The Acadiana Advocate 02-20-2026

BY CLAIRE TAYLOR Staff writer

A St. Martin Parish grand jury

on Thursday indicted former Lafayette Mayor-President Josh Guillory on four counts of malfeasance in office related to the 2022 removal of a spoil bank on the Ver-

Guillory indicted over spoil bank project

milion River without permission from St. Martin Parish.

The indictment comes a week after a report by 15th Judicial District Attorney Don Landry’s office declared neither Guillory nor anyone in his administration would be prosecuted in Lafayette Parish for alleged wrongdoing in relation to

CORNER MAKEOVER

the project. The Louisiana Legislative Auditor’s Office in August 2025 concluded an investigation saying Guillory and his administration likely violated state and federal laws, Lafayette’s home-rule charter and bid laws. Guillory did not have permission from the St. Martin Parish government to conduct work in their parish. He authorized the purchase by Lafayette of land along the river in St. Martin Parish and during the night of Feb. 21-22, 2022, had contractor Rigid Construction remove

BY KRISTIN ASKELSON Staff writer

Work is progressing on a $5 million intersection and streetscape project at 12th and Surrey streets. It’s part of the Evangeline Corridor plan that focuses on redevelopment in neighborhoods along the proposed Interstate 49 Lafayette Connector Construction began in late 2025, with saw-cutting and pavement removal progressing block by block from Plum Street

to Crocket Street. This week new crosswalks are taking shape, and beds are being prepared for new sidewalks.

The improvements at Surrey and 12th streets are aimed at creating a safer, more functional and welcoming environment for residents, businesses and transit riders, according to a prepared statement from Lafayette Consolidated Government.

The 12th Street project is the first major streetscape initiative tied to the broader revitalization of the Evangeline Corridor

It reflects years of meetings with residents and business owners, as well as research and urban planning.

The Evangeline Corridor Initiative, released in 2018, includes strategies for coordinating public and private investments along the Connector and identified 44 catalyst projects — including the 12th Street and Willow Street streetscape projects — some of which have already been undertaken using public funds.

The project is expected to take about 18 months.

Judge dismisses legal challenge to state’s

BY PATRICK WALL Staff writer

Three in running for UL president

Search committee whittles down list of 12 candidates

BY ASHLEY WHITE Staff writer

The search for the University of Louisiana at Lafayette’s next president has been whittled down to three candidates.

The 21-member Presidential Search Committee selected the candidates from a list of 12 candidates during its meeting Thursday in Baton Rouge. The selected semifinalists will be interviewed next week on UL’s campus. Search Committee Chair Rick Gallot, who is the president of the University of Louisiana system, which oversees UL, said the committee received “a wide and diverse range of applications.”

“This group (of candidates) comprises individuals with proven leadership experience, innovative strategies for advancing higher education and a deep investment in advancing student outcomes,” Gallot said “The strong interest in this position underscores its significance and the caliber of leadership it demands. The varied expertise of these candidates demonstrates the high standards and expectations set for this

tect children and do not discriminate against religious institutions. U.S. District Court Judge Terry Doughty on Wednesday granted the state’s motion to dismiss the lawsuit, which was filed in October and which sought to block a state

law that requires private prekindergarten programs to get state licenses. Under Act 409, passed unanimously by the state Legislature last year the schools must meet dozens of child care regulations and pass mandatory inspections to be licensed. The lawsuit alleged that Act 409 unconstitutionally singled out religious schools, and that the expansive regulations would force schools to raise tuition or shut down their pre-K programs due to compliance costs. But Doughty rejected that argument, noting that the law requires pre-K programs at all private schools, secular and religious, to

U.S. pays about $160M of $4B it owes the U.N. UNITED NATIONS The United States has paid about $160 million of the nearly $4 billion it owes the United Nations, the U.N. said Thursday, and President Donald Trump promised more money to the financially strapped world organization

The Trump administration’s payment last week is earmarked for the U.N.’s regular operating budget, U.N. spokesman Stéphane Dujarric told The Associated Press.

The U.N. has said the United States owes $2.196 billion to its regular budget, including $767 million for this year, as well as $1.8 billion to a separate budget for the far-flung U.N. peacekeeping operations

U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres warned late last month that the world body faces “imminent financial collapse” unless its financial rules are overhauled or all 193 member nations pay their dues, a message clearly directed at the United States.

U.N. officials have said 95% of the overdue payments to the U.N.’s regular budget is from the United States.

Banner featuring Trump placed on DOJ building

WASHINGTON A large banner featuring Donald Trump’s face was hung on the exterior of Justice Department headquarters on Thursday in a physical display of the Republican president’s efforts to exert power over the law enforcement agency that once investigated him. While Trump banners have been hung outside other agencies across Washington, the decision to place one on the storied Justice Department building amounted to a striking symbol of the erosion of the department’s tradition of independence from White House control

The banner, hung between two columns on one corner of the building, says, “Make America Safe Again,” a slogan used by the administration to tout its efforts to clamp down on illegal immigration and violent crime.

Trump officials have rejected accusations that they have weaponized the Justice Department for political purposes, saying the Biden administration was the one that politicized law enforcement with two federal criminal cases against Trump that were abandoned after he won the 2024 election. Ky. Supreme Court rules against charter schools

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — The Kentucky Supreme Court ruled Thursday that a measure establishing public funding for charter schools is unconstitutional, affirming that state funds “are for common schools and for nothing else.”

The 2022 measure was enacted by the state’s Republican-dominated legislature over Democrat Gov. Andy Beshear’s veto. It was struck down the next year by a lower court. The state’s high court ruled the “Constitution as it stands is clear that it does not permit funneling public education funds outside the common public school system,” Justice Michelle M. Keller wrote in a unanimous opinion.

Trump gets pledges for Gaza

Board of Peace has inaugural meeting

BY AAMER MADHANI and MATTHEW LEE Associated Press

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump announced Thursday at the inaugural Board of Peace meeting that nine members have agreed to pledge $7 billion toward a Gaza relief package and five countries have agreed to deploy troops as part of an international stabilization force for the war-battered Palestinian territory

While lauding the pledges, Trump faces the unresolved challenge of disarming Hamas, a sticking point that threatens to delay or even derail the Gaza ceasefire plan that his administration notched as a major foreign policy win.

The dollars promised, while significant, represent a small fraction of the estimated $70 billion needed

to rebuild the territory decimated after two years of war between Israel and Hamas. While Trump praised allies for making the commitments of funding and troops, he offered no detail on when the pledges would be implemented.

“Every dollar spent is an investment in stability and the hope of new and harmonious (region),” Trump said. He added, “The Board of Peace is showing how a better future can be built right here in this room.”

Trump also announced the U.S. was pledging $10 billion for the board but didn’t specify what the money will be used for It also was not clear where the U.S. money would come from a sizable pledge that would need to be authorized by Congress.

The board was initiated as part of Trump’s 20-point plan to end the conflict in Gaza. But since the October ceasefire, Trump’s vision for the board has morphed and he wants it to have an even more am-

bitious remit — one that will not only complete the Herculean task of bringing lasting peace between Israel and Hamas but also help resolve conflicts around the globe.

But the Gaza ceasefire deal remains fragile, and Trump’s expanded vision for the board has triggered fears the U.S. president is looking to create a rival to the United Nations.

Trump, pushing back against the criticism, said the creation of his board would help make the U.N. viable in the future.

“Someday I won’t be here. The United Nations will be,” Trump said. “I think it is going to be much stronger, and the Board of Peace is going to almost be looking over the United Nations and making sure it runs properly.”

Indonesia, Morocco, Kazakhstan, Kosovo and Albania made pledges to send troops for a Gaza stabilization force, while Egypt and Jordan committed to train police.

Troops will initially be deployed

to Rafah, a largely destroyed and mostly depopulated city under full Israeli control, where the U.S. administration hopes to first focus reconstruction efforts.

The countries making pledges to fund reconstruction are Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, the United Arab Emirates, Morocco, Bahrain, Qatar Saudi Arabia, Uzbekistan and Kuwait, Trump said.

Maj. Gen. Jasper Jeffers, leader of the newly created international stabilization force, said plans call for 12,000 police and 20,000 soldiers for Gaza.

“With these first steps, we help bring the security that Gaza needs for a future of prosperity and enduring peace,” Jeffers said.

Nearly 50 countries and the European Union sent officials to Thursday’s meeting. Germany, Italy, Norway, Switzerland and the United Kingdom are among more than a dozen countries that have not joined the board but took part as observers.

Weather delays recovery after avalanche

Authorities say it will take time to reach bodies of eight people

BY JULIE WATSON and JOHN SEEWER Associated Press

The backcountry skiers and professional guides caught in the deadliest U.S. avalanche in decades understood the dangers of trekking through the remote wilderness of California’s Sierra Nevada.

They had close ties to Lake Tahoe’s alpine community, with some connected to an academy for competitive skiers.

One victim was married to a backcountry rescue team member A mayor near San Francisco said the group included moms from the Bay Area.

But what the guides and their tour company knew about the warnings and risks from a powerful winter storm that blasted the mountains during the trip and why they pressed on is now part of investigations into Tuesday’s avalanche that killed eight people

Six survived the disaster

It will be at least another day before crews can attempt to recover the bodies and continue the search for a ninth person still missing and presumed dead, said Ashley Quadros, a spokesperson for the Nevada County Sheriff’s Office.

“We are on the mountain, but they are not going to be able to safely reach them,” she said Thursday “The weather conditions are really dangerous.”

Several more feet of snow could fall around Lake Tahoe on Thursday and continue to destabilize the fragile snowpack,

according to the Sierra Avalanche Center It said that wind gusts along the ridgetops could reach 60 mph and warned there’s a high risk of large avalanches through at least Friday morning. Tahoe

National Forest lands in the Castle Peak area were also closed to the public until March 15.

Officials have not yet released the names of those who were killed.

‘Connected community’

The 15 skiers, most of them women, began their three-day trip on Sunday just as warnings about the storm were intensifying. They spent the weekend staying along Frog Lake in high country huts accessible only by challenging trails.

Some have ties with the elite Sugar Bowl Academy, which issued a statement late Wednesday mourning the loss of skiers with “strong connections to Sugar Bowl, Donner Summit and the backcountry community.”

Perched on Donner Summit, the academy is a private boarding and day school for competitive skiers and snowboarders. Its former students include multiple Olympians.

“We are an incredibly close and connected community,” Sugar Bowl Academy executive director Stephen McMahon said in the statement. “This tragedy has affected each and every one of us.”

Two sisters were among the dead, their brother, McAlister Clabaugh, told The New York Times

Caroline Sekar, a mother of two, lived in San Francisco, and Liz Clabaugh lived in Boise, Idaho. Their brother said they were on the trip with close friends from college.

“The idea that they are

both gone is, I don’t even know how to put it into words,” Clabaugh said. Guides were experienced

The four guides were employed by Blackbird Mountain Guides, which offers mountaineering and backcountry ski trips as well as safety courses. One of them was among the six survivors.

Blackbird’s website says the tour was intended for intermediate to expert skiers. The company said in a statement that it launched an investigation.

The guides with the group were trained or certified in backcountry skiing, and were instructors with the American Institute for Avalanche Research and Education.

While in the field, they “are in communication with senior guides at our base, to discuss conditions and routing based upon conditions,” founder Zeb Blais said in the statement

“We don’t have all the answers yet, and it may be some time before we do,” the company said, asking people to refrain from speculating while it reviews what happened.

“This was an enormous

NASA boss blasts Boeing for flight that stranded astronauts

Space agency managers also receive blame

BY MARCIA DUNN AP aerospace writer

NASA’s new boss blasted Boeing and the space agency Thursday for Starliner’s botched flight that left two astronauts stuck for months at the International Space Station. Administrator Jared Isaacman said poor leadership and decision-making at Boeing led to Starliner’s troubles. He also blamed NASA managers for failing to intervene and get Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams

back more quickly

The two test pilots, now retired from NASA, spent more than nine months at the station before catching a lift back with SpaceX last March.

Isaacman said Starliner’s problems must be better understood and fixed before any more astronauts strap in.

Isaacman upgraded the seriousness of Starliner’s troubled astronaut debut, declaring it a “Type A mishap,” something that could endanger a crew Both the Challenger and Columbia space shuttle disasters also involved cultural and leadership missteps. It is a mistake that Starliner was not designated a se-

rious mishap right from the start, Isaacman said, citing internal pressure to keep Boeing on board and flights on track.

“This is just about doing the right thing,” he said. “This is about getting the record straight.”

There is no timeline for when Boeing can launch Starliner on a supply run, essentially another test flight to prove its safety before astronaut flights. The grounding leaves SpaceX as the only U.S. taxi service for astronauts.

“Boeing has made substantial progress on corrective actions for technical challenges we encountered,” Boeing said in a statement.

tragedy, and the saddest event our team has ever experienced. In addition to mourning the loss of six clients, we also mourn the loss of three highly experienced members of our guide team,” Blais said. “We are doing what we can to support the families who lost so much.”

Mayor Max Perrey of Marin County’s Mill Valley, a city just north of San Francisco, confirmed that some in the group were mothers from his city

One of the victims was married to a member of a backcountry search and

rescue team in the area, said Placer County Sheriff Wayne Woo.

Questions linger about trip

Nevada County Sheriff Shannan Moon said authorities will investigate why the guides proceeded with the tour despite the forecast. California’s Division of Occupational Safety and Health is also investigating to determine if the company violated California law The Sierra Avalanche Center had issued an avalanche watch Sunday morning, the first day of the trip, indicating a high risk of large avalanches.

It’s not uncommon for backcountry skiers to go out when there is an avalanche watch or even a warning, avalanche safety experts say In avalanche terrain that covers many backcountry areas, slides occur regularly but often go unnoticed if people are not involved. And even if people have signals to keep up with the forecast and changing conditions, there is no single way to react. It wasn’t clear if the guides on the trip were aware of the avalanche warning, but they are trained to test the snow and assess conditions on the ground.

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Former Prince Andrew arrested andheldfor hours

BY DANICA KIRKA Associated Press

LONDON Theformer PrinceAndrew was arrested and held for hours by British police Thursday on suspicion of misconduct in public officerelated to hislinks to Jeffrey Epstein, an extraordinary move in acountry where authorities once sought to shield the royal family from embarrassment

It was the first time in nearly four centuries that aseniorBritish royal was placed under arrest, and it underscored how deference to the monarchy has eroded in recent years.

King Charles III, whose late mother lived by the motto “never complain, never explain,”took the unusual step of issuing astatement on the arrest of hisbrother, now known as Andrew MountbattenWindsor “Let me state clearly: the law must take its course,” the king said. “As this process continues,it would not be right for me to comment further on this matter.”

The Thames Valley Police force said Mountbatten-Windsor was released Thursday evening, about 11 hours after he was detained at his homeineastern England. He was photographed in acar leaving the station near the home on theroyal Sandringham Estate.

Police said he was released under investigation, meaning he has neither been charged nor exonerated.

The police force, which covers areas west of London, including Mountbatten-Windsor’sformer

home,saidThursday that aman in his60s from Norfolk had been arrested and was in custody.Police didnot identify the suspect, in line with standard procedures in Britain

Mountbatten-Windsor,66, moved to the king’sprivateestateinNorfolk after he was evicted from his longtime home near Windsor Castle earlier this month.

Police previously saidtheywere “assessing” reports that Mountbatten-Windsor sent tradeinformation to Epstein, awealthyinvestor and convictedsex offender,in2010, when the former prince was Britain’sspecial envoy for international trade.Correspondencebetween the two men was released by the U.S.JusticeDepartmentlate last month along with millions of pages of documents from the American investigationinto Epstein.

“Following athoroughassessment, we have now opened an investigation into thisallegation of misconduct in public office,” Assistant ChiefConstable Oliver Wright saidinastatement.

Twohomes searched

Police searched Andrew’sSandringham home, and his former residence at Royal Lodge in Windsor Earlier in the day,pictures circulated online that appeared to show unmarkedpolicecarsatWood Farm, Mountbatten-Windsor’s home on theSandringham Estate, with plainclothes officers gatheringoutside.

Mountbatten-Windsor hascon-

ASSOCIATED PRESS FILE PHOTO

Britain’sAndrewMountbattenWindsor,formerly known as Prince Andrew, wasarrested Thursdayon suspicion of misconduct in public office related to his links to Jeffrey Epstein.

sistently deniedany wrongdoing in his association with Epstein. Theallegationsbeinginvestigated Thursday are separatefrom those made by VirginiaGiuffre, whoclaimed she was trafficked to Britain to have sex withthe prince in 2001, when shewas just 17. Giuffre died by suicide last year Still, Giuffre’ssister-in-law

Amanda Roberts said that she was overjoyed when shegot aphone call at 3a.m. telling her thenews of the arrest. Butthose feelings of elation were quickly complicated by therealization that she couldn’t

share thefeelings of “vindication” with Giuffre.

“Wecan’t tell herhow much we love her,and that everything that she was doing is not in vain,” Roberts added tearfully

Sky Roberts, Giuffre’sbrother, added that he thinks his sister would be pushing formore accountability in both the United Kingdomand the United States based on thefiles.

“Weneedtounmask theco-conspirators and potential perpetrators. And then we need to see indictments,” Amanda Roberts said.

A‘spectacularfallfromgrace’

“This is the mostspectacular fall from grace for amember of theroyal family in modern times,” said Craig Prescott, aroyal expert at Royal Holloway,University of London, whocompared it in severity to the crisis sparked by Edward VIII’sabdication to marry American divorcee Wallis Simpson.

“Anditmay not be over yet,” Prescott added. Thursday’s arrest came aday afterthe National PoliceChiefs’ Councilsaidithad createda coordination group to assist forces across theU.K. that are assessing whether Epstein and his associates committed crimes in Britain.

In addition to the concerns about Mountbatten-Windsor’scorrespondence, documentsreleased by theU.S. suggest Epstein may have used his private jettotraffic women to and from Britain.

U.S. President Donald Trump said thearrest was“ashame” and

“very sad.”

“I think it’ssobad forthe royal family,” he told reporters in Washington.

Last royalarrestwas in 1640s

The last time aseniorBritish royalwas arrestedwas almost 400 years ago during the reign of King Charles Ithat saw agrowing power struggle between thecrown and Parliament.

After the king attempted to arrest lawmakers in the House of Commonsin1642, hostilities erupted into the English Civil War, which endedwith victoryfor the parliamentary forces of Oliver Cromwell. Charles Iwas arrested, tried, convicted of high treason and beheaded in 1649.

Modern concerns about Mountbatten-Windsor’slinks to Epstein have dogged the royal family for morethan adecade.

The late Queen Elizabeth II forced hersecond son to give up royal duties and end his charitable work in 2019 after he tried to explain away his friendship with Epstein duringa catastrophic interview with the BBC. But as concern mounted about what the Epstein files might reveal, the king moved aggressively to insulate the royal family from the fallout.

Since October,Charles has stripped hisyoungerbrother of the right to be calledprince, forced him to moveout of the royal estate he occupied for more than 20 years and issued apublic statementsupporting the women and girls abused by Epstein.

N.M. reopensinvestigation into Epstein’sformerZorro Ranch

BY SUSAN MONTOYABRYAN Associated Press

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. New Mexico’sattorney general has reopenedaninvestigation into allegations of illegal activity at Jeffrey Epstein ’s former Zorro Ranch.

Attorney GeneralRaúl Torrez’soffice made the announcement Thursday,saying the decision was made after reviewing information recently released by the U.S. Department of Justice.

