The Acadiana Advocate 02-28-2026

WAGARSWORN IN AS JUDGE

Angela ‘Angie’ Wagar, aRepublican from Rayne, was the only candidate to qualify recently foranelection to replace Judge Kristian Earles. As aresult, Wagar was automatically elected to serveasjudge of Division Jofthe 15th Judicial District that includes Acadia, Lafayette and Vermilion parishes, according to Acadia Parish Clerk of CourtLaura Faul.Wagar will take office March 2, Faul said, to fill the unexpired term of Earles whichends Dec. 31. If Wagar wants to fill the next full term for judge, she will have to runfor reelection in afall election this year,Faul said.

Angela Wagar, center,is joined by her husband,John; son Jack and his wife, Leah; and daughter Emma,left, after her swearing-in ceremonyon Thursday.

Keywitnesses provide testimony against former leader

BY MEGAN WYATT Staff writer

In the first full day of atrial involving former DeRidder Mayor Misty Roberts, her son and neph-

Roberts

ew testified that Roberts provided them and their friendswith alcoholduring aJuly2024house party before having sexwith one of their friends. Robertsfaces twofelony charges of carnal knowledgeofajuvenile and indecent behavior with a juvenile. Apanel of six jurors was seated late Thursdayinthe case, which hasbeendelayed for months. The jury hearing the case against Robertson Friday listened to testimony from Child Advocacy Center interviewers Patra Minix andAnnelise Eaglin, alongwith Roberts’ minor son andher nephewwho bothattended thehouse party.The jury also heard from aDoorDash

Kolluru

BY MEGAN WYATT Staff writer

Ramesh Kolluruwas appointedasthe seventh president of the University of Louisiana at Lafayette on Fridayafterbeing named as the lone finalist recommended by asearch committee earlier this week. Kolluru hasservedas UL’s interimpresident since Novemberand is the former vice president of research, innovation and economic development of the university.His appointment comes three months after public pushback against the board’s initialplans to install Kolluru as president without asearch. TheULsystemBoard of Supervisorsvoted unanimously for his permanent appointmentataFriday meeting in Baton Rouge thatstarted 40 minutes late because of a treeblocking onelaneofthe Atchafalaya Basin Bridge. Kolluru gave an opening statementand answered questions from board members, who declinedtogointoexecutive sessionto discuss his appointment.

See KOLLURU, page 5A

to beginsummer2027

BY HALEYMILLER Staff writer

Students applying to LSU in Baton Rouge will once again need to submit standardized test scores after the Board of Supervisors votedFridaytodrop the test-optional policy from the flagship campus. “It will be just another variable that we use in atotal comprehensive evaluationof the students,” LSU system President Wade Rousse said.

Sincethe COVID-19pandemic, applicants have been able to choosewhetherto include SATorACT results. LSU madethe test-optional policy official in June 2022, following the trend of other universities

ä See LSU, page 4A

driverwho said he delivered emergencycontraceptivestoRoberts’ house after thealleged incident.

Her son,who TheAcadiana Advocateisnot naming because he is aminor,saidduring aMarch20, 2025, interview with Minix that airedtothe jurythroughvideothat his friends were celebrating his birthday at their house, swimming anddrinking alcohol his mother provided.

Later duringthe party,hesaid his momand his friend were upstairs alone. When they came downstairs, everything escalated, he told Minix. His friends left. Minix askedinthe interview what his mom and friend were doing upstairs.

“Theywere— just, like —they werehaving sex,” he said.

ä See TRIAL, page 5A

L.A. firefighter says he warned about brush fire LOS ANGELES A Los Angeles firefighter testified in a newly released deposition that he told colleagues the ground was still smoldering from a brush fire days before authorities say it reignited into the most destructive blaze in city history Scott Pike, a firefighter with the Los Angeles Fire Department, said he told colleagues the ground was still hot when he was sent in to help clean up a New Year’s Day brush in the hillsides near the scenic Pacific Palisades neighborhood. Pike’s comments came in a sworn deposition taken in a lawsuit that was filed by fire victims. The deposition and those of other fire officials were made public this week after city attorneys had moved to keep it confidential for a month.

“I could feel the heat coming off of it, and I didn’t even want to use my gloved hand because it was hot, so I just kicked it with my boot to kind of expose it. And there was like red hot, like coals,” Pike said in the deposition. “I even heard crackling.” Pike said he was working an overtime shift and mentioned it to other firefighters who were out in the field, but they didn’t seem to think much of it. He said he told a supervisor there were still hot spots, but it wasn’t his job to challenge orders.

“I felt like I got kind of blown off a little bit,” Pike said “I saw something, I said something ” Alexander Robertson, an attorney for the fire victims, said he obtained a court order to depose a dozen firefighters tasked with mopping up the Jan. 1 fire. Pike was the only one who indicated fire officials had been warned the blaze had not been fully extinguished when they packed up and left the scene, Robertson said.

The fire, which left 12 dead in the hillside neighborhoods across Pacific Palisades and Malibu, was one of two blazes that broke out on Jan. 7, 2025, killing more than 30 people.

Official: Russian drone intercepted in Sweden

STOCKHOLM A Russian drone carried out an unauthorized flight off southern Sweden earlier this week while a French aircraft carrier was docked in the port of Malmö, the Swedish military said Friday, in what the defense minister said was a violation of his country’s airspace.

The armed forces said in a statement that a Swedish naval vessel detected a drone taking off from a Russian signals intelligence ship in the Öresund strait, which separates Sweden from Denmark.

The military said that systems on board the Swedish ship, the HMS Rapp, took countermeasures to disrupt the drone. It said the Russian ship the Zhigulevsk, had entered Swedish territorial waters and the Rapp approached it to monitor its transit through the strait.

The French nuclear-powered aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle is in the southern Swedish city of Malmö this week as part of regular NATO exercise activities.

2 trans men sue Kansas over law invalidating IDs TOPEKA, Kan. — Two transgender men are suing Kansas over a new law that invalidated their driver’s licenses and about 1,700 others for reflecting people’s gender identities and not their sex assigned at birth arguing that the measure is “dehumanizing.”

The men filed their case Thursday, the same day the law took effect, and argue that it violates rights to privacy personal autonomy and due legal process guaranteed by the Kansas Constitution. The men also are challenging the law’s tough, new enforcement provisions for the state’s 3-year-old policy of barring transgender people from using public restrooms or other single-sex facilities associated with their gender identities.

The men want to block the law, which also invalidated roughly 1,800 transgender people’s birth certificates. They filed their case in district court in Douglas County, where they live, which is home to the main University of Kansas campus and is a liberal bastion in a red-leaning state.

Trump says he’s ‘not happy’ with Iran talks

President indicates he’ll give them more time

BY SAM MEDNICK, MICHELLE L. PRICE and MATTHEW LEE Associated Press

TEL AVIV, Israel President Donald Trump said Friday he’s “not happy” with the latest talks over Iran’s nuclear program but indicated he would give negotiators more time to reach a deal to avert another war in the Middle East.

He spoke a day after U.S. envoys held another inconclusive round of indirect talks with Iran in Geneva. As American forces gather in the region, Trump has threatened military action if Iran does not agree to a far-reaching deal on its nuclear program, while Iran insists it has the right to enrich uranium for peaceful purposes and denies seeking a nuclear weapon.

“I’m not happy with the fact that they’re not willing to give us what we have to have. I’m not thrilled with that. We’ll see what happens. We’re talking later,” Trump told reporters as he left the White House on Friday “We’re not exactly happy with the way they’re negotiating. They cannot have nuclear weapons.”

Trump was asked about the risks of the U.S. getting involved in a drawn-out conflict if it strikes Iran.

“I guess you could say there’s always a risk ” Trump replied. “You know when there’s war, there’s a risk of anything, both good and bad.”

Later Friday, as he visited Texas, Trump sounded more pessimistic, telling reporters that Iranian negotiators “don’t want to quite go far enough. It’s too bad.”

He reiterated that he did not want to see Iran allowed to enrich any amount of uranium and said the oil-rich nation should not need to enrich uranium for an energy program.

When asked by a reporter how close he was to deciding on whether to launch a military strike, he said, “I’d rather not tell you.”

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio plans to make a quick trip to Israel early next week the State Department said.

The U.S. Embassy in Israel had earlier urged staff who want to leave to depart, joining other nations in encouraging people to leave the region and signaling that U.S. military action might be imminent

The announcement of Rubio’s visit and Trump’s latest remarks could indicate a longer timeline for any potential strike

The State Department said Rubio would visit Israel on Monday and Tuesday to “discuss a range of regional priorities, including Iran, Lebanon, and ongoing efforts to implement President Trump’s 20-Point Peace Plan for Gaza.” It offered no other details.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has long urged tougher U.S. action against Iran, and has warned that Israel will respond to any Iranian attack

Before his trip, Rubio declared Iran to be a “state sponsor of wrongful detention,” and the State Department may invalidate U.S. passports for travel to Iran.

He said the move was due to the country’s continued arrests and imprisonment of “innocent Americans” and citizens of other countries for use as political leverage. The move does not automatically carry any penalties, but Rubio said that if Iran doesn’t stop, he could make it illegal to use a U.S. passport for travel to or from Iran. That restriction currently only applies to North Korea.

A confidential report from the U.N. nuclear watchdog meanwhile confirmed that Iran has not offered inspectors access to sensitive nuclear sites since they were heavily bombed during the 12-day war launched by Israel last June. As a result it said it could not confirm Iran’s claims that it stopped uranium enrichment after the U.S. and Israeli strikes.

The report was circulated to member countries and seen by The Associated Press.

The announcement of Rubio’s visit came just hours after the U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem implemented “authorized departure” status for nonessential personnel and family members, which means that eligible staffers can leave the country voluntarily at government expense.

In an email, U.S. Ambassador Mike Huckabee urged staff considering departure to do so quickly, advising them to focus on getting any flight out of Israel and to then make their way to Washington.

“Those wishing to take AD should do so TODAY,” Huckabee wrote, using an acronym for “authorized departure.”

“While there may be outbound flights over the coming days, there may not be,” he added. The email was recounted to The Associated Press by someone involved with the U.S. mission who wasn’t authorized to share details.

On a town-hall meeting Friday after the email was sent, Huckabee told staff that he was encouraging airlines to keep flying.

Official says Pakistan in ‘open war’ with Afghanistan after latest strikes

BY MUNIR AHMED and ABDUL QAHAR AFGHAN Associated Press

ISLAMABAD Pakistan and Afghanistan exchanged cross-border attacks overnight in a dramatic escalation of tensions that led Pakistan’s defense minister to say on Friday that the two countries are in a state of “open war. Afghanistan launched an attack on Pakistan late Thursday, saying it was in retaliation for deadly Pakistani airstrikes on Afghan border areas Sunday Pakistan then carried out airstrikes in Kabul and two other Afghan provinces early Friday, saying it targeted military installations. Tensions have been high for months. Border clashes in October killed dozens of soldiers, civilians and suspected militants. Pakistan accuses Afghanistan’s Taliban government of harboring militant groups that stage attacks against it and also of allying with its archrival India.

A Qatari-mediated ceasefire ended the intense fighting in October, but several rounds of peace talks in Turkey in No-

vember failed to produce a lasting agreement. The two sides have occasionally traded fire since then.

Qatar once again appears to be mediating. Its minister of state, Mohammed bin Abdulaziz al-Khulaifi, spoke Friday with the foreign ministers of Afghanistan and Pakistan in an effort to de-escalate tensions, Qatar’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs posted on X.

Afghanistan’s attacks against Pakistani military targets was meant as “a message that our hands can reach their throats and that we will respond to every evil act of Pakistan,” Afghan government spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid said. “Pakistan has never sought to resolve problems through dialogue,” he said.

After the Afghan strikes, Pakistan’s Defense Minister Khawaja Mohammad Asif posted on X: “Our patience has now run out. Now it is open war between us.”

Asif said Pakistan had hoped for peace in Afghanistan after the withdrawal of NATO forces in 2021 and expected the Taliban, which seized power in the country to focus on the welfare of the Afghan people and regional stability

President raises idea of ‘friendly takeover of Cuba’

BY WILL WEISSERT Associated Press

WASHINGTON President Donald Trump said Friday that the U.S. is in talks with Havana and raised the possibility of a “friendly takeover of Cuba” without offering any details on what he meant.

Speaking to reporters outside the White House as he left for a trip to Texas, Trump said Secretary of State Marco Rubio was in discussions with Cuban leaders “at a very high level.”

“The Cuban government is talking with us,” the president said. “They have no money. They have no anything right now But they’re talking to us, and maybe we’ll have a friendly takeover of Cuba.”

He added: “We could very well end up having a friendly takeover of Cuba.”

Trump didn’t clarify his comments but seemed to indicate that the situation with Cuba, a communistrun island that has been among Washington’s bitterest adversaries for decades, was coming to a critical point. The White House did not respond to requests for more information Friday

The president also said that Cuba “is, to put it mildly, a failed nation” and “they want our help.”

His remarks came two days after the Cuban government reported that a Florida-registered speedboat carrying 10 armed Cubans from the U.S opened fire on soldiers off the island’s north coast. Four of the armed Cubans were killed, and six were injured in responding gunfire, ac-

cording to Cuba’s government. One Cuban official also was injured. Cuba has been on Trump’s mind since at least early January, after U.S. forces ousted one of Havana’s closest allies, Venezuela’s socialist President Nicolás Maduro. Trump suggested in the aftermath of that raid that military action in Cuba might not be necessary because the island’s economy was weak enough — particularly in the absence of oil shipments from Venezuela that stopped after Maduro was taken into custody — to soon collapse on its own.

“We’ve had a lot of years of dealing with Cuba. I’ve been hearing about Cuba since I’m a little boy But they’re in big trouble,” he said Friday

Then, noting the exile community from the island living in the U.S., Trump said there could be something coming that “I think (is) very positive for the people that were expelled, or worse, from Cuba and live here.” He did not elaborate.

The U.S. has maintained a strict trade embargo on Cuba since 1962, the year after a failed, CIA-sponsored invasion of the island at the Bay of Pigs. Trump nonetheless indicated earlier this month that talks with Cuban officials were underway Cuba’s government confirmed earlier this week that it was communicating with U.S. officials following the shooting of the American boat. Rubio has said the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and Coast Guard are investigating what happened.

President Donald Trump speaks to reporters Friday before departing on Marine One from the South Lawn of the White House in Washington.

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Pentagon, Scouting America reach deal to keep ties

BY BEN FINLEY and JAMIE STENGLE Associated Press

WASHINGTON The Pentagon has made a deal with Scouting America that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said Friday would maintain their century-old partnership but refocus the organization away from diversity initiatives and other “woke” policies he accused it of embracing in recent years.

