developmentand aspirit of community Those points need no complicated explanations. Acceptingthem as agiven, then, let this column describe why the new passengerrail service is such awinnerfor riders.

To get afeel for the whole experience, Irode on both theceremonial inaugural ride from Mobile to New Orleans on Aug. 16 and the initial public ride from New Orleans to Mobile on the early morning of Aug. 18.

To begin with, consider the logistics. The whole process of takingthe train is remarkably easy (although Ihope Mobileprovides moreprotection from inclement weather,which right now is impermanent at its end). There are

no complicated security hassles. There is plentyoftime to board, and parkingavailability seems nearlyadequate Lifts for handicapped riders are available, although passengers withmobility issues should call ahead (yes, areal phone call) for arrangements. And theprices, starting as low as $15 on some weekdays, are terrific The only two small hiccupsare aWi-Fi system that is spotty between New Orleans andthe Slidell area (but otherwise seems good), and the possibility that the freight lines, which by law should give “preference” to Amtrak,might ignore the law andblock thetracks (temporarily) anyway.Myadvice: Allow an extra half-hour foryour plans at yourdestination,just in case. As expected for abrand-new service, the trains arebright, clean and comfortable. Even when sold out, they aren’t cramped

The ride is usually much smoother than it is jerky.The train employees all seem friendly, helpful andindeedhappy to be there and to havethe trains in operation

Best of all, though, was afeature that was somewhat of a surprise. Namely,the wonderful scenery.Trains in this nation’s Northeast have areputation for unappetizing vistas: junkyards,

abandoned industrial sites, urban blight.Well, except for one section just east of New Orleans, that’snot the case with theMardi Gras line. Instead, the view out thewindows usually ranges from interesting to pleasant to absolutely lovely The stretch between Pascagoula and Mobile, for example, is lush, green, wooded and interspersed with streams. Then, for those who long have frequented theMississippi Coast, thechange in viewpointsfrom theusual roadways is fascinating: Crossing both theBiloxi River and Bay St.Louis from atrain’s-

eye perspective, forexample, seemsnew andpretty.And right near thedepot in Bay St. Louis, ascenic pondand park are adelight. The best part, though, is south of what we know as New Orleans East and then Slidell, in marshes stretchinginto Mississippi. The wetlands, spreading out for miles,are gorgeous. Waterfowl are plentiful, floating or skimminglow across the waters and grasses. In places of open water, dolphins splash. And at the Rigolets, even moredramatically than from the(closed) U.S. 90 bridge, thesudden opening to the Gulf on

one side with fishing skiffs in the shallowsonthe other,iswonderful.

Meanwhile, the journey isn’t the only worthwhile thing. Louisianans might wonder about the destination, too. The Mississippi parts are familiar: the white sand beaches, the bustling beach-town vibe of Bay St. Louis. But what about Mobile?

Well, the train lets out right at the riverfront there, with good sightlines to where Austal builds U.S. Navy and Coast Guard vessels. Within easy walking distance are four good museums: The National Maritime Museum of the Gulf, the History Museum of Mobile, the Mobile Exploreum (especially but not exclusively good for children) and (for preservationists) the Conde-Charlotte House. All up and downwalkable Dauphin Street (or nearby) are good lunch places and (for dinner) two restaurants that can compete with NewOrleans’ fine dining standards, The Royal Scam and Noja’s.

And, foraninexpensive ride share, ajaunt to the USSAlabama Battleship Memorial Park can easily provide twoorthree hours of inspirational exploration. Much morecould be said, but fornow: Take the train. It’s not such abad thing, as it turns out, to be run out of town on arail.

Email Quin Hillyer at quin hillyer@theadvocate.com

Thestory behind La.’suniquelegal framework

Among Louisiana’smany quirks is alegal one: Its laws, ratherthan being based on English Common Law like those inthe other49states, areinstead based on the Napoleonic Code.

Iconfess that Ihave repeated this on countless occasions, without ever reallyunderstanding why it is that way

The three were an interesting mix: Pierre Derbigny,who was born in France, Louis Moreau-Lislet, born in St Domingue, and one New Yorker, Edward Livingston.

took effect in 1825. And it has, for nearly twocenturies, remained the crowning achievement of Louisiana’slegal history

allowed to disinherit achild of any age, something that comes straight from the European civil law

The answer,itturns out, comes down to the remarkable achievement of three men more than 200 years ago. They produced the first Louisiana CivilCode, and in so doing, enshrined one of our state’smost enduring eccentricitiesinto its legal system.

First, we have to understand something about the legal situationin Louisianain the early part of the 19th century.Itwas, in aword, chaotic.

Many of the lawsthat existed were written in Spanish, whichwas no longer widely spoken. Others were writtenin French, and some tracedtoRoman civil law. Adigestproducedin1808 helped,but it wasn’t enough.

That’swhy,in1822,the Legislature appointed three men as “jurisconsults”and taskedthemwith coming up with anew system.

The governorsofWest Virginia, South Carolina, Ohio, Mississippi and Tennessee have sent National Guard troops to help President Donald Trump deal with what he says is acrime infestation in Washington, D.C. Add Louisiana Gov.Jeff Landry to that list.

After completing some in-processing paperwork and processes, our Louisiana National Guard peeps will join National Guard troops from other red states to deal with Trump’sfederal crime crackdown in the nation’scapital

Each was already legally trained and accomplished; Moreau-Lislet had been one of the drafters of the Digestof1808, the earlier attempt to bring some order to Louisiana’s civil law. They immersedthemselves in not just Louisiana’slaw but also those of otherjurisdictions. That included studying the Napoleonic Code, which was published in 1804 —one year after the Louisiana Purchase —but in the ensuing decades had becomeaninfluential legal document in Europe.

Napoleon’scode, the drafters noted, was “nearer to perfection thanany which preceded it” and a“great work” bestowed by the French Republic not just to France but also to the rest of the world, accordingtoanessayontheir work prepared by Tulane Law Professor Ronald Scalise.

Not surprisingly,their final draft, presented in 1824, relied heavily on European civillaw,including Napoleon’scode. The Legislature adopted the code, and it

There have been revisions, of course, one in 1870 to remove references and laws pertaining to slavery and another,ongoing one since 1976. The latterofthe two is incomplete and has engaged far more lawyers than the threewho crafted the 1825 version. But the revisers have been careful to stay within the guardrails and traditions of the original.

So how does the work of Derbigny, Moreau-Lislet and Livingston influence us today? IaskedScalise, an expert on Louisiana’s legal history

The civil code, he explains, governs all interactions between private persons.

So if you purchase acup of coffee, or a house, or get in acar accident or have to run asuccession, the rules you will have to follow in Louisiana derive from the civil code. And there are important differences from English Common Law Forinstance, in Louisiana, aperson cannot disinherit achild under the age of 23 or who is permanently disabled. The age provision was inserted in the 1990s, Scalise said. Beforethat, it was generally not

In Common Law,there is no such provision. There are also differences in what sellers of, say,houses, are required to tell buyers beforehand. Common law uses the phrase “buyer beware,” whereas the European civil law puts the onus on the seller to disclose any potential defects ahead of time.

The state might have ended up with a completely different legal tradition if not for Derbigny,Moreau-Lislet and Livingston.

Yet, outside of the state’smajor law schools and legal institutions, there has been little public celebration of their momentous achievement’sbicentennial this year.That’sashame.

We in Louisiana love to celebrate what makes us different.

Alegal code maynot have acatchy beat, but any innovation that still plays a role in our lives after 200 years deserves asalute.

Faimon A. Roberts III canbereached at froberts@theadvocate.com.

proud to support this mission to return safety andsanity to Washington DC andcitiesall across our country,including right here in Louisiana.”

as Jefferson Parish and places including Franklin and Natchitoches. Constables,marshals and others have pitched in to help.

Based on recent reports, West Virginia is sending 300 to400 troops; South Carolina hasn’t said how many it will send but its guv has authorized sending 200troops; Mississippi is sending about 200 troops; Tennessee is sending 160 troops and Ohio has committed to deploying 150 troops. Our guv is sending 135 Louisiana National Guard troops.

“Wecannot allow our cities to be overcome by violence andlawlessness,” our guv postedonthe Xsocial media platform.“Iam

Theidea of additional help isn’tnew.Onthe home front, New Orleans and other Louisiana communities have had law enforcement help from the feds, neighboring parishes and the Louisiana National Guard for years. When there are large enough activities, events, games or festivals, Baton Rouge, Bossier City Lafayette, Lake Charles,Monroe, Shreveport and other cities have requested and received help. As the state’slargest single economic driver,New Orleans has far more need for additional help far more often.

In recent years, more than 150 Orleans Parish Sheriff’s Office deputies have worked the carnival season, especially the two weeks leading to Mardi Gras.

So have about 150 Louisiana State Police officers from across the state and scoresofofficers from neighboring parishes such

The Louisiana Departmentof Public Safety and Corrections has such federal agencies as the ATFand theFBI.

In many of those cases, those agencies didn’tmake the officers pull Carnival duty. They asked for volunteers. The City of New Orleans covered their pay to help with parade and other duties as well as local accommodations and meals.

In each of these cases, theNew Orleans Police Department and theOPSO have asked for help. Though thefederal government is covering thecost to have our National Guard and other troops in D.C., Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser didn’task Trump for federal intervention. That’slike inviting afriend to your home for acasual visit and the friend returning withanarmy of household cleaners, janitors and window washers becausethe friend decided that your place needs sprucing up. Before Trump became presi-

dent,hetalkedabout the need for federal actioninWashington. As Trump issuedthreats about theneed to take over D.C., the mayor stayed mum. Earlier this year,inFebruary,Trump told journalists aboardAir Force Onethat the federalgovernment should “should take over the governance of D.C.” He raised thestakes in recentmonths and made his first move earlierthis month. Bowser spoke up, calling theaction “unsettling.” More recently, she hascalled the move “un-American,” in part because federalized troopsare patrolling an American city’sstreetsasif there’sawar or amajor crime problem. As if it’s reasonable to compare cities abroad to Washington, Trump citedcrime in other places as agood reason to attack a nonexistent probleminD.C. “The murder rate in Washington today is higher thanthatofBogotá, Colombia, MexicoCity,some of theplaces thatyou hear about as being theworst places on Earth,” thepresident said. The chart he shared had been displayedon aFox commentator’sshow,one

thatisn’tknown for accurate reality.For starters, it was old, inaccurate data By comparison, the U.S. Department of Justice issued areleaseinJanuary saying “Violent crime for2024 in the Districtof Columbia is down 35% from 2023 andisthe lowest it hasbeen in over 30 years.” Those aren’tmy words. Read the release foryourself. Check the DOJ data, too. It shows thatWashingtonhad 187 homicidesin2024, down from 274 homicidesin2023.

Yes, still far toomany homicidesfor D.C., New Orleans or anyothercity,but let’scall Trump’scrime exaggeration what it was: alie Irealize ourLouisiana National Guard folks aredoing their job. Theysignedupfor duty.They take orders. Theygowhere they’re sent. But this is acase where areal leader should admit amistake,rescind his directive andtellour menand womento return home. Theyhavebetter things to do Email Will Sutton at wsutton@ theadvocate.com.

NewOrleans Forecast

NewEngland will be more humid, while thunderstorms are forecast for theTexas Gulf Coast and Florida into thesoutheastern Atlantic Coast.

SCHOOL

Continued frompage1B

The school’sreopening couldn’t come soon enoughfor neighborhood residents and boosters who saw Plessy’smove out of the neighborhood as amajor setback in their long-running fight to preserve the French Quarter as a neighborhood for residents, not just tourists.

Before Plessy moved, district officials said the school,builtin the 1930s, was in dire need ofrepairsthatcouldcostmorethan $10million.Now,afterabout half that amount was spent on a new roof, doors and windows, a replacement chiller and other repairs to address widespread leaks, the building is reopening for 500 students.

On Monday,asstudents streamed into the building, there were no signs of disrepair.The walls and doors glistenedwith freshly painted red and blue accents and signs in French welcomed students with “Bienvenu.”

As parents walked their children to the door, some students paused for atearful goodbye hug before heading inside.

“It’sadreamcome true,” said Cheyma Ben Hassine, whose family recently moved to New Orleans from Paris, and who had sought out aschoolwhere her daughter could continue speaking French as she starts second grade. “What aprivilege to be

LIZARDS

Continued frompage1B

hearts, reproductive systems and kidneys. It is especially prevalent in older cities such as New Orleans becauseofthe lingeringlegacyof lead paint in houses and gasoline and industrial waste in thesoil.

The otherwild vertebrates known to have higher concentrations —scavenging birds likecondors and vultures or Nile crocodiles —have died or shown symptoms at far lower levels.

Donald Smith, professor of microbiologyand environmental toxicology at the University of California-Santa Cruz,calledthe findings “interesting andextraordinary.”

“The levels in these lizards are extraordinarily high, and the fact that they show no measurable

in the French Quarter learning French in New Orleans.”

Residentialneighborhood

This week’sschool busesand backpacks were awelcomesign for some French Quarter residents who bemoaned thelossofthe neighborhood’sonlypublic school two years ago.

In 2023, NOLAPublic Schools’ then-superintendent Avis Williams decided to move Homer Plessy Community School into acampus in the 7th Ward,citing thehigh cost to repair the FrenchQuarter building and its limited student capacity.Williamslater reversed course and saidPlessy could return after the French Quarter building was repaired, but last year the school opted to remaininits new campus.

That left the “Little Red Schoolhouse” in limbo, sparking fears among someneighborhood advocates that the historicbuilding would go the same way as the former St. Louis Cathedral Academy Parochial School, which was convertedinto luxury condos.

Ken Ducote, former director of the Greater New Orleans CollaborativeofCharter Schools and unofficial historian of New Orleans schools, saidlosing the school felt likefurther evidenceofthe French Quarter’scommercializationand theincreasing difficultyofraising afamily there.

“Having children in aneighborhood gives it that feeling of life,” he added Erin Holmes, director of the Vieux Carre Property Owners As-

signs of toxicity is surprising, because in othervertebratesI’m familiar with, blood lead above 500 micrograms per deciliter is associated with obviousillness or even death,” he said. In condors that had lead poisoningfrom ammunition fragments, deathcould occurwhen blood lead levels reached around 100 to 150.

Testingthe limits

The Tulaneteam captured about 100 lizards from across New Orleans, includingneighborhoods with known high andlow soil contamination. They tested the reptiles’ balance, sprinting and enduranceusing treadmills made fordogsand small dowels for the lizards to run across. Thelizards continued to act like lizards.

“Wefound no evidence that these extreme lead levels were physiologically affecting them in any way,” Gunderson said.

sociation, saiddecades of efforts to boost French Quarter tourism have driven up housing costsand priced out many families.

In 2000, there were 4,176 people living in theFrenchQuarter,according to the U.S. Census. Roughly 20 years later,there were just 2,893, according to the 2019-2023 American Community Survey Jacquelyn Ryan, whose two childrenattend Homer Plessy,said the closure of the neighborhood’sonly remaining school felt like another blow for residents.

Researchers gavethe lizards extra dosesoflead to see when effectsmight appear.Only when blood levels reached about 10,600 micrograms perdeciliter —more than10times theamount they were found with —did endurance begin to falter

What it meansfor humans

To understand why the lizards are resistant to lead’seffects, theresearchers examined gene expression in the brains and livers of the lizards. Several altered genes were linked to ion transport —the way cells move metals —and to oxygen delivery.Lead typically disrupts redblood cells,reducing oxygen flow and causing anemia. The lizards’ geneticshifts suggest they may be compensating by boosting theirability to move metals and carry oxygen, said Gunderson. The study also found that lead levels in the bones of lizards were

the school $500,000 in annual rent paid to the Archdiocese of New Orleans and significantly lowering operational costs.

McLaurinsaidthe centrallocation will help the school’steaching force, whomostly moved from French-speaking countrieson cultural exchangevisas anddon’t drive. And he noted the symbolism of teaching French, which Louisiana prohibited schools from using as the primary language for instruction from 1921 to 1974, in the heart of the city

“Nowthere’s only onepublic school in the French Quarter,” he said, “and it’saFrench immersion school.”

Some Lycéeparents whowere wary about the move have come around to it.

Shawanda Fisher-Perkins, who lives in NewOrleans East, said she was initiallynervous about parking in the French Quarter But herdaughterBrodi, asecond grader,was excited about the new campus.

“It was disappointing as aperson whovalues the FrenchQuarteras aneighborhood and not as aDisneyland tourist destination,” she said, adding that, while her children will remain at Plessy,she is thrilled to see the St. Philip Street campus reopen.

French school in Quarter

For Lycée Français, amove to the French Quartermadefinancialand logistical sense, said CEO Chase McLaurin. The school merged two campuses into the building, saving

lower than the blood levels.

“That suggests to me that the lizards are somehow binding or sequestering thelead in their blood, in their circulation, that may be somewhat protecting other organs that could be sensitive to lead,” Smithsaid. Their survival wasshocking to researchers, but that doesn’tmean that the city’ssoil is safe for humans. It is unclear howthe lizards got such high levels of lead, and it may be that the source is insects that store lead in theirexoskeleton.But it’slikely the soil is also asource.

“If youcatch alizard and it has highlead, it probably meansthat humans living in that area have higherrisk of exposure,” Gunderson said.“They can be used as a proxy for exposure in humans and other animals.”

The animals that eat those lizards —cats and birds —are likely

“I think it’sa better fit forlearning about French culture,” FisherPerkins saidasher olderdaughter, Brooklyn, gave Brodi afinal hug and aswipe of lip gloss before she boundedinto the schoolhouse Monday morning.

Inside, kindergarten teacher Nadine Virassamy greeted students mostly in French.

“Bonjour,monsieur,cava?” she askeda student with aSpiderman backpack wholooked at her blankly.Then she switched to English: “Are you happy to be here?”

getting adoseoflead thatisn’t good forthem,said Gunderson. Lead remains aworrying public health concern in NewOrleans, particularly foryoung children whooften play in soil or are likely to put their hands in their mouths.

Decades of studieshave mapped contaminationacross the city,oftenconcentrated in older neighborhoods whereleadpaint and gasoline residues persist.

The discovery of avertebrate so resistanttolead poisoning raises new scientific questions that could lead to abetter understanding of the lizards’ protective mechanism. “Wedidn’texpect them to be particularly resistant,”Gunderson said. “That meansthere is somephysiological thing that they have thatwedon’t.That could be important.”

Email Emily Woodruff at ewoodruff@theadvocate.com.

MANNING MADE

The untold story of Texas quarterback Arch Manning’s bond with grandfather Archie, his ‘role model’

BY JEFF DUNCAN staff writer

On Sept. 14, Archie Manning sat in the study of his St. Charles Avenue condo and flipped on the TV to watch the University of Texas play Texas-San Antonio.

The study, lined with built-in bookshelves displaying family photos and keepsakes from Manning’s legendary playing career, is his happy place, his favorite spot to watch football games in his septuagenarian years.

Decked in a burnt-orange Texas hoodie, Manning and his wife, Olivia, hoped their grandson, Arch, would receive some playing time for the No. 2-ranked Longhorns in what figured to be a blowout. As a backup quarterback, Manning had played only sparingly in his first two seasons at Texas. Sure enough, early in the second quarter, he trotted onto the field after the starter, Quinn Ewers, was injured.

On Manning’s first play, he fired a 19-yard touchdown pass to DeAndre Moore. One drive later, he faked a handoff to running back Tre Wisner and raced 67 yards down the right side of the field for a touchdown, leaving a parade of stunned UTSA defenders in his wake. The scintillating run brought the sellout crowd at Texas Memorial Stadium to its feet and left Archie and Olivia speechless. “We looked at each other and didn’t say anything,” Archie said. “I just laughed.”

see MANNING, page 2C

It was a déjà vu moment for Archie, the former New Orleans Saints star. Fifty-six years earlier, he made an eerily similar 44-yard run in his collegiate debut for Ole Miss. In that 21-7 win at Memphis State, Archie passed for two touchdowns and ran for another, displaying the dual-threat ability that eventually would make him a folk hero in Oxford, Mississippi. The run would prove to be the longest of his career, college or the pros.

“I immediately thought of that play,” Archie said, recalling his scamper around left end. “And I hadn’t thought about that play in years. It was unbelievable.”

The pride was evident in Manning’s voice. The oldest of his four grandsons — the latest quarterback from the royal line of America’s first family of football wasn’t just his namesake. He was also his play-alike.

Family and football

When Cooper and Ellen Manning welcomed their first son into the world at Baptist East Hospital on April 27, 2004, they had no way of knowing he would become a football star

Prescience had nothing to do with their decision to name him Archibald Charles Manning. Family names were a tradition for the Mannings and Heidingsfelders, and it was simply their way of honoring Ellen’s late brother (Charles Jr.) and the couple’s fathers: Archibald Manning and Charles Heidingsfelder

Since Archie was taken, Ace seemed too flashy and, as Cooper said, “No one wants to be called Archibald,” the family called him Arch for short.

Paradoxically, Arch took after the Heidingsfelder side of the family with his bushy brown locks, wide smile and large, deep-set eyes. In turn, his younger brother, Heid, looked more like a Manning, with his straight hair, narrow face and long nose

“Obviously, we got it all wrong with the names,” Cooper said, tongue-in-cheek.

Arch was a quiet kid, even shy to a degree He wore glasses as a toddler and preferred to be a bystander rather than the center of attention May was the bossy older sister Younger brother Heid took after Cooper brandishing an extroverted personality and wry sense of humor

“Arch,” Ellen said, “was a great audience for Heid.”

Arch came out of his shell when sports were involved As fate would have it, he revealed himself to be a gifted athlete hardly a surprise given his lineage. Ellen was a track sprinter and star volleyball player at Sacred Heart Academy. Cooper was a standout receiver at Newman and Ole Miss before ending his career early because of a back condition called spinal stenosis.

From an early age, Arch would beg Cooper to play pitch and catch with him in the front yard of their Uptown home. Video of Arch dunking on a mini-goal as a bespectacled preschooler has been preserved for posterity in the Manning household.

Blessed with the speed and athleticism of his parents and grandfather, Arch starred in Carrollton Little League games at the Fly and flag football games at Avenger Field Because of his speed, he played shortstop and center field and always batted leadoff on the diamond. He was the quarterback from

Day One on the football field. Arch’s flag football teams would win by such lopsided margins Cooper often subbed Heid in for him at the end of games.

Archie and Olivia were at every game, just as they were for May and Heid. And once Arch started playing varsity football at Newman, Archie made every practice.

I

immediately thought of that play. And I hadn’t thought about that play in years. It was unbelievable.”

Archie learned the importance of family support from his parents, Archibald “Buddy” Manning and Jane “Sis” Manning, while growing up in Drew, Mississippi, a farming community of 2,000 in the Mississippi Delta.

ARCHIE MANNING, former Saints quarterback, on grandson Arch Manning scoring a running touchdown

From age 6 on, the red-haired, freckle-faced Archie was immersed in sports, changing with the seasons basketball in winter track in the spring, baseball in the summer and football in the fall. He excelled in all of them. Sports served as a bonding agent for the family, a vehicle to create shared history

When I was playing peewee baseball, my mother would bring a chair from the house and sit all day watching me play,” Archie said. “Sometimes we’d have games morning, afternoon and night. If we were winning, the mothers wouldn’t want to change dresses. It was hot, of course, so they’d go home to throw them in the washer between games.”

Ellen and Cooper showed similar dedication to their children, often splitting chaperone duties for travel team events across the Southeast. In addition to the big three sports, Arch also played tennis and swam at the New Orleans Lawn Tennis Club. Archie and Olivia substituted as drivers whenever their services were needed.

St. Francisville, he asked Archie whether he could impart any wisdom from all those years under center at Ole Miss and with the Saints.

Archie seiz ed the moment. He launched into a soliloquy on the importance of leadership at the position, starting with his huddle presence during practice and games. Lower your voice. Speak with authority. Don’t let anyone else talk. Look everyone in the eye. Sell the play call. Be in charge. Command the huddle.

“Red,” Arch replied, using his nickname for his grandfather, “we don’t ever huddle.”

A chagrined Archie thought to himself, “Well, I’m old.”

A different game

The brand of football Arch plays today is exceedingly different than the one Archie played at Ole Miss in the late 1960s.

During Archie’s first year as the starter at Ole Miss, the Rebels passed only 40% of the time, and Archie threw eight touchdown passes in 10 games. By comparison, Texas last year was a true 50-50 run-pass split, and Arch threw nine TD passes in only 90 attempts as Ewers’ backup. The average offensive lineman on Archie’s Ole Miss teams was 6-foot-3 and 220 pounds. Arch’s starting left tackle at Texas, Trevor Goolsby, stands 6-7, weighs 312 pounds and can reverse dunk a basketball.

Archie realized quickly the most valuable role he could play for Arch would be as a supportive grandfather rather than a quarterback whisperer Unless Arch initiated it, he would leave the football advice to his coaches at Texas, head coach Steve Sarkisian and A.J. Milwee, the co-offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach.

“But he’ll still remind me of simple things: being a leader, being a good teammate, run from drill to drill, take care of your linemen. Mostly, he just reminds me to be a good guy.”

While the game has changed, the respective games of the two Mannings are actually quite similar

The speed and all-around athleticism Cooper inherited from Archie has been passed on to Arch. He reportedly clocked a time of 4.6 seconds in the 40yard dash during his high school days and was recorded going 20.7 mph on the 67-yard run against UTSA, according to Reel Analytics and Next Gen Stats. That’s significantly faster than his Super Bowl-winning uncles, Peyton and Eli, who ran times of 4.8 and 4.9, respectively, at their NFL scouting combines.

“Arch got his grandpa’s athleticism,” Sarkisian said. “He can move.”

As a junior at Drew, Archie ran the mile relay and sprints where he clocked a time of 11.5 seconds in the 100-yard dash. In baseball, he hit .425 and attracted the interest of the Atlanta Braves as a shortstop prospect In basketball, he averaged more than 20 points a game.

At Ole Miss, Archie put on 20 pounds of muscle but didn’t lose his speed. As a junior, when he finished fourth in the Heisman Trophy voting, he passed for 1,762 yards and rushed for 502 yards and a team-high 14 touchdowns. His dual-threat ability was so rare at the time, Ole Miss head coach Johnny Vaught predicted he would “revolutionize the professional game.”

“Archie Manning played the game with an unmistakable flair,” wrote former Jackson (Miss.) Clarion-Ledger columnist Rick Cleveland in “The Mississippi Football Book.” “He was a strong-armed passer who could run when the situation called for it. And, both on and off the field, he always — always — conducted himself with equal parts class and dignity.”

Archie wants nothing more than for folks to say the same about his three sons and nine grandchildren. Without fail, he sends a text to Arch and the other Manning grandchildren and children every morning. The “Marvelous Mannings” thread serves as the family grapevine, and Archie kicks it off daily with a positive thought or aphorism.

“A kind word sure brightens someone’s day!!!!”

“Today is a good day to have a Really Great Day!!!”

“BE NICE to people for no reason!!!!!!!”

“His advice to me and, really all of us (grandchildren), is just be a good person,” Arch said.

Archie said his oldest grandson doesn’t need much guidance.

“He’s a sweet kid,” Archie said. “As an old coach used to say, he doesn’t have crap in his neck.

“I love my relationship with Arch because it’s not coaching. It’s not an old pro quarterback and a college quarterback. It’s just grandfather and grandson. That’s where it’s always been.” Dodging the spotlight

In the summer before Arch’s sixthgrade year at Newman, Archie had his first serious quarterback-to-quarterback talk with him It would be Arch’s first season of tackle football, and, during a drive to a Little League game in

“Receivers were in three-point stances when he played, so the game’s changed so much,” Arch said of Archie.

When Archie was 14, he penned an essay for his ninth-grade class about life in Drew He closed the piece with a pronouncement: “I have been blessed with a healthy body and mind. I stand five feet six inches tall and weigh one hundred-twenty pounds. I don’t know what I intend to be but plan to enter

Continued from page 1C ä See MANNING, page 11C

SPORTS

Tulane’s offensive makeover complete

Many playmakers departed afterlastseason

BY GUERRYSMITH

Contributing writer

Darian Mensah, the most efficient quarterback in the American Conference, accepted abig pay raise to transfer to Duke. Running back Makhi Hughes, who gained 2,779 yards with 22 touchdowns the past two seasons, left for Oregon. The top three receivers graduated, and tight end Alex Bauman transferred to Miami. That group accounted for 2,311 yards and 19 touchdowns.

The names on theTulaneoffense will be almost totally differentthisyear.The question is whether or nottheycan equal or surpass theproductivity of a2024 group that rankedsecond in theleague in scoring and tied for second in yardsper play

Hereisa position-by-position breakdownofthe Tulaneoffense ahead of its 11 a.m.Saturdayseason-opening game against Northwestern at Yulman Stadium: Quarterback

Starter: Jake Retzlaff

Backups: Brendan Sullivan (when healthy), Kadin Semonza

Analysis: Retzlaff took on aHerculean

SAINTS PRESEASON

taskgetting comfortable with the scheme andhis teammates after arriving in August,but he has gotten better each week and almost certainly will start against Northwestern. He madebig plays at big moments for BYU last season and knows how to win.Coach Jon Sumrall’sdecision becameeasier in away he did not want when Iowa transfer BrendanSullivan got hurt in practice on Aug. 14. When Sullivan is healthy —itlikely will not be this week —there will at least be packages forhim to takeadvantage of his excellentrunning ability,similar to the way Ty Thompson was used last season. ButSullivan can throw,too.

ä See TULANE, page 4C

Decision lingers

Saints quarterback Spencer Rattler lookstomakeapass against the DenverBroncos during apreseason game on Saturdayatthe Caesars Superdome. The Saints ended their preseason witha28-19 loss to former Saints coach Sean Payton and the Broncos.

Saints

endpreseason with loss to Denver,lack of separation at QB

BY MATTHEW PARAS Staff writer

Spencer Rattler had hischancetolock down the New Orleans Saints’ quarterback competition. Tyler Shough had his chancetostealthe spotlight Instead, the twoquarterbacks remained neck and neck after the Saints’ 28-19preseason loss Saturday to the Denver Broncos in theCaesars Superdome. Neitherquarterback definitivelycreatedthe separation that coachKellen Moore was hopingto see, and now the Saints end the preseason with achoiceon their hands. Does NewOrleans startRattler or Shoughwhenit plays for real Sept.7against theArizona Cardinals? After three preseason games, thestats reflect the tightness of the competition. Rattler posted an 86.9 passer rating in three games to Shough’s81.8. On Saturday, Rattlerwent5of8for 43 yards while Shough went 12 of 20 for 102 yards with one rushing

ä See SAINTS, page 5C

QuarterbackRattler’s

time is now... fornow

BY WILSON ALEXANDER Staff writer

Barion Brown realized he was fast as a sophomore at Pearl-Cohn High in Nashville, Tennessee.

Why then?

“Uh, Iwon state in the 100, 200 and the 400 (meters),” Brownsaid. That speed helped make Brown one of the best kickoffreturners in the country at Kentucky.Inthree years, he scored an SECrecord five touchdownsand setthe school mark for career kickoff return average at 30.33 yards.

SEASON PREVIEW

ä LSU at Clemson 6:30 P.M. SATURDAy,ABC

“I’m fast,but you’vegotta have alittle patience,” Brownsaid. “Thenhit the hole and see daylight.” Brown’sarrival has given LSU another accomplished kickoffreturner,and it already had aproductive one in senior Zavion Thomas. With the two of them, plus redshirt junior Aaron Anderson, LSU may have an advantage on special teams.

“I will tell you that we are working diligently with the knowledge that we have game breakers,” LSU coach Brian Kelly said. “Weknow that they can flip the field.” That’s notthe only reason whyKelly thinks LSU could improve on special teams. Afteranotherseason with special teams problemsin2024, LSU madeafew changes. It parted with analyst Lester Erb —who Kelly had credited with designing schemes on special teamsfor the past three years and defensive analyst Bob Diaco became the defensive line coach at North Carolina after helping with special teamsduring his twoLSU seasons.

LSU then hired Grambling special teams coordinator Aman Anand as asenior analyst. Last year,Grambling tied for second in theFCS withseven blocked kicks and four blocked punts. It finished14th nationally in kickoff coverage at 16.75 yards allowed per return.