Although New Mexico’s initial case was closed in 2019 at the request of federal prosecutors in New York, state prosecutors say now

that “revelationsoutlined in the previously sealed FBI files warrant furtherexamination.”

TheNew Mexico Department of Justicesaidspecial agentsand prosecutorsat the agency will be seeking immediate access to the complete, unredacted federal case file and intend to work withotherlaw enforcement partners as well as anew truthcommission establishedbystate lawmakers to lookintoactivities at theranch

While Epstein never faced charges in New Mexico, state prosecutors confirmed in 2019 that theyhad inter-

viewed possible victims who visited the ranch south of Santa Fe.Theynever elaborated on how manyaccuserswereinterviewed or what they say took place at theranch.

TheNew Mexico Department of Justice did not immediately respond to emailedquestions about whystate prosecutors were requested toclose the investigation in 2019 or whether there were specific allegations detailed within the recent filings that were released that promptedreopening the investigation.

On Tuesday,New Mexico’struth commission had

itsfirst meeting. The bipartisan, four-memberpanel of state Houserepresentativesischarged withinvestigating allegations that the ranch mayhave facilitated sexual abuseand sextrafficking.

New Mexico lawmakers alsosaid theywant to know whyEpstein was notregistered as asex offender after pleading guiltyin2008 to soliciting prostitution from an

underage girl and whether there wascorruption among public officials.

Epstein purchased the sprawling Zorro Ranch in New Mexico in 1993 from former Democratic Gov. Bruce King and built ahilltop mansion. Nearby wasa private airstrip with ahangar and helipad. The property also includedaranch office, afirehouse and aseven-bay heated garage.

The property was sold by Epstein’sestate in 2023 with proceedsgoing toward creditors —tothe family of Don Huffines, aRepublican running forstate comptrollerinTexas.Ina social media post on X, Huffines said theproperty hasbeen renamed San Rafael Ranch after asaint associated with healing andthathis family plans to operate aChristian retreat there.

By The Associated Press

MEXICO CITY The navies of El Salvadorand Mexico announced drug seizures in the Pacific Ocean this week of more than 10 tons of cocaine, in contrast to deadly strikes by the U.S. government that just this week left 11 people dead on three boats suspected of carrying drugs in Latin American waters.

The latest announcement came Thursday,when Mexico said it had seized nearly 4 tons of suspected drugs and detained three people from a semisubmersible craft, 250 nautical miles south of the

port ofManzanillo.

Mexican Security Secretary Omar García Harfuch said via Xthatthe seizure from the sleek, low-riding boat with three visiblemotors brought theweekly totalto nearly 10 tons,but he didnot providedetail on the other seizures.

Mexican authorities said theseizure was made with intelligence shared U.S. Northern Command and the U.S. Joint Interagency Task Force South. On Sunday,El Salvador’s navy announced the largest drug seizure in thecountry’shistory of 6.6 tonsof

cocaine.The navy hadintercepteda180-foot boat registered to Tanzania,380 milessouthwest of thecoast. Navydivers found 330 packages of cocaine hiddeninthe boat’sballast tanks. Tenmen were arrested from Colombia, Nicaragua, Panamaand Ecuador

The U.S. strikes this week included twovesselscarrying four people each in the eastern Pacific Ocean and anotherboatinthe Caribbean carrying three people The administration provided images of the boats being destroyed, but notevidence they were carrying drugs.

St.Martin Parish ordinances.

and spare homes and businesses in Lafayette from flooding.

Thefourmalfeasance chargesin the indictment arefor:

n Removing spoil banks alongthe VermilionRiver without aCorps of Engineerspermit in violationofthe federalCleanWaterAct.

n Instructing employees to do work in violation of theU.S. and stateconstitutions and laws by removing spoil banks without permission of the St. MartinParish flood plain administrator per two

n Removing spoilbanks along the Vermilion River withoutaU.S Army CorpsofEngineers permit in violation of the federal Rivers andHarbors Act.

PRESIDENT

Continued from page 1A

criticalrole.”

The semifinalists are:

n Hitesh Rai Kathuria, tenured professor and former provost and executive vice president for academic affairs at Empire State University in Saratoga Springs, NewYork

n Ramesh Kolluru, interim president of UL and former vice president of research, innovationand economic development

n Richard Ludwick, former president and current president emeritusofthe University of St. Thomas in Houston.

Howthe search committee selected those semifinalistsisa mystery because it met in execu-

JUDGE

Continued frompage1A

obtain astate “early learning center” license. He also said that Montessori schools must meet“rigorous” certification standards and public schools are “dually regulated” by thestate and local school boards.

As such, “Act 409 does not treat any comparable secular schoolmore favorably” than religious schools, wrote Doughty,who is chief U.S. district judge for the Western District of Louisiana and was nominated to the court by President Donald Trump.

The lawsuit was brought by The Dunham Schoolin Baton Rouge and Providence Classical Academy in Bossier City,along with acouple whose child attends Providence’spre-K program.

In court filings, the schools said they might have to increase tuition to pay for staffing,training and background checksassociated withthe new law, which the couple said would price them out of the school.

The plaintiffs had sought to stop enforcement of the law,which required private school pre-K programs to apply for statelicenses by Jan. 1. In December, Doughty declined to issue a preliminary injunction{/a}, calling schools’ concerns about compliance costs “speculative” and saying that schools could seek waivers fromsomeofthe new regulations. His latest ruling dismissed the entire lawsuit.

“Weare disappointed in the decision but remain confidentinthe strength of ourarguments,” said Sarah Harbison, general counsel at the Louisiana-based Peli-

tivesession for an hour and 15 minutes to discuss the candidates.

No board members made anycommentsabout thecandidates before voting to approve the semifinalists.

Gallot justified the executive sessionbyclaiming he had “additional information of apersonal nature regarding the candidates.”

Once thecommittee returned from executive session, Gallot said no votesweretaken and that the committee had a“thorough and thoughtfuldiscussion about the candidates.”

After the semifinalists are interviewed next week, the committee is expectedto determine alistof finalists that will be presented to thefullUniversity of Louisiana system at aspecialmeeting on Feb. 27.

The university has been withoutapermanent president since

can Institutefor Public Policy, one of two conservative advocacy groups representing the plaintiffs. The other is the Center for American Rights,anational nonprofit based in Chicago. Harbison saidthe plaintiffs are considering their next steps.

It’spossible that the Legislature will address some of the concerns that private schools have raisedabout Act 409. State lawmakers, including Baton Rouge Republican Sen. Rick Edmonds, who chairs the Senate Education Committee, have spoken with Catholic and privateschool leaders about possible changes to the law in thelegislative session that beginsin March, according to people familiar with the conversations

“Weare hopefulthatthe Legislaturewillrevisit this law in the upcomingsession in order to address the

n Intentionally causing barges to be placed across theVermilion River,anavigable waterway,and rendering movementonthe river more difficult, in violation of a statelaw:simple obstruction of a highway of commerce.

Guillory,onhis Facebook page, said Thursday evening he and his family are shocked that he was indicted “over afour-year-old drain-

July,when then-President Joseph Savoie abruptlystepped down. It has had two interim presidents, Jaimie Hebert,who hassince returned to his position as provost, andRamesh Kolluru, former vice president of research, innovation and economic development.

The other candidates who were considered but not selected as semifinalistsare:

n Wenbin Deng, dean at Sun Yat-senUniversity (Guangdong, China), distinguished professor of pharmacology n Robert Dodd, support team specialist of research compliance with theBiomedical ResearchAlliance of New York

n Pernell Goodwin, vice president of Copiah-Lincoln Community College’sNatchez Campus

n Chavonda Jacobs-Young, formerundersecretary and chief sci-

many concerns expressed by schools and the families they serve,” saidPelican Institute spokesperson SydneyPetiteinastatement

Thursday Act409 aimed to close agap in state lawthat allowed pre-K programs to be unlicensedifthey operated within schools.

The gapcame to light after aMetairie couple said during alegislative hearing last year that their daughterwas assaultedbyanother student at aprivate preschool that, at the time, did not need astate license. The school denies the allegations and says it complies with all state laws

StateSen. Regina Barrow D-Baton Rouge, introduced the legislation, which Gov Jeff Landry signedintolaw Act409 establishedsome standards that apply to all preschools, such as minimumstaffing levels,and required privatepre-Kpro-

age projectfrom which Imade no money and receivednopersonal benefit.”

Theindictment, he wrote, “is driven by politics, not the facts.”

Guillory alleges that, during drainage meetings, hisstaffwas informed that aCorps permit was not required, an opinion shared by “multiple decision-makers.”

Thework was conducted at night, he wrote, as part of “an ag-

entist for the U.S. Department of Agriculture

n Kristian Magar,vice president of health, safety and environment of Cactus Wellhead in Houston

n RobertNobles III, vice president for research administration forEmoryUniversity in Atlanta

n Evan Ortlieb,dean of thecollege of education andhumansciences at South Dakota State University in Brookings, SouthDakota

n Connie Veazey,clinical psychology program director and core faculty for the clinical psychology program at Fiedling Graduate UniversityinSanta Barbara,California

n Cortlan Wickliff, associate vice provost of academic affairs and strategic initiativesatRice University in Houston.

Thedecision to form asearch committee was made last year during aNov.13meeting that ad-

grams to become licensed.

Barrow has said that publicand Montessori schools were exempted from the licensing rulebecause they already are held to higher standards in certain areas, such as staff-to-student ratios.

The law caused an uproar among the roughly 250 privateschools with pre-K programs thatnow must comply with dozens of regulations previously reserved for standalone preschools and day cares.

Theschoolsmust undergo state Fire Marshal and Health Department inspections, assign employees to monitor all schoolvisitors and keep pre-K students separate from older children at recess, among other rules

gressive drainage plan” where “projects ran around the clock because flooding does not wait for daylight.”

Guillory said he did not instruct anyone to break the law

“I forgive those involved. Ihold no bitterness,” he wrote. “The truth comes out in time.”

Contact Cliare Taylor at ctaylor@theadvocate.com.

dressed speculation the UL system board would forgo asearch andinstall apresident at the university without any input from faculty, stafforstudents. Professors and the public pushed back against initial plans to installKolluru intothe job without asearch

The next president of UL will be taskedwith tackling the school’s financial struggles. Financialconcernscametolight last year after UL’s Vice President of Finance and Administration Jerry Luke LeBlanc resigned abruptly in May, and Savoie stepped downinJuly before his contract wasup. After being named interim president, Hebert announced job eliminations and other cost-cutting measurestotry to make up fora $25 million deficit

In court filings, The DunhamSchool saiditwill cost $600,000 to comply with the law. Schoolsthat fail to obtain licenses can be fined $1,000 perday

“Classroomswill close, childrenwill be forced out of school, and parents will be left stranded without child careduring working hours,” the lawsuit said.

Stateofficials saythey’re trying to ease the burden on private preschools, most of which are religiously affiliated

Thestate Department of Education granted some schools waivers giving them an extra year to meet the new staffingrequirements, the state DepartmentofHealth is waiting to conductnew inspections and schools could apply

for pre-K licensesinJanuary even if their programs weren’tyet up to code. Roger Williams, the Metairie parent who withhis wife testified abouttheir daughter’salleged assault at aprivate preschool,said Thursday that he is gratefulfor thejudge’s ruling He saidthe lawismeant to help prevent the nearly 170 instances of child-on-child abuseinschool settings that have been reported since August, according to state data

“Weare cautiously optimistic that the Legislature will recognize the importance of theseprotections in the upcoming session,” he said in astatement, “and continue prioritizing the safety of ourkids while theyare at school.”

BRIEFS

FROM STAFF AND WIRE REPORTS

Walmart has another impressive quarter

NEW YORK Walmart delivered another impressive quarter as the promise of lower prices and speedy deliveries attracted a broader spectrum of Americans from cash-strapped to wealthier households during the critical holiday shopping period

The subdued outlook, offered Thursday, from the Bentonville, Arkansas, company, however, hinted at a volatile economic environment ahead.

“Given that we are as large as we are and so tied to consumer health and the economy, we want to maintain maximum flexibility and not get out ahead of ourselves at this point in the year, ” Walmart’s chief financial officer John David Rainey told investors. He cited subdued consumer sentiment, a fragile job market and student loan delinquencies among other issues it’s monitoring.

For the first time, Walmart recorded annual sales that were lower than Amazon, dethroning the discounter from its status as the nation’s largest company by revenue, according to Fortune. For the full year, Walmart’s sales reached $713.2 billion, while Amazon earlier this month delivered net sales of $716.9 billion, helped by its surging cloud service unit, advertising and massive e-commerce business.

Walmart’s biggest gains in market share came from households with annual income over $100,000. That has happened as lower-income shoppers have become more restrained, reflecting what economists call a Kshaped economy phenomenon

Long-term mortgage rate dips to 6.01%

The average long-term U.S mortgage rate slipped this week to its lowest level in more than three years, but remains around 6% in the same narrow range it has been in this year

The benchmark 30-year fixed rate mortgage rate fell to 6.01% from 6.09% last week, mortgage buyer Freddie Mac said Thursday One year ago, the rate averaged 6.85%.

The modest pullback brings the average rate to its lowest level since Sept 8, 2022, when it was 5.89%. Mortgage rates have been trending lower for months, helping drive a pickup in home sales the last four months of 2025, but not enough to lift the housing market out of its slump dating back to 2022.

A seasonally adjusted index of pending U.S. home sales fell 0.8% in January from the previous month, the National Association of Realtors said Thursday

Pending home sales fell 0.4% from January last year

A sharp run-up in home prices, especially in the early years of this decade, and a chronic shortage of homes nationally worsened by years of below-average home construction have left many aspiring homeowners priced out of the market.

World of Warcraft to partner with Zillow

Scrolling through Zillow window shopping homes you can’t afford is a mixed bag. It’s nice to dream, but it can be a tough reminder of your pocketbook

Or you could just scroll Zillow on World of Warcraft.

The more than 20-year-old multiplayer online game has teamed up with Zillow to create a new “microsite” where players can browse and display their virtual homes Zillow style.

In “Zillow for Warcraft,” players can click through assorted designs for in-game housing

The homes are presented like virtual tours for real-life listings on Zillow

You can pick a neighborhood in the mythical land Azeroth and take a peek at 3D animated homes like the “Rugged and Rustic” or “Silvermoon Chic” via floor plans, real estate photos and virtual tours.

Player housing is a feature of World of Warcraft’s newest paid expansion, “Midnight,” which goes live March 2.

U.S. trade deficit declined in 2025

But gap for goods hits record despite tariffs

BY PAUL WISEMAN AP economics writer

WASHINGTON The U.S. trade

deficit slipped modestly in 2025, a year in which President Donald Trump upended global commerce by slapping double digit tariffs on imports from most countries. But the gap in the trade of goods such as machinery and aircraft the main focus of Trump’s protectionist policies hit a record last year despite sweeping import taxes.

Overall, the gap the between the goods and services the U.S. sells other countries and what it

buys from them narrowed to just over $901 billion, from $904 billion in 2024, but it was still the thirdhighest on record, the Commerce Department reported Thursday Exports rose 6% last year, and imports rose nearly 5%. And the U.S. deficit in the trade of goods widened 2% to a record $1.24 trillion last year as American companies boosted imports of computer chips and other tech goods from Taiwan to support massive investments in artificial intelligence.

Amid continuing tensions with Beijing, the deficit in the goods trade with China plunged nearly 32% to $202 billion in 2025 on a sharp drop in both exports to and imports from the world’s second-

biggest economy But trade was diverted away from China. The goods gap with Taiwan doubled to $147 billion and shot up 44%, to $178 billion, with Vietnam.

Economist Chad Bown, senior fellow at the Peterson Institute for International Economics, said the widening gaps with Taiwan and Vietnam might put a “bull’s-eye” on them this year if Trump focuses more on the lopsided trade numbers and less on the U.S. rivalry with China.

In 2025, U.S. goods imports from Mexico outpaced exports by nearly $197 billion, up from a 2024 gap of $172 billion But the goods deficit with Canada shrank by 26% to $46 billion. The United States this year is negotiating a renewal of a

pact Trump reached with those two countries in his first term.

The U.S. ran a bigger surplus in the trade of services such as banking and tourism last year — $339 billion, up from $312 billion in 2024. The trade gap surged from January-March as U.S. companies tried to import foreign goods ahead of Trump’s taxes, then narrowed most of the rest of the year

Trump’s tariffs are a tax paid by U.S. importers and often passed along to their customers as higher prices. But they haven’t had as much impact on inflation as economists originally expected. Trump argues that the tariffs will protect U.S. industries, bringing manufacturing back to America and raise money for the U.S. Treasury

Tariffs paid by mid-size U.S. firms tripled

JPMorganChase Institute study examines new taxes on imports last year

BY JOSH BOAK Associated Press

WASHINGTON — Tariffs paid by mid-size U.S. businesses tripled over the course of past year, new research tied to one of America’s leading banks showed on Thursday — more evidence that President Donald Trump‘s push to charge higher taxes on imports is causing economic disruption.

The additional taxes have meant that companies that employ a combined 48 million people in the U.S. — the kinds of businesses that Trump had promised to revive — have had to find ways to absorb the new expense, by passing it along to customers in the form of higher prices, employing fewer workers or accepting lower profits.

“That’s a big change in their cost of doing business,” said Chi Mac, business research director of the JPMorganChase Institute, which published the analysis Thursday “We also see some indications that they may be shifting away from transacting with China and maybe toward some other regions in Asia.”

The research does not say how the additional costs are flowing through the economy, but it indicates that tariffs are being paid by U.S. companies. The study is part of a growing body of economic analyses that counter the administration’s claims that foreigners pay the tariffs

The JPMorganChase Institute report used payments data to look at businesses that might lack the pricing power of large multinational companies to offset tariffs, but may be small enough to quickly change supply chains to minimize exposure to the tax increases. The companies tended to have revenues between $10 million and $1 billion with fewer than 500 employees, a category known as “middle market.”

The analysis suggests that the Trump administration’s goal of becoming less directly reliant on Chinese manufacturers has been occurring Payments to China by these companies were 20% below their October 2024 levels, but it’s unclear whether that means China is simply routing its goods through other countries or if supply chains have moved.

The authors of the analysis emphasized in an interview that companies are still adjusting to the tariffs and said they plan to continue studying the issue.

The White House did not respond to questions about the analysis, which showed that U.S. companies are paying tariffs that the

ASSOCIATED PRESS FILE PHOTO By

A crane operator loads a container onto a ship on Oct. 15 at the Gloucester Marine Terminal in Gloucester City, N.J. Tariffs paid by mid-size U.S businesses tripled over the course of past year, new research showed Thursday.

president had previously claimed would be paid by foreign entities.

But Trump defended his tariffs during a trip to Georgia on Thursday while touring Coosa Steel, a company involved in steel processing and distribution. The president said he couldn’t believe the Supreme Court would soon decide on the legality of some of his tariffs, given his belief that the taxes were helping U.S. manufacturers.

“The tariffs are the greatest thing to happen to this country,” Trump said.

The president imposed a series of tariffs last year for the ostensible goal of reducing the U.S. trade imbalance with other countries, so that America was not longer importing more than it exports. But trade data published Thursday by the Census Bureau showed that the trade deficit climbed last year by $25.5 billion to $1.24 trillion. The president on Wednesday posted on social media that he expected there would be a trade surplus “during this year.”

The Trump administration has been adamant that the tariffs are a boon for the economy, businesses, and workers. Kevin Hassett, director of the White House National Economic Council, lashed out on Wednesday at research by the New York Federal Reserve showing that nearly 90% of the burden for Trump’s tariffs fell on U.S. companies and consumers.

