The Advocate 02-27-2026

Push is on to speed up Corps of Engineers work

Secretary of the Army Dan Driscoll, right, and Assistant

Shore Lake Pontchartrain levee

BY MIKE SMITH Staff writer

A high-level delegation from Washington visited south Louisiana on Thursday as part of a new initiative aiming to speed up projects built by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, whose vast dredging and flood protection programs are vital for the state.

Secretary of the Army Dan Driscoll and Assistant Secretary Adam Telle joined Gov. Jeff Landry and others at the site of a multibillion-dollar levee project in LaPlace to talk about the initiative. They pledged to cut red tape to address the Corps’ enormous backlog of projects nationwide, but the initiative remains short on specifics so far, and there are questions over the amount time frames can be re-

duced without violating laws, regulations and procedures.

The plans will be closely watched here, with the Corps’ New Orleans district home to the agency’s biggest civil works and dredging programs due to Louisiana’s strategic but vulnerable location along the Gulf Coast and the Mississippi River, one of the world’s most important shipping lanes.

The delegation gathered amid the dirt and heavy equipment being used to build the West Shore Lake Pontchartrain levee system, a project to protect 60,000 people in St. Charles, St. John the Baptist and St James parishes that is expected to cost $3.4 billion, including future levee elevations.

LSU may reinstate test score requirement

BY HALEY MILLER Staff writer

Top lawmaker rejects Landry’s bid to expand vouchers

BY PATRICK WALL Staff writer

State Senate President Cameron Henry said Wednesday that he will not support Gov Jeff Landry’s recent request to double funding for LA GATOR, the voucher program that gives parents tax dollars to pay for private school tuition and other expenses, potentially sidelining the proposed expansion before lawmakers head to Baton Rouge for this year’s legislative session next month.

“GATOR is not going to grow,” Henry, R-Metairie, said, flatly rejecting Landry’s proposal last month to double spending on the program to $88 million. “It’s unsustainable financially.”

The remarks from Henry, the powerful leader who has repeatedly raised concerns about the program’s costs, could foreshadow a repeat of last year’s budget battle, when the state Senate agreed to appropriate just half of what Landry wanted for LA GATOR despite pressure from conservative advocacy groups and Republican donors who want to help more children attend private schools or homeschool.

During an interview Wednesday, Henry said he will push to keep LA GATOR funding flat at $43.5 million, enough to keep supporting the nearly 5,600 students who received stipends this school year

He argued that if the Legislature agrees to double funding this year, providing vouchers to an estimated 4,000 to 5,000 additional students, then every year the state

See GATOR, page 6A

As enrollment and the number of applicants to LSU soars, the Board of Supervisors is weighing whether to abandon its test-optional policy and reinstate the use of standardized test scores for admission to the flagship campus in Baton Rouge. The amendment to admissions policies, attached to the Feb. 27 Board of Supervisors meeting agenda, said the test score requirement supports “student success initiatives” and follows the trend of other state flagships and peers in the Southeastern Conference. Currently the Baton Rouge campus offers prospective students the option to include

Admission change considered for flagship campus ä See LSU, page 6A

LSU is considering reinstating the use of standardized test scores for admission to the Baton

campus.

World Economic Forum

head steps down

GENEVA World Economic Forum head Børge Brende said Thursday that he is stepping down after facing pressure over his contacts with the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

Brende, a former Norwegian foreign minister, said in a statement that he had decided “after careful consideration” to step down as president and chief executive of the forum, known for its annual January summit in the Swiss Alpine resort of Davos.

Brende was Norway’s foreign minister from 2013-17 and is one of several prominent Norwegians who have faced scrutiny following the latest release of Epstein files.

He didn’t refer directly to that controversy in Thursday’s statement, but the WEF announced earlier this month that it was opening an internal review into Brende to determine his relationship with Epstein after files indicated the two had dined together several times and exchanged messages Brende told Norwegian broadcaster NRK at the time that he was cooperating with the investigation, that he only met Epstein in business settings and that he had been unaware of Epstein’s criminal background.

Man arrested after snowball fight in N.Y.C.

NEW YORK — A 27-year-old man was arrested Thursday after New York City police said officers were hurt when they were pelted with snow and ice during a massive snowball fight in Washington Square Park this week.

The man, Gusmane Coulibaly, has been charged with obstructing governmental administration, a misdemeanor and harassment, a noncriminal violation, according to online court records Police had arrested Coulibaly on a charge of assaulting a police officer, a felony, but prosecutors declined to pursue that. Monday’s snowball fight, which appeared to be organized by social media content producers, caused a chaotic scene as a large crowd amassed at the popular park to wing snowballs at each other during a winter storm. Police said officers arrived at the park after a 911 call about a disorderly group there. A video shows two officers getting bombarded by snowballs as a rowdy crowd yells and films with their phones. The officers shoved at least two people to the ground as they paced a walkway in the park while getting hit from all directions by snowballs

The department said multiple officers were hit in the face with snowballs, and a spokesperson for the union has said two police officers were treated at a nearby hospital for face, head and neck injuries.

Fire at farm complex kills about 6,000 hogs LONDON, Ohio A fire at an Ohio hog farm complex killed about 6,000 pigs and unleashed a large plume of smoke that could be seen for miles across the rural landscape, an official said Multiple fire departments responded amid sustained winds of about 20 mph and gusts reaching up to 35 mph, which accelerated the fire’s spread, and because water supplies in the area were limited, extensive water shuttle operations were needed. Two of five large agricultural buildings were “heavily involved in fire,” and it took five hours to bring it under control, Chief Brian Bennington of the Central Townships Joint Fire District said. About 1,500 hogs survived and were taken elsewhere, he said No people were hurt. Bennington said the hog waste stored below the buildings was contained, with no concern for impacts on surrounding groundwater

An Associated Press reporter visited Fine Oak Farms on Thursday, a day after the fire A little bit of smoke could still be seen rising from the burned down area. A darkened structure was partially collapsed, and charred debris was piled beside several darkened metal silos where flames had ripped through. But the impact appeared concentrated in one area of the farm complex.

Netflix walks away from Warner deal

Paramount now has path to combine with rival Hollywood studio

BY WYATTE GRANTHAM-PHILIPS Associated Press

NEW YORK Netflix is walking away from its offer to buy Warner Bros. Discovery’s studio and streaming business, in a stunning move that effectively puts Paramount in a position to take over its storied Hollywood rival.

On Thursday, after Warner’s board announced that Skydanceowned Paramount’s latest offer to buy the entire company for $31 per share was superior to the agreement it had previously struck with Netflix, the streaming giant quickly announced that it was declining to raise its proposal. It said the new price it would have to pay to acquire Warner would make the deal “no longer financially attractive.”

“We believe we would have been strong stewards of Warner Bros.’ iconic brands,” Netflix’s co-CEOs Ted Sarandos and Greg Peters said in a joint statement. “But this transaction was always a ‘nice to

have’ at the right price, not a ‘must have’ at any price.”

A Warner Bros. Discovery buyout would reshape Hollywood and the wider media landscape. And unlike Netflix — which was only eyeing Warner’s studio and streaming business — Paramount wants the entire company That means HBO Max, “Harry Potter” and even CNN could soon find themselves under the same roof as Paramount’s CBS, “Top Gun” and the Paramount+ streaming service.

The prospect of such a combination, which will still need the green light from both Warner shareholders and regulators, poses both antitrust concerns and questions of political influence.

Netflix’s decision to walk away on Thursday marks the latest development in a monthslong, messy corporate battle over Warner’s future. Sarandos and Peters thanked Warner’s leadership despite the final outcome. Warner had repeatedly backed

the deal it struck with Netflix since December right up until Thursday evening, when it gave Netflix four business days to come up with an counteroffer to Paramount’s sweetened bid to buy all of Warner for $31 per share, amounting to a value of about $111 billion including debt, in addition to other revisions. Netflix had previously put a $27.75 per share offer on the table for Warner’s studio and streaming business, totaling nearly $83 billion including debt.

In a statement Thursday night, CEO David Zaslav said Netflix executives had been “extraordinary partners” and that he wished them “well in the future.” Warner’s board hasn’t officially adopted Paramount’s merger agreement yet, but once it does, Zaslav said it “will create tremendous value.” Paramount did not immediately respond to requests for further comment. But CEO David Ellison earlier applauded Warner’s board affirming “the superior value of

Chicago mourners pay respects to Jesse Jackson

BY SOPHIA TAREEN Associated Press

CHICAGO A line of mourners streamed through a Chicago auditorium Thursday to pay final respects to the Rev Jesse Jackson Sr as cross-country memorial services began in the city the late civil rights leader called home.

The protégé of the Rev Martin Luther King Jr and two-time presidential candidate will lie in repose for two days at the headquarters of the Rainbow PUSH Coalition before events in Washington, D.C. and South Carolina, where he was born.

Family members wiped away tears as the casket was brought into the stately brick building. Flowers lined the sidewalks where people waiting to enter watched a large screen playing video excerpts of Jackson’s notable speeches. Some raised their fists in solidarity Inside, Jackson’s children, Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson and the Rev Al Sharpton were among those who stood by the open casket to shake hands and hug those coming to view the body of Jackson, dressed in a suit and blue shirt and tie.

“The challenge for us is that we’ve got to make sure that all he lived for was not in vain,” Sharpton told reporters. “Dr King’s dream and Jesse Jackson’s mission now falls on our shoulders. We’ve got to stand up and keep it going.” Jackson died last week at age 84 after battling a rare neurological disorder that affected his mobility and ability to speak in his later years.

Remembrances have already poured in from around the globe, and several U.S. states, including Minnesota, Iowa and North Carolina are flying flags at half-staff in his honor

But perhaps nowhere has his death been felt as strongly as in the nation’s third-largest city, where Jackson lived for decades and raised his six children, including a son who is a congressman.

Bouquets have been left outside the family’s Tudorstyle home on the city’s South Side for days. Public schools have offered condolences, and city trains have used digital screens to display Jackson’s portrait and his well-known mantra, “I am Somebody!”

His causes, both in the United States and abroad, were countless: Advocating for the poor and underrepresented on issues including voting rights, job opportunities, education and health care. He scored diplomatic victories with world leaders and through his Rainbow PUSH Coalition, he channeled cries for Black pride and self-determination into corporate boardrooms, pressuring executives to make America a more open and equitable society “We honor him, and his hard-earned legacy as a freedom fighter, philosopher and faithful shepherd of his family and community here in Chicago,” the mayor said in a statement. Next week, Jackson will lie in honor at the South

Carolina Statehouse, followed by public services. Jackson spent his childhood and started his activism in South Carolina.

Details on services in Washington have not yet been made public. However, he will not lie in honor at the United States Capitol rotunda after a request for the commemoration was denied by Benton Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson’s office.

The two weeks of events will wrap up next week with a large celebration of life gathering at a Chicago megachurch and finally, homegoing services at the headquarters of the Rainbow PUSH Coalition.

Family members said the services will be open to all.

“Our family is overwhelmed and overjoyed by the amazing amount of support being offered by common, ordinary people who our father’s life has come into contact with,” his eldest son, Jesse Jackson Jr., said before the services began.

Mourners of all ages — from toddlers in strollers to elderly people in wheelchairs — came to pay respects.

Video clips of his appearances at news conferences, the campaign trail and even “Sesame Street” also played inside the auditorium.

our offer.”

A Paramount-Warner combo would combine two of Hollywood’s five legacy studios that remain today, in addition to their theatrical channels. Warner movies like “Superman,” “Barbie,” and “One Battle After Another” — as well as hit TV series like “The White Lotus” and “Succession” — would join Paramount’s content library Paramount’s lineup of titles include “Top Gun,” “Titanic” and “The Godfather.” And beyond CBS, it owns networks like MTV and Nickelodeon, as well as the Paramount+ streaming service. A merger between the two companies would put CNN under the same roof as CBS, which has already seen significant editorial shifts under new Skydance ownership Paramount took steps to appeal to more conservative viewers in its news operations, notably with the installation of Free Press founder Bari Weiss as editor-inchief of CBS News. And if the company’s takeover bid of Warner is successful, critics warn similar shifts could happen to CNN.

Brother of man killed by Cuban troops says he had ‘obsession’ to free island

BY DÁNICA COTO and JOSHUA GOODMAN Associated Press

MIAMI — Word from the Cuban government of a deadly encounter between its troops and a boat carrying armed expatriates is casting a spotlight on Cubans living in the U.S. who still harbor aspirations of a counterrevolution 67 years after a guerrilla uprising ushered in communism.

Cuban soldiers confronted a speedboat carrying 10 people as the vessel approached the island and opened fire on the troops, who fired back, killing four and wounding six, Cuba’s government says.

One of the four killed was Michel Ortega Casanova a man on an “obsessive and diabolical” quest for Cuba’s freedom from current circumstances, according to his brother in Miami.

Misael Ortega Casanova said that his brother Michel is an American citizen who has lived in the U.S. for more than 20 years and still agonizes over the suf-

fering that Cubans endure.

“They became so obsessed that they didn’t think about the consequences nor their own lives,” Misael told The Associated Press. Misael said that he did not recognize any of the names that the Cuban government released in connection with the boat incursion. “No one knew,” Misael said of his brother’s plans. “My mother is devastated.”

Cuban authorities, meanwhile, say Michel Ortega Casanova was accompanied on the boat by two men who are wanted “based on their involvement in the promotion, planning, organization, financing, support or commission” of terrorism, speaking of Amijail Sánchez González and Leordan Enrique Cruz Gómez. The Cuban government said the watercraft was a Florida-registered speedboat, and officials who searched it found assault rifles, handguns, homemade explosives, bulletproof vests, telescopic sights and camouflage uniforms.

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Iran nucleartalks endwithout deal

BY FANNY BRODERSEN, JON GAMBRELL and MELANIE LIDMAN Associated Press

GENEVA— Iran and the United States held hoursof indirect negotiations Thursday over Tehran’snuclear programbut walked away without adeal, leaving the danger of another Mideast war on the table as theU.S. has gathered amassive fleet of aircraft and warshipsin the region.

Oman’sForeign Minister Badr al-Busaidi,who mediated the talks in Geneva, said there had been “significant progress in the negotiation” without elaborating

Butjustbeforethe talks ended, Iranian state television reported that Tehran was determined to continueenrichinguranium, rejected proposalsto transfer it abroad and sought the lifting of international sanctions, indicating it was not prepared to meet U.S. President Donald Trump’s demands.

Trump wantsa dealto constrain Iran’snuclear program, and he sees an opportunity while the country is struggling at home with growing dissent following nationwide protests.Iran also hopestoavertwar,but maintains it has theright to enrich uranium and does notwanttodiscuss other issues, like its long-range missile program or support for armed groups like Hamas and Hezbollah.

Al-Busaidi said technical talks involving lower-level representativeswould continue next week in Vienna, thehome of the International Atomic Energy Agency.

The United Nations’ atomic watchdog likely would be critical in any deal.

In an interview with Iranian state television, Iran’s foreign minister said the talkswiththe U.S. were some of the country’s“most intenseand longest rounds of negotiations.”

holdsa meeting withWhite House special envoySteve Witkoff, center,and Jared Kushner as part of the ongoing Iranian-Americannegotiations Thursday in Geneva, Switzerland

Abbas Araghchi offered no specifics but said “what needs to happenhas been clearly spelled out from our side.”

TheWhiteHouse didnot immediately respond to a request for comment.

‘A very terrible scenario’

Thestakescouldhardly be higher If America attacks, Iran has saidU.S. military bases in the region wouldbeconsideredlegitimatetargets, putting atrisk tens of thousands of American service members. Iran has also threatenedtoattack Israel, meaning aregional war again could eruptacross the MiddleEast.

“There wouldbenovictory for anybody —itwould be adevastating war,” Araghchi told IndiaToday in aninterview recorded Wednesday justbefore he flewtoGeneva.

“Sincethe Americans’ bases are scatteredthrough different places in the region, then unfortunately perhaps the whole region would be

engaged and be involved, so it is avery terrible scenario.”

Ali Vaez,anIranexpert with theInternational Crisis Group, said it was agood sign that the Americans did not walk away immediately ThursdaywhenIran presented itslatest proposal.

“Theremight still not be abreakthrough at the end of this day,but thevery fact thatthe U.S. team is returning shows thatthere is enough common ground between the two sides,”he said.

Thirdmeeting sinceJune

The two sides held multiple rounds of talks last year that collapsed when Israel launched a12-daywar againstIran in June and theU.S.carried outheavy strikes on its nuclear sites, leavingmuchofIran’snuclear program in ruins even as the full extent of the damage remains unclear

Araghchi representedIran at the talks. Steve Witkoff, a billionaire real estatedeveloper andfriend of Trump

who serves as aspecial Mideast envoy,headed up the U.S. delegation with Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner

Thetalks againwere mediated by Oman,anArab Gulf country that’slongserved as an interlocutor between Iran and the West

The twosides adjourned after around three hours of talks and resumed thediscussions later

During the break, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokespersonEsmail Baghaei said theIranians felt there were “constructive proposals” offered on both nuclear issues and sanctions relief.

Trumpwants Iran to completely halt its enrichment of uranium androllback both its long-range missile program and its support for regional armed groups. Iran says it will only discuss nuclear issues, and maintains its atomic program is for entirely peaceful purposes.

Uranium enrichment

U.S. Secretary of State MarcoRubio toldreporters Wednesday that Iran is “always trying to rebuild elements” of its nuclear program.Hesaid that Tehran is not enriching uranium right now,“but they’re trying to gettothe point where they ultimately can.”

Iranhas said it hasn’tenriched since June, but it hasblocked IAEA inspectors from visiting the sites America bombed.Satellite photos analyzed by The Associated Press have shown activity at two of those sites, suggesting Iran is tryingto assess and potentially recover material there.

The West and the IAEA sayIran hada nuclear weapons program until 2003. After Trumpscrapped the 2015 nuclear agreement, Iran ramped up its enrichment of uranium to 60% purity ashort, technical step away fromweapons-grade levels of 90%.

U.S. intelligence agencies assess that Iran hasyet to restart aweapons program, but has“undertaken activities that better position it to produce anuclear device, if it chooses to do so.” Some

Iranian officials have spoken openly about the country’s readiness to produce abomb if that decision is taken. Threat sparks warfears If the talks fail, uncertainty hangs over the timing of any possible U.S. attack. If the aim of potential military action is to pressure Iran to makeconcessions in nuclear negotiations, it’s notclear whether limited strikes would work. If the goal is to remove Iran’sleaders, that will likely commit the U.S. to alarger,longer military campaign. There has been no public sign of planning for what would come next, including the potential forchaos in Iran. Thereisalsouncertainty about whatany military actioncould meanfor the widerregion. Tehran could retaliate against the American-allied nations of the Persian Gulf or Israel.Oil prices have risen in recent daysinpartdue to those concerns,withbenchmark Brentcrude nowaround $70 abarrel. Iraninthe last round of talks said it briefly halted traffic in the Strait of Hormuz,the narrow mouth of the Persian Gulf through which afifthofall traded oil passes. Gambrell reported from Dubai, United Arab Emirates,and Lidman reported from Jerusalem. Associated Press writers Will Weissert in Washington and Jamey Keaten in Geneva contributed to this report.

Spring is shapinguptobea vibrantand busy season in NortheastLouisiana,witha packed calendar of live music, outdoorfestivals anddiningdestinations giving visitors plenty of reasonstoplana getaway. At Landry VineyardsinWestMonroe, theweekends areanchoredbyarotatinglineupoflivemusic andrelaxed vineyard gatherings.The winery’s popularLagniappe Saturdaysoffer free patioperformances from 3p.m.to6:30p.m paired with wine by thecup,bottleorflight,plusguidedtastingsand amultitude of food offerings such as 12-inchpizzas, cheese blocks andsummersausage.Guestscan bring theirown food or snacks,but no pets,beeroroutside alcoholisallowed

Upcoming LagniappeSaturdays at Landry Vineyardsinclude:

•March 14:MikeMcKenzie(solo patioperfor mance)

•March 28:Mason andShannon Granade(duo)

•April 11:Clayton Maza

•April 18:DaveGore

•April 25:Encore(trio)

•May 2: Coyote PinesBand

•May 23:Murphy’sLaw (duo)

Guests arewelcome to arrive earlyfor theregular 2p.m.vineyardand winery tour,enjoy wine tastings, then settle in with lawn chairs or blankets forhours of live music.

•Jet Waco Radmotorsports: Fast-paced sequences,high-speedpassesand dynamic climbs that blend thenostalgia of classic aviation with theexcitementofjetpoweredaerobatics.

•Frank Kimmel: Kimmel brings the iconic F4U-5Corsair,known for its distinctiveinvertedgullwings and powerful performance.

Otherspringconcertsplanned at Landry Vine-

yardsinclude:

•March 21,4p.m.to7:30p.m.: Flashback5 (Top 40 covers, classicrock, greatdance music)

•April 4, 4p.m.to7:30p.m.: TheMikeMcKenzie Band (classic rock,country,great dancemusic)

•May 9, 4p.m.to7:30p.m.: Encore andFriends (classic country, pop, greatdance music)

Just down theroadinDowntownWestMonroe, Ouachita RiverFestreturns April24and 25 with afullslate of family-friendlyactivities, live music andart vendors. Recently namedthe Festival/Event of theYearbythe LouisianaTravelAssociation, RiverFestcontinues to grow as oneofthe region’s signaturespringattractions.Thisyear’scelebration willinclude live duck races,a rubber duck drop and thefirst-ever Miss Ouachita RiverFestPageant,open to contestantsage zero to 18

With a$50 entryfee,aneveningwearcompetition only andcontestants askedtoanswerone simpleon-stagequestion, thepageant is designed to be simple,fun andconfidence-buildingfor young womenfromacrossthe region RiverFestweekend will also featurethe Full BlownPinkCar Show on April25, showcasing classiccarsand custom builds whilesupportingbreast cancer awareness. Aviation fans cancap off thespringatthe Red, White &BlueAirshow,takingplace May1-3 at Monroe Regional Airport. Gatesopenat3p.m.May 1and May2,and at 11 a.m. on May3.Thisyear’s airshowcelebratesAmerica’s 250thanniversary with historic warbirds,modernaircraftand precision acrobatics.Someofthe highlights for2026 willinclude:

•Ben Ausbrooks: Ausbrookswilldeliver a high-energyperformanceinthe SuperSteen Skybolt, apowerfulbiplane that allows for crisprolls,loops anddynamic transitions. •Titan AerobaticTeam: It’s precision formation flyingatits finestthankstoteam work,disciplineand aerodynamic control. Each performancefeaturestight formations, smooth transitionsand carefully choreographedsequences •NathanHammond: Hammondwillperform anight show Friday andSaturdaywithhis GhostWriteraircraft, delivering speed precisionand avisual spectacle unlike anyother WhilespringeventsinMonroe-West Monroe continue to expand,win awards anddrawvisitors, itsfoodscene is keepingeveryoneontheir toes year-round.The latest addition to therestaurant spaceisSushi Koko from JamesBeard semifinalist Cory Bahr.Openedearlier this year andinspiredby Tokyo’sGinza district,Sushi Koko hassushi crafted with fishflowninfromJapan,Asian-inspireddishes andlive-fireyakitorigrilling–addinga globally-influenceddiningoptiontodowntownMonroe. SushiKokojoins alonglistofother localrestaurantsthathaveemerged as some of thebestinthe region,including Parish,another eatery helmed by Bahr that is knownfor inventivedishesfeaturingseasonalingredients andthe best of Louisiana cuisine. Otherfavorites includeEnoch’s Pub(guests rave aboutits gourmetburgers andIrish comfort fare), Trapp’s(classicCajun food with scenic views) andThe Warehouse(aMonroeinstitution knownfor

Columbia studentdetainedbyICE abruptly released

BY JAKE OFFENHARTZ Associated Press

NEW YORK Federal immigration authorities arrested aColumbia University student early Thursday, triggering protestsoncampus along with allegations that agents had enteredthe university-owned residence under false pretenses. Justhoursafter detaining student Ellie Aghayeva, though, the federal governmentabruptly reversed course, permitting herto walk free afteranapparent intervention by President Donald Trump. In asocial media post Thursday

afternoon, Mayor Zohran Mamdani said he expressed concerns aboutthe arrest during an unrelated meeting with Trump, who then agreed to release her immediately “I am safe and okay,”Aghayeva wrote on Instagram, minutes after Mamdani’spost,adding she was in “complete shock”fromthe experience. The head-spinning series of events marked the latest development to emerge from the Republican president’sunlikely relationshipwith ademocratic socialist mayorheoncethreatened to have deported. On Thursday,while pitching

Trumponamassive housing project,Mamdani also called on the president to dropcases against severalother currentand former students facing deportationfor their roles in protests against Israel. Aghayeva, asenior from Azerbaijan studying neuroscience andpolitics, hasn’t been publicly linkedtoany of thepro-Palestinian demonstrations that roiled Columbia’scampus. Aself-described contentcreator, she has amassed alarge social media following by sharing day-in-the-life videos and tips for navigating college as an immigrant.