Hegseth put heavy emphasis on Scouting America’s acceptance of transgender youth, saying the organization will require members to use their “biological sex at birth and not gender identity.” But Scouting America, formerly known as the Boy Scouts of America, said the agreement does not change existing policies regarding transgender youth and that they are welcome.

vice merit badge and waiving registration fees for the children of military personnel.

Under Hegseth, the Pentagon has taken aim at the military’s partnership with Scouting America, decrying its historic rebrand in 2024 and other changes in recent years that he sees as part of “woke culture” efforts that he wants to root out.

Hegseth said in a video posted on X that Scouting America’s applications will list only options for male and female and the one checked must match the applicant’s birth certificate. He didn’t say how that would be enforced. The group would clarify that youths of opposite genders assigned at birth cannot share bathrooms, tents or other similar spaces, he said.

The Pentagon has made a deal with Scouting America that Defense Secretary Pete

said Friday would maintain their century-old partnership but refocus the organization away from diversity initiatives and other ‘woke’ policies he accused it of embracing in recent years.

Maybe someday.”

“We have transgender people in our program and we’ll have transgender people in our program going forward,” Scouting America President and CEO Roger Krone told The Associated Press

Several of the negotiated changes mirror what the organization suggested to the Pentagon in January, including discontinuing its Citizenship in Society merit badge introducing a Military Ser-

Krone said the group’s application already has only two boxes one for boy and one for girl — and that they were already asking about sex assigned at birth. He didn’t offer clarity on how that was reviewed or enforced.

“We do not put boys and girls together in intimate spaces and in order to do that we need to have some knowledge of who they are,” he said.

Krone said “structures” in the organization accom-

modate transgender youth, noting that there are family troops that include both genders but offering no more details. He said there was nothing in discussions with the Pentagon that changes the way the programs are run.

Hegseth, meanwhile, said in his video that the Pentagon will “vigorously review” the changes Scouting America has made in six months and cease its support of the organization if it fails to comply

“We hope that doesn’t happen, but it could,” Hegseth said “Ideally, I believe the Boy Scouts should go back to being the Boy Scouts as originally founded, a group that develops boys into men.

In a statement Friday, Scouting America noted its need to comply with an executive order from President Donald Trump targeting DEI programs.

The Irving, Texas-based organization also pointed out that it maintained its new name and “preserved our service to the more than 200,000 girls who participate in our programs.”

The organization began allowing gay youths in 2013, ended a blanket ban on gay adult leaders in 2015 and announced in 2017 that it would accept transgender students. It began accepting girls as Cub Scouts as of 2018 and

into the flagship Boy Scout program, renamed Scouts BSA, in 2019.

Scouting America said the policy changes deepen the organization’s partnership with the military, which has included Scouts meeting on or near military installations in the U.S. and abroad.

“Scouting America is one of the most reliable pipelines to the United States Armed Forces our country has ever known,” the organization added. “Scouts are significantly more likely to serve in uniform than the general population. Eagle Scouts are heavily represented in ROTC programs, service academies and mili-

tary leadership tracks.”

Hegseth’s other anti-DEI efforts have ranged from ending all military training at “woke” Harvard and other Ivy League schools to claiming that the independent military newspaper Stars and Stripes will no longer include “woke distractions.” He rolled out the move with Scouting America on Friday as tensions have escalated with Iran and the Trump administration considers possible military action after massing the largest force of U.S. warships and aircraft in the Middle East in decades.

The Pentagon said earlier this month that it was reviewing its relationship with Scouting America, claiming it had “lost its way” in many ways and calling the organization’s DEI efforts “unacceptable.”

“Scouting America’s leadership has made decisions that run counter to the values of this administration,” the Feb. 6 statement said “including an embrace of DEI and other social justice, gender-fluid ideological stances.”

The U.S. military and the Boy Scouts have had longtime ties, including the military providing logistical support for the National Boy Scout Jamboree since its inception in 1937. The military also has maintained a strong relationship with the Eagle Scouts, whose members often enlist.

AG announces indictment against 30 more people in church protest

BY SARAH RAZA Associated Press

Attorney General Pam Bondi announced federal charges Friday against 30 more people who are accused of civil rights violations in a January protest inside a Minnesota church where a pastor works for Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Bondi said on social media that 25 people were in custody and more arrests would follow The new indictment comes a month after independent journalists Don

MINNESOTA

Lemon and Georgia Fort and prominent local activist Nekima Levy Armstrong were charged for their alleged roles in a protest at Cities Church in St. Paul.

Bondi accused the group of attacking a house of worship. “If you do so, you cannot hide from us — we will find you, arrest you, and prosecute you,” she wrote on social media.

A livestreamed video posted on Facebook shows

people interrupting services at Cities Church on Jan. 18 by chanting “ICE out” and “Justice for Renee Good,” a reference to the woman who was fatally shot by an ICE officer in Minneapolis on Jan. 7. Protesters descended on Cities Church after learning that one of the church’s pastors also serves as an ICE official. The protest drew swift condemnation from Trump administration officials and conservative leaders for disrupting a Sunday service. In total, 39 people now face charges of conspiracy

against religious freedom and interfering with the right of religious freedom. The new defendants had initial court appearances and were released.

Lemon and Fort said they were at the church as journalists covering news Levy Armstrong was the subject of a doctored photo posted by the White House showing her crying during her arrest. The three have pleaded

not guilty

The indictment says the “agitators” entered the church in a “coordinated takeover-style attack” and engaged in acts of intimidation and obstruction.

“Young children were left to wonder, as one child put it, if their parents were going to die,” the indictment says.

A lawyer for the church praised the Justice Department for charging more

people. “The First Amendment does not give anyone regardless of profession, prominence, or politics — license to storm a church and intimidate, threaten, and terrorize families and children worshipping inside,” Doug Wardlow said in a statement. The revised indictment adds new allegations when compared to the original filed in January

Man found dead 5 days later

By The Associated Press

BUFFALO N.Y In the moments after Border Patrol agents dropped him off at a Buffalo doughnut shop, surveillance video recorded Nurul Amin Shah Alam stepping gingerly through the empty parking lot in his county-issued jail booties. He pulls up his hood against the cold as he walks past a drivethru window, then paces away into the night. Five nights later, the nearly blind refugee from Myanmar was found dead in the street, raising questions

about whether federal agents could have done more to ensure his safety when they released him from custody, miles from his home, without informing his family or lawyer The video obtained by the Investigative Post shows Shah Alam, 56 after agents dropped him off at a Tim Hortons on the night of Feb. 19, the day he was released from a county jail where he had been held for a year Buffalo Mayor Sean Ryan has said the restaurant was closed at that time. Thenonprofitnewssitesays the footage it obtained shows Shah Alam being let out of the Border Patrol van, which can be seen driving away, then

walking by the restaurant’s locked front door U.S. Customs and Border Protection said this week that agents chose “a warm, safe location” for the dropoff.

Shah Alam was found dead Tuesday outside the arena where the NHL’s Buffalo Sabres play A woman called 911 to report his body lying in the sidewalk. It was unclear how he got to that downtown spot from the restaurant several miles away Buffalo police were reviewing footage throughout the city in an attempt to identify his movements. The county medical examiner was investigating the cause of death. Video

Clinton denies wrongdoing in Epstein case

Congressional questioning sheds light on relationship

BY STEPHEN GROVES Associated Press

WASHINGTON Former President

Bill Clinton told members of Congress on Friday that he “did nothing wrong” in his relationship with Jeffrey Epstein and saw no signs of Epstein’s sexual abuse as he faced hours of grilling from lawmakers over his connections to the disgraced financier from more than two decades ago.

“I saw nothing, and I did nothing wrong,” the former Democratic president said in an opening statement he shared on social media at the outset of the deposition. The closed-door deposition ended after more than six hours of questioning from lawmakers who said he answered every question posed to him.

The deposition in Chappaqua, New York marked the first time a former president has been compelled to testify to Congress. It came a day after Clinton’s wife, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, sat with lawmakers for her own deposition.

Bill Clinton has also not been accused of any wrongdoing. Yet lawmakers are grappling with what accountability in the United States looks like at a time when men around the world have been toppled from their high-powered posts for maintaining their connections with Epstein after he pleaded guilty in 2008 to state charges in Florida for soliciting prostitution from an underage girl.

ASSOCIATED PRESS FILE PHOTO By GREG ALLEN

Former President Bill Clinton testified before Congress about his connections to Jeffrey Epstein, denying any wrongdoing on Friday The closed-door deposition raises questions about accountability and prompts scrutiny of powerful individuals tied to Epstein.

ter — of great power and great wealth from all across the world have been able to get away with a lot of heinous crimes and they haven’t been held accountable and they have not even had to answer questions,” said

Republican Rep James Comer, the chair of the House Oversight Committee, before the deposition began Friday Hillary Clinton told lawmakers Thursday that she had no knowledge of how Epstein had sexually abused underage girls and had no recollection of even meeting him. But Bill Clinton will have to answer questions on a well-documented relationship with Epstein and his former girlfriend Ghislaine Maxwell, even if it was from the late 1990s and early 2000s. Bill Clinton, in his opening state-

ment, said that he would likely often tell the committee that he did not recall the specifics of events from more than 20 years ago. But he also expressed certainty that he had not witnessed signs of Epstein’s abuse.

Still, Republicans were relishing the opportunity to scrutinize the former Democratic president under oath.

“No one’s accusing anyone of any wrongdoing, but I think the American people have a lot of questions,” Comer said.

Republicans question Clinton Republicans have wanted to question Bill Clinton about Epstein for years, especially as conspiracy theories arose following Epstein’s 2019 suicide in a New York jail cell while he faced sex trafficking charges. Those calls reached a fever pitch

late last year when several photos of the former president surfaced in the Department of Justice’s first release of case files on Epstein and Maxwell, a British socialite who was convicted of sex trafficking in December 2021 but maintains she’s innocent. Bill Clinton was photographed on a plane seated alongside a woman, whose face is redacted, with his arm around her.

Another photo showed Clinton and Maxwell in a pool with another person whose face was redacted.

Epstein also visited the White House several times during Clinton’s presidency, and the pair later made several international trips together for their humanitarian work. Comer claimed the committee has collected evidence that Epstein visited the White House 17 times and that Bill Clinton flew on Epstein’s airplane 27 times.

Democratic lawmakers said they also posed tough questions to Bill Clinton about his relationship with Epstein and Maxwell.

“We are only here because he hid it from everyone so well for so long,” Bill Clinton said in his opening statement. “And by the time it came to light with his 2008 guilty plea, I had long stopped associating with him.”

Comer pledged extensive questioning of the former president. He claimed that Hillary Clinton had repeatedly deferred questions about Epstein to her husband.

Bill Clinton went after Comer for calling his wife before the committee, telling him that “including her was simply not right.”

The committee was working to quickly publish a transcript and video recording of her deposition.

Has a precedent been set?

Democrats, who have supported the push to get answers from Bill Clinton, are arguing that it sets a

precedent that should also apply to President Donald Trump, a Republican who had his own relationship with Epstein.

“I think that President Trump needs to man up, get in front of this committee and answer the questions and stop calling this investigation a hoax,” said Rep. Robert Garcia, the top Democrat on the committee, on Friday

Comer has pushed back on that idea, saying that Trump has answered questions on Epstein from the press.

Trump on Friday expressed remorse at Bill Clinton being forced to testify “I like Bill Clinton, and I don’t like seeing him deposed,” he told reporters as he departed the White House en route to Corpus Christi, Texas.

Democrats are also calling for the resignation of Trump’s Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick. Lutnick was a longtime neighbor of Epstein in New York City but said on a podcast that he severed ties with Epstein following a 2005 tour of Epstein’s home that disturbed Lutnick and his wife.

The public release of case files showed that Lutnick actually had two engagements with Epstein years later He attended a 2011 event at Epstein’s home, and in 2012 his family had lunch with Epstein on his private island.

“He should be removed from office and, at a minimum, should come before the committee,” Garcia said of Lutnick.

Republican Rep. Nancy Mace questioned Hillary Clinton about Lutnick’s relationship to Epstein during the deposition on Thursday On Friday morning, Mace joined in calling for the commerce secretary to come before the committee.

“I believe we will have the votes to subpoena him,” Democratic Rep Ro Khanna said.

“Men — and women for that mat-

that questioned whether test scores serve as a reliable indicator of future academic performance.

But Chancellor James Dalton said institutional data no longer supports deemphasizing standardized test results. For students who chose not to submit scores from 2021 to 2024, average retention rates were 4.3% lower and average first-term GPAs were 0.29 points lower than their counterparts who included scores with their application, according to LSU data. LSU officials said they will not draw a line for how well students must perform on the tests to qualify for admission but rather use the scores as a piece of the portfolio when considering applicants.

“We’re not setting a hard minimum for admissions,” Dalton said. “We’re going to use it as one component of our comprehensive evaluation of students.”

The change to the admissions policy passed unanimously Still, some supervisors expressed concern that the return to mandatory standardized test scores could hurt students who are

from rural areas, lack access to study resources or have other extenuating circumstances.

“There are plenty of kids who we want at LSU who don’t come from households where they can afford to get that additional help on testing,” Supervisor James Williams said.

He also said some tests display known socioeconomic and geographic biases.

“When the test is designed by so-and-so from the Northeast, and they’re phrasing questions that our kid from Bunkie doesn’t really get because they don’t have to shovel snow or whatever it is they do in their test question, then they don’t get it,” Williams said. “They don’t get the question.”

Other supervisors said they understood the potential weaknesses of test scores but felt admissions officers would be able to take all aspects of the student’s application into account.

They argued the change aligns with other institutions that have reversed course on relaxed test policies in recent years.

“You see Chapel Hill, Florida and our peers, Alabama and others, moving towards bringing this back as a tool,” board member Scott Ballard

said. “That gives me confidence.

Though many universities around the country are bringing back test score requirements, Louisiana’s institutions — and even LSU’s individual campuses — have yet to reach a consensus.

Loyola University New Orleans and Tulane University are both test-optional, while LSU Shreveport and the University of Louisiana at Lafayette each maintain testing policies.

Test scores are still mandatory for the Taylor Opportunity Program for Students, the state scholarship program run by the Louisiana Office of Student Financial Assistance, regardless of institutions’ specific testing policies.

The renewed focus on test performance comes amid record-breaking freshman application and enrollment numbers at LSU, with the number of students applying nearly tripling over the past decade.