“Whatever coach (Anand) got for me, I’ve just been taking the coaching, listening,” Brownsaid. “But any opportunity thatIget to takeitout, best believe I’ll be taking it out.”

See LSU, page 5C

I’ve seen enough. Kellen Moore might not be ready to namethe New OrleansSaints startingquarterback, but Iam. Spencer Rattler is the guy.He’s earned the right to start theseason opener against the Arizona Cardinals in two weeks. The second-year signal caller from SouthCarolina has been themost consistent, efficient and productive quarterback on the roster since the Saintsstarted training camp amonth ago. He opened camp as the starter with the ones, and his primary competitor,Tyler Shough, has been unable to unseat him Ifully expect Moore tonameRattler the starter when he and the Saints brain trust get around to making the decision later this week. “Ultimately,Iknow Ihave to make adecision, andit’sa challenging one, because these guys have puteverything intothis,”Moore said. “They’ve been very,very close.

ä See DUNCAN, page 6C

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Bechtstars forIowaState in win

By The Associated Press

DUBLIN RoccoBecht passed for twotouchdowns andran foranother score, helping No.22Iowa State beat No.17Kansas State 24-21 in theAer Lingus Classic on Saturday

Becht was 14 for 28 for 183 yards. He found DominicOverby for a23-yard TD in the first quarter and passedtoBrettEskildsen fora24-yard scoreinthe third quarter

With 2:26 to go, Iowa State coach Matt Campbell had his team go foritonfourth and3atthe Kansas State 16-yard line.Becht found CarsonHansen for 15 yards and iced the game.

“He called agreat play,he gave me twoplaysand letme decide andIknew we were going to have achancetoget it,” Bechtsaid

“We’ve worked on it in practice and it’sbeen working for us and we’re confidentwithitand Ihave trust in my guys.”

The Cyclones (1-0, 1-0 Big12) opened a24-14 lead in the fourth quarter after aturnover on downs by Kansas State at itsown 30-yard line. Becht finished the shortdrive with a7-yard touchdown run with 6:38 left.

Avery Johnson passed for 273 yards and two touchdowns for Kansas State (0-1, 0-1).Healso had a10-yard touchdownrun in the second quarter

“I mean that’sthe thing, regardless of the outcome we have 11 games to play,” Kansas State coach Chris Klieman said.“We have our backagainst the wall, but now we’ve gottoreset andregroupand get ready to play.”

Johnson threw a65-yard touchdown pass to Jerand Bradley with 6:23remaining, but the Wildcats never got the ball back. Both teams struggled to deal with wet conditions in thefirst

TULANE

Continued from page3C

SUMRALL: “It’sstarting to slow down alittle bit for Jake. He will be ready.They will all be ready.I like where we are.”

Runningback

Starter: Maurice Turner

Backups: Arnold Barnes,Zuberi Mobley,Javin Gordon, Jamauri McClure

Analysis: For the first time in his four years as acoach, Sumrall will not have abellwetherback Don’tfret for him. This is a talented group in which all five scholarship players could endup being the leading rusher,including the dynamic McClure, who spent most of last week on the scout-team offense but is lethal when his head is in the right place.Turner,atransfer from Louisville, provides the quickcutting explosiveness Hughes lacked.

SUMRALL: “I believeinthe running backs room. Toptobottom it is probably better than it was from adepth standpoint.You’ll see alot of guys play in that room, for sure.”

Wide receiver

Starters: Shazz Preston, Garrett Mmahat, Omari Hayes

Backups: Bryce Bohanon, Jimmy Calloway,Tre Shackelford, Oliver Mitchell, Anthony Brown-Stephens, ZycarlLewis, Oliver Mitchell, Shaun Nicholas

Analysis: Preston, who was sidelined by ahamstring injury for the first half of 2024, is poised for abreakout season as aNo. 1 option. He has regained the confidence he lost in two frustrating years at Alabama and will be particularly dangerous after the catch with his combination of size and speed. After him, it is anyone’sguess. Everyone on the list above had good moments in camp, but aside from Hayes (39 catches, 590 yards at Florida Atlantic last year)are

half. Kansas State had two turnovers anda turnover on downs while Iowa State committedtwo turnovers in the first 30 minutes.

“Wejustmadesomegreat adjustments,” Campbell said. “We saw some things different in the first game and the opportunity to make someadjustmentsand to have the abilitytodothat,tohave the staffthat’sbeen togetherfor so long that we have the confidencetomake those adjustments.”

The Cyclones grabbed a14-7 lead when Becht foundEskildsen in the corner of the end zone with 1:07 left in the third quarter. Johnson respondedwitha 37yard touchdown pass to Jayce Brown, tyingitat14with14:09 remaining in the game Carson Hansen led Iowa State

with 71 yardsrushing on 16 carries. Joe Jackson had 51 yards on 12 carries for Kansas State.

“I thought thatthe (offensive line) did areally great job in the second half,” Campbell said. “Our tight ends ando-line did agreatjob of execution andman Carson is a really great player so we’re really proud of him.”

Iowa State has beat Kansas State in five of thepast sixseasons.

“I think those aregreat wins, anytime you can beat quality opponents that’sawesome,” Campbell said. “Wegot alongway to go, it’sonly game one and there’salot of football left and we’re going to have to seeifwe’retough enough as aprogram andteam to go home andget ready for agood South Dakota team next week.”

unproven at this level. Mmahat, aredshirtjunior who movedto receiverfromquarterback two years ago, earnedhis spoton the first team with consistency, but his next catch will be the first of his career

PASSING-GAMECOORDINATOR WILL HALL: “IfIhad to pick afew words to describe them, Iwould say deepand talentedand different. We have abunch ofguys that can really play and they’re all alittle different.”

Tightend

Starter: Anthony Miller

Backup: Ty Thompson (when healthy)

Analysis: The loss of Bauman, who led theteam with eight touchdown catches,hurt.Still,

offensive coordinator Joe Craddock is high on the potential of this untested group, which includes Iowa transfer Johnny Pascuzzi, Southern Miss transfer Justyn Reid andMaryland transfer LeRon Husbands. The wild card is Thompson, who has been effective in limited practice time after moving from quarterback. Recovered from asignificant spring knee injury,hehas to overcome anagging hamstring issue.

SUMRALL: “Wehavegood depth. Who’s going to create the production in the passing game that we lostwith Alex Bauman beinggoneisagood question. I don’thavethatanswer for you yet. It may be by committee. Ty’s done agood job when he’s

Nicholls records bigwin vs. rival IncarnateWord

Ty Marsh returned an interception foratouchdown, Nicholls Stateheld Incarnate Word to 204 yardsofoffense, andthe Colonels defeated the Cardinals 20-6 on Saturdayinthe debut of Tommy Rybacki as coach of the Colonels. Nicholls prevailed in aclash between the two teams that have won sixofthe pastseven Southland Conference championships. Late in the second quarter,Marsh broke up aRichard Torres pass intended for Timothy Carter.Asthe ball caromed into the air,Marsh hauled it in andraced untouched the last 29 yards for a13-3 lead.

Nicholls quarterback Deuce Hoganlater hit Karaaz Johnsonfor a 55-yard touchdown anda 20-6lead The Colonels defense did the rest for the win.

Henderson shares lead at CPKC Women’sOpen

MISSISSAUGA, Ontario— Canadian star Brooke Henderson holed out foreagle from agreenside bunker on the short par-4 17th to the delight of her large partisan gallery and shot a6-under 65 on Saturday forashare of the lead with Minjee Lee in the CPKCWomen’sOpen. The 2018 champion at Wascana in Saskatchewan, Henderson had theeagle, sixbirdies andtwo bogeys in breezyand cloudy conditions at Mississaugua Golf and Country Club.

Lee shot a65tomatch Henderson at 11-under 202. The Australian player chipped in for birdie on the par-4 eighth, made alongeagle putt on the par-512th. She ranin an 8-footer for another eagle on the 17th, then chipped in again to save par on the par-4 18th.

Pop-Tartsunite

The matchup featured the past twochampions of the Pop-Tarts Bowl. To celebrate, the Frosted Wild Berry andFrosted Hot Fudge Sundae Pop-Tarts were on thesidelinesfor the showdown in Ireland.

Edwardsinjured Kansas State running back Dylan Edwards wasinjured in the first quarter on apunt that he muffed. He didn’treturn to the game.

Thetakeaway

Becht looked like aveteran quarterback in thesecondhalf, leading his team with his arm and legs in acrucial opener

Tulane wide receiverShazzPreston smiles in between drills during a scrimmageonAug.16atyulman Stadium

healthyand available.”

Offensiveline

Starters: Derrick Graham at left tackle, Shadre Hurst at left guard, Jack Hollifield at center, Reese Baker at right guard and Darion Reed at right tackle

Analysis: Tulane figures to run left mostofthe time behind Graham and Hurst, apair of experienced all-league candidates. Hollifield, an Appalachian State transfer,was atremendous addition at center.The right side is uncertain. Baker,apromising redshirt freshman, was slated to start at tackle until Florida International transfer John Bock gothurt in camp. Now he likely will play right guard untilBock returns in September, with untested redshirt sophomore Reed at right tackle. Hollifield needs to stay healthy because snapping is aconcern behind him. Hurst likely would shift to center,ifneeded. As a whole, though, this group has been solid in camp.

RB MAURICE TURNER: “Our O-line is stacked. They’ve just made tremendous jumps from spring untilnow.”

Philliesace Wheeler set forseason-ending surgery

PHILADELPHIA— Philadelphia Philliesace Zack Wheeler was diagnosedwithvenousthoracicoutlet syndrome and will require additionalsurgery that’sexpected to sidelinehim forsix to eight months, the team announced Saturday Wheeler hada follow-up evaluation following asurgery on Aug. 18 to remove ablood clot from his upper right arm.

After receiving asecond opinion, it was recommended Wheeler undergo thoracic outlet decompression surgery in the coming weeks. Sucha surgery would threaten Wheeler’sability to start the 2026 season on time.

Wheeler,35, was10-5 with a2.71 ERAin24starts in 1492/3 innings this season.His 195 strikeouts lead theNational League andhewas widely considered atop candidate in this year’sNLCyYoung race.

Xfinity Seriespointsleader

Zilisch lands aCup ride

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. Connor Zilisch paused to compose himself before wiping away tears, then spent the next 20 minutes using his shirt as ahandkerchief. It wasanemotional promotion at Daytona International Speedway,even if it was one of the worst-kept secrets in NASCAR this season.

Zilisch, a19-year-old phenom who has seven victories in NASCAR’ssecond-tier Xfinity Series, officially landed aCup ride for 2026 on Saturday.Itwas long expected to happen, so much so that Trackhouse Racing owner Justin Marks joked that “we’re here to shock theworld withan announcement that nobody saw coming.”

Marks said Zilisch signed amultiyear contract to drive full time forTrackhouse next year

Ronaldo makes history with100 goalsfor 4clubs CristianoRonaldo becamethe first player to score 100 competitive goalsfor four clubs on Saturday,though Al-Nassr lost to Al-Ahli in apenalty shootout after the Saudi Super Cup final ended 2-2. The first-half strike at Hong Kong Stadium took the 40-year-old to hiscentury forthe SaudiArabian club, which he joined in December 2022. It adds to his 450 goalsfor Real Madrid, 145 for Manchester United and 101 for Juventus and moves Ronaldo ahead of the threeplayers who hadscored 100 times for three clubs: Isidro Langara, whoplayed in Spain from 1930 to 1948, as well as Brazilian stars Romario and Neymar

Browns beat Rams on late fieldgoal

By the Associated Press

CLEVELAND Andre Szmythit a37yard

field goal as time expiredto lift the Cleveland Browns to a1917 preseason victory overthe Los Angeles Rams on Saturday

Jordan Waters scored on a2-yard run with 2:08remaining to put the Rams up 17-16, setting the stage for the Browns’ late drive

Tyler Huntley came in after Shedeur Sanders struggled. Huntley drove the Browns 46 yards in six plays, which was capped off by Szmyt’swinning kick.

Huntley wassigned toCleveland’sroster after injuries at quarterback early in training camp. He moved the Browns 46 yards in six plays, completing hisonlypass for7yards. The veteran also had a9-yard scramble to the Rams 24yard line.

Sanders went 3of6 for 14 yards and was sacked five times. That included a24-yard lossearly in the fourth quarter where he kept scrambling backward insteadof throwing the ball away

Joe Flacco had atouchdown pass and Dillon Gabriel directedtwo scoring drives as the Browns went 3-0 in the preseason for thesecond time in five seasons

Dresser Winn went the distance for the Rams (2-1) and completed 15 of 23 passes for 190 yards and atouchdown. Waters finished with 41 yards on six carries

TEXANS 26, LIONS 7: In Detroit, Kyle Allen threw a33-yard, go-ahead touchdown pass late in the first quarter to rookie Isaac TeSlaa, solidifying their roles with theLions in aloss to the Houston Texans Allen has established himself as Jared Goff’s backup, beating out Hendon Hooker,and TeSlaa earned aspot in the receiver rotation behind Amon-Ra St. Brown and Jameson Williams.

Rookiequarterback Graham Mertz was 14 of 16 for 145 yards with a6-yard touchdown pass for theTexans(2-1).

Kedon Slovis, who was on Houston’spractice squad last year as a rookie,completed 11 of 16 passes for 111 yards with a3-yardtouchdown pass toDaniel Jackson in the fourth quarter Allen was 5of5 for 66 yards and ascore for Detroit (1-3).

COLTS 41,BENGALS14: In Cincinnati, third-string quarterback Riley

Leonardcompleted 15 of 20 passes for 189 yards and atouchdown as the Indianapolis Coltsbeat theCincinnati Bengals. Neither team played its starters. Bengals quarterbackand former LSU star Joe Burrow,who completed 18 of 24 passes for185 yards and threeTDs this preseason, sat this oneout,asdid hisbackup, Jake Browning. DesmondRidder started for the Bengals (1-2) andcompleted 8of 20 passes for 75 yards with an in-

Saints quarterback Tyler Shough runs for an 11-yardtouchdownagainst the DenverBroncos during apreseason game on Saturdayatthe Caesars Superdome.

SAINTS

Continued from page3C

LSU

terception and arushing TD Colts safety DanielScottpicked offRidder’spass and returned it 35 yards for atouchdown to put Indy (1-2) ahead 10-0 in the first quarter Ridder’s1-yard sneak,set up by Kendall Milton’s41-yard run, got the Bengalswithin 10-7 in the second quarter Laquon Treadwell had six catches for 116 yards forthe Colts. RAVENS 30,COMMANDERS 3: In Landover, Maryland, Baltimore kickerTyler Loop made all three of his field

Continuedfrom page3C touchdown and one fumble.

“I know Ihave to make adecision, and it’sachallenging one because these guys have put everythinginto this,” Moore said. “They’ve been very, very close.” Entering Saturday,signs pointed to Rattler being in pole position to win the job. While Moore downplayed thesignificance of the second-year quarterback gettinganother preseason start with the first team, the reality was that Rattler was picked to start two of the team’sthree preseason games. If he had done well enough toearn those reps, the logical assumption was Rattler could secure his status with asplashyperformance But in three drives, Rattler didn’thavethe kind of defining moment he had lastweek when he led agame-tyingtouchdowndrive in the final minutes of atie against the Jacksonville Jaguars. Against the starting Denver defense,Rattler managed to lead the Saints to two field goals. Chris Olave appeared tobehis favorite target as they connected on three passes for 29 yards. The Saintsfirst settled for a 56-yard field goal by Blake Grupe andlater a48-yarder But there were opportunitiesthat Rattler missed. On the Saints’ opening drive, histhird-down pass to Brandin Cookswas broken up by All-Pro cornerback Patrick Surtain —aplay that could have benefited from Devaughn Vele’ssize, though the recently acquired 6-foot-5receiver didnot play against his former team. On the next series, Rattler was behind on apostroute that Rashid Shaheedpotentially could have takenfor atouchdown if it had been completed. “I want that one back,” Rattler said. “Just got to hit that one. Iprobably threw it alittle early,but Ijust got to lead him because that’sabig play if we connected. Itold ShaheedIowe him one.” Rattler’s third drive wasn’t better.He was stopped short of thefirst down on a

fourth-and-1 quarterback sneak, resulting in aturnover on downs.The Broncos soon kickedafield goal to takea13-6 lead.

If Rattler’sperformance opened thedoor for Shough, therookie didn’tsprint through it. It took Shough afew drives to settlein. Before his fourth series, Shough was spotty on throws, opted for checkdownsand committed acostly turnover whenhefumbled inside the Saints’20-yard line. Shough’s strip-sack fumble ledtoaBroncos’ touchdown when running back Audric Estimehit the hole for a5-yard score.

Shough did findarhythm. Justashedid after his pick-six in New Orleans’ preseason opener two weeksago, the second-rounder bounced back impressively

Over thenext12plays,Shoughdiced the Denversecondaryashemethodicallyled the Saints down thefield. Shough completed 6of8passes for 57 yards, with the two incompletions the result of athrowaway and adrop.

To finallyget New Orleans in the end zone, Shough took off on aread-option for an 11-yard touchdown. On theplay,Shough scannedthe defense and saw two defenders crashing in on runningbackDevin Neal creating the opening for Shough to pull it

Therookie’sinstinctsonsuch plays have been aconstantall summer,and the ability addsanextra layer to the run game.

Shough’sscore, which cutDenver’slead to 22-16, was what Moore needed to see. Rather than let the quarterback lead apotential comeback drive on the following series, the coach opted to put in third-stringer Jake Haener

Now Moore is left with one big decision.

The quarterbacks know thefinal choice isn’tuptothem

“For me, what I’ve put on tape …I feel like it has been enough (to be the starter),” Shough said.

“There’salways room for improvement,” Rattler said.“Ifeel confident in what I’ve done.”

Email Matthew Paras at matt.paras@theadvocate.com

Anand does not have the title of special teams coordinator,but that is essentially hisjob.And Kelly said he changed how LSU coaches specialteams. It noworganizes players into specificposition groups, so gunners andupbacksget individualcoaching. Then, the pieces are reassembled to practice an entire unit.

“I thinkhebreaks special teamsdownto its fundamental form,” Kelly said. “Many coordinators that I’ve had at theposition were much more unit-driven.Meaning, you sendyour 11 guys out on punt and you workonpunt.Oryou send your 11 guys out on kickoff return,and all youdoiskickoff return. We’remuch more in pods.

“Ithas really resonatedwith ourplayers in the sense thatthey really feel like they’re being coached froma technicalstandpoint.”

LSUneeds the changes to work.

Some partsofits special teams improved last season. LSU had an actualthreatinthe return game for the first time in Kelly’stenurewithThomas,who finished second in the country with 633 kickoff return yards and scored atouchdown in the Texas Bowl. Andersonalso returned akickoff fora touchdown,and kickoffspecialistAeron Burrell was an almostautomatic touchback. But, once again, LSU had issues. It ranked 112th in the FBS in punt return average withnotouchdowns,unable to spring Thomasloose. When Burrell did not kick atouchback, LSUallowed 22.38 yards per return, which ranked103rdin thecountry.There were multiple malfunctionswiththe field goal team,and LSU

goal attempts—includingone from 61 yards —asthe Ravens routedthe WashingtonCommanders. SamHartmanthrewtwo interceptions and lost afumble in the second quarterfor Washington(0-3) Keyon Martin, who contributed asafetyinthe Ravens’ previous preseason game against Dallas, picked off apass and ran it back 26 yards fora touchdown to give Baltimore a24-3 lead over the Commanders. Washington, which is trading running back Brian Robinson to SanFrancisco, gave Chris Rodriguez afew carries early.Hegained 34 yards on five attempts. Cooper Rush completedall five of his passesfor Baltimore, and Rasheen Aliopened the scoring witha9-yard run.D’Ernest Johnson madeit14-0 with a1-yard run in the second quarter PACKERS 20, SEAHAWKS 7: In Green Bay,Wisconsin, Malik Willis bounced back fromanearly interception and threw atouchdown pass to Romeo Doubs as the Green BayPackersdefeated theSeattle Seahawks.

GreenBay (2-1)forced four turnovers and sacked rookie Jalen Milroe five times. With the Seahawks (1-1-1)resting starting quarterback Sam Darnold and backup Drew Lock, Milroe played thewhole game and lost three fumbles. The thirdround pick from Alabamawent 13 of 24 for 148 yards anda touchdown andrushedfor 31 yards on seven carries. The Packers played many of their regulars formuch of the first quarter as they built a10-0lead. One Green Bay starter who didn’t playwas quarterback Jordan Love, who practiced on alimitedbasis this weekasherecovers from surgery on his left(non-throwing) thumb.

waslast in the SEC with an average of 39.6 yards per punt.

“Other than acoupleofreturnswehad,we didn’t flip the field withour feet,” Kelly said. “In other words, we didn’tflip the field very often withthe punt game. We need to flipthe field andput the pressure on offenses. We didn’t do avery good job of that last year “So, as much as it is about returns, we gotta flipthe field, too. And then let our defense get the ball back forour offense on ashort field. Those are someofthe things we’re really focused on.”

LSU tried to address its punting issues by signingGrant Chadwick, whoaveraged 43.4 yards per punt as afreshman last season at Middle Tennessee State. KellysaidChadwick“has been really good allcamp,” addingthat he thinks Chadwick will be able to pinoffenses deep theway LSUneedshim to. Chadwick also has aroleona field goal unit with two new players. Chadwick replaced Peyton Todd, who transferred to UL-Monroe after spring practice, as the holder.And LSU has anew long snapper in fifth-year senior Jonathan Ferguson. Theyhavetomakethingssmoothforsenior kicker DamianRamos, whichdid not happen in afew critical moments last season. Using a Trackmansimulator,directorofperformance innovationJack Marucci helpedRamos increasehis legspeed from67mph to 71 mph while trying to improve his distance. At theroot of everything, Kelly thinks the specialists will be helped by the way the newcoaching improvesthe rest of the players around them “Then, plug in someplaymakers, right?” Kelly said. “They all become, now,better because we’re so much more technically sound in all those areas.”

SAINTS PRESEASON

ROD WALKER SHARES WHAT HE LEARNED DURING SAINTS’ PRESEASON FINALE VS. BRONCOS

WHO’S QB1?

Kellen Moore said the race to land the starting quarterback job was “really, really close.”We didn’t really see anything change that Saturday. Ideally, Spencer Rattler or Tyler Shough would have played well enough to make you say “OK he’s the guy.” Neither did that. Shough had the better day, leading a scoring drive in the second half. Rattler seemed to have the lead going into the game, but he didn’t seal the deal. Best guess here is Rattler (30-43-295, 1 TD, 1 INT in preseason) will get the nod over Shough (36-53-333, 1 TD, 1 INT) for the season opener

2

THE GOOD AND BAD For the first time this preseason, we got a good look at the first-team defense. Most of the starters were held out of the first two games, but they got some work this time against Sean Payton’s offense. They forced a three-and-out on the first series and allowed just 4 yards rushing on their three series. They did give up a big 43yard pass, though. Also on the bad side of things is an injury to yet another O-lineman. Swing tackle Landon young had to be carted off the field, a big blow to a unit that has struggled in the preseason.

SAINTS NOTEBOOK

3

JUST FOR KICKS

If you play fantasy football, it wouldn’t be a bad idea to draft kicker Blake Grupe. Two years ago, the Saints had a training camp battle between Grupe and Wil Lutz. The Saints chose Grupe, a decision that many (myself included) questioned. But Grupe has proven himself. That’s been even more evident this training camp. Grupe made three field goals, including a 56-yarder, Saturday. He missed just one field goal throughout the entire training camp. With the way the Saints offense looks, Grupe may be counted on often.

Injuries mount on Saints offensive line

BY LUKE JOHNSON Staff writer

A New Orleans Saints offensive line that already has been beset by injuries this month may have suffered another blow in Saturday’s preseason finale against the Denver Broncos.

Landon Young, who filled in as the team’s starting right tackle for regular starter Taliese Fuaga (knee), had to be carted off the field in the second quarter Coach Kellen Moore said after the game that Young injured his ankle, but he didn’t offer any insight as to the severity of the injury Young likely was going to be the swing tackle this season, serving as the primary backup at both offensive tackle spots. If his injury requires a lengthy recovery, the Saints could be in the market for a new player in that role.

New Orleans already has lost two backup offensive linemen to injuries in Will Clapp and Nick Saldiveri, both of whom already were placed on season-ending injured reserve. Starting left guard Trevor Penning is also dealing with a right toe injury that puts his availability for the start of the 2025 season in doubt.

Entering his fifth season, Young has provided depth at both tackle and guard since the team selected

Continued from page 3C

“We’ll watch (the game tape) tomorrow We’ll navigate it, and we’ll make the decision early.” As has been the case throughout the preseason, the Saints’ 28-19 loss to the Denver Broncos on Saturday did little to delineate the competition. Rattler didn’t exactly light up the Denver defense, completing 5 of 8 passes for 43 yards for a 76.6 passer efficiency rating. More importantly, he managed the offense well against the Broncos starting defense and avoided negative plays. As much as anything, that might be the recipe

him in the sixth round of the 2021 draft. He appeared in 56 games with 12 starts during his first four years in New Orleans.

Neal impresses Rookie running back Devin Neal had to wait until the preseason finale to show what he can do in a New Orleans Saints uniform, but he made a positive impression.

Neal turned his seven touches into 30 yards — five rushes for 20 yards and two catches for 10 yards.

His first carry as a professional went for 5 yards up the gut, and he added a 9-yard catch and run to move the chains on third down on the team’s lone touchdown drive.

“He’s a beast,” quarterback Tyler Shough said “His savviness is what stands out to me. In the run game, he’s really a power runner but he’s got some finesse. And he’s also extremely capable in the pass game as we’ve seen in practices running some of these choice routes, he’s been getting open almost every single time.”

Neal missed several weeks of training camp and the first two preseason games with a hamstring injury — a crucial time for a sixthround rookie trying to prove he belongs on the 53-man roster before cuts next week As far as first impressions go, his

for success this year because this Saints team figures to have little margin for error

“Obviously, it’s not my decision to make,” Rattler said when asked about the QB battle. “I’m just trying to put my best foot forward. I feel confident (in my ability), but obviously there’s more out there to get.” If this QB competition were a boxing match, it would be decided on points. No one recorded a knockout. Three preseason games and weeks of workouts did little to separate the two. In three exhibition games, Rattler completed 69.7% of his passes (30 of 43) for 295 yards with one touchdown pass, one interception and one lost fumble.

went well.

“It was great for Devin to get in there,” Moore said. “I thought from a protection standpoint — a pass-catching, run game — I thought he had a couple on that drive with Tyler late in the game, in the fourth quarter, he had some big-time plays.

“You can just tell he’s a really smart player He’s a very heady player He did some good things for us.”

Vele debut on hold

Devaughn Vele didn’t get a chance to play against his former Denver Broncos teammates.

Vele, whom the Saints acquired from the Broncos on Wednesday in a trade, did not play in the preseason finale in the Superdome.

New Orleans acquired Vele for a pair of future draft picks, but he did not participate in Thursday’s practice.

Vele is one of several Saints players who did not dress out for Saturday’s contest, joining Alontae Taylor (groin), Penning (toe), Fuaga (knee), defensive tackle John Ridgeway (pectoral), safety Terrell Burgess and defensive back Rico Payton

Alvin Kamara made his preseason debut but played just one offensive snap before yielding the field to Kendre Miller

Shough completed 67.9% of his passes (36 of 53) for 333 yards and a touchdown. He also had an interception, a lost fumble and a rushing touchdown, which came Saturday on an 11-yard keeper around left end against Denver

“Obviously, it’s close, because we haven’t made a decision yet,” Shough said. “I think both of us have done a really good job, as far as week to week, day to day, just competing. We’ll see. Whatever the case may be, I’m going to be happy.”

It’s a difficult call no matter which way Moore goes. As I see it, Rattler has two things working in his favor His experience from a year ago is an important trump card for a veteran offensive unit

Saints finally turn starting defense loose

BY LUKE JOHNSON Staff writer

It took until the last day of the preseason, but the New Orleans Saints defense is no longer a theory

After resting the overwhelming majority of the defensive starters for the first two weeks of the preseason, the Saints turned them loose for three defensive series against the Denver Broncos starters in Saturday’s 28-19 loss.

It wasn’t perfect, and the box score wasn’t especially impressive Denver scored 10 points in three possessions against the Saints starters — but that side of the ball offered a glimpse of hope for a team many are considering an afterthought before the 2025 season begins.

The Denver starting offense ran 19 plays against the Saints defense. Twelve of them gained 2 or fewer yards, including six run stuffs.

“Love the energy, love the effort, love the physicality,” coach Kellen Moore said. “I feel like our guys were in position to compete each and every play.”

The only projected starter not to play Saturday was Alontae Taylor, who is expected to play a crucial role as the star position in defensive coordinator Brandon Staley’s scheme once he returns from a groin injury The rest were on the field making things challenging for a talented Denver offense.

The Saints forced the Broncos to go three-and-out on their opening possession — with key offseason acquisition Davon Godchaux doing the thing he was brought in for: stuffing a run. Denver was set up for success on its next drive after a 47-yard kick return but found the going tough again.

The Broncos had to convert a third and 9 and a fourth and 5 to keep that drive going, with the latter being converted by an expertly placed Bo Nix throw to Courtland Sutton for 14 yards. No other play on that 11-play drive went for more than 3 yards, and

the Broncos had to settle for a short field goal.

Even Denver’s touchdown drive probably should have been a threeand-out. Saints linebacker Demario Davis showed he hadn’t lost a step at 36 years old, chasing receiver Marvin Mims sideline to sideline on a jet sweep to make a tackle for no gain An incompletion on the ensuing play set up a second and 20 from deep inside Denver territory, but the referees issued a questionable penalty on Davis for unsportsmanlike conduct, gifting Denver a new set of downs.

Two plays after the penalty, Sutton lost Kool-Aid McKinstry with a corner route, and Nix hit him for a gain of 43 yards to flip the field. Three plays after that, Sutton beat safety Julian Blackmon on a contested catch for a 19-yard score. It was an imperfect debut, but one that left the defensive players and coaches pleased, especially because this was their first time to play in live game action together

“It was very exciting to get out there and see how prepared we were to go against a Denver team that some headlines say is going to be in the Super Bowl,” Davis said. “To be that ready to go is very exciting.”

The main goal is to get as many of those starters to Week 1 as possible, but those players also have to be ready

“You have to be careful with your older guys and your starters, because you do want them to get those live reps, but you really don’t want to lose anybody with bullets that don’t count,” Davis said. “So there’s a lot that has to go into the management of it, and I think they’ve done a good job of making us as prepared as we can be for Week 1.”

Barring something unforeseen in the next week, the Saints appear on track to have most everybody available against the Arizona Cardinals on Sept. 7.

“We’ve warmed the water,” defensive end Cam Jordan said. “Hopefully it’ll be boiling in 15 days.”

that probably isn’t enamored with the idea of waiting for a starting quarterback to figure things out. Likewise, Rattler’s ability to extend plays with his legs will be crucial for an offense that might have issues upfront. Starting left guard Trevor Penning and right tackle Taliese Fuaga are nursing injuries, and the starting offensive line has looked ominously leaky at times throughout the preseason. While Shough has shown steady growth and improvement, he’s still not quite there. You can see the traits that led the Saints to select him in the second round. The athleticism. The arm talent. The poise and maturity There’s a lot to like, but understandably,

he’s still a little rough around the edges.

Throwing Shough to the wolves right now would be a mistake. At the risk of using a Dennis Allen analogy, Shough needs more time to bake in the oven. And there’s nothing wrong with that. Patrick Mahomes didn’t start as a rookie. Neither did Jalen Hurts. Those two guys have combined to win the last three Super Bowls. Shough eventually might be the man for the Saints, but he’s not now His time will come. Nothing he has done so far should diminish your or the Saints’ opinion of him. But, at least for now, Rattler should be the starter He’s earned it. No. 2 is No. 1.

THE VARSITY ZONE

FOOTBALL

Putting in work

Chalmette looks to senior LB Darensburg as leader, seeks state title

BY SPENCER URQUHART

Staff writer

Tyray Darensburg’s return to Chalmette was everything the senior linebacker could’ve hoped for

After spending his first two years of high school at Edna Karr, Darensburg transferred to Chalmette High as a junior The move went well for Darensburg, who helped Chalmette reach the quarterfinals in football for the first time since 1968.