Early Thursday, federal agents gainedentry to her apartment by claiming they were searching for amissing person, according to a petition from herlawyers and a statement released by Columbia She quicklydashed off amessage to hermorethan100,000 followers on Instagram: “DHS illegally arrested me. Please help.” Aphoto accompanying the post appeared to show her legs in the back seat of a vehicle.

ADepartment of Homeland Security spokesperson said Aghayeva’sstudent visa had been terminated in 2016 for failing to attend classes. Inquiries to Columbia

about her visa status and how long shehad been enrolledinthe university were not returned. In their petition, attorneys for Aghayeva said she hadentered the country on avisa in or around 2016. They declined to provide additional comment, including details about her immigration status. DHS spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin denied allegations levied by some stateofficials that agents hadgained entry to her apartment by posing as New York Citypolice officers. She didn’trespond to questions about whether they had claimed to be seeking a missing person.

BY MICHAEL KUNZELMAN Associated Press

WASHINGTON Afederal judgeonThursday rejected apreservationistgroup’s requesttoblock theTrump administrationfromcontinuing constructionofa $400million ballroom where it demolished the East Wing of the White House.

U.S. District Judge Richard Leon ruled that the National Trust for Historic Preservation was unlikelyto succeed on the merits of its bid to temporarily halt President Donald Trump’sproject.

He said theprivately funded group based its challenge on a“ragtag group of theories” underthe Administrative Procedure Actand theConstitution, and wouldhave a betterchanceofsuccess if it amended the lawsuit

“Unfortunately,because both sides initiallyfocused on thePresident’sconstitutional authority to destruct and construct theEast Wing of theWhite House,Plaintiff didn’t bringthe necessary cause of action to test thestatutory authority the President claims is the basis to do this constructionproj-

ect without the blessing of Congress andwithprivate funds,” thejudge wrote.

The preservationists sought an order pausing the ballroom project until it undergoes multiple independent reviews and wins approval from Congress.

Trump used his social media account tohail theruling as “Great news for America.” The Republican president saidthe project was ahead of schedule and under budgetand “will stand long into thefuture as asymbol to the GreatnessofAmerica.”

Quillen, president

Carol

Hundreds of correctionsbeing issued forTexas’Bible-infused curriculum

BY SARA CLINE Associated Press

ABible-infused curriculum that Texas approved for public schoolsover pushback in 2024 will undergo corrections to fix hundreds of errorscaught by teachers and education officialsafter the material was introduced to classrooms.

The curriculum in whatis known as the “Bluebonnet” textbook is among Republican-ledefforts in theU.S.to incorporatemore religious teaching into classrooms. Designed by the state’s public educationagency,itis optional for schools to adopt, though they receive additional funding if they do so. Bluebonnet was approved over concerns from religious scholars that the reading lessons favored Christianity over other faith traditions and pushback from advocacy groups that the materials inappropriately prioritized preaching over teaching.

The State Board of Education voted 8-6 Wednesday to approve the changes —which include correcting factual errors, fixing punctuation andreplacing images due to licensing or copyright issues —after some members questioned the high number of errors.

“My concern is that we have failed students this school year who have been utilizing this product,” said board member Tiffany Clark, aDemocrat. Aaron Kinsey,the Republican board chair,askedClark

if shewas implying thatcorrecting something seemingly trivial like copyright issues couldpotentially mean that “we failed our students and they are not going to pass” thestate’sannual standardized test administered to public school students.

Clark retortedthatsomething as simple asa typo especially in math equations —can have consequences.

“If we have beenteaching incorrectlythis is going to have an impact,” shesaid.

“I understand that some of these errors are minimal, some of them are for clarity andsomeofthem are foraccuracy.But still, an error is an error,” said Pam Little, a Republican board member Colin Dempsey, aTexas Education Agency official whohelps organizethe instructional material review process, acknowledged the “high number of updates” neededbut insisted factual errors were“minimal” although hedid not provide an exact figure.

Boardmembers said more than 4,000 correctionswere needed. But Jake Kobersky, spokesperson for the Texas Education Agency,told The Associated Press that approximately 1,900 changes were made and that the figure includesduplicate corrections inthe teacher guide,student workbook and other documents. Kobersky said mostchanges were “proactivein responseto teacher feedback or grammaticalfixes, notaresultof factual errors.”

It is unclear how many

districtsadoptedthe curriculum for the current school year,the first it became available.AsofAugust, morethan 300 school districts and charter schools indicated theywould useit. That numberrepresents about aquarter of Texas’ 1,207 districts and charters.

After Wednesday’sapprovalofchanges, the education agency saidonline curriculum materials would be updated within 30 days. It did notsay howlongitwould take to print andreplace physicallearning materials or how much it would cost.

Little, who voted for the proposedchanges, said she worries theboard has “set aprecedent for sloppy publishing.”

Dempsey saidthat the agency has increased the number of reviewers from fivetoeight whowillbeassessing the material going forward.

“I’m hopefulthatwill improve our process, where these are caught in the summerand not later on,”he said.

and CEO of the National Trust for Historic Preservation, said the group was “disappointed” that no injunction was issued but “pleased that Judge Leon ruled that the National Trust hasstanding to bring this lawsuit,as we have assertedfromthe start.”

“Weare also pleased that he encouraged us to amend our complaint —specifically

to assert that the president has acted beyond his statutory authority —and we plan to do so promptly,” Quillen said in astatement.

TheWhite House announced the ballroom project over the summer.By late October,the Republican president had demolished the East Wing to make way foraballroom that he said will fit 999 people. The White House said private donations, including from Trump himself, would payfor the plannedconstruction of a 90,000-square-foot ballroom. Trump proceeded with the project before seeking input from apairoffederal review panels, theNational Capital Planning Commissionand the Commission of Fine Arts. Trumphas stocked both commissions with allies.

EarlyVoting

TheEastBaton RougeParishRegistrar of Voters Office announces thatEarly Voting forthe March14, 2026 Election will be held Saturday,February28through Saturday,March 7, 2026 from 8:30 am until6:00pm (ClosedonSunday)

Main Office:CityHall–222 SaintLouis St.–Room604 Southeast: Fire StationBuilding–11010 CourseyBlvd. Archives:State Archives Building –3851Essen Ln

Voters will be askedtoidentifythemselveswitheithera photoID or signatureona voteraffidavit.You mayuse adriver’slicense,a Louisianaspecial ID,aLAWalletdigital driver’s license, aU.S.military identification card thatcontainsyournameand picture; or some other generallyrecognizedpicture ID thathas your name andsignature

Sample ballotsare availableonlineatwww.GeauxVote.com Call (225)389-3940for more information.

NTSB chairslamsaviationbillas‘watered-down’

BY JOSH FUNK AP transportation writer

The head of the National Transportation Safety Board said Thursday it’smisleading for members of the House to say their package of aviation safety reforms would address the recommendations that her agency made in January to prevent another midair collision like the one last year near Washington, D.C., that killed 67 people. NTSB Chairwoman Jennifer Homendysaidthe Housebill’s “watered-down” requirements wouldn’tdoenough to prevent a future tragedy,and wouldn’tbe nearly as effective as aSenatebill that came up just one voteshort of passing in the House earlier this week. The full NTSB followed up Thursday afternoon with aformal letter to the two key House committees, saying that they can’t support the bill right now “Wecan have disagreements over policy allday.But when something is sold as these are the NTSBrecommendations and that is not factually accurate,wehave aproblem with that. Because now you’re usingthe NTSB andyou’re using people who lost loved ones in

terrible tragedies,” Homendy said.

“You’re using theirpain to move your agenda forward.

The keyconcern of Homendy andthe families of the people who died in the crash onJan. 29, 2025, is that they believe allaircraft should be required to have key locator systemsthat the NTSBhas been recommending since 2008, whichwouldallowthe pilots to know more precisely where the traffic around themisflying. The Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast Out systems that broadcast an aircraft’slocation are already required around busy airports. It’sthe ADS-B In systems that can receivedataabout thelocations of other aircraft that isn’t yetstandard. ButHomendy said thebill is weak in other areas, such as limits on when themilitarywill be able to turn those locator systemsoff.

The leaders of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee declinedtorespond to Homendy’scriticism Thursday,but Reps. Sam Graves and Rick Larsen have said they believe theALERT bill they crafted effectively addresses the 50 recommendations that NTSBmadeatthe conclusion

of their investigation into the collision between an AmericanAirlines jet and an Army Black Hawk helicopter

Theydefendedtheir bill and pledged to workwith thefamilies, the Senate and the industry to developthe best solution as soon as possible.The committee will likely markup the bill within the next few weeks.

“From the beginning, we have stressed theimportance of getting this right, and we areconfident that we willachieve that goal,” Larsen andGravessaid. House Speaker MikeJohnson, R-Benton, alsosaidheiscommitted to getting thebill done.

The NTSB released aside-byside comparison of its recommendations and the House bill to highlight all the ways the bill falls short of fully addressing the needed changes

Doug Lane, who lost his wife and soninthe crash, and many of the other victims’ familiessaid the House bill “is not really aserious attempttoaddress the NTSB recommendations.” He said theintroductionofthis bill just afew days before thevoteonthe ROTORAct which the Senate unanimously ap-

proved, seemed designed to “scuttle” that bill and send the ADS-B In recommendationinto limbo to be considered in alengthyrulemaking process.

The NTSB citedsystemic weaknesses andyears of ignored warnings as the main causes of the crash, but Homendy has said that if both theplane andthe Black Hawk had been equipped with ADS-B In and the systemshad been turned on, thecollisionwould have been prevented.

The Army’spolicy at the time of thecrash mandated that itshelicopters fly without that system on to conceal their locations, although the helicopter involved in this crash wasonatraining flight, not asensitive mission.

ButHomendy saidthe House seemed to pickand choosewhat they wanted to include fromthe NTSB recommendations.

“Wewereveryexplicit of what needed to occur,”Homendy said. “When we issuearecommendation, thoserecommendations are aimed at preventing atragedyfrom happening again. And if you’re just going to give us half a loaf, it’snot going to do it. We’re not gonna save lives.”

Prosecutor: Delayedcharges againstAbregoGarciajustified

BY TRAVIS LOLLER Associated Press

NASHVILLE,Tenn. Arepresentative

of the U.S. Attorney’soffice testi-

fied in federal court on Thursday that thehumansmuggling case against Kilmar Abrego Garcia was justified while acknowledging that the charges coming two years after atraffic stop in question was “extraordinary.”

Abrego Garcia, whose mistaken deportation has galvanized both sides of the immigration debate, claims that the criminal prosecution is vindictive and pushedby officials fromPresident Donald Trump’sadministration to punish him after they were forced tobring him back to the United States. He wants the charges dismissed.

While Abrego Garcia is aSalvadoran citizen, acourt orderfrom 2019 prevents him from being deported to that country.That’s because an immigration judge determined he faced dangerinElSal-

He was eventually returned to the U.S. only toface criminal charges of human smuggling based on a 2022 traffic stopinTennessee. He has pleaded not guilty.

was being depictedinthe bodycam was to those investigations.”

EU expands fundsfor abortion access

BY SAM McNEIL Associated Press

BRUSSELS The European UnionsaidonThursdayitwould backeffortstofinancially support women seeking access to abortions, aftera multiyear campaign by more than amillion citizens across the27-nation bloc to expandsupport for womeninnations with conservative laws.

vadorfromagang that had threatened hisfamily.Abrego Garcia, 30, immigrated to the U.S.illegally as a teenager but hasanAmerican wife andchild. He haslived and worked in Maryland foryears underthe supervisionof U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement After hewas deported to El Salvadorlastyear,the U.S. Supreme Courtruled the Trump administration had to worktobring him back.

Body camera footagefroma Tennessee Highway Patrol officer shows acalm exchange with Abrego Garcia after he was pulled over forspeeding.Therewere nine passengers in thecar,and the officers discussed among themselves theirsuspicions of smuggling. However,Abrego Garcia waseventually allowed to continue driving withonly awarning.

First Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Tennessee RobMcGuire, who was acting U.S. attorney in April 2025, testified that it was his decision to charge Abrego Garcia, and he did so based on the evidence.

“I had previouslyprosecuted severalhumansmuggling cases,” McGuiretestified. When he saw video of the traffic stop, “I wasimmediately struck by how similar what

On cross-examination, McGuire admitted that thetiming of the charges, more than two years after the traffic stop, was“extraordinary.” McGuiresaidhehad not previouslybeen aware of the stop.

Homeland Security InvestigationsSpecial Agent in Charge Rana Saoud, who ranthe Nashville region at the time of Abrego Garcia’sdeportation, testified Thursdaythatshe first heardof the 2022 traffic stop in April 2025, when someone forwarded hera news articleinthe Tennessee Star, aconservative online publication.

“Ifthe factsdid notadd up, we would have ceased to move forward,”she said.

On cross-examination, Saoud agreed that the case was not high profile because of thenature of the criminal allegations but because of whothe defendant was. “Mr Abrego was in thenews allthe time at that point,” she said.

Hadja Lahbib, European Commissionerfor Equality,said on Thursday that theEU’s 147-billion-euro European Social Funds Plus can be usedbyEUnations to treat and defray costs of an abortion forwomen regardless of where they come from within the bloc.

“Nearly half amillion unsafe abortions take place in Europe every year,” Lahbib said.

She praised the My Voice, My Choicecampaign, saying organizers had brought her boxes full of letters from women across the bloc.

The initiative had called for the EU to set up aseparate fund forwomen to traveloutside their homenations to secure safe abortions. And while the commission did not do that, organizers saidthe decision achieves their aimsbyother means.

“Thisisnot symbolic. It is a political commitment to women’srights,” said Nika Kovac, coordinator of the My Voice, My Choice initiative.

“It establishes beyond doubt that accesstosafeabortion is a matter of public health and social justice,” Kovacsaid. “For the first time, the Commission confirms unequivocally that EU funds can be usedtoguarantee access to safeabortion care, particularly forwomen in vulnerable situations, regardless of where theycome from in Europe.”

will be on the hook for those students and new participants until the program’s cost swamps the state budget

“Every year it’s going to double from the previous year,” he said, adding that taxpayers would be stuck with the bill. “Once you start paying for something, you can never stop paying for it.”

In a statement Thursday, Landry called Henry’s remarks “disappointing” and said that students who received LA GATOR stipends this year saw their attendance and academic performance improve while bullying decreased. It’s not clear what data Landry was citing on the program. Nearly 90% of LA GATOR participants previously received state vouchers, meaning they already attended private schools.

“That’s what happens when families have options and students are in environments that work for them,” Landry said. “We hope we can work with the Legislature and the Senate President to address concerns and keep moving this program forward for our students and families.”

When Landry persuaded the Legislature in 2024 to establish the LA GATOR program, Louisiana joined a growing number of Republican-led states that give students tax-funded scholarships to pay for private education Unlike past voucher programs, the new scholarships or “Education

LSU

Continued from page 1A

their SAT or ACT scores in their application for admission and university-administered scholarships. The LSU website says the policy is in accord with an “admissions philosophy of full-file comprehensive review.”

“The best indication of student success on a collegiate level is their high school performance — the grades they earn and the rigor of their coursework,” a Frequently Asked Questions page about the policy reads.

The board initially waived stan-

Savings Accounts” can pay for expenses like laptops or tutoring in addition to tuition, and most are no longer limited to low-income families.

Proponents say such programs empower parents to put their children in an education setting that meets their needs. Critics say

dardized testing requirements in December 2020 in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The test-optional policy was formalized in June 2022 as part of a wave across higher education questioning the utility of test scores and whether they can predict future performance. Critics of standardized testing argued that the practice disadvantaged students without access to test preparation resources and discounted other indicators of academic potential.

But LSU now says the data does not support disregarding test results entirely

“From 2021-2024, average retention rates for students who were admitted as test-optional appli-

voucher programs and new iterations like LA GATOR divert needed funding from public schools while subsidizing unaccountable and sometimes poor-performing private schools.

Henry, who like Landry, supports giving parents different school options, expressed practical rather

cants were 4.3% lower than testinclusive students,” the proposed policy says. “Similarly, average first-term GPAs for test-optional students are 0.29 points lower than their test-inclusive counterparts with comparable GPAs.”

If the board votes to recenter test scores in admissions, LSU would join a host of institutions reversing course on pandemicdriven testing policies.

The amendment would apply only to the Baton Rouge campus. LSU at Eunice and LSU at Alexandria are currently test-optional, while LSU in Shreveport maintains a testing requirement.

Test scores are still mandatory for the Taylor Opportunity Pro-

than ideological misgivings about LA GATOR.

Last year, the program drew nearly 40,000 applications. If the state continues to expand the program to meet demand, its price tag will grow exponentially, Henry said, pointing to Texas, which allocated $1 billion for the first two years of its new voucher program.

Henry argued that it’s better to keep the program at its current size than to keep adding students until the cost is so high that the program must be cut.

“The moment that you open it up to new people and you have to take it away, then you have a problem,” he said Wednesday during an interview with The Times-Picayune | The Advocate ahead of the 2026 legislative session, which starts March 9.

Any additional funding for LA GATOR should come from the $4.6 billion that Louisiana already spends on education through state and local sources, Henry argued. Otherwise, the state will have to pull money from other priorities, such as lowering taxes or helping homeowners fortify their roofs, to cover students’ private school tuition, which he said most taxpayers do not want.

“There’s a whole bunch of money that needs to go to a whole bunch of other places,” he said. He also argued that allowing families to spend the stipends on expenses other than tuition dilutes the program’s purpose, which he said should be getting every student into a good school.

“Is the goal to get every kid a

gram for Students, the state scholarship program run by the Louisiana Office of Student Financial Assistance, regardless of institutions’ individual testing policies.

The proposal comes as LSU sees skyrocketing interest from prospective students across the country

Over 62,000 potential incoming freshmen have applied this cycle, university officials say, compared with 18,122 in 2016. A staggering 82% of applicants reside out of state.

As numbers climb, the university can afford — and in fact is forced to be more selective, officials have said recently

“We are on track to not only con-

computer?” he asked. “I wouldn’t say that’s the goal.”

Despite the large number of LA GATOR applicants and polling that show most Louisiana voters support school vouchers, Henry said he has not heard from parents or other lawmakers looking to expand the program.

“I’ve yet to have a single member come to me and say, ‘You know what? We need to double it,’ ” he said, adding that it’s mainly advocates and private schools or vendors pushing for more funding. Henry and other lawmakers wary of ramping up LA GATOR are likely to face another public pressure campaign.

Last year, a national advocacy group that promotes school vouchers paid for TV commercials attacking Henry and other lawmakers who balked at Landry’s request for $94 million for LA GATOR. One ad that aired across the state accused the lawmakers of “dashing the hopes of 6,000 low-income kids.”

Landry also led dozens of private school students in a chant of “Please support the GATOR scholarships!” at a rally across from the state Capitol building last spring. It was organized by a Louisiana advocacy group backed by Republican megadonor and Landry ally Eddie Rispone and a national group affiliated with the conservative billionaire Koch family For now, the campaign is happening behind closed doors. On Thursday, Henry met privately with advocates for LA GATOR, including the Pelican Institute for Public Policy

tinue but increase our recruitment of and attraction of literally the top talent, not only just within the state of Louisiana but also across the country,” LSU Provost Troy Blanchard said earlier this month about LSU’s record-breaking application numbers.

The reinstatement of test scores would roll out in two phases, according to the proposed policy For the summer 2027 semester, potential students with cumulative weighted GPAs below 3.5 would need to submit test scores with their application. Starting for the summer of 2028, all applicants would be required to include test results.

The policy goes to a vote on Friday

with his former colleagues.

In alawsuit filed Feb. 20 in U.S. DistrictCourt forthe Middle District of Louisiana, First Horizon alleged that Byrd’scompany,DMMS Holding, and Karl Hoefer, a former First Horizon executive now working with Byrd at DMMS,worked to “gain an unfair competitive advantage over First Horizon” by improperly seeking out thebank’semployees and customers

The suit claims that 27 First Horizon employees have been hired away by Byrd’sgroup since the beginning of the yearand that First Horizon has spent more than $5 million paying bonusesand raises to retain existing employees.

The suit comes two monthsafter Byrd, 72, stunned the local business community by announcing that he was coming out of retirement and forming DMMStoraise moneyto acquire MCBank.

Joining him in the venture were several former IberiaBank colleagues, including Mark Tipton, Michael Brown and Scott Price.

In astatement Wednesday, Byrd said, “Weunequivocally deny these unfounded allegations and will defend ourselves fully against this lawsuit. Our response will be filed this week and will be accessible through the federal court’spublic record. We remain committed to advancing our plans while vigorously defending our interests.

The statement notes that “the lawsuit was filed in the midst of oursuccessful capital raise.”

The developments underscore how the reentry of Byrd, alegendary local banker,intosouth Louisiana’stight-knit banking community, is already reshaping the local financialservices landscape and prompting aresponse from competitors.

First Horizon is far larger

nus, $150,000 in additional bonuses and $6,000 in country club dues if he would join MCBank.

Both bankers, as well as others named in the suit, declined the offer

The suit says attorneys for First Horizon warned Hoefer in early February thathewas violating his covenants with the bank. An attorney for Hoefer denied theallegationsinaletter cited in the lawsuit.

career at IberiaBank, Byrd built areputation formaking smart acquisitions and growing quickly.After taking the reins in 1999, he led roughly two dozenbank buyouts that transformed the small institution into a multi-state lender.The bank moved into the NewOrleans market in 2011 by acquiring Omni Bank.

His final deal with IberiaBank wasthe 2019 sale to First Horizon for roughly $3.9 billion.

includes JPMorgan Chase, CapitalOne,Regions and Hancock Whitney “Byrd knows alot about bank acquisitions andhow to getthe culturestoalign, which is difficult,” Ricchiuti said Also, some employees at First Horizon maymiss working foralocally owned bank.

thanMCBank. It hasnearly 360 branches across the south, including 55 in Louisiana, and is the state’sfifthlargest bank with nearly $8 billionindeposits and almost 6% of the market share, accordingtothe FDIC.

MC Bankisthe state’s 50th-largest bank with nine branches, less than$385 million in deposits and less than 0.3% of the state’smarket share.

Peter Ricchiuti, aprofessoratTulaneUniversity’s A.B. Freeman School of Business, said that despite the disparate sizes, Byrd’s track record at IberiaBank shows he can make waves in the market.

“Everybody suspected when Daryl announced this afew minutes ago that he plannedto do something big,” said Ricchiuti. “This definitely haspotential to inject fresh competition into the market.”

Attorneys for First Horizon did not respond to arequestfor comment. Though the suit is centered around Byrd’scompany,itdoes not name him personally.Rather it targets DMMS andHoefer,another former Byrdcolleague from IberiaBankwho stayed on at First Horizon as aregional president until he resigned in December In January, he joined DMMS as aspecial consultant and is expected to be

named regional president for Louisiana andTexas at M CBank once the purchase is finalized laterthisyear,the suit says.