“The paper is an embarrassment,” Hassett told CNBC. “It’s, I think, the worst paper I’ve ever seen in the history of the Federal Reserve system. The people associated with this paper should presumably be disciplined.”

Trump increased the average tariff rate to 13% from 2.6% last year, according to the New York Fed researchers. He declared that tariffs on some items such as steel, kitchen cabinets and bathroom vanities were in the national security interest of the country He also declared an economic emergency to bypass Congress and impose a baseline tax on goods from much of the world in April 2025 at an event he called “Liberation Day.”

The high rates provoked a financial market panic, prompting Trump to walk back his rates and then engage in talks with multiple countries that led to a set of new trade frameworks. The Supreme Court is expected to rule soon on whether Trump surpassed his legal authority by declaring an economic emergency

Trump was elected in 2024 on his promise to tame inflation, but his tariffs have contributed to voter frustration over affordability While inflation has not spiked during Trump’s term thus far, hiring slowed sharply and a team of academic economists estimate that consumer prices were roughly 0.8 percentage points higher than they would otherwise be.

Civil rights agency sues Coca-Cola distributor

EEOC claims sex discrimination over men being excluded from casino work trip

BY CLAIRE SAVAGE and ALEXANDRA OLSON AP business writers

The U.S. federal agency that enforces workplace civil rights is suing a regional Coca-Cola bottler for sex discrimination, alleging the company discriminated against male employees by only inviting women to a company-sponsored networking event. The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission filed the lawsuit on behalf of a male employee of Coca-Cola Beverages Northeast who complained about a two-day networking trip for about 250 women in September 2024 at

the Mohegan Sun casino resort in Connecticut. The lawsuit alleged that the Bedford, New Hampshirebased company violated Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 by excluding male employees from the event.

The lawsuit, filed Tuesday in New Hampshire district court, challenges the sort of diversity programming the EEOC has aggressively targeted since President Donald Trump overhauled the agency, which was created by Congress under the Civil Rights Act. It comes just two weeks after the EEOC revealed that it is investigating sportswear giant Nike for allegedly discriminating against White employees through its diversity policies.

“Excluding men from an employer-sponsored event is a Title VII violation that the EEOC will act to remedy through litigation when necessary,” acting EEOC general counsel Catherine L. Esch-

bach said in statement Wednesday announcing the lawsuit against Coca-Cola Northeast.

The EEOC said in court documents that it filed the lawsuit after failing to reach a conciliation agreement with Coca-Cola Beverage Northeast, an independent Coca-Cola bottler that serves New England and upstate New York.

But in a statement sent to The Associated Press, Cola-Cola Northeast said it “finds it disappointing that the EEOC did not conduct a full investigation and we look forward to having our day in open court when we can tell the full story and expect to be vindicated.” The company declined to comment on the details of the lawsuit.

In a LinkedIn post, Coca-Cola Northeast celebrated what it called its “first in-person Women’s Forum” attended by 250 female associates, describing it as a “networking reception and event.”

Speakers talked about navigating a male-dominated industry, balancing work and personal life, and other topics, according to the post. The EEOC’s lawsuit said the company paid for lodging, meals and other benefits for attendees and paid them their salaries while excusing them from regular work duties The agency is seeking monetary compensation for a class of men who were excluded, saying they suffered not only financial losses but “emotional pain, suffering, inconvenience, mental anguish.”

In its news release, the EEOC directed the public to its fact sheet on DEI-related discrimination, a document that takes aim at practices such as training employee resource groups and fellowship programs. It stops short of declaring any one practice illegal, but warns they could veer into discrimination depending on how they are constructed.

Trump, Iran signaltheyare readyfor war

Presidentwarns of ‘bad things’ifdeal isn’treached on nuclearprogram

BY JON GAMBRELL Associated Press

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates Iran held annual military drills with Russia on Thursday as asecond American aircraft carrier drew closer to the Middle East, with both the United States and Iran signaling they are prepared for war if talks on Tehran’s nuclear program fizzle out.

President Donald Trumpsaid Thursday he believes 10 to 15 days is “enough time” for Iran toreach adeal. But the talks have been deadlocked for years, and Iran has refused to discuss widerU.S. and Israeli demands that it scale back its missile program and sever ties to armed groups. Indirect talks held in recent weeks made little visible progress, and oneorboth sides could be buying time for final warpreparations

Iran’stheocracy is more vulnerable than ever following 12 daysof Israeli and U.S. strikesonits nuclear sites and military lastyear, as well as mass protests in January that were violently suppressed In aletter to the U.N. Security Council on Thursday,Amir Saeid Iravani,the Iranian ambassador to the U.N., said thatwhile Iran does not seek “tension or war and will not initiate awar,” any U.S. aggression will be respondedto “decisively and proportionately.”

“In such circumstances,all bases, facilities,and assets of the hostile force in the region would constitute legitimate targetsin

thecontext of Iran’sdefensive response,” Iravani said.

Earlierthisweek, Iranconducted adrill that involved live fire in the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow opening of the Persian Gulf through which afifth of theworld’s traded oil passes.

Tensions are also rising inside Iran, as mourners hold ceremonies honoring slainprotesters 40 days aftertheirkilling by security forces. Some gatherings have seen anti-government chantsdespite threats from authorities.

Themovementsofadditional American warships and airplanes, withthe USS Gerald R. Ford aircraft carrier near the mouth of the MediterraneanSea, don’tguarantee aU.S. strikeonIran— but they bolster Trump’sability to carry out

one should he choose to do so.

He has so far held off on striking Iran after setting red lines over the killing of peacefulprotesters andmass executions, while reengaging in nuclear talks that were disrupted by thewar in June.

Iranhas agreedtodrawupa writtenproposaltoaddressU.S concerns raised during this week’s indirect nuclear talks in Geneva, according to asenior U.S. official whowas not authorized to comment publicly and spoke on the condition of anonymity

The official said top national security officials gathered Wednesday to discussIran, and were briefed that the “full forces” needed to carry outpotential military action are expected to be in place by mid-March. The official did not

provide atimeline for when Iran is expected to deliverits written response.

“It’sproventobe, over theyears, noteasytomakeameaningful deal with Iran, and we have to makea meaningfuldeal. Otherwise, bad things happen,” Trump said Thursday With theU.S. military presence in the region mounting, one senior regional government official said he hasstressed to Iranian officials in private conversations that Trump has proventhathis rhetoric should be taken at face value and that he’sseriousabout his threat to carry out astrike if Irandoesn’toffer adequate concessions.

The official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss delicatediplomatic conversations,

said he hasadvisedthe Iranians to look to how Trump has dealt withother international issues and draw lessons on how it should moveforward.

The official added that he’smade to case to theTrump administration that it could draw concessions from Iran in the near-term if it focuses on nuclear issues and leaves the push on Tehran to scale back its ballistic missile program and support forproxy group forlater

The official also said that Trump ordering alimited strike aimed at pressuring Iran could backfire andlead to Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei withdrawing Iran from the talks.

Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk urgedhis nation’scitizens to immediately leave Iran as “within afew,adozen, or even afew dozen hours, the possibility of evacuation will be out of the question.” He did notelaborate,and the Polish Embassy in Tehran did not appear to be drawing downits staff.

The German militarysaidthatit hadmoved “a mid-two digit number of non-mission criticalpersonnel” out of abase in northern Iraq because of the current situation in theregionand in line with itspartners’ actions. It saidthat sometroops remain to help keep themultinational camprunning in Irbil, where theytrain Iraqi forces.

“Thisweek, another 50 U.S. combat aircraft —F-35s, F-22s, and F16s —wereordered to the region, supplementing the hundreds deployed to bases in the Arab Gulf states,”the NewYork-based Soufan Center think tank wrote. “The deployments reinforce Trump’s threat —restated on anearly daily basis —toproceed with amajor airand missile campaign on the regimeiftalks fail.”

nance &Management. (Finance) COMMENT(S)FROMTHE PUBLIC 17.Commentsfromthe publiconany othermat‐ter(s)not on

and arewithinthe leg‐islativepower of

ADJOURN IN ACCORDANCE WITH LA. R.S. 42:14(E)ASEN‐ACTED BY ACTNO. 393 OF 2023 ANDTHE AMERI‐CANSWITHDISABILITIES ACT,PLEASECONTACT JOSEPHGORDON-WILTZ, COUNCIL CLERK, AT (337) 291-8810 DESCRIBING THE ASSISTANCE THAT IS NECESSARY,IFSPECIAL ASSISTANCE AND/OR AC‐COMMODATIONSARE NEEDED 177849-FEB20-1T $63.71

fortbemadetocomplete individualtestimony as quickly as possible.Oral testimony maybesup‐plemented by presenting written statements and commentstothe Com‐mitteebymailingthe samepostmarkedwithin ten (10) calendar days following thehearing to the aboveaddress. If you haveany questions, pleasecontact Ms.Joyce Anthony,Departmentof Transportationand De‐velopment,phone (225) 379-3038. GlennLedet,Jr. Secretary 177837-FEB20-1T $57.06 p only fromcontractors whoare licensed by the LouisianaState Licensing Boardfor Contractorsfor theclassification of Building Construction.No bidmay be withdrawn fora period of forty-five (45) days afterreceipt of bids,exceptunder the provisions of La.R.S 38:2214. AMandatory Pre-Bid Conference will be held at theLafayette Elemen‐tary School at 10:00 a.m. CST, February 25th, 2026. Emailquestions to hugh@mbsbgroup.com before noon CST, March 4th, 2026. Theowner reserved the righttorejectany andall bids forjustcause Actual construction at thefacilitycannotbegin until thelastday of school May21, 2026. Ac‐commodationswillbe made formaterialstor‐ageand staging. TheLafayette Parish School System strongly encourages thepartici‐pation of minority busi‐ness enterprisesinall contractsorprocure‐mentslet by theBoard forgoodsand services To that end, allcontrac‐tors andsuppliers are encouraged to utilizemi‐nority business enter‐prises in thepurchaseor sub-contractingofmate‐rials, supplies, andser‐vicesinwhich minority ownedbusinessesare available. LAFAYETTE PARISH SCHOOL SYSTEM KristieSam,Purchasing Agent Advertisingdates:Febru‐ary6th,2026 February 13th, 2026 February 20th, 2026 176494-feb6-13-20-3t $135.81 y

An ordi‐nance of theLafayette CityCouncil amending the FY 25/26 operating budgetofthe Lafayette City-Parish Consolidated Governmentbyincreas‐ing revenuesinthe amount of $153,500re‐ceivedfromLouisiana Highway Safety Commis‐sionand appropriating withinthe Lafayette Po‐liceDepartment. (Police) 9. CO-013-2026 An ordi‐nance of theLafayette CityCouncil amending the Lafayette Develop‐mentCode andthe Offi‐cialMap of theCityof Lafayette,providing for the de-annexationof landwithinthe corporate limitsofthe City of Lafayette,Louisiana generally locatedsouth‐westerlyofthe 600 Block ofMosserDrive,south‐easterlyofthe 100 Block ofRyder Drive, andadja‐centtoLot 372-Aofthe Holiday GardensDevel‐opmentNo. 3Subdivision (District 4).(CD&P) JOINTORDINANCESFOR FINAL ADOPTION 10.JO-004-2026 Ajoint or‐dinance of theLafayette CityCouncil andthe Lafayette Parish Council adoptinganupdate of the official drainage map ofLafayette City-Parish ConsolidatedGovern‐mentand of the Lafayette Parish DrainageDistrictestab‐lishedbyOrdinance No O-289-2001. (Drainage) 11.JO-005-2026 Ajoint or‐dinance of theLafayette CityCouncil andthe Lafayette Parish Council amendingChapter 97 of the Lafayette City-Parish ConsolidatedGovern‐mentCode of Ordinances byamendingSection 9731“Liabilityfor costs whenLCPGdoeswork; collection” andSection 97-36 “Abatement time periods fortallgrass vio‐lations”along with other ancillary amendments (CD&P)

provement Program for FiscalYear2026 and2027 All interested persons are invitedtobepresent

ceived. However,

personsdesiringto

portunity

requested

12.JO-006-2026 Ajoint or‐dinance of theLafayette CityCouncil andthe Lafayette Parish Council amendingthe 12 25/26 operating budget of the Lafayette City-Parish ConsolidatedGovern‐mentbyincreasingthe use of fund balanceand appropriatingwithinthe Promotion CostsAccount ofthe Community Devel‐opmentand Planning De‐partment, Compliance Divisiontoallowfor the promotion of theCompli‐anceSupervisor. (CD&P) INTRODUCTORY ORDI‐NANCES

13.CO-014-2026Anordi‐nance of theLafayette CityCouncil authorizing the Lafayette City-Parish ConsolidatedGovern‐menttosellatpublic auction surplusvehicles and equipmentwhich are nolongerneeded for publicpurposes, as per the attached list (Public Auction). (Finance) 14.CO-015-2026Anordi‐nance of theLafayette CityCouncil authorizing the Lafayette MayorPresident to enterinto a CooperativeEndeavor Agreement andAct

Lawsuit filedby librarian granted newlife

La.Supreme Court rulesdefamation claimcan proceed

BY CLAIRE TAYLOR Staff writer

TheLouisiana SupremeCourt has ruled unanimouslythata librarian’sdefamation lawsuit against Michael Lunsford and Lafayette-based Citizens for a New Louisiana may proceed.

The court ruled Feb. 10 in favor of Amanda Jones, aLivingston Parish middle schoollibrarian who spoke against censorship by public library board members at aJuly 19, 2022, meeting. Afew days after that meeting, Citizens’ executive director, Lunsford, allegedly questioned on the group’s Facebook page why Jones “is fighting so hard to keep sexually erotic andpornographic materials in thekids section” of the publiclibrary and whatshe might be allowing kindergarten students at her school to view, according to the lawsuit Lunsford allegedly posted other claims against Jones,suggesting she supports disseminatingpornographic materials to elementary school children.

The allegations, the lawsuit states, injured Jones’ personal andprofessional reputation. Jones asked for $1 in damages andanapology

Judge Erika Sledge,of the 21st Judicial DistrictCourt, dismissed the lawsuit on Oct. 11, 2022, saying Jones was alimited public figure andLunsford’s comments were opinions.

Sledge denied Jones’ request for anew trial in December 2022. The parties entered into a stipulation regardingattorney fees and costs, and afinal judgment was signed by the court on March 2, 2023.

METRO

THROW IT BACK

BY JA’KORIMADISON Staff writer

The highs of catching beads andthrows during Mardi Gras can be extremely fun, but those treasures often pile up after parades.

For anyone looking to dispose of theirthrows andbeads, two local organizations —LARC Inc. andThe Arc of Acadiana —offer asolution. By donating beads, residentscan support agood cause and help provide jobs for individuals with intellectual anddevelopmental disabilities

Beadscan be dropped off at LARC’s Beads-n-More Store locatedatLARC’s Acadian Village, 200 Greenleaf Drive in Lafayette

For morethan 50 years, LARC Inc. hasworked with people with developmental disabilities andtheir families. Through thebead store, individuals employed by LARC sanitize the beads, sort thembysize and bundle them into adozen of the same size and length. The beads arethen bagged for resale.

Similar in purpose, theArc of Acadiana alsohosts an annual

bead drive to collect used Mardi Gras beadstorestock inventory. Unused or gently usedbeads can be dropped off at Moncus Park’sconvenient collection bins near thepark’sentrance roundabout. This initiative brings together Keep Lafayette Beautiful and The Arc of Acadiana, whichleadsthe recycling effort to reduceparade waste and protect the environment. The ArcofAcadiana receives

the collected beads and employs individuals with disabilities to detangle, sort and repackage them for future parades.

“Your simple bead donation makes abig difference forour communityand environment,” Moncus Park officials said in a statement.

Email Ja’kori Madisonat jakori.madison@theadvocate. com.

BY JOANNA BROWN Staff writer

As the revelry of Mardi Gras gives way to the reflection and sacrificeofthe Lenten season, there’snoneed for Acadianaresidents to give up flavor —orthe favorite community practice of gathering for meals Catholics areasked to abstain from eating meat on Fridays during Lent, but fish and shellfish are permitted, making this the

cial season of crawfish boils and fish fries across Louisiana. Starting Friday,anumber of Catholic churches and Knights of Columbus councils acrossthe region are hostingfish fries, opening their halls to community members looking for

often with coleslaw,potatosalad andaroll —all for around $10 to $15 aplate.

BY JOHN POPE Contributing

STAFF FILE PHOTO Funeral services forNorman C. Francis,longtime president of Xavier University in NewOrleans, will be March2-3

The Most Rev.Curtis Guillory,a former bishop of Beaumont,Texas, will deliver opening and closing remarks, and aprogram will begin at 5p.m. AMass will be said at 10 a.m. on March 3atSt. LouisCathedral after visitation there from 8a.m.to 9:30 a.m. Cardinal Wilton Gregory aformer archbishopofWashington, D.C., will be the principal celebrant. In the half-hour before the service, the rosary will be said, and people will offer remarks about Francis. Burial will be in St. Louis Cemetery No. 3, 3421 Esplanade Ave. D.W. Rhodes Funeral Homeisin charge of arrangements. Francis, who became aforce at city,state and national levels, died Wednesday.Hewas 94. Funeral services planned forNormanFrancis Programtobeheld at Xavier with Mass at cathedral

La., Brazil have long ties worthstrengthening

In 1962, Walt Disney’sWonderful World of Color introduced children acrossthe United States to Mardi Gras in New Orleans and Carnaval in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. In the episode, Donald Duck and the Brazilian parrot José Carioca workasnews correspondents to highlight the parallels between the two celebrations. The linkages between Brazil and New Orleans run much deeper than simply both celebrating the preLenten festivities. In 2022, New Orleans and Rio de Janeiro renewedtheir over 30-year-old sister city partnership. From trade to immigration, Louisiana and Brazil are tied together.Leaning into the linkages between Louisiana and Brazil would benefit the state.

Brazil’sand Louisiana’seconomiesshare many parallels and

are deeply connected. Both Braziland Louisiana are important oiland sugarproducers. However,rather than this sparking fierce competition, trade between Louisiana and Brazilremains important. According to the World Trade Center, Brazilis Louisiana’sthirdlargest import partner and ninth-largest export partner.This compares to Brazilas the 16th-largest trading partner for the United States as awhole. These economicties have been strengthened by educational ties between the state andBrazil. Tulane University launched its Portuguese language program in 1947 —amove that offered the necessary language skills to engage withthe South American nation —and continues to offer multiple courses on Brazilian politics and culture.

Louisiana’sconnections to Brazilgobeyond just trade. In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, alarge number of Brazilians flowed intoNew Orleans to supportthe city’sreconstruction efforts.

Buoyed by thesuspension of work visa requirements, Brazilian construction workers made theirway to New Orleans, with many staying to form partofthe city’scultural fabric. According to theMigration Policy Institute, approximately 5,404 Brazilians resided in Louisiana in 2023.

Traditionally,ties between the United States and Brazil have been close. While the two countries have had theirdifferences in thepast, Brazilhas often been an ally to the United States. In fact, Brazil even senttroopsto fight in theEuropean Theatre during WorldWar II and was named aMajor non-NATO Ally in 2019 —bythe first Trump admin-

istration Despite these ties, tensions between the two countries have flared at various times. Last year,President Donald Trump levied high tariffs on Brazil over thetrial of former Brazilian President JairBolsonaro —who earned the nickname the “Trump of the Tropics” —for his role in supporting an insurrection in 2023.