Darensburg attended school in Chalmette his whole life prior to high school. His return home resulted in a successful junior season on the football field in which he landed multiple Division I scholarship offers. Now committed to South Alabama, Darensburg is considered one of the state’s top linebacker prospects.

“Ever since I came (to Chalmette), it’s been a family,” Darensburg said. “Since the first day, I got accustomed to the playbook and the schemes, and we just did what we had to do to make it to the third round.”

Darensburg immediately stepped in as a key piece on defense for Chalmette, recording a team-high 125 tackles (90 solo) last season and three sacks.

“(Darensburg) came in as a leader,” Chalmette coach Jason Tucker said.

“That’s his personality From Day One he’s been a leader and he’s going to continue to do that.”

Chalmette won the District 7-5A title last season and won two road playoff games as the No. 25 seed, with Darensburg and the defense proving to be a strength.

Darensburg was one of six first team all-district selections from Chalmette’s defense. He and defensive end Tim Taylor return from that group as seniors this season.

“They’re big, physical, strong kids (on defense) who can run to the football,” Tucker said “They fit well in our scheme and play within the scheme. They don’t try to play outside of our scheme and do their own thing. They play within the scheme, and it’s successful.”

Taylor had five sacks last season. He’s now the senior leader of the defensive line with last season’s all-district defensive MVP Eric Anderson having graduated.

“(Darensburg) hypes us up,” Taylor said. “He gets us in that mode and sets the tone for us. We’re going to do what we did (last year) even better.”

Darensburg’s success as a tackler begins with reading the offensive guards. He considers himself a vocal leader and as someone who leads by example.

“I feel like the key to my success is reading the guards and being disci-

plined every play,” Darensburg said. “Go in and make a tackle and do what’s best for my team so we can get off the field fast.

“I’m going to tell you if you’re doing something wrong and am going to correct you with it. Not just in the game. Everybody is looking at me as the blueprint, so I have to move like a leader.”

Division I coaches have taken notice of Darensburg, who now has 16 offers on the table. He committed to South Alabama in June.

“I want to be considered the best linebacker in the state of Louisiana,” Darensburg said “I’m already No 2, so I want to be the best by the time my senior year is over

“My recruiting process has been good ever since my junior year ended. I started with one offer, and I finished with 16. South Alabama felt like home for me.”

Chalmette’s season opener is Sept. 5 at home against John Ehret Junior quarterback Breez Wilson returns to lead the offense.

“We have high expectations,” Taylor said. “We came off a big year last year, so we’re just working our hardest so we can meet the expectations.”

“This offseason has been going great,” Darensburg said. “We’ve been putting that work in every day so we can get to that state championship.”

Email Spencer Urquhart at surquhart@theadvocate.com.

LOOKING BACK

1. Chalmette

Last year: 9-4 overall (reached quarterfinals), 4-0 in district

2. Salmen

Last year: 5-6 (first round), 3-1

3. Fontainebleau

Last year: 3-7 (missed playoffs), 1-3

4. Slidell

Last year: 2-8 (missed playoffs), 1-3

5. Northshore

Last year: 1-9 (missed playoffs), 1-3

FIVE PLAYERS TO WATCH

Jeremiah Birdlow

TE | Slidell

The 6-foot-4, 235-pound all-district performer caught four touchdown passes last season and is among 10 starters returning on offense for the Tigers.

Jimmy Chanzy

RB | Salmen

The top returning rusher in St.Tammany Parish (1,164 yards, 12 touchdowns) began last season at linebacker before an early-season switch turned him into an all-district running back.

Tyray Darensburg

LB | Chalmette

The South Alabama commitment helped the Owls reach the state quarterfinals with 122 tackles over 13 games. Darensburg runs the defense and sets the tone for the team, coach Jason Tucker said.

Ramon Williams

RB | Northshore

His three-touchdown game in a win against Fontainebleau highlighted a season with more than 700 yards rushing along with nine touchdowns.

Breez Wilson

QB | Chalmette

The returning all-district performer is a second-year starter who has shown more comfort at the position. “We’re not worrying about who the starter is,”Tucker said.

FIVE THINGS TO KNOW

1. Chalmette had “probably the best summer that we’ve had, maybe ever,”Tucker said. Last season, the Owls reached the state quarterfinals for the first time since 1968.“We have a lot of kids that are returning that want to get back there and finish the deal.

2. Chalmette is the only 7-5A school with returning first-team all-district players.The others, along with Darensburg and Wilson, are offensive linemen Harrison Nunez and Semaj Tapp, defensive lineman Tim Taylor safety Chase Anderson and punter Tristian Dubose.

3. Salmen, in Class 5A for the first time last season, will have junior Da’John Howard at QB after he played free safety as a sophomore. J.J Gonzales of Northshore is another new QB Slidell junior Ricky Williams returns after he was named second-team alldistrict last season.

4. The district race could once again come down to Chalmette and Salmen after the two schools took undefeated district records into their Week 10 game last season. Chalmette won 34-28.

5. Also included among the 10 returning starters on offense for Slidell are junior RB Ja’Kwan Jones (5 yards per carry), senior WR Carlos Fleming (12.5 yards per catch) and five starting offensive linemen.

Christopher Dabe

Nevada set to face Taiwan in final of Little League World

BY ALEXANDRA WENSKOSKI

and AMANDA VOGT Associated Press

SOUTH WILLIAMSPORT Pa Garrett

Gallegos homered and pitched five innings to help Nevada beat Connecticut 8-2 in their Little League World Series semifinal on Saturday, setting up a title game against Taiwan.

The Las Vegas team is looking for Nevada’s first title, and Taiwan is going for its first since 1996 and No. 18 overall. It lost the title game last year to Florida. The teams play Sunday for the championship.

“Really haven’t taken a moment to data dump right now on Taiwan,” Nevada manager T.J. Fescher said. “They’re a great, standout group of kids.” When Garrett crossed home plate after hitting the first pitch of the fourth inning over the fence in right field, teammate Jayden Lee

lifted Garrett’s helmet off him and they walked back into the dugout. The crowd chanted his name. Grayson Miranda had a key atbat in Nevada’s three-run first. With the bases loaded, he battled through an 0-2 count, fouling off several pitches. After a wild pitch scored Nevada’s first run, Grayson — on the at-bat’s 12th pitch — drove in two more with a dribbling single into right field. Connecticut cut into the lead with its aggressive baserunning. With runners on second and third on the move, Jimmy Taxiltaridis hit a bouncer to third base. Infielder Cache Malan was indecisive and S.J. Taxiltardis crossed home.

Down 4-2 in the fifth, the Fairfield, Connecticut team put runners on first and second with one out. But Ben Herbst, rounding third, got caught in a rundown. Garrett then recorded his eighth strikeout, ending the inning. Nevada added four more runs in

the sixth, highlighted by a two-run single for Cutter Ricafort. In the international semifinal at Lamade Stadium, Liu Wei-Heng pitched 5 1/3 innings to help Taiwan to a 1-0 win over Aruba. The game’s only run came after Chen Shi-Hong opened the third inning with a full-count walk. He advanced on a passed ball and a single, then scored on an errant throw from third baseman Liam Peña Caraballo.

Facing runners on second and third with nobody out, Aruba pitcher Jayderick Wederfoor limited the damage by escaping the jam.

Liu allowed four hits and struck out seven, leading his team from Taipei to its third shutout in four games at the tournament.

Aruba threatened in its last atbat when Emerson Mercado hit a leadoff single and advanced on a passed ball. Liam drew a one-out walk, and the runners advanced

Series

OUTDOORS

Time to prepare for hunting

BY JOE MACALUSO

Contributing writer

Time flies, maybe not fast enough to shake this summer’s heat, but fast enough that the opening of our monthslong hunting seasons is days away

Yep, the first day of the first of three segments of the dove season is Sept. 6, and hunters might want to use this week to make sure their shotguns are ready and they have the right shotshells to take afield Hunters 18 and older need the proper licenses, which include a no-fee Harvest Information Program certificate for hunting all migratory birds and waterfowl.

The HIP is available when purchasing hunting licenses or on the Wildlife and Fisheries website att wlf.louisiana.gov

If you’re planning to hunt during teal season, get the proper federal and state waterfowl stamps. Remember there’s a check-off for donating to the Hunters for the Hungry program when getting licenses, and grab the Louisiana Hunting Regulations pamphlet from the license vendor for information on hunting seasons and regulations on both private and state/ federal public lands.

Dove hunting has an unusual bag limit. It’s 15 per day for mourning and whitewing doves (yes, we have whitewings showing up in our fields), and a possession limit of 45 after your third hunting day

There’s a provision made for two nonnative dove species — the Eurasian collared dove and ringed turtle dove. There is no limit on

these two species as long as the hunter leaves a fully feathered wing and head on the birds when taking them from the field and transporting them home. If you fully dress either or both species, then you have to count them in your 15-bird daily limit.

Make sure you’re not hunting over bait or in a field that could be considered as “baited.” There are lots of eyes around, and federal and state enforcement folks will patrol throughout the season. There’s always a few baiting cases made every year, and violators face federal courts, not state courts, for penalties.

Leased fields Wildlife and Fisheries has leased fields near DeRidder and Colfax only for the Sept. 6 opening day of dove season. Other hunting opportunities are available on 12 wildlife management areas and on the U.S. Forest Service Calcasieu Ranger District Vernon Unit. Hunts on the two leased fields begin at half an hour before sunrise. Hunters 18 and older must pay a $10 fee (plus a “convenience” fee) to get an access permit. The $10 fee is waived for hunters 17 and younger The agency’s registration website is la.accessgov.com/ dove-hunts/Forms/Page/dovehunts/registration/. Hunters can bring only nontoxic shot No. 6 size and smaller to the leased-field hunts — no lead shot — and retriever dogs are allowed. ATVs will be allowed but might be restricted to roads if fields are wet. The 365-acre DeRidder site is

limited to 285 hunters and is on U.S. 190 about 5 miles west of the intersection with La. 171 and La. 27. Fields are on the north and south side of the highway Call LDWF’s Lake Charles field office at (337) 491-2575 for more information.

The 200-acre Colfax hunt is on the south side of La. 492 about 2.5 miles west of the U.S. 71/La. 492 intersection. Call the Pineville field office at (318) 487-5885 for more information. Both fields will open at 5 a.m. Wildlife management areas with dove fields or dove hunting opportunities are Bodcau, Boeuf, Clear Creek, Elbow Slough, Esler Field, John Franks, Pointe-auxChenes, Richard Yancey, Russell Sage, Sabine, Sandy Hollow and West Bay For details on these areas, go to the agency’s website at wlf.louisiana.gov/page/dovefields. Ticks off

With dove and teal seasons ahead — and deer hunters venturing out to tend to food plots, and getting stands and blinds ready — it’s no secret that in swamps and marshes little critters are ready to make a hunter’s life miserable. Rain and heat have increased the chance to run into ticks and mosquitoes in the coming weeks, and no promise of cooler weather will shake these insects’ thirst for blood.

The folks who stay up to date with these things tell us this year’s emergency room visits are the highest since 2017 for diseases such as West Nile Virus, which are carried by mosquitoes. Ticks are second on the list for transmitting diseases.

OUTDOORS CALENDAR

To protect yourself, wear the proper clothing in dove fields, in the woods and in the marshes. No shorts, please, and long-sleeved shirts, properly tucked, with long pants tucked into boots are good ways to protect against ticks Also, use repellent to deter mosquitoes.

Get started, moms Wildlife and Fisheries is offering its annual mother-child FUN (Families Understanding Nature) Camp on Oct. 10-11 at the Waddill Outdoor Education Center in Baton Rouge. It’s a time for mothers to bond in the outdoors with children ages 10-13.

This camp usually fills up fast Space is limited and preregistration is required. There’s a $50 registration fee for a mother and one child, with a $25 fee for an additional child. The limit is two children per family

Meals, lodging and supplies — including tents — are included in the fee, but families need to bring bedding and sleeping bags.

The agency’s registration website is wlf.louisiana.gov/page/funcamp. Need more info? Email Kaleib Taylor at ktaylor@wlf.la.gov or Zachary Bell at zbell2@wlf.la.gov

Snapper count

Through Aug. 10, Wildlife and Fisheries marine fisheries managers estimate the private recreational red snapper take stands at 630,445 pounds. That’s 70.4% of our state’s 894,955-pound annual allocation, and it shows an increase of 18,692 pounds from the Aug. 3 estimate take in LA Creel surveys

Cantlay, Fleetwood tied for PGA lead

BY DOUG FERGUSON AP golf writer

ATLANTA By the time Patrick Cantlay wrapped up his fourth birdie in the last five holes for a 6-under 64 to take the lead, and Tommy Fleetwood dried himself off from a double bogey with a pair of birdies for a 67 to catch him, the Tour Championship was left with tantalizing possibilities.

At stake on the final day of the season was the FedEx Cup. And the Ryder Cup.

There was Fleetwood, embracing yet another chance to get his first PGA Tour title. There was Scottie Scheffler, who wins all the time.

And right in the thick of it was Ryder Cup captain Keegan Bradley, one of five Americans among the top nine players at East Lake under consideration for a captain’s pick.

As if he hasn’t been weighing this possibility enough already, Bradley registered for the tournament next to a room celebrating the 1963 matches at East Lake. There was the bag of Arnold Palmer, the last one to be a playing captain.

“It was really weird looking at it,” Bradley said Saturday after a 63, which he called his best round of the year “Like really strange. Because I’m nowhere in the world of Arnold Palmer and somehow I’m in this with him right now.” Saturday was plenty entertaining, even on a dreary day when rain was never far away Fleetwood seized control with four straight birdies early, only to lose the lead when a 6-iron in the water on the 220-yard 15th hole, where the back tee and peninsula green added to 10 shots in the water — eight more than the opening two rounds combined.

As he crouched to read his bogey putt, a video board in front of him showed him he was about to lose his lead — unaware Cantlay was about to bury a bending, 25-foot birdie on the 17th.

“It was just one bad swing on a very tough hole and that’s what can happen,” Fleetwood said. He responded by hitting pitching wedge from a bunker to 12 feet for birdie and wedge to 9 feet for a birdie on the next, allowing him to catch Cantlay at 16-under 194. They were two shots ahead of Henley, who birdied the 18th for a 69. Fleetwood endured a two-shot swing on the final hole to Bradley that cost him at the Travelers Championship. He lost a two-shot lead with three to play at the FedEx St. Jude Championship. This is his third time with at least a share of the 54hole lead in his last six events.

All he wanted was another chance, and this is another great one.

“That’s what everybody wants,” Fleetwood said. “I am lucky enough that I get to be one of those guys, so I’m having the time of my life out there and I’m playing great and I’ve got to enjoy it while it’s happening. You never know

“Tomorrow might be my time, it might not, but I’ll still have a great time doing it.”

Cantlay looked to be all business dressed in black and wielding the control off the tee and a reliable putter that has made him such a consistent threat over the years. He began working with putting guru Phil Kenyon a few weeks ago, mainly on setup, trying to get an edge. It appears to be working. His low round of the year coming into East Lake had been 65 He has shot 64 twice in three days.

“It’s nice to close the way I did, especially the last two days,” Cantlay said “I’m pleased with where I’m at.”

Cantlay, winless in three years might have assured his spot at Bethpage Black. Even at 15th in the Ryder Cup standings, he was seen as logical choice given how he performed under pressure in Rome and at the Presidents Cup last year in Montreal.

Now he has a chance to win the FedEx Cup for the second time.

“It’s always nice to have your game shape up at the end of the year, but like I said, I’m focused 100% on this week, and we’ll worry about the Ryder Cup a little later,” he said.

SCOREBOARD

Miami Dolphins quarterback TuaTagovailoa looks to pass the football duringthe firsthalf of apreseason game against the Jacksonville Jaguars on SaturdayinMiami Gardens, Fla.

Daniels kick return to New Orleans 23; Shough 11 pass to Austin; Shough 10 pass to Matavaoon3rd-and-3; Shough 14 pass to Austin;Shough 9pass to Neal on 3rd-and-5; Neal 1run on 3rd-and-1. Denver22, New Orleans16. NO_FGSmyth 52, 7:09. Drive: 7plays,16 yards, 2:27. KeyPlay: Akers2 runon3rdand-1. Denver22, New Orleans 19. Den_Rowan 5pass from Ehlinger (pass failed), 2:14. Drive: 12 plays,84yards, 4:55

KeyPlays:Watson kick returntoDenver26; Ehlinger 11 pass to Rowan; Ehlinger 20 pass to C.Jackson; Ehlinger16pass to Rowanon 3rd-and-6. Denver28, New Orleans 19. A_70,078. DenNO FIRST DOWNS 22 16 Rushing 54 Passing 16 11

INTERCEPTIONS_Denver, None. New Orleans,Riley 1-4. MISSED FIELD GOALS_None.

-5

Hall 70-65-70—205 -5

Hovland 68-71-67—206 -4

Novak70-68-68—206 -4

Harman67-71-69—207 -3

Rose 69-70-69—208 -2

Jacob Bridgeman67-67-75—209 -1

J.J. Spaun 68-71-71—210 E

Sungjae Im 68-67-77—212 +2

Hideki Matsuyama69-69-76—214 +4

Sepp Straka74-65-77—216 +6

CPKCWomen’s Open

Saturday At Mississaugua Golf &Country Club

Mississauga, Ontario

Purse: $2.8million Yardage: 6,661; Par: 71 ThirdRound

BrookeHenderson 71-66-65—202 -11

Minjee Lee69-67-66—202 -11

AkieIwai64-69-72—205 -8

Jeeno Thitikul 66-70-69—205 -8

Jeong Eun Lee5 68-71-67—206 -7

Yu Liu 72-67-67—206 -7

Key Plays:C.Jackson kickreturn to Denver 23; Nix 43 pass to Sutton. Denver10, New Orleans 6. Den_FGLutz 29,6:35. Drive: 8plays,36yards, 4:58. KeyPlays:Watson 4run on 3rd-and-5; Ehlinger 19 run on 4th-and-1; Watson 5run on 3rd-and-16. Denver13, New Orleans 6. NO_FGGrupe 48, 1:56. Drive: 11 plays,40 yards, 4:39. KeyPlays:Price kick return to New Orleans 30; Shough 12 pass to Stoll; Shough 4pass to Tipton on 3rd-and-3; Shough 3pass to Wilson on 3rd-and-10. Denver13, New Orleans 9. Den_FGLutz 25,:13. Drive:13plays,73yards, 1:43. KeyPlays:Badie kick returntoDenver 30; Ehlinger 13pass to Newton; Ehlinger 11 pass to Krull on 3rd-and-9; Ehlinger 27 pass to Krull. Denver16, New Orleans 9. ThirdQuarter Den_Estime 5run (passfailed), 3:00. Drive: 4plays,19yards, 2:11. KeyPlay: Ehlinger 14 pass to Bryant on 3rd-and-10. Denver22, New Orleans 9. Fourth Quarter NO_Shough 11 run (Smyth kick), 13:19. Drive: 13 plays,77yards, 4:41. KeyPlays:

RUSHING_Denver, Estime 8-45,Ehlinger 6-25 Badie 4-14, Watson 4-13, Harvey 3-4,Prentice 1-2, Mims 1-0. New Orleans,Shough 2-20, Neal 5-20, Miller 3-15, Haener 1-10, Akers 2-5 Edwards-Helaire2-4, Jones 1-2,Rattler 1-0. PASSING_Denver, Ehlinger 22-31-1-198, Nix 10-14-0-110. New Orleans, Shough 12-20-0102, Rattler 5-8-0-43, Haener 5-9-0-37 RECEIVING_Denver, Sutton 4-83, Rowan4-33, Badie 4-31, Krull 3-49, Newton 3-19, Watson 3-9, Bryant 2-19, Bandy 2-6,T.Franklin 2-5 Lohner 1-23, C.Jackson 1-20, Estime 1-8, Trautman 1-2, Harvey1-1. New Orleans, Austin 3-34, Olave 3-29, Matavao3-23, Shaheed 2-14, Neal 2-10, Wilson 2-8, Welch 1-21,Yarns 1-13, Stoll 1-12, Green 1-5, Pettis1-5, Akers 1-4, Tipton 1-4. PUNT RETURNS_Denver, None. New Orleans, Pettis 1-9. KICKOFF RETURNS_Denver, Badie 2-72 C.Jackson 3-59, Watson 1-18.New Orleans, Price 2-55, Jones 1-39, Pettis1-20, Daniels 1-16, Dixon 1-16. TACKLES-ASSISTS-SACKS_Denver, Pickett

4-0-0, Hufanga 3-0-0, Reid 3-0-0, Uwazurike

2-2-1, Bailey 2-2-0, Locke2-0-0, J.Robinson

2-0-0, Turner 2-0-0, Turner-Yell 2-0-0

S.Franklin 1-2-0, Cooper 1-1-1,Q.Robinson 1-1-1, Elliss 1-1-0, Surtain 1-1-0, S.Jones 1-0-1, Abrams-Draine 1-0-0, Barron1-0-0, Dwumfour1-0-0, Key1-0-0, Mathis 1-0-0, McMillian 1-0-0, J.Jackson 0-1-0, B.Jones 0-1-0, Nelson 0-1-0, Roach 0-1-0, Tillman 0-1-0. New Orleans,Wright 7-2-0, Sanker 6-3-0, Yiadom 3-1-0, Werner 3-0-0, Howden 2-3-0, Riley 2-20, Ford 2-0-0, McKinstry 2-0-0, Jackson 1-2-0, Price1-2-0, J.Davis 1-1-1,Broughton 1-1-0, Foskey 1-1-0, Powell 1-1-0, Boyd 1-0-1, Williams 1-0-1, Blackmon 1-0-0, D.Davis 1-0-0, Davison 1-0-0, Godchaux 1-0-0, Granderson 1-0-0, Rumph 1-0-0,Thomas 1-0-0,C.Young 1-0-0, Peevy 0-3-0,Bullard 0-2-0, Diggs 0-1-0, Shepherd0-1-0, Stalbird 0-1-0.

Manon De Roey 72-67-68—207 -6

Aphrodite Deng 66-73-68—207 -6

Grace Kim 71-69-67—207 -6

Mao Saigo 68-72-67—207 -6

Pajaree Anannarukarn70-71-67—208 -5

JennyBae 68-69-71—208 -5

Minami Katsu 71-67-70—208 -5

Megan Khang 66-71-71—208 -5

Lydia Ko 70-70-68—208 -5

-5

Maguire66-70-72—208 -5

Takeda

OFFICIALS_Referee John Hussey,Ump Duane Heydt, HL Max Causey,LJCarl Johnson, FJ AnthonyFlemming, SJ Allen Baynes, BJ Matt Edwards,ReplayAndrew Lambert. Pro basketball

WNBA EASTERN CONFERENCE

-5

-5

-4

Somi Lee71-70-68—209 -4

YanLiu 69-69-71—209 -4

LinneaStrom 70-67-72—209 -4 AriyaJutanugarn 68-70-72—210 -3 Nelly Korda69-69-72—210 -3

Lee71-69-70—210 -3

Lee70-72-68—210 -3

-3

-2

-1

-1

-1

Chanettee Wannasaen 71-70-71—212 -1 XiaowenYin 71-70-71—212 -1

Saki Baba72-68-73—213 E HyeJin Choi 73-68-72—213 E Monet Chun 73-68-72—213 E In GeeChun 72-71-70—213 E Maria Fassi 72-70-71—213 E Esther Henseleit 71-71-71—213 E Jin Young Ko 70-72-71—213 E JenniferKupcho 71-70-72—213 E Jeongeun Lee6 70-73-70—213 E Carla Bernat Escuder70-69-75—214 +1 Peiyun Chien68-70-76—214 +1 MarielGaldiano 71-72-71—214 +1 NataliyaGuseva72-71-71—214 +1 Jin HeeIm71-72-71—214 +1

Jasmine Suwannapura72-70-72—214 +1

Yahui Zhang 72-69-73—214 +1

Cassie Porter71-72-72—215 +2

JennyShin 75-68-72—215 +2

AmyYang 71-72-72—215 +2

Angel Yin 72-69-74—215 +2

Gemma Dryburgh 70-72-74—216 +3

Jodi EwartShadoff 71-70-75—216 +3 Gurleen Kaur 74-68-74—216 +3 Katie Cranston 71-71-75—217 +4 Frida Kinhult 72-71-74—217 +4 Stacy Lewis 72-71-74—217 +4

Wichanee Meechai 73-69-75—217 +4

+4

72-70-75—217 +4

Cowan71-72-76—219 +6

Nola picksupfirstwin sinceMay 3for Phils

BY ANTHONY SANFILIPPO Associated Press

PHILADELPHIA Edmundo Sosa hit athree-run homer, Trea Turner also went deep and AaronNola earnedhis firstwin since early May as the Philadelphia Phillies defeated the Washington Nationals 6-4 on Saturday night. Nationals starter Mitchell Parker (7-14)held Philadelphia hitless through three innings, but Sosa’sseventh homer capped afive-run fourth for the NL East leaders. J.T.Realmuto and Alec Bohm each had an RBIdouble. Turner made it 6-1 with a solo shot in the fifth, his second home run at home this week. Before that, he hadn’t hit one at Citizens Bank Park all season.

Nola (2-7) pitched six solid innings, allowing two earned runs and five hits while strikingout six in his first start at home since May 14. The former LSU star’sprevious win came on May 3against Arizona, before the righthander missed three months with asprained right ankle.

After blowing asave chance for the first time with the Phillies anight earlier,Jhoan Duran worked a

ASSOCIATEDPRESS PHOTO By DERIKHAMILTON PhiladelphiaPhillies pitcher Aaron Nola throws during the firstinning of agameagainstthe Washington Nationals on Saturday in Philadelphia. The Phillies won6-4

scorelessninth to earn his 23rd saveofthe year Luis Garcia had ahomer andan RBI double, and CJ Abramsalso wentdeep for the last-place Nationals, who hadtheir three-gamewinning streaksnapped. Parker didn’tallow ahit to his first 11 batters, but he endedupyielding six runsand six hits in fiveinnings. With the potential tying

runs on base in theeighth, Sosa made anice defensive play on ahard grounder by by former LSUstar Dylan Crews to get thePhillies out of trouble. David Robertson, 40, didn’t sign withPhiladelphia until July 21 and didn’tmake his season debut until Aug. 11. But afterstriking out three battersinthe eighth,hehas 10 strikeoutsin52/3 innings for thePhillies.

MANNING Continued from page 2C

some college. I hope to be someone my friends, teachers and parents won’t be ashamed of.”

His parents made sure he lived up to those words. His father instilled the Manning Way at an early age. He had four rules: Archie couldn’t talk back, he couldn’t bad-mouth anyone, he couldn’t brag about himself, and he couldn’t quit anything that he started He fulfilled his commitments, looked people in the eyes when spoken to and always replied “yes, sir” or “no, ma’am” to his elders. For 13 consecutive years, he never missed a Sunday school class at First Baptist Church.

Archie shunned the spotlight during his playing days at Drew High School and Ole Miss. When he led Drew to a thrilling 18-14 upset of archrival Cleveland in his final high school game, he nixed his sister Pam’s plan to hold a reception line at the postgame house party. During the height of Archie Mania at Ole Miss, he asked Olivia to refrain from wearing “Archie for Heisman” buttons to games. When Oxford restaurants played “The Ballad of Archie” on their sound systems after he and Olivia walked in to dine, he would cringe inwardly with embarrassment To escape the hoopla in Oxford and Memphis, he and teammates would sneak away to Natchez or other small towns in the region.

Arch has lived a similar experience at Newman and Texas, where by virtue of his famous last name — he has been a celebrity since junior high school when he was tabbed as the nation’s No 1 overall football prospect in the Class of 2023

At Newman, Arch earned the starting quarterback job as a freshman but still rode the freshman bus to games with his fellow ninth-grade classmates and declined invitations to the upperclassman dinners. He intentionally hid near the back of the pack during the team’s pregame entrance to the field. Likewise, at the family-run Manning Passing Academy in Thibodaux each summer he sat in the stands with the other high school campers during the Friday Night Lights skills competition rather than exert his VIP status to get access to the field.

At Texas, star cornerback Jahdae Barron said Arch persisted in performing traditional freshman duties by carrying Barron’s laundry to the equipment room after practice.

“He wanted to show me that he wasn’t better than anybody else, that he was still a part of this team and was only a freshman,” Barron said at the NFL combine in February. “He’s the humblest kid I know.”

Out of respect to Ewers, Manning declined to participate in the passing skills competition at the Manning Passing Academy with the other college quarterbacks until he moved into a starting role at Texas this offseason.

“That’s his nature,” Cooper said. “It’s always been kind of important to him to not get special treatment or be treated differently. He just wants to be treated like a normal guy That’s his comfort zone.”

Arch tries his best to avoid the spotlight, but it’s more difficult today with the ubiquity of cellphones and social media. His every move generates headlines and internet traffic When he lost his student ID as a freshman, the news went viral He is stopped regularly for autographs and selfies while walking to

class or going out in Austin. Wherever he goes, he is hyper-cognizant of being video-recorded surreptitiously

“It gets uncomfortable at times,” Ellen said “There are a lot of benefits that come with being a Manning and there are also detriments.”

Managing the mania

Arch Madness only will intensify this year Not only is he the starting quarterback but the Longhorns also are ranked No. 1 in preseason national polls. Vegas

oddsmakers have installed him as the favorite to win the Heisman Trophy and become the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. It’s all part of what Arch calls “undeserved attention.”

“I’ve only (started) two games, so I have a lot to prove,” he said. “I’m ready to play, I’ve always dreamed of playing in the SEC, so it’s a dream come true. Got to go play well.”

Few doubt that he will play well. He was so impressive in his limited appearances last season that many Longhorns fans wanted him to remain the starter after Ewers returned to health in Week 7 last season. His career statistics are 63 completions in 95 pass attempts for 969 yards and nine touchdowns, along with two interceptions. His passer efficiency rating of 184 would have led the nation if he had played enough snaps to qualify last season. He also ran for 108 yards and four touchdowns.

“He’s a great guy. He’s a great teammate He’s got an unbelievable work ethic,” Sarkisian said. “And I think, if he stays true to himself, that’s going to help him navigate these waters as they present themselves.

We’ve got to do a great job of supporting him around him, as coaches, as players,

and ultimately I think he’s prepared for the moment. But now it’s just time for him to go do it and enjoy doing it, quite frankly.”

He’s such a great guy and just the perfect role model for me, the way he carries himself and cares about others. I was taught that good things happen to good people who work hard and put their head down, and that’s what I’m focused on right now. ”

To that end, the Mannings and Texas officials have tried to prepare him for the craziness ahead. They have strategically limited his media interviews and public appearances this offseason He knocked out his duties for the multiyear endorsement deal he signed with Red Bull earlier this spring and has conducted media interviews at only official settings such as the MPA and SEC media days. Undaunted, ESPN, The Athletic and Texas Monthly already have published or scheduled major profile stories on him. Undoubtedly, more are on the way as the Longhorns’ opening showdown against reigning national champion Ohio State approaches Aug. 30 One thing Texas won’t have to worry about is a self-inflicted social media crisis. Arch spends little time on any platform, his aversion perhaps a byproduct of his upbringing. Ellen and Cooper made the kids turn in their cellphones at 9 p.m. and charged them each night. Since opening his accounts five years ago, he’s posted five times on X and 19 times on Instagram, despite having more than 550,000 combined followers.

ARCH MANNING, Texas quarterback, on grandfather Archie Manning

“I don’t really care about all that stuff,” Arch said. “I’m not a big media guy.” After two years on the sidelines, he is relishing the opportunity ahead of him. He spent the offseason honing his leadership skills and building a rapport with teammates. In May, he asked new Texas basketball coach Sean Miller for permission to sneak into the on-campus Moody Center so he and teammates could play pickup games.

In June, he flew to St. Louis to attend a football camp in support of teammate Ryan Wingo. And in recent weeks, he’s led post-practice walk-through sessions on the Texas practice field with teammates.

“He loves being ‘the dude,’ because now you’re supposed to speak out, you’re supposed to fuss at someone when they’re not doing something right, to talk to someone on the side,” Cooper said. “That’s all the things that he loves. And now he’s been able to do it without anyone looking over his shoulder going, ‘Hey, it’s not your team.’ ” When Arch needs football advice, Cooper, Peyton and Eli are just a text away He joked about how he reached out to Peyton for advice on the two-minute offense earlier this summer and received a multipart, 30-minute voice text from his detail-obsessed uncle.