First Horizonpaid Hoefer over $1 millionoverthe years, conditionedonhis agreement not to recruit away First Horizon employees in the event he left the company,the suit says.

The24-page document says Byrd or Tiptonwould make an initial call to a targetemployee of First Horizonthendirect the employeetocallHoefer for more details. Hoefer would subsequently “talk up” the DMMS deal, offering “above market salaries and bonuses.”

The suit names several First Horizonexecutives whohavebeen approached by Hoefer inrecentweeks, including avice president in the bank’sHouston office, who was offered a$750,000 signing bonus plus $1 million equity in MCBank, the suit says.

Hoefer also targeted a private banking manager in Baton Rouge,offering him $30,000 abovehis current salary,a$40,000 signingbo-

“Mr. Hoefer has notdirectly or indirectlysolicited, hired, or encouraged any personwho is an employee of FHCtoterminate their employment withFHC,” the lettersays, adding that Hoefer “has no authority to hire contractors or employees for DMMS Holdings.” Hoefer did not respond to arequest for comment.

First Horizon’ssuit asks thecourt to enjoin Hoefer andDMMS fromrecruiting additional bank employees and alsoseeksunspecified damages.

During his two-decade

While discussing the MC Bank acquisition in December, Byrd said he “failedat retirement.” His moveback into banking comes at atime when low oil prices and a struggling housing market have created weak loandemand, butthose conditions mean there could be smaller banks readytosellatgood terms.

Ricchiuti said Byrd and hisnew team haveacouple of potential advantages over First Horizon and the other larger banks that now dominate themarket, alistthat

“Now,they workfor this giant bank headquartered in Tennessee,” he said. “The idea of going to astartup is really appealing.” Ricchiutihad notseen the lawsuit and could not commentonspecific allegations. But he said, in general, allegedviolations of noncompete and nonsolicitation agreements are frequent in the corporate world and seldom derail deals.

“Whenever there is a suit, it oftenworks out,” he said. “It’snot like robbing a bank.”

Email StephanieRiegel at stephanie.riegel@ theadvocate.com.

The area lies outside the newly rebuilt protections surrounding the New Orleans area. Parts of LaPlacesuffereddevastating floodingfrom Lake Pontchartrain stormsurge in both 2012’sHurricane Isaac and 2021’sHurricane Ida.

The original cost estimate was $760 million, but the price has skyrocketed due to mitigation requirements, supply chainissues and inflation. The state must pay for 35% of the project, which is on track to be completed in 2030. Construction began in 2021, though discussion, evaluation andefforts to secure fundingstretch back decades.

“Our goal is to cut paperwork and get back to buildingfor the American public,” saidTelle. “The project we are standingatright now,West Shore Lake Pontchartrain, took far too long to get done andinprogress,but it’sgetting close to completion.”

Driscoll said “we are getting after the government getting in the wayofcaring for its citizens.”

The initiativehas beenlabeled “Building Infrastructure, Not Paperwork,” and Telle said the plan is to implement changes that do not require congressional approval. That will includebetter planning to avoid duplicating efforts, revisiting certain older environmental restrictionsondredging and“good management that we haven’t been doing,” he said.

Telle said the initiative aimed to be the biggest “transformation”of Corps civil works planssince at least 1986, when key changes were madeto cost-sharing arrangements and local input on projects.

Asked howthe initiative might have benefitedthe West Shore project, Lt.Gen. William Graham, the Corps’ commanding general,

saidcompleting more of the engineering beforeaskingCongress to authorize it could shorten time frames, since that may avoid later reassessmentsand resulting cost increases.

Corps officialssaid theinitiative may help speed dredging of shipping channels by expanding the seasons when it is carried out. That would be done in consultationwithother agenciesinvolved in overseeing enforcement of the Endangered SpeciesAct, which the Corps mustcomply with Landry lauded the initiative and said Louisianans should do the

same considering theimportance of Corps projects to the state and thenation. He said environmental restrictions were important, but shouldn’t be unnecessarily burdensome.

“Let meask you this:You’drather protect asnail or you’d rather protect achild?”the governor said. “That’s thequestion today,and we can be able to balance that.”

But anyCorpschangesrisk running up against thevolumesoflaws, rules andprocedures governing projects. Many of those rules and procedures are designed toensure projects are cost-effective, protect

against environmental risks or safeguard historical sites.

The lengthy historical and environmental evaluation processes have been frequently criticized by political leaders, though the Corps has said it has had success in reducing time frames in recent years whilecautioning that, in the end, it must follow the law

Environmental concerns related to Corps projects in Louisiana extendfar beyond the Endangered Species Act. Changes to the river canhavecascading effectsranging from drinking water to coastal erosion.

Haley Gentry,assistantdirector of theTulaneInstitute on Water Resources Law andPolicy, which closelyfollows Corps activities, noted that she wantstosee more specifics on the new initiative beforeattempting adetailedanalysis. She saidthe Corps, likeother agencies, has already introduced congressionally mandated time and page limits for reviews under the National Environmental Policy Act.

“Compliance with the law is red tape, and we’re always looking for ways to be moreefficiently compliant,” she said. “But I’mnot sure what this all will do.”

HillaryClinton testifies before Housepanel

BY STEPHENGROVES Associated Press

WASHINGTON Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton told members of CongressonThursdaythatshe hadnoknowledge of Jeffrey Epstein’sorGhislaine Maxwell’s crimes,starting off two days of depositions that will also include former President Bill Clinton.

“I had no idea about their criminal activities. Idonot recall ever encountering Mr.Epstein,”HillaryClinton saidinanopening statement she shared on socialmedia.

The closed-door deposition concluded Thursday after over six hours of Hillary Clinton giving an answerto every question.

The depositions in the Clintons’ hometown of Chappaqua, atypically quiet hamlet north of New York City come after months of tense back-and-forth betweenthe former high-powered Democratic couple and theRepublican-controlled House Oversight Committeeasit investigates Epstein, who killed himself in aNew York jail cell in 2019 while awaitingtrial.Itwill be thefirst time that aformer president has been forced to testify before Congress.

Yetthe demand for areckoning over Epstein’sabuse of underage girls has become anear-unstoppable force on Capitol Hill and beyond.

President Donald Trump, aRepublican who has expressed regret that the Clintons are being forced to testify,bowed last year to pressure to release case files on Epstein. TheClintons,too agreed to testify after their offers of sworn statements were rebuffed by the Oversight panel and its chairman, Rep.James Comer,R-Ky. threatened criminalcontempt of Congress charges against them.

of Justice in January,includinga numberofhim with women whose faces were redacted. Clintonhas not been accused of wrongdoinginhis relationship with Epstein.

Comer hasalso pointed to Hillary Clinton’sworkas secretaryofstate to address sextrafficking as another reason toinsist on her deposition.Clintondefendedher work to address sextrafficking around the world, saying that it remained important to help themillions of survivors of sex trafficking.

violatingthe committee’s rules for depositions.

“Like every decent person,” Hillary Clinton added in heropening statement, “I have been horrified by what we havelearned about their crimes.”

She has previously said that her husbandflew with Epstein for charitable trips but that shedid not recall ever meetingEpstein. She had also interacted with Maxwell, Epstein’sformer girlfriend and confidant, at conferenceshosted by the Clinton Foundation Maxwell, aBritish socialite, also attended the 2010 wedding of their daughter, Chelsea Clinton As she exitedthe event center where thedeposition was held, Hillary Clinton told reporters that Maxwell had come to thewedding as aguest of someone else and thatshe had told the committeeshe only knew Maxwell “as an acquaintance.”

Bill Clinton, however,has emerged as atop targetfor Republicans amid the political struggle over who receives themost scrutinyfor their ties to Epstein.Several photos of the former president were included in the first tranche of Epstein files released by the Department

Thecommittee’s investigationhas also sought to understand why the DepartmentofJustice under previous presidential administrations did notseek further charges against Epstein followinga 2008 arrangement in which he pleaded guilty to state chargesinFlorida for soliciting prostitution from an underage girl but avoided federal charges.

Hillary Clintonaccused Comer of running aonesided investigation that has failed to hold Trumpand other Republican officials to account. “This institutional failure is designed to protect one political party and one public official,” she said.

Yetconspiracytheories, especially on the right, have swirledfor yearsaround the Clintonsand their connections to Epstein andMaxwell, who argues she was wrongfully convicted. Republicanshavelong wanted to pressthe Clintonsfor answers.

HillaryClintonsaidthat oneRepublican lawmaker asked her aline of questions about“vile, bogus conspiracy theories.”

The deposition paused Boebert photo of the private conservative postedi

Democrats said that the incident underscored how important it was for there to be aclear public record of the deposition. Rep. Robert Garcia, thetop Democrat on the Oversight panel, said that Hillary Clinton, after the incident, repeated her longstanding demand that the deposition be made public, and Democratscalled for avideo and transcript of the complete proceedings to be released quickly Comer saidthat he would work quickly to release a videoand transcript of the deposition.

“The purpose of the whole investigationistotry to understand many things about Epstein,” he told reporters outside the convention cen-

terwhere the depositions were beingheld. “Howdid he accumulate so much wealth? Howwas he able to surround himself with some of the mostpowerful men in the world?”

Democrats, now being led by anew generation of politicians, have prioritizedtransparencyaround Epstein over defending the former leaders of their party.Several Democratic lawmakers joined with Republicans on the Oversight panel to advance the contempt of Congress charges against the Clintons last month. Several said they had no relationship withthe Clintonsand owed no loyalty to them

Garcia also called on Trump to testify in theinvestigation. He argued that Bill Clinton’sappearance

sets aprecedent that should apply to Trumpaswell.

“Let’sget President Trump in front of our committee to answerthe questions that are being asked across this country from survivors,” Garcia said.

Comer previously said that the committee can’tdepose Trumpbecause he is a sitting president. Still, Democrats are also coming off an effort this week to confront Trump abouthis administration’s handling of the Epstein files by taking women who survived Epstein’s abuse as their guests to Trump’sState of the Union address. Garcia and others are also challenging the Department of Justice’sassertion that it has met the requirements of alaw passedbyCongress last year that mandates the release of many of the case files on Epstein.

New power plant energizes Louisiana

Kindle Energy unveils $750M project with ribbon-cutting

BY AIDAN McCAHILL Staff writer

Louisiana’s newest power plant is coming online in Iberville Parish and is expected to generate enough electricity to run more than 500,000 homes each year New Jersey-based Kindle Energy unveiled its $750 million electric generation plant on Thursday, with a ribbon-cutting ceremony featuring local leaders, energy executives, and U.S. Deputy Secretary of Energy James P. Danley

Magnolia Power Station sits a few miles southeast of Plaquemine off River Road

Described by officials as state-of-the-art, it has begun generating roughly 700 megawatts of electricity, most of which will supply power to rural Louisiana homes for the next 20 years.

Those homes are served by five rural utility cooperatives that make up the 1803 Electric Cooperative: Beauregard Electric Cooperative, Claiborne Electric Cooperative, Northeast Louisiana Power Cooperative, South Louisiana Electric Cooperative Association and Washington-St. Tammany Electric Cooperative Inc. Kndle Energy Senior Vice President John Baylor said that the plant’s combinedcycle gas turbines generate electricity in two stages: burning natural gas to spin a

CLEAN SCENE

JOHNSON

A backhoe from Sevenson pulls a bucket of mud from University Lake during part of the restoration project in Baton Rouge on Thursday The project has been divided into phases, with Phase 1 focusing on the dredging and deepening of City Park Lake and Lake Erie (the small lake off Lakeshore Drive near Interstate 10), and Phase 2 on University Lake and its smaller surrounding lakes. While the dredging hasn’t been the most fun or attractive project for the lakes’ throngs of pedestrians, it is considered an essential first step

Mignon Faget closes Mall of Louisiana store

BY IANNE SALVOSA Staff writer

New Orleans-based jeweler

Mignon Faget has closed its Mall of Louisiana store.

The brand, which specializes in demi fine jewelry, will continue to sell its products in Baton Rouge at Bumble Lane spa, which has locations in Towne Center at Cedar Lodge and in Lagniappe Center in Gonzales.

Mignon Faget CEO Maghan Oroszi said the company decided to close the Baton Rouge outpost after customers have been “vocal” about discontent with the mall, citing concerns with traffic and the development of the city of St. George. The mall lies just outside St. George’s boundaries.

“They love us, the love our brand, but they don’t want to go to the Mall of Louisiana,” Oroszi said. The jeweler’s store on the

mall’s first floor opened in 2017 after relocating from the Towne Center, where it opened in 2005.

Oroszi said the Towne Center location allowed the company to build a strong presence in the Capital region.

The Mall of Louisiana store’s last day was Feb. 16, and Oroszi is confident the brand will keep growing its Baton Rouge customer base through its online sales, in addition to its partnership with Bumble Lane. She selected the chain as a partner due to its similar intent to expand, and the spa has started to stock Mignon Faget jewelry in the past few months.

Mignon Faget has freestanding stores on Magazine Street in New Orleans and in Metairie’s Lakeside Shopping Center

“We remain proudly rooted in Louisiana and deeply committed to our customers across the region,” the company said in a release announcing the closure.

Former legislator announces candidacy

Sherman Mack running for district attorney in the 21st Judicial District

BY CLAIRE GRUNEWALD Staff writer

A former Louisiana state representative from Livingston Parish has officially joined the race to be the next district attorney for the 21st Judicial District.

Sherman Mack announced Wednesday that he is running for district attorney of Livingston, Tangipahoa and St. Helena parishes. The role is currently held by longtime District Attorney Scott Perrilloux, who is retiring after 30 years as the district attorney effective at the end of his term early in 2027. The election for the next district attorney is this fall. Mack has 25 years of civil and criminal litigation experience. While serving in the Louisiana Legislature, he was the chairman of the Louisiana House Criminal Justice Committee. “A district attorney must be firm when necessary, compassionate when warranted, but above all honest and devoted to the people he or she serves,” Mack said in his campaign news release. I believe my 25 years of service as an attorney, legislator, and community leader uniquely qualify me to be our next district attorney.”

Mayor plans to return project funds

BY OLIVIA TEES Staff writer

Baton Rouge Mayor-President Sid Edwards is planning to return federal funding allocated for an $11 million housing project in Scotlandville after the developer failed to provide the required documents and was charged with bank fraud, he announced Thursday Edwards said all contracts related to the stalled Housing for Heroes Project have been canceled and the city-parish government is actively working to return the funding to the government. Housing for Heroes would have built 36 low-income apartments for essential health care workers and professionals.

“As I’ve said many times since coming into office, one of my top priorities has been putting proper financial controls and accountability procedures in place to protect taxpayer dollars,” Edwards said. In 2021, the East Baton Rouge

edly used that money to fraudulently obtain multiple bank loans totaling around $5 million, according to the Louisiana Attorney General’s Office. By December, construction had not yet begun. On Dec. 5 Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill charged Brown with theft over $25,000, bank fraud, illegal transfer of monetary funds, money laundering and filing false public records. Edwards stopped all work relating to the housing project once he was made aware of the

“Because

The

“While

federal dollars, roughly $960,000, in August 2023. He alleg-

La. regulators reject investigation into data center

Request for probe of Meta’s financing denied

BY JOSIE ABUGOV Staff writer

Louisiana regulators rejected a request Wednesday from environmental and consumer advocacy groups to investigate Meta’s financing for its massive data center in the state’s northeast.

The tech company’s new financial arrangement has left a separate company, rather than Meta itself, as the majority owner of the data center in Richland Parish. The advocacy groups allege the arrangement increases the risk that other ratepayers will be forced to cover the costs of three new natural gas-fired plants being built to power the facility, which will be the tech company’s biggest data center worldwide.

Two nonprofit groups, the Alliance for Affordable Energy and the Union of Concerned Scientists, urged the state’s utility regulators to probe how the financing setup could affect ratepayers and whether Meta

or Entergy misled elected officials during the controversial power plan approval process.

TheLouisianaPublicServiceCommission, the elected body responsible for regulating utilities, greenlit the plan to construct the electricity plants and other infrastructure to serve the giant AI data center

Entergy, which is building the electricity infrastructure, called the allegations from the nonprofits

“nothing more than baseless conjecture” in the company’s filed response. Entergy leadership stressed that the new financing structure does not affect Meta’s previous commitments.

“At the end of the day I owe it to my customers to make sure they don’t pick up the tab,” Larry Hand, a vice president at Entergy, told the regulators at Wednesday’s commission meeting. “That’s why we have that guarantee from Meta. It is unconditional and irrevocable.”

The regulators decided to not take up a probe into the issue. Davante Lewis, the sole commissioner on the five-person body who opposed Entergy’s power plan for the facility noted that the regulators can investigate the issue in the future if

new information arises.

The nonprofit groups called the decision a missed opportunity to fully examine the impacts of the financial setup.

“By dismissing this motion, the PSC is giving the green light to more tech companies to use this kind of financial maneuvering to maximize profits while evading public accountability,” said Susan Miller, an attorney for the environmental firm Earthjustice representing the nonprofits.

A spokesperson for Meta could not be reached for comment.

The data center project has been welcomed by Gov Jeff Landry and other officials as an economic boon to an impoverished part of the state. Concerns have however persisted over its electricity and water use, among other issues.

Meta’s new financing

On the day the Louisiana regulators approved Meta’s power plan, the tech company “fundamentally changed” the financial setup of the data center, Miller said. Meta teamed with a private equity firm, Blue Owl, in a deal to help it offset financial risk and guarantees a profit

for Blue Owl, according to The Wall Street Journal.

The restructuring essentially gives the private equity company majority ownership of the data center and makes Meta a tenant, able to exit the lease every four years for up to 20 years. Key to the nonprofits’ concern is that a new entity — majority owned by Blue Owl is now the parent company of the Meta subsidiary, called Laidley, that originally entered into the agreement for the electricity plants. As a result of the new financial structure, the nonprofits argue, various ratepayer protections that had been guaranteed by Meta are now called into question

The four-year term is a fraction of the 15-year contract that the Louisiana regulators approved, though that length also worried opponents.

The three gas plants that Entergy is building have a lifespan of up to 40 years, the nonprofits argued over a monthslongapprovalprocess,potentially leaving ratepayers on the hook for some costs of the new infrastructure if the tech company leaves.

BY KASEY BUBNASH and JUSTIN MITCHELL Staff writers

Actor Shia LaBeouf will be required to attend rehab following his arrest on battery charges related to a Mardi Gras fight at a Marigny bar, a judge ruled Thursday morning New Orleans Criminal District Court Judge Simone Levine revoked the 39-yearold actor’s jail release on his own recognizance and ordered a bond of $100,000 LaBeouf — who wore jeans tucked into cowboy boots appeared in a packed courtroom alongside his attorney, Sarah Chervinsky He bonded out immediately following the proceedings.

The celebrity made national headlines last week when he was accused of starting a fight outside R Bar in the early morning hours of Feb. 17.

Video footage shared with The Times-Picayune shows

LaBeouf removing his shirt outside the bar and squaring up to fight as several bystanders attempt to defuse the situation, shouting “Don’t swing” and “Don’t do it.” LaBeouf can be seen shoving one person to the ground and punching another in the face before pushing a third.

for promising to show up to scheduled court hearings. He was back out on Bourbon Street later that night.

New Orleans Police Department officers said in an arrest report that LaBeouf punched two men, dislocating one victim’s nose, and repeatedly shouted a homophobic slur during the brawl and his arrest, at one point saying, “These f****ts put me in jail. I’m a Catholic.”

LaBeouf was booked into the Orleans Parish jail on two counts of simple battery He was released on his own recognizance on Fat Tuesday, meaning he did not have to pay a bond in exchange

Jeffrey Damnit, a California resident who became entangled in the R Bar confrontation with LaBeouf while visiting for Mardi Gras has called the actor’s release “ridiculous” and said he should be charged with a hate crime. Damnit was born with the last name Klein. In her ruling Thursday Levine told the courtroom her biggest concern is the potential danger LaBeouf poses not only to the victims, but to the broader community particularly a “marginalized community” that has faced so much “terror” already Before the start of his hearing, Levine ordered LaBeouf to take a drug and alcohol test, saying that she had seen “quite a lot” of evidence in his case following his initial release.

Continued from page 1B

turbine, then capturing the exhaust heat to produce steam that drives a second turbine — converting nearly twice as much energy as a conventional plant extracts from the same fuel.

“It’s more expensive to build it this way, but you use a lot less gas per kilowatt of energy,” Baylor said. “This is the most efficient power plant in Louisiana today.” Baylor added that the facility was also designed to run on hydrogen and to accommodate carbon-capture technology down the road, depending on “wherever the politics go.” He described the plant as a 40-year asset.

“Our design of the location, our design of the plant, are to make it as sustainable as we can make it for the long term,” he said. Nearly a decade in the making, the Blackstone-backed project broke ground in 2022, creating 400 construction jobs. Kindle CEO Lee Davis said the plant will support 25 jobs, with average salaries and benefits ranging from $150,000 to $175,000.

Levine said the test results showed evidence of past substance use in the actor’s system.

Though the judge said LaBeouf is taking a prescription that could be responsible for “one of the substances” found in his system, she said her biggest concern is his alcohol use.

Chervinsky said illegal drugs were not found in his system and argued that the results showed only evidence of past alcohol use. It’s not illegal to get drunk on Mardi Gras she said.

Levine said such results would not show up more than a week later

Chervinksy argued that Levine’s initial decision to release LaBeouf was an “entirely proper, routine and legal decision.” She said the state had not requested a bond increase and that the NOPD had arrested more than 120 people over Mardi Gras dozens of whom were also released on their own recognizance.

“Us doing that incentiv-

“When companies like Kindle invest here, it sends a strong message that Iberville is open for business,” said Parish President Chris Daigle. Public Service Commission member Davante Lewis said that most of the rural cooperatives involved previously held power purchase agreements with subsidiaries of Cleco and Entergy That changed in 2022, when the Public Service Commission approved a $1.5 billion plan allowing rural cooperatives to purchase power from out-of-state utilities over the next 20 years. As part of the deal, Kindle Energy agreed to build the Magnolia Power Station in order to supply the cooperatives.

izes more developers,” Lewis said, referring to companies like Kindle.

He added that, on average, the arrangement will cut energy costs for the cooperatives by 15%, savings he expects to be passed on to rural ratepayers.

Meta has agreed to cover the full annual cost of the power plants for at least 15 years, though the costs of other electricity infrastructure will be shared by all of Entergy’s ratepayers.

Hand, the Entergy vice president, also said he did not know about Meta’s deal with Blue Owl until the announcement, but that the issue of financing routinely comes up for large industrial projects.

“I can’t say I am completely unaware or surprised that Laidley endeavored to do some sort of financing that happens all the time,” Hand said.

Private credit arrangements, such as Meta’s deal with Blue Owl, have contributed to concerns of a financial bubble forming as a result of the fast-growing AI industry Blue Owl’s stock has taken a hit this year and the firm recently announced it would restrict withdrawals from one of its private credit funds, Bloomberg reported.

Entergy maintains the new structure changes nothing about the contract with the subsidiary company or any of the already established ratepayer protections. The 15-year contract remains in full force, Hand told the regulators, as do other financial backstops intended to safeguard ratepayers.

CANDIDACY

Continued from page 1B

Still, Levine ultimately ordered LaBeouf to pay bond after reading the key details of a new police report on LaBeouf’s arrest, which included more information about one victim’s alleged injuries and LaBeouf’s alleged homophobic comments. Though Chervinsky argued that the details of LaBeouf’s arrest were included in the NOPD’s initial gist, Levine responded, “This was not information the court had whatsoever.” LaBeouf sat quietly beside his lawyer following the hearing, signing a few documents before exiting the courtroom at her side. They parted ways at the courthouse entrance, where LaBeouf dodged a crowd of reporters and sprinted down Tulane Avenue without comment.