“We are committed to elevating the flagship, which includes our broader research enterprise, to become one of the top 50 research institutions in America,” Rousse said. “That requires alignment of resources, stronger management, improved facilities and an unapologetic commitment to measuring

ourselves against those topperforming peers. It also requires admission standards that reflect our ambition.”

The reinstatement of test scores in Baton Rouge admissions will roll out in two phases, according to the policy For the summer 2027

semester potential students with cumulative weighted GPAs below 3.5 will need to submit test scores with their application. Starting in the summer 2028, all applicants will be required to include test results. Rousse said the new policy

mirrors LSU’s balance of “excellence and accessibility” moving forward. “A standardized test score does not define a student,” Rousse said. “However standards do define elite institutions. That is the balance we are seeking.”

His top three priorities, Kolluru said, are to focus on the university’s financial situation; grow enrollment and revenue; and prepare the university for the next generation of faculty, students and industry needs.

“Let’s get it done,” Kolluru said after the vote. “Let’s work together and build a university our faculty, staff, students and state deserve.”

Kolluru was one of 12 people to apply for the position. He and two other semifinalists, Hitesh Kathuria, a tenured professor and former provost and executive vice president for academic affairs at Empire State University in Saratoga Springs, New York, and Richard Ludwick, former president and current president emeritus of the University of St. Thomas in Houston, interviewed on campus earlier this week.

The university has been without a permanent president since July when longtime President Joseph Savoie abruptly stepped down. Since then, the board has named two interim presidents, first Jaimie Hebert, who has since returned to his position as provost, and Kolluru.

The decision to form a search committee came last fall after speculation the UL system board would forgo a search and install Kolluru as president without any input from faculty, staff or students. Professors and the public pushed back against initial plans to fill the job without a search.

UL system President and Presidential Search Committee Chair Rick Gallot promised in January a com-

mitment to “maintaining transparency at every step.”

But Kolluru’s appointment came after little public discussion or explanation.

The 21-member presidential search committee did not publicly discuss how they narrowed 12 candidates to three semifinalists last week, nor did members explain how they decided to name Kolluru as the sole finalist this week.

Gallot maintained that the committee’s decision-making process was open and transparent, pointing to the public interviews that took place Monday and Tuesday During interviews this week, Kolluru said he proj-

ects growing enrollment from 16,100 to 27,500 students and increasing annual research funding from $254 million to $500 million within a decade. He said he’d grow enrollment by emphasizing recruiting, along with retention and graduation rates, making sure every graduate has “two competing job offers that they can select from” by the time they walk across the stage.

Kolluru acknowledged how difficult the past several months have been as the university’s bleak financial reality came to public light — a $50 million total deficit, with $25 million of that being a recurring structural deficit

— and the resulting staff and budget cuts, first under Hebert then under Kolluru.

Kolluru was born and raised in India. In 1992, he came to UL, where he earned his master’s and doctoral degrees in computer science. He’s lived in Lafayette since. He is married to Padma, a UL alum and information technology systems analyst for the city of Lafayette. They have twins: a son, Paresh, and daughter, Roma, who are pre-med students at Tulane University

In his university email signature, Kolluru identifies himself as an honorary Cajun.

In interviews this week, he

pointed to more than three decades at the university as evidence that he was the best fit for the job.

Research expenditures increased from $62 million in 2012 to $254 million in 2024 at UL. The university also achieved Carnegie’s R1 status, which signifies high research activity, in 2021 and 2024 under his leadership.

Kolluru said he will continue to prioritize making sure the right fiscal controls are in place to reduce the existing deficit.

He said this week that the university has reduced its deficit to about $12 million.

In December, Kolluru said in a packed town hall meet-

ing that he expected to end the fiscal year on June 30 with a $10.5 million deficit. During interviews this week, those projections changed: Kolluru said he expects to end the fiscal year without a deficit through a combination of property sales and fundraising efforts.

UL received board approval Thursday to sell five

He and his mom argued, with him saying “that she was in the wrong.” He said his mother was intoxicated and did not remember the incident.

He described it as a “onetime mistake” and asked Minix what was going to happen to his mom.

In addition to the video testimony Roberts’ son also took the stand Friday Prosecutor Charles Robinson asked him to review a photo taken that night that depicts Roberts wearing a bikini top while facing a teen boy in the home’s upstairs game room The bottom half of their bodies is obscured by furniture in the photo.

A defense attorney for Roberts, Adam Johnson, asked her son if he actually saw his mother having sex with his friend.

Her son said he could not confirm they had sex from what he saw but in his “human mind” it looked like it

When asked by Robinson if he wanted his mom to be found “not guilty,” her son said yes.

Roberts’ nephew, who was also a minor at the time, said

during an Aug. 13, 2024, interview with Eaglin at the Child Advocacy Center in Alexandria that he saw his aunt and friend “doing stuff” on the couch in the game room.

“From what I gathered, they were f******,” he told Eaglin When Eaglin asked how he got that impression, since he said he couldn’t see what Roberts was or wasn’t wearing, he said “just the motion.”

Later, when Roberts and the friend came downstairs, he said his aunt was “going crazy.”

On the witness stand, Robinson asked Roberts’ nephew to review text messages with his aunt in the days after the alleged incident.

Roberts’ nephew wrote that he would always stand behind her, no matter what, and told her not to do anything stupid because she has people who love her

“That shouldn’t have happened,” Roberts wrote to him “I’m scared to death.”

She also asked her nephew to “Please make sure he doesn’t say anything.”

Robinson also asked Roberts’ nephew if he recalled getting a text message from his mother instructing him to “lie till you die” about what happened at the party The teen said he remem-

bered the message.

Roberts’ nephew said he and his cousin went upstairs out of instinct to see what Roberts and his friend were doing. Roberts’ nephew said he took a video through Snapchat of the scene from the top of the stairs but didn’t save it.

The nephew told another defense attorney for Roberts, Todd Clemons, he had never seen Roberts in such as state as she was that night. He described during cross examination how his aunt had been through a divorce and was later in an abusive relationship with another man who took his own life a few months before the night in question.

His aunt had “kind of spiraled” since then, he said.

Clemons pointed out that at no point in his text exchange with his aunt did Roberts explicitly refer to having sex with the teen.

The DoorDash driver who testified Friday also said he delivered Plan B emergency contraceptive for a customer named Misty who lives at the address of the former

mayor

The driver, Paul Smith, said he was familiar with the house because he and his wife take their children trick or treating in the

neighborhood. A few days after the delivery, Roberts was arrested and accused of having sex with a teen boy

“That was the talk around town,” Smith said. “And here we are now.”

Judge Kent Savoie, who sits on the 3rd Circuit, is acting as an ad hoc district judge for the case because of the recusals of the other district judges. He declared a mistrial last month before a jury was seated after an appeals court threw out one of the felony charges against Roberts. Roberts was re-indicted on both charges earlier this month.

NASA revampsArtemis moon landingprogram

BY MARCIADUNN AP aerospacewriter

NASA said Friday it’srevamping its Artemis moon exploration program to make it more like the fast-paced Apollo program half acentury ago, adding an extra practice flight before attempting ahigh-risk lunar landing with acrew in two years.

The overhaul in theflight lineup came just two days after NASA’s new moon rocket returned to its hangar for more repairs, and asafety panel warned the space agencytoscale back its overly ambitious goals for humanity’sfirst lunar landing since 1972.

Artemis II,alunar flyaround by four astronauts, is offuntil at least April because of rocket problems.

The follow-up mission, Ar-

walking suits, NASA’s new administrator Jared Isaacman announced that missionwould instead focus on launching alunar lander into orbit around Earth in 2027 for docking practicebyastronauts flying in an Orion capsule.

The new plan calls for a moon landing —potentially even twomoon landings by astronautsin2028.

“Everybody agrees. This is theonlyway forward,” Isaacman said.

misIIand the moon landing by astronauts as originally envisioned, Isaacman said. Isaacman stressed that “it should be incredibly obvious” that three years between flights is unacceptable. He’d like to get it down to one year or even less.

Isaacman, atech billionaire whobought his own trips to orbit and performed theworld’s first private spacewalk, took the helm at NASA in December

rapid flight rates, sometimes coming just afew months apart. Twenty-four Apollo astronauts flew to the moon from 1968 through 1972,with12 of them landing.

“No one at NASA forgot their history books. They knew how to do this,” Isaacman said. “Now we’re putting it in action.”

temis III, had beentargeting alanding near themoon’s south pole by another pair of astronauts in about three

years. But with long gaps between flightsand concern growing over the readiness of alunarlander andmoon-

Trump‘pretty much’decided

BY SEUNG MIN KIM

andTHOMAS BEAUMONT Associated Press

WASHINGTON President Donald Trump just can’t seem to choose among friends in the Texas Senate Republican primary

So when he travels to the state on Friday for his first post-Stateofthe Uniontrip where he plans to promote his energy and economic policies, Trump will haveall three candidates in the competitive race join him— just days before his party casts ballotsinthe primary race Sen. John Cornyn is battling for his fifth term and

is beingchallenged by state Attorney General Ken Paxtonand Rep. Wesley Hunt in aprimary fightthathas become viciously personal. Andall three men, missing the coveted endorsement from Trump, have been trying to highlight their tiesto him as they rampuptheir campaigning ahead of Tuesday’svote. Cornyn got ahead start on Friday, when heflew on Air Force One for the Texas trip and posted multiple photosofhis ride on social media During abrief exchange with reporters in Texas, Trump said he’s“pretty much” decided who to en-

dorse in the primary,but that “no,” he would not disclose his pick just yet.

Trump landed in Corpus Christi shortly before 3p.m. local time andwas greeted by Gov.GregAbbott, Energy Secretary Chris Wright, and officials at thenearbyPort of Corpus Christi. Ahead of Trump’svisit, Energy Secretary ChrisWright authorized a12% expansion in liquefied natural gas exports at CheniereEnergy’sCorpus Christi terminal —making it the secondlargest LNG export project in the U.S. For his part, Trumpwill be seeking to ride the message of his State of the Union ad-

The hydrogen fuel leaks andhelium flow problems that struck theSpace Launch System rocket on the pad at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center earlierthis month hadalso plagued the first Artemis test flight without acrew in 2022.

Anotherthree-year gap was looming between Arte-

During NASA’s storied Apollo program, he said, astronauts’ first flight to the moon was followed by two more missions before Neil Armstrong andBuzz Aldrin landedonthe moon. What’s more, he added, the Apollo moonshots followedone another in quicksuccession, just as the earlier Projects Mercury and Gemini had

To pick up the pace and reducerisk, NASA will standardize itsSpace Launch System rockets moving forward, Isaacman said. These are the massive rockets that will launch astronauts to the moon aboard Orion capsules. At the sametime, ElonMusk’sSpaceX and JeffBezos’ Blue Origin are speeding up their work on the landers needed to get the astronautsfromlunar orbit downtothe surface.

Senate primary

dress from Tuesday,where he declared areturn to economic prosperityand amore secure America —two centerpiece argumentsfor Republicans as they campaign to keep their congressional majorities this fall.

Trump’shesitation to endorseinthe Texas Senate primary speaks to thetricky dynamics of the race.

Cornyn is unpopular with a segment of Texas’ GOP base, in part forhis early dismissiveness of Trump’s2024 comeback campaignand for his role in authoring tougher restrictions on guns afterthe 2022 school shooting in Uvalde,Texas.But Senate GOP

Federalprosectorswon’t appeal ruling barringdeath

leadership and allied groups see Cornyn as the stronger generalelectioncandidate, in light of aseries of troubles that have shadowed Paxton. Paxton beat impeachment on fraud chargesin2023, and has faced allegations of maritalinfidelity by his wife, state Sen. Angela Paxton. Senate Majority Leader JohnThune andSouth Carolina Sen. TimScott, chairman of theNational Republican Senatorial Committee, have urgedTrump to endorse Cornyn. They and allied campaign groups argue that the seat would cost the party hundreds of millions more to defend with Paxtonasthe

candidate. “It is astrong possibility we cannot hold Texas if John Cornyn is not our nominee,” Scott told Fox News on Wednesday Hunt, asecond-term Houston-area representative, was alate entry to the race, but claimsakinship with Trump, having endorsedhim early in the 2024 race. Hunt campaigned regularly for Trump and earned aprime-time speaking slot at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee. If no candidate reaches 50% in Tuesday’sprimary, the top twofinishers will advance to aMay 26 runoff.

penaltyinMangionecase

formerManhattanfederal prosecutor appointedtothe benchby President Joe Biden, also threw out agun charge but left in place stalking charges that carry amaximum punishment of life in prison.

To seek the death penalty,prosecutors needed to showthatMangione killed Thompson while committing another “crimeofviolence.” Stalking doesn’tfitthat definition, Garnett wrote in a39page opinion, citing case law and legal precedents.

Community reeling after coach’s firing

Northside parents ‘disheartened’ by dismissal

JaNarion and DaNarion are members of the team, said losing Carter is a big loss for the kids and the Northside community

a lot from Jacarde.”

BY ERIC NARCISSE Staff writer

When news broke Wednesday morning that Jacarde Carter had been fired as Northside High School’s head football coach, some parents thought it was a joke. In their minds, how could Carter be fired only months removed from leading the Vikings to a winning record in the regular season and the program’s first playoff victory in 15 years?

Traffic signal upgrades coming to area

$5.7 million project targets more than 25 sites

BY CLAIRE TAYLOR Staff writer

A $5.7 million project is underway to improve traffic signaling at more than 25 intersections in Lafayette Parish, including on well-traveled streets like Johnston Street, Ambassador Caffery Parkway and Moss Street.

Crews already have begun underground work at several intersections in Lafayette Parish according to a Lafayette Consolidated Government news release.

The Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development is funding the project.

The work is the beginning of a major traffic signal replacement effort to modernize aging infrastructure, improve visibility and enhance safety on some of the parish’s busiest corridors The project includes work at the following intersections:

n Ambassador and Robley Drive

n Ambassador and Dillard Drive

n Ambassador and Tucker Drive

n Ambassador and West Willow Street

n Ambassador and Dover Boulevard

n Ambassador and Cameron Street

n Bertrand Drive and Banks Avenue

n Bertrand Drive and Devalcourt Street

n Bertrand Drive/Dulles/Billeaud

n Bertrand Drive and Eraste Landry

n Carmel Drive and East Pinhook Road

n East University Avenue and General Mouton

n Gloria Switch Road and Moss Street

n Interstate 49 Frontage Road and Gloria Switch Road

n Johnston Street and Brentwood Boulevard

n Johnston Street and Arnould Boulevard

n Johnston Street and Ridge Road

n Johnston Street and Lana Drive

n Johnston Street and Westmark

n Johnston Street and Ambassador

n Johnston Street/Camille/Foreman/Woodvale

n Louisiana Avenue and Carmel Drive

n Louisiana Avenue and East Simcoe Street

n Moss Street and Willow Street

n Moss Street and Pont Des Mouton n Moss Street and East Alexander Street

n North University/West Pont Des Mouton/Lebesque Road

n Youngsville Highway and West Pinhook Road. Currently, workers are installing underground signal wiring and

But it was true, and those same parents with children on the team were admittedly distraught, especially when they learned the reason for his dismissal.