“He’s got a good head on his shoulders, so he doesn’t necessarily need my advice,” Peyton said at the MPA in June. “I’m very proud of him, how hard he’s worked. He’s put in a lot of time. He’s been patient He’s enjoying college. My advice is, enjoy the journey I’m looking forward to seeing him out there this year.”

Opportunity knocks

Archie purposefully has taken a step back as the big season approaches. An off-hand comment to a reporter about Arch’s draft status went viral for 24 hours earlier this month, and Archie was so dismayed by the kerfuffle it caused that he decided to shut down all future interviews and media appearances.

He knows firsthand the challenges that await Arch in the season ahead. The last thing he wants to do is exacerbate the challenge by causing a distraction.

“The SEC is going to be tougher than it’s ever been, so it’ll be a yo-yo, and the haters will come out,” Archie said. “I told him, just control what you can control. He’s pretty good about that. Peyton always put people in two categories: You get it or you don’t get it. Arch gets it. He’ll be fine.”

Archie’s final reminder to Arch this summer was a simple one: Don’t forget to have fun He knows how quickly the college years go by and wants Arch to embrace every aspect of the journey — the highs, the lows and everything in between

“He’s such a great guy and just the perfect role model for me, the way he carries himself and cares about others,” Arch said about his grandfather “I was taught that good things happen to good people who work hard and put their head down, and that’s what I’m focused on right now.”

Archie hopes to attend a game or two this season, but traveling has become more difficult in recent years. His severe neuropathy requires him to walk with a cane, and crowds can be problematic even with Texas supplying golf carts and suite accommodations. Still, he hopes to catch an early nonconference game in Austin and perhaps the Longhorns’ game against Mississippi State in Starkville He and Olivia will watch the Ohio State game from the comfort of his study

“What I pray for is that Arch stays healthy,” Archie said. “Mainly, I just want him to really really enjoy his college experience.”

No matter how it turns out, the messages in the Marvelous Mannings text chain will remain the same.

Newname. Aboldnew chapterfor kids.

Ourlegacyisdefinedbycaring forall children,and only children –with afoundation of innovation and compassion that has fueled themission of Children’s Hospital NewOrleans since1955.

Nowinour newchapteras Manning FamilyChildren’s,we move intothe next 70 yearswith a bold vision to make Louisiana anational leader in child health andwellbeing.

Announced in February, our extraordinarycollaboration with the Manning family –Olivia, Archie, Cooper,Peytonand

Eli –unites twochampionsof excellencewho shareadeep commitmenttoinnovation, compassion, andthe care and wellbeing of kids.

Together with the ongoing supportofour community, we will makeanevengreater impact on kids’health movingforward, helping ensurethat allchildren haveaccess to the expertand oftenlifesavingcaretheyneed, close to home

Discovermoreat manningchildrens.org

Time to panic

N.O.-filmed‘Panic intheStreets’ premiered75years ago.Directorcalled it‘perfect.’

BY JOHN WIRT Contributing writer

The mid-20th century’smost renownedAmericanfilm andtheater director,EliaKazan, crafted the cinema landmarks “A Streetcar Named Desire,” “On the Waterfront” and “East of Eden.” Kazan’sstage and screen productions of works by playwrights TennesseeWilliams, Arthur Miller and William Inge and novelist John Steinbeck presented Marlo Brando, James Dean, Vivian Leigh,Karl Malden, Warren Beatty and Natalie Wood in their most memorable screen moments.

Ason of Greekimmigrants, Kazan carriedaclass-conscious chip on his shoulder throughout his life. His 19 films also include 1947’s Oscar-winning “Gentleman’sAgreement” and 1957’s damning portrait of apopulist demagogue, “A Face in the Crowd.”

PROVIDED ILLUSTRATION

By ED AND SUSAN POOLE/ HOLLyWOODONTHEBAyOU.COM

Aposter from the 1950 New Orleans-shot film ‘Panic in the Streets’

Beyond hisknack fortransposing the words of great contemporarywriters into vivid performances, Kazan evolved from astage-bound director of theater to amaster filmmaker Thetransition happenedmost of all in NewOrleansduring the making of “Panic in the Streets.”

Afilm-noir thriller,“Panic in the Streets” made its Southern premiere 75 years ago, Aug.26, 1950, at the Saenger Theatre in New Orleans.

Following “Gentleman’s Agreement” and 1949’s“Pinky,”

ä See ‘PANIC’, page 7D

left, Kenneth Potier and CurtComeaux enjoylunch at Laura’sIICafe in Lafayette.

If Idie tomorrow, Iwill have hada great life. Iam happywith whoI am as a person.I’m

SBY KEITHSPERA

Staff writer

idney Smithisnot amusician, but he’s lived a rock ’n’ rolllife. Several, in fact. He wasarockphotographer who embeddedwith the AllmanBrothers Band, spent Mardi Gras with Pauland LindaMcCartney andshotmembers of Led Zeppelin partying with Professor Longhair

He was amalestripper and a four-time husband.

He’s the founderofHaunted History Tours, New Orleans’most prominent ghost tourcompany

He’sagrieving father and amemoirist, which may turn out to be his final act.

In January, Smithannouncedon Facebook that he’dbeen diagnosed withterminal pancreatic cancer

At 71, his medical history is extensive.He’sbeaten cancer three times previously.Healso endured ahernia, astaphinfection, sciatica, twokneereplacements,one hip replacement, two cervical fusions, two spinalfusions, vertigo, theremovalofhis gall bladderand two

rotator cuff tears, whichrendered his right arm unable to hoist acamera. “I managed to get through that,” he said. “But pancreatic cancer is a little different.” Apositive person by nature,in late June, he still thought he might outlive his prognosis.

Asign posted in the entrance to Smith’shome in NewOrleans asksthat he not be resuscitated if found unresponsive

BY JOANNABROWN Staff writer

Lafayettehas long been home to acelebrated restaurant scene. Acadiana’slargest cityisthe acknowledged capital of Cajun and Creole

DINING SCENE

Restaurantsliftedthe spiritsofa city afterKatrina

It was adinner I’ll never forget becausepart of me couldn’t believe it was happening.

our homes piled outside until poboy shops returned. They could only do that once Leidenheimer

Baking Co. started making French bread again on Oct. 9. Parasol’sreopened the sameday

Ian McNulty WHAT’S COOKING

It was early November 2005, two months and change since Hurricane Katrina and the subsequent levee failures. Thecity was not just devastated, it had seen epic displacement, nearly emptied of its people. Those who could return wereonlyjust beginning to trickle back that fall.

One of the first things they found functioning from thebefore times were restaurants, and around their light bitsofNew Orleans life would reconstitute.

Iwas in the packed diningroom of the Spanish restaurantLola’s the night it reopened on Esplanade Avenue, along astrip of high ground surrounded by neighborhoods that remained in dank ruin, dark and hauntinglyvacant.

Paella and garlic shrimp went around, people laughed, some shed tears. There was gratitude for the togetherness in aplace thatfeltlike our oldneighborhood, after fearing in the darkest days that we might’ve lost itall. Then somebody was tappinga spoon against aglass. The room fell quiet. Angel Miranda, theproprietor,noticed the changeand emerged fromthe open kitchen, wiping his brow as he looked around. Somebody started clapping, and in awhoosh, we were all on our feet applaudingthe restaurateur and his staff, tears streaming now

“I was so tiredfrom getting the restaurant open, Icouldn’t even show how touching it was,” the late Miranda would tell me afew days later.“But inside my heart was bulging with happiness.” That is what the return of restaurants did for New Orleans people, too.

Improv andsymbolism

Restaurants were part of the Katrina recovery from thestart, even in the deepestcrisis, feeding neighbors in need andfirst responders. It wasn’tlong before speculationand anxiety over the fate of landmark restaurants and local jointsroseasaconstant topic of conversation.

Rather than blithe concernsin the face of such grave loss and devastation, it reflected just how deeply important NewOrleans food and its restaurants are to the identity of the city and itspeople. Acity renowned for resistance to change witnessed generations worth of changeall at once. With restaurants alone, Katrina took more from New Orleans than some cities will ever have.

But as restaurants reopened one by one, they felt like asser-

tionsthat thecity would be back and its culture would endure.

Thefirst reopenings were along “the sliver by the river,” the high ground that escaped massive flooding. Butanyone gettingback to business wasinuncharted territory

Ralph Brennan’sRed Fish Grill, quite possiblythe first restaurant to return,certainly the first with ahealth permit, did so in Septemberwithoutgas or potable water but the wood-fired grill cooked fish andburgers andwine was pouredinplasticcups.

Around thecity,the early customerbase was largely composed of contractors, insurance people andmilitary.Camo was common, as were sidearms.

By October,more restaurants began to provide “a sense of normalcy,”abuzzword of theday, in welcome if disconcerting contrast to so much that remained

mangled and bizarre just outside their doors.

On one block of Magazine Street,you could get pizza again at Theo’sorcontemporary Creole cuisine at La Petite Grocery.A few blocks away,Lilette even started running seasonal fall specials (braised short ribs with gnocchi, one night).

Restaurant people contending with little staff, broken supply chains, skyrocketing costs and their own homes and lives in tumult could only do this through grinding effort

Thegood debris

Getting through aday postKatrina took atoll on everyone. Katrina was all we talked about and all we saw.Wecarried it with us. Itssmells filled our nostrils. We felt its grit on our skin.

Returning to arestaurant was not an escape, but arebuttal to

thedread andgnawing questions that prowled us. In the dining roomsand at the bars, we found tangible proof that our communitywas knitting back together Youcould drive formiles in someparts of the city without seeing asoul. But the reopening of Galatoire’sand Arnaud’sin early December and Antoine’s on New Year’sEve drew crowds as if they wereHollywood movie premieres.

Connection ran through the returns. “Debris” referred almost exclusively to the wreckage of

That was also the cue forGuy’s Po-Boys to return, though owner Marvin Matherne was only able to because asuccession of customers volunteered to workthe counter while he cooked. Parkway Tavern &Bakery reopened aweek before Christmas, only partially repaired and with aone-item menu: roast beef poboys. It wasastatement in apart of townwhere very little else had yet returned, and it drew grateful customers from around the city This becametypical. Restaurants wereforerunners, sometimes putting their neighborhoods back in business and showing others that it waspossible to come back.

Look andlearn

Restaurants talked to their city, even before they returned. In the early months, there weremessages of hope spray-painted on the plywood covering shattered windows. Later,neutral grounds sprouted yard signs advertising the next to reopen, like sunflowers growing out of squalid ground. Spotting one from aplace you loved could be the best part of the day

When Li’l Dizzy’sreopened in January,many in the crowd were in “look and leave” mode, a motto of the time forpeople who couldn’tyet live in their damaged homes. In between the “look” and the “leave” parts, this Treme restaurant showed people moreof their city coming back, and more evidence that perhaps they could return too.

Restaurants also trumpeted NewOrleans’ return to the world, the counterpoint to misconceptions that perhaps the city was still flooded years later.The opening of Commander’sPalace in 2006 madenational news.

Chef Leah Chase, 82 when Katrina hit, lived with her husband in aFEMA trailer next to her family’sDooky Chase Restaurant as it wasrebuilt. After it reopened in 2007, she hosted President George W. Bush during his visit forKatrina’sanniversary, with cameras in tow

The returns would play out foryears as massively damaged restaurants werefinally rebuilt. They kept giving New Orleans people reasons to believe, even when post-Katrina lifecould test resolve and even faith.

When Mandina’sreopened in early 2007, everything inside the four walls was new.But it was familiar faces whofilled the room to welcomeitback, sometaking their accustomed place at the stand-up bar again. Like at Lola’sback in those early days, the room wasfilled with applause and with tears of joy

Email IanMcNulty at imcnulty@theadvocate.com.

BY ROBIN MILLER Staff writer

Bunkie, the city said to be named after atoy monkey,is now atourist destination

Yes, the same Bunkie that bordered either side of U.S. 71 with shutteredbuildings not so long ago —the same place whose name was mocked by people throughout the state.

Now those same people are stopping for Instagram shots and selfies in front of the city’sdowntown mural, eating homemade cakes in the cafe at Griffin’sAntiques &Main Street Market and parking their RVsatGator Grounds while theirkids swim the lazy river in the resort’swater park.

That’sright. There’san RV resort in Bunkie, and it also has agolf course. As for thedowntown, everything’s open for business these days. And one of the major businessesflowing through Bunkie is tourism.

Thecityisn’t thebuttof anyone’sjoke anymore.

“I’ve been calling Bunkie a revitalized retro town,” said Wilbert Carmouche, director of the Avoyelles Commission of Tourism. “I think it’sthe perfect description, because that’sexactly what it is.”

Carmouche is right

Though newbusinessesoccupy the once closed buildings, the buildings still bear the original proprietors’ names. As for the downtown businesses themselves, most are the same kind of novelty establishments that attract travelers on vacation. Or local travelers looking for day trips.

Bunkie’srevitalization starts with businessman Gregory B. Kojis, owner of Gibko Signs on the edgeof town.

“Greg’ssign shop built all of this,” said LeslieJusselin owner of Griffin’sand Kojis’ business partner.“We have pictures of the beginning. There was nothing in here.” Not so today.Jusselin and business partner Claire Pilgreen operate acafe at the front of Griffin’sat228 S.W Main St., where avariety of

TRAVEL

Bunkie agreat touriststop

pies are made fresh daily

Themenualsoincludes a completeselection of lunch items with po-boys on bread baked in-house. The building next door to theantique shop operatesas the market’sbakery

“The building next door used to be Mr. Fattie’s barbershop,”Jusselinsaid.

“So, we kept the name.It’s abakery now,but it still has Fattie’snameonit, andwe bake and cook allofour food there.”

As for Griffin’s,it’snamed forthe 1904 department store that originally operated out of thebuilding. And Hoover’sdown the street? It was once Hoover’s Dry Cleaners at 202 S.W Main St., but now it operates as Hoover’s5&10, an oldfashioned dime store, where shelves are filled with retro candies, toys, softdrinks and otheritems from yesteryear

Through aselection of novelty retro soft drinks, oneinparticular standsout: Bacon Soda.

Tryitif youdare. Then again,alot of customers are game to trya lot of things in this store, simply becauseit reminds them of the old fiveand-dimestores from their childhoods.

“Greg told us that he visited the five-and-dime store

TRAVEL TROUBLESHOOTER

By ChristopherElliott

in old downtown Branson, Missouri, and asked how they put theirs together,” Carmouche said. “Then he modeledhis storeontheirs.”

Branson’sstore,Dick’s 5&10, bills itself as the “Last of an American tradition.”

But Kojis’ Bunkie store debunks that statement.

Griffin’sonthe corner also houses an antiques and handicrafts mallbehind its cafe andinits second story

The store is one of several antiquesshops located in the city’sdowntown area, but it’sthe only one that stands acrossfromGriffin’s Service Station at 302 S.W Main St

This isn’tjust anygas station —itoffersfullservice, meaning an attendant will gasupcustomers’ cars while also wiping down windshields.

That’snot saying customers can’t getout andexplore.

In fact, Kojis, also thebenefactorbehind thisenterprise,designedthe station just for that.

Gas pumps stand on the backdrop of awall-sized postcard muralspellingout “Bunkie,”below abanner touting the70vendors in theantique mall. Each letter in the Bunkiespell-outfeatures alandmark in thecity, and it’sall picture-ready for group shotsand selfies.

Alongside the station stands arow of retro gas station signs for theShell, Standard Oil, Sinclair andMobil companies, their placement just rightfor family group shots.

Andontop of the pavilion sheltering the gas pumps is a

restored blue ’57 Chevy,complete withtailfins andheadlights that comeonwhen the station lights up at dusk.

“They staged agrand opening forthe station in early August, where they charged only 25 cents agallonfor gas,” Carmouche said. “They’ve also erected alarge cross on theedge of thestation,whichislit up at night, andit’sabsolutely beautiful.The gasstation definitely is afavorite photo spot fortravelers.”

For visitors who wantto spend alittle timeexploring more of thearea, there are several overnight options. Of course, they can take the 18-mile trek along La. 115 to Marksville, where accom-

and store the image in your app.

modations usually arereadily available at the Paragon Casino Resort’s hotelorthe Hampton Innacross the street. Along the samehighway, there’salso the Knights Inn Bunkie, 3541 La. 115, which offers 42 rooms, apool, gym and laundry facility For thosewanting to stay within the Bunkie area, the Evergreen Bed &Breakfast, 1461 La. 29, offerseight bedroom rentals at prices ranging from $200 to $600. The establishment is a reproduction of theNational Landmark Evergreen Plantation main house that stands in near Wallace in St. Johnthe Baptist Parish, its trademark feature beingthe winding staircases on either side of its entrance. For RV campers, there’s GatorGrounds, 200Golf Course Road, with its water park, indoor swimming facilityand golf resort.The park also offers acouple of cabins fortravelers without RVs. Both Evergreenand Gator Groundsare owned and operated by Kojis. And forboth day-trippers andovernight travelers, Bunkie offersa variety of locally owned eating options, including Rocky’sTails & Shells at 126 Lyle Ave., DugoutNeighborhoodGrill at 124 Lyle Ave., Zapote MexicanGrill at 1023 N.W. Main St., Bunkie Pizza Shack at 412 N.W. Main St., Bernice’s SandwichShopat911 S.W Main St. and Sammy’sTruck &Auto Plaza, 3601 La. 115. TheFacebook page, Bunkie Buz, makes it easy to plan atriptoBunkie, as the page promotes the city’s MainStreet tourist destinations and happenings.

Visitors can also stop by the restored Bunkie Train Depot along Main Street operated by theBunkieof Chamber of Commerce, whichhas information on all events in the area, especially the annual Louisiana Corn Festivalthatplace the secondfull weekendinJune. Finally,for those interested in thearea’shistory, there’sSt. Anthony of Padua Catholic Church, 409 St. John St. The parish was founded in 1904 to support Italianimmigrants in the area. “People are rediscovering Bunkie,” Carmouche said. “The city really does have a lot to offer.” For more, visit travelavoyelles.com.

Christopher Elliott

Irented a2015 Hyundai Sonata from Turo in Myrtle Beach for three days. During my rental,the paint started to bubble, crack and peel, with flakes flying off while Idrove.The car wasn’tinvolved in anycollisions or struck by anything.This was clearly due to apoorquality paintjob,not any actions on my part. Iimmediately reported the issue to thecar owner and Turo. But instead of acknowledging the problem,Turo blamed me and charged me $500 for anew paint job.Turo insists Iwas responsible because the peelingoccurred during my rental period. This experience has shaken my trust in Turo’scommitment to fairness andcus-

tomer satisfaction. Can you help me getmy money back? —Latisha Thompson, Groton, Connecticut

Idon’t see how you could be held responsible for peeling paint on acar you rented from Turo. Imean,ifyou had collided with another vehicle and thepaint was peeling, then yes, perhaps then. Butyou showed me pictures of your car, anditlooked like apaint job gone wrong. So what happened? Your recordsshowthat Turo had charged youa$500 deposit when you rented the vehicle.

After you returned theSonata, Turo’sclaims team sentyou an email that said the owner had filed aclaim to repair the paint on

theroof. Since you declined Turo’soptional protection, you were liable for the damage, according to Turo.

Yousigned an agreement that said you arefinancially responsible for “all physical damage toor theft of abooked vehicle that occurs during atrip” including any additional costs and fees resulting from damage, regardless of who is at fault. In other words, while thedamage wasn’tyour fault, you were still responsible. Turo strongly recommends that you take“before” and “after” photos of your car.Iteven has afeature on its app called Trip Photos that allows you to do that

Ithink this is brilliant, because if you can prove the car wasdamaged before you rented it, you’re far less likely to face asuccessful claim by yourhost. Why didn’tyou spot this damage when you picked up the car?

Yousay the vehicle looked “very glossy and shiny” as if someone recently painted it. The paper trail between you and Turo shows that the company was unconvinced. Abrief,polite email sent to one of the Turo managers Ilist on Elliott.org, my consumer advocacy website, might have led to a reversal of this $500 charge.

Ithink there wasenough reason for Turo to take another look at

this claim. It’s hard to imagine you did anything to the vehicle to cause the paint to peel like that. Something just felt off about it. So Icontacted Turo on your behalf

In response, Turo sent you an email that it had decided to drop the matter

“Weare pleased to inform you that we will be closing the claim and you will not owe anything for damages at the present time,” it added.

Christopher Elliott is the founder of Elliott Advocacy,anonprofit organization that helps consumers solve their problems. Email him at chris@elliott.org or get help by contacting him on his site.

HOLLYWOOD SOUTH

Home videoshotduringKatrina turned into film

‘A Reason to Stay’ shot by NOLA homeowners

Angela and PeterBecnel III got married in March 2005. Theplan was to buy Peter’sgrandfather’s multi-unit home in Mid-City and do some remodeling, since Peter Becnel owned a construction company

Leslie Cardé

They ended up purchasing that home in August, just four days before Hurricane Katrina made landfall. In one pieceofluck, they were urged to buy flood insurancebefore their closing.The reason? Astorm named Katrina was edging its way toward the Gulf of Mexico, and if it entered, that sort of insurance would no longer be an option.

The Becnels immediately took out flood insurance on aproperty that had never had any.Asthey say, the rest is history

As Katrina approached, the Becnels decided they couldn’t afford to leave and wouldhave to ride out the storm alongwith their friends Ryan and Deirdre Scully,who came to stay with them. They shot what happened after that on avideo camera.

Their story would eventually become the documentary “A Reason to Stay,” about what happened at Toulouse and Rendon streets after thelevees broke at thelake, pouring millions of gallons of water into the heart of the city ‘There arethousands of stories’

“Everyone who lived through Hurricane Katrina has astoryto tell,” Peter Becnelsaid. “There are thousands of stories out there. This one is ours.”

Recording hours of astorm and its destruction is certainly enough to document ahurricane, butturning it into afilm requires professionals who know how to organize the footage. Manyyears later,Janene Knox, who lives in New York City and owns ahouse in Bywater,was able to take a look.

“What Isaw in boxes of tape

By The Associated Press

Beatles fans will be feeling some “real love” for this: New content from the iconic band is coming this fall on screen, in music and in print.

“The Beatles Anthology” will be returning “in its ultimate form,” according to a release issued Thursday

The famed 1995 “Anthology” music documentary,recounting theband’sjourney beginning with its Liverpool

PROVIDED PHOTO Angela and PeterBecnel filmed the onslaught of Katrina as brand-new homeowners in New Orleans.

was not professionally shot, as it was doneonahand-held camcorder,withoutparticularly goodlighting,” Knoxsaid. “But Ithought the footage was magical. It had alyrical, almost poetic quality,and despite theshooting of adisaster,it even had humorous moments. There wasn’t much structure, and just getting

roots through to its explosive stardom, has been restored and remastered, and will feature anew,ninth episode. It will stream on Disney+ beginning November26.

The ninth episode features behind-the-scenes footage of Paul McCartney,George Harrison and Ringo Starr coming together in 1994-1995 to work on the series and “reflecting on their shared life as theBeatles.”Giles Martin, son of the late Beatlespro-

his band. He ended up doing the award-winning soundtrack for the film

The helicopter didn’treturn forhim that day,but Ryan Scully swam through flood waters with his bike, commandeered aboat and rescued the others in the house, days after the storm

There’ssomething about watching real-lifefootage, where the thoughts of those in the storm are unfolding before you. When the storm has finally passed over and everyone is expecting the 3feet of water to recede, it’sunnerving to watch the waters rise, but not to understand why.

Asense of immediacy

It wasonly when agenerator allowed those hunkering down in their homes to see television reporting that they becameaware the levees had broken, and realized how dire things had already become. “Rescue” started to take on asense of immediacy

When the people of NewOrleans wereevacuated in Katrina’s wake, manywere bused out of towntoAtlanta and Houston, or as faraway as Phoenix and New England.

through all of those boxes of tapes would take me years.

“It becameapassion project, to work out when Icould find time, while Bill Poznanski (her filmmaking partner) and Iwere working on funded projects. It became clear years down theline that this Katrina story had real potential.”

Telling someone else’sstorycan be impossible without their input, so Knox asked Peter Becnel to become aco-director,feeling it could makeareal difference in sorting through thefeelings and emotions of those who lived through the ordeal.

Meanwhile, thefilm’seventual director of photography,Poznanski, who had viewed theextensive footage, was having second thoughts.

Validand historic

“Wedid have this hesitation

ducer George Martin who died in 2016, has created new audio mixes for the majority of the featured music.

New “Anthology” music will be released on Nov. 21 Afourth album, to be released alongside remastered versions of the first three, includes 13 previously unreleaseddemos, session recordings and other rare recordings

“Anthology 4” also includes, according to the

initially about doing the film because there were so manyother stories aboutenduring thestorm, which were so much worse, and we didn’twant to discount them,” Poznanski said.

“After all,people died. Wholecommunities disappeared. Iwondered if we should be putting this out.

“But this is their story to tell. It’svalid and historic and shows aMid-City block where people of mixed ethnic backgrounds, who were mostly property owners, all pulled together and werelike family to one another.”

Although the film came together in 2015, it has been updated since to show where everyone is now

The two families today have five kids between them, andRyan Scully,who wasleft behind along with wife Deirdre when the helicopter came to rescue Peter and Angela Becnel from the secondstory window,isstill playing in

release, new mixes of the Beatles’ “Anthology”-related hit singles: “Free As ABird” and“Real Love.” The original“Free As ABird” music video has also been restored.

The two new mixes come alongside 2023’s“Now And Then,” thelast Beatles song (All three singles were created from home demosthat John Lennon, who was killed in 1980 outside the Dakota apartmentbuilding, recorded not long before, with vocal

Somewere uprooted formany years; others, forever.Asthe city tried to recover amid FEMA trailers and programslike the illfated Road Home, the mood in the city was bleak.

“I wanted to stop hearing about Katrina,” said Peter Becnel. “It wasevery other wordcoming out of people’smouths. It wasbouncing around the room like abig echo chamber.But looking back, I don’tever want to forget.”

The Becnels restored the house at Toulouse and Rendon, and stayed there until their growing family needed morespace. They now live in Lakeview,with aladder in their attic, just in case.

On the 20th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, Aug. 29, The Broad Theater will screen “A Reason to Stay” at 7p.m., with a concert to follow at The Broadside, featuring, among others R. Scully &Friends, the musicians behind the film Film tickets are $12 foradults, and $8 forchildren.

Email Leslie Cardé at lesliecardejournalist@gmail.com

andinstrumentalparts later recorded by Paul, George and Ringo.)

A25th anniversary edition of the Beatles Anthology Book will arrive Oct. 14.

In the book, all four Beatles recall the band’s journey They’re joined by colleagues including Neil Aspinall, George Martin, Derek Taylor and others.

“’The Anthology’ was always abouttheir past, but this neweditionconfirms its

enduring placeinthe present and future,’”the release noted. The “Anthology” updates come as Beatles fans ready for not one, not two, but four feature films about the band. All directed by Sam Mendes, the films each focusonone Beatle. The lead actors will be Paul Mescal as McCartney,Joseph Quinn as Harrison, Barry KeoghanasStarr andHarris DickinsonasLennon.

Argusfêtes royals,court to startMardi Gras merriment

With less than six months to Mardi Gras,Carnival festivities inthe Crescent City for the 2026 season have begun, and theKrewe of Argusrecently heldtheir Royal Hour to honor past and present monarchs for theJefferson Parish-based krewe.

Riding as Argus XLIinMetairieon

Mardi Gras will be David Haydel Jr.and Callie Langhetee will reign as queen. She is the daughter of Dr.Henry Langhetee and Ms. Wanda Theriot.

Joining the monarchsonthe court will be Madelyn Bernard, Sidney Davis, Claire Deroche, Sydney Konur,Eliza Morin, Kira Mixon, McLaine Schlosser andAva Schott.

Captains for thekrewe, who presided over the crowningfestivities, are Lawrence Chehardy andRobert DeViney Past monarchs honored at the fête were J. Garrison Jordan (Argus XL), LeonGiorgio,JohnPersson, Steven LaChute, MeredithChehardy Martinez, Neille Kelly,Brian Chehardy and Allie Langhetee.

Following the ceremonial proceedings, guests enjoyed dining and dancing, officially launching the Carnival 2026 season. With tradition and communityat its heart, the night wasafitting tributeto thelegacy of the krewe.

The krewe will parade along the traditional Veterans Memorial Boulevard route in Metairie on Mardi Gras, Feb. 17, 2026.

Krewe of Argus captains Lawrence Chehardy and Robert DeViney.

Newbookcharts life of Mississippi, otherrivers

Thanks to “Ol’ Man River,” the Broadway showtune madefamous by Paul Robeson, many of us grewup thinking of the Mississippi River not merely as apiece of geography but a giant personality.That idea resonates with special meaning in Louisiana, where the river defines thelandscape. Is it really true, though,thatrivers live in this way? Robert Macfarlane explores the question in “Is aRiver Alive?,” his new book about theessence of waterways around the world. There’snoquestionthat healthy rivers hum with life: fish andplants, birds and wildlife, the pulse of people coming and going. But Macfarlane, acelebrated British naturalist, wonders if rivers are such acomplex presencethat they might be regarded as fellow beings.

At the very least, he suggests, rivers look alive,asevidenced bytheir tendency to move.

“The ghosts of rivers lie all about us,” Macfarlane tells readers, noting the traces they leave behind when they change course.

He shares the story of Harold Fisk, ageologist and cartographer with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, who found away to map how theMississippi had meandered over many years. The shifts had created “river ghosts” —deposits of sediment and other evidence that revealedwhere the current had once flowed.Working from south Illinois to southLouisiana Fisk “mappedthe Mississippi’smem-

Poetry

BY SERENA PUANG Contributing writer

ories,” creatingimages that Macfarlane hails as artistic masterpieces.

“In them,” he writes, “the Mississippi comes to life: twisting like matingsnakeswrithing with river ghosts.Seen inFisk’scartographic imagination, plotted colorfully across both time and space, theMississippi becomesanitinerant, wandering being.”

TheMississippi River,grand though it may be, is one of many rivers that figure into Macfarlane’s narrative. The three headliners of his bookare Río Los Cedros in Ecuador the“watery city” of Chennai in India andCanada’sMagpie River

Macfarlane’sbook has arrived at a time of heightened interest in river life. Earlier this summer,Rien Fertel, oneofour newspaper’sfrequent reviewers, wrote about Boyce Upholt’s“The Great River: The Making and Unmakingofthe Mississippi.” In 2022, we shared news here about “Lifeonthe Mississippi,” Rinker Buck’s colorfulaccount of his travels down The Big Muddy on aflatboat Macfarlane’s case for the person-

RobertMacfarlane is the author of ‘Is aRiver Alive?,’which explores the roles of rivers such as theMississippi in shaping life on the planet.

hood of rivers is moreofapoetic argument than ascientific one, but his poetics hum withalyrical urgency LikePhilip Hoare, another British naturalist very much worth reading, Macfarlane often steps outside the frame of ordinary perspective, nudging us to see thealien beautyofa world we sometimes takefor granted. He writes of aforest in Ecuador, for example, “where bright-red bromeliadswith their red-spiked flowers flared like open penknives.”

Macfarlane says that when his young son learned about the title of “Is aRiver Alive?,” the boy told him, “That’s going tobeashort book then, Dad, because theanswer is yes!

Email Danny Heitman at danny@ dannyheitman.com

collection by La.writers,artists ‘feeds thesoul’

Hurricanes Katrina and Rita at20:

An AnthologyofLouisiana Poetry and Art, Edited by MonaLisa Saloyand John Warner Smith, Black Bayou Press

“They say ‘You’re eithergoing to astorm, going througha storm, or coming out of one.’// That’swhat they say,” begins apoem by J. Kevin Chavis in a new anthology commemorating the 20th anniversaryofhurricanes Katrina and Rita.

“So, we wait. //Wait to go to. // Wait to go through.//And once you’re through, you pick up the pieces and rebuild.”

The collection, titled “Hurricanes Katrina and Rita at 20:

An Anthology of Louisiana Poetry and Art” contains poetry and artwork from 44 Louisiana writers and/or artists,all of whom were impacted bythe hurricanes and had to rebuild their lives. It’spublished by Black Bayou Press,and itwas edited by two Louisiana poet laureates: John Warner Smith, who was the secretary of labor during Katrina, and Mona Lisa Saloy,who is from New Orleans and was displaced by the storm.