Several reporters chased after him until he crossed Broad Street. Chervinsky did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Deputy Secretary Danley hailed the project as aligned with the Trump administration’s goals of ensuring affordability for ratepayers as electricity demand rises across the country driven by “industry, on-shoring manufacturing and data center demand.”

Mack worked on legislation sponsored by the Louisiana District Attorney’s Association and was graded with an A+ rating by the Louisiana Sheriffs and Deputies Political Action Committee

“I owe the people of Livingston, St. Helena, and Tangipahoa so much. I humbly ask for the opportunity to serve as your next district attorney,” he said.

Mack has also served as the junior high basketball coach at St. Joseph School located in Ponchatoula and was a youth basketball coach in Albany and Ponchatoula.

Mack joins a small race that includes Assistant District Attorney Brad Cascio, a Hammond resident who announced his candidacy a couple of months ago.

Perrilloux will end his current term on the second Sunday of 2027.

“It is projects like these that are the very basis of the policy of the Trump administration,” Danley said He also criticized what he described as regulatory overreach under the Biden administration that slowed power generation projects.

“The objective is to get out of the way, so the economics of power demand are met by developers who build generators like this,” he added

Trader Joe’s fried rice recalled over glass

Mortgage rate drops below 6%

LOS ANGELES Handle this with care: there could be glass in fried rice at Trader Joe’s.

The manufacturer, Ajinomoto Foods North America, recalled more than 3 million pounds of frozen chicken fried rice that “may be contaminated with foreign material, specifically glass,” according to an alert issued by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s food safety division.

The recall applies to batches of Trader Joe’s private-label chicken fried rice with soldby dates between Sept. 8 and Nov 17. The product, which contains stir-fried rice, vegetables, seasoned dark chicken meat and eggs, was sold nationwide in approximately one-pound plastic bags.

Trader Joe’s said that customers with recalled products can return them to any Trader Joe’s location for a full refund.

Ajinomoto notified the USDA’s food safety division after receiving four consumer complaints about finding glass in their fried rice. There have been no confirmed injuries tied to the product, according to the alert, which recommends consumers to return it or toss it out.

Ajinomoto did not respond to a request for comment

Trader Joe’s had 10 product recalls in 2025 affecting items like peaches, turkey wraps, and Cajun-style fettuccini alfredo, all recalled due to possible listeria contamination, according to a list on the company’s website.

Cottage cheese recalled from Walmart

Three varieties of cottage cheese sold under Walmart’s Great Value brand got yanked from stores in 24 states, including Louisiana and Mississippi, on potential pasteurization problems.

Manufact urer Saputo Cheese USA said while doing “pasteurizer troubleshooting exercises” with the California Department of Food and Agriculture, the company and agency found “there’s the possibility liquid dairy ingredients used in the items (were) not being fully pasteurized according to state regulatory standards.”

Here’s what’s recalled, which should be returned to the store for a refund or thrown into the garbage :

n Great Value Small Curd Cottage Cheese, 4% milkfat minimum, 16-ounce containers, best by April 2; 24-ounce containers, best by April 2 or 3; 3-pound containers, best by April 1 or 2.

n Great Value Small Curd Cottage Cheese, 2% milkfat, 24-ounce containers, best by April 1, 2, or 3.

n Great Value Fat Free Small Curd Cottage Cheese, 24-ounce containers, best by April 1 or 3.

Frozen meatballs recalled nationwide

Nearly 9,500 pounds of ready-to-eat frozen, Italianstyle meatballs have been recalled nationwide after a consumer reported finding metal fragments inside the product according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service. The recall involves 32-ounce bags labeled “Bremer Family Size Italian Style Meatballs,” produced July 30, 2025 The packages carry a “Best By” date of Oct. 30, timestamps between 17:08 and 18:20, and the establishment number “EST 4286B” inside the USDA inspection mark.

The issue surfaced after a consumer complaint about small pieces of metal found in one of the bags. No injuries or illnesses have been confirmed, federal officials said. Consumers are urged not to eat the meatballs. Instead, they should throw the product away or return it to the place of purchase. BRIEFS

Decrease comes as spring home-buying season gets rolling

BY ALEX VEIGA Associated Press

The average long-term U.S. mortgage rate slipped this week below 6% for the first time since late 2022, good news for home shoppers as the spring home-buying season gets rolling.

The benchmark 30-year fixed rate mortgage rate fell to 5.98% from

6.01% last week, mortgage buyer Freddie Mac said Thursday One year ago, the rate averaged 6.76%.

The average rate has been hovering close to 6% this year This latest dip, its third decline in a row brings it to its lowest level since Sept. 8, 2022, when it was 5.89%.

Mortgage rates are influenced by several factors, from the Federal Reserve’s interest rate policy decisions to bond market investors’ expectations for the economy and inflation They generally follow the trajectory of the 10-year Treasury yield, which lenders use as a guide to pricing home loans.

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 when mortgage rates began to climb from pandemic-era lows. Sales of previously occupied U.S. homes remained stuck last year at 30-year lows. And more buyerfriendly mortgage rates this year weren’t enough to lift home sales last month. They posted the biggest monthly drop in nearly four years and the slowest annualized sales pace in more than two years.

However with the average rate on a 30-year mortgage now below 6% as the annual spring home-buying season begins, it could encourage prospective home shoppers who can afford to buy at current rates to shop for a home this spring “Assuming rates stay below 6%, buyers and sellers are going to start getting back into the market,” said Lisa Sturtevant, chief economist at Bright MLS. “March is when the spring home-buying season typically begins to ramp up and with rates at a three-and-a-half year low, it could be a barn burner of a spring home-buying season.”

Worst day for Nvidia’s stock since spring drags Wall Street lower

BY STAN CHOE Associated Press

NEWYORK The worst day for Nvidia’s stock since last spring dragged the U.S. market lower on Thursday, even though most stocks on Wall Street rose.

The S&P 500 slipped 0.5% following sharp swings earlier in the week driven by hopes and worries created by the artificial-intelligence revolution. The Dow Jones Industrial Average added 17 points, or less than 0.1%, and the Nasdaq composite sank 1.2%.

Nvidia, whose chips are helping to power the AI boom, reported another stellar quarter of profit growth that breezed past analysts’ expectations. It also gave a forecast for revenue in the current quarter that once again topped Wall Street’s estimates.

But such blowout performances have become so typical for Nvidia that they’re losing their oomph. Its stock sank 5.5% for worst loss since April.

“Our customers are racing to invest in AI compute — the factories powering the AI industrial revolution and their future growth,”

Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang said.

Worries are nevertheless rising that those customers may eventually curtail their

spending on Nvidia’s chips and other AI investments amid doubts about whether they can make back their billions of dollars through future gains in productivity

Because Nvidia’s is the largest stock in the U.S. market by value, it has more influence on the S&P 500 than any other. It alone accounted for more than four-fifths of the S&P 500’s loss.

Despite Nvidia’s troubles, seven stocks rose in the S&P 500 for every three that fell. Among them was Salesforce, which climbed 4% after it likewise reported a stronger profit for the latest quarter than analysts expected.

It’s a return to gains for the stock, which is still down nearly 25% for the young year so far It’s been under pressure because of worries that AI-powered competitors could undercut its business.

Salesforce uses AI itself in its offerings that help customers manage relationships with their own customers. It also made several announcements that typically give a stock’s price a boost: It will send up to $50 billion to shareholders through buybacks of its stock, and it increased its dividend.

“Agentic AI is a tailwind for our business,” CEO Marc Benioff said.

Companies in industries as far flung as

trucking logistics and financial services have also seen their stocks come under sudden and aggressive attacks this year by investors who fear their businesses may lose out to AI or even become obsolete.

Some of the sharpest swings in financial markets were for oil, where prices swung sharply as the United States and Iran held indirect talks about Iran’s nuclear program. A peaceful solution would remove the threat of war, which investors worry could block the global flow of oil and drive up its price. The U.S. military has already built up the largest force of American warships and aircraft in the Middle East in decades, which has raised the stakes The current round of talks feels “make or break,” according to strategists at Macquarie.

A barrel of benchmark U.S crude briefly fell as low as $63.60. But it erased that loss and rose above $66.50 before settling at $65.21, up 0.3%. Brent crude, the international standard, also had a zigzag day and finished at $70.75 per barrel, down 0.1%.

A report showed that the number of U.S. workers applying for unemployment benefits ticked up last week, but not by any more than economists expected. It also remains relatively low compared with history

Anthropic CEO: Company can’t accede to Pentagon demands

BY KONSTANTIN TOROPIN and MATT O’BRIEN Associated Press

WASHINGTON — Anthropic CEO

Dario Amodei said Thursday the artificial intelligence company “cannot in good conscience accede” to the Pentagon’s demands to allow wider use of its technology The company said in a statement that it’s not walking away from negotiations but that new contract language received from the Defense Department “made virtually no progress on prevent-

ing Claude’s use for mass surveillance of Americans or in fully autonomous weapons.”

The Pentagon’s top spokesperson has reiterated that the military wants to use Anthropic’s technology in legal ways and will not let the company dictate any limits ahead of a Friday deadline to agree to its demands.

Sean Parnell said Thursday on social media that the Pentagon “has no interest in using AI to conduct mass surveillance of Americans (which is illegal) nor do we want to use AI to develop autonomous weapons that operate

without human involvement.”

Anthropic’s policies prevent its models, such as its chatbot Claude, from being used for those purposes. It’s the last of its peers the Pentagon also has contracts with Google, OpenAI and Elon Musk’s xAI — to not supply its technology to a new U.S. military internal network.

Parnell said the Pentagon wants to “use Anthropic’s model for all lawful purposes” but didn’t offer details on what that entailed. He said opening up use of the technology would prevent the company

from “jeopardizing critical military operations.”

“We will not let ANY company dictate the terms regarding how we make operational decisions,” he said.

During a meeting on Tuesday between Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Amodei, military officials warned that they could designate Anthropic as a supply chain risk, cancel its contract or invoke a Cold War-era law called the Defense Production Act to give the military more sweeping authority to use its products, even if the company doesn’t approve.

Breaux, Raymond

St.Josephthe Worker Catholic Church at 12pm

Doerr, Cynthia

ResthavenFuneralHomeat11am.

Franklin,Kendra

Dr.Martin Luther King Community Center, 4000 GusYoung Avenue,at

noon.

Kappel, Leonard

ResthavenFuneralHome, 11817

JeffersonHighway,at2:30p.m

Lutschg, Grace

FirstUnitedMethodist Church of BatonRouge in 1p.m

Malpica, Marie

Most BlessedSacramentChurch 15615 OldJefferson Hwy.at12pm

Manuel, Percy

OurLadyofMount Carmel Catholic Church in St.Francisville,La. at 10 am

Morrow, Loyce

HealingPlace Church Annex, 19202 HighlandRoad, at 3p.m

Nelson, Charlene

Rabenhorst FuneralHome, 825 Government St BatonRouge at 11:00am.

Norwood Jr., Edward Rabenhorst FuneralHome, 825 Government Street,at12:30 p.m

Reech,Joel Sacred HeartofJesus Catholic Church at 11 a.m.

Simmerman,Shelley Gospel LightBaptistChurch,20440 HighlandRoad, BatonRouge,LAat 10am.

Obituaries

Bonnecaze,Elizabeth Anding

ElizabethAndingBon‐necaze passedawayon

Tuesday, December 30, 2025.A native of Baton Rouge, shewas born on June 20, 1977. Growingup, sheenjoyed playingwithher neighbor‐hood friends, swimming andattendingdance and pianoclasses. Shegradu‐ated from EpiscopalHigh School in 1995 whereshe played volleyball andten‐nis, andwas acheerleader

Excitedtospreadher wings, Elizabethmoved to Colorado to attend college whereshe wasa Chi Omega. During thesum‐merof1996, sheconquered a56day OutwardBound Odyssey. Elizabethoften said that it wasthe great‐estand hardestthing she hadeverdone. Shegradu‐ated from theUniversityof Colorado at Boulder, ma‐joring in politicalscience

Eventually she found her way back to Louisiana, whereshe attended LSU, excellinginaccounting coursework.She worked forErnst &Young in New Orleans, before returning to BatonRouge andusing herconsiderablesales skills in severalbusi‐nesses. Elizabethwas an athlete andanexcellent tennis player,aswellasa bigLSU sports fan.Her fashion sensewas top-notchand shewas always available to help hermom andsister with anyfashion emergen‐cies!Mostofall,Elizabeth wasa kind andgivingper‐son, continuallywilling to go theextra mile to help with friendsand relatives, with other’schildren, and whatever herparents needed.She became aspe‐cial “Lizzie” to many kids in herlifeand lovedthem with allherheart.She left theworld toosoon andwill be greatlymissed. Elizabethissurvivedby parentsLouis Jr (“Buddy”) &Julianne Thompson Bon‐necaze of BatonRouge,sis‐terLea Bonnecazeand family of JacksonHole, WY brotherLouis Bonnecaze, III of BatonRouge,and many aunts, uncles cousins, nieces,nephews, andfriends.A memorial servicewillbeheldatthe UnitarianChurch of Baton RougeonSaturday, Febru‐ary28, 2026 at 10 AM.Visi‐tation will take placeat 9:30 AM,witha reception at thechurch afterthe ser‐vice In lieu of flowers, thefam‐ilykindlyrequeststhatdo‐nationsbemadeinmem‐oryofElizabeth to Episco‐palHighSchool Scholar‐ship EndowmentFund, 3200 Woodland Ridge Boulevard, BatonRouge, LA 70816; University of Col‐orado-Boulder, Office of Advancement, PoliticalSci‐ence Department,914 Broadway,Boulder,CO 80309-0095; or theUnitar‐ianChurch of BatonR 8470 Ba

Joel DavisDicharry, Sr., of Diamond Head Mississippi, passed away at home on Sunday, February 8th, 2026. Born in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, in 1947, he is preceded in death by his parents, Verne Dicharry, Sr. and VevaDavis Dicharry;his belovedfirst wife Roseanne Cooling Dicharry;his granddaughterNina Dicharry; his brother, Verne Dicharry, Jr. and his sister-in-law Susie Dicharry.Joelissurvived by his wife Sally Simons Dicharry,his children Joel Davis Dicharry,Jr. (Rachel) and Holly Dicharry;grandchildrenJacob Dicharry and Thomas Shepherd Dicharry;two brothers, Thomas Dicharryand Dreux Dicharry,one sister Suzanne Dicharry and his stepsons GarrettHogue and Charlie Hogue. AgraduateofCatholic HighSchool in Baton Rouge, he attended Jeff Davis CommunityCollege in Pass Christian, Mississippiand held an associatesdegree in Hotel and Restaurant Management. He worked forseveral years in thehospitality industrybeforehebecame a long-timeemployeeof Royal Cup Coffee,from where he retired as District Sales Manager for Louisiana and Mississippi. He was aproud U.S.Navy VietnamVeteran, having ed hip in th

home on January30, 2026. ServiceswillbeheldatLA NationalCemetery,located at 303 W. Mt. Pleasant Rd., Zachary, LA,onWed March 4, 2026, at 2:00 PM, where Gordon's asheswill be interred.All who wish to remember Gordonare invited to attend. Seefull obituary at ChurchFuneral Services.com.

Loyce Mae Martin Morrowwas born to William EliasMartin and Virginia WhatleyMartin in Mora, Louisiana on December 15, 1924, and she passed away on February 24, 2026, in BatonRouge.She graduated fromSimpson HighSchool and soon beganher career at Fort Polk.After World War II,she married Carl FrancisMorrow on November30, 1946. She and Carl raised threeboys: Carl Glen, RonaldLynnand Perry Francis. They livedin Leesville formost of their marriage. Loyce worked at FortPolkfor the Army as a budget analyst and supervisor. She retired in Januaryof1980. They were dedicatedmembers of First Baptist Church of Leesville.Carl and Loyce moved to Baton Rougein 2005. They livedinLake Sherwood Village fortwo years before Carl's death in 2018. They mademany friends and celebrated their 70thanniversary

be held at theHealing Place Church Annex, 19202 HighlandRd. at 3p.m. on Friday, February, 27. The familywould like to thank JessieJane Sovereignfor loving andcaring for Loyce. Also the family thanks Katie,Sonya, Bernice Twander of Audubon Hospice fortheir excellent care.Inlieuofflowers please donate to the HealingPlace Church Missions Fund.

Porter, Oscar

Oscar Porter,Jr., ahusband, father,brother,uncle, respected veteran,and skilledcraftsman,passed away peacefullyonFebruary 16, 2026, in Baker, LA. Born in Port Allen, LA. RetiredfromBRCity Parish.Oscar'slove for his countrywas evident in his service duringthe Vietnam War,where wasawarded twoPurpleHeartsbefore receivinganhonorabledischarge. Afuneral service will be held at 11:00 AM on 2026-03-02 at Hall Davis& Sons,9348 Scenic Hwy.

Randolph, Ralph

Visitation 9:30 A.M.until ReligiousServicesat10:30 A.M.Arrangements entrustedtoSchaffer Family Funeral Home, Rosedale, LA.

Iris Gail Jones Taylor enteredintoeternal rest at herresidence in Baton Rouge,Louisiana on Tuesday, February 17, 2026 at 8:40 pm. She was a76-year old native of Baton Rouge Visitation at Beacon Light Baptist ChurchonSaturday, February 28, 2026 at 9:00 am untilCelebration of Life Service at 11:00 am conductedbyOverseer Eric Williams; interment at Southern Memorial Gardens. Survivors include her devotedsons, Jason D.(Lawren) andJohnD Taylor,Baton Rouge; grandson, Jason L. Taylor; siblings, Betty Butler,Baton Rouge;Lena Williams(Russell), Slaughter, Louisiana; Chris Jones(Carole), Decatur, Georgia; andJames Jones, Lewisville,Texas; bonus mother, Mamie Jones, Baton Rouge;Godchild,Elston Lewis, Houston, Texas; otherrelativesand friends; preceded in death by herhusband; parents; anda brother. Arrangements entrusted to Miller &Daughter Mortuary.

will

Shethenmoved to Aspen, living outher dreamof beinga skiinstructor and enjoying life in amountain town Eventually,she foundher b k i i born the Ger en February behind kindness, strength on 10:0 Funeral li fo vice ser C Whi

LSUcan be both excellentand accessible

In Louisiana, higher education has asurplus of blessings —accessible universities, groundbreaking research, meaningful industry partnerships and students who excel at the highest levels. Yet, for far too long, our state’sinstitutionshave sufferedfrom adeficit of ambition

extensiveresearch portfolio so that we could takeour rightful place amongthe nation’s elite universities. It was also aclear signal that we will no longer accept“theway things have alwaysbeen done.”

While Louisianans refuse to accept middle-of-thepack results in athletics, we have quietly embraced them in the academic arena.Wehave been content to remain on theoutside looking in to the fraternity of elite academic institutions. We have allowed the infrastructure of our universities to deteriorate, while our resources have been depleted by duplicative programs and unfocused management.

The Louisiana State University System is charting anew course. When the Board of Supervisors approveda restructuringofour leadership last December,it was not simply achange to an organizational chart. It was an effort to consolidate —and grow —LSU’s

Instead,the LSU System will embrace an ambitious path forward —one that elevates theway we educate Louisiana and embraces excellence as our north star

The debate aboutLSU’srole in our state has long focused on whether theuniversity should pursue elite academicrankings or focusonremainingaccessible to Louisiana students. That is afalse choice. Excellence and accessibility can, andmust, coexist. We are committed to elevating our flagship enterprise —includingour Baton Rouge campus, our health centers in Shreveport and New Orleans, the Pennington Biomedical Research Center and the LSUAgCenter —tobeamongthe nation’s top 50 research institutions.

This will require us to grow our research funding, toimprove our facilities and to set admissions standards that reflect our ambition for excellence. We will prioritize retaining Louisiana’sbest and brightest, and we will work to attract top students and faculty from around thecountry

As an institution with aunique relationship to thestate, we must also create avenues for all Louisiana students who want to advance their education and economic standing. We are well-positioned to do just that.

From Eunice and Alexandria to Shreveport,Baton Rouge and New Orleans, our institutions are as distinct as the communities where they are located. Each has unique strengths and programs. For studentsthat wish to pursue atwo-year degree, afour-year degree, agraduatedegree, aprofessional certification or who need apath to transfer to the flagship, there is an LSU institution to meet their needs. That is amessage we will amplify to every corner of this state, as we recruit Louisianans to join the LSU family

Drug pricingreforms cannot neglectindependent practitioners

Drug prices are too high. On that point, nearly everyone agrees. Patients across Louisiana and the nation struggle with the cost of specialty medicines thattreat cancer,autoimmune disorders and other serious diseases.

Higher education in Louisiana is in aparadigm shift. The cost of higher education continues to increase, as does the percentage of that cost being borne by studentsand their families. As a result,prospective students are demandingatangible return on their investment.

Acollege education must make financial sense. It must not only elevate astudent’sintellect, but their station in life. Institutions that ignore this basic market fact will wither; those that embrace it will thrive.

At LSU, we plan to thrive by pursuing excellence AND meeting our students where they are. That means building degree pathways that are transparent, timely and aligned with real opportunity It means expanding experiential learning —internships, clinical rotationsand co-ops —sostudentsgraduate with both knowledge and arésumé.

Ourambition is to be among thenation’sbest universities while also expanding access for all Louisianans. This will require fiscal discipline and strong man-

agement. We will be honest about which programsare working and which are not. We will allocate resources wisely,avoiding unnecessary duplication of programsand investing heavily in disciplines where Louisiana can lead the nation. We will makeinfrastructure investments worthy of an elite university system.And, most importantly,wewill measure success in outcomes that matter: research competitiveness, graduation and job placement. Louisiana has everything it needs to compete and winin higher education. What we have lacked is aunified commitment to aim higher and deliver more. At LSU,weare setting anew standard: excellence that is measurable, access that is meaningful and stewardship that is disciplined. If we do this work together,LSU will not only rise in reputation. We will liftLouisiana’speople, economy,and prospects forgenerations to come.

Wade Rousse is the president of the LSU System.

Louisianashouldlet disabled people live at home

venient.

But while reform is urgently needed, many of the current proposals from Washington and Baton Rouge threaten to make a bad situation worse. Policies like pricecontrolsin Medicare, “most favored nation,” or MFN, pricing —which would tie American drug prices to the prices paid overseas and even tariffs on imported medicines are being sold as ways to bring down patient costs. In practice, they risk doing little for out-of-pocket spending while creating new threats to access, especially for patients who rely on independent doctors forlife-saving infusions.

In Louisiana, oncologistsand rheumatologists oftenadminister specialty drugs through asystem known as “buy-andbill.” The practice purchasesthe drug up front, stores and prepares it andthen bills theinsurer once it is administered. This model allows patients to receive treatment in their doctor’s office rather than in ahospital, reducing infection risk.

It is also far cheaper for the healthcare system. Hospital outpatient departmentstypically charge 129% to 211% more for drug administration than physician offices. That difference translates into billions in savings when patients can be treated locally But buy-and-bill only works if practices can reliably cover their costs. Medicare currently reimburses physicians for Part Bdrugs at the average sales priceplus 6%. That 6% helps infusion centers offset the expenses of storage, staff, preparation and insurance against drug spoilage.

Today’sdrug pricing proposals overlook this fragile balance. If Medicare price controls or MFN models drive down reimbursement rates while acquisition costs staythe same— or climb higher due to tariffs —independent practices will be left underwater Margins are already razor-thin. Pushing them lower may force practices to close their infusion sites.

For patients, that means fewer places to receive treatment and higher costswhen they are pushed into hospitalsettings. For rural communities, it could mean travel-

ing for hoursfor care that used to be available justdown the road

Timely access to medication is critical in cancer care and in treating autoimmune conditions.

Delays of even weeks can mean worse outcomes.

