The Advocate 03-06-2026

Noem outasheadofDHS

Firing comesinwakeofmountingcriticism of herleadership

BY MICHELLE L. PRICE, REBECCA SANTANA and SEUNG MIN KIM Associated Press

WASHINGTON— President Donald Trump on Thursday fired his embattled HomelandSecurity Secretary Kristi Noem, after mounting criticism over her leadership of the department, includingthe handling of the administration’s immigration crackdown and di-

saster response. Trump, who said he would nominateOklahomaRepublican Sen. Markwayne Mullin in her place, made the announcement on social mediaafter Noem faced atwo-day grilling on Capitol Hill this week from GOP members as well as Democrats. Noem’sdeparture marks astunning turnaroundfor aclose ally to the presidentwho was tasked with steering his centerpiece policy

of mass deportations. But she appeared to increasingly becomea liability for Trump, withquestions arising over her spending at her department and over her conduct in the aftermath of the shooting deaths of two protesters in Minneapolis earlier this year Trump said Noem “has served

us well, and has had numerous and spectacular results (especially on the Border!).” He said he was making hera“Special Envoyfor The Shield of theAmericas,” anew security initiative that he said would focus on the Western Hemisphere. Noem, who appeared at alaw enforcement event in Nashville, Tennessee, momentsafter Trump’s announcement, did notaddress

ä See NOEM, page 4A

Louisianaclose to settling bigcoastal

BY ALEX LUBBEN Staff writer

Gov.Jeff Landry announced Thursday that the state is nearing asettlement agreement with ConocoPhillips in lawsuits that seek to hold oil and gas companies accountable for polluting Louisiana’s coastal marshes andcontributing to wetlandsloss. ConocoPhillips is namedin13ofthe 42 lawsuits. The suits are part of astatewide effortled by BatonRouge attorney John Carmouche to hold oil companies financially responsible for damage to coastal areas —litigationthat has advancedto the U.S. Supreme Court in one case.

TheConocoPhillipssettlement follows

others that have already been madewith Freeport-McMoRan, BP,Shell andHilcorp Landry’sannouncement on Thursday marks his strongest endorsement of the coastallawsuitstodate—litigation that Landry had previously tried to takeover and scale back. He has spoken of wanting

to reducethe number of suchlawsuits through negotiated settlements. As with some of the other settlements in thelawsuits, thedetails are sealed, and it is notclear howmuchthe company paid to resolve the case. The parishesinvolved in the litigation will also need to signoff on the settlement beforeitisfinalized, Landry and Carmouche said.

Landry saidatameeting of an advisory commission on coastalissuesinLafourche Parish that the deal wasnearly finalized. “Today,I’m proud to report that the state of Louisiana and ConocoPhillips, thelargest private wetlands owner in our state, are words away from resolving the

ASSOCIATEDPRESS PHOTO Homeland Security SecretaryKristi Noem appears before the Senate Judiciary Committee on Tuesday.

Changemarks third shake-up in 3years

BY CLAIRE GRUNEWALD Staff writer

Therecentlyhired Livingston Parish library director resigned Wednesday after less than two months on the job —she was the third person in that position in less than three years amid budget problems and turmoilover sexual content in books.

Library Board of Control President Jonathan Davis saidNa’Chel Shannon officiallysubmitted her resignation this week.

“Weare grateful forNa’Chel’s contributions, and we wish her nothing but the best in herfuture endeavors,” he said.

Shannon started her position at the library system the second weekofJanuary after moving from Mississippi. The board approved hiring her in November She was previously the library director of theSouth Mississippi Regional Library in Columbia, Mississippi.

The director’sresignation follows three years of director shakeups. The board, with support from Parish President Randy Delatte, votedinJuly nottorenew former library director Michelle Parrish’s contract.Parrish took the helm in 2023, when her predecessor, Giovanni Tairov,unexpectedly resigned after months of controversy over content restrictions for minors. He had served as director forover 10 years. Davis did notrespond to

BRIEFS

Spears suspected of driving under influence

LOS ANGELES Britney Spears was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence of alcohol and drugs near her Southern California home and released, authorities said. A statement from Spears’ representative calls the arrest “inexcusable.”