I am very hurt right now.”

Krystal Boudreaux, whose son

Chace Dugas is a sophomore quarterback for the Vikings, said she was in a state of shock when she heard the news.

“Once I found out what it was about, I was upset and hurt,” she said. “I mean, what about the boys? This is a tremendous loss.”

Norris Williams, whose sons

“Yeah, that was hard. That’s a hard one right there,” said Macey Alexander, whose son Mario is a senior at Northside. “Yeah I’m sure it’s going to affect my son and all the kids. I’m very disheartened.

“Everyone in Lafayette is talking about this,” Williams said. “We are talking about a young man who was striving for greatness. It’s a big loss for us (on the field). He just took us to the second round of the playoffs. How long has it been since we have been to the second round? It’s just upsetting because he’s a good dude, and he has been good to my sons. They’ve learned

Carter, a 2009 graduate of Northside, was in his fourth year at the school. After serving as an assistant coach for one season, Carter has been the Vikings’ head coach for the past three seasons. Carter confirmed Wednesday he was fired as head coach and was also fired as a teacher at the school. He said he was told recent social media posts were the reason for his dismissal.

Naming new school

Facility may honor Paul Breaux’s famed education legacy

BY ASHLEY WHITE Staff writer

The legacy of Paul Breaux, the monumental Lafayette educator, will potentially live on in an elementarymiddle school being constructed on the northside.

School Board member Amy Trahan, who represents the area where the new school will be, revealed the name — Paul Breaux K-8 School — in a community meeting Thursday night. Before the name is official, it has to be voted on by the School Board.

“(Paul Breaux) poured his all into

site had drawn opposition from police

BY FAITH SCHOLL Contributing writer

his school,” Trahan said. “We’re standing on the shoulders of what he did for the community. He’d be so proud to see this facility.”

The new school will be built on the site of J.W Faulk Elementary and will merge students from that school, Dr Raphael Baranco Elementary and Paul Breaux Middle

It is unclear what will happen to the Baranco and Paul Breaux Middle campuses after the schools consolidate Baranco, a historic building, will not be torn down but will be used by the district in some capacity, Superintendent Francis Touchet said. Touchet said the district will seek community input before making any decisions.

Breaux was an educator in Lafayette Parish who advocated for and mentored Black students, leading a training school when it opened in 1896 after the U.S Supreme Court’s

“separate but equal” ruling that allowed segregation laws to persist. An elementary and high school for Black students later opened in Lafayette Parish and were named after the educator The high school closed in 1970 to meet court mandates that the district must racially integrate students. Paul Breaux Middle opened in its place the following year Tia Trahan, the current principal of Paul Breaux Middle, said naming the new K-8 school after the educator is a way to celebrate him and the history of the schools he has represented.

“This truly honors the legacy and the past of Paul Breaux,” she said “These students’ ancestors may have benefited from his efforts. Now, they (students) can look toward the future and find even more success.”

See SCHOOL, page 2B

SU students to receive posthumous degrees

Wilson, Barnhill to be honored in spring commencement

BY AIDAN McCAHILL Staff writer

Exactly one year after Southern University student Caleb Wilson died during a hazing ritual, the school’s Board of Supervisors announced he will be receiving a degree. Southern University Chancellor John K. Pierre said during

sparking national attention and packed vigils on the campus and in New

Musicalsculpturesmeant to bringagiggle, artist says

Creationson displaystarting Sunday at Arts Councilgallery

BY ROBIN MILLER Staff writer

At the end of each day, Dennis Parker slipsintohis backyard shed to search for something to make him laugh.

He may see it in the way abroken gun grip matches with asaxophone bell or in matching aclaw-footchair leg to apile of keys and hammers from atrashed piano.

“At the end of the day, I need funny,” Parker said while surveying the newly installedshow of his creations in the Arts Council of GreaterBaton Rouge’sShell Gallery.“If Ican’tmake myself laugh, then it’snot worth doing it.”

The show,“Dennisparkercelloetc,” is open to the public on March 1, with areception from 6p.m. to 9p.m. on March 11 at the Cary Saurage Community Arts Center,233 St. Ferdinand St. It runs through April 17.

The exhibit features Parker’ssculptures created from defunct musicalinstruments and found objects Also featuredare collages by his wife, artist Jaqueline Dee Parker Benefitscholarships

ArtistDennis Parker,who also is aprofessor of cello at LSU, stands in front of his gun parodysculptures,‘Weapons of Choice,’each madefrom amusical instrument.The sculptures are featured in his exhibit,‘Dennisparkercelloetc,’inthe Arts Council of Greater Baton Rouge’sShell Gallery.All pieces are for sale with proceedsbenefitting scholarships for the LSU School of Music.

Gun.’”

DennisParker’sexhibit, ‘Dennisparkercelloetc, features several birds in flightcreated frombroken violinsand cellos.

stands and furniture.”

clude stringedinstruments, brass andwoodwinds.This is away to give them new life.”

Oldorgan pipesand piano pieces also been donated to Parker’s stash. This show features apeacock made from old piano keys and hammersattachedtoa claw-foot leg from abroken antique chair But none of the sculptures are complete without its title.

“At the end of the day,I want to makepeople laugh,” Parker said.“That’s whyI want to sticktitlesonthe sculptures, because you can look at it just forwhatitis visually,but then you wonder what it means. So, if you read the title, and it makes you giggle, then I’mhappy.” It’smade the gallery’s manager,Mike Weary laugh.

All art, including the collages, is for sale with proceeds benefiting scholarshipsfor theLSU School of Music,where Parker has spent the past 32 years teaching as aprofessorof cello.

COACH

Continued from page1B

“Whenever Isaw (the posts) Ithought he was just advocating for the school He cared and just wanted to see Northside improve,” Alexander said. “Freedom of speech. He just wants to see theschool improve.So, Idon’tthink that was necessary to let him go for that reason. That’sdefinitely a really horrible reasontolet somebody go because they have an opinion.” Williams agreed, saying, “He didn’tdisrespect anyone or put anyone down. Northside does need help. Why not remodel our school? We want to see our school grow His social media post is not a good reason to let him go. It has to be something deeper than that. Social media? It’s thesame socialmedia he used to promote the school and our kids.”

Carter commented publicly about alack of investment in Northside High School, which he said hasn’tbeen upgraded since the 1980s. The Lafayette Parish School Boardvoted unanimously in September to build anew school in north Lafayette that will serve kindergarten through eighthgrade students. An earlier proposal wastomove Paul Breaux Middle to the Northside High property and construct two new buildings that would separate sixth through eighth graders from ninth through 12th graders. That suggestion ultimately died after the school board rejected other proposals that would have helped secure the necessary funding

“Dear LPSS, we are fighting for kids against these facilities,” Carter wrote on a Facebook post that featured photos of David Thibodaux

TRAFFIC

Continued from page1B

new concrete foundationsto support coming upgraded traffic light poles. When that phase of the project is complete, crews will install blackpowdercoated steel mast arm poles, black signal heads and highvisibility yellow backplates, according to the release.

The new signaling system willfeature flashing yellow turn arrows, providing clearerguidance for permit-

And in those 30-plus years, he’s also been creatingsculpturesinhis shed One of thosesculptures, a bird in flight fashioned from aviolin,oncehung outside the LSU School of Music’s Recital Hall’sentryway. Parker removed the sculpture whenrenovationwork began on therecital hallin August.Itnow flies among other birdscreated from violins and cellos in the Shell Gallery They mingle with his dogs,

STEM Academy, Teurlings Catholic High School and Lafayette Renaissance Charter High School, all ofwhich have newer facilities.

“Where would you send your kidifyou were aparent? We aregoing to war with butter knives while everyone else that we’re competing with to get kidshave fully loaded guns! Can we getalittle help over here?”

By firing Carter,Alexander and Williams agreethat the school is losing more than afootball coach and teacher

“Heissoclose with those kids,” Williams said. “He’sa father figure to alot of those kids who don’thave fathers. When thosekidsneed aride, he picks them up. He’s a mentor for them.They let a greatperson go.

“He’snot onlyacoach. He’slike abig brother, a guidance counselor.Heis just everythingtothem kids.”

Brandon Green,a2007 Northsidegraduate, has beennamed Northside’s interimhead coach. Green spent the past two seasons coaching the Vikings’ defensive backs. He played cornerback at Southern University and was apart of Northside’strack &field teams that won state championships

In Carter’sthree yearsat the helm, theVikings were a combined 14-20 overall and qualified for theplayoffs each season. Northside is coming off its best season underCarter, wholed the Vikings to an overall record of 6-6.

“Weare losing agreat coach, mentor andperson,” Boudreauxsaid. “He was soaking up for our kids and ourcommunity.Those kids were on their way to biggerand betterthings.They have to reconsider that decision.”

ted left turnsand improving intersection safety. Completion is expected in the first quarter of 2027. ContactClaire Taylor at ctaylor@theadvocate com.

LOTTERY THURSDAY,FEB.26, 2026

PICK 3: 5-5-4

PICK 4: 9-1-7-9

PICK 5: 8-6-6-6-5

fication, keep your tickets.

small pianos and awall filled with gun-shapedpieces he calls “Weapons of Choice,” each parodying firearms with acomical title.

Take, for instance, the saxophone attached to adetached gun grip. Thesax’s bell pointsdownward, creatingthe impressionthat if fired, thebullet would fly towardits shooter

“I call this one, ‘Shoot Yourself in the Foot Gun,’” Parker said, while pointing to aneighboring piecewith an imitation cigarette attached to aguitar neck. “And this one is called ‘Smoking

SCHOOL

Continuedfrom page 1B

Constructionisexpected to begin on the new $50 million K-8 facility in April. Faulk will be operationalwhile theschool is being constructed. The 140,000-square-foot, twostory school will house up to 1,200 children.

Kindergarten,first and second grade classrooms and adedicated special education wingwillbehoused on the first floor.The upper elementaryclasses and middle school classes will be on thesecondfloor and on different sides of the building. Gyms dedicated for elementary and middle schoolers, andplaygrounds for younger and older studentswill be constructed.

The new building is expected to be readytowelcome J.W.Faulk students andeducators by Decem-

Titles arecomical

The titles have away of alteringthe pieces, smoothing their edges intosomething light and funny

Parker began making found-object sculptures after buying his first band saw.

“I’ve always enjoyed making things oneway or the other,” he said. “I built my house in Baton Rouge, then went out and bought aband sawand started making bird housesand bird feeders, and that morphed into pianos, which then became music

His pianos aren’tactually full-scale instrumentsbut smallmusicboxes, each carrying its own brand of humor.One of the pianosin this show is even equipped with keys made of Scrabble tiles spelling out “OffKey.” “Every year,different ideas come along,and you kind of go with it,” Parker continued. “I’ll make some sculpturesuntil I’msickof them,then I’ll movetosomething else. Ijust love using tools and using my hands.”

As amusician, Parker naturally gravitated toward using musical instrument parts in his sculptures. Friends often donate broken and trashed instruments to the stash in his shed, which he said is overflowing.

“These are instruments that would have ended up in alandfill,” he said. “I inherit instruments from the Kids Orchestra and the instrumentrepair people. They in-

Superintendent Francis Touchet speaksatameeting in which the proposed name foranew school to be constructedonLafayette’snorth side is announced on ThursdayatJWFaulk ElementarySchool

ber 2027. The students from Baranco and Paul Breaux Middlewillmove in at thestart of the202728 school year to allowconstruction to finish.

Faulk will be demolished once construction is complete, and afootball field and playgrounds will be built on its current site.

“It’snot just about how

“I love the levity in this show,because some artists tend to be glum,” said Weary,who’salso the Arts Council’sartist-in-residence. “So, it’sabreath of fresh air to get something that’ll make you smile.”

“Dennisparkercelloetc” will open with areception from 6p.m.to9 p.m. on March11and run through April 17 at theShell Gallery in the Cary SaurageCommunity Arts Center,233 St. Ferdinand St. Hours are from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday throughFriday and from10a.m.to2 p.m. Saturday.Admission is free. Visit artsbr.org

Email RobinMillerat romiller@theadvocate. com.

the school will look,”Amy Trahan said. “It’sabout the dedication and thesupport and theinputfrom theteachers, theadministrators, the support staff, theschool busdrivers, the custodians, the cafeteria workers —everyonepouring their hearts into every studentthat’sgoing to walk through those doors.” Designs are still in the early stages, andthe Lafayette Parish School System is collecting feedbackon both designs and theschool name “Wewant you to be very involved,” Amy Trahan said. Theboard will vote on thename at itsMarch 12 meeting, which starts at 5:30 p.m. in the boardroom at the central district office, 202 Rue Iberville, Lafayette.

Contact AshleyWhite at ashley.white@ theadvocate.com.

BRIEFS FROM WIRE REPORTS

State Farm to issue $5B in insurance dividends

State Farm will issue $5 billion in auto insurance dividends to its customers this summer, with a one-time payment of about $100 per vehicle, the Bloomington, Ill.-based insurance giant announced Thursday

The largest dividend in State Farm’s 103-year history was driven primarily by lower collision repair costs in 2025, the company said.

The distributions cover more than 49 million vehicles insured by State Farm across the country, with the actual amount varying by state and premiums paid.

State Farm said the dividend was enabled by “a stronger than expected underwriting performance” last year, according to the news release.

The company also touted lowering auto insurance rates in 40 states in recent months by an average of 10%, amounting to a premium savings of $4.6 billion. Lower premiums were made possible by decreasing repair costs and fewer collisions in 2025, the company said.

Keeping the lid on home insurance rates continues to be a nationwide challenge for State Farm, the company said.

Block, citing gains from AI, cuts 40% of staff

BANGKOK Shares in the financial technology company Block soared more than 20% in premarket trading Friday after its CEO announced it was laying off more than 4,000 of its 10,000 plus employees, reconfiguring to capitalize on its use of artificial intelligence.

“The core thesis is simple. Intelligence tools have changed what it means to build and run a company,” Jack Dorsey said in a letter to shareholders in Block, the parent company to online payment platforms such as Square and Cash App. “A significantly smaller team, using the tools we’re building, can do more and do it better,” he said Dorsey’s comments explicitly naming AI as a key driver behind the move were also posted on X, or Twitter, a company he co-founded. The assertion that the job cuts will add to Block’s profitability and efficiency led investors to jump in and buy, analysts said.