If independent practices can no longer afford to administer these drugs,patients will lose the option of lower-cost, communitybased treatment. That is theoppositeofwhat reform should achieve.

Thankfully,thereare solutions that balance affordability with access. Republican Reps. Greg Murphy of North Carolina, and Neal Dunn of Florida, and Democrat Adam Gray of California, have introduced abill that would safeguard physician reimbursementfor infusions under theAverage Sales Price model.

We arefortunate in Louisiana to have two leaders in theHouse, Speaker Mike Johnsonand Majority Leader Steve Scalise, who should remember that local patients relyon independent practices for convenient and lifesaving treatments. Louisiana’sdoctors are on the front lines, offering care close to home in settings that are safer andmore affordable thanhospitals. Undermining those practices would only shift costs elsewhere andlimit patients’ options.

Lower health care costs and stronger access to care are not mutually exclusive. With careful, collaborative policymaking, we can achieve both.

Butifreforms continue to ignore the realitiesofindependent practices, independent physicians and thepatients they servewill be collateral damageinthis drug pricing battle.

Dr.Madelaine Feldman is arheumatologist based in New Orleans. Kathy Oubre is a board member for Community Oncology Alliance.

My son Connor is ayoung man with severe disabilities. He lives at home because he receives services through aHome and Community-Based Services, or HCBS, waiver.That waiver is not abonus program. It is what allows him to wakeupinhis own bed, spend evenings with his brothers playing video games and remainpart of our community instead of living in an institution.

On Jan. 23, Louisiana and eight other states renewed their attack on Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act —this timetargeting a core disability civil rights protection knownasthe integration mandate. The lawsuit, Texas v. Kennedy,claims the Biden administration’s2024 update to Section 504 is unconstitutional, objecting to therequirement that states provide services in the “most integrated setting.”

Supporters of the lawsuit warn of budget strain. Yetresearch consistently showsthat homeand community-based services are generally less expensive per person than institutional care. States have expanded HCBS not just because families want them,but because they are fiscally responsible. When community services shrink, institutional costs rise. This lawsuit is not about fiscal prudence. It is about weakening alegal standard that protects families when systemsare under pressure.

The states argue the rule exceeds congressional authority,improperly expands federal control over Medicaid systemsand could require costlyrestructuring.

Butthe integration mandate is not new.Section 504 has prohibited disabilitydiscrimination since 1973.

Federal regulations have required integrated settings for decades. In 1999, theU.S. Supreme Court confirmed in Olmstead v. L.C. that unjustified segregation is discrimination

The 2024 update did not invent this principle. It clarified how it applies in modern Medicaid and health systems. Claims that it “upends decades of federal disability law”ignore that the integration mandate has been settled law fornearly half a century

The law does not require communityplacement in every case. It recognizes that what is appropriate depends on the individual and allows states to consider available resources. It does not demand changes that would fundamentally alter programs.

Butitdoes set aboundary: Segregated settings cannot be the default,and policies cannot create aserious risk of institutionalization simply because community services are underfunded or incon-

Connor’slifeisnot abstract policy.Itistherapy scheduled around family routines. It is adaptive equipment in our living room.Itis belonging. It is dignity Families like mine know how fragile these supports can be. Waiting lists are long. Providers struggle. Budgets tighten. Civil rights protections matter most when trade-offs are being made. They are the guardrails that prevent cost-cutting from turning into segregation.

Louisiana should be strengthening community services, not joining lawsuits that question the legal foundation that protects them

This is not about partisanship. It is about whether our state believes people with disabilities belong in their homes and communities, or whether that belonging becomes conditional when budgets get tight. Connor deserves to live at home. He deserves to grow up surrounded by family.Hedeserves the samecivil rights protections as anyone else.

Guardrails exist for areason. Weakening them may not cause immediate harm.But over time, it changes the direction of the road. For my son, and for thousands of Louisiana families, that direction matters. Louisiana should withdraw from this lawsuit and choose adirection that affirms, clearly and without qualification, that people with disabilities belong in their homes and communities.

Katie Corkern is adisability rights advocate wholives in Amite.

ISSUE OF THE WEEK BLACK HISTORy

As BlackHistoryMonthcomestoa close, we take the timetoreflectonthe contributions of African Americans to our stateand nation.This year marks the 100th anniversaryofthe annual celebration, but manyfeel that this is afraught timefor Black history, withplaques being removedfromlandmarks and attempts to erase stories from historybooks. Discussions of our shared past and the struggles of those whocamebefore remain important to our identity as a nation. Here are twoperspectives.

Controversieshighlight why BlackHistory Monthcametobe

This year marks the 100thanniversary of Black History Month, first proposed as aweeklong celebration byAfrican American scholar and activist Dr.Carter G. Woodson in 1926. Woodson had founded the “Associationfor the Study of Negro Life and History” in 1915. The organization continues today as the Association for the Study of African American Life and History,promoting the study and dissemination of information about the experience of people of African descent in schools, colleges and universities, andfor the wider public.

tributions in arts, literature, science, civic life and multiple other spheres.

To overcome discouragement, look to Blackhistory heroes

Laura Rosanne Adderley GUEST COLUMNIST

Woodson and his peers lived in an era when Black people in the UnitedStates facedsegregation, widespread discrimination,political exclusion, economicmarginalization and widely accepted legal and extra-legalviolence. Manypeople outside of Black communities believedthat African Americans were inferior culturally and intellectually,and that their history and culture were not importantfor the United States or the world.Woodson sought to create an annualoccasion for the promotion of the studyofBlack history and the appreciation of theaccomplishments of African American people ASALH publishes onlinedetailed descriptions of the warm reception which the initial “Negro History Week”received, quickly becoming acommemorativeevent in African Americancommunities over the first half of the 20th century.Educator Mary McLeodBethune proposed theidea for the Negro History Bulletin, whichpublished material for use in these commemorations and promoted an annual theme. Black History Week thenexpanded into Black History Month in 1976, on the50th anniversary of theoriginal commemoration. In succeeding decades, Black History Month became an increasingly recognized national celebration.

YetinU.S. public life, in Louisianaand nationally,weregularly encounter attempts to oversimplify,minimize or even deny thefundamental roles that theexploitation of Black people and anti-Black racism have played in the making of the United States and theentire modern world. Additionally,wehave seen direct and indirect questioning of the importance of studying African American experience as adistinct and valuable pursuit, which will enrich learning for all and strengthen our common life.

Wendy A. Gaudin GUEST COLUMNIST

Therecent removal of books, photographs or exhibitions on Black enslavement and freedom are but three prominent examples of formal opposition to the public dissemination of materials focused on African American Life andHistory.Black people facedgrim obstacles in seeking safety,well-being and inclusion in the United States in the early 1900s. In the early 2000s, we see different— but not unrelated —political, social and economic struggles. The founders of Black History Monthinsisted that carefully researched, public-facing andcomplex discussions of African Americanlife and history were essential to the buildingofa United States where Black peoplecould thrive as well as anyone else. Historical context is critical.

We must insist that our history is an integral partofwhat madethis nation what it is, and we must insist that Black History Monthcontinue as an annual, constant reminder of the many contributions of African Americans as we strive to makethis nation better We cannot, and must not, make do withoutBlack history —orBlack History Month.

As we commemorate the 100th anniversary of celebrating Black History Month, we must remember this is a time to reflect and rededicate ourselves to atradition of persistence and resistance, particularly in the face of the current attempts to erase the innovations of African Americans in this country.The celebration of Black history is about the contributionsofAfrican Americans despitethe tenacious presence of anti-Black racism. The denial of Black history will only rob this nation of the advancements AfricanAmericans have madeinthe world. There is no greater example of Black history than one of the longest-serving presidentsofany collegeoruniversity, Dr.Norman C. Francis. After his death on Feb. 18, we remember his dedication and commitment to Xavier University of Louisiana and the city of New Orleans. Xavier,which celebrated its centennial last year,isnot only an institution of higher learning butalso acommunityofcare that fosters space for flourishing and leadership formation in aworld that is hostile to Black intelligence. As an alumnus of Xavier,I often remember watching Francis walk across thecampus, well-dressed in a suit and fedora, and carrying anewspaper and abriefcase. He had such a regal presence. Histemperament was always pleasant, and he never seemed to mindbeing stopped by students fora brief conversation. He wasthe personification of servant leadership, and his example defined campus life.

Today,many students of allbackgrounds are introduced to the study of Blackhistory and life throughout the year.Many public and private organizations join educational institutions in sponsoringprograms that embrace Black history andBlack con-

Laura Rosanne Adderley is an associate professor of African diaspora history at Tulane University.Wendy A. Gaudin is an assistant professor of history, specializing in race and racial mixture in the Americas,atXavier Universityof Louisiana.

tered on aspirit of care and community that expected students to excel academically and offered manyresources to ensure our success. As afirst-generation undergraduate, Ioften think about the diversity of the students on campus. There werestudents from Chicago, Detroit, California, Alabama, Georgia, Tennessee, NewYork, Africa and the Caribbean. Our diversity of thought and experience challenged each other.Wesharpened one another in discussions, group projects and study groups. There were so manystudents aspiring to be pharmacists, dentists, doctors and psychiatrists that Inever questioned my ability to pursue adoctorate.

The lessons Ilearned at Xavier went beyond attaining professional degrees. Ilearned the importance of servant leadership and using my intellectual skills to address the needs of the world, particularly the elimination of poverty and racial injustice. My studies exceeded workforce development. Iwas taught how to think critically about the problemsI saw in my community and use truth and justice to guide me toward solutions.

We were surroundedbystaffand facultywho supported our academicand personal pursuits. Beyond the faculty, someofthe mostinstrumental people were theadministrators in campus ministry,the counselor’soffice, the graduate center and the career office. The professors and administrators worked with us, listened to us, motivated us and inspired us. We were encouraged to be knowledgeable about thepast and skillful in transforming the future. Xavier was awelcoming campus cen-

In our current moment, Francis’ life journey should be an example of how we move forward. He assumed the role of president on the day of the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr.It is possible he felt the wind taken from beneath him,like manyofusfeel with the rollback to DEI, the reversal of affirmative action and the rise of Black joblessness. But, like him,wemust direct our frustration and anger toward a future hope and promise. Francis used his timeand energy to fortifythe minds of Black youth. We must also take our place in history to build institutional power to strengthen and protect impoverished and marginalized communities. And maybe we too, like Francis, after morethan 47 years of service, will have alegacy worth replicating.

Javian Bakerisascholar,writer and advocate of marginalized communitiesand children

ANALYSIS

Key gymnasts LSUneeds to be title contenders

BY SCOTT RABALAIS Staff writer

LSU sophomore KailinChio has established herself as not only LSU’stop gymnast in 2026 butone of the topgymnasts in the nation. Ranked No. 1nationally on vault and balance beam —events she had perfect10s in this past Friday at Oklahoma— Chio is also No. 2nationally in the all-around behind only former Olympic gold medalist Jordan Chiles of UCLA. Her 22 individual event victories this season in just sevenmeetsare a remarkable achievement.

“She’soperating at such ahighlevel there’snot awhole lot you can sayother than ‘Wow,’ ”LSU coach Jay Clark said But LSU cannot maintain its top-two national ranking as achampionship program this season —onthe SoutheasternConference or NCAA level —withjustChioalone “What we can’tdoisbecomesodependent on her to do (what she didatOklahoma) all the time so that it puts pressure on her,” Clark said. “Wehave plentyof athletes on our team capable of performingatthatlevel and putting big scores outthere.”

As LSU goes from oneSEC showdown meet to another —aNo. 1versus No. 2 battle at OU last week, No.2LSU versus No. 3Alabama on Friday —let’sidentify some of those key gymnasts for theTigers. Gymnasts who will be needed against the Crimson Tide (8:30 p.m., SEC Network) and against Bama, North Carolinaand Arizona

JOHNSON

STAFFPHOTO By MICHAEL

LSUguard Mikaylah Williams shoots over Tennessee guard NyaRobertson in the first quarter on Thursday at the Pete aravich Assembly Center.Williams had 20 points in LSU’s89-73 win.

LSU ridesthird-quarter momentum into winoverTennessee

BYREED DARCEY taff writer

Tennessee shifted over toward Mikaylah Williams. So heLSU women’sbasketball team’sstarjunior peered cross thelane and ropeda pass over the defenseand down to Flau’jaeJohnson, who buried a3-pointer from hecorner That bucket was an important one. It didn’tjust give heNo. 6Tigers(25-4, 11-4 SEC) a12-point lead late in the hird quarter.Italso markedthe point at whichthey took ontroloftheir 89-73win over theLady Vols on Thursday —avictory orchestrated by their three-star guards. Williams tallied 20 points, 10 rebounds, five assists and wosteals.MiLaysia Fulwiley scored 18 points, grabbed ixboards, blocked four shots and assisted threeothers.

Johnson, on her senior night, shot only 3of10from the field and3 of 9atthe free-throwline but still finished with 10 points, becoming one of four LSU contributors to score in double figures.

The Tigers have now clinched adouble bye in the SEC Tournament forthe fifth year in arow

“Todayitwas,” coachKim Mulkey said,“don’tsettle for anything outside the paint until they takecharges or they stop you. Youjust go right to the paint, and you score, andI thought we did that.”

Tennesseerunsa unique system.Second-year coach Kim Caldwell makes hockey-style line changes, engages afull-courtpress forthe whole game andencourages the Lady Vols (16-11, 8-7) to lettheir 3-pointers fly.They’re

BY KOKI RILEY Staff writer

LSU baseball coach Jay Johnsonisknown forrecruiting elite highschool talent.Think of how important Derek Curiel,Kade Anderson, Jake Brown, Steven Milam and Jared Jones, among others, have been to the program’ssuccess since Johnsontook over But not every high school signee who’s been committed to LSU under Johnson wound up on campus. There havebeen alot of bignames whoskippedBatonRouge and went straight to professional baseball. With spring training underway,and ahead of LSU’smatchup against Dartmouth on Friday(6:30 p.m., SEC Network+), here’s an update on howevery LSU signee underJohnson who passed up school and went straight to MLBhas fared since their decision.

wasupto104 mph, and he madethe All-Star Game, also helping the Brewers reach the National League Championship Series by posting a1.50 ERAin12postseason innings. Unlike the majority of the names on this list,Misiorowski was committed to the Tigers outofjunior collegebeforedeciding to forgo his LSU commitment and go pro.

after being the No. 9overall pick in the draft. He doesn’tturn 20 until April.

In themajor leaguesoronthe doorstep Jacob Misiorowski, RHP,Milwaukee Brewers Misiorowski madehis MLBdebut last summer andemerged as oneofthe most excitingyoung armsinthe game. Hisfastball

Konnor Griffin,SS,Pittsburgh Pirates Griffin is the consensus No.1 prospect in baseballafterhitting 21 home runs witha .941 on-base plus slugging percentageacross three levels, ending the year in Double-A. The Classof2024signeehas ashottobecomethe Pirates’starting shortstop less than twoyears

Justin Crawford,OF,Philadelphia Phillies Crawford is on track to be Philadelphia’s starting center fielder this season, and he’sa top-70 prospect in all of baseball, per The Athletic and ESPN. The former first-round pick in the2022draft is the sonofformermajor leaguer Carl Crawford.

Carter Jensen, C, Kansas City Royals Jensenhas astrongchanceofstarting this season in the majors after making his MLB debut last summer.Hehad a.941 OPS in 69

BROADCAST HIGHLIGHTS

6

Imai throws scoreless inning during Astros debut

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla Japanese right-hander Tatsuya Imai threw a 10-pitch scoreless inning and was struck by a comebacker in his spring training debut for the Houston Astros on Thursday against the New York Mets. Imai allowed a leadoff single to Marcus Semien, whose sharp hit ricocheted off the pitcher’s lower right leg and went into foul territory Imai was checked by an athletic trainer and stayed in the game.

The 27-year Imai was a threetime All-Star in Japan before agreeing in January to a $54 million, three-year contract with the Astros. Houston lost Framber Valdez when he left as a free agent and signed with Detroit.

Delane aims to keep LSU ‘legacy going’

BY MATTHEW PARAS Staff writer

INDIANAPOLIS

If it were up to him, Mansoor Delane says he would have been a middle linebacker in college

The 22-year-old loves the physicality of football. He loves the feeling of tackling, crushing someone in the open field and bringing them to the ground. He was a wrestler in high school, knowing what it was like to grapple with the man across from him and exert physical dominance.

Alas, Delane is a cornerback. A good one at that. So good that he’s in position to become LSU’s highest-selected cornerback since Derek Stingley was drafted third overall in 2022.

Four years after Stingley, Delane landing in the top 10 isn’t out of the question.

“It’s just a blessing to keep this legacy going,” Delane said. “That’s another reason I came to LSU, to uphold this tradition for people who came before me and people who come up (after).”

Delane upheld the tradition despite spending only one year with the Tigers. After spending his first four years of college at Virginia Tech, the Maryland native transferred to LSU last year But it proved to be a wise decision. The 6-foot, 190-pounder benefited from a standout season that has him in line to be the first cornerback taken in this year’s draft.

According to Pro Football Focus, Delane allowed just seven first downs on 357 pass coverage snaps. He was targeted just 35 times, allowing only 14 completions. It was a vast improvement over 2024 when he allowed 34 catches on 72 targets for the Hokies.

“I always had the talent,” Delane said. “But it was just being able to put it all together at once.” Delane may not have gotten his wish of playing linebacker, but that didn’t stop him from being physical. One of the reasons for his jump last fall was due to his development as a press-man corner His scouting report on NFL. com, for instance, notes how Delane regularly won off the line of scrimmage with “punches and slides,” cutting off the receiver from establishing his route.

At the scouting combine this week, Delane has had the opportunity to explain to teams how he approaches the game and to make a memorable impression.

He bonded with Detroit Lions defensive coordinator Kelvin Shepherd over their ties to LSU. He brought up his Maryland roots with John Harbaugh, the former longtime Baltimore Ravens coach who is now with the New York Giants.

But as a player, Delane made clear: He’s not going to let the wide receiver dictate his play

“I’m going to bring the fight to you,” Delane said.

Graded well

The Saints graded well in the NFLPA’s annual report cards, finishing 11th overall based on player responses to a survey about the franchise’s conditions.

The results of the report card were reported by ESPN, weeks after an arbitrator ruled that the players’ union could not publicly release the results of the survey because it violated the NFLNFLPA’s collective bargaining agreement by “disparaging NFL clubs and individuals.” The arbitrator ruled that the union could

still conduct the surveys and compile the grades, but had to keep them private.

The Saints received an A or an A-minus in 10 of the survey’s 17 categories. The team’s training staff, training room, strength coaches and defensive coordinator Brandon Staley earned New Orleans’ highest marks. First-year coach Kellen Moore was also graded positively, earning an Afrom players.

New Orleans’ lowest mark, according to ESPN, was its “Home Game Field” — which ranked a C. It saw noticeable improvement for its “Food/Dining Area,” which earned an A- after previously being ranked a D- In between, the team renovated its cafeteria — though officials had downplayed the survey’s impact on the project.

The Saints’ position coaches and offensive coordinator Doug Nussmeier were each given B-minuses. General manager Mickey Loomis received a B.

The NFL has long disputed the NFLPA’s surveys, arguing the criteria for formulating the grades hadn’t been properly disclosed Still, the Saints’ 11th-place

NFL combine notebook

ranking is the team’s secondbest since the report card’s inception in 2023. The latest ranking also marked the third straight year in which the franchise climbed the union’s leaderboard, going from 19th to 12th to now 11th. The Saints debuted at 10th on the inaugural version of the report card rankings.

League-wide, the Miami Dolphins finished first this past season, while the Pittsburgh Steelers ranked last.

Clapp retires

Will Clapp has called it a career

The New Orleans Saints center announced that he’s retiring after appearing in seven NFL seasons. Clapp decided to hang up his cleats after the 30-year-old suffered a seasonending foot injury in the preseason. Including his year lost for injury Clapp spent six of his eight years with the Saints — his hometown franchise that drafted the New Orleans native in the seventh round of the 2018 draft out of LSU.

“From the first to the last and all the ones in between, thank you for being my rock!” Clapp wrote on Instagram. “Grateful for an amazing career and excited for our next chapter! That chapter could include coaching. After Clapp got hurt last season, the offensive lineman spent the year as an unofficial assistant on coach Kellen Moore’s staff. He was seen on gamedays with a headset and Moore said during the year that Clapp was being a resource for the rest of the line.

The Saints, too, have an opening on Moore’s staff. Former assistant offensive line coach Jahri Evans departed for the Pittsburgh Steelers this offseason and the Saints have yet to fill the role. But the team plans to do so, potentially creating an opportunity for Clapp.

Clapp rejoined New Orleans last year after spending the previous two seasons with the Los Angeles Chargers — where he played for Moore, who was the team’s offensive coordinator and the Buffalo Bills.

Email Matthew Paras at matt.paras@theadvocate.com

Former Saints QB Carr ‘serious’ about return

BY MATTHEW PARAS Staff writer

INDIANAPOLIS Derek Carr has said publicly that he would come out of retirement for the right situation.

At the NFL scouting combine this week, that right situation could actually be unfolding.

The New Orleans Saints would not be among those shocked to see Carr put back on his cleats for 2026 And while that’s still not guaranteed, the buzz around Carr continued to get louder after NFL insider Jordan Schultz reported that Carr is “very serious” about un-retiring.

Carr, who played two seasons with the Saints before retiring last offseason with a shoulder injury, said earlier this month that he’d only un-retire if he had a chance to play for a Super Bowl contender Those options would seemingly limit Carr’s market, but there are at least a few teams on the verge of contention who fit that criteria. Notably, Minnesota Vikings coach Kevin O’Connell and Atlanta Falcons

coach Kevin Stefanski declined to endorse their young starting quarterbacks, each entering Year 3 after disappointing seasons that saw both clubs narrowly miss out on the playoffs.

And if Aaron Rodgers decides to call it quits, the Pittsburgh Steelers — who did make the postseason would be another potential landing spot for Carr

There seems to be no consensus yet on whether the interest in Carr is mutual

Any team pinning its hopes on Carr in 2026 would have to feel comfortable enough with a signal-caller who hasn’t played football in a year and had a shoulder injury that caused “significant degenerative changes to his rotator cuff,” according to the Saints. Carr also turns 35 in March. That said, Carr could benefit from what appears to be a relatively weak free agent quarterback class.

And if a team wants Carr the Saints still hold his contractual rights — meaning the sides would have to hammer out a trade for a deal to happen.

The saga is far from over

In the meantime, here’s what

else the Times-Picayune has heard during various conversations at the league’s busiest convention:

Taylor mix

If New Orleans cornerback Alontae Taylor hits the open market once his contract expires in March, as is the current expectation, keep an eye on the Las Vegas Raiders for his services. There would be familiarity there after the Raiders hired Klint Kubiak and retained Joe Woods — Taylor’s former defensive coordinator — to be on the new coach’s staff.

Eric Stokes, the Raiders’ No. 1 corner, is also set to be a free agent, and so if Las Vegas can’t re-sign him, its need for a top corner would become even more magnified. But even if Stokes returns, Taylor could slot in at nickel.

Moore’s staff

Saints assistant special teams coach Kyle Wilber interviewed for Green Bay’s special-teams coordinator vacancy after the Packers saw Rich Bisaccia surprisingly step down. Though

Wilber, a former linebacker, was coached by Bisaccia and worked under him in 2024 in Green Bay, the expectation is that he’s likely to stay with the Saints next season. If that happens, it would be yet another sign that coach Kellen Moore’s staff is staying almost entirely intact. Jahri Evans remains the lone departure, as the assistant offensive line coach made a lateral jump to the Steelers. The Saints plan to fill Evans’ role soon.

Training camp buzz

After spending all of 2024 in California for training camp and nine days out west last year, the Saints are still in the process of sorting out their plans for this year’s camp. It sounds like most of camp will be held at their facility in Metairie, though they could still look to get away for a small portion to bond and escape the heat. The Saints would also like to hold joint practices, ideally both at home and on the road.