The California Highway Patrol said officers received a report shortly before 9 p.m. Wednesday that someone in a black BMW 430i was driving fast and erratically on U.S. 101 in Newbury Park.

The 44-year-old pop star the only person in the car, exited the freeway and pulled over, a CHP statement said. She appeared to be impaired, took a series of field sobriety tests, was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence of a combination of alcohol and drugs and was taken to a Ventura County jail, the CHP said. Chemical test results are pending and the case remains under investigation

“This was an unfortunate incident that is completely inexcusable,” a statement from a Spears representative said “Britney is going to take the right steps and comply with the law and hopefully this can be the first step in long overdue change that needs to occur in Britney’s life.”

The Ventura County District Attorney’s Office will determine whether charges will be filed.

Spears has a May 4 court date scheduled.

Born in Mississippi and raised in Louisiana, Spears was a teen pop phenomenon who became a defining superstar of the 1990s and 2000s.

Mom charged after girl shot with unsecured gun

DETROIT A Detroit mother was charged with a felony after her 6-year-old daughter died when she was left with her siblings in a vehicle outside a restaurant with an unsecured handgun, according to prosecutors

Tonya Johnson, 41, allegedly left her five children, ages 2 to 11 years old, unattended in her car Monday while she was inside a restaurant in Detroit, according to Wayne County prosecutors.

Her 11-year-old son found an unsecured gun in the vehicle and fired it, striking his 6-yearold sister in the head and killing her according to prosecutors.

“The alleged facts of this case are among the worst child safe storage cases that we have seen. This will affect these children forever The loss of the life of one of their siblings in a closed compartment of the defendant’s car cannot be unseen,” Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy said in a statement.

One of the children went into the store to alert the mother, but it was too late said Charles Fitzgerald, the first assistant Detroit police chief. Johnson has been charged with a safe gun storage violation, three counts of second-degree child abuse and four counts of felony firearm.

Mass. trooper in $1,000 golf ball heist resigns

BOSTON A trooper, who had taken a plea deal after being accused of stealing more than a $1,000 worth of merchandise — including golf balls — from Target, no longer works for Massachusetts State Police.

Zachariah Kent resigned during an ongoing disciplinary process and received a dishonorable discharge, a State Police spokesperson confirmed to the Boston Herald on Thursday The State Police suspended Kent without pay in 2024 after the shoplifting accusations came to light.

Kent took an Alford plea deal last year which acknowledged that prosecutors had sufficient evidence but allowed him to avoid admitting guilt. As a part of the agreement, Kent paid Target $1,000 and is barred from entering their stores.

Representative urged to end campaign

Gonzales admitted to having affair with a former staff member

BY LISA MASCARO and KEVIN FREKING Associated Press

WASHINGTON House Speaker Mike Johnson and the GOP leadership are calling for Republican Rep. Tony Gonzales of Texas to withdraw from his reelection race after he admitted having an affair with a former staff member who later died by suicide.

The Republican leadership announced its decision Thursday a day after Gonzales acknowledged a relationship that has upturned the political world in his home state and in Washington, and after the House Ethics Committee announced an investigation into his conduct.

“We have encouraged him to address these very serious allegations directly with his constituents

and his colleagues,” said Johnson, Majority Leader Steve Scalise, Whip Tom Emmer, and GOP Conference Chairwoman Lisa McClain in a statement. “In the meantime, Leadership has asked Congressman Gonzales to withdraw from his race for reelection.”

a rare step that requires a twothirds vote from the chamber GOP leaders notably did not call for Gonzales to resign from office as they struggle to maintain their slim majority in the House, which they hold by only a handful of seats.

The Worcester Telegram and Gazette initially reported the shoplifting allegations from court records, which said that Kent had stolen the items using a method called skip-scanning — when a customer avoids ringing in some merchandise during self-checkout

Johnson, R-Benton, has been under enormous pressure from his own GOP lawmakers to take action, and several Republicans have already called for Gonzales to step aside. Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, R-Fla., has introduced two resolutions to punish Gonzales.