“Weboth felt very strongly that no one can better capture the tragedy of the stormsand the resilient spirit of our state than the poets of Louisiana,” Smith wrote in the introduction.

Smith reached out to Saloy to work on the project together in 2024. They had done readings together and knew each other, since they were both deeply impacted by the storm. Saloy said that it took 16 moves in 14 and ahalf years to get hometo New Orleans.

The poems, sorted in alphabetical order by author’slast name, include contributors such as Alison Pelegrin,the Poet Laureate through 2025, Peter Cooley and Julie Kane. Both editors also contributedto the collection.

“I know people still not in their homes, struggling. Iknow peoplewho want to return but cannot because thecost of livingissohigh,” Saloy said. “I know tradition bearers, the Black Masking Indians, who have hadtomoveout of the city because thecostissohigh.”

But in themidst of these losses and hardship, she said, it’simportant to remember and celebrate theway no disaster haseclipsed New Orleans. People, as Chavis’ poemsays,get throughit, pick up thepieces and rebuild

“Weare evolving, and we are here,and we’re still creating culture,” Saloy said. “We’re still beingour wonderfulSouthern selves.”

Her first of three poemsin the collection, titled “New Orleans: Broken Not Dead,” honors thepoet Claude McKay, who wrote the sonnet “If we must die” in responsetomob attacksbyWhite Americans against Black Americans during the Red Summer in 1919.

Both Smith andSaloy see poetry asaway of preserving history andevokingmemory

“It might be alittle cliché, but it (poetry) feeds the soul,” Smith said.“It nurtures. It inspires. If we really take the time to read and let it just do its thing.”

Smith hopes that putting stories in print will help to preserve the memories

“I think it can be part of the legacy just helpingusnever forget —never forget how devastating thosestorms were, lives destroyed, millions of dollars of property,”Smith said. “It’sjust something we wanted to be around forever.”

Areyou walkingyourcat?Why,yes,I

BY STEVE MARDON Contributing writer

Human Condition

While everyone knows who the quintessential New Orleans dog is, it’sless clear which cat best captures our city’sspirit. Ihumbly nominate my cat, Buddy.While Buddy hasn’tleaptoff any second-floor balconies, he is charismatic and well known, at least in my MidCity neighborhood.

Buddy’sorigins aren’tclear, but we first encountered him in the fall of 2008 when he joined a colony of feralfelines livingunderneath the apartment my wife and myself were renting Uptown on Valmont Street.

Unlike the other post-Katrina strays, Buddy didn’tflee when humans approached, instead welcoming ascratch on the topofthe head. Aneighbor started calling him Buddy,which quickly stuck. When temperatures neared freezing that winter,wedidn’thave the heart to leave him outside, so we started taking him in overnight. Before long, he was ours. He was young but already full grown, making him about 18 today The next year,webought a house in BayouSt. John, and

Continued from page1D

Kazan expressed dissatisfaction with the films he’d made so far: “I said to myself, ‘I’m not making films,I’m photographing plays.’ …Isaid, ‘I’m going to makea film that’sall action and use thecameratotellthe story.I’m goingto try to make something specifically filmic.’ ”

“A Streetcar Named Desire,”

“On the Waterfront”and other Kazan films are far better known and regraded than “Panic,” but the director himself believed“Panic” is his only “perfect” film.More importantly,anemphasis on visual storytelling; daily co-writing with screenwriter Richard Murphy; and Kazan’srecognitionthat the camera is, he writes in his autobiography,“not only arecordingdevice but apenetrating instrument,” prepared him for his masterpiece, 1954’s“On the Waterfront.”

“I don’tthink Icould have made

Buddyadjusted well to his new neighborhood. Through the2010s, he wasthe classic indoor/outdoor cat, roaming theadjoining streets during the day and (usually) coming in at night. He wasn’tone to prey on miceor birds,but he did once haveaminor scuffle with a neighbor’sescaped chicken. Here Ihave to admit Idropped the ball as acat dad, failingto notice that as theyears went by, Buddy —who was alwaysa big guy —was gradually getting even larger.Around the pandemic, he transitioned to being mostly an indoor cat, just lolling on the porch

‘On the Waterfront’ if Ihadn’tdone

‘Panicin theStreets,’ ”Kazan said.

“I got ahell of alot outofitfor future films.”

“Panic in theStreets” starsRichardWidmarkasLt. Cmdr.Clinton Reed,auniformed doctor withthe U.S. Public HealthService. Reed works valiantly to protect the peopleofNew Orleansafter he discovers the pneumonic plague virus in an unidentified murder victim.

“Panic”gets some of its tension from Reed’sstruggle to convince city officials of the urgent need to contain thevirus.

“I’veseenthisdisease work,” thedoctor warns skeptical local authorities. “If it ever gets loose, it can spread over the entire country,and the result will be more horrible than any of you can imagine.”

Joining Widmark in the “Panic” cast are Jack Palance as the menacing Blackie; theusually comedic Zero Mostel in adramatic role as Blackie’ssweaty lackey,Fitch; Paul Douglas as Reed’sreluctant police captain ally;and Barbara Bel Geddes as Reed’swife, Nancy

when he ventured out.

Things came to ahead acouple of years ago, when, with Buddy now pushing 20 pounds, avet seeing him for thefirst time said he needed to start losing weight ASAP.Ibelieve his exact words were: “If we’re measuring obesity on ascale of 1to10, he’san11.”

Coincidentally,Iwork as a healthcoach, helping people develop better healthhabits and lose weight, with theemphasis on nutrition and exercise.

So Iaccepted thevet’schallenge andset to work getting Buddy into better shape. We shiftedto“weight management” food and carefully measured the serving size.

Getting him moreactive was harder.Athis age, traditional cat toysnolonger held his attention, and making him walk from one end of the house to his food bowl would not be enough.

So Idecided to see how he would react to going for awalk outside. From prior experience, Iknew he hated collars and wouldn’ttolerate the traditional dogwalking experience.

Instead, Icarriedhim several blocks from our house, put him on the sidewalk, and watchedtosee if he would follow me home. He did!

Andsoadaily routine was born. We head out mornings around

Jack Palance’sBlackie is on the runin‘Panic in the Streets.

Frommid-December 1949 through January 1950, Kazan happily led “Panic”production in the distinctive city where thefilm’s virus-spawned action is set

“I wandered around that city night andday,soI knewitwell,”he toldinterviewer Jeff Young. “It’s so terrific and colorful. Iwanted

9or10, to one of ahalf dozen nearby corners, andBuddy walks back home. His pace is not exactly acheetah’s,oreven adonkey’s. Agood word to describeitis“lumbering.” But it is pretty steady,with occasional pauses to literally smell the roses. If he gets too distracted, ajingle of my keys gets him back on course.

Locals seeing us for the first time are often perplexed and amused. “Are you really walking your cat?” When Isay yes and tell them why,responses have ranged from “Well, good forhim!” to “Never seen that before” to “That is so New Orleans!”

While grown-ups are uniformly encouraging —and also accommodatinginkeeping their dogs at adistance —early on acouple of unruly teenagers called out: “That cat is so fat…you should give him asalad!”

Andthe coaching has worked. Slowly,his weight dropped …19, 18, 17, 16 and currently in the mid-15s,aloss of morethan 20% of his starting weight.

To weigh him,I stand on the scale withhim in my arms, and subtract my weight from our combined weight, aritual that has given me insight into the joys and frustrations that can come on a

boats, steam engines, warehouses, jazz joints —all of NewOrleans in that picture.”

Kazan enhanced his authentic “Panic” locations, The Times-Picayune reported,bycasting “111 policemen, taxi drivers, bond salesmen, teachers, housewives and persons representing across-section of New Orleans in speaking roles.”

“I found it most exhilarating to go intopolice headquarters, a union hiring hall, acheap café or an oldhotel,and weave thecharacters andgeneral atmosphere into thescript,” he told the newspaper “The peopleinNew Orleans whom Ichose for minor parts werewonderful.Their acting wasnatural and honest.”

Principal cast memberMostel, speaking to The NewYork Times in 1950, recalled filming acrowd scene at the National Maritime Union headquarters.

“The place is full of tough characters,” Mostel said. “They look as though they do not like movie actors. We are all nervous, thinking somebody is going to getslugged.

weight loss journey.Heplateaued several times but always eventually broke through.

One open question is Buddy’s opinion on his morning constitutional. Afriend once referred to it as his “forced march.” Ilike to think he enjoys it, or at least doesn’tmind. Ihave noticed that if I’mlate to take him out, he’ll often start brushing against my knees while Iwork, but it’spossible he just wants asnack. In December,Buddy hadanunrelated medical issue: Hisright eye cloudedoverand didn’trespondto antibioticeye drops. After thevet removed it,Buddy was back to his daily walksinafew days.

So now I’mthe proud owner of a geriatric one-eyed cat. If you see us strolling on Bell, North Dupre or DeSoto, feel free to say hello and give Buddy apat on the back or two. Nowadays it’scommon for cats to live into their 20s, so presumably he has manymiles to go …three blocks at atime. —Mardon lives in NewOrleans. HumanConditionsubmissions of 600 wordsorfewer may be emailedtofeatures@ thedvocate.com. Stories will be kept on file and publication is notguaranteed.There is no payment forHumanCondition

ThenGadge (Kazan’snickname) comes in, starts ordering them around with curses. They think he is wonderful and do everything he says. We think he has saved our lives.”

In a1993 interview,leading man Widmark remembered shooting “Panic.” He described Kazan as “a Svengali —henever talked to any two actors the same way.”Widmarkadded that Jack Palance, a former boxer making his film debut, knocked him out during an actionsceneand beat Mostelbefore every scene “to get in the mood.”

The lessons Kazan learned in NewOrleans also included the importance of music in film

“New Orleans wasfull of the music Ilove,” he writes in his autobiography.“Itriedtofill the soundtrack of the film with this music.” The musical score, he added, “often is as important as anything except the sequence of pictures that tell the story.”

Email John Wirt at j_wirt@msn. com.

Continued from page 1D

“They tell me that I’mnot goingtolive out the year,which I find kind of hard to believe,” he said June 27.“Maybe I’ll be one of those that breaks the odds.”

Weeks later,he’s not so confident.His weight loss has accelerated. On Aug. 13, he was hospitalized with complications related to pain management. Since returning home, he’soften extremely fatigued. He is on oxygen and receiving IV infusions of fluids and vitamins. “Intolerable”days are becoming the norm.

of “BeingSidney,” he was frustrated to findhis downstairs office computerturned off. These days,hehas little tolerance for wasted time. Just inside his front door is asigned note foranyonewho might find him unresponsive: “Do not resuscitate.”

After hisdiagnosis, friends convinced him to write amemoir.He divvied up hislife into the 21 chapters of “BeingSidney,”augmenting his stories with more than 200 photographs from his archives.

“Being Sidney” is set for publicationinmid-September.He hopes he lives long enough to see it.

Runningawaywiththe Allmans On ahot afternoon this week, Smith was at home in the Broadmoor neighborhood, being attended to by Laurie O.Dawes, a friend since kindergarten

Wanting to show visitors proofs

His house is agallery of rock ’n’ rollgreats. Upstairs is ashrine to theBeatles. Smith’s ownphotoslininga downstairs hallway traceachronologyof Jerry Garcia in 1972, BruceSpringsteenin ’74, Robert Plantand Jimmy Page in ’75 and TomPetty in ’76. He inherited his first camera from his father,anart teacher at AlceeFortier High School, which Smith also attended. The Warehouse, the grungy brick concertvenue that stood on Tchoupitoulas Street, offered ateenage Smith ampleopportunitytophotograph music legends.

“The Warehouse wasthe Fillmore East of the South,”hesaid, referringtopromoter Bill Graham’sfamous New York venue. “It stunkand it wascrowded,but we loved it.”

He ingratiated himself by takingpictures of roadies as well as musicians; the roadies gave him backstage and stageaccess. His photosturned up in national music magazines. In November 1970, at age 16,

Smith snuck into Tulane University’shomecoming dance to photograph an up-and-coming Southernrock band called the Allman Brothers. The Brothers took an immediate shine to him

“I wasn’tsome hotshot photographer. Iwas akid witha camera. Iwas pretty damnnaive.”

Off and on for years, he traveled withthe Allmans,photographing them backstage, in hotel rooms and at their compound in rural Georgia. Smith identified with the2000 movie “AlmostFamous,” the semi-autographical account of Rolling Stone writer Cameron Crowe’sadventures as afreshfaced teenage journalist on the road with arock band in the 1970s. “That,” he said, “was my life.” Carnival with theMcCartneys In November 1974, Smithattended aGeorge Harrison concert in Baton Rouge. Emotionally overwhelmed to be in thesame building as aBeatle, he shed tears. Twomonths later,apress agent called him from New York. Would he want to shoot Paul McCartney’s“Venus andMars” recording sessions at Allen Toussaint’s Sea-Saint Studio in Gentilly?

Driving to Le Richelieu Hotel in the FrenchQuarter, Smith kept telling himself,“Ican’tcry I’ve got to hold it together.” Joe English, adrummer Smith had met through the Allman Brothers, introduced him to McCartney at the hotel pool.

“Itwas aslow-motion walkfor me,” Smithsaid. “There wasPaul

ä See SMITH, page 9D

McCartney in his bathing suit with his wife, Linda. He’slooking at my photosand commenting on them, and I’m having an out-of-body experience.”

He spent the next few weeks photographingMcCartney at Sea-Saint,aswell as Pauland Linda’sMardi Gras adventures, costumed as clowns.Itwas a dreamcome true.

WhenMcCartneyhosted a wrap party aboard the Mississippi River boat Voyageur, Smith shot 40 or so rolls of film. As the partyended, he set down his camera bagtosavor the moment.

It was promptly stolen

He’d tucked two rolls of film in his shirt pocket; another was in the camera around his neck. But the rest of the film he’d shot, along with most of his cameras and gear,was gone. Smith was devastated:“Ilost my innocencethatday.”

Disillusioned, he abandoned hisdream of becoming afulltime rock photographer Stripper-grams andghosts

Shifting gears, he founded MerryMinstrels Singing Telegrams. He specialized in “stripper-grams,” bursting into song in offices, bars, homes and hospitals in various states of undress.

“This was in the ’70s, ’80sand even into the ’90s,” he said. “I was stripping longer than I should have.”

Realizing that “I can’tbea 70-year-old stripper,but Ican be a70-year-old tour guide,” he launched Haunted History Tours in 1995.

From French Quarter ghost tours, HauntedHistoryexpanded to cemetery, true crime, voodoo and vampiretours.The company hosts over100,000 customers annually Smith conductedtoursearly on, but soonrealizedhis strength was in marketing and runningthe business. He hired guides who were alsoactors and storytellers. “Everybody,” he

says, “loves aghost story.

A‘Hugh Hefner’arrangement

He always sustained his love for, and connectionto, rock ‘n’ roll. He eventually picked up hiscamera again. He befriended thenext generation of Allman Brothers offspringand, in 2019, published abook of his Allmans photography.Hewas an early promoter of child prodigy Brandon“Taz” Niederauer,now Jon Batiste’stouringguitarist

Alongthe way,Smith was married fourtimes. After his fourth divorce, he shiftedtoamore loosely defineddomestic model:

“I reconstructed my life in a Hugh Hefner typeofsituation.”

Meaning multiple girlfriends simultaneously,generally decadesyounger than him.

“I’m extremelyhonestwith everybody in my world. Idon’t lietoanybody.”

Pictures of his girlfriends decoratethe invitations to Smith’s legendarybirthdaybashes.

Theparties, set inand around hislushbackyardand pool,feature live bands, loads of crawfish andcelebrity guests. Inrecent years, he’sissued wristbands to helpcontrol thecrowd.

He didn’tthrow abirthday party this May, largelybecause of hiscancer diagnosis.But he was also preparingfor court.

RememberingJustin

Smith’s sonJustin was born in 1981. As an adult, Justinstruggled with mental healthissues andsubstance abuse.

He and his fatherwereextremelyclose.Justin livedin an upstairs bedroom of Sidney’s house and helped market Haunted History Tours, even as hesometimes didn’ttake his psychiatric medication

In June 2023, Justin, who was 42, disappeared. His frantic father spentweeks looking for him, only to discover that hisbodyhad been at theOrleans Parish Coroner’sOffice for 25 days. Justin had died of adrugoverdose withoutany identification.

“Nothing is agreater tragedy thanlosing achild,” Smith said. “And my son Justin was abeau-

tiful person.Hewas an artist. He was akind soul and he died way too soon.”

Angeredbythe delay in identifying Justin’sbody and that it was allowed to decomposeat themorgue, Smith suedcoroner Dwight McKenna, alleging negligence. In July,Civil District Court Judge Marissa Hutabarat found McKenna’s office was liable for“outrageousand reckless” misconduct That wasn’tthe end of Smith’s crusade.

Earlierthis month, he took the unprecedentedstep of securing an injunction from Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill that prohibits theOrleans ParishCoroner’sOfficefrom handling his own remains.Smith’sprevious lawsuit created apotential conflict of interest, Murrill agreed. So acoroner from adifferent parish will collect Smith’sbody when the time comes.

‘Being Sidney’a little longer Despitemaking his living from ghost tours, Smithisn’tsure ghosts —orany sort of afterlife —exists. “I believe thatthere’s something out there,” he said.

“I don’tknow what’s gonna happen to me when I’mgone. I would love to think that Iwould be reunited withloved ones. It’s alovelythought, avery romantic thought.But no one will be more surprised than me if that happens.”

Thatsaid, he’s “totally OK” with his terminal diagnosis.“It is what it is. Iwould love to live, like anybody else.

“But I’m not afraid or anythinglike that. I’m good to go, if that’swhat happens.”

Appropriately enough, he’s“Being Sidney” until the very end.

“If Idie tomorrow,Iwill have had agreat life. Iamhappy with who Iamasa person. I’m happy with what I’ve done for others.

“Somebody told me the other day that people leave my life alot betteroff than they came into it. And Iwould like to think that’strue.”

Email Keith Spera at kspera@ theadvocate.com.

SidneySmith looks through

CURIOUS

Continuedfrom page1D

largely been lost to time. It has been repeated without citation by theLouisiana Department of Culture, Recreation and Tourism and by national organizations like Livability,which tracks quality of life in small-to-medium cities.

Three months ago, the topic popped up againonthe Foodies of Lafayette Facebook page, where commenters indicated that they were given that information in statistics courses at the UniversityofSouthwestern Louisiana (now the University of Louisiana at Lafayette) in the early 1990s.

However,Lafayette has acompetitor for thecrown. According to a2009 article that ran in Baton Rouge’s225 Magazine, “it is often said there are morerestaurants per capitainBaton Rouge than any American city its size.”

So this is apopular claim —and adisputed one. Back in 2015, The Advocate’sMegan Wyatt explored thedata in areport forThe Daily Advertiser.She found that at that point, Lafayette had 445 restaurants andapopulation of 124,276, giving the city 3.58 restaurantsper 1,000 residents.

This ranked Lafayette No.4in the state for restaurants per capita, behind Houma, Baton Rouge and Monroe, but ahead of New Orleans, which held the No. 5spot.

We’retaking another look. What does Lafayette’srestaurant sector look like today,and has it now claimed the banner of “most restaurantsper capita?”

The Lafayette of the 1980s and 1990s had asharply different restaurant scene, according to chef Patrick Mould, whohas cooked at notable Lafayette institutions like Charley G’s, CafeVermilionville, Hub CityDiner and City Club at River Ranch.

“Back in the day, it wasall independent restaurants,” he said. “You hardly had any other kind, outside of McDonald’sand Burger King.”

During the oil boom years, Lafayette was also reported to have a large number of wealthy citizens. A1981 article fromThe New York Times called Lafayette the “home of athousand millionaires.”

So, it’s possible that Lafayette did at one point have the mostrestaurantsper capita —oratleast, themost independently owned restaurants. Today,the numbers look alittle different. According to data compiled in the2024 Lafayette Parish Business List by the Lafayette Economic Development Authority the cityofLafayette has around 289 restaurants in total —both full-service restaurants and limited-service spots like Subway, Taco Bell and other fast food joints.

Those numbers don’tinclude places like meat markets, specialty grocery stores, home businesses and food trucksthatoffergreat meals, showinghow complex it is to track every place where you can find delicious food in Acadiana.

LEDA sees Lafayette restaurantsasakey,but often overlooked, economic engine for theregion. According to Mandi Mitchell, LEDApresident and CEO, “restaurants are sophisticated entrepreneurial ventures that require tremendous skill in operations, finance, marketing and customer service.”

“For residents looking to sup-

port local business, dining at our locally owned and operated establishments is one of the simplest and mostenjoyable ways to keep dollars circulating in our local economy,” she said.

Looking at total restaurants, today Lafayette has 2.38 restaurants per 1,000 residents —down from adecade ago, when Wyatt found 3.58 restaurants per 1,000 residents. Wyatt tracked total numbers, including chains and fast food restaurants.

Removing the fast-casual chains in the limited-service category,Lafayette goes downto1.82 restaurants per 1,000 people.

Total restaurant data forthe sameperiod was not available forBaton Rouge, but Visit Baton Rouge has compiled an updated list that puts them at 2.02 restaurants per 1,000 people.

According to 2018 data compiled by the newspaper’sIan McNulty and Jeff Adelson, Orleans Parish had 1,216 restaurants and apopulation of 362,701, which means it has approximately 3.35 restaurants per 1,000 people. Of those, 605 were full-service restaurants, 476 counter-service or fast-food eateries and 135 bars serving food from their own kitchens.

Lafayette Travel also maintains arestaurant guide. Using their data, centered on locally significant spots and excluding fast food chains, Lafayette is at 1.51 restaurants per 1,000 people.

“Our food is part of whoweare and how we live,” said Ben Berthelot, CEO of Lafayette Travel.

“Our locally owned restaurants play akey role in the visitor experience. They are the reason we have been named best food city in the U.S., tastiest townofthe south and manyother accolades.”

There maybeaclue there as to why people are so eager to believe that Lafayette has the most restaurants per capita. We don’tlack for places to grab ameal, fast or sitdown, and we have arobust food culture with strong local pride in the wide range of Cajun and Creole restaurants. In that category, Lafayette is truly the hub city

“People are genuinely excited about Lafayette’srestaurant scene because it offers something unique,” said Jason Stoner,one of the co-directors of the Foodies of Lafayette Facebook forum.“This area is the only place where you can find authentic Cajun food. Our chefs and restaurant owners are not just cooking, they are preserving aculture.”

Mould agrees. He said, “It’s amazing how,after all these decades of Cajun food being hot, it’s still hot. We have areputation for great restaurants in Lafayette, and Ithink it all goes back to our original Cajun and Creole cuisine, thanks to guys like Paul Prudhomme whobecame so hot. We’re still riding that wave.”

And Lafayette has something else in its corner: adeep bench of restaurant talent that continually brings new energy to the dining scene.

Louisiana culture editor Jan Rishercontributed to thisreport. Email Joanna Brownatjoanna. brown@theadvocate.com. Do you have aquestionabout something in Louisiana that’s got you curious? Email your question to curiouslouisiana@ theadvocate.com. Include your name, phonenumber andthe city where you live.

By The Associated Press

Today is Sunday,Aug. 24, the 236th day of 2025. There are 129 days left in the year

Todayinhistory On Aug. 24, 1992, Hurricane Andrew smashed into Florida; the storm resulted in 65 deaths and caused more than $26 billion in damage across Florida, Louisiana and the Bahamas.

Also on this date:

In 1814, during the War of 1812, British forces invaded Washington, D.C., setting fire to the still-underconstruction Capitol and the White House, as well as other public buildings

In 1912, Congress passed ameasure creating the Alaska Territory

In 1932, Amelia Earhart embarked on a19-hour flight from Los Angeles to Newark, New Jersey,making her the first woman to fly solo, nonstop, from coast to coast.

In 1949, the North Atlantic Treaty came into force. In 1954, President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed the Communist Control Act, outlawing the Communist Party in the United States.

In 1989, Baseball Commissioner A. Bartlett Giamatti banned Pete Rose from the game for betting on hisown team, the Cincinnati Reds. In 1991, in response to a coup attempt by hard-line Communist leaders attempting to reassert control over the Soviet Union, Ukrainian parliamentarians voted to approve aDeclaration of Independence for the state of Ukraine.

In 2006, the International Astronomical Union declared that Pluto was no longer afull-fledged planet, demoting it to the status of a “dwarf planet.”

In 2012, aNorwegian court found Anders Behring Breivik guilty of terrorism and premeditated murder for twin attacks on July 22, 2011, that killed 77 people; he received a21-year prison sentence that can be extended as long as he is consid-

ereddangeroustosociety In 2018, thefamily of ArizonaSen. John McCainannouncedthat he haddiscontinuedmedical treatment for an aggressive form of brain cancer;McCain died the following day In 2019, policeinAurora, Colorado, responding to areport of asuspicious person, used achokehold to subdue ElijahMcClain, a23-yearold Black man; he suffered cardiac arrest on the way to the hospital and was later declared brain dead and taken off life support.

In 2020, Republicans formally nominated President DonaldTrump for asecond term on the opening day of ascaled-down convention; during avisit to the conventioncity of Charlotte, North Carolina,Trump tolddelegates that“ the only way they can take this election awayfromusisifthis is a riggedelection. ” Today’sBirthdays: ComposermusicianMason Williams is 87. R&B singer Marshall Thompson(The Chi-Lites)is 83. WWE co-founder Vince McMahonis80. Author Paulo Coelho is 78. Actor Anne Archer is 78. Author Alexander McCall Smith is 77. ComposerJean-Michel Jarre is 77.AuthorOrson Scott Card is 74. Poet Linton Kwesi Johnson is 73. Actor KevinDunn is 70. Former Arkansas governor and political commentator Mike Huckabeeis70. ActorwriterStephen Fry is 68. Actor Steve Guttenberg is 67.BaseballHallofFamer Cal Ripken Jr.is65. Actor JaredHarris is 64. Talk show hostCraigKilborn is 63. Actor MarleeMatlin is 60. Basketball Hall of FamerReggie Miller is 60. Film director AvaDuVernayis53. Actor-comedian DaveChappelle is 52.Actor James D’Arcyis51. Actor Carmine Giovinazzois52. Actor AlexO’Loughlin is 49. AuthorJohnGreenis48. Actor Chad MichaelMurray is 44. Actor Rupert Grint is 37. Basketball playerKelsey Plum is 31.

Go aheadand reciprocate, already!

BY JAMI GANZ Newyork Daily News (TNS)

NEW YORK Hulu’snew limited series about Amanda Knox allowed the exonerated American woman to “finally grieve the young person that Iwas” before she waswrongfullyconvicted in Italyfor the murder of housemate Meredith Kercher Knox, 38, wasenjoying asemester in Perugia in 2007 at age 20 when she and her boyfriend discovered 21-year-old Kercher brutally murdered in thegirls’ home Her arrest —stemming in part from acoerced confession with neither translator nor lawyer present for the interrogation —soon followed, along withsexist media portrayals and the now-infamous “FoxyKnoxy” moniker Knox and Monica Lewinsky executive produced the eight-part “The Twisted Tale of Amanda Knox,” which stars Grace VanPatten in the title role. Now apodcaster and criminal justice reform activist, Knox is “so grateful” to the New York actress for her portrayalin the series.

“I felt like Icould finally grievethe young person that Iwas,” Knox told People Tuesday at the series’ New York premiere. “Someone recently said that what happened is someone stole my sparkle. They didn’tjust steal my freedom, they stole my sparkle. And seeing [Van Patten] bring it back again —I’m just so grateful to her, that she’shonored that for me.” Knox was convicted in 2009 and sentencedto26years behind bars. She was acquittedand freed two years later,only for the Italian courts to overturn theacquittalin2013, at which pointKnox was back in

Dear Miss Manners: We have afriend who frequently invites us by for brunch. She has alovely,immaculate, pet-free and pristine home. We feel as though we should reciprocatethe invitation. However,our home is the antithesis of hers: small, cluttered and quite pet-friendly We want to invite her over,but we feel that she would not be comfortable in our home. Plus, she often doesn’t even eat much of the food that she serves at brunch, so we aren’teven sure of her dietary preferences. Should we not worry too much about these things and go ahead with an offered invitation? We don’twant to put her on the spot,but we also don’twant her to thinkweonly want to see her in her own home.

Gentlereader: Presuming that one’s homeorfood will never be good enough for an exceptional host has left manyanexceptional host exasperated and resentful that their generosity is never reciprocated.

Miss Manners therefore insists that you invite this friend over immediately.Clean your house, inquire about allergies (both pet and food) and do your best. Your friend will no doubt appreciate theeffort. Because for all you know,the minuteyou leave her pristine house, the crammed closets burst open and the critters run fortheir lives.

Dear Miss Manners: My husband and I were going on vacation forour anniversary.When our neighbors learned we were renting atwo-bedroom,twobathroom condo, they invited themselves along. We didn’tknow how to say no, but were abit encouraged by thethought that our rental would be cheaper shared.

The couple, unknown to us, thought thetrip was free forthem.They kept tellingeveryone we metthat they were on afree vacation,when we’d paid nearly $3,000 forthe accommodations. They did not pay apenny, nor have they offered.

Arewewrong forthinking this was rude? How can we politely ask them to pay aportion of the costs?

Gentlereader: First, Miss Manners must teach you how to say no po-

litely Inviting oneself on an anniversary trip is already appalling. Expecting it to be paid forisbonkers.

What you could have said at the timewas, “This is an anniversary trip, but we would be happy to figure out an occasion to vacation with you. Perhaps when it is the anniversary of us being neighbors?”

But if you really feel that you had no choice and now want somecompensation out of the deal, you can still tell them,“Youknow,I should have said so in the first place, but we were not expecting to have guests forour anniversary trip. However, since you came along, your half of the condo is XYZdollars.”

Do not pose this as aquestion. And if they balk at it and push back? Tell them the polite no that you should have told them in the first place.

Sendquestions to Miss Manners at herwebsite, www missmanners.com; to her email, dearmissmanners@gmail.com; or through postal mailtoMiss Manners, Universal Uclick, 1130 Walnut St., Kansas City,MO64106.

Thinkminimally forcollege dorms

slippery —R.J., in Wisconsin

Dear Heloise: Inoticed

several people have written about items that you can give to agraduating student to taketocollege (a hammer,nails, atool kit, etc.). Has everyone forgotten that thecollege will have maintenance people who already have these tools and will help studentsif they need to assemble things?

People mean well, but don’toverload kids with thingsthat they’ll most likely never need or use. They are only atemporary resident of their college dorm.It’snot as though they’re going to be needing abunch of tools, abig first-aid kit,and abunch of other things.

Think in minimal terms: alaundry bag, an alarm clock, soap (for both laundry and their body),and other things that are easy to pack and cause less clutter.After thefirst month, thestudentswill have a better idea of what they really need. —Scott W.,inLubbock,Texas

Doggydoo-doo

Dear Heloise: Ilove dogs and have two rescue babies. Every time Iwalk my dogs, Ipick up after them instead of leaving poo on aneighbor’syard. Yesterday one of the neighbors walked their dog past my yard and let their dog use my frontlawn as his bathroom.Then they just walked off.

Iknew where he lived, so Itook ashovel and scooped up thedog droppings. (And

it was rather large, but so wasthe dog!) Idumped it on his front porch. Just as it slipped off my shovel, he opened his door,and I pointed to the poo and said, “You forgot something.”

I’mtired of people who do not pick up after their dogs. If you walk your dog, then makesure to pick up after your pet. It’s not the pet’sfault; it’sthe owner’s responsibility —WalterF., in Flagstaff,Arizona

Walter,I agree with you. If you have apet, you need to take responsibility fortheir actions, which includes picking up poo!

Heloise

Scrubbingcarrots

Dear Heloise: About peeling carrots, whypeel them unless they are severely blemished? Ijust scrub them with avegetable brush, and they don’tget

Waterconservationhint

Dear Heloise: Ilive in aCalifornia, where every drop of water must be saved. When Ineed ahot cloth for wiping, instead of waiting forthe faucet to produce hot water,I soak it in cold water and put it in the microwave for10-15 seconds. Isave alot of water this way. —Rick T.,inNipomo, California

Ahot reminder

Dear Readers: It’s still hot out there very hot! So, makesure you’re still bringing your pets inside. If you want to walkyour pets, wait until at least an hour after sunset forthe sidewalks and streets to cool off. —Heloise Sendahinttoheloise@ heloise.com.