Additionally,concerns over Brazil’sinvolvement in BRICS and Brazilian President Luiz Inácio “Lula” da Silva’smuted response regarding the situation in Venezuela have been thorns in thebilateral relationship. The impactsofthese tensions have impacted Louisiana directly.

High tariffs on the South American nation challengedthe local economy,particularly coffee importers, an important and historicimport forNew Orleans.

Residents, Congress must remain vigilant when it comestoEPA cuts

Americans were rightly alarmed aboutthe effects of last year’sfederal governmentshutdown. Homeowners couldn’taccess thefederal FloodInsurance Program, federal disaster assistance wasslowedand some families went without SNAP payments Butfailing to pass abudget isn’t theonlyway to shut down afederal agency.There are still people in Washingtonwho want toshut down parts of thegovernmentthat protect us— this time permanently The threat is especiallysevere at the Environmental Protection Agency,where political appointees areworkingtoerase the protections that keep our families safe fromtoxic chemicals likelead, arsenic and mercury.They are systematicallydismantlingEPA fromthe inside out, program by program, week after week.

EPA’sOffice of Research and Development,which is critical to understanding and addressing threatstohuman health.

Given the political, diasporic andeconomictiesbetween Louisiana andBrazil, there are important opportunitiestoexpand trade,educational exchanges and people-to-people connections. These tiescould strengthen the state andpositionLouisiana to excel at atime of growing interestinnearshoring.

However,asTrump’stariffs highlighted this past year,navigating the complex relationship between these two American giants hasalways been challenging andwill require local leaders from civil society, companies and government —tounderstand the importanceofthis relationship andits geopolitical role in order to crafta path together

AdamRatzlaff is the founder and CEO of Pan-American StrategicAdvisors and a member of DiplomaticCourier’s Worldin2050 Brain Trust

Olderfolks show us thekeysto long,happy life

Longevity is ahot topic. “60 Minutes” recently aired an episode outlining amedical shiftfrom reactive care for geriatric patients to aproactive approach focused on preventing decline and strengthening those whoare poised to live longer than ever before. As abiographer whotraverses the state interviewing folks 75 or older,I’ve spent hours listening to their lifetime of memories. Through getting to know morethan 20 advanced aging individuals (those ranging from age 90 to 105), I’ve learned athing or twoabout longevity.Some of their tips and tricks could help all of us.

Aline’sclaim to longevity wasdancing. When Imet this spunky 103-year-old, she looked like she was ready foranight on the town—complete with red-lip-sticked lips and abrightly colored blouse —yet she was staying in her assisted living facility in abayou-side community.Aline said that dancing “kept her young.” Studies agree, showing that the activity can contribute to better health and thus longevity

With David, a95-year-old World WarIIveteran, professor and father of seven, the secret wasapositive attitude. David always had asmile on his face and atwinkle in his blue eyes. He madelongevity look desirable.

Thankfully,these plans have met resistance. But Administrator Lee Zeldin and his political appointees at EPAshow no signs of slowing down, even after Congress has rejected manyoftheir proposalsona resounding and bipartisan basis. ForushereinLouisiana, where cleanwaterand air are urgentpriorities, it’stime to be vigilant, because ourhealth andsafety are at stake.

How is the current EPAleadership workingtounravelprotections for human health? To cite just one example of the stakes: ThousandsofLouisianans in the last few months have received lettersnotifying them they may receive their drinking waterthrough lead pipes, which create risks of lead exposure, causing learning disabilities and other health harms.

There is no way to replace these pipes,inLouisiana or across the nation, withoutfederalfunding.But last year,the EPAproposed abudget that eliminated allfunding from aprogram to help communities and families replacelead pipes.

This was part of an overall budget planthatslashed EPAfunding by more than half, including huge reductions forfunding that helps Louisiana andotherstates provide safedrinking water and theeliminationof

The good news is that Congress didn’tgoalong. The EPAbudget Congress approved in January includes somedifficult cuts, but it rejected the massive, damaging reductions EPA’sleaders tried to impose. Normally,you would expect an administration to learnfrom such overreaching and start protectingAmericans’ health. But this administration may need arefresher Already, EPA’spolitical leaders are rushing to roll back limits on so-called “forever chemicals,” which have been linked to reproductive problemsand cancer,and which are of particular concern in Louisiana. EPAisalsoplanning to roll back rules that require industrial facilities to plan for theprevention and response of accidentslike the August explosion of aplant in Roseland. So, Congress’ rejection of massive EPAbudget cuts is only part of the story. Congress and the American people need to keep sending themessage toEPA’s political leadership that we want to keep our clean air and clean water watchdog on guardtoprevent toxic pollution and to hold polluters accountable.

This isn’tabout partisan politics —Republicans and Democrats alike need clean air to breathe and clean water to drink. There can be reasonable disagreement about how strict environmental regulations should be, but surely we can agree that when laws are on the books, there should be acop on the beat to enforce them It is important that Congress puts our healthand safetyfirst, continues to reject massive cuts to the EPAbudget and rejects EPA’sother attempts to roll back protections for our health and safety. If theydon’t step up, then the EPAwill step back, and Americans will be on their own when facing toxic pollution.

RobVerchick holds the Gauthier-St.Martin Chair in Environmental Law at Loyola UniversityNew Orleans

He said his longevity may be due to his perspective: He always sees the glass as halffull. Science backs his supposition, as studies show that optimists tend to live longer than pessimists.

For 105-year-old Myrle, it wasfocusing on the future. In acharming Southern accent, she declared, “I live forthe future and don’tdwell on the past. The past is in the past.” Even when her health madegetting out of her house difficult, she still looked forward to tomorrow’svisit with her son or her next vanilla ice cream cone. Apositive outlook boosts longevity

So does an attitude of thankfulness, like Ifound with 93-year-old Sallie. She always had something to be grateful for: apicked wildflower,the ability to take long walks, a library book, anew great-grandbaby

“I’m so blessed,” she said, over and over.Even after suffering astroke, she proclaimed, “I’m thankful foranother day!”

Father Floyd, a97-year-old priest, said his key to longevity waslove.

“Love, that’sall there is to being apriest,” he said. “That’s all there is to being aperson, too.”

Father Floyd rarely had to harbor negative emotions. Numerous studies have suggested that embracing positive emotions and having Floyd’sinner peace may contribute to living longer

While none of us are guaranteed tomorrow,much less 90 years like Sallie or David or Father Floyd, or 100 years like Dick VanDyke or Aline or Myrle. Regardless, we can still learn from these wise, older folks.

But implementing these tips and tricks forlongevity Aline’sdancing, David’spositive outlook, Myrle’sfuture focus, Sallie’sgratitude and Father Floyd’slove —can only makeour days, and this often-dark world, alittle brighter Olivia Savoieisafamily heirloom biographer who residesinLafayette.

COMMENTARY

ISSUE OF THE WEEK JESSE JACKSON

Tributes poured in this week for civilrights leader Jesse Jackson, whodied at age84. His long career spanned some of the movement’sbiggest milestones. He worked alongside MartinLutherKingJr. and wasatwo-time Democratic presidential candidate.His work to uplift Blackpeople and promote policies that improve economic opportunitiesfor thepoor through organizations likehis RainbowPUSH Coalition is among the things he will most be remembered for.A skilled orator,Jackson also wasalso known forhis words, and manyrecalled what he taught them personally.Hereare twoperspectives.

Speeches helped keep hope alivefor so many

Iamwho Iamtoday in part because of a speech Iheard in fifth grade at MatthewA Henson Elementary School in Baltimore It was 1970, and the auditoriumwas full of little Black boys and girls, fidgeting, waiting for the speaker to begin.

“I am somebody,” avoice boomed from the stage, shaking us to attention Ihavenever forgotten that day when the Rev.Jesse Jackson spoke life into me, eventuallyinspiring me to go to college. His words pushed me to overcome the feeling of beingunwanted.At4,Ihad to go live withmy grandmother,Big Mama. My four siblings and I—one older,three younger —arrivedatmygrandmother’sWest Baltimore home, disheveled, hungry and sick.Weonly had the clothes on our backs. Had it not been for my grandmother,wewould have been placed in foster care.

“I may be on welfare, but Iamsomebody,” Iyelled along with my classmates.

Ididn’tneed to be ashamed of my situation, because Iwas somebody Jackson had us repeatedly chant, “I am somebody.” Igoback to that day and that speech when Iget discouraged, when someone questionsmycredentials,insinuating that Igot into college or ajob simply because of the color of my skin. It’shappened throughout my career,even when I arrived at The Washington Post Ireplace their voices with Jackson’swords, “I am somebody.”

Civilrightsiconwas an agentfor chaosand change

The Rev.Jesse Jackson’sdeath surprised me with sadness.Though we didn’treally know each other,heand I intersected enough through decades of American history that Ifelt like I’dlost yet another friend in atime of shortening days.

arecipe. Ijust throw in ahandful of this and ahandful of that.”

My grandmother provided asecure home, but didn’twant me to dreamtoo big andbedisappointed. She wantedthe best for me, but the granddaughter of enslaved individuals knew all too well theobstacles Iwould face. But then came the “I Am Somebody” speechfrom Jackson, who died Tuesday at 84. My aspirations to be awriter were motivated by Jackson’scall-and-response keynote.

“Say it after me,” Jackson coaxed us.

“I am somebody!” The hundreds of little voices shouting those words still stick with me.Iyelled it at the top of my voice.

“I may be poor,but Iam somebody,” Jacksonsaid.“Imust be respected, protected, never rejected.” That hit home.

Iwas aweepy child, cravingthe love of parents who abandoned me. Igrewup watching my grandmother drive fromone bar to another on Fridays, searchingfor my grandfather before he drank awayhis paycheck. My mother drifted in andout of my life, breaking one promise after another.The first time Irecall seeingmyfather wasinaprison visiting room.

“I may be on welfare, butIamsomebody,” Jackson said during the assembly Ireceived free lunch, andmygrandmother would get boxes of powderedmilk and large blocks of government-issued cheese. Iwas embarrassed that we needed the assistance.

Jackson’sdeath makes me even sadder,given the current attack on diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programsbythe Trumpadministration. President Donald Trumpposted on his TruthSocial profile avideo clip depicting former President Barack Obama andformer first lady Michelle Obama as apes. Trump deleted the video, but refused to apologize for sharing it.

TheNational Urban League’sState of Black America 2025 report highlightsthe dismantling of civil and voting rights and theelimination of diversity initiatives: “We are watching an attempt to turn back the clock to an era when the full humanityof all Americans was not recognized —when the idea of true equalitywas treated as a threat to the social order.”

Jackson’sdeath comes as we are enteringa difficult winter for Black America, one marked by economic regression and theerasure of hard-won protections. But he wouldn’twant us to have aspirit of surrender

In a1988 speech at the Democratic National Convention, Jackson, as he always did, offeredhopefor the poor who work every day but still can’tafford healthcare or ahome.

“Hold on,” he told thecrowd. “And hold out.” Ican still hear Jackson’scall to tune out those whowould tell me I’m less than. I foundmyvoice because of Jackson, and I have used it to help people understand personal finance and build legacy wealth for their family Iamsomebody because Jackson told me Iwas. AndI believed him

Michelle Singletary is on X, @SingletaryM.

Ibecame aware of Jackson, ason of my homestate of South Carolina, in 1968 when Martin Luther King Jr.was assassinated in Memphis.Jackson, then 26, was at his side and has been acultural and political constant ever since.

Throughout the1970s, adecade Ispent largely in university libraries, Jackson earned headlines pushing for social justice in poor, Black neighborhoods and organized boycotts to pressure corporations tohire African Americans. He flourished in amelee of youthfuldiscontent. The women’sliberation movement and protests against theVietnam Warcoalesced with civil rights into ajuggernaut of radical change. No one was immune to the chaos that Jackson helped create.

In 1984, Isat up straight when Jackson delivered his historic Rainbow Coalition speech at the Democratic National Convention in San Francisco.Watching from home, where Iwas confined to bed rest for thefinal three monthsofmypregnancy,Iwas mesmerized when Jackson declared, “Our flag is red, white and blue, butour nation is arainbow —red, yellow, Brown, Black and White —and we’re all precious in God’ssight.”

Amen,brother Beforethe 1984 convention, disappointed that Iwouldn’tbeable to attend and further sidelined by my beat as food and wine writer for the Mercury Newsin San Jose, Iwas determined to produce a timely byline. Buthow could Isqueeze a political story out of afood beat? Ilanded on asilly but salable idea: If we are what we eat, shouldn’tweknow what aspiring presidents consume?

My first call was to Jackson’shome in Chicago. Inearly fell off the sofawhen Jackson’swife, Jacqueline Jackson, picked up. When Iexplained my idea, she wasall in. Jackson’sfavorite food was fried chicken, she told me. His favorite snack was raisins. Andhis favorite dessert was chocolatecake. When Iasked for her cake recipe, she said, “I don’tuse

Isaw Jackson afew moretimes through the years, attending his speeches the way others attended rock concerts. In June 1999, Iwas in France when I learned that Jackson would be speaking at the American University of Paris. By then, he had becomeaglobal figure, chatting up dictators, securing hostage releases and leapfrogging from crisis to crisis. Just the month before, he had secured the release of three American soldiers from captivity by Yugoslav forces. At the top of his game, surrounded by media and protesters, Jackson arrived 30 minutes late to the university venue where 150 people were futilely fanning themselves in the stifling heat of abuilding without AC. He swept into the room like adeity searching forapedestal. Ishouldn’thave been surprised that the once-humble civil rights organizer would embrace his own myth. Most politicians do. Moreover, Jackson had telegraphed his elevated self-image in a1983 Associated Press profile in which Sharon Cohen wrote that he saw himself walking “the lonely,dusty road of the prophets” sent forth like Jesus, Gandhi and King “to show others the wayout of the wilderness.”

Our last intersection wasadecade later in New York, where we were guests at a dinner hosted by United Nations ambassador Susan Rice. Jackson stood apart, watching the swarm of younger notables. Sensing our mutual invisibility,I wandered over,introduced myselfand shared memories of ouraccidental encounters. He was gracious, humble and seemed grateful. He asked if Iwould pose fora picture with him.I said it would be an honor My sadness isn’tonly forJackson but also forthe end of an era that, forall its fraught moments, aimed foramore just society and an elevated purpose that called upon our better angels. I’mafraid those angels may have been Jackson’s advance team and have taken flight with him.Rest in peace, Rev.Jackson. You’re in the best company now

Email Kathleen Parker at kathleenparker@washpost.com.

Smitty’s plantpermitted to allowstorm runoff

Advocatessay decision is premature

BY DAVID J. MITCHELL Staff writer

The Smitty’sSupply Inc. plantthatexploded and burned down last yearcan resume allowing storm runoff from the devastated site to flowintothe Tangipahoa River thanks to an elaborate filtration plan, though alocal environmentalgroup calls the decision premature. State regulators recently granted Smitty’sanemergency permit to discharge as much as 1milliongallons per day of stormwater from the 20-acre site into the Tangipahoa via local ditches.

That’sthe equivalent of as much as 1.5 Olympic swimming pools of treated water and five times as much as thecompany had sought in an initial permit attempt denied in December.Major changes were, however, madeto theplans in thenew application.

Discharges into the river beganMondayafter afinal round of testing to determine if thetreated water can sustainaquatic life. Permit documents from thestate Department of Environmental Quality say discharges are expected to continue for two months.

“All discharged water meets the strict limits, monitoring requirements and water quality standards established under LDEQ’s permit,” companyofficials said in astatement. Testing results are public.

Matthew Allen, director of the nonprofit Northshore Riverwatch, said his group is urging the state to reconsider

“This decision overlooks the extraordinary scale of the original incident at this site —where possibly millions of gallons werespilled —and disregards the fact

that the area remains contaminated,”Allensaid in a statement

“A location with this level of damageshould have been isolated months ago with absolutely no discharges allowed.”

Allenadded that the permit appears to signal that allegedpastunpermitted discharges, over which he said residents have filed repeated reports, are forgiven.

“The people of this region —and the Tangipahoa River itself —deserve far stronger protections than what this permit currently provides,” he said.

DEQ officialsdidn’timmediately respondtoquestions aboutthe permitand Allen’s allegations of improper discharges, but Smitty’s says it “has worked closelywith both the U.S. EnvironmentalProtectionAgencyand DEQ to manage water at the site safely and responsibly.”

Industry standard

The 20-acre lubricants manufacturing complex nearRoseland in Tangipahoa Parishexploded Aug. 22,sending up atowering black plume and oily droplets across the surrounding area. Combined with firefighting efforts, the incident andits aftermath released hydrocarbons and flame retardants into ditches and pondsthatempty intothe river

Uncontrolled releases from the site oiled some animals in the river,soiled riverbanks for miles downstream and left swirls of pollutants in ponds that risked finding their way into the Tangipahoa until emergency responders were able to close off drainage outlets.

Theblaze spurred intervention by theEPA and a rash of class-action lawsuits. Smitty’s, aleading employer in theparish, has shut down.

PROVIDED PHOTO

treatmentleaves thewater without grease or volatile andsemi-volatileorganic compounds commonly associated withhydrocarbons. Sometrace heavy metals, like aluminum, barium, antimony,iron andlead, were left behind at levels within water quality guidelines, as well as more typical contaminants like nitrogen, phosphorous andsolids.

Testing data by athirdparty firm, Pace Analytical, showthe contaminants that DEQ officials wanted to see improvedwere reduced sharply,by3tonearly 50 timesearlierresults and fell within state water quality limits.

As cleanup work has progressed, the company has been shipping waste to a varietyoflocations: scrap metal to EMR Metal Recycling, which has multiple south Louisianalocations, and removed soiland ashto RiverBirch Landfill in Waggaman.

Oily waste notprocessed onsite is going to Preston Environmental Solutions for recycling in Baton Rouge or being mixed with solids and dumped in Waste Management’sWoodside landfill in Livingston Parish. Some liquidsare being injected underground in Mississippi.

Smitty’splan to send runoff into the river will use a portable treatment system that the company says will removepollutants.

The company will capture runoff in portable tanks thatcan hold 1.6million gallons of water and sendit througha Spectrum Water treatment system that uses “proven, industry-standard processes.”

“Protecting the community andthe environment remains our priority,and we will continue working in coordination with state and federal agencies through-

Southern University discusses expectations fornextpresident

‘We’re notin traditionaltimes’

BY HALEY MILLER Staff writer

When theSouthernUniversity presidentialsearch committee met Thursday to discuss key qualifications for the system’snext leader, some members emphasized the need for flexibility to consider “nontraditional” candidates.

“Whether the next president is atraditional higher education leader or anontraditional leader,itisvery imperative that they have astrong understanding of HBCUs,” Chair Jason Hughes said “HBCUsand the mission of HBCUs are very unique, and we have to remember that the Southern University system is the only HBCU system on earth.” Members agreed in the presidential profile, adocument providing the most up-to-date institutional data andexpectations for the next president, to listaterminal degree as apreferred qualification, rather than manda-

FISH

Continued from page1B

These fish fries will take placeevery Friday during Lent, exceptfor GoodFriday,onApril 3: St.EdmondCatholicChurch

4131 W. Congress St., Lafayette Fried fish, potato salad, coleslaw and buttered bread for $15aplate, served from 4:15 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. in the St. Edmond FamilyCenter

St.PiusXCatholicChurch

tory

Aterminal degree isthe highest degree that can be earned in aparticular discipline —a doctorate in most research fields.