“For years, we have debated whether AI would dent jobs at the margin. Now we have a public case study in which the CEO explicitly says that intelligence tools have changed what it means to build and run a company,” Stephen Innes of SPI Asset Management said in a commentary “Other large employers have announced tens of thousands of cuts in recent months Some have downplayed the AI link. Block did not,” he said.

OpenAI gets $110B from tech powerhouses

ChatGPT maker OpenAI has received $110 billion in funding from Amazon, SoftBank and Nvidia, putting the technology company’s pre-money valuation at $730 billion.

Amazon is leading the trio of tech heavyweights in commitments, putting up $50 billion, followed by $30 billion each from Nvidia and SoftBank, said OpenAI co-founder and CEO Sam Altman on Friday Other investors are anticipated to join as the funding round progresses. Amazon will start with an initial $15 billion investment and will invest another $35 billion in the coming months under preset conditions.

“These partnerships expand our global reach, deepen our infrastructure, and strengthen our balance sheet so we can bring frontier AI to more people, more businesses and more communities worldwide,” he wrote. Altman said that ChatGPT has more than 900 million weekly active users, and more than 50 million consumer subscribers.

“We are entering a new phase where frontier AI moves from research into daily use at global scale,” he said.

Stocks

BY STAN CHOE Associated Press

down, oil up on AI, war fears

NEWYORK U.S. stocks sank Friday as Wall Street kept punishing companies that could become losers in the artificial-intelligence revolution, while oil prices climbed with worries about tensions between the United States and Iran.

The losses came as investors returned to knocking down software companies and other businesses they suspect could get supplanted by AI-powered competitors.

Salesforce, whose platform helps customers manage their relation-

ships with clients, fell 2.3%. It gave back much of its 4% gain from the day before after reporting a better profit than analysts expected.

The pain has also hit private-equity companies that have bought or lent money to software companies, which need to withstand the AI threat to keep repaying those loans. Apollo Global Management dropped 8.6% for the one of the sharpest losses in the S&P 500. Blue Owl Capital, which has been a target for investors because of the loans to it’s made to the software industry, fell 6%.

Even the companies currently

seeing their revenue and profit soar because of AI-related demand are under pressure. Nvidia fell 4.2% and was the heaviest weight on the U.S. stock market. Rival chip companies also fell. Worries are hurting such companies not only about whether their stock prices rose too high in recent years but also whether the huge spending driving their growth can continue. Can big spenders like Amazon and Alphabet make back all their billions of dollars in AI investments through

Trump orders agencies to phase out use of Anthropic technology

Company said it wouldn’t accept DOD’s demands

BY MATT O’BRIEN and KONSTANTIN TOROPIN Associated Press

WASHINGTON President Donald Trump said Friday that he was ordering all federal agencies to stop using Anthropic’s technology following the company’s unusually public dispute with the Pentagon over artificialintelligence safety Trump’s comments came just over an hour before the Pentagon’s deadline for Anthropic to allow unrestricted military use of its AI technology or face consequences — and nearly 24 hours after CEO Dario Amodei said his company “cannot in good conscience accede” to the Defense Department’s demands. Trump said most agencies must immediately stop using Anthropic’s AI but gave the Pentagon a six-month period to phase out the technology that is already embedded in military platforms “We don’t need it, we don’t want it, and will not do business with them again!” Trump wrote. At issue in the defense contract was a clash over AI’s role in national security and concerns about how increasingly capable machines could be used in high-stakes situations involving lethal force, sensitive information or government surveillance.

The move is likely to benefit Elon Musk’s competing chatbot, Grok, which the Pentagon plans to give access to classified military networks, and could serve as a warning to two other competitors, Google and OpenAI, that also have contracts to supply their AI tools to the military

Anthropic, maker of the chatbot Claude, could afford to lose the contract. But an ultimatum this week from Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth posed broader risks at the peak of the company’s meteoric rise from a littleknown computer science research lab in San Francisco to one of the world’s most valuable startups. If Amodei didn’t budge, military officials had said they would not just pull Anthropic’s contract but also “deem them a supply chain risk,” a designation typically stamped on foreign adversaries that could derail the company’s critical partnerships with other businesses.

Trump didn’t make such a designation in his announcement Friday but said Anthropic could face “major civil and criminal consequences” if it’s not helpful in the phase-out period. Anthropic didn’t immediately reply to a request for comment on Trump’s remarks. And if Amodei had caved, he could have lost trust in the booming AI industry, particularly from top talent drawn to the company for its promises of responsibly building bet-

ter-than-human AI that, without safeguards, could pose catastrophic dangers.

Anthropic had said it sought narrow assurances from the Pentagon that Claude won’t be used for mass surveillance of Americans or in fully autonomous weapons. But after months of private talks exploded into public debate, it said in a Thursday statement that new contract language “framed as compromise was paired with legalese that would allow those safeguards to be disregarded at will.”

That was after Sean Parnell, the Pentagon’s top spokesperson, posted on social media that the military “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.”

He emphasized that the Pentagon wants to “use Anthropic’s model for all lawful purposes,” but he and other officials haven’t detailed how they want to use the technology In Silicon Valley, where a growing number of tech workers from Anthropic’s top rivals, OpenAI and Google, voiced support for Amodei’s stand late Thursday in an open letter OpenAI and Google, along with Musk’s xAI, also have contracts to supply their AI models to the military

Musk sided with Trump’s Republican administration on Friday, saying on his social media platform X that “Anthropic hates Western Civilization.” All of the leading AI models, including Musk’s Grok and OpenAI’s ChatGPT, are programmed with a set of instructions that guide a chatbot’s values and behavior Anthropic calls that guidance a constitution. While some Trump-allied tech leaders have

joined the fray including Musk and Palmer Luckey, co-founder of defense contractor Anduril the polarizing debate over “woke AI” has put others in a difficult position.

“The Pentagon is negotiating with Google and OpenAI to try to get them to agree to what Anthropic has refused,” the open letter from some OpenAI and Google employees says. “They’re trying to divide each company with fear that the other will give in.”

But in a surprise move from one of Amodei’s fiercest rivals, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman on Friday sided with Anthropic and questioned the Pentagon’s “threatening” move in a CNBC interview, suggesting that OpenAI and most of the AI field share the same red lines. Amodei once worked for OpenAI before he and other OpenAI leaders quit to form Anthropic in 2021.

“For all the differences I have with Anthropic, I mostly trust them as a company and I think they really do care about safety,” Altman told CNBC. “I’ve been happy that they’ve been supporting our warfighters. I’m not sure where this is going to go.”

Also raising concerns about the Pentagon’s approach was a former leader of the Defense Department’s AI initiatives.

Retired Air Force Gen. Jack Shanahan wrote on a social media that “painting a bullseye on Anthropic garners spicy headlines, but everyone loses in the end.”

Shanahan said Claude is already being widely used across the government, including in classified settings, and Anthropic’s red lines are “reasonable.” He said the AI large language models that power chatbots like Claude are also “not ready for prime time in national security settings,” particularly not for fully autonomous weapons.

U.S. wholesale prices up 0.5% from December, 2.9% from year ago

BY PAUL WISEMAN AP economics writer

WASHINGTON U.S. wholesale prices came in hotter than expected last month. The Labor Department reported Friday that its producer price index, which measures inflation before it hits consumers, rose 0.5% from December and 2.9% from January 2025. Economists had forecast a 0.3% increase for the month and 1.6% year over year according to a survey by the data

firm FactSet.

Excluding food and energy prices, which bounce around from month to month, so-called core wholesale prices rose 0.8% from

December and 3.6% from January 2025 — both higher than forecasters had expected. The year-overyear increase in core prices was the biggest since March of last year

Driving the increase was an uptick in the wholesale price of services, led by higher profit margins for retailers and wholesalers. The increase suggests that companies are passing along the cost of President Donald Trump’s tariffs to their customers.

“Retailers’ tariff bill has come down marginally in the last few months, but they have continued to lift their selling prices,” Samuel Tombs, chief U.S. economist at Pantheon Macroeconomics, wrote in a commentary And core good prices climbed 0.7% from December and 4.2% from January 2025 on hefty increases in the prices of cosmetics, pet food, some metals and metalcutting machinery Energy prices were down as gasoline prices dropped 5.5% from December and 15.7% from a year earlier Wholesale food prices also fell. The producer price report comes two weeks after the Labor Department reported that consumer prices rose just 2.4% last month compared to a year earlier, closing in on the Federal Reserve’s 2% target. Economists had worried that Trump’s double-digit taxes on im-

ports would drive inflation higher

Their impact has so far been more modest than expected — although inflation remains higher than the Fed would like.

Wholesale prices can offer an early look at where consumer inflation might be headed. Economists also watch it because some of its components, notably measures of health care and financial services, flow into the Fed’s preferred inflation gauge — the personal consumption expenditures, or PCE, price index.

In December, PCE inflation rose faster than economists had forecast, climbing 2.9% from a year earlier biggest such increase since March 2024.

OPINION

If youwant afriendin Washington (oranywhere else),get adog

Harry Truman once said that if youwantafriend in Washington, get adog. Fourteen yearsago,asa resident of the nation’scapital, Idid justthat. More accurately,God gave me adog —and picked exactly the right one. Clipper,awhite Cavachon witha few wisps of light apricot, was aflawless mix of CavalierKing Charles spaniel and bichon frisé. He was ahappy,sociable littlefellow,22pounds of charm.You would swear he smiled, and he always seemed toenjoy posing forthe camera. He was the right size —big enough and small enough, atleastfor me —and he adored human interaction He was my first dog since Iwas 12. Cavachonsare known for their affectionate, friendly,gentletemperaments, and Clipper was theposter boy for all three. He gavesomanykisses, Isometimes thoughtofrenaming him Licker.Henever bit anyone, norgavea thought to doing so. Clipper was full of love. He stuck by methrough ups and downs.

It was pure joy watching Clipper play with my grandson, Porter.Clipper would lick Porter’sface again and again, and my grandson —laughing from the belly —would pretend hewantedClippertostop while gleefully letting him continue. Asthe referee,I enjoyed the game as much as thetwo delighted participants

Seventeenmonthsago,aveterinariantold me Clipper had bone cancer in one of his front legs. Like anyone who hears news likethat,I wasdevastated. Fortunately,Igot good advice from doctors atthe Metairie Small Animal Hospital and fromsupportive family members. The best option wastoamputateas soon as possible.

Clipper came through surgery with flying colors. He was brave and trusting. Withinafew days,hewas getting around remarkably well. One vettold me that Godgives dogs three legs andone spare. Clipperwas doing his best without the spare.

After six chemotherapy treatments, theoncology staff at MedVet gave him a“Certificate of Achievement.” They lined up in the hallway at the medical center and applauded my littlefellow as he hopped toward me. Clipper wearing his “graduation”cap —a photo of which now hangs above the computer I’m typingon— filled me withpride.

Clipper lived agood, longlife —always happy, always ready for the next adventure.But in recent months, he began slowingdown.Day by day,he wasn’t himself. After hours of examinations and Xrays, Iwas told the cancer was back andhad metastasized to his ribs. Another devastatingday

Eventually, you could see the flash of pain in hisbig, brown eyes, as if he was asking me, “What’shappening?”

Three weeks ago, Clipper went to heaven.

Losing abeloved pet brings agrief that is quiet and heavy.Ifyou’ve been throughit, you know

Dogs teach us how to love byshowing whatunconditional love looks like. That’swhy the Almightysupposedly said when he created them, “I will send them without wings so no one suspectsthey areangels.”

All of our pets are angels, andClipperisnow cheerily playing with the others. Ifeel that he’sstill by my side, my perfect little angel. That isn’tmeanttobea tear-jerker,but ahappy fact Fortunately,our society has learned over the years how to best care for pets. They’re notanimals to be left out in the yard; they’re family —tobeloved, respected andprotected.

The American Veterinary MedicalAssociation estimates that more than 56 million American households have dogs and 43 million have cats, up 20% since 1988. In 2024, more than 4million shelteranimals were adopted.

Acartoon Isaw recently uplifted my spirits, andI hope it will hearten yours if you’ve ever had apet. It shows aman arriving at thepearly gates,yearsafter his pet made the journey.He’sgreetedbya beaming St.Peter who tellshim, “Somebody’sbeenwaitingfor you.” Ican see Clipper,happily wagginghis tail. He was my best friend.

Ron Faucheux is anonpartisan political analyst, pollster and writer based in Louisiana.

Republicansgamingthe system with SAVE act

Iread with great interest the Feb.15column by Mark Ballard regarding theso-called SAVE America Act being pushed by Republicans in Congress.

As stated by Ballard,potential voters would be required to present acertified birth certificate, passport or other documentation to prove citizenship when they register tovote.

Also, they would be required to show government-issued picture ID when going to vote. As noted by Ballard,Louisianaalready requires government-issued photo IDs when voting.

Supposedly,this bill is designed to combat voter fraud. However, as stated by Ballard,voter fraud is an extremely rare occurrence in Louisiana. Additionally,from what Ihave often read, voter fraud in national elections is also very rare.

U.S. Reps. Steve Scalise and

Mike Johnson act as if people opposing theSAVEAmerica Act are against having to show apicture ID when going to vote. This makes me wonder if they have cast votes in Louisianaelections, since for years it has been required that voters present apicture ID in order to vote.

As indicated in Ballard’scolumn, asserting that opponents of the SAVE Act object to having to present apicture ID when voting ignores thedifficulties manypeople, such as thosewho have moved from one state to another or married women, would have in obtaining the required documentation to register tovote.

Thus, it is obvious that the socalled SAVE America Act is really aSave Republicans From Defeat in the Upcoming Congressional Elections act.

JACK QUARLESJR. NewOrleans

Don’tput illegal immigrants in onebasket

It cannot be said enough that “criminals” are different from undocumented immigrants(or “illegal aliens,” if one wants to insist on that term).

The choir director at my church, Orlin,and his wife, Lucia, were “illegals.” Their first two daughters died in infancy due to pollution and inadequatehealth care in Honduras. After their thirddaughter Camila was born, Orlin and Lucia had understandable fears about keeping her alive in Honduras. They felt that their best option to protect her was to come to the United States, even though they did not have lawful permission. They trusted that theU.S. was great and graceful enough to offer understanding and compassion

These “illegals” paid our countryback. Lucia raised their children in faith. Orlin worked as a welder in the shipyards. They led our Spanish language choir and were involved in faithformation through thearchdiocese’sHispanic Apostolate.