Email Matthew Paras at matt.paras@theadvocate.com

Eight of Imai’s 10 pitches were strikes, and he threw only sinkers and changeups.

Jets trade rusher Johnson for Titans tackle Sweat

The New York Jets have agreed to trade pass rusher Jermaine Johnson to the Tennessee Titans for defensive tackle T’Vondre Sweat, a person familiar with the deal told The Associated Press on Thursday

Johnson will be reunited with Titans coach Robert Saleh, who was the Jets head coach when New York drafted the defensive end in the first round with the 22nd overall pick out of Florida State in 2022. He’ll also be back with defensive line coach Aaron Whitecotton, who was his position coach with the Jets his first three seasons. The trade of Johnson leaves the Jets with just one of their firstround picks from 2022: wide receiver Garrett Wilson, who was taken 10th overall that year

Scherzer returns to Blue Jays on $3M, 1-year deal

NEW YORK — Max Scherzer is returning to the Toronto Blue Jays.

Two weeks into spring training, the three-time Cy Young Award winner has agreed with the reigning American League champions on a $3 million, oneyear contract, a person familiar with the negotiations told The Associated Press early Thursday

The person spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because the deal was subject to a successful physical and had not been announced.

The 41-year-old Scherzer can earn another $10 million in performance bonuses, starting with 65 innings pitched. He gets $1 million for 65 innings and each additional 10 through 155.

Ethiopia’s Welteji banned over a missed drug test

LAUSANNE, Switzerland One of the world’s top middle-distance runners has been banned for two years in a dispute over a missed drug test which overshadowed the opening of last year’s world championships. Ethiopia’s Diribe Welteji, the silver medalist in the women’s 1,500 meters at the 2023 world championships, was ruled to be “negligent” in failing to comply with an attempt to collect a doping test sample last year, the Court of Arbitration for Sport said Thursday World Athletics wanted a fouryear ban but CAS reduced the sanction, accepting Welteji’s rules violation wasn’t intentional. The two-year ban ends in June 2027, when Welteji will be 25, and means she could qualify for the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles.

No. 1 Thitikul struggles in first round of championship

SINGAPORE Top-ranked Jeeno Thitikul struggled during the first round of the HSBC Women’s World Championship on Thursday shooting a 1-over 73 to trail the leader by seven strokes. Thitikul won last week’s tournament in her native Thailand and is among nine out of the top 10 players entered in the Singapore LPGA stop on the Sentosa Golf Club’s Tanjong course. American Auston Kim birdied two of her final three holes for a 66 and a one-stroke lead over China’s Yan Liu. Five players were tied for third with 68s, including No. 12-ranked

LHSAAvotes down one-time transfer rule

Anotherammendment allows freshmen to pick anyschool

BY CHRISTOPHER DABE and JACKSON REYES Staff writers

With the vote result displayed on the projector screen, many in the room applauded.

At theannualLHSAA convention meeting of statewide principals and athletic directors Thursday in Baton Rouge, aproposal that would have granted aone-time option for students to have immediate athletic eligibility after transferringgot voted down forthe second yearin arow,this time by a287-59 margin. Critics of the one-time trans-

fer rule say it is away for select schoolstogain an advantage over the LHSAA’s nonselect schools. They also argue that it would make high school sports mirrorcollege athletics.

“This will destroy the landscape of high schoolathletics,” Broadmoorprincipal Robert Wells argued duringanopen debatesession priortothe vote

LHSAA executivedirector Eddie Bonine saidhewas goodwiththe decision made by the principals, who chose to votedownthe onetime transfer rule

Narrow ruling

The mostcontentious moment on Thursday came during the vote on an amendment toallow incoming freshmen to choose any LHSAA school of their choice andimme-

Maggie Wyliecelebrates withteammate Farrah Lightell afterscoring agoal againstParkviewBaptist during Division III state championship game in Hammond on Thursday.

Parkview comesupjust shortinquest for‘4-peat’

Hannan holdsoff Eagles in Division III championship

BY JACKSON REYES Staff writer

Parkview Baptist trailed all match long against Archbishop Hannan in the Division III girls soccer state championship on Thursday afternoon.

In the 61st minute, Eagles junior midfielder Ella Kate Johnston dribbledpastone defender and laced ashot on the edge of thebox over the keeper’shead into thetop of the net for the 1-1 equalizer Elation turned to desperation again just minutes later,however The Hawks went on acounterattack and junior midfielder Farrah Lightell found space before letting ashot go from 20 yards out.

The shot bounced twice and beat the keeper to putHannan backin front 2-1.

No. 1Archbishop Hannan (161-1) heldonand won 2-1against No. 3Parkview Baptist to take the state title at Strawberry Stadium in Hammond. The win ended the Eagles’ streak of three straight state titles.

“Hannan decided to push numbers up whenever they neededto,” Parkview Baptist coach Raphael Nunes said. “They felt the momentum of the game,especially in the second half. That’swhenwe really lost the game.” After afew early counterattacks, Hannanstruck firstinthe 16th minute. Junior forward Maggie Wylie ran into the center of the

box and tracked down across that came in from theend line.

Wylie took one touch andvolleyed ashotthat beat the keeper to make it 1-0.

Despite fallingbehind, Nunes said he thoughthis side began to calm down after the goal.

“Westarted thegame alittle stressed,”Nunessaid. “After their goal, we were able to settle and start getting some rhythm.”

TheEagleshad several shots, including afree kick from Johnston that just missedthe top of the crossbar.ParkviewBaptist failed to find an equalizer and went into the half trailing 1-0.

Earlyinthe second half,junior striker Olivia Martin lofted athrough ball to sophomoreleft wing Molly Cramer.She hada clear path to the goal, but her shot hitthe nearpost androlled across thegoal without crossing the line.

Johnston found the Eagles their equalizer in the 61st minutewith a shot on the edgeofthe box to make it 1-1. Just minutes later,Lightell scored on acounterattack to put Hannan back in front 2-1.

“Finally,wefound ourgoal,” Nunes said. “But when we found our goal,insteadofkeeping pushing, trying to get another goal, we went back and we invitedthemto our field.”

Parkview Baptist (12-4-1) continuedtofight forchances but failed to find asecond equalizer to send the match to extra time.

“I’mextremely proudofthe girls,” Nunes said.“Losing seven starters and beingback here in Hammond. It’ssomething big. It’s not quite foreverybody.It’sbright, thefuture for the girls.”

diately be eligible for all sports at alllevels, regardless of attendance zone.

The amendment also stated that once eligibility is established, the studentwillbea bona fidestudent at theschool of first choice andwill then followtransfer student rules.

Wells argued therule lacked clarity, and otherssaid the rule was similar to the one-timetransfer rule. The “9th grade school of first choice” amendmentpassedbyjust onevote, 169 to 168.

“When we see alot of the eligibilitycome through in our office, thereare some 9th gradersthat get caught in thatJVonly depending on where they’re going to go,” Bonine said. Bonine saidhe’snever seen a proposalcome down to just one vote in his 12 years attending the

LHSAA annual conventions.

As long as freshmen meet the minimum requirements of eligibility,they can choose any LHSAA school that is their first choice.

Othernotable amendments

Another amendment was passed to move the high school basketball season back by one week. The reasoning given was to shortenthe season to allow for morequalified officials and reduce the conflict between fall and winter sports.

Theproposal passedbya vote of 241 to 98. Another amendment, which passed 235to77, will delay the officialstart of the softball seasonbytwo weeks starting with the2027 season. The change also

pushesback the state tournament by two weeks. The state crosscountry meet will now take place over two days, rather than just one, after aproposal passed. Another proposal affected outdoor track andfield. Schools across boys and girls will compete in Divisions I, II, III, IV,V andVIrather than classes. The move was proposedtocreate more equalpostseason competition by aligning all schools into divisions based on enrollment. The final amendment of the day affected the state wrestling tournament. The Division Iboys will go from a32-manbracket to 24 wrestlers. Division II boys will be an 8-man bracket. Division II boys andgirls willfeature 16 wrestlers.

St.Joseph’sfreshmenleadway in close winoverScotlandville

Redstickersadvance to statetourney for firsttimeinfouryears

BY WILLIAM WEATHERS Contributing writer

Twoweeks ago, after St. Joseph’s Academy dropped its regular-season finale at Scotlandville by one point, coach TimWaller met with freshman guards Evelyn Osborne and EmmaWilson.

Waller told them that after 24 games, their freshman basketball seasons were over and toprepare themselves mentallyfor success in the postseason.

“I wanted togive them that confidence and let themknow that freshmanare what youare in school,”Waller said, “but don’tlet thathold you back with anything regarding basketball. Play basketball theway you know how.”

Wilson and Osborne combined for all 17 of their team’s fourth-quarter points, leading homestanding St. Joseph’sback fromaseven-point deficit to a40-38 victory Thursday over sixth-seeded Scotlandville in a

Division Iselect quarterfinal

TheRedstickers (22-5) advance to their first semifinal in four years against seventh-seeded Teurlings Catholic, a62-48 winner over Liberty, next week at Southeastern Louisiana’sUniversity Center in Hammond.

“When Ifirst met this team, I knew thatweweregoing to go far because of the chemistry that we have, anditreally buildson thecourt,” Osborne said. “We’re able to be there for each other. We were down alot in the first half, but we wentintothe locker room, and we saidwehad to fix this.” Scotlandville (24-7) opened as much as anine-pointlead (23-14) in the second quarter.The Hornets, whohad won sevenoftheir past eight games, outscored SJA 12-0inthe secondquarter for a 19-14 halftime lead andextended that margin to sevenpoints (3023) going intothe fourth quarter Wilson rejuvenatedSJA’s offense with apairof3-pointers in the first minute of playand addeda basket from close range.The Redstickers tiedthe game (33-33) for thefirst time when Kendall Dailey connected withOsborne cutting toward the goalwith 5:11 remaining.

Wilsonscored her10th point in 37 1/2 minuteswith adrive high off of the backboard, and aswap of thelead —the eighthofthe game —resulted in SJAtaking the lead forgood when Osborne (14 points) drove through Scotlandville’sdefense andlater added twofree throwswith4:05 to go

“The big thing about those two wasthattheir learning curve was sped up during the summer and they’ve really embracedthe moment,” Waller said of Osborne and Wilson.

SJA forced Scotlandville into its22ndturnoveronanover-andback callwith 16.8seconds left. The Hornets cutthe lead to 39-38 on asteal and layup from freshman guard SkylarWashington, who scored agame-high 23 points. Osborne made it 40-38 with a free throw with 6.4 seconds showing andDaileyforced atie up with Washingtonona shotattempt with 1.2 seconds left and the Redstickersholding possession. “Those 3s weresoclutch,” Osborne saidofWilson’sshots. “I’m thinking we’re back in this now. This wasour run. This is ourtime. We weren’tdownanymore. This wasour game.”

University High soccer shut out in bidtorepeataschampions

BY JACKSON REYES Staffwriter

University High junior Vaughn

Meiners stood in theright corner

He prepared for one lastcorner kick to try to help theCubs send their statetitle match against St. Louis Catholic to extra time.

Thekick landedatthe feet of several U-High players, andone last shot attempt floated over the crossbar.The whistle blewfor full time after theattempt, ending UHigh’schances of acomeback on Thursday night.

No. 3St. Louis Catholic (16-5-0) defeated No. 1University High 1-0towin the Division III boys state title at Strawberry Stadium in Hammond. TheCubs failedto repeat as statechampions.

Cubs coach Chris Mitchell said the difference in thematch was simple.

“Couldn’tscore,” Mitchell said. “Threw everything thatwecould. Ican’t even tellyou how many set pieces we had. How many long throw-ins did we have?How many corner kicks did we have? Didn’t

get agoal.”

Mitchell praised theSaints’ defense for keeping U-High offthe scoreboard

“They defended really well,” Mitchell said. “Theyscored on a setpiece. We didn’tscore on aset piece. Fine line between winning andlosing. Youhavetogive allthe credit in the world to them.”

U-High senior forward Sie Parkerwon possession nearmidfield andtook off down the right wing in the 14th minute. He cut to the end line andtriedtofire in a cross, but it hit off the near post back intoplay After theCubs dominated much of the first half, the Saints began to find chances late. St. Louis Catholic drewa cornerin the final10minutes.

In the 34th minute,the Saints of Lake Charles whipped the corner in and junior striker Will Flavinconnected witha header at thebackposttoput his side up 1-0. He ran to the Cubs’ student section and threwdownan upside-down“U” in celebration.

TheSaintsnearly went up by

two goals early in the second half. Sophomore Griffin Hanks won possessionoff aCubs defender in U-High’sfinal third. He found space for ashot, but it was saved.

St.Louis Catholic found another chance midway through thesecond half offanothercornerkick, but the header hit the top of thecrossbar On the ensuing counterattack, U-High freshman forward Mason McMahon took it down the left wing and fired alow cross into the middle of the box. Junior forward Thomas Barrett took ashot on his first touch, but it wentwide of the goal.

University High (15-4-2) found other chances throughoutthe second half, but never found the tying goal.

Mitchell was still proud of his side, which made its sixth state title appearance in eight years. “I don’teven know if it’sever been done in the Baton Rouge area,” Mitchellsaidabout that stat. “Extremely proud (of them) for being able to do something like that.”

Southern menfalltoFAMU

BY CHARLESSALZER

Contributing writer

Ashorthanded Southern men’s basketball team came up short against Florida A&M on Thursday night at the F.G. Clark Activity Center

The Jaguars were competitive for the first half, but scoring droughts andpoor rebounding eventually caught up withthemas they fell 82-71 to the Rattlers.

Fazl Oshodi and Cam Amboree led four Jaguars in double figures with 14 points, and there were only seven turnovers, but Southern couldn’tkeepthe Rattlers off the boards. FAMU outrebounded Southern 40-27 and poured in 38 points in the paint.

For Southern, the loss ends the Jaguars’ fainthopesofrepeating as theSouthwestern Athletic Conference regular-season champion. Coupled with Bethune-Cookman’s 76-71 winatGrambling on Thursday, Southern (13-15, 9-6) trails the first-place Wildcats by three games.

The loss will also takesomeof the luster off of Southern’s game on Saturday,when the Jaguars host Bethune-Cookmanat2:30 p.m

TheJaguars used nine players in the game, but were without post player Malek Abdelgowad, forward Damariee Jones, and guard Joe Manning Southern’sleading scorer,Michael Jacobs, totaled seven points in 22 minutes of action. He was 2

of 10 from thefloor andmissed three foul shots at the end of the first half that the Jaguars didn’t recover from. Leading 33-32 as the half neared its close, Southern had achance to extend its lead when Jacobs was fouled on a 3-pointshot. He missed all three free throwswith no time on the clock.

FAMU (2-15, 8-8) outscored Southern 16-1 to start the second half. The Rattlerswent on to make 17 of 31 shots (55%) in the second half. Southern worked its way to a 15-7lead near themidpoint of the first half. Butafter A.J. Barnes got alayup off afast break with 11:35 on the clock, the Jaguars’ shooting went cold.

LSUcontinues overtime success

Tigers rise to occasion in winoverOle Miss

BY TOYLOYBROWN III Staff writer

Victories that don’trequire clutch scores tendtobethe least stressful andmostpreferred games for basketball coaches.

In the SoutheasternConference, thosekinds of wins don’t come around too often, no matter ateam’srecord. LSU coach Matt McMahon knows this afterlosing three straight games by 10 or fewer points. The fourth-year coach revealed that he might not mind tight conference showdowns, specifically those that go beyond regulation.

“Weneed to play in overtime more,” the fourth-year coach said sarcastically on the LSU sportsradio network.

That sentiment was born after the Tigers captured their third overtime win of the season, beating Ole Miss 106-99 in adouble overtime on Wednesday at The Pavilion in Oxford, Mississippi. LSU snappedafive-gamelosingstreak in acontest it led for barelyover eight minutes overall.

When the Tigers went up 95-92 after an and-one score fromMax Mackinnon with 3:49 left in the second overtime, that was their first lead since the 35-second mark of the first half.

“Wetrailedfor 33 minutes of the game,” McMahonsaid.

“Down eight with seven minutes to go, and the guys just kept making plays. And then once it got to overtime, Ithink when we were able to hold them to 26% from the floor in overtimeand Ithought our guys really executedonthe

On emotionalday, Tigers able to defeat Lady Vols again

offensiveend.”

Theplayer who executed the best was senior guard Mackinnon.

The Australian had aseason-high 34 points, four rebounds andthree assistsfor LSU (15-13, 3-12 SEC).

He made 11 of 24 field goals, 4of 6fromthe 3-point lineand 8of10 free throws. Mackinnon, aPortland transfer,alsoscored 12 points in the final overtimeperiod,including three self-created shots in the paint.

The organizer for LSU was point guard Jalen Reece. Thefreshman hadhis first double-double with11 points, 10assistsand one turnover after playing 47 minutes against Ole Miss (11-17, 3-12).

LSU had four other players who

scored in doublefigures.Itfinished thegame with an SEC-high 11 of 21 3-pointers, 50% field-goal percentage and 25 of 29 free throws —led by center Mike Nwoko, who made all 10 of his attempts.

While defense wasn’t the biggest strength of the night, McMahon complimented the group’stimelystops “End of regulation, we hadto getback-to-back stops to get it to overtime,” McMahonsaid. “End of the first overtime, we’vegot to get the stops,and then they get the offensive rebound on aloose ball. (Ole Miss) get atimeout, seven seconds ago. Got to getanother stop on aspecial situation. So ourguys really rose to the occasion and gotitdonewhentheir best was needed there on thedefensive side.”

SU womenrattleoff fourth straight win

BY CHARLESSALZER

Contributing writer

The Southern women’s basketball team ruled the backboards Thursday evening, and no one was happier than Jaguarssenior guard Olivia Delancy

Sparked by arebounding effort thatproduced 26 second-chance points, Southern rolled to an 80-61 win over Florida A&M at theF.G ClarkActivity Center

With three Southwestern Athletic Conference gamesremaining, the win keeps Southern(15-11, 11-4) in thetop third of the league standings

“Wedid agreat jobonthe boards,” Southern coach Carlos Funchess said after his team grabbed 46 rebounds,including 22 on the offensive end.

“That many offensive rebounds is unreal. It really helped ourpoint production. We easily could have scored 90 points, but we missed some easy shots.That goes with the territory.” Southern wasled by Delancy,

LSU

Continued from page1C

certainly dangerous. Buttheydid enter Thursday’smatchupwith losses in sevenoftheir past nine games. LSU was in much better shape. It just needed to collectTennessee’s misses and minimizeits turnovers to get the win, which it did,for the most part, in the second half

The Tigers may have allowed the Lady Vols to shoot 11 of 29 from beyond the arc, but they also gave up only seven offensive rebounds andcoughed up just fourpossessions across the third and fourth quarters.

who transferred to Southern this season after beginning her careeratFAMU. Delancy made 7of15shots, including three 3-pointers, and finished with20 points.

“It just means alittlebit more because my parents are legacies (at FAMU),” Delancy said. “Leaving FAMU was hard, but Imade the right decision and I’mhappy I’m here. It definitely meant alittle bit more to comeout and perform theway Idid today.”

Southern alsogot 14 points from ZariaHurston. Jestiny Dixon, one of six Jaguars who hadfive or more rebounds, pulled down a team-higheight rebounds.

FAMU (7-20, 6-10) struggled to score until the fourthquarter, when it trailed by as many as 30 points.CorneliaEllingtonmadesix 3-pointers andtopped the Rattlers with 22 points. Four of Ellington’s 3-pointers came in the fourth quarter,when thegame was already out of reach

FAMU’sTahmyjia Purifoy,who scored 21 points in theRattlers’

Freshman forward ZaKiyah Johnson added 14points on 7-of12 shooting and grabbed eight rebounds, while Grace Knox —anotherfreshman forward —chipped in 13 points and nine boards. Sophomore point guard Jada Richardadded nine points. Tennessee had three playersin double figures. Its leading scorer was Jaida Civil, afreshman guard who finished with 17 points. “Wewere moving the ball as a team,” Caldwell said. “Ithink we were doing areally good jobonthe offensiveglass.Theyobviously madethe adjustment. That was harder for us coming out(of halftime), and they really pickedup their effort at therim,and we gave up alot of second-chance points.

60-57 winoverSouthern on Jan 10, was held to five points. Southern’szone defensegave FAMU trouble all game. The Rattlers didn’thit double digits until there were fewer than six minutes left in the second quarter. By that time, Southern hadbuilt a24-11 lead.

The Jaguars had theirway on the backboard, where theypulled down 27 rebounds, 15 on theoffensive end. The Jaguars scored 17 second-chance points while FloridaA&M,which only had 11 rebounds, picked up four FAMU stayed close thanks to free-throw shooting. The Rattlers made8of10while Southernconnected on 7of15foul shots.

The keysequenceofthe first half came withtwo minutes left, after FAMU scored six straight points to closeits deficit to 28-21. Southern responded by scoringthe last eight pointsofthe second quarter Delancy had atip-in and alsohit ajumper during that stretch to help Southern take a36-21 halftime lead

The two teams traded hotshooting stretches in the first half. Tennessee struck first, using atrio of 3-pointers to string together a9-0 run halfway through thefirst quarter.LSU then responded in the second by collecting misses and using them to build a14-0blitz, but it just couldn’tshake theturnoverissues that the Lady Vols both forced andturnedinto points. TheTigers led just 43-42 at halftime,but theybegan the fourth quarterwith amuchmore commanding 70-59 advantage, in large part becausethey turned theball over only once in thethird. Williams —who became the17th playerinLSU history to eclipse 1,500 career pointsonThursday —eitherscored or assisted seven

Scott Rabalais

Made into late-afternoon matinee idols by aridiculously early 5p.m. tiptime Thursday (thanks, ESPN), the LSU Tigers put on a show that had all the feels against the former women’sbasketball empire known as Tennessee. There were the obligatory nostalgicheartstring tugs of Senior Night —well, Senior Late Afternoon. Therewas the drama of a frenetic first half that LSU coach Kim Mulkey derisively and correctly referred to as “Rec ball. Nobodyguarding anybody.” And therewerethe flowery distractions that only aSenior Day/ Night/Brunch/Whatever can bring. Gradually,orderwas restored and everything from an LSU perspectivewas putright in the house that Pete (Maravich) built. Despite the LadyVolunteers’ disruptive style —aconstant barrage of 3-pointers and full-court pressure —LSU overcame its occasional lapses into lazy passes and lapses of concentration to pull away foran89-73 victory

This is adeep and talented LSU team.Once again, the Tigers showed how much. Though seniorFlau’jaeJohnson —wearing ajersey that said “Feaux” below her No. 4—struggled with her shot from the floor (3 of 10) and the line (3 of 9for 10 points), LSU almost always has other scoring options.

Mikaylah Williams was 0-for-3 from 3-point range butbrought her jeweler’stouchtoa swarm of short andmidrange jumpers to record adouble double —20 points and 10 rebounds —doinggreat damage when Mulkey decided to go small and put the junior guard in the post.

MiLaysia Fulwiley cameoff the benchwith hercyclonic style and poured in 18 points. Grace Knox, who sat outSundayagainstMissouri by Mulkey’sdecree after atechnical-drawing outburst at OleMiss, showedthe fire and grit Mulkey loves and notched 13 points and nine boards. By the final minute, LSU pulled so far ahead Mulkey was able to getsenior guard Izzy Bessleman —sidelined the past twoseasons with aheartcondition—onthe court for acurtain call that drew cheers, tears and astanding ovation Of all the moments and memories of this game, that wasthe best one.

“Itmeant alot,” Bessleman said. “Wehave the best fans in theworld. It meant alot.” It certainly meantalot to Johnson,who everyone knows deep down will get one and probably two morechances to play in the PMAC when LSU hosts games in thefirst tworounds of the NCAA tournament.