“Obviously, we’re not in traditional times in our country or in higher education,” Hughes said.“Ideally, speaking for myself,Iwould like to see us cast as widea netaspossible as we work to recruit thenext presidentof the Southern University system ”

Committeemember AnthonyIgiede, facultySenate president of the Southern University campusinBaton Rouge,expressedsome hesitation about opening the candidatepool to individuals without academic backgrounds.“Atthiscriticaltime, Mr.Chair, Iwouldrecommend, Iwould suggest to you that we can also find someone who is capable—a business leader —withaPh.D. thatcan actually navigate this system at this moment,” Igiedesaid. Hughes said the absence of aterminaldegree from the list of requiredqualifications is intended to give thecommittee more “flexibility,” but

adoctorate-level certification is still strongly preferred.

“Thatindividual mayhave aPh.D.,may have aJ.D., may have an LLM, mayhave all of the above,but there may be some high-level candidates that we may find in C-suites or boardrooms that may not necessarily possess aJ.D. or aPh.D.,”Hughes said.

Southernwill begin advertising for the position in early March after aseries of stakeholderengagement sessions.

The committee held its first meetingFeb. 5, following announcements in late 2025 that President Dennis Shields would step down from the role.

The committee stressed Thursday the importance of apresident with abig-picture vision and the ability to communicateeffectively with government andbusiness leaders.

“In my estimation, the president of asystemisalmost like theCEO of acompany,” committee member Darrin Dixon said. “A lot of times theCEO doesn’t know accounting, theydon’tknow everything, but they hire people thathave those skill sets.”

outthe remediationprocess,” the company said. Improved numbers

Twomonths ago, DEQrejected thecompany’s earlier requestamid public opposition. Smitty’shad proposed discharging 200,000 gallons per day,afifthasmuch as nowauthorized,but also sought to include “wash water” from site cleanup.

The company has been power washing thesite’s concrete slab and is dismantlingdamaged buildings and equipment. Heather Sessa, aspokeswoman for Smitty’s, said water from pressure-washingwon’t be sentintothe river

“The pressure washing water is not currently going into the discharge and is being recovered as part of untreatable water and being disposed of,” shesaid.

DEQ officials wouldn’tauthorize the discharge permit in December because some post-treatment testing parameters weren’tgood enough.Since then, Smitty’s was able to supply new data showing the treatment system could meet thestate’s standards, testing andpermit documentsshow Submitted results show

Sessa said Spectrum adjusted equipment designed to separate dissolvedcontaminants from the water, as well as acarbon filtration system.

Under the permit, Smitty’smust do testing daily on the discharged water,but Allen, of NorthshoreRiverwatch, said thatmay not be good enough if results take days to obtain.

“Downstream waters have been affected, and additional discharges may have continued unchecked. After-the-fact data cannot preventreal-timeharm,” he said.

Smitty’spermitapplications don’tappear to addresswhether thesystem canhandlePFAScontaminants, known as “forever chemicals” because they don’tbreak down in the environment.

More than 36,000 gallons of the AFFF fire retardant, whichcontainsPFAS, were used to fight thefire in the first days of the blaze, billing records show.

Though Smitty’siswaiting on the latest round of testing, tests in October detected PFAS in the water beforetreatmentbut notafterward, Sessa said.

David J. Mitchell can be reached at dmitchell@ theadvocate.com.

Aseries of appeals and court decisions dominated the court record from 2023 until February For example,Jones appealed theMarch 2, 2023, ruling on March 13, 2023. The appeals court, in adivided opinion dated Jan. 26, 2024, affirmed the March 2, 2023, judgment on attorney fees, but did notdecide on the merits of an earlier judgment in the defendants’ favor,alleging the appeal of that decision wasuntimely Later that year,inDecember 2024,the Louisiana Supreme Court ruled that the January 2024 opinion should be set aside and that the appeals court should considerpossible errors raised in Jones’ March 13, 2023, appeal. The latest judgment on Feb. 11 by the state Supreme Court gave Jones the ability to proceed with her lawsuit to be tried on its merits. The court also reversed the attorney fees ruling so Lunsford andCitizens will have to pay Jones’ attorney fees.

Contact Claire Taylor at ctaylor@theadvocate. com.

plate, from 5p.m. until all plates are sold in the Family Center

Knights of ColumbusHall, 123 LionsClub Road, Scott Fried fish, coleslaw, French fries, tartar sauce, hush puppiesand acookie for $12 aplate, from 5p.m. to 7:30 p.m. for dine-in or drive-thru

St.Elizabeth Seton Catholic Church

610 Rain Tree Trail, Lafayette Friedfish,coleslaw,potato salad andbread for$12 a

600 Kaliste Saloom Road, Lafayette Fried fish, coleslaw and potato salad for $10a plate, servedfrom5 p.m. to 7p.m fordine-in or drive-thru Sts. Peter&PaulKnights of Columbus

Holy CrossCatholicChurch 415 RobleyDrive, Lafayette Fish fryplates for$12, starting at 5:30 p.m. KnightsofColumbus Arnaudville

Little Flower Council Hall, 387 Main St., Arnaudville Fried fish, coleslaw,hush puppies,French fries for $12 aplate, from 5p.m. to 7p.m. at the council hall.

Email Joanna Brown at joanna.brown@ theadvocate.com.

AlysaLiu completesincredible comeback to wingold in figure skating, Page

UL hoping formore consistency in weekend series

BY KEVIN FOOTE Staff writer

So far,UL’sbaseball season has been a mixed bag.

Coach Matt Deggs hopeshis Ragin’ Cajuns can display alittle more consistency this weekend with the Maryland Terrapins in town, starting at 6p.m. Friday at Russo Park

“This is aball club with alittle fight and scrap, and they’re going to be fun to watch,” Deggssaid. “I’ve seen them all year and I’mjust telling you, they’ve got what it takes.”

The Cajuns certainly proved thatwith wins of 9-7 overMissouri State and3-0 at Rice on Tuesday,since the brutal 13-12loss to Missouri State in 11 inningslast Saturday Still, some areas need to be upgraded in short order That begins with the cold startatthe plate. UL is only batting .242 asa team through fourgames with a.356 slugging and a.346 on-base percentage.

“My only disappointmentwas we’vedone alot better job driving the ball outof the ballpark and Ithought we’d have 5or6 home runs and come out with two,but it’s

STAFF PHOTO By BRAD KEMP

UL first baseman Lee Amedee hitsthe ball during agame againstMissouriState on SundayatRusso Park.

SPORTS

BY KOKI RILEY Staff writer

Gavin Guidry now sees the game differently

The last year has changedhim.How could it not? A back injury took away thesport he dedicated his life to for 12 months.

Guidry has returned to the field as the same fiery righthandedrelieverwho closed outLSU baseball’sseventh national championship as afreshman. But the redshirt junior now sees his career in anew light sincethe injury He’scontent with whatever happens on the field.

“If Ithrow good, cool,” Guidry said. “If Idon’tthrow good,itiswhatitis, because Idid everything that Ipossibly could have done over thelast12monthstoput myself in asituation to succeed.”

The finish line for the N cans is just 26 games awa And truth be told, there waitingfor them when th There’sreallynochanc considering 12 games b place Los A in the

and recorded five strikeouts against Milwaukee on opening day,his first appearance in agame since the Chapel Hill Regional in 2024.His second outing wasevenbetter, throwing 21/3 innings with five strikeouts and no hits allowed against afrisky Kent State offense. It washis first save since May 11, 2024.

Despiteundergoing surgery andmissing alloflastseason, Guidry is once again acritical arm in LSU’s bullpen. TheTigers will need him at his best again this weekend when they travel to Jacksonville, Florida, to participate in the Jax College Baseball Classic beginning on Friday against Indiana (1 p.m., D1Baseball).

“He never wavered,” LSU coach Jay Johnson said. “He wasstanding right next to me for the entire season last year.Heshouldtakea lotofprideinlastyear’schampionship, buthe’sa competitor.I don’t want him in the dugout. Iwant him on the pitcher’smound.”

ew OrleansPeliy. isn’tawhole lot ey get there efor the playoffs, the Pelicansare ehind the10thngeles Clippers olumn forthe spot. urse, no draft waitingthem, oreason to tank

hat is interim es Borrego’s mesteam as they exit rbreak andinto nd?

ttoplay our best right now, Borgoalisfor this of basketball hat lands us Fodgetting better ” their 10 games sily could have

Guidry’srefreshed perspective on the game has pr ducedsterling results.Hetossed two scorelessinnin

ogs

No. 1versus No. 2 No other pair of n imagination quite s ing that what’sabo whatever the sport the best against the “You don’tget to the floor very often, Kylie Coen said. Typically,that’s tr comes to women’sc tics, LSUand Oklah No. 1versus No. 2 commonplace. When they squar Norman, Oklahoma eastern Conference ESPN2), it will be t dating back to 2024 Sooners will compe the nation’stop two They’ve won the pionships, though n other (more on that SEC regular-season

umbersstir the o much.Knowuttohappen is going to be best see 1versus 2on ”LSU gymnast

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ue. Butwhen it ollege gymnasoma have made matchups almost e off Friday in , for their Southdual meet (8 p.m., heseventh straight time that the Tigers and teinthe samemeet as teams past two NCAA chamotexactly against each later). They shared the egu title last year.They

tied forthe best score in the seasonopening Sprouts Collegiate Quad, with OU getting the first-place trophy based on the rarely used sixthplace tiebreaker There is no trophy forthis meet; this will be twohours of tumbling and soaring and gymnasts trying to stick two-footed landings like they’re doing somersaults in the backyard. LSU coach Jay Clark likes to think of it as simply another step along the waytothe really big meets—the SEC Championships in March in Sooner country in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and the NCAA Championships in April in Fort Worth, Texas. In the sometimes up-is-down, black-iswhite world of gymnastics, whowins a meet like this doesn’tmatter all that much. “It’sone of the nuances of our sport,” Clark said. “You could theoretically lose every competition all year long, still

Can Busch find success again?

Slumping star was once the most dominant driver in NASCAR

BY DAN GELSTON AP sportswriter

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. Kyle

Busch’s feisty spirit surfaced late at the end of another empty Daytona 500 for the perennial race loser The Daytona pole sitter, Busch was running outside the top 20 in the final laps when he let off the gas and faded to the back of the pack as wrecks up front started to muddle the running order His crew chief radioed Busch and asked if he slowed because the Toyota was out of fuel.

Busch’s retort was blunter

“What the (heck) am I going to rush into the wreck for,” Busch said. “We’re running (expletive) 30th.”

Busch finished 15th, another middling result as he ran the longest active Daytona 500 losing streak to 21 straight races Whatever spark winning the pole may have provided never materialized with only 19 laps led. The optimism of racing for the first time in a points race with a new crew chief faded early, and Busch was left to chew on the fact that a Daytona 500 win remained the lone void in a career that will eventually see him join big brother Kurt in the Hall of Fame.

“If I don’t ever win it, I’m going to have to be happy with not ever winning it,” Busch said “I’ve pretty much fulfilled my career If it were to end yesterday, I would be happy with everything.”

Just not much of late.

At 40, Busch is reeling on a once-inconceivable 94-race Cup Series losing streak, and he has turned in a contract year to a new crew chief at Richard Childress Racing to resuscitate his career all while embroiled in an $8.5 million lawsuit against an insurance company — to remind everyone that he can still hang on as a championship contender.

“It’s something I never would have thought would happen,” Busch said.

How did Kyle Busch fall off?

Through the first two decades of his career, one detail showed no signs of changing: Busch was a winner Take 2008, Busch’s first season with Joe Gibbs Racing He won eight races in the Cup Series, 10 more in NASCAR’s second-tier series and, for good measure, three in the Truck Series.

“Literally, these words came out of my mouth: ‘See, it can be

easy,’” Busch said with a laugh.

Busch made it look easy He won Cup titles with Gibbs in 2015 and 2019 and romped through NASCAR’s lower two series with so much ease that rules were put in place to choke off his number of races each season.

“We were just laughing,” Busch said. “It can be easy It’s just a matter of how wellprepared you are and how good your stuff is.”

Busch’s stuff was good enough to win 232 times — a NASCAR record — across the three national series. Busch moved to Richard Childress Racing in 2023, and he showed flashes he was the same elite racer as he was at JGR with three wins in the first 15 races of the season.

The checkered flags dried up.

Busch’s career tapered off, both inexplicably because of his Hall of Fame talent yet understandably because RCR had long receded from its spot as a championship contender in the Cup Series.

He had the best of everything in the No. 18 Toyota, fueled in large part by the financial support of longtime sponsor Mars.

Even as recently as 2020, Busch believed there was a shot he could finish his career with the same seven career titles as record-holders Jimmie Johnson, Dale Earnhardt and Richard Petty

Once Mars pulled out of the sport after 2022, Busch and JGR failed to land the timely sponsor-

ship deal that infuses teams with the big payday largely needed to operate.

Busch was unceremoniously out as JGR made room for Joe Gibbs’ grandson, Ty Childress, who tussled with Busch in 2011 after a Truck Series race at Kansas Speedway, offered the professional lifeline needed in the No. 8 Chevrolet.

The pairing initially seemed perfect Busch won the second race of the 2023 season at Fontana, eight races later at Talladega and five races after that at Gateway. He followed that with four straight top-10 finishes and seemingly had brought that taste of the good life with him from JGR to RCR.

Busch said in retrospect he realized wins came in large part because RCR had been ahead of the curve when NASCAR launched its Next Gen car in 2022. “RCR was actually involved in a lot of the car’s development in the early stages with NASCAR,” Busch said. “They were one of the first teams to work on things and get ahead of it. (At JGR), we didn’t do anything. We were like, ‘Nah, we’re not going to do anything. We’ll deal with it when we get there.’”

Gibbs and Hendrick and Team Penske soon caught up and surpassed — Busch and RCR. Even 23XI Racing sped ahead after winning the Daytona 500 with Tyler Reddick.

Busch posted just 10 top 10s

each of the last two seasons. He is not even a playoff driver, much less racing for a third championship. Can Bush recover in 2026?

Busch hasn’t set a timetable on his career and said he won’t continue to race for purely financial reasons, even as he claimed he is out $10.4 million and filed suit in October alleging Pacific Life Insurance Company failed to reveal the true risks of the policies, along with providing false and negligent representations of what was supposed to be taxfree income for retirement.

“It’s only driven by my passion for it,” Busch said. “The monetary value of my career is irrelevant right now.”

Busch’s son, Brexton, turns 11 this year and has followed his father’s path into racing. He’ll race Legends cars and in the junior late model series this year, and dad still has hopes father and son can race against each other in Trucks once Brexton turns 17.

Busch can’t stomach limping to the NASCAR career finish line without celebrating more wins, more championships. Careers rarely end on high notes for NASCAR’s greats: Petty won his 200th career race in 1984 and never again when he retired in 1992. Johnson was still in championship form when he won his third race of 2017 in June — and never again over the final 3 ½ years of his full-time career

March Madness expansion discussion on hold

NCAA won’t talk about expanding the tournament until this year’s competition finishes

BY DOUG FEINBERG AP basketball writer

The NCAA won’t discuss expanding the men’s and women’s basketball tournaments until after this year’s version of March Madness finishes, senior vice president of basketball Dan Gavitt said Thursday

Gavitt told that to a group of reporters who were attending an NCAA event in Indianapolis

There has been talk for the past few months that the NCAA could expand the tournament field to 72 or 76 starting in 2027

NCAA President Charlie Baker said last year that adding teams could add value to the tournament, and he said the NCAA

already has had “good conversations” with TV partners CBS and Warner Bros., whose deal runs through 2032 at the cost of around $1.1 billion a year

The NCAA Tournament expanded from 64 to 68 teams in 2011. The change introduced the First Four round, a set of pre-tournament games in which the four lowest-seeded at-large teams and four lowest-seeded conference champions compete for spots in the traditional 64team bracket. Baker said in November that he supported expanding the tournament, but that the decision was up to the basketball committees. “I don’t want to get ahead of the

basketball committees on this one, but I would hope we could find a way to get there,” he said.

Baker admitted that expansion to potentially 76 teams would cause some logistical headaches such as moving teams playing in that opening round around the country on short notice. That doesn’t outweigh the positives if they can get more money from their television partners to pay for the expanded tournament.

“One of the things comes with the benefit of having (units) on both sides is that you give schools and conferences reasons to invest in the sport,” he said. “I think this will make it more likely that schools will put additional resources into the game which is

good.” Last season for the first time, women’s basketball teams earned financial incentives, known as units, for playing in the NCAA Tournament. The formula can be complicated, but the bottom line is conferences received $113,000 for each game a women’s team played in the NCAA Tournament up until the Final Four

The NCAA decided at its convention in January to award additional units to women’s teams that made the championship game and the overall winner. The money for the additional units will be added to the total pool and not cause the value of each unit to drop at all.

Dodgers executive chosen as new Lakers president

EL SEGUNDO, Calif. — Longtime Los Angeles Dodgers executive Lon Rosen is moving into the Los Angeles Lakers ‘ front office in the latest significant change for the 17-time NBA champion organization following its sale last year Rosen will be the Lakers’ president of business operations, the team announced Thursday He replaces Tim Harris, who is planning to step down after 35 years with the Lakers.

Rosen has been the Dodgers’ executive vice president and chief marketing officer since 2012, the same year Mark Walter purchased the baseball team. The Dodgers have become a powerhouse under Walter’s ownership on and off the field, amassing star-studded rosters that have won three of the last six World Series.

Former manager Melvin returning as A’s assistant

MESA, Ariz. — Former big league manager Bob Melvin is returning to the Athletics as a special assistant in baseball operations

The Athletics said Thursday that Melvin will advise the front office. The 64-year-old managed the A’s to three AL West titles from 2011-21, then left for San Diego and later San Francisco. The 64-year-old previously managed Seattle and Arizona.

Melvin was voted American League Manager of the Year in 2012 and 2018 with the A’s and led them to the playoffs six times while compiling an 853-764 record. The only manager in franchise history with more wins was Connie Mack with 3,582 for the Philadelphia Athletics from 190150.

Lakers’ Doncic to return; Reaves off restriction

EL SEGUNDO, Calif. — The Los Angeles Lakers expect to be fully healthy for the first time in recent memory when they return from the All-Star break.

NBA scoring leader Luka Doncic said Thursday that he will “probably” return to the court after missing the Lakers’ final four games before the break with a mild hamstring strain.

Austin Reaves also will no longer be on his minutes restriction stemming from a five-week absence with a calf injury, coach JJ Redick said after practice at the Lakers’ training complex.

LeBron James, who went into the break by becoming the oldest play to record a triple-double, is also expected to be uniform when the Lakers host the Clippers.

Hataoka, Wannasaen tied after first round of LPGA

CHONBURI,Thailand Nasa Hataoka shot a 7-under 65 Thursday on the Siam Country Club Old Course and was tied for the lead after the opening round at the LPGA Thailand, the first of three tournaments in Asia in consecutive weeks.

Hataoka, who was runner-up at the 2021 U.S. Women’s Open, has won five individual LPGA tournaments and two in the International Crown team event. She was tied Thursday with Thailand’s Chanettee Wannasaen. Gemma Dryburgh, who opened her round with an eagle and three birdies, was a stroke behind with a 66 and level with Somi Lee and Hye-Jin Choi.

Top-ranked Jeeno Thitikul and Lydia Ko shot 67s and were in a group of 10 tied for sixth.

Cardinals break ground on performance center

PHOENIX The Arizona Cardinals broke ground on a new performance center and team headquarters Thursday moving forward in an attempt to improve practice facilities that NFL players deemed among the league’s worst in 2025.