In my experience as aCatholic

and an immigration lawyer,I have had theprivilege to serve many incredible, even heroic, “illegals.” Ihave also learned that it’snot so unusual for “illegals” to be holy, like Orlin and Lucia.

The New OrleansPolice Departmenthas long recognized that criminal law enforcement is different from immigration enforcement. As has been painfully apparent over the past months, immigration enforcement is often at odds with public safety Idon’tbelieve it’ssimply coincidence that New Orleans’ historic drop in crimeand increased immigrant population overlap.I also believe that trust-building measures, like therescinded 2016 immigration policy,have helped to bring about this incredible accomplishment. The 2016 NOPD immigration policy recognized that immigrants, irrespective of their status, are an integral part of our community.Failing to protect them leaves us all less safe and less great.

MARCO BALDUCCI NewOrleans

Howcan anyone think Trump’s characteris admirable?

Letters like Cathy Brouillette’sin the newspaper on Feb. 16 are worrisome. To me, President Donald Trump’swords and behaviors do not speak of qualities Ifind desirable. Ifind his speech and actions fearfuland provoking of dangerousness if not seen in the light of truthful revelation. His personality traits are found in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. An older term would classify Trumpasa “malignant narcissist.”

Iwonder from what precisely Brouillette determines Trumptobe religious? Christianity? The teachings of Jesus Christ and the beliefs of Trumpare diametrically opposite. From the start, his lack of compassion was seen as he tried to provoke humor by making funofthe disabled reporter

Being goal-oriented is aquality when those goals are noble. Assertiveness is desirable when it does not encompass stepping on others’ rights and privileges. Idofind Brouillette morethan abit confused in her assessments. But, as she concludes in her letter,that’sawhole other topic. CAROL POOLEY

Protests areabout how deportationbeing carriedout underTrump

Iread with interest Dave Hebert’s letter of Feb. 11 on whobears the blamefor the current unrest over the administration’simmigration enforcement policy.Hebert was correct in that the Biden administration did allow hundreds of thousands of illegal immigrants into this country.But you can’tblamethe Biden administration forthe current enforcement policies. That is what the protesting is about. It’s about the manner in which the policy is being implemented, not the enforcement itself

CLIFFORD WILLIAMS Baton Rouge

SPORTS

Mooreis more active in Saints’ draftwork in 2026

BY MATTHEWPARAS Staff writer

INDIANAPOLIS KellenMoore’ssecond offseason with the New OrleansSaints has been alot less hectic thanthe first Without thewhirlwindofwinning the Super Bowl with Philadelphia, finalizing a coaching staff and then sprinting to the offseason,Moore finally hashad time to take a breath —and to put his energy into different projects.

Afterthe Senior Bowl, Mooremet with college scouting director JeffIreland and his staff to begin adeepdive on the prospects for the NFL draft. As acoordinator, Mooreusually wouldwaittodig into the draft until after he completedhis free agency evaluations.

“I’ve already gotten thefirstlap, first impression for all these draft-eligible guys,” Moore said. Moore made another lapthisweek at the scoutingcombine, wherehesat in on prospect meetings to collect additional information. In between, he made time to speak with reporters. Here’swhat stood out fromthe session.

HelpingShough

Moore knows the Saints havetorun the ball better in 2026. That was among the glaringissues he noticed duringa thorough review of hisfirst season. The Saints failed to have a500-yard rusher for the first time since 1998, the year before theygave up the farm to draftRicky Williams. Moore said theyhave to be better

BY KEVIN FOOTE Staff writer

Three UL players doing quite well already continued that trend Friday to lead theRagin’ Cajunstoa 6-1 win over St.Mary’satthe Texas A&MInvitational in College Station,Texas

St. 11:30 A.M. SATURDAy

TheCajuns improved to 12-6 on the season and will next play host Texas A&M at 7p.m. Friday. Carrying the biggest load was senior pitcher Bethaney Noble, who entered the day 3-0 with a0.35 ERA on the season and only fourwalks in 20 innings. Noble had alittle trouble with the Gaels in the second inning, but turned in another complete game, only surrendering onerun on six hits, one walk and struck out four over 82 pitchestoimproveto4-0. Noble now has an ERA of 0.52 onthe ä UL vs: Kennesaw

BY TOYLOY BROWNIII Staff writer

With tired legs in double overtime and everypossessionmattering more thanthe last, freshman Jalen Reece was composed with the ball in his hands.

Robert Miller flipped his screen to face the LSUbench on the right sideline, and Ole Miss guard Eduardo Klafke couldn’tstayinfront of Reece, whodribbledonce toward thetop of the key. Thefreshmanpoint guard saw the passing window open as Miller dove to the basket. In thesame way one would roll dice, Reece delivered a right-handed bounce pass to thespot thatonly his 6-foot10 teammate could catch the ball anddunk it withease, giving LSUa92-90 advantage with 4:38 left The pass created one of thefour field goals LSU scored

in the second overtime to beat Ole Miss 106-99 on the road Wednesday.The assist also gave the 6-foot Reece his first career double-double, finishing with 11 points, 10 assists and only one turnover

The 19-year-old is playing his best basketball of the season season and will be crucial in LSU’snext game against Oklahoma (14-14, 4-11 SEC) at 5p.m. Saturdayatthe Pete Maravich Assembly Center Reece has started the last four games and is averaging 13.5 points on 40.5% shooting,7.0 assists, 1.0 steal and 1.5 turnovers pergame.His improvement comes with rediscovering whom he is, Reece said after his 14-point and five-assistperformanceina seven-point loss to No. 17 Alabamalast Saturday

Besselman, LSUguard battlingheart condition,

BY REED DARCEY Staff writer

As soon as Izzy Besselman walked onto the floor,her smile brightened. She had been here before. But the emotionsofthis momentfelt alittle different and for good reason. BeforeThursday,Besselman hadn’tappeared in agame for 705 days. That’snearly two full yearsofsitting.Watching Searching —not only forafirm answer to the question of why shecouldn’tplaybasketball

herterms. Not those of theheart condition that took

the past two years of her playing career Besselmangot thatclosure Thursday at the end of the LSU women’sbasketball team’s win over Tennessee. Coach Kim Mulkey subbed her into the actionwith 45 seconds left in the fourth quarter,giving the Pete

MEN’S

4:30

5

5

5

5

5

5:30

7

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at St. John’s FOX

7 p.m. Baylor at UC FFS1

7:30 p.m. Arkansas at Florida ESPN

7:30 p.m. Virginia Tech at North CarolinaESPN2

7:30 p.m. Ole Miss at Auburn SECN

9 p.m. Nevada at UNLV CBSSN

9 p.m. Grand Canyon at Utah St. FS1

9:30 p.m. Gonzaga at Saint Mary’s ESPN

9:30 p.m. UCSB at UC Irvine ESPN2 WOMEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL

1:30 p.m. Maryland at Michigan FOX

5 p.m. Kansas at Oklahoma St. FS1

7 p.m. Gonzaga at Portland ESPNU WOMEN’S COLLEGE GYMNASTICS

5 p.m. B1G Quad Meet BTN

Lafayette Christian utilizes huge run

Knights reach state tournament for 10th straight time

BY MIKE COPPAGE Contributing writer

The unstoppable machine known as Lafayette Christian girls basketball team has reached the state tournament for a 10th straight time.

Leading 18-8 after one quarter, the top-seeded Knights used a 23-0 run to start the second period of a 60-27 win over No. 9 Episocopal in the Division III select quarterfinals on Thursday at LCA

“I was impressed,” said LCA coach Errol Rogers, who is seeking a sixth straight and ninth overall state title. “We turned it up a notch. We started sluggish, but once we turned it up we did really well.”

The Knights (22-8) repeatedly pounced on Episcopal (17-10) to force turnovers with their smothering defense. Caroline Watson, who has scored more than 2,000 career poins, accounted for 21 of Episcopal’s points

“We knew she could score, but we knew she couldn’t beat us by herself,” Rogers said of Watson. “When (Savannah) Westbrooks got on her, the game sped up, and she didn’t touch the ball for a while.” Senior Logan Boutte, who made four straight shots during the torrid second quarter, led the Knights with 19 points. Shanna Simien and Paityn Dean added 13 points

apiece Kenadie Jackson had 10, and Westbrooks came off the bench to score five

“We have six players who can put the ball in the goal,” Rogers said. “Braelyn Green has gotten so much better. You saw how good Westbrooks can defend, and she can score, too.” Rogers said the Knights, who ignited a running clock by the end of the third quarter with a 35-point lead, have answered doubters over the past few years

“They said we weren’t going to win it two years ago when Jada

Richard and Eve Alexander graduated,” Rogers said “Then we won it last year, and they said we lost Taelyn Taylor and Haya El-Halawany This year, when (Nicholls State signee) Kaliyah (Samuels) got hurt, the word was that we couldn’t do it.

“It’s just a testament to how hard our kids work and believe in what we do.”

The Knights will take on No. 4 Holy Savior Menard (23-4) from Alexandria, which beat No. 5 De La Salle 47-32. The semifinal game will be played at 1 p.m. Tuesday

at the University Center in Hammond and will feature another 2,000-point scorer in the Eagles’ senior power forward Carly Meynard.

“It’s not going to be an easy road,” Rogers said. “We’re a different team without Kaliyah. We’ll just have to be ready.” Dean and Jackson — both sophomores combined to connect on 8 of 15 field-goal attempts.

“I feel like we came out to prove a point,” Jackson said. “A lot of people have underestimated us since we lost Kaliyah.”

Teurlings tops Liberty to advance to state

George’s 34 points lead Rebels past Patriots

BY ERIC NARCISSE Staff writer

Teurlings Catholic girls basketball coach Alyssa Credeur knows some have doubted how successful the Rebels could be this season, but she was confident her team would prove them wrong. She was right. Behind senior guard Justyse George, the No. 7-seeded Rebels defeated No. 18 Liberty 62-48 in a Division I select quarterfinal game Thursday night at Teurlings to advance to the state tournament for the first time since 2007.

“It is surreal,” Credeur said. “This is something that we have been working for since May, since summer ball. This is what we worked for, and they did it. They did it, and it feels amazing.” George scored a game-high 34 points while adding eight rebounds, four assists and four steals.

“We were down in the first quarter and she helped us bring it back to the top,” Credeur said. “I think we were up by 30 points at one time, and it was with her momentum that we were able to do that I mean, she’s just a remarkable player She motivates the team and she just gets our

engine going.”

George said she locked in, but knew she was putting up good numbers.

“Yeah, it’s like I’m in a flow state,”

she said. “They just can’t stop it, so I just keep taking it.”

George, who played in the soccer team’s state championship game against St. Scholastica on Friday, credits her endurance for being able to manage two sports at once.

“It comes natural to me to balance both sports,” George said. “I’ve been playing soccer since I was 3 and basketball since I was 5 so the whole time I’ve been managing it. At first, it was hard but now I’m used to it.”

The Rebels, who will face No. 3 St. Joseph’s at 4:30 p.m. Thursday in the semifinals in Hammond, forced 15 turnovers and several ill-advised 3-point shots.

Unlike in their regional-round win against Riverdale, the Patriots’ made just one 3-pointer Thursday

“I watched film on them and they hit a bunch of 3-pointers against Riverdale, so I said we are going (to a man-to-man defense). There is no way we are sitting in a zone.

Our 1-2-1-1 press worked amazing against Tioga, so I knew we were going from 55 to man and put some pressure on them and not let them knock down 3s.”

STAFF PHOTO By BRAD KEMP

Teurlings Catholic guard Justyse George, left, battles Liberty guard Allayah Aubert for the ball on Thursday. George scored a game-high 34 points in the Rebels’ 62-48 win.

QB Pavia plans to throw at NFL scouting combine

INDIANAPOLIS Quarterback Diego Pavia, runner-up in the Heisman Trophy voting, said Friday he will throw passes at the NFL scouting combine.

The quarterbacks are scheduled to go through drills on Saturday Heisman winner and expected No. 1 pick Fernando Mendoza of Indiana said he would wait until his pro day on April 1 to throw passes. Pavia said he will not go through additional on-field drills and will instead wait for Vanderbilt’s pro day on March 18.

He is viewed as a later-round pick largely because of his size Pavia measured at just less than 5-foot10. Mendoza, by comparison, is 6-5. Now he hopes to transfer that play over to the NFL, and Pavia perhaps poked fun at himself regarding his on- and off-field reputation.

Cowboys place franchise tag on receiver Pickens

The Dallas Cowboys placed the franchise tag on George Pickens on Friday, a move that would guarantee the receiver $27.3 million in 2026 while the sides work on a long-term contract.

Dallas used the non-exclusive tag on Pickens, a person with knowledge of the move told The Associated Press, meaning he can negotiate with other teams but the Cowboys can match any offer The person spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because details of the tag weren’t announced.

The Cowboys had been expected to use the tag on Pickens since last fall when he began to flourish in his breakout 2025 season coming off a trade from Pittsburgh, where his career got off to a rocky start.

Atlanta Falcons dismiss assistant coach Lewis

FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. — The Atlanta Falcons dismissed assistant defensive line coach LaTroy Lewis on Friday, just hours before he was named as a suspect in a sexual assault case. The dismissal came shortly after the Falcons said they were looking into allegations that surfaced on social media

“We are aware of allegations regarding LaTroy Lewis,” the Falcons said in a statement before making the move to fire Lewis. “We are in the process of gathering information and will have no further comment at this time.”

A direct message seeking comment was sent on social media

The allegations date to Lewis’ time at the University of Michigan, where he served as a graduate assistant for the 2022 season.

Lee moves up the LPGA Singapore leaderboard

SINGAPORE Three-time major winner Minjee Lee improved on her first-round score by eight strokes Friday for an 8-under 64 to move into a tie for second place at the HSBC Women’s World Championship.

The No. 4-ranked Lee, one of nine top-10 players in the LPGA Singapore field this week, had an eagle and six birdies and tied for the round of the day on the Sentosa Golf Club’s Tanjong course.

Lee was one stroke behind firstround leader Auston Kim, whose 69 left the American with a leading two-round total of 9-under 135.. Lee was tied with Ariya Jutanugarn (67) and Haeran Ryu (68). Hannah Green finished with three birdies in a row for a 66 and moved into a tie for fifth.

Dodgers don’t expect Snell to be ready on opening day SCOTTSDALE,Ariz. The Los Angeles Dodgers do not expect two-time Cy Young Award winner Blake Snell to be ready for opening day as he works on coming back from a shoulder injury that has lingered since last season.

In addition to George, Ja’Nia Senegal, who was in foul trouble for much of the game, had a team-high 17 points to go with 11 rebounds, three steals and two assists.