“I’m very happytohave formed asisterhood with her the past four years,” Johnsonsaid. “She’s battled something alot of people couldn’t. She’sselfless, and Ilove her very much.” Love for Tennesseewomen’s basketball undersecond-year coach Kim Caldwell is currently in short supply For LSU, awin over theLady Volunteers is to be celebrated, whether things aregoing well forTennessee or not. Right now, things are rockyonRocky Top. The Lady Vols are 16-11 and 8-7 in the SECafter dropping theirfifth straight game and fourth straight to LSU,the Tigers’ longest-ever winning streak in aseries LSU still trails 53-22. Tennessee has dropped seven of nine in conference after a6-0 SECstart,the conferenceitusedtoown. It’s the Lady Vols’ worst SEC skid ever On the anniversary of Napoleon’sescape from Elba in 1815, Tennesseecouldn’tescapedefeat for the sixth time in seven games during Mulkey’stenure at LSU. Despite just losing the rebounding battle 45-43 to the Tigers —LSU hasnot been outrebounded since that NewYear’s Dayloss to Kentucky,still the Tigers’ most egregious defeat this season —LSU flooded the paint with 50 points to Tennessee’s30. In agamewhere the Lady Vols drained 11 3-pointers (theirsecond most in an SEC game this season)tothe Tigers’ four,paint points were perhaps the game’s mosttelling stat.

Sunday,former Tennessee player and current ESPN analyst Andraya CarterrippedCaldwell and her program live and in living (or livid) color on “College GameDay.”

“She hasa lotofthings to figure out,” Carter said, adding that the Lady Vols “have no belief”in Caldwell’ssystem Responding for the first time sinceCarter’scallout, Caldwell didn’tfire back.

“It’sfair forthe mostcritical people to be the people whobuilt this program,” she said. “It’shard to get upset when I’mmybiggest critic.

“I don’tleaveworkevery day happy and satisfied. We have a program of love and honesty and that’show we’ve been able to be resilient through this.”

LSU has been resilient through aseason in which SEC women’shoops, top to bottom, has arguably been tougher than ever.Thursday’s win secured a double bye in next week’sSEC tournament, making LSU a lock to be opening NCAAplay at home andkeeps the Tigers’ path to aNo. 1regionalseed still viable.

“I just want to host first and secondround games here,” Mulkeysaid. “The fans and the team deserve it.”

As ever,Mulkey’sTigers left everyone wanting more.

ofthe 12 field goals LSU converted in that frame

“I thought Mikaylah Williams really, really hada good game,” Mulkey said. According to ESPN, Mulkeyis now thefirst coach in SEC history to lead ateam to at least 25 wins in each of the first fiveseasons of their tenure. Mulkey has eclipsed thatnumber of victories in 23 of the 26 seasons of her head coaching career LSU also honored seniors Izzy Besselman andAmiya Joyner on Thursday.Besselman is aformer walk-on guard who’smissed the last two seasons while battling a heartcondition. She checked in to thegame to aloud ovation in the waning secondsofthe fourth quar-

ter,making her first appearance in agame since March 24, 2024. Joyner is a6-foot-2 forward who joined theTigers ahead of this season as atransfer from East Carolina. She’sstarted each of the past four games, and on Thursday,she played eight minutes.

The Tigers will now finish in the top four of the SEC’sregular-season standings for the fifth consecutive year.Theywon’t start their conference tournamentrun until the quarterfinal round tips off next Friday in Greenville, South Carolina.

Before then, though, LSU will play one moreregular-season game: aroad matchup with Mississippi State that will tipoff at 3p.m. Sunday

WHO: Dartmouth (1-2) at LSU (8-1)

WHEN: 6:30 p.m. Friday

WHERE: Alex Box Stadium

ONLINE/TV: SEC Network +

RADIO: WDGL-FM, 98.1 (Baton Rouge); WWL-AM, 870 (New Orleans)

RANKINGS: LSU is No. 2 by D1Baseball; Dartmouth is not ranked PROBABLE STARTERS: LSU — RHP Casan Evans (0-0,6.48 ERA); Dartmouth —TBA

PREGAME UPDATES: theadvocate com/lsu

ON X (FORMERLY TWITTER): @KokiRiley

WHAT TO WATCH FOR: Evans allowed two earned runs in five innings last week against Indiana in Jacksonville, Florida. He gave up three runs in total all of which resulted from a strange third inning Dartmouth was supposed to play four games last weekend, but its Sunday game against Farleigh Dickinson got canceled.The Big Green’s only win was over FDU in their season opener on Saturday

— Koki Riley

SIGNEES

Continued from page 1C

plate appearances in the majors and is a top-35 prospect in The Athletic, ESPN and Fangraphs’ MLB-wide rankings.

Robby Snelling,LHP,Miami Marlins

Snelling, a former LSU signee, has a 3.17 ERA across three seasons in the minor leagues. He began his career in the San Diego Padres organization but was traded to Miami in 2024 Snelling has a strong chance of making his MLB debut this summer Miami invited him to major league camp as a nonroster invitee.

Ben Kudrna, RHP, Kansas City Royals

Kudrna reached Triple-A last season but spent the majority of the year in Double-A, posting a 4.21 ERA at that level. He was Kansas City’s second-round pick in 2021 and is a top-20 prospect in the Royals system, per ESPN and The Athletic.

Young and promising

Cam Caminiti, LHP,Atlanta Braves

Caminiti is the top prospect in the Braves system and a top-60 prospect in the majors, according to ESPN and The Athletic, after posting a 3.09 ERA across two levels in his first year of professional baseball. The former LSU signee was the No. 24 overall pick in the 2024 draft.

Blake Mitchell, C, Kansas City Royals Mitchell was the lone LSU signee who didn’t come to school from LSU’s 2023 class. The former No. 8 overall pick struggled at the plate in High-A last summer, in part due to a hamate injury he suffered before the year began. Mitchell is a non-roster invitee to major league camp this spring, as The Athletic pegs him as a top-60 prospect in the game.

Boston Bateman,LHP,Baltimore Orioles Bateman cracked the top 10 of the Orioles prospect rankings heading into this year, per The Athletic and ESPN. The Class of 2024 LSU signee was selected by the San Diego Padres out of high school but got traded to Baltimore in July

Jaden Fauske,ChicagoWhite Sox Fauske was the White Sox’s second-round pick in July He’s a top-10 prospect in The Athletic and ESPN’s rankings of Chicago’s system.

Briggs McKenzie, LHP,Atlanta Braves McKenzie has yet to make his professional debut after the Braves signed him to a $3 million deal in the fourth round. He’s a top-10 prospect in the team’s system, per ESPN and The Athletic. More work to do

Mikey Romero, INF, Boston Red Sox Romero has had an up-anddown tenure in Boston after the Red Sox picked him in the first

round of the 2022 draft. He made it to Triple-A last year and is a non-roster invitee to big league camp this spring, but he had a .276 on-base percentage in 45 Triple-A games.

Michael Kennedy,LHP,Cleveland Guardians Kennedy was picked by the Pirates in the fourth round of the 2022 draft, but was traded to Cleveland in Dec 2024. He posted a 3.32 ERA in nine starts in High-A last year

QuentinYoung INF MinnesotaTwins

Young cracked the top-12 of The Athletic’s prospect rankings for the Twins after Minnesota picked him in the second round in July

The former LSU signee is the nephew of former big leaguers

Delmon and Dmitri Young.

Tucker Toman INF Toronto Blue Jays

Toman has yet to make it past High-A in four seasons in the minor leagues. He was the No. 77 overall pick in the 2022 draft.

Miguel Sime, RHP Washington Nationals

Sime signed an over-slot deal with the Nationals in the fourth round last summer The Athletic mentioned him as a prospect of note in its breakdown of Washington’s minor league system.

River Hamilton, RHP, Detroit Tigers Hamilton was picked by the Tigers in the 11th round last summer He was limited this past spring with an elbow injury

Landon Hodge, C, Chicago White Sox

The White Sox drafted Hodge with the first pick in the fourth round. In Chicago’s system, he’s the No. 13 prospect according to The Athletic.

Dean Moss, OF,Tampa Bay Rays

The Rays’ second-round pick out of IMG Academy last summer has yet to make his professional debut. He signed a $1.29 million deal to join Tampa Bay

Brady Ebel, INF, Milwaukee Brewers

Ebel was the first LSU signee picked in the draft last summer

He was mentioned as a prospect of note in The Athletic’s breakdown of the organization’s top-20 prospects.

Ian Moller C,Texas Rangers

Moller was Texas’ fourth-round pick in 2021. He spent all of last season in Double-A posting a .601 OPS and hitting four homers.

Kale Fountain, 3B, San Diego Padres

Fountain posted a .655 OPS across two levels in his professional debut season last summer He was a fifth-round pick in the 2024 draft.

Brock Selvidge, LHP, New York Yankees

Selvidge was New York’s thirdround pick in 2021. He posted a 4.92 ERA in 75 innings in DoubleA last season He’s also the No. 11 prospect in the Yankees system per The Athletic.

Email Koki Riley at koki.riley@ theadvocate.com. For more LSU sports updates, sign up for our newsletter at theadvocate. com/lsunewsletter

LSU junior Edwards ‘growing into her own’

BY JIM KLEINPETER

Contributing writer

As an established softball player coming into an established SEC program, LSU infielder Kylee Edwards learned early to keep grinding and not check her stat line.

Sure enough, Edwards had seven hits in her past 14 at-bats after starting the season 5-for-35 and her path is mirroring that of the No. 17 Tigers as they prepare for the LSU Invitational beginning Friday LSU plays Nicholls State at 4 p.m. Friday followed by a 6:30 p.m. game with Memphis. On Saturday, LSU plays Iowa at 4 and Memphis again at 6:30 at Tiger Park.

After struggling past Howard 1-0 on five hits Sunday, the Tigers’ offense was far more efficient in a 9-3 win at McNeese with 10 hits and 11 walks. Edwards had three of those hits and Char Lorenz hit a pair of solo home runs.

Both transfers brought in to beef up the LSU attack are adapting to a new program and learning a system in which controlling the strike zone is a buzzword.

“It’s a long season; there are going to be ups and downs, so I knew my time was coming sooner or later,” said Edwards, who started two seasons at Mississippi State “It’s getting comfortable in a new place, new teammates, new coaches, learning about myself and who I am here, getting comfortable in the box and finding my confidence. Confidence is a huge thing in our sport.”

Edwards had her first walk-off hit with a triple to beat UL, 2-1, in 10 innings Saturday She said the adjustments she’s made under assistant Bryce Neal, who handles the offense, are starting to bear fruit.

“I love everything he’s done with my swing so far,” Edwards said. “I’ve been working with him all fall, making major adjustments to my swing for the better. I had a really uphill swing I missed under a lot of pitches. I’ve got a flat swing now. It’s going to pay off in the long run.”

LSU coach Beth Torina’s confidence in Edwards hasn’t wavered. Although she’s been moved from sixth to eighth

and we were able to capitalize on that.

in the batting order, she’s started every game at shortstop

“Looking at her numbers from last year, she was a little bit of a slow starter (at Mississippi State), too,” Torina said. “This is a little bit of her M.O.

“She’s been super solid defensively She’s a fun player, a fun human being to have around. She’s growing into her own.”

Torina was pleased with her team’s response between the Howard and McNeese State games, using a story by Olympic gold medal skater Alysa Liu and how she stepped away from the hard work of her sport to try and recapture her joy

“We did a much better job of controlling the strike zone,” Torina said. “It’s a fundamental part of this offense. We drew 11 walks that set the tone. That started us in the right direction,

“(Against Howard) we swung out of the zone a lot, chasing pitches, things we’d like to have back She (Howard pitcher Aiko Conaway) did a nice job, didn’t throw a lot of stuff over the plate. Everybody wants to hit, put up big numbers, score runs and hit it out of the park. But you also have to be given pitches to hit and attack the right pitches. That’s the balance we’re trying to find.”

Bergeron questionable

Torina said senior catcher Maci Bergeron is questionable this weekend after missing the past two games. Bergeron took a foul tip off her facemask in Saturday’s victory against Michigan State. Torina said Bergeron is “day-to-day” and is being “conservative” with her availability, with SEC play beginning in one week.

BY KOKI RILEY Staff writer

LSU baseball coach Jay Johnson anticipates that sophomore catcher Cade Arrambide will return to the field for Friday’s game against Dartmouth (6:30 p.m., SEC Network+).

Arrambide exited Tuesday’s game against McNeese State in the fourth inning with a foot injury He has three home runs and a 1.216 on-base plus slugging percentage to begin the year “He’s fine,” Johnson said on Thursday. “I expect him to play fully tomorrow.”

Meanwhile, senior left fielder

Chris Stanfield, who has been out since the third game of the year with a left-hand injury, is not expected to hit this weekend against Dartmouth or Northeastern. Johnson hopes that Stanfield returns to the lineup next weekend when the Tigers host Sacramento State.

“(We’re) advancing what he’s doing in practice today,” Johnson said “… He’ll be back in the mix as soon as he’s able to play at full strength.”

Without Stanfield, LSU has turned to High Point transfer Brayden Simpson, freshman Ma-

son Braun and fifth-year senior Tanner Reaves in left field. Freshman Omar Serna took over for Arrambide after he exited Tuesday’s game.

Simpson had never played the outfield in college before Stanfield’s injury, while Braun and Reaves have more experience out there defensively Serna has impressed Johnson with his defense, despite starting the year just 4 for 16 at the plate.

“I would give him high, high marks across the board,” Johnson said “And not a surprise. Just as Cade has improved, he will improve.”

ON ANOTHER LEVE

Watch the LSUgymnastics team comp 2026 NCAA PodiumChallenge, apremie meet taking place on an elevated pod 3p.m.Sundayinthe Raising Cane’s Ri Arena. The neutral-site event is desig simulate the postseason atmosphere o conferencematchupsand nationals. $24-$46. ticketmaster.com

ete in the rwomen’s ium,at verCenter ned to f

The OldGovernor’sMansion opens Women’sHistoryMonth at 2p.m. Sunday with apanel discussion subtitled “A Reflection on the Past and aVisionfor the Future.”The talk, with several of the community’swomen leaders, will focusonthe evolving roleof women in shaping Louisiana’sprofessional landscape. Free. laogm.org

NEW YORK CAT FILM FESTIVAL

Presented by the Manship Theatre, in partnership with CatHaven

2p.m. Saturday l Manship Theatre in the ShawCenter for the Arts, 100 Lafayette St. l $12.50 l manshiptheatre.org

BY JUDYBERGERON Staff writer

BY ROBIN MILLER | Staff writer

And the Meowscar goes to Well, you be the judge on Saturday when theManship Theatre plays host to the eighth annual NewYork Cat Film Festival. The eventwill include 21 short films from throughout the world, allwithcats on thetop bill.

The festival will runfrom 2p.m.to4p.m., and though therewon’t be an actual awards show at theend, you’re welcome to decide on afavorite worthyofyourpersonal Meowscar Will it be the twogingersdelivering theweather report in “Cats EyewitnessNews” or “Alfred Hitchcat Presents ‘Banquo’sChair,’”where acat detective investigates amysteryat amansion inhabited by feline ghosts?

BY JUDYBERGERON Staff writer

Feature-length films get most of theOscarattention, butthere are little gems to be foundinthis year’snominated short films, or shorts. In advance of the 98th Academy Awards at 7p.m. Sunday, March 15, on ABC, Films at Manship is once again rolling out the Oscar-NominatedShowings Series, and that includes twoeveningsand one afternoonofshorts screenings in the categories of animation, live action and documentary ShortsTV and Magnolia Pictures are presenting the series for the 21st consecutive year All screeningswill take place

‘The Three Sisters’ tells the storyof atrioofsiblings wholiveona remote island.

Prolific Louisiana singer-songwriter Marc Broussard released adouble single last week from his upcoming “Chance Worth Taking” album,due out April 17. Thefirstsong,“No More, is described as “a sweeping cinematic blues ballad framing Broussard’syearning vocal with stately strings and(Joe) Bonamassa’ssoaring guitar,” according to anews release. “‘Fever’ delivers aslinky,modern roadhouse groove, driven by funky rhythm guitars, punchy horns, (Josh) Smith’sstinging leads, and an insistent beat.” The newalbum,Broussard’s first all-original blues soul project, unites the Carencro native with producerBonamassa, along with Smith and Calvin Turner.It’sa14-track collection featuring guitar solos on 10 tracks, including three songs co-written with Broussard. La.’sMarc Broussardreleases double single ahead of newalbum

“The songwriting felt like a fever dream of creativity and inspiration. Joe and his band areamong thebestmusiciansin the world, and everything came together seamlessly,” Broussard said. “It wasanincredible week with an amazing group of people.” Formerly soul-focused Broussard said he’sgetting his education in the blues from veteran blues rock guitarist, singer and songwriter Bonamassa, and blues guitarist Smith.

“Whenwegot into the studio, Joe wasn’tfully convinced we hada bluesalbum, so he added to the songs we alreadyhad,and we wrote three others together In the end, we got to thepromised land,” Broussard also said in the newsrelease. Among the album’s tracks are: n The jaunty,swinging “Let Me Take YouOut Tonight” n The horn-riff-driven “Blame,” which brings in Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Reese Wynans n The ’80s-inspired ballad “These Walls” n Soul ballad “Chance Worth Taking,” with agospel-tinged chorus n The brassy,booty-shaking “Laissez Les Bons TempsRouler,” co-writtenbyTrombone Shorty and Broussard Broussard and Bonamassa previously teamed up on their 2023 release, “SOS 4Bluesfor Your Soul.” The blues and soul classics collection debuted at No. 1onBillboard’sBlues

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By KIRSTyWIGGLESWORTH

Cat Havenwill be conducting onsitecat adoptions during the Newyork CatFilm Festival on Saturdayatthe Manship Theatre.

CATS

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Or it couldbe“DailyTabby,” amockumentary focused on acat who happens to be an emotional support animal at a collegecampus and her point of view about the students and their activities But it doesn’thave to be oneofthose three.There are plenty from which to choose. Who knows? Youjust may likethemall.

And that’spart of the fun of this festival that not only presents felines as actors but also as animated characters.

“This year marks areturnofthe film festival to the Manship Theatre,” said Kelly Swift, the theater’s film programming manager andsocialmedia curator “Wehaven’tpresented it in afew years. It’sthe eighth annual New York Cat Film Festival, but we screened it over four years in arow, then we misseda couple years. So, it’sexciting to bring it back to the theater, because it’salways really a popular event.”

SHORTS

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at the Manship Theatre, 100 Lafayette St., Baton Rouge. Tickets are $12.50 at manshiptheatre.org.

Animated shorts

6p.m. Saturday

The lineup, withsynopses from the Manship, features:

“The Three Sisters”: “A whimsical slice of life in simple 2D animation about three sisters who live on aremote island. When aburly sailor becomes their unexpected tenant, the story unfolds in wordless sightgags and quiet moments, exploring routines, subtle humor,and human connections in small domestic spaces.”

“Forevergreen”: “A touching nature-centered fable about the bond between an orphaned bear cub and a nurturing tree that becomes its surrogate parent. What begins as ajoyful and serene

The theater is hosting the eventinpartnershipwith CatHaven, which will be conducting cat adoptions onsite.

“They’re going to have actual cats onsite for adoption, and we’re giving someofthe proceeds from thefestival to CatHaven for their operations,” Swift said. As for the lineup,Swift said 70 filmsfrom 14 countries weresubmitted to the New York CatFilm Festival from which the 21 best were chosen. The films run between fourand seven minutes.

Thefestival was founded by TracieHotchner,a nationally acclaimed petwellness advocate and author Since 2006, she has been producing and hosting her ownhour-long radioshow “Dog Talk (andKitties, Too!)” from WLIW-FM, 88.3, theonly NPR station on Long Island, where she interviews petexperts and authors aroundthe world.

She also produced and hosted her own live call-in show,“CatChat,” on the Martha Stewart channel of SiriusXM until it was canceled,then continued pro-

woodlandjourney grows into astory about temptation, danger,and theselfless sacrifices that shape life.”

“The GirlWho Cried Pearls” (“La jeune fille qui pleurait des perles”):“Ahaunting fairytalelike fable setinearly 20th century Montreal, where agirl’stears literally turn into pearls.Blendingwonder with melancholy, this visuallyrichstory explores the interplay of innocence, love, grief, andhow people respond to beauty andloss.”

“Butterfly”: “A poetic and emotionally powerful short that followsthe life of Olympic swimmer Alfred Nakache, aJewish athlete who competed before, during and after World WarII. Through aseries of memory-like sequencestiedtohis last swim, the film traverses triumphs, heartbreak, trauma and resilience against thebackdrop of history’sdarkestchapters.”

“Retirement Plan”: “A playful yetthoughtful animationthat follows aman daydreaming about all the grand things

ducing it as apodcast.

Hotchner alsoisfounder of the New York Dog Film Festival.Boththe dogand catfestivalspremierein New York in the fallthen travel the country

The New York Cat Film Festival website, catfilmfestival.com, describesthe inspirationbehind its format this way:

“Cats have their own unique and indescribable bond withpeople —even when living independently as community cats. For far too long, felines have been the ‘invisible’ part of the human-animal bond and it’s time to shine the spotlight on these magnificent creatures and the humans devotedto them.”

Swift is alreadyseeing that spotlight shining on the festival’sstopatthe Manship Theatre.

“Ticketsare selling fast,” she said. “It’s apopular event, andit’scomeclose to selling out in the past. And we’ve already solda lotof tickets for this year’s event.”

Email RobinMiller at romiller@theadvocate. com.

he’ll finally do once he retires. With humor and gentle insight, the filmreflects on aging, ambition, everyday reality andthe bittersweet gapbetween expectations and life’s unpredictable path.

Live action shorts

4p.m.Sunday

n “The Singers”

n “A FriendOfDorothy”

n “Butcher’sStain

n “Two People Exchanging Saliva”

n “Jane Austin’sPeriod Drama”

Documentaryshorts

7p.m.Wednesday

n “Perfectly AStrangeness”

n “The Devil Is Busy”

n “Armed Only With A Camera: TheLifeAnd Death Of Brent Renaud”

n “All The Empty Rooms”

n “Children No More: Were AndAre Gone”

Email Judy Bergeron at jbergeron@theadvocate. com.

FRIDAY

CASEY SABA: Agile

Brewing, 5:30 p.m.

ERIC GAUTREAUX: Tallulah at the Renaissance,6p.m

COZY LEN: Drago’s Seafood, 6p.m

MELISSASINGS: Le ChienBrewing Co Denham Springs, 6p.m

ERIC BASKIN: Sullivan’s Steakhouse, 6p.m

SAMJAM: El Paso, Gonzales,6p.m

TREY MORGAN: BLDG 5, 6p.m

KEEPIN’ TIME BAND: T’Quilas, Denham Springs, 6p.m

EDDIE SMITH: T’Quilas, Zachary 6p.m

TOBY TOMPLAY: GalvezSeafood, Prairieville, 6p.m

MIKEESNEAULT: Stab’s Restaurant, 6p.m

THE LONGNECK

SOCIETY: Papi’sFajita Factory,Watson, 6:30 p.m.

KAITLYN WALLACE: Mis Padres, Dutchtown, 6:30 p.m.

FLOYDBROWN BAND

FEATURING JODY

MAYEUX: El Paso, Denham Springs, 6:30 p.m.

DAMON KING &BO

JAMISON: On The Half Shell, Prairieville, 7p.m

RHETT ANTHONY: 18 Steak at L’Auberge, 7p.m

LAUREN LEE BAND: CourtToTable, 7p.m

CHRIS LEBLANC: Bin 77, 7p.m

THE LEE SERIO BAND: The Legacy,7 p.m.

HENRY TURNER JR.