Their move came after Gonzales, appearing on the “Joe Pags Show,” was asked whether he had a relationship with the aide, Regina Ann Santos-Aviles.

The first seeks to remove him from his assignments on the House Appropriations and Homeland Security committees, while the second seeks to censure him.

House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries of New York, meanwhile, said he would support expelling Gonzales from the House,

Santos-Aviles, 35, died after setting herself on fire in the backyard of her home in Uvalde, Texas. The Bexar County Medical Examiner’s Office later ruled her death a suicide.

“I made a mistake and I had a lapse in judgment, and there was a lack of faith, and I take full responsibility for those actions,” Gonzales said.

The congressman, now in his third term, has said he would not step down in response to the allegations, telling reporters recently that there will be opportunities for all the details and facts to come out.

Gonzales, a father of six first

Crews in Cuba rush to repair power plant

BY MILEXSY DURÁN Associated Press

HAVANA Swaths of Cuba remained without power on Thursday nearly a day after a huge blackout hit the western part of the island in the latest outage blamed on a fragile electric grid and a lack of fuel.

Crews worked overnight to repair a broken boiler at one of Cuba’s largest thermoelectric plants, but officials have warned that it could take three to four days for power to be fully restored.

State media reported that nearly 660,000 customers in Havana, or 77%, had power, as well as 43 hospitals and 10 water supply stations. However, officials warned of low power generation and said some circuits that crews had reconnected were kicked offline again.

Millions still remained without power, including Miguel Leyva, 65, who lives with his mother and brother, both of whom are ill.

“I have no words to describe what I’m going through: the heat, the mosquitoes and no electricity The food could spoil,” he said. “I’m aware of all the problems that exist, but listen, it’s been more than 24 hours now.”

Cuba’s Ministry of Energy and Mines wrote on X that the electrical system is operating “in a limited capacity pri-

Trump

oritizing basic services, primarily health and water supply.”

State media reported that two power plants are offline because of a lack of petroleum.

Government officials said Wednesday afternoon that crews have located the crack in the boiler drum that led to the outage. They said it will take 12 hours to cool that area so crews can enter the furnace and start repairing it. Work already is underway to fix a pipe that also is damaged, officials added.

Sonia Vázquez, 61, said the blackout didn’t stop her from selling coffee to passersby daily saying she prepared it with gas at 5 a.m. under a rechargeable lamp. “I didn’t sleep last night. Too many mosquitoes,” said Vázquez, who lives with her grandson.

Meanwhile, 57-year-old cafe owner José Ignacio Dorta said that some of his frozen food has spoiled.

“We’ve looked for ways to prevent further spoilage. We’re working on it. We hope nothing else will spoil,” he said.

In January, U.S. President Donald Trump warned that he would impose tariffs on any country that sells or supplies oil to Cuba.

Last month, Cuba’s government implemented austere fuel-saving measures and warned that jet fuel wouldn’t be available at nine airports until mid-March.

says Cuba ‘is going to fall’

BY NORA GÁMEZ TORRES

Miami Herald (TNS)

President Donald Trump sounded confident Thursday that regime change might soon come to Cuba and said the country’s leadership is trying to cut a deal with the United States.

“Cuba’s going to fall, too,” he told the news outlet Politico in a phone interview “We cut off all oil, all money, or we cut off everything coming in from Venezuela, which was the sole source. And they want to make a deal.

“How long have you been hearing about Cuba, Cuba, Cuba for 50 years?” Trump added.

“And that’s one of the small ones for me.” This is the first time

Trump has mentioned that Cuba has expressed an interest in reaching an agreement with the U.S.

For weeks, Trump has said his administration is in talks with leaders on the island, but Cuba has been particularly silent about the ongoing discussions.

Cuban diplomats first denied the talks, then called them “speculation.”