“The Senegal twins performed well as always,” Credeur said. “I can always rely on Ja’Nia to be a great ball-handler and just stay composed.” Jayda Senegal, who scored four

That defensive pressure was noticeable in the third quarter when the Rebels outscored the Patriots 23-4 to take a 51-22 lead with less than three minutes remaining in the period.

points, had 11 rebounds and three blocked shots.

“Jayda always does a great job in the lane,” Credeur said of the 6-foot1 junior “She protects the paint. Just her standing there is a distraction to the girls.” Liberty was led by Allayah Aubert, who finished with a team-high 26 points. Tamia Picou added 10.

Email Eric Narcisse at enarcisse@theadvocate.com.

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts told reporters Friday that the lefty has been throwing on flat ground, not the mound, and is making progress.

Snell was limited to 11 games last year in the regular season, going 5-4 with a 2.35 ERA. He was 3-2 in six

Buckeyes receiver Tate a big fan of Saints QB Shough

Ohio State receiver Carnell Tate runs a play during a game against Minnesota on Oct. 4 in Columbus, Ohio.

UL

Continued from page 1C

Then there’s Mia Norwood, who didn’t play much earlier this season but entered the game batting .462 in 13 recent at-bats.

In the game, Norwood was 2-for3 to raise her average to improve her batting average to .526.

Then there’s Mia Liscano, who was leading the team in hitting at 447, was 2-for-2 and is now batting .500.

Swinging the big bat in the day was Emily Smith with a grand

slam homer to right-center for a quick 4-0 lead in the first inning.

In the fourth, Kennedy

Marceaux followed three straight singles — by Norwood, Liscano and Dayzja Williams — with a sacrifice fly for a 5-1 cushion.

The sixth run came in the sixth when Liscano singled, stole a base and advanced on a wild pitch ahead of Marceaux’s RBI single.

Marceaux finished the game 1-for-2 with two RBIs.

UL outhit St. Mary’s 11-6 in the win

Email Kevin Foote at kfoote@theadvocate.com.

SAINTS

Continued from page 1C

on first and second down to open up explosive plays. He stressed improving in the red zone and in short-yardage situations when it comes to the run, too.

Any changes will be made with second-year quarterback Tyler Shough in mind.

“Any offense is going to be steered by the quarterback position,” Moore said. “Once that narrows its focus, it allows me to be a lot more specific as what you want to do That’ll be a full offseason journey I’m excited about that just from Tyler’s perspective, just to be able to go through a full offseason, go through in his training camp and clean up the system and narrow our focus.”

Free agents TBD

Moore was asked repeatedly about the Saints’ key free agents such as cornerback Alontae Taylor, linebacker Demario Davis and defensive end Cam Jordan. Moore kept close to the vest how the Saints and general manager Mickey Loomis will approach each of those decisions

“Those are obviously conversations that Mickey’s having with those guys just to see where they’re at, first and foremost,” Moore said. “All those guys we love to death, and we’d love to keep as many of these guys as we possibly can.

Reunions?

Because he’s been an offensive coordinator at three stops before landing in New Orleans, Moore has overlap with some notable players who are set to be free agents.

The 37-year-old, for example, coached tight end Dallas Goedert and running back Kenneth Gainwell in Philadelphia. He worked with Chargers guard Zion Johnson in Los Angeles and Chargers guard Mekhi Becton in Philadelphia. Even less significant pieces like wide receivers Jalen Tolbert (Dallas) and Jahan Dotson (Philadelphia) have crossed paths with Moore.

Moore couldn’t speak about any specifics on those individuals because they’re still under contract.

But generally, is he a fan of getting the band back together?

“It’s a good question,” Moore said. “I think there’s value in just having people that are familiar with a system or familiarity with yourself on a personal level, but I don’t think it’s the necessary thing

“Especially now, the rest of the team we’ve been invested with over a year More than anything, when you have coaches who have worked with those guys (before), you just have a better understanding probably who you’re getting and what their strengths are and how they’ll fit into the culture of the team.”

BY MATTHEW PARAS Staff writer

INDIANAPOLIS About a month ago, Carnell Tate was on a podcast when the Ohio State receiver was asked which quarterback he’d love to play with most in the NFL. He said he’d be happy with whoever could get him the ball. But after mentioning Buffalo QB Josh Allen — who wouldn’t want to be with an MVP? — he brought up a surprising name: Tyler Shough. He noted that the New Orleans Saints quarterback had been “balling.” What made him say that?

“He had a great back half of the season,” Tate said Friday at the NFL scouting combine. “He won five games for the Saints, stretching the field and being very accurate.”

It would be a pairing that many would welcome. Tate is in the mix to be the first wideout taken in this year’s NFL draft, but he could still be available when the Saints pick eighth overall.

The Saints, in particular are in need of another dynamic weapon around Shough, and Tate fits the prototype. At 6-foot-3, he ran a variety of routes and won in all sorts

IZZy BESSELMAN, LSU guard season.

“We’ll let that process take care of itself.” That includes running back Alvin Kamara, who technically isn’t a free agent but has an $18 million cap hit that looms large over next season.

Moore didn’t indicate whether the Saints would ask Kamara to take a pay cut or consider moving on but did note it was unfortunate that Kamara missed the last six games with a knee injury

“Our team was finally starting to play a little bit better collectively, (and) I think he would have reaped some benefits from that,” Moore said. Kamara finished with a careerlow 471 yards rushing, and his 3.6 yards per carry average also was a personal worst.

Moore’s first year saw the Saints bring in tight end Jack Stoll and wide receiver Brandin Cooks to help others acclimate to his offense. And on defense, defensive end Chris Rumph, defensive tackle Jonah Williams and safety Terrell Burgess reunited with defensive coordinator Brandon Staley

But those were smaller-scale moves that hardly encompassed New Orleans’ offseason approach, which involved signing safety Justin Reid, trading for defensive tackle Davon Godchaux, and re-upping defensive end Chase Young and tight end Juwan Johnson

A mix of the two strategies again makes sense for Moore’s second season.

Email Matthew Paras at matt paras@theadvocate.com

of ways for the Buckeyes. He averaged 17.2 yards per catch this past season on 51 catches for 875 yards and nine touchdowns.

He’d also be a complement to Chris Olave, whom Tate knows well from their Ohio State connection.

“They might be out there looking for another weapon to pair up with Chris, so to help Tyler in his career,” said Tate, who has met with New Orleans. “It would be a great opportunity to go out there and help the Saints win.”

Email Matthew Paras at matt. paras@theadvocate.com

Continued from page 1C

“Just playing more free,” Reece said. “The coaches have great trust in me to do what I have to do to help the team win. So I just got to keep playing hard for everybody Just keep showing why I’m here. This is what I’m supposed to do.” LSU (15-13, 3-12) aims to win a second straight game for the first time in Southeastern Conference play on Saturday One reason the feat hasn’t been accomplished is because of the absence of starting point guard Dedan Thomas, who had season-ending foot surgery after playing in only three conference games.

Coach Matt McMahon discussed on the LSU sports radio network Monday how Reece had to “evolve” from being a bench guard focused on avoiding turnovers to a scorer and orchestrator of the offense.

“Had a four-to-one assist-toturnover ratio in the nonconference, but was really more as DJ’s

LSU

Continued from page 1C

Maravich Assembly Center crowd a chance to toast her senior night.

“It was definitely surreal,” Besselman said. “It felt good to just go out there one last time. We have the best fans in the country, so it meant a lot.”

Besselman is a Baton Rouge native She starred in both hoops and volleyball at Episcopal, then began her collegiate basketball career as a walk-on Across her freshman and sophomore seasons, she subbed in at the end of the Tigers’ blowout wins — 39 of them, to be exact.

LSU put Besselman on scholarship in the middle of her junior year At the time, she was about eight weeks into the 10-month ordeal in which she figured out she was one of about 70 million people worldwide battling some form of dysautonomia — a nervous system disorder that can cause abnormally high heart rates.

Besselman told The Advocate on Tuesday that she’s a “very functionable” patient. She just can’t play basketball.

Which means that Besselman had to accept the harsh reality that her playing days were over She said it was a “difficult” process, but she thinks she made the most of her situation and discovered a new perspective along the way Her teammates agree.

“Izzy is probably the most selfless person I know,” Flau’jae Johnson said, “only because she literally knows she’s not gonna play She shows up to every film session. She showed up on time, ready to go. She always has her opinion about what we’re doing and what we’re trying.

“She’s very smart. She’s like another coach out there, and she’ll do whatever it takes to help us win.

backup, just a setup guy,” McMahon said. “Not very aggressive offensively, just looking to get everyone involved and then really guarded defensively I think where he’s taken the next step here, he’s been really aggressive attacking off the dribble. He’s been very good off our ballscreen actions. You’ve seen his percentages go up from behind the 3-point line.”

As the only true point guard left on the roster, Reece is rarely turning the ball over against ball pressure and is making the right reads. His passing chops are popping on the box score as he’s tied for sixth in assists per game (4.4) in SEC play Among the top 10 leaders in assists in the conference, Reece is averaging the second-fewest turnovers (1.6).

The Orlando, Florida, native also isn’t hesitating to take open shots, making 9 of 19 of his 3-pointers in the last four games and 36.4% in SEC play Reece couldn’t buy an outside jump shot to start his career making 3 of 17 in the first 13 games.

The shooting growth extends to the free-throw line as he has made 81.8% on 22 attempts in conference compared to 62.5% on 16 attempts in nonconference. What McMahon appreciates as much as the shooting success and passing reads are the intangibles.

“He’s handled this very well,” McMahon said. “I think he’s a great competitor He’s tough. He’s one of our toughest players on the team. He can play the whole game.” Reece never came out in the Tigers’ 10-point loss at No. 22 Tennessee, finishing with only one turnover He played 47 minutes in LSU’s win over Ole Miss and more than 37 minutes in both of his other two starts.

His growth is coming at the right time because he’s indispensable for LSU.

“We’re just gonna keep fighting for the rest of the season,” Reece said. “I think we just got to keep playing hard, keep playing for each other At the end of the day, we’re a family So if we just keep staying together everything will work out.”

“It was definitely surreal. It felt good to just go out there one last time. We have the best fans in the country, so it meant a lot.”

Like, whatever we need.” Besselman and Johnson are the last two holdovers from LSU’s 2022-23 national championship team. They were each honored on Thursday alongside Amiya Joyner, a transfer forward who spent the first three seasons of her career at East Carolina.

Johnson is an LSU program great.

She shot only 3 of 10 from the field and 3 of 9 at the free-throw line on Thursday against the Lady Vols, but she still made a few key plays in

the second half and finished with 10 points. Now she needs only 25 more to become just the sixth player to score more than 2,000 career points in a Tiger uniform. In March, Johnson will likely hit that mark, then receive her final curtain call at the end of one of the NCAA Tournament games that will be played in the PMAC.

Besselman got hers on Thursday when Mulkey waved her off the bench and onto the floor for the first time in two years.

“Izzy’s priorities in life are in order,” Mulkey said “While she loves basketball, she’s got her national championship ring, she got to play in front of her hometown friends and family she understands that she’s trying to play basketball when most people that have her condition are just trying to live and survive.

“So Izzy’s a great, great young lady and teammate.”

TerryRobinson FAITH MATTERS

Lafayette pastor uses ownstruggles to help guideothers

Pornography had astronghold on James Craft.

The longtime pastor of Calvary Baptist Church in Lafayette speaks candidly abouthis past struggles —not only with pornography,but alsowith stealing and cursing —and the grace of God that ultimately set him free.

“I’m just real about all those things, because Ijust feel like the more I’m willing to be straight with people, the more they’re willing to be straightup with me,” said Craft, aBaton Rouge native who grew upin New Orleans. “I’ve always believed in confessional preaching. Idon’ttry to nail other people for what they’re doing.I deal with what I’m struggling with.” Craft, 64, was transparent about his struggles during the interview process and openly shared them with the congregation when he assumed his first pastorate role at Calvary22years ago.

“I told them who Iwas, what Iwas, because Ididn’twant anyone to be fooled,” Craft said. “You don’twant to be proud of any kind of sinful activity.Itold them I’m the last one who belongs in the pulpit. Inever saw myself as apastor God believed in me more than Ibelieved in myself.”

Adding to his transparency, Craft said it wasn’tuntil alittle over ayear ago that he finally broke free from pornographic images resurfacing in his mind.

“It was amiracle of God. He gave me an ultimatum, he said. “God told me, ‘You’re dishonoring your wife, and it’s timetostop, or I’m going to remove you from the pastorate if you don’tget that straight.’ Ihad to deal with that straight up, and he gave me the grace and the mercy to not go backwards.” Even now,Craft is quick to remind others of his journey through messages, his testimony and other opportunities.

“I say,‘Once again, I’m the poster child on what you’re not supposed to do,’”hesaid “God likes to use things that are shameful things of ourlife to help others who are going through it, to encourage them, not to trash them or throw them under that bus.” That fuels Craft’sdesire to assist others engaged in all manner of spiritual warfare.

“We’re more of aspiritual warfare church,” he said.“I work with weird stuff. Iwork with people who arejacked up mentally and dealing with spirits. God has called me to work with those groups The word says Jesus came to set the captives free. I’m helping people to be free in their minds, so their spirits can thrive.”

Craft was 13 when his faith first became personal. He heardGod speak to him on a Friday night in his home.

“It blew me away,” he said. “It was different from what I had known before. That’swhy Iknewitwas reallyspecial and something Iwanted more of. So God beganto showme things from his word and talking to me. Church became one of the most important things that Iwas doing. Being with

RAISING THEBAR

Newrestaurantwithexpansive menu brings big flavorsand sweettunes

BY MADDIE SCOTT Staff writer

Daruma Ramen Bar &Grill is openingits second location on Monday —complete witha toweringred statue, aprivatekaraoke room and aname inspiredbya traditional Japanese good-luck doll.

Located at 3669 Government St the 4,300-square-foot restaurant features an expansive menu with an array of appetizers, dumplings, bao buns, noodles, chicken wings, ramen and more.

“Darumaislike adoll,” said owner Stacy Zheng. “A big, big, round doll. It means lucky.You never fall.

Even if you fall, you still stand up.”

The private karaoke room seats 34 people and is decked out with partylightsand a100-inch television.The room will be availablefor booking starting Tuesday

Local restaurateurs Stacy and Denny Zheng opened the restaurant’sfirst locationinMay 2023 at 36557 Mission St. in Prairieville

On atrip to Elsie’sPlate &Pie, they noticed avacant spot on Government Street and jumped at the opportunity to open asecond location.