BUSINESS

Landryadministration narrows scope in bids forinternational investment 5E

Localprivate equity firmsputting southLouisiana

ON THE MAP

BY STEPHANIERIEGEL Staff writer

Four longtime southLouisiana companies have been acquiredinthe past three months, all by out-of-state privateequity firms, raisingalarms among civicleaders aboutthe loss of corporate decision-making in the local economy

But flying under the radar are a small group of homegrown private equity firms that inrecent years have raised billions of dollars, bought their ownout-of-statecompanies and are startingto create a local investmentecosystem thatis turning heads outsideofLouisiana.

Bernhard Capital Partners, founded adecade ago in Baton Rouge, is by far thelargest. It has raised more than $5.5 billion in five investment funds and owns 21 companies, including Delta Utilities, whichrecently bought Entergy’s natural gas business.

New Orleans-basedBlack Bay Partners launched its third fund earlier this year after raising more than $500 million in less than adecade and currently has 15 energy-focused companies in its portfolio.

Carr’sHill Partners, founded by former Bernhard partner David deLaureal, raised $210 million in its initial fund, which closed in March, on top of some$200 million ithad previously raised to fund four com-

panies it owns. And LongueVue Capital in Metairie, whichwas foundedin2001, has raised more than$850million from five funds withaportfolio that in-

cludes more than adozen “middlemarket”companiesina varietyof industries. Compared with the largest private equity firmsinthe country

“National endowments,pension funds and foundations arecoming to New Orleans and Baton Rougetoinvest with these firms, in the sameway they would a firm in New York, ChicagoorHouston.”

GARy SERNOVITZ, New Orleans-based financial writer and managing directorwithHouston-based Lime Rock Partners, a$10 billion privateequity firm

First row, from left, are Matt Schovee, Michael LeBourgeois and Julie Isacks; and second row, TomAmbrose, Guy Cook and John Lancaster with Black BayPartners. The NewOrleans-based private equity firm launched its third fund earlierthisyear after raising more than $500 million in lessthan a decade and currently has 15 energyfocused companies in itsportfolio.

GRANGER

—Blackstone has morethan $1 trillioninassets under management the local firmsare small. But some ä See PRIVATE EQUITY, page 2E

BY RICH COLLINS Staff writer

&

Lizbeth Montelongoloved her custodial job at Lake Forest Elementary Cha r te r School, where she worked for more than adecade. Her co-workers had become exten ded family,supporting her side hustle designing balloon decorations for birthdays, graduations and other specialevents. But in 2022, Montelongoleft her longtime position behindinhopes of turning her hobby into afulltime career

The bet paid off. In 2023, she opened Balloons Creations by Liz in aChalmette storefront. Twoyears later,she’s planning amove to abiggerlocation. And her gigs now rangefrom providing dozens of balloons for ababy shower to installing thousands of them for events in the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center One of Montelongo’sfirst stops after deciding to go into business for herself was El Centro,anow 7-year-old nonprofit that offers free financial wellness training

way,” she said.“Theyhelped me find the ladder up.”

Montelongo’sballoon business is just one example of the type of company El Centro wasbuilt to serve. In ametro area wherethe overallpopulationisshrinking butthe Latino

“Wewant to do everything we can to help people understand the mechanicsofthe financialsystem here in the United States,” said Lindsey Navarro,aLoyola University MBA grad whocreated El Centro in 2018after leaving behindher ownlongtime jobwith the Texasbased nonprofit lender LiftFund. “And we have to prepare them to compete in this marketplace.” Now, on designated weekdays, staffers host one-on-one coaching sessions at El Centro’sheadquarters on Earhart Boulevard,

PRIVATE EQUITY

market watchers say they are proving themselves in institutional and private investing — a slice of Wall Street that’s never really been present in south Louisiana and creating opportunities that could help attract other investment firms to the area.

“National endowments, pension funds and foundations are coming to New Orleans and Baton Rouge to invest with these firms, in the same way they would a firm in New York, Chicago or Houston,” said Gary Sernovitz, a New Orleans-based financial writer and managing director with Houstonbased Lime Rock Partners, a $10 billion private equity firm.

“These are not just local, boosterish ventures,” he added. “These firms have shown they can win in the competition for capital.” Proof of concept

Private equity has been around since the 1940s, but it didn’t become widely used as an investment vehicle until the 1980s, when Wall Street firms began taking over vulnerable companies in leveraged buyouts, often selling them for parts or merging them into other companies at great profit.

Many private equity firms today avoid the strategies that earned the industry its corporate raider reputation, with some focused on rolling up industries into national brands or buying midsized companies and bringing in experienced managers to boost growth. They’ve also evolved into an alternative to stocks or bonds for wealthy investors because of looser regulatory restrictions and higher returns. There are plenty of critics, who point to instances where regional companies are swallowed up and higher profits are eked out of longtime customers.

But the industry’s success at generating returns has meant continued growth. Over the past decade,

PROVIDED RENDERING By BENSON CAPITAL

Benson Capital Partners real estate fund has invested in student accommodation in the Dallas suburb of Denton, the Panhandler at Rayzor Ranch at Panhandle Street and East Park Boulevard.

private markets have seen assets under management increase from just under $3 trillion in 2010 to $11.7 trillion in 2022, according to EQT, which tracks the industry

During the same time, private equity firms have expanded into a broader array of industry sectors, buying up medical group practices, pharmaceutical companies, fitness chains and local media groups, to name a few

While the largest national firms have multiple funds that invest across industry sectors, local and regional firms in south Louisiana are narrowly focused, mostly around energy and industrial services, which works to their advantage, Sernovitz said.

“They’ve all said, ‘This is a market where we can invest in reasonable valuations and generate returns that investors expect,’” he said. “The fact that they are now on second, third and fourth funds proves they are successful.”

Focused approach

Black Bay Partners has built its firm investing in energy and chemical companies in North American that are focused on innovation, according to Michael LeBourgeois, who founded the firm in 2016 with Guy Cook and Tom Ambrose.

Its companies are involved in things like recycling fuel stockpiles so they can be reused by in-

dustry, developing more effective capture-carbon methods and using artificial intelligence to squeeze more oil and gas out of rocks and shale.

Most of Black Bay’s investments are between $10 million and $50 million, and include not only a capital infusion but a growth strategy and management expertise.

“We put seasoned executives in place, introduce the companies to new customers and help them find other businesses to buy,” LeBourgeois said. “When you’re a specialist and backing companies in high-growth mode, there are a lot of ways to help your portfolio companies.”

Carr’s Hill has a similar approach, though it’s not specifically focused on the energy sector Employing a strategy deLaureal learned at Bernhard Capital nearly a decade ago, Carr’s Hill targets regional companies, many family owned and operated, that haven’t kept up with the times and are losing ground or, perhaps, need a succession plan and exit strategy

“We bring a management team to the table on day one to help them manage growth,” deLaureal said. “There is a ton of sweat equity that

Lindsey Navarro, founder and executive director of El Centro, leads her weekly team meeting in New Orleans. The nonprofit’s clientele is nearly 80% women the majority of whom are under 40. They come mostly from Honduras followed by a long list of Latin American and Caribbean nations. Most live in Jefferson Parish.

INCUBATOR

Continued from page 1E

not far from the new Five O Fore Golf and Entertainment complex. In the evenings, the space houses workshops.

Since its inception, the organization has hosted more than 400 events with more than 7,000 participants and more than 2,000 individual coaching appointments. About 140 businesses have completed El Centro’s six-week “Impulsate” accelerator program, which combines classes and coaching to grow businesses.

These programs, administered by a staff of seven, are supported by an annual budget of about $640,000, cobbled together from public and private sources.

“We’re doing a million dollars of work with those funds,” said Navarro who stretches the budget by partnering with other organizations. Propeller, the nonprofit business incubator located nearby, sometimes hosts events, as do banks and other local partners.

“Despite a small budget, Lindsey has done a great job of making entrepreneurship accessible to a growing part of the population,” said Jon Atkinson, CEO of The Idea Village, a tech-focused business accelerator that’s another El Centro collaborator The nonprofit’s clientele is nearly 80% women, the majority of whom are under 40. They come mostly from Honduras, followed by a long list of Latin American and Caribbean nations. Most live

in Jefferson Parish.

Two of El Centro’s clients are now tenants in its small co-working space. One is a college prep service and the other a staffing company that’s already cracked $1 million in annual revenue, according to Navarro.

Other success stories include Hilda Alvarez, owner of Hilda’s Construction, who credits El Centro’s business accelerator program with creating new opportunities for her company Cafétomas owner Saul Alcazar has established three locations of his Latin American restaurant concept with support from Navarro’s team.

Ingrid Ferguson, owner of three Variedades Ceibeña markets, credits El Centro for helping her establish a successful sales incentive program for her employees. Big dreams, a lot of paperwork

El Centro’s clients work in many industries, including catering, construction, janitorial services, housekeeping, and professional services. Despite the variety, Navarro said most of them have one thing in common

“They want to open their own businesses so they can control their own destiny and create opportunities for others,” she said. Before they can do that, they have to cut through a lot of red tape, which is where El Centro comes in Navarro said a big part of her team’s job is helping clients understand and complete all sorts of paperwork, ranging from articles of incorporation to occupational li-

censes and, even, parade permits.

A major focus is teaching clients to correctly file tax returns, which Navarro said can help build credit and unlock opportunities, such as qualifying for home and car loans.

El Centro also teaches entrepreneurs about the differences between the financial systems in the U.S. and Latin America. Navarro said her team often has to explain the fundamentals of amortization and how the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp is in place to guarantee bank deposits are safe.

“Credit access in Latin America is based on your family name,” she said. “It’s kind of like an old boy’s club. And there’s a sense you should pay it back immediately, which makes it hard to build credit.”

‘Original American dream’

Navarro believes a successful small business like Montelongo’s balloon shop combined with many more like it — can create economic benefits for the community at large.

She’s especially focused on getting that message out in the current political climate with its antiimmigrant bias. The entrepreneurs El Centro helps are citizens or are here legally with visas and work permits. Still, they face challenges because of the chill that immigration raids have put on the area.

“There’s a fear now even for citizens, but it hasn’t stopped them from opening businesses because they want to create opportunities,” she said. “Latinos are very entrepreneurial.”

ter and wastewater utilities, with another utility deal in New Mexico pending regulatory approval.

Despite its growing national footprint, nine of Bernhard Capital’s companies are based in Louisiana, which is home to 6,000 of its total workforce of 25,000.

“Across Louisiana and the southeast, we see thousands of thriving businesses that want access to growth capital,” Jenkins said “We’re glad to support those businesses and to also see a growing trend of investment firms in Louisiana that can be partners in providing that critical capital.”

‘Less exotic’

goes into it.”

The firm targets companies valued between $20 million and $200 million and is focused on the South — a region where its team knows the culture and has the advantage of personal and professional connections.

“We acquire things between Texas, Florida and the Carolinas, deLaureal said. “I can be in front of people quickly.”

Growing trend

Bernhard Capital started out with much the same approach when former Shaw Group founder and CEO Jim Bernhard and his partner and co-founder Jeff Jenkins, launched the firm in 2015. Initially, Bernhard Capital had just four portfolio companies under its umbrella, each comprised of smaller companies like E.P Breaux Electrical in Lafayette and MCC in Metairie, the late Joe Jaeger’s mechanical construction company

Over the decade, its growth has outperformed even its founders’ expectations, Jenkins said recently In recent years, it has branched beyond energy and industrial services into regulated public utilities. Today, it owns seven natural gas, wa-

Benson Capital Partners, Saints and Pelicans owner Gayle Benson’s investment arm, is among the investment firms providing capital to regional businesses. Founded in 2020, the firm has raised more than $100 million across two funds. One is focused on venture capital — making small investments to help startups — the other is a real estate fund.

New Orleans also has several smaller venture funds, including the Louisiana Fund, Tulane Alumni Ventures and 1834 Ventures, focused on seeding and growing local tech companies and small, innovative startups.

All of them are valuable to the local entrepreneurial ecosystem, experts say, but they provide a different function than the more traditional private equity firms, such as Bernhard Capital.

Having private equity firms in south Louisiana with successful funds and robust portfolios helps attract other investment firms to the area — and the high-end attorneys and accountants that serve them, Sernovitz said.

“Having a community invites community,” he said. “The more there are, the more that will come and the less exotic being in New Orleans will seem.”

Email Stephanie Riegel at stephanie.riegel@theadvocate. com.

new opportunities for

As a kid growing up in Houma, where her Panama-born parents moved for her dad’s engineering job, Navarro loved traveling to New Orleans to visit all the great Latin-owned restaurants and markets, which were lacking in her hometown.

Now she’s proud to be a part of the ecosystem that’s creating more businesses just like them. She said she’s not the only one who gets emotional at graduation ceremonies for El Centro program participants, where graduates share one cap and one gown,

TALKING BUSINESS

ASK THE EXPERTS

Post-Katrina visionary says city is ready for next steps

BY STEPHANIE RIEGEL Staff writer

David Dixon, a Boston-based

Q&A WITH DAVID DIXON

architect and urban planner with Stantec, is nationally renowned for reimagining strip malls into new suburban downtowns, launching innovation districts in urban corridors and rethinking the role of density in building more livable, walkable, resilient and equitable communities.

Around these parts, however, Dixon is best known for helping draft New Orleans’ post-Hurricane Katrina master plan, which was completed in 2007 and became law in 2010. In the years since, the plan has been influential in guiding growth and development in the city, including projects like the Lafitte Greenway and the conversion of historic downtown office buildings into hotels and apartments.

Earlier this month, Dixon was back in New Orleans to deliver the Jacob Haight and Mary Meek Morrison Memorial Lecture, presented in partnership with the Historic New Orleans Collection, Vieux Carre Property Owners, Residents and Associates and the Vieux Carre Commission Foundation.

We caught up with him for coffee at Croissant d’Or in the French Quarter to discuss where he sees New Orleans 20 years after the historic flood. In this week’s Talking Business, he discusses what New Orleans got right, what needs improvement and why he’s optimistic about its future.

The interview has been edited for length and clarity

Two decades after you helped lead the master planning process here, what stands out?

Halfway through the process, the late Bill Borah, preservationist and civic leader, launched a referendum to give planning the force of law. We realized at the time that if we couldn’t develop a plan that everyone owned, it wouldn’t be

tem matters. New Orleans is not fully there. It’s better than when I got here right after Katrina, but it’s not where it needs to be.

Third, there is a perception here that city services are not on par with other cities and that matters. It’s also important to recognize that having a strong innovation economy does not compete with having a tourist economy They work well together and should complement each other So, how do we get there?

New Orleans needs to do more to support investment by innovation companies. It needs to be known as a real player It needs to be out at every venture capital conference in the country

There also has to be a great focus on equity Buffalo has a great Black mayor, who has done a lot to revitalize that city He had to convince the voters that for each new job they created in biotech research or whatever

valid, whether it had the force of law or not In the end, the referendum passed and so it does have the force of law

How would you summarize the plan?

The master plan is not a highly detailed plan. That’s not what New Orleans needed. It was a plan that demonstrated the value of planning as opposed to constant political confrontation, which is what had happened before. There was no common vision, no common understanding as to what New Orleans as a whole was trying to achieve. It was literally a confederation of neighborhoods, each functioning on its own, working to see what their council member would support and what could get approved. So looking back 20 years later,what did the master plan achieve?

What the plan said is, you have to do planning, the City Planning Commission matters, here are design guidelines for the city, you need to constantly support your culture bearers, reinforce the legacy, the living culture and living legacy you have because that is New Orleans’ future as well as its past. Why does this matter?

Because New Orleans desperately needed to diversify its economy and companies are competing for talent. New Orleans didn’t compete very well in that arena 20 years ago but, boy, does it compete today

And that’s because the kind of workers you need to attract love living in places that are walkable, which means a city with places people want to walk to — places

with food, beer places to run into friends. They also want places that have authenticity — where you feel like you are in a place that grew organically in a way that reflects the local history and culture and in a place with diversity

This all sounds great. Makes sense Why is there still so much pessimism in the business community? So little growth in the local GDP?

Because there are so many obstacles that still stand in the way to progress And the opportunities are so great it’s worth addressing the obstacles. So, first, it has to be a place that people feel is safe in the face of climate change You need more maintenance and investment in levees and storm gates. Second, companies have to serve families with kids, so the quality of and confidence in your school sys-

Email

Beyond isn’taplace —it’samindset. Andit’sabeliefthathas poweredusfor over 80 years. We areJones Walker LLP,a firmdrivenbyanentrepreneurial spirit,adeepsense of community, and afierce determination to deliverexceptional serviceand valuefor ourclients

Since1937, our firmhas been committed to workingwithcommunityleaders to develop business opportunitiesacrossthe state. We aresteadfast in continuing ourdedicationtogobeyondinadvising clientsand supportinginitiatives andorganizations that make Louisiana abetterplace to live andwork

WilliamH.Hines,ManagingPartner bhines@joneswalker.com 504.582.8000

201St. CharlesAvenue NewOrleans,LA70170-5100

Beatinginflation meansknowing what type of saveryou are

Your emergency fund needs to getelevated to “stat” status. As Iwrote back when inflation hit a40-year high in the summer of 2022, you need arainy-day fund —because it’snot amatter of if you’ll have afinancial emergency, but when. For millions of Americans, that when is now

Inflation has come down significantly since it skyrocketed to 9.1% three years ago. Still, the recent consumer price index report released by the Bureau of Labor Statistics showed inflation standing at 2.7% in July.Core inflation, which excludesvolatile food and energy,rose 3.1%.

Dig down into the numbers, and you can see why people’sbudgets are being stretched. The cost of milk, eggs, meats, fish, cereals, bakery products and used cars wasupyear-over-year.Notably, the price of eating out increased by 4.4%.

The recent data has financial experts on high alert, with some warningof“stagflation,” an economic condition characterized by high inflation, slowgrowth and high unemployment.

“The consistent upward trend in inflation is the latestsign that President Trump’sreckless trade war and the resulting economic uncertainty are wreakinghavoc on family budgets and the American economy,” Natalie Baker,director of economic analysis at the Center for American Progress, said in astatement soon after the

NewOrleans

Lauren Keating has been promoted to director of financialplanning and reporting for the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center Keating has been part of the Convention Center’s financial team since early 2023 andhas served in avariety of roles, most recently as director of property accounting. Before that, she worked for Ernst &Young, where sheled financial audits forprivate

Michelle

My brother’sonly income was from his Social Security disability payment, whichbarely covered necessities.

Singletary

THE COLOR OF MONEy

inflation report wasissued.

The CPI report, taken together with a“lackluster” jobs report, “is aclear warningsign that the president’spoliciesare raising pricesand squeezing consumers,” said Baker,calling it a“chilling reminder that the risk of stagflation is growing by the day.”

As inflation rises, cutbackswill be necessary for many consumers. But the time tostart your pullback—tobuild an emergency fund —is now, notwhenthings getworse.

So,whatkind of saver are you?

Here’swhatIrecommend if you’reinone ofthese categories.

Can’tsee your wayto save: Iknowit’s frustrating to many people when they hear advice about cutting expenses to save. For them, there isn’tmuchto trim.

Formore than adecade, Iwas thefinancialprotector for my disabledbrother.Hehad epilepsy, and despite his efforts to maintain ajob, he couldn’tstay employed becausehis medication didn’t completelycontrolhis seizures.

Iwas 21, just three years older than my brother,whenI began helping himmanage his money

and publicly listed clients. She earned abachelor’sinfinance and amaster’sinaccounting, both from TulaneUniversity Kent Lambert and Noah Kressler have beenappointedtoleadership roles with BakerDonelson Lambert has been named chair of the firm’s Logistics, Energy and Manufacturing Litigation Group. He was previously managing shareholder of theNew Orleans office and leader of theBusiness Litigation Group. Lambert has more than 30 years of experience in trialand appellate law He earned abachelor’s, magna

It was hard to tell him he couldn’tafford to splurge on eating out. We even fought once over the use of his ATMcard. He kept incurring fees because he was withdrawing money from machinesnot affiliated with hisbank. Those fees addup. The average total ATMfees reached a26-year high of $4.77 in 2024, according to aBankrate survey

Whensomeone’sincome is as lowasmybrother’s, it may notbe possible to save the recommended three months’ worth of livingexpenses. But even asmall cushion can help cover higherprices.

In my brother’scase, he finally saw that by sweating the small stuff, he could build amodest savings stash. Imanaged to get him to see that he could set aside alittle money by changing some habits.

Iworkedwith him to use coupons, shopsales at thegrocery store andeat almostexclusively at home.

He switchedtoafree banking account that allowed for alimited numberofATM transactionsoutside of his financialinstitution’s network.

Can’tstopraiding your emergency fund: Trysome financialtruth-telling. Is this you?

Your savings account that’s supposed to be earmarkedfor

PEOPLE IN BUSINESS

cum laude, from Denison University and alaw degree, cum laude, from Tulane University Law School.

Lambert replaces Bradley E. Chambers,who was recentlynamed by Lonestar Electric Supply to serve as its generalcounseland chief administrative officer

emergencies is aslush fund that is tapped regularly for expenses like happy-hour drinks with friends or alate-night Uber Eats treat.

Youswear: “I don’teat out much.”

Youopen the refrigerator or cabinets, and although there’s food in there, you say: “There’s nothing to eat.”

Isee this financial fibbing all the time.

With consumer prices rising, do this onething: Go back six months to ayear and examine your bank andcredit card statements. You need hard evidence to replace your false memories of your spending habits.

Add up all the unnecessary spending, and use that as abenchmark for how muchyou can afford to save.

Can afford to save but lack the discipline: There’sone tip that can be the saving grace for folks who have trouble prioritizing saving for emergencies.

Have your employer automatically split your direct-deposit paycheck into adedicated emergency savings account. When trying to build an emergency fund, it’sbest to set it and forget it.

Ialso recommend the savings portionbesent to adifferent financialinstitution from the one where youkeep the account to payyourhousehold bills. The separation usually results in less temptation to transfer funds into the household account to make up for overspending.

If you need more help, Irecommend two websites, AmericaSaves.org and nfcc.org, run by the National Foundation for Credit Counseling.

On the America Saves site, click the link to take apledge to save.

Once you do, you’ll be encouraged to set asavings goal, and the organization will send you messages of encouragement.

The NFCC has nonprofit counselors who can help you budget better to find money to save.

Can save and you do: If you find yourself in this category,please take amoment to be grateful.

Although you don’tlike having to deal with inflation, you can handle the increases because you’ve been agreat saver.For this, you should be congratulated.

But Ialso challenge you to give generously from your abundance. Consider something that my husband and Ido: We have afamily-and-friends emergency savings account that holds money we give to others in need (notice Ididn’t say “lend”), especially during economic downturns.

One of my mantras, taken from Luke 12:48, is: “Towhom muchis given, muchwill be required.” If you can afford to help others who may be struggling right now Iencourage you to do so.

EmailMichelle Singletary at michelle.singletary@washpost. com.

Kressler was namedmanaging shareholder.Hehas anational practice advising clientson mergers and acquisitions, debt and equity financings, securities matters,and corporategovernance. Before joining Baker Donelson, he spent nearly adecade practicinglaw forWeil, Gotshal &Manges in New York and London.

He earned abachelor’sfrom VassarCollege and alaw degree, cumlaude,from Tulane University Law School BatonRouge Dr.Andrew Bishop has joined Baton

Bishop

RougeGeneral Heart and Vascular Surgery Bishop, acardiothoracicsurgeon,specializes in heartvalve and heart bypass su rg er y, an d treating coronary artery disease and thoracic cancer He earned his medical degree from the University of Toledo College of Medicine and Life Sciences andthencompleteda cardiothoracicsurgery residency at the University of Kentucky Medical Center

‘Most likely to invest in Louisiana’

State revises foreign investment plan, puts focus on fewer countries

BY BLAKE PATERSON Staff writer

Gov. Jeff Landry’s administration is launching a new strategy to convince foreign businesses to invest in Louisiana, scrapping a broad-based approach that tried to win business in nearly a dozen countries to instead focus on companies in Japan, Australia and parts of Europe.

Bourgeois

Louisiana Economic Development Secretary Susan Bourgeois, who has led the changes, said in an interview last month that those markets are where there’s the most opportunity for growth in energy, aerospace, logistics and other sectors that were identified as areas deserving of special attention in LED’s economic development strategy adopted earlier this year. LED, Bourgeois said, was focused on the “sectors that the plan said we had the best opportunity to win in” and the “countries or regions that have the most need for or opportunity in that space.”

The targeted approach, which was discussed Wednesday at the meeting of the Louisiana Board of International Commerce in Baton Rouge, is a departure from years past, when Louisiana contracted with consultants in China, Brazil, Austria, Taiwan and several other countries LED terminated those contracts in October “It was really more of a spaghetti on the wall approach,” Bourgeois said of the past strategy “That was a lot of places without a specific, ‘We’re here because of A, B and C.’” Gregory Rusovich, chair of the Louisiana Board of International Commerce, in an interview ahead of Wednesday’s board meeting, said the markets selected are the “most likely to invest in Louisiana.” LED is contracting with the World Trade Center of New Orleans to manage the new consul-

tants once they’re hired. Louisiana has allocated $550,000 to the foreign marketing efforts. Japan is already one of Louisiana’s top foreign investors, with companies like Shintech, the U.S. subsidiary of Japanese plastics giant Shin-Etsu Chemical Co Ltd, operating manufacturing plants in Iberville and West Baton Rouge parishes. Harrison Crabtree, executive director of the World Trade Center of New Orleans, said during the meeting that Japan was chosen for its leadership in energy logistics, precision manufacturing and robotics.

In February, the Japanese chemi-

cal company UBE broke ground on a nearly $500 million plant that will make electric vehicle battery ingredients.

Because of the time zone difference, Japan is also a market “where having a physical presence is really important,” Crabtree said. Louisiana’s representative in Europe will work in Italy, Germany and France, with a focus on businesses in manufacturing and energy, Crabtree said.

BASF, the German chemical company, already operates three manufacturing sites in Louisiana, Rusovich noted.

In June, Landry led a delegation to the International Paris Air Show

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Paige Carter, chief development officer at Louisiana Economic Development, said that trip resulted in around a dozen leads on potential investments. Australia is investing heavily in “the future of energy,” and looking to the U.S to grow their companies, Crabtree said, adding that Louisiana is among the first states in the South to tap into that market.

There’s also opportunity for investments from Australian companies in the defense and aerospace sector, Crabtree said The consultants selected must agree not to represent any other U.S. states.

“We will be having a global pres-

ence that’s loyal to Louisiana and that’s focused on Louisiana,” Rusovich said.

Carter recalled a company calling her to say that one of Louisiana’s previous representatives had given them his Arkansas business card Louisiana’s new strategy doesn’t mean it will ignore the rest of the world, Crabtree said, pointing to an upcoming trade mission to Norway centered on maritime innovation.

“Wherever there’s an international lead, we’re going to pursue it,” he said Email Blake Paterson at bpaterson@theadvocate.com.

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Gallagher: ALouisiana StoryofGrowth, Community andResilience

Gallagher,one of the world’slargestinsurancebrokerage,risk managementand consulting firms, has asignificantpresencein Louisiana, with arich history andadeep commitmenttothe local community. With roots in the statedatingback decades, Gallagher has grownintothe largest broker inLouisiana, providing awide array of services to businesses of allsizes acrossvarious sectors

“WhereIthink we areuniquelypositioned is thatwedon’t have that institutional mindset. We haven’talwaysbeen big.We’vealwayshad to be alittle morenimble, creativeand client-centric, said” Numa “Bumpy” Triche,regional president. “The result isthatwehavethe sizeand scale of anybody in the world, with robustdataanalytics and modeling capabilities. But our local operations arevery much integrated within the local market.”

Founded in 1927,Gallagher has expanded globally and reports $11.3 billion in total adjustedbrokerage andrisk managementrevenues in 2024 and amarket capitalization of $76.1billion as of January 30,2025.

Thecompanyhas aworkforce of nearly56,000 employees worldwide morethan 970officesglobally,and servesclients in over130 countries.

In Louisiana, Gallagher’s journeybeganwithanacquisition in Baton Rouge,which led to theestablishmentofofficesinNew Orleans and Monroe,Louisiana. Thecompanyhas strategically acquired local firms overthe years, integrating their employees and maintaining alocal focus. This growth has resulted in 18 officesstatewide and asignificant regional market share. Thecompanyhas grownits businessbyworking withpeople and organizations who sharecommon values and vision.

“Gallagher has one of thelargest operations within ourSoutheastregion in terms of our footprint acrossthe stateand the various markets, Triche said. “Atthe same time, we arealwaysclient-focused, withthe people in the statebeing the ones who work with the local teams and businesses. People work with us because we provide awhite-glove service experiencewitheasyaccessibilitytoour team and our broader tools and resources. We have invested heavily in areas relatedtodata analysis and forensicaccounting in order to provide the technical and detailed support to our teams.Whatwedoisoffer ourclients access to global expertise tailored to their needs.”

As proud as Gallagher is of its growth,theyare prouder to have been able to maintainits unique culture. This cultureissummed up in 25 tenets called TheGallagher Way, aset of shared values thatemphasize ethics, integrityand aclient-centricapproach. These values were articulatedbyRobert E. Gallagher backin1984and have sinceguided the company’soperations and relationships. Keyprinciples include providing excellentrisk managementservices,supporting and respecting colleagues, pursuing professional excellenceand fostering open communication. Thecompanyculturevalues empathy, trust, leadership and teamwork, with astrong emphasis on treating everyone with courtesyand respect

Gallagher’s commitmenttoLouisiana goes beyond business. The companyhas alocalpresence, with employees deeply embedded in the community.

“Our employees see theirclients at church on Sundays,play golf with them on Saturdays,and go to lunch with them on Wednesdays,” said William Jackson, ExecutiveVicePresidentof Gallagher’s SoutheastRegion and leader of the NewOrleans operation and the region’s specialtyproducts.Our local connection is akey differentiatorfor Gallagher,combining the resourcesand capabilities of alarge global firmwith the personalized serviceofa communitybroker.

“Weteam up withlocalpartnerstomakeevery communitywejoin a morevibrantone.Fromfundraisersfor localcharities to crawfishboils and hurricane relief,our officesgivebacktothe peopleand places in whichwelive. As we grow larger,wemaintain close ties to the communities we serve.

Gallagher serves adiverse range of industries in Louisiana,including manufacturing, agribusiness, public sector,higher education, aerospace, energy,entertainmentand lifesciences. Thecompanypositions itself as athought leader when it comes to riskmanagementguidance on topics suchascyber risks, healthcare,marine construction AI, social inflation and other influences thatimpactinsurance claim costs, leading to higher premiums and impacting the insuranceindustry’srisklandscape.The team prides itself on providing expertiseand insights on keyindustries and currenteventsimpacting this region.

WILLIAM JACKSON ExecutiveVicePresidentSoutheast Region, Gallagher

Gallagher is poised forcontinued success in Louisiana,driven by its strong values, localfocus and expertise in keyindustries. Thecompany’s emphasis on client-centric service, combined with its global resources, positions it as atrustedpartner forbusinesses andindividuals seeking insurance, risk managementand consulting solutions.AsGallagher continues to grow and adapttothe evolving needsofthe market its commitmenttothe local communities remains acornerstone of its identity

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GETTINGBACK TO THEMSELVES

Occupational therapyhelps patients regain function in theirdaily lives

BY SHANTELL GOMEZ

Contributingwriter

ForJessieDevillier, thepathtobecoming an occupational therapistwasn’t straightforward— but it was the right choice.

“As an undergraduate, Istruggled to decide what to do withmylife,” sherecalled. “I wanteda career that would hold my interest, fulfill and challenge me, and not ultimately feel like adead end.”

Shefound heranswer in occupationaltherapy —a field that offers bothdepthand flexibility

“We’re trained to help peopleadapt to life at any stage, and we can choose to focus on any age group,” she explained. “That variety was,and still is, so appealing.”