&ALL-STARS: Henry Turner Jr.’s Listening Room, 8p.m

RHETT GUILLOT: Riverbend Terrace II at L’Auberge, 8p.m

THE COVERLY

BROTHERS: Phil Brady’s, 8:30 p.m.

AFTER 8: The Edge Bar at L’Auberge, 9p.m

IAN WEBSTER & TAYLOR CLARK: The Vineyard,9p.m

Theatre, 6:30 p.m

TUESDAY CHRIS LEBLANCDUO: Superior Grill-MidCity,6 p.m EDDIE SMITH: On The HalfShell, Prairieville,6:30 p.m

WEDNESDAY

RHETT ANTHONY: Superior Grill-MidCity, 6p.m. LSU JAZZ JAM: ClassicVinyls,6p.m.

SONGWRITERS OPEN MIC: Le ChienBrewing Co.,Denham Springs,6:30 p.m

KIRK HOLDER: Bin77, 6:30 p.m

JOVIN WEBB DUO: Fat Cat Saloon, Prairieville,9p.m. PRESS 1FOR ENGLISH: IcehouseTap Room,9 p.m

TITANIUM RAIN: Locals-Central, 9p.m.

JASON BOLAND& THE STRAGGLERS: TexasClub,9 p.m

SATURDAY

GARDEN STAGEMUSIC: ClassicVinyls 1p.m.

IAN WEBSTER DUO: Sullivan’sSteakhouse, 5:30 p.m PAPO YSON MANDAO: Pedros,Denham Springs,6p.m.

BLOCKER HARVISON: BLDG 5, 6p.m. ROCK IT: Papi’s Fajita Factory,Watson, 6p.m.

UNITEDWEJAM: T’Quilas, Denham Springs,6p.m.

JOEL NEELY: Le Chien Brewing Co.,Denham Springs,6:30 p.m

DRAMA KINGS: El Paso,Denham Springs,6:30 p.m

CHRIS ROBERTS: Bin 77, 7p.m.

CONNOR MARTIN BAND: Court To Table, 7p.m.

THE COVERLY BROTHERS: On The Half Shell, Prairieville,7p.m.

CAMPYLE: 18 Steak at L’Auberge,7 p.m

DENTONHATCHER: Riverbend Terrace II at L’Auberge,8 p.m

ACOUSTIC SATURDAYS W/HENRY TURNER: Henry TurnerJr.’s Listening Room, 8p.m.

KENDALL SHAFFER BAND: FatCat Saloon, Prairieville, 9p.m.

CHRIS LEBLANC

BAND: Phil Brady’s, 9p.m.

20 BELOWZERO: Churchill’s, 9p.m.

RHETT GUILLOT: The Vineyard,9 p.m

BENRAGSDALE: Swamp Chicken Daiquiris,St. Amant, 9p.m.

SUNDAY ERICBASKIN: Watermark Hotel,10a.m.

JUSTIN BURDETTE TRIO: Superior Grill MidCity, 11 a.m.

JAZZ BRUNCH: Red Stick Social, noon

SONGWRITER SUNDAYS: La Divina Italian Cafe,5 p.m

LUCY YOES: Pizza Byronz, 5p.m.

OPEN MIC JAM: Fat Cat Saloon, Prairieville,7p.m.

MONDAY EDDIE SMITH BAND: Sammy’sGrill, Prairieville,6p.m. ERICSTELLY: Superior Grill-MidCity, 6p.m. 59TH ANNUAL FORTIER-GERBRECHT JAZZ INVITATIONAL HOSTEDBYBATONROUGE JAZZ ENSEMBLE: Manship

SONGWRITERS OPEN MIC W/HEATHRANSONNET: Coop’s on 621, Gonzales, 7p.m. ANDYPIZZOTRIO: HayrideScandal, 7:30 p.m OPEN MIC JAM: O’Hara’s Irish Pub, 8p.m.

THURSDAY NEILWERRIES: La Divina

7:30 p.m., Manship Theatre, 100 Lafayette St. Adocumentary about the Grammywinning musician, with never-before-seen archival footage, studio outtakes and rare photos. $9.50. manshiptheatre.org.

FRIDAY-SATURDAY

EVENING SKY VIEWING:

8:30 p.m.-10 p.m., BRECHighland Road Park Observatory, 13800 Highland Road. See the majestyofthe nightsky in these public viewingsfor those 6and up.hrpo.lsu.edu/ events.

FRIDAY-SUNDAY

“ROMEO&JULIET”: 7p.m. Fridayand Saturday, and 2p.m. Sunday, Ascension Community Theatre, 823 N. Felicity Ave. Gonzales. An ACTproduction $19-$34. https://www.actgonzales.org/.

FRIDAY-SUNDAY ANDTHURSDAY

“SWEENEY TODD: THE DEMON BARBEROFFLEET STREET”:

7:30 p.m. Friday, Saturdayand Thursday; 2p.m. Sunday, Sullivan Theater, 8849 Sullivan Road, Central. $35, adults;$25 for students. www.sullivantheater.com/tickets.

SATURDAY RED STICK FARMERS MARKET:

8a.m.-noon, Fifth andMain streets, downtown. Farmfresh produce, goods, cooking demonstrations. breada.org

FAMILY-HOUR STARGAZING:

10 a.m., Irene W. Pennington Planetarium at the Louisiana Art &ScienceMuseum, 100 S. River Road. Learn about the stars and constellations in the local nighttimesky, followedbyanall-ages show lasm.org.

“COLLAGE INSPIRED BY AI: ARTISTIC INTERPRETATIONS”:

1p.m.-3 p.m., LSUMuseum of Art, 100 Lafayette St.Adropin art-making program for teens and adults inspired by works on view. Included with admission. lsumoa.org

PROVIDED PHOTO By THE SULLIVAN THEATER David Louviere, left, is the barberSweeneyTodd and GabbyCario is meat pie shop ownerMrs. Lovett in The Sullivan Theater’sproduction of ‘Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street.’

tions: ACenturyofthe Railway in Baton Rouge,” through Oct. 1; “Landscapes Along the Railway:The Art of John Cleaveland,” through March 15; “Going Places: TransportationToysofthe Past,”through July 6, and “Shelf Queens: Model Train Masterpieces,” also through July 6. (225) 3445272 or lasm.org.

LSU’SBARNES OGDEN GALLERY: 31 S. Campus Drive. “Twofold: CollaborativeWork by Addoley Dzegede &Lyndon Barrois Jr.” through Saturday.

LSU’SGLASSELL GALLERY: ShawCenter for the Arts, 100 Lafayette St.“The Middle: PaintingsbyWill Maxen & Bradley Kerl,” newLSU School of Art faculty members, through March 14.Hours: noon-5 p.m.

LSU’SLAURA AND CLARK

By The Associated Press

Today is Friday,Feb. 27, the58th day of 2026. There are 307 days left in the year

Todayinhistory: On Feb.27, 1933, Germany’sparliament building, the Reichstag, was gutted by fire; Chancellor Adolf Hitler,blaming communists, used thefire to justify suspending civil liberties.

TODAYINHISTORY

massacre of Sioux men, women and children; the occupation would last for over two months.

In 1991, Operation Desert Storm came to a conclusion as President George H.W.Bush declared in aWhite House address that “Kuwait is liberated, Iraq’sarmyis defeated,” and announced that the allies would suspend combat operations at midnight, Eastern time.

TUESDAY BATONROUGECHESS CLUB: 6p.m.-8 p.m., La Divina Italian Cafe, 3535 Perkins Road, Unit 360. Achance to playand learn; all levels welcome. Free.

THURSDAY RED STICK FARMERS MARKET: 8a.m.-noon, Pennington Biomedical Research Center, 6400 Perkins Road.Farm-fresh produce, goodsand more. facebook.com/redstickfarmersmarket.

WEEKLYSOCIAL BIKE RIDE: 7p.m., Geaux Ride, 521 N ThirdSt., SuiteA.Free. fareharbor.com

ONGOING ARTGUILD OF LOUISIANA: Independence Park Theatre 7800 Independence Blvd Classes: Sarah Sedwick Dynamic Still LifeinOil or Acrylic, Friday-Sunday, 9a.m.4p.m.; and DanaMosby: Interpreting the Landscape in Pastel:Infusing Your Work withPassion, March 14, 9:30 a.m.-4 p.m.Both classes at Studio in the Park,2490 Silverest Ave. (225) 773-8020 or artguildlouisiana.org.

BATONROUGE GALLERY CENTER FORCONTEMPORARY ART: 1515 Dalrymple Drive. Member artists’ showby Jacqueline Dee Parker, EleanorOwenKerrand Her Roe, withopening reception from 6p.m. to 9p.m. Wednesday. batonrougegallery.org.

CAPITOL PARK MUSEUM: 660 N. FourthSt. “Groundsfor Greatness: Louisianaand theNation,” “The Louisiana Experience: Discovering the Soul of America,” “African American History,” “Music and Musicians” and“Mardi Gras,” permanent exhibits. (225) 342-5428 or louisianastatemuseum.org

CARY SAURAGE COMMUNITY

ARTS CENTER SHELL GALLERY: 233 St. Ferdinand St. “Dennisparkercelloetc,” exhibit of cellist Dennis Parker’s transformations of musical instruments into sculptural works, through April 17. Hours arefrom9a.m. to 4p.m. weekdays andfrom10a.m. to 2p.m. Saturday. artsbr.org.

LOUISIANA ART& SCIENCE MUSEUM: 100 S. River Road. “Pinpointing the Stars,” through Aug. 1; “Crossroads &Connec-

SUNDAY FREE FIRST SUNDAY: Louisiana Art &ScienceMuseum, 100 S. River Road; Old State Capitol, 100 North Blvd.; Old Governors’ Mansion, 502 North Blvd.; Magnolia Mound Museum + Historic Site, 2161 Nicholson Drive; LSU Museum of Art, 100 Lafayette St.; andCary Saurage CommunityArts Center, 233 St. Ferdinand St. and LSU Center for River Studies, 100 Terrace Ave. Free admission to all exhibits and installations, plus reduced-priceentry to LASM’sIrene Pennington Planetarium shows PBS KIDS: “ODD SQUAD: WORLD TURNED ODD”: 1p.m. and 2p.m., Manship Theatre, 100 Lafayette St. After using agadget to travelback to 1983, Oona, Olympia and Otis accidentally change the past which alters the outcomes of all thecases that Odd Squad has ever solved. Free.manshiptheatre.org “A SONG FORCORETTA”: 3p.m., UpStage Theatre,1713 Wooddale Blvd.$27. https:// upstagetheatre.biz.

BROUSSARD

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Album Chart. Continuing his “SOS” philanthropic album series, Broussard also released “SOS 5: Songs of the’50s” this month. “SOS 5” benefits thenonprofit Love ofPeople, based in Lafayette. After March tourdates across Germany,The Netherlands, France andthe UK, the Louisiana singerreturns stateside for several tour

BOYCEGALLERY: Julian T. White Hall, 297 Field House Drive. “Interiors Under Construction: Ria Bravo” through Saturday.

LSU MUSEUM OF ART: Shaw Center forthe Arts, 100 Lafayette St. “Daphnis and Chloe and Other Lovers: Lithographs by Marc Chagall,”through May24. “AI: Artistic Interpretations, StudioArt Quilt Associates,”through May10. (225) 389-7200 or lsumoa.org.

MANSHIP THEATRE JONES

WALKER FOYER: 100 Lafayette St.“Look up: APhilosophy for Birding and Life”byGail Suberbielle. Free and open duringregular ShawCenter building hoursunless thereis aprivate event.

LSU TEXTILE &COSTUME MUSEUM: Human Ecology Building,TowerDrive,LSU campus. “Dressing Louisiana Histories de la mode de la Louisiane,” through March 6.(225) 5785992 or emailtextile@lsu.edu

MAGNOLIAMOUND MUSEUM

+HISTORIC SITE: 2161 Nich-

olson Drive. Guided and selfguided tours. Hours arefrom 10 a.m. to 4p.m.MondaySaturdayand from 1p.m.to 4p.m.Sunday. brec.org/facility/MagnoliaMound.

OLD GOVERNOR’SMANSION: 502 North Blvd. Open for tours. Hours arefrom9a.m to 4p.m.Monday-Friday. Free admission. oldgovernorsmansion.com.

OLD STATECAPITOL: 100 North Blvd. “A More Perfect Union: Reconstruction’s Legacy in Louisiana,” permanent exhibit; and “Louisiana Photographic Society Presents: PresentDay Traces of Segregation,Civil Rights,and CollectiveMemory in Louisiana,” through March 14.Free. louisianaoldstatecapitol.org.

USS KIDD VETERANS MUSEUM: 305 S. River Road. Displays of avariety of artifacts that celebrate veteran and navalmilitaryhistory.Note: Vessel is in Houma for dry dock repairs. usskidd.com.

WEST BATONROUGE MUSEUM: 845 N. Jefferson Ave.,Port Allen. “Gone But NotForgotten: Black Cemeteries of West Baton Rouge,”through March 8. (225) 336-2422 or westbatonrougemuseum.org.

Compiled by Judy Bergeron. Have an open-to-the-public event you’d like to promote? Emaildetails to red@theadvocate.com. Deadline is 5p.m.Friday for the following Friday’s paper

stops in the South. Broussard’snextLouisiana appearance will be May 1atthe New OrleansJazz & Heritage Festival.

Email Judy Bergeron at jbergeron@theadvocate. com.

Also on this date: In 1942, theBattle of theJava Sea began during World WarII; Imperial Japanese naval forces scored adecisive victory over the Allies In 1951, the22nd Amendment to the Constitution, limiting apresident to two termsinoffice, was ratified.

In 1973, members of the American Indian Movementoccupied the hamlet of Wounded Knee in South Dakota, the site of the1890

In 1997, Ireland became one of the last countries in the world to legalize divorce. Divorce remains illegal in just twocountries: the Philippines and Vatican City In 2010, in Chile, an 8.8 magnitude earthquake and subsequent tsunami killed 525 people and caused up to $30 billion in damage and a major power blackout.

In 2022, Russian President Vladimir Putin dramatically escalated East-

PIscEs (Feb. 20-March 20) Mingle, try somethingnew,orparticipate in activities or events that intrigue andexcite you. Thepeopleyou encounter will make you take acloser look at your lifestyle.

ARIEs(March 21-April 19) Work quietly behind the scenes; once you have everything in place,itwill be easier to get others on board with your plans. Keep your dialoguesimple and your actions withinreason. Wise choices, good results.

tAuRus (April 20-May20) Check every detailand change onlywhat's necessary andaffordable. Avoidimpulsive moves, decisions or rhetoric that can leadtobad feelings and unwanted actions.

GEMInI (May 21-June 20) Allocateyour time and money with precision, and pay attention to the changes unfoldingaround you. Useyour connections, energyand multitasking talentsto advance.

cAncER (June 21-July 22) Use the tools, connections or outlets at your disposal to make your next move. You have plenty to gain professionally or personally by taking control and initiating what you want to see unfold.

LEo(July 23-Aug.22) Dig in and discover. Knowledge is your pathway to success. The connections you make while attending alecture, eventorreunion will pay off. Be your own advocate, and play to win.

VIRGo (Aug. 23-sept.22) Expand your interests, knowledge and insight.Don't lose sight of how vital meaningfulrelationships are; be sure to nurture and accommodate those you love.

LIBRA (sept. 23-oct. 23) Stay on topic even if someone tries to redirect you. It's essential to get your point across accurately.Clear apath forward and visualizethe possibilities.Focus on what matters most scoRPIo (oct. 24-nov.22) Anger and revenge will stand between you and getting what you want. Avoiddomesticdisputes, attend events that interest you and expand your circle of friends.

sAGIttARIus (nov. 23-Dec.21) Keep tabs on your expenditures, possessions and health. Home improvementswill requirebudgetingand planningto avoid being taken advantage of.

cAPRIcoRn (Dec. 22-Jan.19) Don't be afraid to takeadvantage of any opportunity that comes your way. Ajoint venture or acommitment to join forces and share expenses, will ease stress.

AQuARIus (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) You can loweryour overhead if you look into efficiency programs or grants.Don't letinsecurity or temptation set in when you have so much to gain by sticking to awell-thought-out plan.

Thehoroscope, an entertainment feature, is not based on scientific fact. ©2026 by NEA, Inc., dist.ByAndrews McMeel Syndication

Sudoku

InstructIons: Sudokuis anumber-placing puzzle based on a9x9 grid with several given numbers. The object is to place the numbers 1to9inthe empty squares so that each row, each column and each 3x3 box contains the same number only once. The difficulty level of the Sudoku increases from Monday to Sunday.

Yesterday’s Puzzle Answer

Yesterday’s Puzzle Answer

By PHILLIP ALDER Bridge

Alfred Adler, an Austrian psychiatrist whodied in 1937, said, “There is no such thingastalent. There is pressure.”

True,ifyouwishtobesuccessfulatthe top level of anything, you must be able to handlethe pressure. This applies even at the bridge table. But there is another form of pressure in bridge —pre-emptivebids, which pressure the opponents by removing bidding space.

Look at theSouth hand. After twopasses,what would you open?

In the first two positions, one heart wouldbeapopular choice. But after twopasses, thedynamic changes. NorthSouth’s chances of making game have diminished. It is time to pressure West. Open three hearts! Or, if that is too rich for you, bid two hearts. Now look at the full deal.After athreeheart opening, West would makeatakeoutdouble and East would advance with three spades.Thiscontract would go down after three rounds of hearts are played, but West would never pass with such astronghand. He would carry his side into deeper waters.

At thetable, South opened one heart, West doubled,Northresponded one no-trump, East passed, South rebid two hearts, andthis ended the auction when West very cautiously passed.

The defensewas excellent, though. Westled thespade ace: three, six, queen. West,not fooled,continuedwiththe spade king, andEast droppedhis nine, asuit-preference signal for diamonds (thehigher-ranking of theother two side suits). West cashed his diamond ace, gavehispartneradiamondruff,gotback on lead withthe club ace, and gave East asecond ruff for down one.

McMeel

©2026 by NEA, Inc., dist.ByAndrews

Syndication

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

Previous answers:

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

toDAy’s WoRD coMPoRts: kum-PORTS: Behaves in aproper or expected manner.

Average mark 27 words Time limit 40 minutes Can you find 35 or more words in COMPORTS?

yEstERDAy’s WoRD —REsuMED

today’s thought “He sent his word, andhealed them, and delivered themfrom their destructions.” Psalms107:20

q of thisSection,those stated in theadvertise‐ment forbids, andthose required on thebid form shallnot be considered as informalitiesand shall notbewaivedbyany public entity Anon-mandatory pre-bid conference will be held at 9:30 A.M.,Wednesday, March4th,2026, at the EnvironmentalServices Facility,located at 12422 FloridaBoulevard,Baton Rouge, LA 70815. Foradditional informa‐tion please contact WilliamFishburn, PE william.fishburn@jacobs. com.

178007 Feb. 20, 27, March 6, 3t $297.15

p p 2026 for furnishing Canned& DryFood Prod‐ucts.Bidswillbeopened at 8:00 am,April 14, 2026. Specificationsand bid formsmay be obtained andsubmitted online at www.centralbidding.com or 3755 Church Street, Zachary,Louisiana 70791, telephone, 225-658-4969. ThePublicisinvited to attend thebid openingat this address. TheZachary Community School BoardChild Nutri‐tion Program is funded approximately50% with federalfundsfor atotal of approximately $1,500,000.00 peryear. 178359-feb27-mar20-apr

y telephone, 225-658-4969. ThePublicisinvited to attend thebid openingat this address.

TheZachary Community School BoardChild Nutri‐tion Programisfunded approximately50% with federalfundsfor atotal of approximately $1,500,000.00 peryear. 178356-feb27-mar20-apr 10-3t $61.54

PUBLIC NOTICE

gating to https://portal us.bn.cloud.ariba.com/ dashboard/public/ appext/comsapsbncd iscoveryui#/RfxEvent/ preview/1110006059?anI d=ANONYMOUSand clicking

at www.centralbidding.com until 4:00 pm,April 13, 2026 forfurnishingMilk Bids will be opened at 9:15 am,April 14, 2026. Specificationsand bid formsmay be obtained andsubmitted online at www.centralbidding.com or 3755 Church Street Zachary, Louisiana70791, telephone, 225-658-4969. ThePublicisinvited to attend thebid openingat this address. TheZachary Community School BoardChild Nutri‐tion Programisfunded approximately50% with federalfundsfor atotal of approximately $1,500,000.00 peryear. 178354-feb27-mar20-apr 10-3t $60.52

ceived at theZachary Community School Board, Child Nutrition ProgramOffice online at www.centralbidding.com until 4:00 pm,April 13, 2026 forfurnishingCom‐modity Storage. Bids will be opened at 11:00 am April14, 2026. Specificationsand bid formsmay be obtained andsubmitted online at www.centralbidding.com or 3755 Church Street Zachary,Louisiana 70791, telephone, 225-658-4969. ThePublicisinvited to attend thebid openingat this address.

TheZachary Community School BoardChild Nutri‐tion Program is funded approximately50% with federalfundsfor atotal of approximately $1,500,000.00 peryear. 178358-feb27-mar20-apr 10-3t $61.54

Sealed bids will be re‐ceived at theZachary Community School Board, Child Nutrition ProgramOffice online at www.centralbidding.com until 4:00 pm,April 13, 2026 forfurnishing Ready-to-Eat Pizza. Bids will be opened at 10:00 am,April 14, 2026. Specificationsand bid

ter/Login> “Register Now” at thelinkprovided above. By:LukeBaukema Office of StateProcure‐ment Email: luke.baukema@la gov 178689-FEB27-1T $13.20

andwithpar‐ticularreference to the provisions of Title30of LouisianaRevised Statutes of 1950, apublic hearingwillbeheldin theHearing Room,1st Floor,LaSalle Building 617 North3rd Street BatonRouge,Louisiana at 9:00 a.m.

pertaining to thefollow‐ingmatters relating to the Hosston 6,975’ Zone ReservoirA,inthe Rus‐tonField,Lincoln Parish Louisiana. 1. To permit applicantto designateand utilizeits Clay Colvin BNo. 6Well as asubstituteunitwell forHOSS6975 RA SUD, said well beinglocated as shownonthe plat submittedwiththe appli‐cation,inexception to thespacing provisions of Office of Permitting and Compliance OrderNo. 164-O-27, effectiveMay 18, 1993. 2. To find that designa‐tion anduse of thepro‐posedsubstituteunit well is necessarytoeffi‐cientlyand economically draina portionofthe Hosston 6,975’ Zone ReservoirA,underlying theHOSS6975 RA SUD, which cannot be effi‐cientlyand economically drainedbyany existing well within this unit, will preventwaste,avoid the drillingofunnecessary wells,protect correlative rights and promotethe full andefficientdevel‐opment of thenatural re‐sourcesofthisstate 3. To providethatthe unit allowables forthe unitto be served by thepro‐posedwellmay be pro‐ducedfromthe unit well/substitute unitwell, from anyalternate unit well, or from anycombi‐nation of such wells servingthe unit, at the discretion of theopera‐tor. 4. Except insofarasset forthabove,toconfirm andcontinue in full force andeffectthe provisions of OrderNo. 164-O-27, ef‐fectiveMay 18,1993, as amendedand supple‐mented by the164-OSe‐ries of Orders,the units createdthereby,and of allapplicable Statewide Orders 5. To consider such other matters as maybeperti‐nent TheHosston 6,975’ Zone ReservoirA wasfully de‐finedinOrder No.164-O27, effectiveMay 18 1993. Aplatisavailable forin‐spection in theDepart‐ment of Conservation andEnergyin Baton Rougeand Shreveport Louisiana. http://dnr.louisiana.gov/ conshearings Allparties having inter‐esttherein shalltakeno‐tice thereof. BY ORDEROF: DUSTINH.DAVIDSON,

PUBLIC NOTICE -6HICO-KNOWLES FIELD 26-96 LEGALNOTICE STATEOFLOUISIANA,DE‐