The north Phoenix development which is expected to be ready in time for preseason training camp in 2028 — is located on a 217-acre property that was purchased at auction for $136 million.

The current headquarters is about 25 miles away in Tempe.

“It continues to modernize our facilities,” Cardinals owner Michael Bidwill said. “Our facility in Tempe has continued to

The

Cajuns look to improveinbusysix-gameweekend

BY KEVIN FOOTE Staff writer

It’stime to get better by cleaning things up is pretty much the message of UL softball coach Alyson Habetz these days.

After dropping agame to Prairie View because of walks and then more walks and errors in the runruleloss to Florida State,the Ragin’ Cajuns are now facing abusy six-game weekend.

UL is actually participating in two tournaments over the weekend. The first one is the Purple and Gold Challenge in Baton Rouge, where the Cajuns will play Howard at 1:30 p.m. Friday,followed by Michigan Stateand then Howard at 11 a.m. Saturday and thenLSU at 4p.m.

Then the Cajuns will go to Lake Charles for the Cajun AC Louisiana ClashagainstMissouri at 11 a.m. Sunday,followed byHous-

LSU

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Theinjury Guidry’spath backtothe fieldwas many things, but it certainly wasn’tstraightforward. There were setbacks. There were sleeplessnights and days when his appetite was affected. There were even times when he wondered if he’d ever returnto the field.

The official diagnosis for Guidry’sinjury was a herniated diskinhis L4-L5 vertebrae. But Guidry has no clue what caused the injury or when it happened. He only suspects thatitmay have been around since high school, when he dealt with back issues as asenior

“Bending over,rotating, lifting, throwing,” Guidry said, “really everything gave me ahard time before Ihad surgery (last year).”

Guidry’sinjury sounds severe on the surface, but his spine specialist and LSU athletic trainer Isaac Trujillo downplayed the ailmentat first. He wastoldthata few injections and some medicine would make him better, atactic that would reduce inflammation and worked “85%ofthe time.”

But that’snot what happened. Guidry attempted to return from his injury on multiple occasions throughout the first half of last season. But after each throwing session, his pain would return.

Recovering from those workouts was the biggest issue.

“There’d be some days where Iwould wake up, and Iwas like, ‘Okay,we’re startingtokind of get some things going.We’re starting to figure it out. I’m going to pitch this year,’ ”Guidry said. “And then three days later,itwould be just like, ‘I can’tsleep because I’m in so much pain.’ ” Johnson eventuallyannounced on April 16 that Guidry would undergo back surgery andbeout forthe remainderofthe 2025 season. It meantthatGuidry had to watch from the dugoutashis teammates delivered LSU’seighth national championship in June.

But his decision to have the procedure was ultimately about more than just baseball.

“Wejust had to get my body back right to kind of just make sure that Ididn’t mess somethingupfor,not even just baseball, just my life,” Guidry said. “Back pain isn’treallysomething that you want to deal with and mess with. So Ijust kind of got to the point where I had to make adecision for myselftomake sure Igot to live anormal life, even if thebaseballthing didn’t work out.”

Post surgery

Guidry began to feel better after surgery,but it didn’ttake long for the stiffness and pain to return.

Guidry’ssurgeon had warned him and Johnson that it would take time after the procedure for the Louisiana native to feel like himself again, adding that one day everything would click into place for him and he’d quickly start to feel better

However, as those setbacks began to take shape,

ton at 1:30 p.m

“Webetter berecovered (from the trip to Florida), because there ain’t no rest for the weary,” Habetz said.

“We’ve got six games in three days.”

It’s going to be more difficult to show progress in certain areas withthat many games, but that’s the chore facing the Cajuns (6-4) this weekend.

Forstarters, the pitchersmust begin throwing strikes. Thestaff has already walked 42 in 65.2 innings with only 51 strikeouts.

“It’sbeen adifferent issue with each pitcher,” Habetz said. “I have apitcher’smentalityasanold baseball pitcher,soI like to allow pitchers to work through things because Ithink that’simportant However,Ineed to get better at pulling them when they’re not close.”

Because of the six-gameschedule,all fiveofUL’spitchers are expected to getwork this weekend.

Making things even worse is UL’s defense hasalreadyyielded 16 unearned runs.

“I thought it (defense) would be better than it’sbeen,” Habetzsaid. “The wheels kind of came offat FloridaState.”

The Cajuns’ lack of consistency could produce some different lineups this weekend.

“There’sgoing to be someexperimenting,” Habetzsaid. “After the Florida Stategame, nobody can get comfortable. I’m talking about themental errors. There has to be consequences formental errors, so there will be some different people in thelineup (Friday).”

Howard is 6-3 on the season with a3.73 team ERA and batting .314 as ateam. TheBison splitwithTennessee Tech and Florida A&M and

Box Stadium

ON DECK

WHO: Indiana (1-3) vs.LSU (5-0) WHEN: 1p.m. Friday WHERE: VyStar Ballpark

ONLINE/TV: D1Baseball.com

RADIO: WDGL-FM, 98.1 (Baton Rouge); WWL-AM, 870 (NewOrleans); KLWB-FM, 103.7 (Lafayette)

RANKINGS: LSUisNo. 2by D1Baseball; Indiana is not ranked

PROBABLESTARTERS: LSU— RHP Casan Evans (0-0,10.80 ERA,3.1 IP,2 BB,7 SO) INDIANA—LHP TONY NEUBECK (0-0, 0.00 ERA, 4.0IP, 3BB, 2SO)

PREGAME UPDATES: theadvocate.com/lsu WHATTOWATCH FOR: LSU turned to sophomore righthanderCasan Evans as its opening daystarter last Friday and will likely turn to him again in Jacksonville. Evansallowed four earnedruns in 31/3 innings against Milwaukee. Indiana got sweptbyNo. 10 NorthCarolina on the roadtoopenthe year, butdemolished Bradleyat homeonTuesday. —Koki Riley

doubt crept in. It took a tollonthe pitcher’smental health

“That really messed me up mentally too, because Istarted feeling better and then Istarted feeling badagain ”Guidrysaid. “I thoughtsomething went wrong with the surgery or something happened.”

But LSUstrengthand conditioning coach Chris Martin wasn’t surprised. During his time in the Houston Astros organization,hesaw players return from similar procedures.

Backs, hesaid,are finicky

“It’snot this linear,you start at onespot, and you just trendupindefinitely,” Martin said. “There aredays whereitfeelsgreat,days where it doesn’t feel so good. But once we turnedthatcorner,things really smoothed out, andatthatpoint,itwas just kind of afullgo.”

Therampup

Toward theend of the summer,Guidryhad finally turnedthatcorner. He felt well enough to returntothe weightroom and start buildinguphis arm strength.

Fortunatelyfor Martin, he couldtakehis time with Guidry’s ramp-up.Fall

practice hadn’teven started yet,sothere was no point in rushing Guidry into pitching shape.

“When you take that much time off from throwing, that’sabreak that most of these guys have not hadin their careersever,”Martin said. “And so we just hadto make sure we were responsibleand hadappropriately thought out throwing buildup.(We)probably went a littlebit slower than we had to.”

Guidry returned to the mound by the end of fall practice, coming back as astronger and more agile pitcher.Not having to worry aboutplaying in agameuntil February allowed him to spend more time improving his body

That extra work is already starting to pay off. His fastball velocityhas been up to 93 mph this year,and he’s gainedback theweighthe lostwhile he was sidelined. He nowchecksinatabout 188 pounds.

“He’s stronger.He’smovingmoreathletically,” Martinsaid. “He’s moving faster down themound. Hiscenter of mass is moving faster down themound.

“Allofthat has lent itself to the increaseinvelocity Andwitha guylikethat, whoreally knows howto pitch, can throw 4or5pitches for strikeswhenever he wants,thatuptick in velocitymakes everything else just playupinthe arsenal a little bit better.”

Butarguably themost importantaspect of Guidry’s early success has been his newperspective on the game. The work he’sdone over thepast12months didn’tjust change his body

It also freed his mind.

“If somebodygets me and Idon’tthrow well, Ican live withitjust because Idid everything that Ipossibly could,” Guidry said. “I can lookmyselfinthe mirror andknowthatthere wasn’t anything else that Icould do

“And Ithink for any young kids outthere that want to know what competing is, like that’swhatultimate freedom is on themound or in the box or in any sport. If you feel like you are fully preparedand there’snothingelsethatyou could have done to prepare yourself, then you can just go out there and compete. That’s thefun part.”

recently lost to Southern 8-5.

Howard’stop pitchers areAiko Conaway (1-2, 1save, 4.63) and Julia Hart (2-0, 3.13, 1save, 15.2 IP, 13 K). At theplate, Lauryn Jones (.538, 3RBIs), Cheyenne Castille (.329, 3 RBIs) and Taylor Ames-Alexander (.393, 3HRs, 9RBIs).

Michigan State is also 6-3, including losses to Auburn 9-6 and two to Charlotte. The Spartans also have wins over No. 13 Clemson 5-2, BYU 8-4 and Pitt 9-7.

The teamERA is 5.16 with 30 walks and35strikeouts in 59.2 innings. Offensively,the Spartans are hitting .269 with sevenhomers,led by Zoei Bernard(.355, 3 RBIs)and Syden Deloszycki (.355, 7RBIs).

LSU enters the tournament 8-4 with wins over North Carolina State, Nevada, OklahomaState and South Alabama and losses to Nebraska 6-0, Duke 5-3 and UCLA 8-0.

WALKER

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been 7-3 except the Pelicans let winnable games against the Milwaukee Bucks and the Charlotte Hornetsslip away The Pelicansare just 15-41 heading into Friday night’s gameinthe Smoothie King Center against theBucks. That’s just slightly better than the13-43 record they had after 56 games last season. That team ayear ago won just eight moregames the rest of the way to finish with the second-fewest wins (21) in an 82-game season in franchisehistory.This team should be able to eclipse 21 wins. Trey Murphy madeit clear the team isn’tquittingonthe season, despite thecircumstances. The team’sgoals?

“Tocontinue to get better,continue to make strides in theright direction,” Murphy said. “That’s really all you can control, is how well you can play Idon’tbelieve in wasting time or wasting days. So, going out there trying to

UL

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early,” Deggs said Monday “That stuff happens.”

The other two hitters batting over .300 are the two true freshman starters, ColtBrown (.313, 2RBIs) at catcher andBlaze Rodriguez (.308, 4RBIs) at shortstop.

“They’ve got agood internal clock, and they actually do agreat jobofleading,” Deggs said of the freshmen starters. “The ability’s there.It’sjust amatter of them getting alittlebit moregame experience under theirbelt, but theability’sthere.

The only other player hitting over .250 is William Carey transfer second baseman RigobertoHernandez (.267, 1HR, 2RBIs).

The expected rotation is the same as the first week-

The Tigers are hitting .280 with seven homers —led by Jalia Lassiter (.471, 1HR, 9RBIs) and Sierra Daniel (.429, 9RBIs). In the circle, LSU has a3.05 ERA with 29 walks and 58 strikeouts in 73.1 innings —led by Jayden Heavener (2-2, 2.96, 23.2 IP,26K). Missouri enters the weekend 4-7 withlossestoOregon 3-0, South Alabama 5-4(11), UCLA6-5 and Northwestern 3-0 and awin over ranked Duke 5-4. Houston is off to an 8-1 start with the lone loss to Penn State 10-2 and wins over Michigan 10-9 and Pitt 6-3. “Six games in threedaysisa lot,” Habetz said. “We’re going to get someanswers. We’ll definitely see who is ready to play and who the competitors are. Iwant the competitors to step up, despite the adversity and go play.”

Email KevinFoote at kfoote@theadvocate.com.

wingames and get better is my goal either way.I think that’sjust the goal foreverybody and the organization as awhole.”

Despite how rough things have been this season, there’splenty to pay attention to. Questions about the franchise’sfuture could be answered based on what happens downthe stretch. And yes, there are plenty of questions.

n In what could be his final audition, can Borrego do enough to get the interim tag removed from his job title? Borrego, who replaced Willie Green after Green was fired 12 games into the season, is 13-29 since taking over.Borrego is 5-5 with the lineup of Murphy,Herb Jones, Zion Williamson, Saddiq Bey and Derik Queen. Borrego is 10-11 in games Jones has played.

n What type of impact will Dejounte Murray have after spending the past year rehabbing his torn Achilles suffered last season? Murray is expected to return within aweek.

n Can rookies Jeremiah Fears and Derik Queen continue to grow and develop?

n Will Jordan Poole, the

end, with Ty Roman on Friday, Andrew Herrmannin gametwo and JR Tollett in the series finale.

“He’sacool customer,” Deggs said of Roman’sfirst outing. “I mean, his intent was there, and he was able to execute pitches when he had to. And we made some plays behind him.”

Despitearough startto the season forthe bullpen with17hits, six walks and 17 runs in 10 inningsin the first twogames, Deggs maintains “the stuff is there …the makings are there.”

That seemed to be the case in Tuesday’swin over Rice when Bryce Wilson, Tyler Papenbrock and Cody Brasch combined for six strikeouts, two hits and onewalkover3.1 shutout innings.

“He’savery mature kid,” Deggs said of Papenbrock and Brasch. “He’sgot a really good arm, and he’s

second-highest-paid player on the roster,continue to stack DNPsbeside his name? He hasn’tplayed in the past nine games.

n Will Zion Williamson, whohas played in acareerhigh 30 straight games, continue to be as available as he hasbeen?

These next 26 games will tellus. What’sa realisticgoal?

“I’m adelusionalguy whenitcomes to stuff like that,” Bey said. “I would neversit here andsay we’vegot to go 13-13. We playMilwaukee(Friday) Let’stry to beat Milwaukee. We playPhilly the next day. Let’stry to beat Philly.And just see what happens.”

After theteam’slossto theMiami Heat before the All-Star break,Borrego encouraged his players to enjoy thetime offand come back readytowork “This grouphas been through alot this season to this point,” Borregosaid. “I love thebattletheyare showing; thegrowth they are showing. We have to come back andbeready to go.” Yes, even in aseason that’sgoing nowhere.

certainly gonna help us, no doubt about it.

“With Brasch, it’sspecial; he’s aspecialarm talent.We just got to do abetter job of laying in that breaking pitchand being able to set up that breaking ball and get in somebetter counts.” Maryland is expected to startthreeright-handers over the weekend in Lance Williams (1-0, 1.80 ERA) on Friday, Nic Morlang (3 IP, 4Ks) in game two and Jake Yeager (0-0,2.25) on Sunday Offensively,the Terrapins arehitting .285 so far as ateam –led by catcher Rylen Stockton (.500, 1 HR, 2RBIs), left fielder BraydenMartin (.438, 2 HRs,9RBIs,4 SBs) and first baseman Paul Jones (.429, 1HR, 3RBIs). Maryland is 3-1 after taking twoofthree from UNCWilmington last weekend before beating Georgetown 16-3 Wednesday

Email Koki Rileyatkoki riley@theadvocate.com For more LSU sports updates, sign up forour

U.S. women strike gold

American hockey team tops Canada on Keller’s OT goal

BY JOHN WAWROW AP hockey writer

STOLZ STUNNED IN 1,500 METERS: U.S speedskater Jordan Stolz’s late push wasn’t enough. The American star settled for silver in the 1,500 meters, missing a chance to secure a third gold medal at the Milan Cortina Games.

China’s Ning Zhongyan won Thursday’s race in an Olympic-record time of 1 minute, 41.98 seconds.

The 21-year-old Stolz, who won gold medals in the 500 and 1,000 at these Games, crossed 0.77 seconds later As Stolz glided by, hands on his knees, Ning raised his country’s flag aloft with both hands and started a victory lap.

Stolz, a Wisconsin native, will participate in the mass start on Saturday.

Dutch skater Kjeld Nuis, who won the 1,500 at the past two Olympics, took bronze.

U.S., CANADA MEN ADVANCE TO HOCKEY SEMIFINALS: In Milan, when the U.S. gave up a tying goal to Sweden with 91 seconds left in the quarterfinals at the Olympics, even the most seasoned players were on edge.

“That’s as nervous as I’ve been ever in a hockey game,” Dylan Larkin said. When Canada was trailing Czechia with under four minutes left, guys with gold medals and Stanley Cup rings started to feel butterflies.

After plenty of nerves, the U.S. and Canada are moving on to the semifinals, though it took a roller coaster of emotions to get there Quinn Hughes scored in overtime to put the U.S. past Sweden 2-1 after Mika Zibanejad scored to tie it late “Just relief,” Hughes said.

Earlier Wednesday, Nick Suzuki tied it for Canada late in regulation against Czechia, and Mitch Marner won it 4-3 in overtime to avoid what would have been a stunning early exit.

GU ADVANCES TO HALFPIPE FINAL

DESPITE FALL: Reigning Olympic champion Eileen Gu shook off a fall during her opening run to advance to Saturday’s final in freeski halfpipe. The 22-year-old Gu was born in the United States and competes for China. She clipped the lip of the halfpipe on the third trick of her first run, knocking her left ski off and sending her skittering to the bottom of the course.

That set up a pressure-packed second attempt that run earned 86.50 points, good enough to place fifth among the 12 skiers who advanced to the final.

U.S., CANADA REACH WOMEN’S

CURLING SEMIFINALS: The United States and Canada advanced to the women’s curling semifinals

The U.S., skipped by Tabitha Peterson, beat Switzerland 7-6 in a match that went to an extra end.The teams will play again in Friday’s semifinals. Peterson threw the decisive rock and her teammates swept it into position, just a hair closer to the button than the Swiss’ nearest stone. Canada beat South Korea 10-7 and will play Sweden on Friday.

MILAN Megan Keller back-

handed in a shot 4:07 into overtime and the United States won its third Olympic gold medal in women’s hockey, beating Canada 2-1 at the Milan Cortina Games on Thursday night to close another thrilling chapter of one of sports’ most heated rivalries.

American captain Hilary Knight, in her fifth and final Olympics, forced overtime by tipping in Laila Edwards’ shot from the blue line with 2:04 remaining. The goal was the 15th of her Olympic career and 33rd point to break the U.S record in both categories. With the sides playing 3-on-3, Keller broke up the left wing and pushed past Claire Thompson. Driving to the net, the U.S. assistant captain got off a backhander that beat Ann-Renee Desbiens over her right pad.

“I’m lost for words,” Keller said. “This is an incredible feeling I love these girls so much. This group deserves it. Just the effort and the faith that we kept through this four-year journey is something very special.”

The U.S. previously won gold at the 1998 Nagano Games, the first to feature women’s hockey and in 2018 in Pyeongchang. Canada, which won the other five gold medals, settled for its third silver Aerin Frankel stopped 30 shots for the U.S. Kristen O’Neill scored a shorthanded goal for Canada and Desbiens finished with 31 saves. This was the seventh of 12 Olympic meetings between the rivals to be decided by one goal and the third to go past regulation. Canada overcame a late 2-1 deficit to beat the U.S. 3-2 on Marie-Philip Poulin’s overtime goal

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By

Megan Keller of the United States celebrates after scoring the winning goal against Canada during overtime of the women’s gold medal game on Thursday in Milan, Italy.

at the 2014 Sochi Games. The U.S. won 3-2 in 2018 when Jocelyne Lamoureux scored in a shootout.

Although the final couldn’t have been closer, the Americans were dominant in Milan, going 7-0 and outscoring their opponents by a combined 33-2.

Canada pushed the U.S. to the brink just nine days after it was beaten 5-0 by the Americans in the preliminary round.