Devillier works in an acutecare settingatLafayette General and Ochsner University Hospital, whereoccupationaland physical therapistsare often among the first to help patients regain mobility after trauma, illness or surgery

“We’re trained to move our bodies without injuring ourselves so we can safely help othersmove theirs,” she said.

Even somethingassimpleashelpingapatientsit upright after days or weeks in ahospital bed can be a turning point.

“Just that step can takedays —especially forpatients recovering from astroke or prolonged ICU stay,” Devillier said

Where physical therapytypically focuses on mobility and strength, occupational therapy emphasizes function —particularly the kind thatsupports independence.

“Wetarget recovery based on essential needs ADLs, or Activities of DailyLiving,” Devillier explained. “Getting dressed, feeding yourself, going to the bathroom —these are thebasicthings you need to be able to do to return home.”

The impact goesbeyond thephysical.

Expert discusses rise of greens powders

BY AVERYNEWMARK

Atlanta Journal-Constitution (TNS)

If you’ve spent anytime scrolling social mediaorshoppinggrocery aisles, you’ve likely spotted greens powders or gummies promisingto boost everything from brain health to your immune system.

But can these trendy supplements really replace the benefits of eating real vegetables?

To find out, we talkedtoLuisa Hammett, the Atlanta-based dietitian behind Peaches to Pearls, alifestyle blog filled with dreamy farm scenes and homemade meals. Beyondthe charming aesthetics, Hammettisalso apediatric registered dietitian with amaster’sin clinical nutrition.

“I think that calling them supplements is the important part because they should never replace a healthy diet,” Hammett explained. “Wewant to still eat our fruits and veggies, and Ithink that’ssomething that powdered greens sometimescan be amisconception— like,‘Oh,this will, youknow, I’m not eating vegetables so I’ll just do the greens,’whereas it should never take the place of them.”

Accordingtothe U.S. Dietary GuidelinesofAmericans, adults should aimtoconsume around 21/2 cups of vegetableseachday as part of ahealthy diet. This includes fresh, frozen, canned and driedoptions.But arecent report shows that almost 90% of the U.S. population do not meet the recommendation forvegetable intake.

Powdered greens typically combine leafygreens, fruits, algae and herbs, providing aconcentrated dose of micronutrients and antioxidants, Healthline reported. They’re convenient, easy to add to smoothiesand appealing forbusy lifestyles.

But, according to Hammett, there’sone big drawback.

“At the end of theday,you’re going to getthe best nutrients most importantly,fiber— from eating your veggies, and also it’s so much cheaper,” she explained.

Regarding the safety and selection of greenspowders, Hammett emphasized the importanceof third-party testing whenchoosing supplements.

“Supplements are not regulated by theFDA.Literally,Icould put whatever Iwant into ajar and say, ‘This green supplement is going to help your skin look better,lose weight, no bloating,’ and Idon’t have to back it up. So that’sthe dangerous world of supplementation.”Although shedoesn’t personally reach fora greenssupplement in her day-to-day,Hammett understands their appeal.

“Somepeople do wantthat extra

ä See POWDERS, page 2X

HEALTH MAKER

Tulane researcher focusesonAlzheimer’s disease

BY MARGARET DeLANEY Staff writer

The Healthy Brain Aging Initiative was developed by Tulane’sNeurology Chair, Dr.Demetrius Maraganore, in response to the notably high incidence of Alzheimer’sdisease and dementiain Louisiana.

The research from this programisfocused on Alzheimer’sand dementia prevention and memory disorder treatments using the latest evidence-based research and movement disorders treatment, like Parkinson’s, related to brain aging.

Maraganore, aChicago native born to Greek immigrant parents, graduated from Northwestern and spent much of his career at Mayo Clinic. He moved acrossthe world for ayear to study Parkinson’sand genetics in London as part of his training at Mayo.

After 24 years at Mayo Maraganore got the itch to move back home and began work as the chair of the department of neurology at community health systems associated with the University of Chicago, where he spent the next nine years of his career

While he was working in Chicago, Maraganore’s father developed Alzheimer’sdisease —the same condition that plagued his grandmother and greatgrandmother

”Here Iamasthe fourth generation, and Iwas starting to sweat alittle bit,” Maraganoresaid. “Whyis there so much Alzheimer’s in my family.And what can we do to prevent Alzheim-

er’s disease.”

So,Maraganore pivoted again. This time,heopened the Center forBrain Health in Chicago— aplace where people couldgoand learn about their modifiable risks He found that thereare more than 20 modifiable risk factors forAlzheimer’s disease, and theycould be found using geneticstests.

Patients at the brain health center can get genetically tested to determine their risk for Alzheimer’s and receive personalizedinterventions to try to reduce their risk.

Maraganore hopesthe newbrain aging centerin New Orleanscan provide the same care forLouisianans, aglobally known hotbedfor Alzheimer’srisk and prevalence.

”Myideawas to come here and developa four-pillared program: prevention, treatment, researchand support,” Maraganore said. “If you canprevent Alzheimer’s in New Orleans and Louisiana, you can prevent it anywhere in theworld.”

How did you design the newresearch center? What principlesdid you use?

Iwantedsomething concrete, bricksand mortars —aunique partnership of expertcare stakeholders, something thatwould provide arange of services to all people in ourcommunity. Initially,itwas Tulane-only, but partnering withLCMC Health, University Medical Center and LSU has helped us go bigger. We have eightdifferent experts. We have neurologistsspecializingin movement disorders and

PHOTO PROVIDEDByTULANE UNIVERSITy

Dr.Demetrius Maraganore, aneurologist at Tulane University, is one of ahandful of Louisiana doctors whohavetreated patients withanew Alzheimer’sdrug.

memorydisorders, including Alzheimer’sprevention.

We have advanced practice nurses. We’ve got social workers, geriatricians and we’reall in thesame space withaverylarge staff thatsupport us. We areable to seepatients there,and we provide them careinamultidisciplinary way,incorporating holistic approaches,but also evidence based medical approaches.

Who are ‘super-agers’? What can researchers learnfrom them?

We’redoing studies of special populations across thenation of people who are over age 90. They are super-agers. Andwe’re beginning to learnwhat’swhat. Where’sthe fountain of youth? What are the factors that allow you to get to be 90-plus free of Alzheimer’s, even when carrying agenetic risk for Alzheimer’s?

Growing up in aGreek household and spending

mostofmychildhood summersinGreece with my relatives, Iwas exposed at a very early age tothe Mediterranean diet

The Mediterranean diet is the diet of Greece, SouthernItaly and Spain. For research purposes, we use asnapshot of the diet common on the island of Crete in Greece in 1961. That’s the benchmark reference.

That particular dietary pattern has been studied for severaldecades,now in observational studies and in randomized clinical trials, as the only diet that, at any age, cutsyour risk for death in half.

It cutsrisk of cancer in half, heart disease in half, risk of stroke in half and risk of dementia in half.

It’s not only aneuroprotective diet, but it’sa neurorestorative diet. It restores brain health.

Whyaren’tweall eating the Mediterranean diet then?

Well, we learned to love

‘Japanesewalking’promisesbig

Health experts skeptical

BY ASPEN ANDERSON Los Angeles Times (TNS)

It promises the benefits of a10,000-step walk in just 30 minutes. No gym membership required. Just apair of shoes and awillingnessto alternate between brisk and slow-paced walking in threeminute bursts.

Dubbed “Japanese walking,” the latest viral fitness trend is all over TikTok and has people wondering whether this short-interval workout can improve health more efficiently than atraditional stroll.

The trend has spread across social mediaand beyond, with bloggers, online articles and major media outlets all jumping in on the walking routine.

The protocol traces back to a2007 Japanese studythat tested the effectsofhighintensity interval walking on middle-aged and older adults. But the recent buzz started with apunchy video from Australian contentcreator and fitness coach Eugene Teothat surpassed 10 million views on TikTok and 17 million views on YouTube Known to his over 426,000 TikTok followers and 1.22 million YouTube followers

as “Coach Eugene,” Teorebranded the science-backed routine into an accessible, algorithm-friendlyidea: “Japanesewalking ”

“People don’tlike fitness jargon,”Teo,33, said in a recent interviewwith The Times. “They don’tlikescientificterms… andifIwant to impactmillions globally Ilike to make fitnessadvice and scientific jargon alot more accessible.”

In hisvideo explainer, Teo describes the method: Walk fast for three minutes, slow down forthree minutes and repeatthe cycle five times.

According to the small study of 186 womenand 60 men, participants who followed this routinefour or more days aweek sawgreater improvements in blood pressure, leg strength and aerobic capacity than those in the moderate-intensity continuouswalking group “It’sthatcardioworkthat alot of peopleare missing,” Teosaid.

Teo, alongtime coach and nutritionist, didn’tinvent the protocol,but he did helpit reach millions. He saidhis viral video resonated with people overwhelmed by the pressure to hit10,000 steps aday —a goalTeo himself oftenfinds out of reach.

He’s been following this protocol on and offfor years, ever since hecame across

According to the U.S. DietaryGuidelines of Americans adults should aimtoconsume around 21/2 cups of vegetables each dayaspartofahealthydiet. This includes fresh, frozen, canned and dried options. But arecentreport shows almost 90% of the U.S. population do not meet the recommendation for vegetableintake.

the study.Usually,hedoes his walking on atreadmill.

“A lotofpeople have this all-or-nothingapproach wherethey think, ‘Oh, Ican’t hit 10,000 steps.I’ve failed,’” he said. “It’s about just changing the stigma people have andthatall-or-nothing mentality of what fitness should be about.”

He emphasizes effortover perfection: Walk fast enough to get outofbreath, but not so fast that you can’tfinish thethree-minuteinterval. The recovery periodsare as slowasneeded to reset.

Butisthe sciencebehind the trend as strong as the messaging?

Dr.Helga VanHerle, acardiologist with Keck Medicine of USC, noted flaws in theoriginalstudy’s design —namely,that only the highintensity walking group was monitoredwith accelerometers, not themoderateintensitygroup, abias that could have skewed results.

“This creates amajor bias in the monitoring and compliance and could potentially skew theresults in favorof the high-intensity training group,”she said in an email, pointing to the Hawthorne effect,aphenomenon in which people alter theirbehavior because they know they’re being watched.

Dr.Parveen Garg, also with Keck Medicine of USC,

Continuedfrom page1X

supplementation, or they’re on the go too much or they’rebusy moms.I completely understand that, but Ithink theimportantpart is justitshouldn’treplaceit. We should still aim to try to eat whole veggies and whole fruit.” In the end, no powder can fully replace aplateofreal veggies —but for some, it might just be thepush to eat alittle greener Curious about tryinga greens powder? Here are threepopular options reviewed by experts: n Live it Up Super Greens: Registered dietitianEstelle

the things that aren’tgood for us. We have developed this Westernized pattern of diet that’svery inflammatory and that promotes gut dysbiosis, which promotes an unhealthy composition and overgrowth of bacteria in the gut. That triggers a whole cascade of immune events and neural events that lead to inflammation in the brain and increase the odds for dementia.

The reality is, that even in the affluent, primarily white suburbs of Chicago, where Ihad been practicing, only 25% of this privileged population was adhering to the Mediterranean diet.

So imagine how things might be. Youknow,here in the South, probably avery small proportion of people are adhering to the Mediterranean diet.

In the years that I’ve been doing healthy brain aging efforts, we teach people about the Mediterranean diet. We even give them weekly diaries that they can keep to track their eating habits. But, it’svery hard for people later in life to change how they eat.

So, as researchers, we asked ourselves: “Do we have to change the way we eat? What if we just change our gut bacterial composition?”

We’ve been doing experiments in aging rats and also in miceengineered to get Alzheimer’s, feeding them the Western diet versus the Mediterranean diet. We’re finding that the animals receiving the Mediterranean diet have healthier gut compositions of bacteria and are smarter than the animals

that are fed the Western diet.

Then, we looked at taking the gut bacteria from the healthy Mediterranean animals and fed it by mouth to the Western diet animals. Couldweimprove animals’ gut composition and couldweimprove their cognitive performance?

The answer is, yes. We are actually developing aMediterranean diet-derived probiotic that people will be able to take as acapsule to improve their cognitive performance and to prevent cognitive decline and dementia. It’ssomething that we hope to bring to clinical trials very soon, after December 2025.

Iknow we’re not going to stop eating po-boys or fried catfish in Louisiana anytime soon. But, Idobelieve that we can continue eating foods that we’re accustomed to eating while also converting the gut to ahealthy gut that will then lead to a healthy brain.

What keeps you busy outside of work?

Ipicked up the harmonica. Every Saturday for the last eight years, I’ve been taking lessons with aguy in Dublin, Ireland. I’m aguy born in Chicago, living in New Orleans, being taught the blues harmonica online by aguy in Dublin. That’sthe definition of globalization. We’re exploring the blues and jazz and American standards and rock and folk and country —all expressions of the harmonica. Ilike Neil Young, Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen or Rolling Stones. Ihave anumber of songs that are in my repertoire.

health gainsin30minutes

said he doesn’tsee intense intervalwalkingasa standout recommendationamong physicians.The study,he said, was small and meant to be thought-provoking and encourage further research, not to support sweeping conclusions

He supports any activity that getspeople moving but cautions againstover-hyping Japanesewalking benefitsor ease.

“It’skind of onerous,”he said, explaining that remembering to switch gears every three minutes, walking fast andslow andnavigating technology isn’teasy foreveryone.

He said it’spossible to get similar benefitsbywalking continuously at avigorous pace for ashorter time. But there isn’tenough evidence to confirmthat Experts agreethatvigorousactivity,eveninshort spurts, is beneficial.David Raichlen, professor of biological sciences and anthropologyatUSC, saidshortintervals of increased effort even just walking briskly for afew minutes— canyield meaningful healtheffects.

“There’ssomethingtothe ideathatsmallamounts of vigorous activity arereally beneficial,” Raichlen said.

Raichlenalsonotedthat calling high-intensity interval walking “Japanesewalk-

Benoit described this option as “by far the best-tasting productItried,” adding, “I felt really great after drinking it daily for 30 days: more energized, focused and ready for myday.”

n Lemme GreensGum-

ing” simply because of the study’sorigin is problematic.

Yasuyuki Suzuki, acardiac imaging specialist from Tokyo, is awareofthe trendand the associated study.Hesaid that while there is some new interestinthe topic,itisnot trending in Japan the way it appears to be in other parts of the world. He also said he does not feel any discomfort or concern about it being referred to as “Japanese walking.”

As forwhether this method is better than 10,000 stepsor continuouswalking, Raichlen is hesitant to say —the research just isn’tthere yet.

Higher walking cadence has been linked to lowerdementia risk, Raichlen said.

Also, walking in generalhas been tied to lower mortality, reduced cancer risk and improved cardiovascular health.

“I do think there’salot of good from encouraging people to think aboutwalking as exercise,” Raichlen said. “Finding ways to sort of makewalking work better for you is,you know, not abad thing.”

Still, the simplicity and catchy name may be why it took off.

“Pretty much anybody in Los Angeles can go outside and walk around,” said Sarah T. Roberts, aUCLAassociate professorand internetcul-

mies:According to Dr.Kathleen Valenton, board-certified doctor andowner of Rodeo Women’s Health and Wellness, these gummies offer “a convenient wayto increase daily intake of essential nutrientsthathelp

ture expert. Roberts sees the trendas areflection of broader social forces, including medical mistrust and the rising cost of health care and fitness. “We’re in amoment of economic uncertainty,” she said. “For most people,a $300-amonth membership at Equinox is not areality.” That, she said, makes lowbarrier trends like “Japanese walking” especially appealing. But Robertscautioned againstthe risksofturning to TikTok andothersocial media platforms for medical advice.

“Stuff doesn’thappen in a vacuum,” she said. “There’s abigger social and political context to all of these things, andthe backdroptothese kinds of trends is not great.” Roberts encouragesviewers to critically evaluate where theirhealth advice comes fromand who profits fromit. “People with big followings often have something to sell,”she said. “They’re not really acting in the public interest.”

Still, Roberts said, with every health trend, social media companies are profiting. Although some platforms have tried to crack down on medical misinformation, Roberts said such content moderation has fallen out of favorbecause it affects revenue.

thebodyfunction properly and feel its best.” n AG1 Next Gen Pouch: In Women’sHealth, St. Louis-based dietitian Sydney Lappe praised its design “to fill nutritional gaps and enhance whole-body health.”

WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU

TheLouisiana Health section is focused on providing in-depth, personal accounts of health in the state.This section looks at medical innovations, health discoveries, state and national health statistics and reexamining tried and true methods on ways to livewell.

Health editions will also profile people whoare advancing health for the state of Louisiana.

Do youhavea health story? We want to hear fromyou. Email margaret.delaney@ theadvocate.com to submit health questions, stories and more.

EatFit LiveFit

Fresh from the Gulf: Light, bright shrimp salad

Shrimpsaladmakesfortheperfectdishwhenyou’recraving boldflavorsfromamealthatcoolsyouoffanddoesn’t weighyoudown.Caffe!Caffe!—aMetairieneighborhood favorite—gaveusaspinontheirtraditionalrecipethatis creamyANDEatFitapproved.Oneheapingscoop (oneserving)oftheirshrimpsaladlettucecups withraspberrymintvinaigrettehasless than200caloriesandonly4gramsof carbs.

FreshGulfshrimpandahintof cayennelendthatSouthLouisiana kick,andservingitinlettucecups keepsthingslightandgluten free.Thevinaigretteisaversatile recipeyou’llmakeonrepeat.Tryit drizzledovergrilledfish,chickenor vegetables.

Thedishisn’tcurrentlyonthe restaurant’smenu,soyou’llwant tosavethisrecipe,whichisstraight fromTheEatFitCookbook

NutritionNotes:

Theoliveoilinthe vinaigretteaddsheart-healthy monounsaturatedfats,whilethe raspberriesandmintprovideplant compoundslinkedtoreduced inflammationandimproved vascularhealth.Bonus:pairing leanshrimpwithhealthyfatsisa satisfyingcombinationthathelps youfeelfulllonger.

A3-ounceservingofboiledshrimp packsabout20gramsofleanproteinfor under100calories,withvirtuallynosaturated fat.They’realsorichinselenium,vitamin B12,iodineandthepowerfulantioxidant astaxanthin,whichgivesthemtheirpink hueandmayhelpreduceinflammation. Andyes,shrimpdocontaincholesterol,but researchshowsthatdietarycholesterolhas farlessimpactonbloodcholesterolthan saturatedfatsortransfats.Aswithany meal,moderationiskey.

ShrimpSaladLettuce CupswithRaspberryMint Vinaigrette

Makes6servings

1¼poundsmediumshrimp,boiledand cleaned

¾cupdicedcelery

½tablespoondicedgreenonion

¼teaspoonseasalt

¼teaspoonfreshlygroundblack pepper

¼teaspooncayenne

1/3 cupmayonnaise

6heartsromainelettuceorcurlylettuce leaves

6tablespoonsRaspberryMint

Vinaigrette(recipefollowing) 1lemon,cutintowedges

Inalargebowl,combineshrimp,celery, greenonion,salt,pepperandcayenne. Addmayonnaiseandmixthoroughly. Serveassingle-serving“cups”inside oflettuceleaves,eachdrizzledwith1 tablespoonofvinaigretteandgarnished withalemonwedge.

Perserving:190calories,9gramsfat, 1.5gramssaturatedfat,220mgsodium, 6gramscarbohydrate(6gramsnet carbs),0gramsfiber,3gramssugar (0addedsugar),23gramsprotein

MollyKimball,RD,CSSD,isaregistereddietitian withOchsnerHealthandfounderofOchsnersEatFit nonprofitinitiative.Formorewellnesscontent,tuneinto Molly’spodcast,FUELEDWellness+Nutrition,andfollow @MollykimballRDand@EatFitOchsneronsocialmedia Emailnutrition@ochsner.orgtoconnectwithMollyor scheduleaconsultwithherteam.

BY THENUMBERS

RaspberryMint

Vinaigrette

Makesapproximately1cup

½cupraspberryblushvinegar

½tablespoonhoney

1tablespoonchoppedfreshmint

½teaspoonSwerveGranular

½cupextravirginoliveoil

Addallingredientsexceptoliveoiltoa blender.Blendwhileslowlydrizzlingin oliveoiltoemulsify.

Perserving(2tablespoons):90calories, 9gramsfat,1gsaturatedfat, 0sodium,4gramscarbohydrate (4gramsnetcarbs),0fiber,3grams sugar(<1 gramsaddedsugar), 0gramsprotein

ServingTips:

•Foranextrapopofflavor,try tossingtheshrimpwithasqueeze oflemonbeforemixingintothe salad.

•Ifyoucan’tfindraspberryblush vinegar,useredwinevinegarwith afewfreshorfrozenraspberries blendedin.

•Makethevinaigretteahead flavorsdeepenafteradayinthe fridge.

•Speakingofleftovers,shrimp arebestenjoyedfresh,butthey alsofreezebeautifully.Thekey isfreezingfresh,uncookedGulf shrimpinone-poundbagswiththe shellsontolockinmoistureand flavor.Defrostintherefrigerator

Foralistofretailersortopurchase TheEatFitCookbookonline,visit EatFitCookbook.com.

CIGARETTESMOKING IS AT AN ALL-TIME LOWINLOUISIANA

Cigarette smoking, long-known for its adverse health effectsand connection to lung cancers, is at its lowest usageacross the UnitedStatessince officials started tracking rates in 1990, according to America’sHealth Rankings.

Louisiana still ranks sixth highest in the nation forthe percent of adults whosmokecigarettes.

Both national and statewide use of cigarettes is at an all-time lowwith only 15.7% of adults reporting cigarette use.

Nationally,overthe past decade,the percentageof adults whoreported smoking at least 100 cigarettes in their lifetime and currently smokedaily on somedays in thenation has been on asteadydecline.While in Louisiana, the numbers have been up and down from year to year,between 2013 and 2023, the overall rate is down is nearly 8percentagepoints.

The data for the U.S. is asfollows:

n In 2013, 19% of U.S. adults reported smoking

n In 2014, 18.1% of U.S. adults reported smoking

n In 2015, 17.5% of U.S. adults reported smoking

n In 2016, 17.1% of U.S. adults reported smoking

n In 2017, 17.1% of U.S. adults reported smoking

n In 2018, 16.1% of U.S. adults reported smoking

Continued from page1X

“When your therapist comesinand tells you today is the day you can stop using abedpan andget up to the toilet, it’sa pretty sweet relief,” she said.

For many patients,regaining these small daily routines becomes ahuge psychological shift.

Occupational therapists tailor their therapytoreallife, personal goals. For one person, it may mean brushing their teeth at asink instead of in bed. For another, it mightinvolvecooking again, returning to work or modifying their home environment with adaptive tools.

“Wewant to know what’s important to them,” she said.

That individualized approach is especiallyvital in

Cigarette smoking declines nationwide Percentage of adultsinthe U.S. compared to Louisianawho reported smoking at least 100 cigarettes in theirlifetime and currentlysmokedaily or some days from2013to2023.

Source:CDC viaAmerica's Health Rankings

n In 2019, 15.9% of U.S. adults reported smoking

n In 2020, 15.5% of U.S. adults reported smoking

n In 2021, 14.4% of U.S. adults reported smoking

n In 2022, 14% of U.S. adults reported smoking

stroke recovery.After aneurological eventlikeastroke, occupational therapy often involves neuromuscular reeducation —retraining the brainand body to workto-

gether again. According to theAmerican Occupational Therapy Association, occupational therapy practitionerscan help those that have hada strokeregain function and learn new ways to perform everyday activities.

Devillierpointedtoevidence-based techniques like task-specific, repetitivemotiontherapy,which studies show can improve upper-limb function andindependence when linkedto patient-driven goals.

Twelve yearsago, a 28-year-old Lafayette woman experienced astroke shortly after giving birth, believed to be causedbya clot followinga C-section. She wasunable to move the right side of her body

With acombination of therapies —particularly occupational therapy —over threeyears, she worked

n In 2023, 12.1% of U.S. adults reported smoking

The data forLouisiana is as follows:

n In 2013, 23.5% of Louisiana adults reported smoking

n In 2014, 24% of Louisiana adults reported smoking

n In 2015, 21.9% of Louisiana adults reported smoking

n In 2016, 22.8% of Louisiana adults reported smoking

n In 2017, 23.1% of Louisiana adults reported smoking

n In 2018, 20.5% of Louisiana adults reported smoking

n In 2019, 21.9% of Louisiana adults reported smoking

n In 2020, 18.3% of Louisiana adults reported smoking

n In 2021, 19.5% of Louisiana adults reported smoking

n In 2022, 16.7% of Louisiana adults reported smoking

n In 2023, 15.7% of Louisiana adults reported smoking

diligently to reclaim her independence. Today, she functions at nearly 100%, and mostwouldn’tnotice a difference between whoshe is now and who she was before.

In outpatient settings, occupational therapists also support people recovering fromorthopedic injuries like rotator cuffrepairs or carpal tunnel surgery

Beyond physical healing, occupational therapy can touch every corner of aperson’sdaily life —helping stroke survivors regain fine motor control in their hands, or teaching someone with a neurological conditionhow to adapt their routine safely

The workgoes farbeyond hospitals.

“OTs are doing really cool therapyyou might noteven realize is OT,” Devillier said. She highlighted local colleagues like Simonne Boul-

lionSaab at OneOnOne Physical and Occupational Therapy Services, who is certified in neurodevelopmental treatmentand vestibular rehabilitation. Susan Mouton at Rise Therapy combines diet and lifestyle coaching with aRock Steady Boxing program designed to support those with Parkinson’sdisease —all in Lafayette.

Thereaches of occupational therapy are broad, from pediatrics to geriatrics to mental health andchronic illnesses.

“It’sa career that’shard to summarize in one sentence —which is exactly what makes it rewarding,” Devillier said. “Most OTs I know genuinely love what they do.It’sa profession that’s provided me withvariety,challenge and the kind of fulfillment Icouldn’t find anywhere else.”

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NEVERTOO FAR

N.O. native founda waytohelpinFrance afterKatrina struck

BY LAUREN CHERAMIE

Staff writer

When Carol Allengets frustrated, her anger prompts her to want to hit something—a pillow,a door or acar steering wheel, whatever’shandy.

In 2005, Allen was living inProvence, France, when sheheard the news that Hurricane Katrina was destroyingher beloved hometown. Every morning, she watched CNN International and “cried her eyes out.” She was overcome with sadness and defeat, so she hitthe steering wheelofher carone afternoon while she was driving into town to get groceries.

“I was ahomesick woman, watching my city and my fellow citizens die anddrown,” Allen said. “I justhit the steering wheel, andI said, ‘Do something!’

Her act of ferocity ledher to two women who introduced her to the Rotary Club of Vaison-La-Romaine in Provence, whichincluded people of all nationalities. Allen had landed in the region after marrying aFrenchman, who she is now divorced from.

After hearing aboutthe news of evacuees in need,volunteers conducted what the French call a“collecte” in 15 villages over athree-day period Allen says the mayors of every village opened up their city halls to collect items forhurricane victims.

“I just said, ‘Help,’ and everybody jumped,” Allensaid.

The volunteers in France collected

over 550 boxestobedelivered to the school. After atriage of discardingunacceptable items, Allen panicked. She cold-called FedEx and explainedwhat they were trying to accomplish— and, frankly,how much they had. The company agreed to ship everything free of charge to New Orleans,towhich Allen asked for ashipping company to provide boxes.

Afan of the cold call, Allen contacted Grospiron, an international moving andrelocationcompany.The call resultedina truck delivering free boxes andshipping labels to Allen’shome in Provence

“When we finishedpacking, we had filledmygarage andaneighbor’s,” Allen wrote in an email.

Allencalleda friend at LSU who told her about 100 families living near East Iberville High SchoolinSt. Gabriel.

Some of the itemsthe volunteers collected included jeans, aminkcoat, toys, new clothes from sporting goods stores, and agiant grey teddy bear that Allen last saw sitting on asofa in thelibrary at East Iberville High School in St. Gabriel, whereabout 100 NewOrleansfamilies wererelocated

At the time, the principal at East Iberville High School was Lionel Johnson Jr.Today,heisthe themayor of St.Gabriel

Around late October,employees with Grospiron loadedupthe boxes and delivered themtoCharles de Gaulle Airport in Paris, where threeFedEx airplane containers were filled and shipped to New Orleans. Once in the States, Grospirondelivered thepackages to East Iberville Elementary and High School.

“I didn’thaveaneed. Ijusthad such afeeling of hopelessness, helpless-

ness, nothing,” Allen said.“That’sbasically what Isaidtothese people, ‘What can Ido?’ Andtheytook it from there. That’swhatitbecame. Threeairplane containers.”

Allensaid seeing the distribution of items to the familieswas life changing.

AlsoinFrance at the time wasKaren Fawcett, fromWashington, D.C. She arrived in France in 1988, and her planned, six-month stay turned into 30 years. She is theoriginal founder and former presidentofbonjourparis. com, the first English-language website about France

She met Allen in Paris at the ContinuingEducation Center,and when the Hurricane Katrinaefforts began, Fawcett jumpedintohelp.

“New Orleans was really Carol’s home. As much as both of us loved Provence, your home is where you’re from,” Fawcett said. “Everybody jumped becauseitwas Carol. Carol really engendersall kinds of loyalty.”

She noted that the French have a better government-responsesystem to disastersthat doesn’trequire the same kind of charityasthe States. Instead, she says thatAmericans are more philanthropic with grassroots movements andwillingto“get their hands dirty.”

“When atragedy happens, Americans are there,”she said.“Franceis amuch smaller country in so many ways, and I’m not saying that when there was aterrible flood, that the residents didn’tpitch in and take people in.But (helpingwithKatrina) somehowfeltdifferent to me.”

On April 4, 2006, Allen hosted athank youdinneronthe terrace of her home in Provencefor all the people whoassisted in the project to help those affected by Hurricane Katrina. Today,inher New Orleans

ä See KATRINA, page 2Y

JanRisher

LONG STORy SHORT

With abanjo on herknee

This is astory aboutthe strange intersectionofDNA and digitalaudio,science andsong.

Background: I’ve been fascinated by DNA mapping and identifying relativessincethe HumanGenome Project was declared complete in 2003. Once Ancestrystarted offering DNA testing andmatches,I was an early adopter.These days, on Ancestry, Ihaveamere87,520 geneticrelatives, withthe most distant onebeing ahalfthird cousin once removed.

Of those masses, Iknow28people —frommyparents, brother, nephewand acouple dozenclose cousins. Afterthat, things get murky.Still, I’ve enjoyedgetting messages from distant cousins through theyearsand figuring outthe connection In July,I receiveda message fromawoman in Austin who is my third cousin. Ihad nevermet her, but when she explainedthat she was Julia Greer Maréchal’s great granddaughter, Icould connect thedots. Maréchal was my great-grandfather’syounger sister. Ihad heardher name allmy life,asmygrandfather frequently referredto“Aunt Julia.”

My “new” cousin andImessagedseveral times until she toldmeafascinating story about aman named ByronArnold, a folklorist with the University of Alabama who spent the summers from1945 to 1947 visiting and recording singers in theirhomes acrossAlabama.

Arnold collected more than 600 ballads, spirituals, work songs, frolic tunesand children’ssongs frommen andwomen,young andold, richand poor,Black and White

Along theway,herecorded my great-great aunt Julia,then 94, singing. Aftermorethan30 songs, Arnold is said to have asked, “I hate to tire you, but will yousing just onemore?

She responded, “Singing doesn’ttire me!” Arnold usedselected recordings to create asongbook called “Folksongs of Alabama,” publishedin1950. Yearslater,the UniversityofAlabama produced aCDwith his originalrecordings called“BullfrogJumped” thatfeatured42songs Arnold hadgatheredacrossthe state Of those, four of my great-great aunt’s songs were included. “Julia Greer was born in Jones Bluff (Sumter County,Alabama) on theTombigbeeRiver. She was eight yearsold whenthe Civil Warbegan.Whenshe married Edwin LesleyMaréchal,she moved to Mobile andraiseda large family,” according to the CD’slinernotes.“She learned many of hersongs at the family home in Sumter County from herUncle Johnny McInnis who fiddled, sang andwrote poetry.” Iorderedthe CD minutes after learning aboutit. Icouldn’timagine hearing this woman so far removed from my life but still so connected.WhenIread thescant words abouther life,I couldn’t

ä See RISHER, page 2Y

Contributing to agrowing community

Lafayettenative uses herfamily foundation to help hertownthrive

BY JOYHOLDEN Staff writer

Lafayette native Emily Hamner runs the Pinhook Foundation, which her father started in 1987 to serve the community.Hamner dedicates her time and the foundation’sresources to organizations that focus on Lafayette’ssocial issues, with the goal of making the citya better place to live and visit The PinhookFoundation collaborates with other family foundations to increase their impact.