“I love to eat,” said Stacy Zheng, aPrairieville resident. “I’m always

before sunrise, Sambath Lim is rolling out doughtomake donuts andother pastriesfor her shop, Sambath Donuts.

OwnersStacy and DannyZheng first opened Daruma Ramen at a location in Prairieville.The couple jumped at the opportunity forasecond location in Baton Rougeafter seeing avacancyalong Government Street.

alonghere, andthenI seethis location is looking good. That’swhy we’re coming for here.”

Asneak peek inside

The main dining roomseats 150 people and currently features a roughly eight-foot-tall Darumainspiredstatue, aspitting image of Marvel’sIron Man, Stacy Zheng

joked.

“My husband brought this here, and Isaid, ‘Wow,this bigger than my closet,’”she said, laughing.

Thestatue willsoon move outside where Danny Zheng plans to affix it securely to the ground. The coupleexpectsthat it will be an

ä See RAMEN, page 6C

BYMADDIE SCOTT Staff writer

SambathDonutsonEssenLane is now serving authentic Cambodian cuisine. At 5703 Essen

RAMEN

Continued from page 5C

attention-getter for passing cars.

Building renovations started in July 2025. The restaurant has since been decked out with new flooring, red booth seating, a wooden bar fashioned out of a 100-yearold tree, Asian-style panels between booths and lantern lighting fixtures.

Decor includes cascading faux red florals from the ceiling, flower beds and a cherry tree next to the hostess stand.

The menu Stacy Zheng said she wanted the menu to have options for everybody, something she got to experiment with at the Prairieville location

“I kept changing the menu every three months (in Prairieville),” she said. “So change, change, change, until now I think it’s good.”

The menu includes a variety of food for people of all ages — Asian American fusion options like honey chicken waffle, with fried chicken nuggets tossed in sweet honey sauce. There are also hibachi dishes that come with rib-eye steak, salmon, jumbo shrimp or chicken.

There are 13 ramen dishes ranging from classic chicken or seafood ramens to spicy ramens, all of which can have extra toppings added. There’s the Spicy Beef Tendon Ramen, with sliced beef tendon, marinated egg, bok choy, bamboo shoot, corn, Kikurage mushrooms, green onion, garlic

MATTERS

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chips, black garlic oil, fried onion, nori and wavy noodles in pork broth. A vegan ramen has sauteed Brussels sprouts, broccoli, mushrooms, onion, bok choy tofu, fried onion, garlic chips, green onion and thin noodles in a creamy vegetable broth

Entrees include rice plates like the honey chicken rice platter, orange chicken, Mongolian rib-eye steak and Thai chili shrimp. There are fried rice plates, eight different dumplings, six different bao buns and five different chicken wings. On the cold dish starter menu is Stacy Zheng’s favorite dish: the tuna tataki, seared tuna sashimi with sesame seeds, jalapeños, ginger and ponzu sauce. The Firecracker Shrimp is a customer favorite in Prairieville, she said, a fried

shrimp appetizer dish tossed in light wasabi sweet mayo sauce.

Lunch specials are available from 10:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. every day starting at $13, including four ramen dishes and nine different rice plates, which come with egg and onion fried rice and a spring roll.

The drinks menu will be available once the alcohol permitting process is complete, and Stacy Zheng predicts that’ll be on Feb. 27.

The full bar will include spirits, sake, wine, flights, beer, Japanese seltzers and signature cocktails, like Tokyo Old Fashioned with Toki Japanese Whisky, honey syrup, maraschino cherry, blood orange bitters and orange garnish.

Looking forward

On Monday, customers at

Daruma Ramen Bar & Grill will get 20% off their meals, she said. At the grand opening on March 3, the first 50 customers will receive a gift card.

In addition to owning King Buffet on Bluebonnet Boulevard, the couple has two more restaurants in the works — a dim sum restaurant will be where the recently closed Southern Pearl Oyster House was located at 9460 Perkins Road in Baton Rouge, she said.

The other restaurant will be a revolving sushi bar at 4914 Government St. in Baton Rouge.

Daruma Ramen Bar & Grill, 3669 Government St., Baton Rouge Open 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily, but hours may change in the future, according to owner Stacy Zheng.

By The Associated Press Today is Saturday, Feb. 28, the 59th day of 2026. There are 306 days left in the year Today in history: On Feb. 28, 1993, a gunbattle erupted at a religious compound near Waco, Texas, when Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms agents tried to arrest Branch Davidian leader David Koresh for stockpiling illegal weapons; four agents and six Davidians were killed as a 51-day standoff began (On April 19 of that year FBI agents stormed the compound with tear gas and armored vehicles, with dozens dead before the standoff was over).

Also on this date:

In 1844, a massive 12inch gun aboard the USS Princeton exploded as the ship was sailing on the Potomac River, killing Secretary of State Abel P. Upshur, Navy Secretary Thomas W. Gilmer and several others; President John Tyler, who also was aboard the ship, was uninjured.

In 1953, Francis H.C. Crick announced that he and fellow scientist James D. Watson had discovered the double-helix structure of DNA.

In 1975, 43 people were killed in London’s Underground when a train failed to stop at Moorgate station, smashing into the end of a tunnel.

In 2013, Benedict XVI became the first pope in 600 years to resign, ending an eight-year pontificate. (Benedict was succeeded the following month by Pope Francis.) In 2023, a passenger train collided head-on with a freight train more than 200 miles north of Athens, Greece, killing 57 people in that country’s deadliest rail disaster In 2024, Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, the longestserving U.S. Senate leader in history, announced he would step down from the leadership role the following November (Twelve months later, the octogenarian senator said his term ending in January 2027 would be his last). Today’s birthdays: Rock singer Sam the Sham (aka Domingo Samudio) is

In 1983, the final episode of the television series “M*A*S*H” aired; nearly 106 million viewers saw the finale, which remains the most-watched episode of any U.S. television series to date. In 1986, Swedish Prime Minister Olof Palme was assassinated while walking on a Stockholm street with his wife; his assailant was never captured and remains unidentified.

RELIGION BRIEFS FROM STAFF REPORTS

Foundation holds Ramadan dinner

The Atlas Foundation will hold its Ramadan Dialogue Iftar dinner from 6 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Saturday, March 7, at 862 O’Neal Lane, Baton Rouge.

The public is invited.

The evening celebrates the spirit of Ramadan through community, conversation and connection. As the sun sets and the fast is broken, guests will share a meal, experience cultural exchange, and engage in dialogue that fosters unity friendship and mutual respect.

People of all backgrounds are invited to attend and participate.

Register online at griefshare.org or at the first meeting. For more information, call John Westbrook at (225) 768-8863. Bishop Allen Shin to speak at church St. Margaret’s Episcopal Church, 12663 Perkins Road, Baton Rouge, will welcome the Rev. Allen K. Shin, bishop suffragan of the Episcopal Diocese of New York, on Sunday, March 15, for a morning of worship and a public presentation on faith and public life.

“The doctor said, ‘I don’t know how to explain it. It was clear as day on the Xray (before). Therefore, we don’t have to do surgery,’” Craft said. “God told me later that he healed me because I responded to his call. I can’t make that stuff up. That’s just crazy.”

Later, while still in high school, there was another call on Craft’s life.

During a church service, his pastor publicly announced that Craft had a call to preach someday

“I just knew God was stirring in my heart,” Craft said. “I did go and shake the pastor’s hand on a Sunday morning. I was trying to express to him that God was calling me to something bigger (The pastor) made a judgment was what he was sensing.”

the Lord and doing what he wanted was far more vital to me.” Then came a moment when he seemingly had to choose between his faith and his passion for baseball. Going into his junior year at East Jefferson High School in Metairie, Craft suffered a leg injury A tumor-like growth quickly developed and required surgery “God said, ‘You’re going to go into the hospital for two weeks, because you get to decide whether you want to serve me or you want to serve sports. And you’re not going to get out of here until you make a decision.’” Craft chose to walk in faith. The next morning, doctors informed Craft that the issue with the tumor in the leg had miraculously disappeared overnight.

However, at least one member of the congregation wasn’t sensing it.

“My dad was mad as a

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band, Wes Veitch, who assists with the business when he can. “And she can do anything she sets her heart to.” Lin’s 20-year-old daughter is leading the charge on creating a new beverage menu, and she’s also been marketing the revamped menu online through the business’ social accounts. Grand reopening deals Lin will celebrate the new

hornet because of that. He wouldn’t talk to me for two weeks because he wanted me to be an engineer,” Craft said.

After graduating from high school in 1979, Craft didn’t pursue an engineering path. He had several jobs, including working with an oilfield company and running a pest control business. Craft eventually graduated with a general studies degree from Excelsior University in New York and a Master’s of Divinity from New Orleans

Baptist Theological Seminary

His foray into ministry started in 1983. He served churches in Livingston, Baton Rouge, River Ridge and Kenner in preparation for his call to Calvary at 4015 Moss St. in Lafayette.

“I was getting my feel of all the different ministries that a church might have,” he said. “Finally, God called me to be the pastor, which I never ever thought would

menu with a grand reopening from 10:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Friday, staying open an hour later than normal hours. Everything will be 25% off on this day There’ll also be free doughnuts served with lunch, while supplies last, she said.

Sambath Donuts, 5703 Essen Lane Open 5:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays, closed Sundays.

happen. And I never looked for it or asked for it. I was OK being on staff under a pastor, but had no — zero — desires or even had thoughts of being a senior pastor That was totally his idea.”

For more on Craft and Calvary Baptist, visit http:// calvarybaptistlaf.org.

Contact Terry Robinson at terryrobinson622@gmail. com.

Church offer grief support group

First Baptist Church of Baton Rouge, 529 Convention St., will offer GriefShare, a 13-week support group for those grieving the death of someone close, beginning March 18.

Meetings will be held from 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. Wednesdays. The only cost is $20 for the workbook, which is used along with weekly videos and discussion

Shin will preach at the 8 a.m. and 10 a.m. Holy Eucharists. At 11:30 a.m. in Lyle Hall, he will present “A Dangerous Liaison: White Supremacy and Christian Nationalism — A Christian Heresy and American Identity.” The presentation will explore the historical and theological roots of Christian nationalism and its relevance for churches today Community members of all faith backgrounds are invited to attend and participate. For more information, visit www.saintmargarets. com.

PIscEs (Feb. 20-March 20) Expand your interests, skills andcircleoffriends Participate in events that offergreater freedom to be yourself and live in the moment. Socializing will lead to curiousencounters.

ARIEs (March 21-April 19) Offer hope to those going through tough times.A kind gesture will lead to rewards that change your life. An unexpected turn of events will alter howyou earn or handle your money.

tAuRus (April20-May 20) Payattention to detail and work to makeyourhouseholdrun more efficiently and effectively. Compromise and compassion will be called for today

GEMInI (May 21-June 20) Afinancial change thatencourages saving, investing smartly andworking hard to secure your position will put your mindat ease. Aconversation will change your perspective.

cAncER (June 21-July 22) Check the facts and figures, and make choices that raise your profile andpossibilities. Be open to suggestions but bold in your opinions. Put your time, energy, heart andsoulinto gaining ground.

LEo (July 23-Aug. 22) Take apassionate approach to whatever you do, andyou'll gain respect and loyalty. Inside information that comes your waywill give youanopportunity for financial gain

VIRGo (Aug. 23-sept. 22) Participating in activities will give you awindow into how others are doing. Achange of location or to your surroundings will have a

positive impact on your health, wealth andemotional well-being.

LIBRA (sept. 23-oct.23) Set boundaries and put abudget in place before you getinvolved in someone's plan. Don't let anyone limit whatyou can do.Consider the outcome, anddon't sell yourself short.

scoRPIo (oct.24-nov.22) Setout on an adventure that offers romance, intrigue, insight and opportunity. Socialize, share your thoughts and intentions, and invest more in selfimprovement, personal gains, love and romance.

sAGIttARIus (nov. 23-Dec. 21) Be careful what you wish for. Someone will be eager to lead youastray if yougive themachance. Don't fall foremotional blackmail or fake compliments. Listen carefullyand respond with truth and conviction

cAPRIcoRn(Dec. 22-Jan.19) Avoidrash decisions that can affect your finances or lifestyle. Lead the waywith gratitude andcompassion,and the results will exceed your expectations.

AQuARIus (Jan.20-Feb. 19) Put your energy where it brings the highest return. Discipline andinnovative ideas will help youget ahead.Look for unique ways to put your skills to good use

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

Sudoku

InstructIons: Sudoku is anumber-placing puzzle based on a9x9 gridwith 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.

Puzzle Answer

By PHILLIP ALDER

Yesterday, we sawwhatwould have been an effective atypical pre-emptive openingbid.Iftheopponentsaregoingto produce wild leaps intothe stratosphere, youneedtoknowhowtodefendyourself.

Look at the Northhandinthe diagram. South opens one spade, andWest intervenes withthree diamonds, aweak jump overcall. Whatshould North do?

Yes,West’sbidwouldnormallyfeature onlya six-card suit,but he wasswayed bytheunfavorablevulnerabilityandalso wondered if his side might make three no-trump.

Afteraweakjumpovercall,responder, with support for partner’s major, should bidone level higher than originally intended.

Here, athree-spade response would promise anormal single raise. With his actual game-invitational limit raise, North correctly jumped to four spades. Andifhis hand had been even stronger, he would have cue-bid four diamonds, whichwould have said nothing abouthis holding in diamonds.

Againstfourspades,Westledtheheart five. East wonwith hisking and cashed the ace, Westdropping asneakytwo. WhenEast ledanother heart,South was not sure what to do. Discarding risked West’s ruffing with alow trump. Then thespade ace would have been the setting trick.

Eventually,Southruffedwithhisspade king, andWest inwardly smiled when he followed suit. However, when West took thenexttrick with hisspade ace, he was endplayed He triedthe club eight, but dummy’s nine forced outEast’s queen. Southwon with his king, drew trumps, andclaimed four spades, oneheart(dummy’s queen), onediamond, three clubs and adiamond ruff in thedummy. ©2026 by NEA, Inc., dist.ByAndrews McMeel Syndication

wuzzles

Each Wuzzleisaword riddle which creates adisguised word, phrase, name, place, saying, etc. For example: NOONGOOD =GOOD AFTERNOON

Previous answers:

word game

InstRuctIons: 1. Words mustbeoffour or moreletters. 2. Words that acquire four letters by theaddition of “s,”such as “bats”or“dies,” are not allowed. 3. Additional wordsmade 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 DEcIPHER: dee-SYE-fer:Decode or interpret the meaning of.

Average mark 36 words Time limit 55 minutes

Can you find 48 or morewords in DECIPHER?

yEstERDAy’s WoRD —coMPoRts

thought “Looking