O’Neill’s goal 54 seconds into the second period ended the Americans’ shutout streak of 5 hours, 52 minutes and 17 seconds, dating to the second period of a 5-1 opening win over Czechia. The U.S. had not trailed in the tournament.

As fans alternated chants of “USA! and “Ca-na-da,” Canada was within grasp of its sixth gold medal. The U.S. pulled Frankel

Liu gives U.S. 1st gold in women’s figure skating since ’02 Games

BY DAVE SKRETTA AP sportswriter

MILAN Alysa Liu delivered the U.S. its first women’s figure skating Olympic gold medal in 24 years, performing a near-flawless free skate Thursday night in a glittering golden dress to upstage Japanese rivals Kaori Sakamoto and Ami Nakai at the Milan Cortina Games.

The 20-year-old from the San Francisco Bay Area, who had walked away from the sport after the Beijing Games four years ago only to launch a remarkable comeback, finished with a career-best 226.79 points Nakai and Sakamoto, skating right behind her, each made a mistake on a combination sequence, and that made the difference in the medals. Sakamoto had 224.90 points to earn a silver to go with her bronze from Beijing. Nakai finished third with 219.16 points.

The moment Nakai’s score was read after the final program of the night, teammate Amber Glenn jumped onto the kiss-and-cry stand and raised Liu’s hand in triumph. Liu sheepishly turned and applauded the 17-year-old Nakai, who raced over and hugged her It’s the first gold medal for an American woman since 2002, when Sarah Hughes stood atop the podium in Salt Lake City Glenn finished in fifth behind Mone Chiba of Japan, a stunning rebound from a disastrous short program Tuesday night. Her season-best free skate gave a score of 214.91 points, and just about landed her on the podium as well. Glenn pumped her first and fought back tears when her score was read, then she took a seat in the new “leader’s chair.” She wound up sitting there for quite a while.

for an extra attacker with 2:23 left, and Knight converted 19 seconds later Edwards slapped a low shot at the net that Knight tipped in through her legs and past Desbiens.

This was the first Olympics for Edwards, the first Black woman to represent the U.S in hockey

“We knew we had it in us, and Hil came up big with that tying goal,” Keller said. “I think just a lot of belief in our group. We wanted to play to win.”

For defending Olympic champion Canadians, this was considered a last hurrah for their aging core led by Marie-Philip Poulin.

“Captain Clutch” and her teammates showed resolve by pushing the Americans to the brink.

Canada hardly looked overmatched in the first period, and O’Neill opened the scoring by

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By FRANCISCO SECO

Alysa Liu of the United States competes during the figure skating free program on Thursday in Milan.

Through an ice resurfacing. And through eight programs by other skaters, including American teammate Isabeau Levito, whose fall on her opening triple flip in an otherwise elegant performance kept her from taking over the top spot herself.

Adeliia Petrosian, the 18-year-old Russian competing as a neutral athlete at the Milan Cortina Games, tried the only quadruple jump during the women’s competition but fell on the quad toe loop. She was clean the rest of the way, but the points Petrosian lost on that fall ended up leaving her less than a half-point behind the leader

It was Chiba the ninth skater to follow Glenn that finally took over first place.

That didn’t last long with Liu next on the ice.

capping a 2-on-1 short-handed break early in the second. Canada kept pressing its attack and had several chances in overtime. A minute before Keller’s goal, Sarah Fillier moved up the right wing only to have her shot stopped by Frankel, with the puck landing in the crease.

The Americans extended their winning streak against Canada to eight. It began with two wins at the world championships in April, including the gold medal game.

The U.S. then swept a four-game exhibition series by a combined margin of 26-7.

The U.S., under coach John Wroblewski, revamped much of its roster from the team that lost 3-2 to Canada at the 2022 Beijing Games. This team featured just 11 returning players and seven who are still in college.

Crosby’s status unclear for semifinals

BY STEPHEN WHYNO AP hockey writer

MILAN Canada is not closing the door on the possibility of Sidney Crosby playing Friday against Finland in the semifinals at the Olympics after leaving the team’s quarterfinal game with an apparent right-leg injury that is still being evaluated. Crosby, Canada’s 38-yearold captain, did not take part in an optional practice Thursday

“Sid is by no means ruled out of the tournament,” coach Jon Cooper said. “We’re taking this day by day. And we’re not going to put anyone in harm’s way But if he can play, he’s definitely going to.

“We’ll know more in 24 hours.’’ Crosby’s right knee buckled bracing for a hit from Czechia’s Radko Gudas five minutes into the second period Wednesday night, he left the game and did not return.

“He had six points in three preliminary round games, and his absence would create a void in even a lineup as deep and talented as Canada’s.

“It’s almost impossible to fill the player void, but we’ll do our best,” defenseman Drew Doughty said. “Guys got to step up.”

MLBplayers’union on course fortough talks

Afterthe forced resignation of head Clark, players’ unionholdsstrong

BY RONALD BLUM and DAVID BRANDT AP baseball writers

SURPRISE,Ariz. Bruce Meyer was promoted to interim executive director of the baseball players’ association on Wednesday,aday after Tony Clark’sforced resignation.

It was amove for continuity ahead of the likely start in April of what figures to be contentious collective bargainingwith team owners.

Matt Nussbaum was promoted to interim deputy executive director from generalcounsel.

The decisions were made by the Major League Baseball Players Association executive board during an online meeting. Both votes were unanimous.

“Bruce and Mattare talented and experienced and respected by players,” said Scott Boras,an agent for many top stars. “Players trust their leadership tocontinue to advance the longstanding positions of the MLBPA.”

A64-year-old veteran labor lawyer,Meyerjoinedthe union staff in 2018 and led negotiations through a99-day lockout that led to afive-year agreement in March 2022. The deal barely avoidedwhatwould have been the first loss of regular-season games since 1995. He was promoted to deputy executive director inJuly 2022.

Meyer spent 30 years at Weil, Gotshal &Manges before joining theNHL PlayersAssociation in 2016 as senior director of collective bargaining, policyand legal.

Threemembers of theunion’s eight-man executive subcommittee, Jack Flaherty,Lucas Giolito and Ian Happ, were among the players who in March 2024 advocated for the ouster of Meyer in an effort ledbyformerunionlawyer Harry Marino. Clark backed Meyer,the effort failedand those three players were dropped off the subcommittee that December

The subcommittee voted 8-0 againstapproving the2022labor contract and Meyer had advocated pushing management foradeal more favorable to the union. Team player representatives, the group supervising negotiations, voted 26-4 in favor,leaving the overall ballot at 26-12 for ratification.

The current subcommitteeincludes ChrisBassitt, Jake Cronenworth, Pete Fairbanks, Cedric Mullins, Marcus Semien, Paul Skenes, Tarik Skubal andBrent Suter

Aformer All-Star first baseman who headed theunion since 2013, Clark resigned Tuesday just months ahead of theexpected start of bargaining for alabor contract to replace the deal that expires Dec. 1.

He was askedtoresign by the subcommittee after an investigation by the union’soutside counsel discovered evidence Clarkhad an inappropriate relationship with his sister-in-law,aunion employee since 2023, aperson familiar with the union’sdeliberations told The Associated Press. The person spokeonconditionofanonymity because that detail was not announced.

“The information that really led to this cameout within the last 72 hours or so,”Meyersaid earlier Wednesday.“So thisisnot something that has been kind of sat on. When the information cameout, the players on the subcommittee made their feelings known. And Tony,tohis credit, he’salways been about the players first and Tony decided to take the action he did in the interest of the players.”

Clarkdid notrespond to atext message seeking comment.

The startofthe annualtourof spring training camps by union officials was pushed back aday andbegan Wednesdaywith the KansasCityRoyals.

“Just on apersonal level Ithink we’reall fairly devastated by things that have happened in the last 48, 72 hours,” Meyer said.

“I’m not going to go beyond that in terms of personal feelings, butit’s fair to say that we were all personally upset, concerned about Tony But Ithink this was something thatthe players determinedhad to happen at this particular point in time.”

Meyer,hired by Clark in 2018, headed the 2021-22 negotiations that ledtoanagreement on March 10 thatendeda99-day lockout. Meyer was promoted to deputy executive director in July 2022.

“I don’tanticipate that anybody’s goingtobeleading negotiations other than me,” Meyer said.

Clark’s departure took place during aprobebythe U.S. Attorney in Brooklyn, NewYork, into the union’srelationship with OneTeamPartners, alicensing companyfoundedbythe union, the NFL Players Association and RedBirdCapital Partnersin2019.

“There have been some issues hanging over,asyou know, and in some respects it’s good to get them out of the way sooner rather than later,” Meyer said.

“OneTeam and its employees are not, and have never been, targets of theEastern District of NewYork’sinvestigation and have been fully cooperative,” the company said in astatement.

“Any reporting that characterizes the EDNY investigation as targeting OneTeam is inaccurate.”

Meyer said the union’sentire executive board of 72 players was eligible to vote for executive director: the executive subcommittee, 30 majorleague team player representatives and 34 minor leaguers, who have been represented by the union since 2022.

MLB appearsontrack to propose asalary cap, which possibly could lead to awork stoppage that causes regular-season games to be canceled forthe first time since 1995.

“Wedon’texpect anything to change in terms of bargaining,” Meyer said. “We’ve been preparing forbargaining for years. Playershave been preparing. Players knowwhat’scoming. At the end of the day leadership is important andleadership comes and goes, but whatremains is the players. At the end of the day,it’sthe players who determine the direction of the union.Atthe end of the day, it’sthe players who determine our priorities and bargaining. Those priorities obviously have not changed and will not change.”

The union said it will resist asal-

arycap.

“Our position and thehistoric position of this union for decades on asalarycap is well known,” Meyer said.“It’sthe ultimate restriction. It’ssomething that owners in all the sports have wanted more than anything and in baseball in particular there’sareason forthat,because it’s good for them and not good for players. Meyer spent 30 years at Weil, Gotshal&Manges before joining theNHL PlayersAssociation in 2016 as senior directorofcollective bargaining, policy and legal. He wouldn’tdirectly address whetherthe union intends to restrict thehiring of family members.

“I think it’sfair to saythereare issues that will be addressed,” Meyer said. “There are various issuesthatwillbeevaluated,reevaluated with the advice of counsel and, as always, at thedirection of players.”

Nussbaum, 47, succeeded Ian Penny as general counsel in July 2022. He was hired by the union in 2011 as staff counsel.

Acomiccelebration

Mid City Micro-Con will retur ntothe Main Library at Goodwood from10a.m. to 4p.m. Saturday. In the spotlight are diverse and inclusivecomics, creators and fans. Alsolook for theartist’s alley, workshops with content creators and cosplayshowand tell. ebrpl.co/MicroCon

LIVING

PROVIDED PHOTO

David Louviere, left, is the barber

SweeneyTodd and GabbyCario is meat pieshop owner Mrs.Lovett in the Sullivan Theater’sproduction of ‘SweeneyTodd:The Demon Barber of Fleet Street.’

Double debut

‘Sweeney Todd’ wreaks havoc at Sullivan; UpStage celebrates Coretta ScottKing

BY ROBIN MILLER Staff writer

TheSullivan Theaterand UpStageTheatre are opening plays this weekend, eachwithwholly diverse themes.

Check them out here:

‘Sweeney Todd’

Heath McNeese smiles when asked about the secret chair

It’sthe chair the barber will use to disposeofhis victimsafter he slits their throats with astraight razor under the guise of giving them ashave.

His name is SweeneyTodd, and McNeese is directing the Sullivan Theater’sproduction of Stephen Sondheim’smusical named forthe barber

The show’sfull title is “Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street,” and it opens Friday at the theater,8849Sullivan Road, Central. And even those who haven’tseen astage or movie versionofthis story are probably familiar with the barber’ssecret chair. Once Sweeney’sdone “shaving” aclient, he pulls alever,which tips the client out of achair and down achute.

It’sachute that leads to Mrs. Lovett’spie shop, where hermeat piesseem to have increased in volume. And, well, you canguess the rest.

“Sweeney Todd”premiered at Broadway’sUris Theatrein1979.

ä See DEBUT, page 8C

AREA STAGES

Sullivan Theater’s ‘SweeneyTodd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street’ Friday-Sunday; and ThursdaysSundays, Feb.26-March 1and March 5-8. Sundaymatinees start at 2p.m. All other shows startat7:30 p.m. ● Sullivan Theater,8849 Sullivan Road, Central ● $28-$39 ● sullivantheater.com

UpStageTheatre’s‘ASong for Coretta’

3p.m. and 7p.m. Saturday, 3p.m. Sundayand 3p.m. Sunday, March 1 ● UpStageTheatre, 1713 Wooddale Blvd. ● $25 ● upstagetheatre.biz

Lifeafter ‘SaturdayNight Live’ has led Jim Breuer to

STORY OF HIS LIFE

‘FIND THE COMEDY’

ComedianJim Breuer’sstandup tour ● 8p.m.

Saturday ● L’AubergeCasino &Hotel’sEvent Center, Baton Rouge ● $32.30 ● ticketmaster. com

PROVIDED PHOTOByKyLE WOESSNER

tours, podcasts and youTube projects.

Comedian JimBreuerbringstourtoBaton Rouge

BYJUDYBERGERON

Staff writer

His name might not ring abell, but hisface is unforgettable.

That beakish nose, eyes that seem perpetually glazed, and facial muscles so pliable its contortions look effortless.

Comedian Jim Breuer ran the“Saturday NightLive” gauntlet from 1995 to 1998, gaining fame on theweekly live sketch comedy series for his “Goatboy” character and dead-on impersonations of Joe Pesci, Jack Nicholson and rock music icon AC/DC’s Brian Johnson. Breuer,anative New Yorker, dabbledinmovies for awhile, most notably in the1998 Dave Chappellestarring “Half Baked.” Breuer swears that hisface got him cast in the“ston-

BYJUDYBERGERON Staff writer

Expect to see four-legged Hermiones, Dumbledoresand Voldemorts strutting around on Sunday as the Mystic Krewe of Mutts parades in downtown Baton Rouge. “Hairy Pawter,” anod to the fantasy epic book andfilm series, is the themefor theCapital Area Animal Welfare Society event, which offers activities catered to canines throughout the day.It’sthe largest annual fundraiser for CAAWS. Owners cansignuptheir dogs for

er comedy” because, as Chappelle pointed out,“Youalways look stoned.” He also voiced Crow in the2011 starpacked, Kevin James-led comedy “Zookeeper.”

At 58, the husband and father of three grown daughters has settled in Naples, Florida, and into hosting podcasts, YouTube series and theoccasional standup shows around thecountry. His “Find theComedy” tour hits Baton Rouge on Saturday for an 8p.m. set at L’Auberge Casino &Hotel’s Event Center.Tickets startat$32.30 at ticketmaster.com. Here, he talksabout what the local audience can expect and what lifeis like now Theinterview has been edited for clarity and length. Will youbeincorporating anyBaton Rougejokes into your show?

Yes, before theshow,Iusually hit a

the parade up and down North Boulevard and/or the dog costumecontest. Registration, which includes fees,ismandatory and accessible at caaws.org.Somemay prefer to just bring their four-legged friends downtowntodog-and peoplewatch. Here’sthe schedule for the day: n 10 a.m.to 4p.m.: Bark in the Park, Galvez Plaza (featuring local vendorsincludingbusinesses, food vendors, food trucks and nonprofit organizations) n 11 a.m.to11:45 a.m.: Baton Rouge Police Department K-9 demonstra-

downtownarea, and Iwalk around. I like hitting coffee shops, Ilike having lunch in town. Ieither listen to conversations or Ijust try to get the feel of the area. And that’susually my opening couple minutesoftrying to get the local feel before Ilaunch into what Ihave loosely planned for the evening. Forpeople considering whether or not to bring children, what wouldbethe show’sparental rating? Inever suggest small kids, and only because they can’tunderstand half the material. But Icall it PG-13. And the only reason Isay PG-13 is morethe awareness. Idon’tcurse. Idon’tswear. I’mnot going to go into subjects that makeyou cringe. Ihaven’tbeen doing that for15years or so, maybe more. …Sonoworries forbringing younger people.

ä See COMEDIAN, page 8C

tion, Galvez Plaza n Noonto1 p.m.: Dog CostumeContest, Galvez Plaza

Anonprofit organization marking its 45th year,CAAWS is “committed to the well-being of animals in the Baton Rougecommunity,facilitatingthe adoption of homelessanimals, teaching the community responsible companion animal ownership and the humane treatment of animals,and at alltimespromoting thepractice of spay/neuter.” FormoreonCAAWS,including how to be aparade sponsor,goto caaws.org.

onto

and

disbanding at

Email Judy Bergeron at jbergeron@theadvocate.com.

Don’tpickatthe produceplease

Dear Heloise: Ifrequently see fellow shoppers in the grocery store produce section who snatch and eat bits of items there —grapes, cherries, blueberries, blackberries, little peppers, and even asmall apple one day.While individual instances are minuscule, this “grazing” over time can have asignificant impact on inventory costs, which jacks up the prices that we all pay.Oh, by the way,itisalso shoplifting theft …stealing. Don’tdo it.

Hints from Heloise

—Jim R., in Houston Jim, it’salso unsanitary Younever know how many unwashed hands have touched the tomatoes or grapes. With germs being easily transmitted through the bacteria on our hands, it’s dangerous. Just as areminder,before you putaway your groceries, washyour hands. Ask yourself, “How many things did Itouch at the grocery store?” We not only leave bacteria, we also bring it home. —Heloise Anurse explains

Dear Heloise: This is in response to comments about

By The Associated Press

Today is Friday,Feb. 20, the 51st day of 2026.There are 314 days left in the year

Todayinhistory:

On Feb. 20, 1962, astronaut John Glenn became the first American to orbit the Earth, circling the globe three times aboardProject Mercury’sFriendship 7 spacecraft in aflight lasting 4hours and 55 minutes beforesplashing downsafely in the Atlantic Ocean. Also on this date: In 1905, the U.S. Supreme Court, in Jacobson v. Massachusetts, upheld, 7-2, compulsory vaccination laws intended to protect the public’shealth.

In 1907, President Theodore Rooseveltsigned an immigration act which excluded “idiots, imbeciles,

DEBUT

Continued from page7C

The story is acombination of dark comedy,thriller and gothic horror paired with challenging music.

“First of all,everyone loves Sondheim, and Ithink over the last couple of years, Sullivan has taken on shows that are challenging,” McNeese said. “Last year we did ‘Hunchback of Notre Dame,’ which typically you see on bigger stages, and we were prettysuccessful in pulling it off. So, Ithink the next big step is to see if we cantake on ashow that is technically challenging fromaset standpoint, as well as from amusic standpoint and an acting standpoint.”

The character of Sweeney Todd first appeared in the 19th-century serialized story, “The String of Pearls.” He reappeared in Christopher Bond’s1970 play,“Sweeney Todd,” which was adapted into the stage musical.

The story is setonthe dirty streets beneath the eternally gray sky of London. Sweeney is rescued at sea and brought to aLondondock, wherehe tells his rescuer his story of having been anaive barber who once had abeautifullife. But apowerful, corrupt judge lusted after Sweeney’s wife and promptly removed him from the picture. Sweeney then wanders onto Fleet Street, where he walks into the meat pie shop owned by the widow Mrs. Lovett. Mrs. Lovett laments the scarcity of meat for her pies. Sweeney swears to get revenge on the judge. So, the duo forms areciprocal business, where Sweeney serves his customers upstairs, then sends them downstairs for Mrs. Lovett’sspecial treatment. “As aperson, Iwould say Sweeney is you or me,” said David Louviere, who plays the title character.“Ithink

arrivingearly for doctor’s appointments. First,the patient needs to check in at thefrontdesk to verify their name,address,insurance, etc. There may be paperwork or forms to sign Then themedical assistant/nurse brings the patient into the exam room to go overthings like medication, allergies, pharmacies, etc. Then they check thepatient’svital signs.Bythen, thepatientshould beready for the provider to come in. If theappointment is for 10 a.m., thepatientshould have already gonethrough the stepsabove so that the providercouldsee the patient by 10 a.m. Theseare the main reasons to arrive early for medical appointments.