This interview was edited for length and clarity When did you decide it wasagood time to getinvolved with yourfamily’s foundation?

Igraduated from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette in 2000 with a business degree. Icame to run the family real estate business. After both of my grandparents passed away, most of their assets were put into the foundation, and so we had alot more money to give away We needed more of aprofessional mechanism to do that. Igot connectedwith Scott Brazda, who was running the Stuller Family Foundation. He took me under his wing and took me to meetings with local nonprofits —and it took off from there.

Ijoined the Junior League andLeadershipLafayette and Istartedgetting more involved in the community My dad was always involved in civic life, church, PTA andthe boardfor ourhigh school.

Iguess the acorn didn’t fall far from that tree. What inspiresyou to keep doing this job,especially in the midst of so manychanges in the nonprofit sector?

It’stwofold. Ilove Lafayette. Lafayetteismyhome, born andraised. Istayed here for college,and Iwork

with the nonprofitshere to betterour community for the children who aregrowinguphere.

That’sone of my big drivers. This is just agreatplace to live. Ilove volunteering. I serve on anumber of boards and commissionsintown.

It’svery fulfillingfor me. Connecting people and then workingwith some of theother family foundations helps to really make alarger impact. We’reall about partnerships.Wedon’t want to sail the ship by ourselves.

What kinds of nonprofits does the foundationworks with?

We primarilyfocus on social service nonprofits. We help fund theBoys and Girls Club, Big Brothers BigSisters, the St. Bernadette’sclinicofOur Lady of Lourdes Foundation, which is amedicaland dental clinic for thehomeless in our community,Acadiana Animal Aid, Catholic Charities and Moncus Park. We helped Cathedral-CarmelSchool with acapital campaign.We’ve partnered with some of Hospice of Acadiana’snew programs.

Oneofmydad’spassions is ChristianYouthTheater, anonprofit that is making a big impactinour community with anamazing amount of kidswithunbelievable talent.

Arethereany specificareas that you personally have apassion for?

When Iwas in the Junior

League, Igot associated with the Boys and Girls Club, and we usedtohold aprogram that wascalled“Kids in the Kitchen.” We went to theBoys and Girls Club and cooked simple meals for the kids.

Throughthe Junior League, Iwas acoach for Girlsonthe Run.I metthis young lady whowas on my team for thatsemester,and we hit it off. She was how I got involved withBig Brothers Big Sisters, because we needed an outlet to do mentoring. I’ve been on the board for over 10 years now Do you do anyout-of-the-box programminginthe community?

Ialso love animals, so Acadian Animal Aid and Spay Nation are passions of mine because Idon’t have children, Ihave fur children.

Severalyears ago, Isaw a news articleonABC News about this woman who decided to hostbirthday partiesinhomeless shelters. I wonderedifwecould do that here.A coupleoffriends from theJunior League and Icreated aprogram that endedupoperating underneath ourfoundationcalled “My Special Day ” We startedhaving birthdaypartiesinthe homeless shelterthatCatholic Charitiesran in Opelousas. Oncea month we would go over and have birthdaycakes, presents andgames forall the kids and the moms. Onehiccup in life could put people in aplace wheretheydon’t have ahome. So, when Catholic Charities moved their facility here in Lafayette, we continueddoing birthday

Inspired Book Club to meet in person

TopiconPaul Prudhomme’s ‘Louisiana Kitchen’

BY JANRISHER Staff writer

The Louisiana InspiredBook Club haschosenthe legendary Louisiana chef Paul Prudhomme’sfirst cookbook, “Louisiana Kitchen,” published in 1984, as the fall book club selection.

The Louisiana InspiredBook Club will be hostingalive panel and discussion at noononOct. 16 at the Main Library’slarge meeting room at 7711 Goodwood Blvd. in BatonRouge. Louisiana culture editor Jan Risher will facilitate the conversation with a panelofLouisiana chefs and experts on Prudhomme and Cajun/ Creolecooking. Prudhomme’sCajun and Creole cookbook profoundly impacted American cuisine and food culture in general, both nationally and internationally.When it comes to Cajun andCreole food, there is be-

RISHER

Continued from page 1y

help but notice more familiar threads. My favorite, much-loved uncle, “Uncle Mack,” whosefull name was McInnis, was named in honor of my great-greatgrandmother —her mother and her uncle Johnny’ssister

The trickiestpart of this tale occurred once the CD arrived at my house —Inolonger have a way to play aCDand neitherdid

STAFF FILE PHOTO By KATHy ANDERSON

Paul Prudhomme stands on the balcony of K-Paul’srestaurant on Chartres street in the NewOrleans French Quarter May16, 2005.

forePrudhomme’sbook and after His recipes —particularly fordisheslike blackened redfish, gumbo and jambalaya brought the bold flavors of Louisiana into kitchens across the country

The chef was born on afarm in Opelousas. In his early career,heworkedinkitchens in New Orleans, including Le Pavillon hotel and Maison Dupuy

We invite readers to join us in revisiting Prudhomme’s first cookbook. Make the recipes. Remember the heyday of

the friends Iasked. Instead, one fellow journalist remembered that there was an old CD player on along-agodesk.I sat down, put on my headphones and started listening,hopingthatIwould know one of the songs. Listening through the decades to the slightly crackly voice of a 94-year-old woman singing felt like an almost-supernatural experience. Her first songwas called, “Too Daddle Addle.” Then came “Paper of Pins,” “Allthe Pretty Horses,”and finally,“WhenI

restaurant scenes withblackened everything. Take aculinary trip down memory lane. Leaf through its pages and create the dishes according to Prudhomme’s specifications. Then,join thelivediscussionin October

Sign up fornotices forthe LouisianaInspired Book Club, which selects abook to read and discuss quarterly,here Email Joy Holden at joy.holden@ theadvocate.com.

Wasa Young Girl.” Iknewnone of thesongs she sang, but that didn’tdiminish the experience of hearing the songs of someone long gone Thespiritfelt familiar.It’sthe same stubborn joy in storytelling that I’veknown in generations of my family,the same spirit in singing that I’veheardinmy daughterGreer’ssong. Themagic of DNA shines through.

Email Jan Risher at jan.risher@ theadvocate.com.

parties.

Does your father stayinvolved beyond CYT?

My dad is also very passionate about the St. Bernadette’sclinic that is downtownonSt. John Street. We have expanded their dental program, which has been a gamechanger forpeople.

Something as simple as pulling teeth andprovidingdentures can be agame changer forpeople.

When you think of Lafayette and Pinhook Foundation, what’s the first thing that comes to mind?

Making ourcommunity a better place.

Iknoweverybody probablythinks their hometown is the best place, but we’ve traveleda lot, andthere’sa different feeling when you cometoLafayette. There’s something about our com-

munitythatweband together.I don’tknow if that’s Cajun culture or if that’sjust how we are. We take care of our own people. We love our community.Wewant to see Moncus Park thrive and be this beautiful 100 acres in the middle of our city so that our kids and our grandkids can enjoy it. It takes alot of people working together across this town to make our community better.Itdoesn’timpact me, or may notimpact me directly, but it makes our community better —and we want to see the goals we are working toward cometo fruition and thisplace be the best it can be.

Email Joy Holdenatjoy holden@theadvocate.com.

homeinNew Orleans.

KATRINA

Continued from page1y

apartment, 20 years since the aftermath of Katrina, Allen still gets teary-eyed when shelooks at the scrapbook she created about the experience. Shehas filled the book with items she kept: newspaper article cutouts photos,flyers, lettersand more She insisted she wasnot the leader of the humanitarian operation,onlythe instigator.She said thevolunteers were the true leaders. “It only takes aspark,” Allen said, “to get acandle burning.”

Email Lauren Cheramieat lauren.cheramie@theadvocate. com.

BY JOYHOLDEN Staff writer

The transition from acollege wardrobe to awork wardrobe can be achallenge for many university students.Insomecases, the individual is from out of state. Other times, they have limited finances. Regardless of the reason some college students need help dressing up their closet to aprofessional level.

In thefall of 2024, the LSU Olinde Career Center opened theTailored Tiger Closet for students pursuing any LSUdegree —whether undergraduate, graduate or doctorate —touse as aresource for job interviews, career fairs or even internships.

On the third floor of the LSU Union, at the end of aserpentine hall, sits the closet’smicro-boutique and adressing room. The layout feels like thetiniestmall department store possible.

Last school year,from 20242025, The Tailored TigerCloset served438 students with personal shopping experiences and free professional clothing. From August to May,1,250 articles of clothingwere given outtostudents.

TheroadtoProject Tailored Tiger

In 2022, LSU Student Body President Lizzie Shaw proposed theidea of aprofessionalclothing closet to the vice presidentof Student Affairs, Jeremiah Shinn, who then asked around for adepartment to sponsor the closet.

That fall, the Olinde Career Center took on the sponsorship role, and the following year,LSU Student Government successfully proposed the career closet to theStudent Sustainability Fund to cover the start-upcosts. By spring and summer 2024, theCareer Center and StudentGovernment locatedthe location in the Union, renovated the space to reflect aboutique style and collected clothing donations.

“When we were in the creation of it, it was very important to our staff, and just in general, that studentsfeltgoodinthe experience,

saidJesse Downs, the directorof the Olinde CareerCenter.“The dignityofstudents in this process wassomething at thecore of this.”

Upon entry,the Tailored Tiger Professional Clothing Closet looks like awell-curated boutique with uniform hangers, clear divisions of garment style, visible sizing and clean organization.

The lighting and clothing rods aresimple and evokeamalldepartment storemorethan asecondhandshop

On the oppositewall, asize guide formen andwomen, amirror and ameasuring tape are available for shoppers.

Liv Tees, amass communication seniorand career center studentworker,has managedthe closetsinceits opening in September2024. Students make oneon-one appointments with Tees for aconsultation and personal shopping experience.

“I can kind of get the vibe of when they wanthelp and when theydon’twant help,” Tees said “People don’talways know their ownsize, especially with women’s clothing, so it’sbest to just try everything.”

Students are allowed to select four garmentstokeep per semester,choosing from full suits,blazers, sport coats, slacks,buttondown shirts,ties, skirts,blouses, pants, dresses and jackets

Downs said the Tailored Tiger Closet’sgoal is forpeople to be authenticin who they areand confidentintheir clothes.

“Weknow our students are really talented,and they’vegot great skills,and they’re highly marketable, but they don’talwayshave theconfidenceinthat,” Downs said. “So some of it is as simple as when you when youlook good, youfeel good. And forsomestudents, it’s notasmuchabout looking good as it is fitting in to the work environment.”

Downs and Tees sort all of the donations, and they choose what they will keep andwhatthey will donate to the Purple Cow,alocal thrift storeinBaton Rouge.

Tees maintainsthe inventory, selects the pieces for the closet, steams the clothes and even sometimes mends small repairs or missing buttons in an Olinde

Career Centerofficeroomacouple of floorsdown from the actual closet

“I find that students,when they come in andsee thattheyget to take this clothing home forfree —and some of them arereally nice brands from people who are well established in law firms or business —they are so happy,” Tees said. “Maybe they’ll remember, ‘I got my first internship, and Iworea suit from Tailored Tiger, and that’show Igot it.’”

Howtocontribute

The Tailored TigerCloset accepts gently used business professional items,which mustbe cleaned and free of damage, stains,tears, etc. Requested garments include:

n Businesssuits

n Dresspants

n Button-up shirts

n Blouses

n Dresses

n Skirts

n Ties andbelts

Those whowould like to contribute items maydropoff donations at the CareerCenter Main Office, 158 Student Union, on LSU’scampus Monetary donations can be made to theAshley GrantCareer Closet Fund through theLSU Foundation. Grant,aLSU College of Agriculture employee, establisheda pop-upcareer closet for ag students. She was instrumentalinthe early planning days of the OlindeCareer Center closet. Granthelped guide the Career

Center team in their planning and preparation for the Tailored Tiger Closet.When she unexpectedly died in February2024,her family set up this fund in her memory

This fall, the Career Center will hostseven recruiting events,includingthe Fall Career Expoon Sept. 10, which should bring over 200 companies to campus. LSU students willneed to be outfitted in their best professional attire forthese events,and the Tailored Tiger Closet is ready for it.

For more information, visit lsu. edu/career/dress-for-success. php.

Email Joy Holdenatjoy.holden@ theadvocate.com.

FAITH & VALUES

Chaplains changing spiritual care understanding

BY RACHEL BERKEBILE

Contributing writer

Religiously unaffiliated Americans represent about 28% of the country’s population, according to 2024 Pew Research Center data. As this demographic has grown, so, too, have the number of religiously unaffiliated chaplains.

Chaplains often sit with patients and families in hospitals as they face some of the most difficult moments of their lives. They work on university campuses providing a listening ear and guidance to students as they maneuver young adulthood. And for the last 250 years, they have offered spiritual support to their fellow service members in the U.S. military Regardless of the setting, chaplains provide spiritual or pastoral care. As religious demographics overall shift, so too do the religious identities represented amongst chaplains.

“I think one of our primary (roles) is accepting and acknowledging things the way they are,” said Mariela Gonzalez, a hospital chaplain at Advocate Aurora Health in Downers Grove, Illinois. “Then, inviting a patient to reflect on what might connect them to goodness, or love or hope in those difficult moments. But not moving them toward that if it’s not where they are.” Gonzalez identifies as a humanist, a belief system that drives her chaplaincy work in combating dehumanization in the health care system — “the idea that a person is a commodity in the hospital, or you know, a cog in the machine of the health care industrial complex,” she said. She described her work as being “able to have a sense of (a patient’s) personhood and their wholeness.”

Many employers expect chaplains to either be board certified or at least working toward it. There are a number of requirements to receive board certification including, among other things, a master’s degree in either theology philosophy or psychology, completed units

supernaturalism,” Iten said. “… ‘Without supernaturalism’ has kind of been our dividing line lately that has kind of become our boundary for who we let in and who we let out.”

The Humanist Society, which is active throughout and beyond the U.S., currently endorses 139 chaplains, Iten said. It receives, on average, four applications for endorsement a month, which he anticipates will grow closer to six a month in the next year Gonzalez said the issue of endorsement has been a prominent topic of conversation for chaplains, particularly nonreligious ones. While some in the industry question whether endorsement is needed, she believes having institutional community connection is important for a chaplain’s self-orientation.

type of spiritual support sought.

Gonzalez acknowledged that some patients want a chaplain to perform more overtly religious or spiritual rituals, such as prayer, which nonreligious chaplains can also facilitate. In those moments, she asks them, “How do you want to pray?” and follows their lead. For example, when a patient told her, “We pray in the name of Jesus,” Gonzalez invoked Jesus’ name in the prayer she offered.

nonreligious, to treat that moment as a sort of coming out. “Thank the patient for trusting you with that,” he said. “Give them some sort of empathetic reflection like, ‘I hear it’s hard to be atheist in America these days. What’s that like for you?’”

of clinical pastoral education and endorsement or recognition from a faith group recognized by the Board of Chaplaincy Certification Inc. While the list of faith groups recognized by BCCI is extensive, the options for nonreligious chaplains are still limited.

One of the few endorsing bodies for nonreligious chaplains is the Humanist Society, which was started by a group of Quakers in 1939 and is led by values based on the principles of humanism. It has been recognized by BCCI since 2014.

Ben Iten, president of the Humanist Society, said successful chaplaincy applicants meet BCCI criteria, completing CPE units and receiving a Master of Divinity or an equivalent degree like other faith organizations that certify chaplains However, the applicant also needs to show they are a humanist.

“When we are endorsing folks, a lot of our dividing lines right now (are in) the humanist manifesto, (which) talks about that humanism believes that humanity is able to live moral and ethical lives without

“I think if smaller communities could form that would have some structure of accountability and participation, that would help for people to have that accountability, have that grounding, have community,” she said. “More (endorsing bodies) would form, just grassroots.”

Iten also works as a hospital chaplain with OhioHealth, a nonprofit health care system in Central Ohio affiliated with the United Methodist Church, and is a certified educator with the Association of Clinical Pastoral Education. He defines his religion as humanism and says his work is about providing community and human connection.

Most patients Iten and his students see say they are religious. He estimated that only about 1% to 2% of patients in his hospital identify themselves as nonreligious. He thinks that number is actually higher but said in the presence of a chaplain, patients often conceal nonreligious identities.

In most settings a chaplain works in, regardless of their spiritual or religious orienting system, they meet with care recipients of all faith backgrounds. As such, chaplains who don’t follow any one religion are well-poised to adapt to any

Two prominent nontraditional chaplains include Greg Epstein and Devin Moss. Epstein works as a humanist/agnostic/atheist chaplain at Harvard University and Massachusetts Institute of Technology On his bio page at Harvard, it is noted that New York Times Magazine described him as ”a ‘godfather to the (humanist) movement.’” Moss’ work with fellow atheist and convicted killer Phillip Hancock was highlighted in the Times last year Vanessa Gomez Brake, university chaplain at the University of Southern California, said growing up Catholic, she saw priests as spiritual authorities. Now, she identifies as a secular humanist and culturally Catholic, and her work represents these interfaith dynamics of chaplaincy She said when it comes to helping others create ritual spaces, she can do anything — and does. On USC’s campus, she helps organize everything from Ramadan festivities to Diwali celebrations, aiming to ensure students of all faith traditions can access their sites of worship. She also advocates for recognizing whatever belief systems students identify with. At her hospital in Downers Grove, Gonzalez estimates she meets with one to two patients weekly who self-disclose as nonreligious. She said when patients hear she is a chaplain, they will sometimes use language like, “well, I used to be this” religion. In those moments, she tries to let them know, “It’s OK to be where you are now,” she said. Iten said he teaches his students that when someone shares they are

Gomez Brake said that a solid third of students she meets on campus identify as nonreligious, pointing to a generational trend toward religious disaffiliation in younger adults. That doesn’t mean her role is any less significant.

“I think people are just as spiritual and religious as they’ve ever been,” she said, “but we’re finding new terminology for it because we don’t trust the institutions. We don’t want to be affiliated with them, but folks still have needs for their spiritual well-being and health.”

Asked about having to defend their nontraditional belief systems in a traditionally religious industry, each of the chaplains RNS spoke with had different experiences. Gonzalez said she doesn’t feel she has to defend herself, but rather works to educate others about and advocates for nontraditional chaplains. Iten, however, said, “The higher up I got in certification, the more I had to defend myself.” While as an intern, having to defend his spiritual route was minimal, as he worked toward chaplaincy board certification and then took on the process to become an educator, his humanism often seemed to come into question.

For Gomez Brake, the experience has been different. “Students don’t care,” she said, noting, however, that some of the religious affiliates she works with have been surprised to learn an atheist has a Master of Divinity degree. She also said she doesn’t believe nonreligious chaplains are as new of a phenomenon as many people think.

“There have always been people of every worldview who have been serving in these chaplain roles,” she said. “It’s just the stereotypes of a chaplain are always very Christian.”

Warming climate is changing growing conditions

Planting zones shifting northward

BY OLIVIA COHEN Contributing writer

This story, created by Olivia Cohen for The Mississippi River Basin Ag & Water Desk, is part of the AP Storyshare. Louisiana Inspired features solutions journalism stories that provide tangible evidence that positive change is happening in other places and in our own communities — solutions that can be adopted around the world.

A few years ago, Holly Jones started studying the micro-climate and the topography on her family farm in Crawfordsville, Iowa, about 40 miles south of Iowa City Jones said learning more about the landscape of her fifth generation flower farm helped her recognize some of the ways weather and climate change could affect her operation.

“There are some areas of our land that are a little higher than others,” Jones said. “That’s going to impact, for example, when we’re looking out for frost advisories or frost concerns really early in the season or the end.” Around this time the U.S. Department of Agriculture updated its plant hardiness zones map, which divides the United States into 13 zones based on average annual minimum temperatures in a given time period.

Todd Einhorn, an associate professor in the Department of Horticulture at Michigan State University, said simply put, plant hardiness zones help gardeners and farmers determine which plants are most likely to survive winters in a specific location.

Jones’ farm, called Evergreen Hill, is currently in zone 5b. The USDA found that for her area the temperature had increased by one degree Fahrenheit between 2012 and 2023 – a trend experts say will continue in the Upper Midwest. In response to the changing climate and her deeper understanding of her land, Jones created “crossover plans” for the farm, planting flower varieties with overlapping bloom times. If one species is late to flower or runs its course early, she has other plants that can fill in as the farm’s “focal flower” at any given time. She said she and her team have

PROVIDED

Dean Colony of Colony Acres Family Farm 1150 Front St NE checks on his pumpkin crop in North Liberty, Iowa, on July 9. Colony grows around 40 varieties of the fall-harvest gourds. Colony checks on the health of the plants as well as what insects are on the plants and flowers.

learned that they must be flexible when it comes to farming in a changing climate since she does not have control over growing conditions.

“We can prepare as much as we want, but there’s so much variability now in growing, especially in the ways that we grow that you just have to be prepared to pivot and adapt,” Jones said.

Jones won’t be the only one adapting.

Plant hardiness zones are shifting northward nationwide as the country continues to warm, affecting farmers, gardeners and producers across the country The biggest changes in the coming decades are predicted to be in the Upper Midwest. The Midwest produces 27% of the nation’s agricultural goods. What are plant hardiness zones?

The USDA Plant Hardiness Zone map has 13 zones, which serve as guidelines for growers on what kind of plants will grow well in their area.

“Hardiness zones are meant to at least delineate which species or cultivars of species could be planted based on their survival,” Einhorn said, who specializes in plant hardiness science, particularly with fruit tree species.

Each zone covers about 10 degrees for example, Iowa lies primarily in zone 5, which means its coldest temperatures range from -20 degrees to -10 degrees Fahrenheit on average Each zone is further divided into five degree half zones — the northern half of Iowa is in 5a,

the southern half in 5b.

Madelynn Wuestenberg, an agricultural climatology extension specialist with Iowa State University, said that plant hardiness zones are defined by their average coldest temperatures. The averages are calculated over 30 years.

In 2023, using new averages, the USDA updated the map, moving about half of the country up by half a plant zone, meaning average minimum temperatures rose by zero to five degrees in the affected places

Zones shifting north Climate Central, a non-profit researching climate change and how it affects people, analyzed 243 locations around the United States and found that about 67% of the locations studied based on National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration data have already shifted to warmer planting zones from the mid-1900s to present.

The researchers found that the Northwest and the Southwest, along with Alaska, have been the most affected to date.

With unabated climate change about 90% of locations examined will likely shift to warmer planting zones by the middle of this century

The Upper Midwest is predicted to be affected most.

Wuestenberg said winter temperatures in the Midwest are becoming warmer on average, compared to decades past.

“What we saw from the 1981 to 2010 climatology versus the 1991 to 2020 climatology is we’re really

starting to see warming across the U.S.,” Wuestenberg said. “And this has been observed for a long time, and really it’s a pretty consistent overall warming, but the specific amount of warming varies region to region across the U.S.”

Of the cities with the highest predicted temperature change between now and mid-century, a majority of the top 25 are in the Mississippi River Basin. Madison, Wisconsin, for example, is projected to switch from zone 5b to 6a as the average coldest temperature is expected to increase by 8.4 degrees Fahrenheit.

Jefferson City, Missouri, will likely change from zone 6b to zone 7b, as the area’s average cold temperatures are projected to increase by 8.3 degrees Fahrenheit

In Dubuque, Iowa, the average coldest temperatures are expected to rise by 8.3 degrees Fahrenheit and producers will go from zone 5a to 6a.

Average cold temperatures in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, are on course to warm by 8.2 degrees Fahrenheit and the region is expected to jump an entire planting zone to 6a.

The shift in plant hardiness zones could force some growers across the country to select plants that are adapted to a wider and warmer range of temperatures to survive warmer winters and earlier frosts and thaws.

In some cases, that could mean new opportunities.

Dean Colony runs Colony Acres Family Farm in North Liberty Iowa. On his 200-acre farm, he grows pumpkins, corn, soybeans and zinnias.

His farm is currently in plant hardiness zone 5, but Colony said it could be a matter of time before Iowa is able to produce peaches like Missouri and Kentucky can.

“How many more years is it going to be? I mean, we could grow peaches in Iowa, but it seems like they grow them way better down there,” Colony said. “So is it a matter of time before that comes here?”

Wuestenberg said one challenge with the shifting zones is that they are based on climatological averages and do not take atypical and significant frost or freeze events into account, which can be challenging for producers.

Who will be most affected?

Wuestenberg said gardeners and

fruit tree producers will likely be more concerned about the shifting zones, rather than row crop producers.

Fruit trees and vines need a certain number of chilling hours, which is the minimum period of cold weather a fruit tree needs to blossom.

For example, Einhorn said most apple trees require about a thousand chilling hours in the winter to break their dormancy period and bloom in the spring.

But with winters warming, even by a few degrees, apple trees will want to break dormancy earlier

“Instead of being at 30 degrees Fahrenheit in the winter, maybe now the days are at 34 (degrees Fahrenheit) and that little bit of warming actually has a humongous effect on a tree,” Einhorn said.

The apple trees could start flowering in late February or early March.

“Unfortunately, what can happen is overall, winter may have been warmer but we still might get a March, April frost. And once that happens, those buds, those flowers, are exposed to that cold temperature, and then it kills them,” Wuestenberg said.

This could lead to reduced fruit yields later in the season.

But Einhorn said there are ways that producers can work within the unpredictable conditions.

For example, there are various methods for raising temperatures for trees during a freeze, including using fans to pull warm air out of the atmosphere and running water over plants. There are also research efforts underway breeding new plants that have either delayed blooms or can withstand the new conditions.

Meanwhile, farmers will continue to adapt Jones, the flower farmer, has noticed strong winds and storms coming through the Eastern Iowa region. She’s planted sunflowers in windier areas of the farm because they can withstand stronger gusts. More delicate flowers go near trees for natural protection. She also uses netting to help stabilize flowers from winds, rains and storms.

“At the end of the season, we’re at the mercy of our climate and the weather,” Jones said. “And that can greatly impact what we have in any given season.”

SUNDAY, AUgUSt 24, 2025

grams

directions: Make a 2- to 7-letter word from the letters in each row Add points of each word, using scoring directions at right. Finally, 7-letter words get 50-point bonus. “Blanks” used as any letter have no point value All the words are in the Official SCRABBLE® Players Dictionary, 5th Edition.

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 — reGiMent: REJ-ihment: A military unit consisting of several battalions.

Average mark 53 words Time limit 60 minutes

Can you find 67 or more words in REGIMENT?

ken ken

instructions: 1 -Each rowand each column must contain thenumbers 1through4 (easy) or 1through6 (challenging) without repeating 2 -The numbers within the heavily outlinedboxes, called cages, must combine using thegiven operation (inany order)toproduce the target numbersinthe top-left corners. 3 -Freebies: Fillinthe single-boxcages withthe numberinthe top-left corner

instructions: Sudoku is anumber-placing puzzle based on a 9x9 gridwith several given numbers. The object is to placethe numbers 1to 9in theempty squares so that each row,each column and each 3x3 boxcontains the same number only once. The difficultylevel of the Conceptis Sudoku increases from Monday to Sunday

directions: Complete thegridso that numbers 1–132 connect horizontally, vertically or diagonally

By zHouQin

goren Bridge

Polish ingenuity

South in today’s deal was Polish World Champion Katarzyna Dufrat. She found herself in a poor slam after a highly competitive auction that forced North to make a key decision at a high level. North made the aggressive choice and now Dufrat had to play it.

She won the opening heart lead with her ace and led a club to dummy’s 10. This won, but East’s discard on the ace of clubs was a disappointment West’s opening heart lead was certainly a singleton,soDufratcouldbereasonably sure about the distribution. She discarded a diamond on the ace of spades and ruffed dummy’s remaining spade, cashed her two high diamonds, and led a club to West. She ruffed the forced spade return and started to run her clubs. This was the position with one club left to cash:

She cashed her club and discarded a diamond from dummy East was finished. WhateverEastdiscardedwould allow Dufrat to take the last two tricks. Beautifully played!

Edited by Rich Norris and Joyce Nichols Lewis

super Quiz

Tannah Hirsch welcomes readers’ responses sent in care of this newspaper or to Tribune Content Agency inc., 2225 Kenmore Ave., Suite 114, Buffalo, Ny 14207. E-mail responses may be sent to gorenbridge@ aol.com. © 2025 Tribune Content Agency

VIRGO (Aug.

SAGITTARIUS(Nov.23-Dec.21) Distance yourself from situations before you let your emotions step in and take charge.Directyourenergyintohoning your skills, improving your lifestyle and exploring ways to increase your income.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) Keep the momentum flowing. If you limit what you can do, you’ll encounter regret. Refuse to let anger set in if something erupts beyond your control. Work with whatever comes your way and show your true potential.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23) Go undercover to do what you’ve got to do. In solitude, you will discover you have talents you didn’t know about. It’s up to you to follow your instincts and to live the life that brings you joy SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 22) Participation will lead to a fabulous learning experience. Embrace conversations with a positive attitude. A change of perspective will encourage you to research your options.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb 19) How you handle others, use your money and present yourself will lead to attractive offers and the chance to improve your lifestyle Discipline andingenuityareyourwayforward. Enjoy the ride.

PISCES (Feb. 20-March 20) Focus on your happiness and do something thatbringsyoujoy Personalgrowth, pampering and self-improvement are favored, along with events that allow you to network or socialize.

Take this Super Quiz to a Ph.D. Score 1 point for each correct answer on the Freshman Level, 2

SUBJECT: LEFT-HANDED PEOPLE (e.g., Who was the last left-handed president of the U.S.? Answer: Barack Obama.)

FRESHMAN LEVEL 1. Baseball star nicknamed the “Bambino” and the “Sultan of Swat.”

Answer________

2. Businessman best known as the co-founder of Microsoft.

Answer________

3. Tom Hulce portrayed this famous composer in the film “Amadeus.”

Answer________ 4. Prince of Wales and heir apparent to the British throne.

Answer________

5. He starred on TV along with Michael Richards, Jason Alexander and Julia Louis-Dreyfus.

Answer________

GRADUATE LEVEL 6. Baseball pitcher nicknamed the “Left Arm of God.”

ARIES (March 21-April 19) Go where the action is and use your insight, discipline and experience to bring about change. A unique approach will seal the deal and put you in a position of power TAURUS (April 20-May 20) Opportunity knocks; receive the message and turn the information into something meaningful. It’s up to you to interpret and react as you see fit. You have plenty to gain through networking, interviewing and marketing. GEMINI (May 21-June 20) Change requireshands-onhelp Don’texpect things to fall into place without nurturing on your part. You’ll have to walk a fine line and be precise to make headway Trust your instincts, stamina and charisma.

CANCER (June 21-July 22) Know your boundaries, set rules and rethink schedules. Use your voice to clarify yourposition,whatyouarewillingto do and what you expect in return. LEO (July 23-Aug. 22) Refuse to make changes that will jeopardize your financial position or lifestyle. Look for the best alternative and do the legwork to ensure you come in under budget. wuzzLes The horoscope, an entertainment feature, is not based on scientific fact. © 2025 by NEA, inc., dist. By Andrews McMeel Syndication

SCORING: 24 to 30 points —congratulations, doctor; 18 to 23 points—honorsgraduate; 13 to 17 points —you’replenty smart, but no grind; 5to12points —you really shouldhit the booksharder;1point to 4points —enroll in remedial courses immediately; 0points who reads thequestions to you?

Saturday's Cryptoquote: The wilderness holds answers to questionswehave notyet learnedto ask. —Nancy Wynne Newhall

1. Babe Ruth. 2. Bill Gates. 3. WolfgangAmadeus Mozart. 4. Prince William.5.Jerry Seinfeld. 6. Sandy Koufax. 7. Rafael Nadal. 8. Oprah Winfrey.9.Judy Garland. 10.JimiHendrix. 11. GordonRamsay.12. Buzz Aldrin.13. Paul McCartney.14. Julia Roberts. 15. Hugh Jackman. Crossword