Iamaretired registered nurse andworked in doctors’ offices, so Ihavefirsthand experiencewiththis Occasionally,the provider runs late. Sometimes it is due to patients arriving late, which ends up causing asnowballeffect with the schedule. In these cases, it’s respectful for the staff to

TODAYINHISTORY

feeble-minded persons, epileptics, insanepersons,” among others, from being admitted to the United States In 1998, American Tara Lipinski, age 15, became the youngest-ever Olympic figure skating goldmedalist when she won theladies’ title at theNaganoOlympic Winter Games; American teammate Michelle Kwan took silver In 2003, afire sparked by pyrotechnics brokeout duringa concert by the rock group Great White at The Station nightclubinWest Warwick,Rhode Island, killing 100 people andinjuring over 200 others. In 2016, aMichiganman shot and killed six strangers and wounded two others over several hours in the Kalamazoo area in

oneofthe intriguing points of thischaracter for me is that at first glance, he kind of seems like this terrible villain —he’ssomething kindof far out of reach, almost likea caricature. And whenpeople initially hearthe story on the surface, it evokes acaricatureofthis evil manwielding ablade, just killing people on awhim.”

But Louviere learned in his high school days, when he first watcheda stage production of“Sweeney,” that the barberismore than just avillain.

“If you followthe story you’ll see he’salot deeper than that,”hesaid.“He really is. Yousee fromthe start that he’sareally good family guy.He’sthe guy thateverybody wantstobearound.He hadawonderful wife, and he wanted to work hard and provide forhis family. He loved deeply,and Ithink that that puts theaccentonhis loss. That strikes achord with how any one of us couldbe one disaster away from becomingsomething we never thought we could become.”

Meanwhile, Gabby Cario plays Mrs. Lovett, arole she’sdreamed of playing since her college daysat NewYork University

“I was assigned this part for aclass in college,” she said. “I love that Mrs. Lovett is notyour average female lead. She’sabit of avillain, anti-hero,and shekindof hasthis Lady Mfeel to her, where she is truly evil,but forher,it’swhatshe needs to do to getby. Ijustlove the challenge of finding thehumanity in herand like how I can bringthat to thestage.”

Wouldit be aspoilertoreveal that Mrs. Lovett carries atorch for Sweeney? Probably not.But asfor what happens in their partnership,you’llhave to make a trip to the SullivanTheater to find out

‘A Song forCoretta’ The last time UpStage

keep thepatients informed. —Esther M., aretired registered nurse

Closingthe drapes

Dear Heloise: Ihave atip for light-sensitive travelers, like me,who are frustrated by motelroom drapes thatnever quiteclose enough to keep out the parking lot lights: Binder clips! Toss a couple of extra ones in your bag. They takeupalmost no room and are easy to install and remove. Andyou won’t leave them behind because you will want toopen the drapes in themorning.

Ialso use abinder clip to hold thefolded-up end of plastic toothpastetubes as Iuse them up. Thanks for your great column! —Peg,in Pennsylvania Peg,one time while traveling, the hotel drapes did not close, and there was a solid 10-inch gap between thedrapes. Igrabbed the hangers withclips for men’s trousers and got the drapes to close by clipping them together with the hanger.Atleast Ihad some privacy! —Heloise

Send ahinttoheloise@ heloise.com.

between picking up passengersfor aride service. (Jason Dalton pleaded guilty in 2019 and was sentenced to life in prison without parole.)

Today’sbirthdays: Racing Hall of Famer Roger Penske is 89. Hockey Hall of Famer Phil Esposito is 84. Republican Sen. Mitch McConnell of Kentucky is 84. Film director Mike Leigh is 83. Actor Brenda Blethyn is 80. Actor Sandy Duncan is 80. Basketball Hall of Famer Charles Barkley is 63. Model Cindy Crawford is 60. Actor Andrew Shue is 59. Actor Lili Taylor is 59. Singer Brian Littrell (Backstreet Boys) is 51. Actor Lauren Ambrose is 48. Actor Jay Hernandez is 48. MLB pitcher Justin Verlander is 43. Comedian-TV host Trevor Noah is 42.

Theatre performed Pearl Cleage’splay, “A Song for Coretta,” was in 2009.

Theproduction, which was inspiredbyfootageof Coretta Scott King’s funeral, not only was apremiere for the companybut also thestate.

UpStage will open the playagain on Saturday on its stage at 1713 Wooddale Blvd.Audiences willlearn howKing aspiredtobea professional classical concert singer beforemarrying civil rightsleader Martin Luther King Jr.She gave up that dream to work at her reverendhusband’s side when his ministry ventured outside church walls and intothe streets.

King continued to spread her husband’smessage of racial equalityafter his death by an assassin’sbullet on April4,1968,and didn’t stop untilher own death in 2006. This is the point in the play where audiences join thefive women in mourning outside of Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta.

The play premiered Feb 15, 2007, in Spelman College’sBaldwin Burroughs Theatre in Atlanta,and focuses on interaction among the five women,each from differentbackgrounds and experiences.

One is apregnant teen, another aU.S. Army medic on furlough from atour in Iraq and yetanother is avictim of Hurricane Katrina.The cast is rounded out by an older woman who knew Coretta Scott King and a student reporter from Spelman College working on a storyfor National Public Radio.

Thelineislong, andthe five mourners stand at the end. Rain begins falling as the clock edgesintomidnight,but thefive mourners are determined to pay their respects.

Will their perseverance see them through?Find out at UpStage Theatre.

FRIDAY

LIVE MUSIC: Cane River Pecan CompanyPie Bar,New Iberia, 5p.m

DUELING PIANOS: Adopted DogBrewing,Lafayette, 6p.m

JACK WOODSON: Charley G’sSeafood Grill, Lafayette, 6p.m

FRIDAYNIGHT JAMS: City of Scott, 6p.m

LIVE MUSIC: Jim Deggy’s Brick Oven Pizza&Brewery, Lafayette, 6p.m

LIVE MUSIC: Naq’s-n-Duson Duson,6 p.m.

LIVE MUSIC: Prejean’s,Broussard, 6p.m

RIVER SMOOTH BAND: Buck &Johnny’s, Breaux Bridge, 6:30 p.m.

THE CAST: SHUCKS!, Abbeville, 6:30 p.m.

SKYDADDY, ISMONIC, & INNER ANGUISH: The Loose Caboose, Lafayette, 7p.m

KALEB OLIVIER TRIO: Silver Slipper, Arnaudville, 7p.m

AMIS DU TECHE: Hideaway on Lee, Lafayette, 8p.m

LIVE MUSIC: The Barrel of Broussard, Broussard, 8p.m.

SATURDAY

CAJUN JAM: Moncus Park Lafayette, 9a.m

SATURDAY MORNING JAM

SESSIONS: The SavoyMusic Center,Eunice,9 a.m.

CAJUN JAM: Tante Marie, Breaux Bridge, 11 a.m.

STEP RIDEAU&THE ZYDECO

OUTLAWS: Buck &Johnny’s, Breaux Bridge, 8a.m

JAMMIN’ ON THE BAYOU: St.Landry Visitor Center, Opelousas, 1p.m

CAJUN FRENCH MUSIC JAM: Vermilionville, Lafayette, 1p.m

AUDREY BROUSSARD: Charley G’sSeafood Grill, Lafayette, 6p.m

LIVE MUSIC: Jim Deggy’s Brick Oven Pizza&Brewery, Lafayette, 6p.m

CHALAN THIBODEAUX: Prejean’s, Broussard, 6p.m

BUTCH TINKER: Buck & Johnny’s, Breaux Bridge, 6:30 p.m.

COMEDIAN

Continuedfrom page7C

When did you realize that you were funny?

Iwas akid, but also was raised in afunny family Now,the more dysfunctional it is to me,usually the funnier it gets. So at avery young age, Iknew Ihad the ability, Imean, it went all the way to grammar school is when it really started. And yourcomedic style is observational?

Completely.I would say aclean RichardPryor, if thatmakes sense. Because RichardPryorwould make, he would observe life and retell it. That’sall. I’mastoryteller.I live life and thenI turn around and tell it. And whatever’sgoing on in life thateveryone relates to Beinginthe cast of“Saturday Night Live,”otherstalk about how there’sjustnothing as grinding as that,weektoweek.What did you take away from your time on“SNL?” Iknow it sounds crazy, but what Itook away from it mostly was Iwanted to controlmyown destiny in my career and be at home more after thatshow,and set my own pace in life and in this business.

Do you still pursue film roles? Inever really got todo

DAREL GROS: SHUCKS!, Abbeville,6:30 p.m

KEITH MEYERS: TapRoom, Youngsville,6:30 p.m

JR. DUGAS: Pat’s Atchafalaya Club,Henderson, 7p.m.

THE TAILGATORS BAND: Silver Slipper,Arnaudville, 7p.m.

MATT GARYTRIO: Whiskey and Vine, Lafayette, 7p.m.

PHANTUM SUN/DOUBLE

KNOCKOUT/SICKATHEART/ ELLE HAND THE UNTITLED: Blue Moon Saloon, Lafayette, 8p.m.

HORACE TRAHAN: Hideaway on Lee, Lafayette, 8p.m.

HIGHPERFORMANCE: La PoussiereCajun Dancehall, BreauxBridge,8 p.m

LIVE MUSIC: The Barrel of Broussard, Broussard, 8p.m.

HURRICANE ROAD: Toby’s Lounge,Opelousas, 8:30 p.m

KROSSFYRE: Rock ‘n’ Bowl de Lafayette, Lafayette, 9p.m.

SUNDAY

GLENN ZERINGUE: Whiskey and Vine, Lafayette, 11 a.m.

LIVE MUSIC: TanteMarie, BreauxBridge,11a.m.

LESFRERES MICHOT: Prejean’s, Carencro, 11:30 a.m.

GLENN &FRIENDS SWAMP

POP REVIEW: Vermilionville Lafayette, 1p.m.

CAJUN JAM: BayouTeche Brewing, Arnaudville, 2p.m.

“POINTE NOIRE,” APAT MIRE FILM: Citédes Arts, Lafayette, 2p.m.

JAKE SPINELLA: CharleyG’s Seafood Grill, Lafayette, 6p.m.

SWAMP BLUESREVIVAL: Silver Slipper,Arnaudville 7p.m.

MONDAY

PATRICIO LATINO SOLO: Cafe Habana City, Lafayette, 11 a.m.

SAMSPHAR: CharleyG’s Seafood Grill, Lafayette, 6p.m.

BLUEGRASS JAM: Citédes Arts, Lafayette, 6:30 p.m

LESVUESFILM SERIES: Vermilionville,Lafayette, 6:30 p.m

films Itrulywanted to do, OK.I’m literally at the stage nowwhere Istarted writing more. And honestly, I’m moreintodramedythan anythingI’veeverdone. Back then,I waschasing harder to be in movies and be in thespotlight,where that’sthe last of my desires these days.Tome, I’mmore aboutinspiring,inspiring healing,helping people through withlaughter

So you’rewriting for film now?

I’ve written some. I’m writing onenow,I don’t think I’devenbeinit, to be honest withyou. Ithink I’m too oldtoplaythe part. It’s alot that Iput outa series called“Funny How GodWorks.” It’s on YouTube.Some of those are easily films or TV series and whatever,but that’salot of wheremypassion is,too. They’re very powerful stories, healing andstuff like that. Andall truestories.

In yourpodcast,you tackle some pretty serioustopicsasopposedto, of course,what everybodyknows about yourcomedy.Walk us through that.

Every Tuesday,I livestream on every single social media platform, 8:30 p.m. Eastern (7:30 p.m. Central), completelylive WhenI first started it, Ihit morewhatI callthe noise, andtome, thenoise

TUESDAY

MICHALIS: CharleyG’s Seafood Grill, Lafayette, 6p.m.

PAUL TASSIN: Whiskeyand Vine,Lafayette, 6p.m.

TERRYHUVAL &FRIENDS: Prejean’s Restaurant,Lafayette, 6p.m.

GREENLIGHTSESSIONSOPEN

MIC: Jefferson Street Greenroom, Lafayette, 7p.m.

WEDNESDAY

DULCIMERJAM: St. Landry VisitorCenter,Opelousas, 10 a.m.

ALYSEYOUNG: Park Bistro, Lafayette, 6p.m.

PAUL TASSIN: CharleyG’s Seafood Grill, Lafayette, 6p.m.

ANDREW WAIN &LOGAN

TURNER JAZZ DUO: Whiskey and Vine, Lafayette, 6p.m.

MYLESMIGL: TapRoom, Youngsville,6:30 p.m

CAJUN JAM: Blue Moon Saloon, Lafayette, 8p.m.

THURSDAY

DAVE TRAINER: CharleyG’s Seafood Grill, Lafayette, 6p.m.

LADIESNIGHT WITH DJ DONOVAN IN THE MIX: Cowboys Nightclub, Scott, 6p.m.

LIVE MUSIC: Naq’s-n-Duson, Duson, 6p.m.

ROB SAXY: Whiskeyand Vine,Lafayette, 6p.m.

KIP SONNIER: SHUCKS!, Abbeville,6:30 p.m

DANCING IN THE STREET —MUSIC OF MOTOWN: Heymann Performing Arts Center,Lafayette, 7p.m. “MISALLIANCE” BY GEORGE BERNARD SHAW: Citédes Arts, Lafayette, 7p.m. KARAOKE PARTY—PANDA ENTERTAINMENT: Black Bull, Youngsville,8p.m.

CompiledbyMarchaund Jones.Want yourvenue’s music listed? Email info/ photos to showstowatch@ theadvocate.com. The deadline is noon FRIDAY forthe following Friday’s paper

is news andthe politicsin your face andall that. And then after awhile,it’sextremelyexhausting, andit neverfeelsgood.It’sall just energytodistract us from oureverydayimportance of talking to someoneyou love, helping someone, helping a neighbor. At theend of theday,if I’mhere to help you, Idon’t care who youvoted for. I feel that is waymore importantinthese times for us to getasunited as quickly as possible andtoturnoff that noiseand realizethey’re all bad. Allofthemare bad. There is no left,right.There is no Republican,Democrat. There’sjustpeople taking ourmoney andcontrolling ourlives. Your facial expressionsare just wonderful.Plus,with all the physicalityofyourshow,are you pretty worn outafter that? Always worn out. I’mso tired after ashowbecause Ijustput everything out there and, youknow, twice it’s cost me someserious physical things,where I blewmycalfout on stage. Ipulledhamstringsout on stage, Ipulledmyback out, but Istill, Isprainedmy ankle on stage. Ijustgoall out. Ican’t help it.OnceI’m in it,I’m in it.I can’t stop.So if thecost is tearing acalf, pullingamuscle, so be it

PIscEs (Feb. 20-March 20) Choose the path that capturesyourattention and warmsyour heart. Participateinevents that do their besttohelp thoseless fortunate or acause thatconcerns you.

ARIEs (March 21-April 19) Put everything in context beforeyou choose to speak or make amove. Overreacting will cost you if you aren't careful. Instead, put your skills to work for you and concentrate on cleaning up unfinished business.

tAuRus (April 20-May 20) Hidden matters will rise to the surface, and information revealed willrequire attention Use your charisma to reach out to the powers that be, and an opportunity will present itself.

GEMInI (May 21-June 20) Live, learn and adjust. Your ability to shift from one thing to another is your strength. Refuse to let anyone weakenyou with theirrhetoric or manipulative charm.

cAncER (June 21-July 22) Set high standards and goals, and dodge those pushingnegativity andfake information. What youportrayand offer others is what you will attract in return. Protect your space and your well-being.

LEo (July 23-Aug. 22) Listen to suggestions, live, learn, and love who you are andwhatyou can do. Life choices will make adifference.Educate yourself to be the person you want to be.

VIRGo (Aug. 23-sept. 22) Choosewhat pulls at your heartstrings,and discover

something new about who you are and what you can do.Trust your instincts, share your intentions and make things happen.

LIBRA (sept. 23-oct. 23) Simplicity is the key to taking care of personal business and mapping out aplan that helps you meet your responsibilities. Learnfrom experience, and initiate change.

scoRPIo (oct. 24-nov. 22) Angerisa waste of time. If you want to make a difference, do so with grace, charm and truth. Nurture relationships, make promises and follow through with your plans.

sAGIttARIus (nov. 23-Dec. 21) Focus on what you can change instead of wasting time on people, situations and things you have no control over. Walk away from drama and manipulative people.

cAPRIcoRn (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) Pay attention to what's happening in theworkforce. Prepare to make ashift, if necessary,tosecure andpursuealucrative future. Disregard questionable information.

AQuARIus(Jan. 20-Feb. 19) Putyour energy whereitcounts,and payattention to your money, health and emotional wellbeing. Buying and selling look promisingand can promote new opportunities to simplify and enjoy your life.

The horoscope, an entertainment feature, is not based on scientific fact. ©2026 by NEA, Inc., dist. By AndrewsMcMeel Syndication

CroSSwordS

Sudoku

InstructIons: Sudoku is anumber-placingpuzzle basedona9x9 grid with several given numbers The object is to place the numbers 1to9inthe empty squares so that each row, each column and each 3x3 boxcontains the same number only once. Thedifficulty level of the Sudoku increasesfrom Monday to Sunday

Yesterday’s PuzzleAnswer

TimeS CroSSword

By PHILLIPALDER Bridge

Australian Bridge is published six times ayear in alarge-page format. As with all of these magazines, it aims primarilyatduplicateplayersbuthasmaterial for less-capable players. This opening-lead quiz comes from Ron Klinger. Look at only the West hand. Southopens oneheart, you pass, and North responds four diamonds, showingfour-plushearts, at least game-going values, and at most one diamond. East surprises you by intervening with five diamonds,but South rebids five hearts, and everyone passes. What would you lead?

Klingerisaleadingplayer,teacherand writerwhohasagreateyeforaninstructive deal.This one occurredduringan Australian trial. At the table, Barbara Travis found thebest lead:the diamond king. Her side was gettingatmost one diamond trick. And it might have been importantfor hertoshift through the dummy at trick two. Also, if partner knewnoswitch wouldbehelpful, she could have overtaken withthe diamond ace and tried aleadfrom her sideofthe table. Here, East played thediamondthree at trick one, asuit-preference signal for clubs. West led that suit at trick two, and declarer hadtolose three tricks: one heart,one diamond and one club.

wuzzles

If West’s opening lead had been alow diamond and East had shiftedtoalow club, South probably wouldhave put up her queen, based on East’sfive-diamond bid. And declarer might well have guessed spades also. It wasmuch better not to give South achance.

Details are at australianbridge.com.

©2026 by NEA, Inc., dist.

By AndrewsMcMeel Syndication

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

Previous answers:

word game

InstRuctIons: 1. Words must be of four or more letters. 2. Words that acquire

or sexually explicit words are not allowed.

toDAy’s WoRD oBEDIEnt: oh-BEE-dee-ent: Submissive; willing to obey.

Averagemark32words

Time

Canyou find 40 or more words in OBEDIENT?

yEstERDAy’sWoRD—