Shortly after the capture of Venezuela’s strongman Nicolás Maduro by U.S. forces, Trump said he wanted the communistruled island to reach a deal with the United States “BEFORE IT IS TOO LATE,” he said on social media in January

After cutting oil supplies to Cuba from Venezuela, he threatened Mexico and other suppliers with tar-

iffs. The country’s handpicked president, Miguel Díaz-Canel, announced harsh austerity measures on the population in an attempt to “resist” U.S. pressure.

But the Trump administration has sidelined Díaz-Canel, and Secretary of State Marco Rubio has engaged in backchannel conversations with a grandson of Raúl Castro, the island’s ultimate ruler, and other people.

On Friday, Trump hinted that the conversations with Cuban leaders were progressing.

“They’re in a big deal of trouble, as you know, they have no money,” he said. “But they’re talking with us, and maybe we’ll have a friendly takeover of Cuba.”

won his seat in 2020 after retiring from a 20-year career in the Navy that included time in Iraq and Afghanistan. On Tuesday, he was forced into a May runoff against Brandon Herrera, a gun manufacturer and YouTube gun-rights influencer who narrowly lost to Gonzales in the 2024 primary In his interview broadcast Wednesday, Gonzales said he had not spoken to Santos-Aviles since June 2024 and she died in September 2025.

“I had absolutely nothing to do with her tragic passing, and in fact, I was shocked just as much as everyone else,” Gonzales said. Gonzales went on to say he reconciled with his wife, Angel, and has asked God to forgive him. He also said he looked forward to the Ethics Committee investigation. Johnson and GOP leadership urged that committee to “act expeditiously.”

Under House ethics rules, lawmakers may not engage in a sexual relationship with any employee of the House under their supervision.

U.S., Venezuela agree to reestablish diplomatic relations

By The Associated Press

CARACAS The United States and Venezuela agreed to reestablish diplomatic relations in a major shift in a historically adversarial relationship, the State Department said on Thursday

The move comes after rounds of Trump administration officials have visited the South American nation following a U.S. military operation that deposed former President Nicolás Maduro in January Since then, the Trump administration has been stepping up pressure on Maduro loyalists now in power to accept its vision for the oil rich nation. Relations between the two countries were cut off following another geopolitical debacle in 2019, during the first Trump administration. The U.S. Embassy was closed and diplomatic staff moved to neighboring Colombia.

The State Department said in a statement that

talks between the countries were “focused on helping the Venezuelan people move forward through a phased process that creates the conditions for a peaceful transition to a democratically elected government.”

Since the unprecedented U.S offensive in Venezuela, the Trump administration has pushed the government to open its oil sector to foreign companies. The government of acting President Delcy Rodríguez, formerly Maduro’s vice president, approved an amnesty law that would enable to release of politicians, activists, lawyers and many others, effectively acknowledging that the government has held hundreds of people in prison for political motivations.

On Sunday, Venezuela’s top opposition leader and winner of the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize María Corina Machado said that she will return to Venezuela in the coming weeks and that elections will be held.

House narrowly rejects Iran war powers resolution

BY LISA MASCARO, STEPHEN GROVES and MARY CLARE JALONICK Associated Press

WASHINGTON The House narrowly rejected a war powers resolution Thursday to halt President Donald Trump’s attacks on Iran, an early sign of unease in Congress over the rapidly widening conflict that is reordering U.S. priorities at home and abroad.

It’s the second vote in as many days, after the Senate defeated a similar measure along party lines. Lawmakers are confronting the sudden reality of representing wary Americans in wartime and all that entails — with lives lost, dollars spent and alliances tested by a president’s unilateral decision to go to war with Iran.

While the tally in the House, 212-219, was expected to be tight, the outcome provided a clarifying snapshot of political support for and opposition to, the U.S.Israel military operation and Trump’s rationale for bypassing Congress, which alone has the power to declare war

“Donald Trump is not a king, and if he believes the war with Iran is in our national interest, then he must come to Congress and make the case,” said Rep. Gregory Meeks, the top Democrat on the House Foreign Affairs Committee.

House Speaker Mike Johnson warned that it would be

Raskin, D-Md arguing that the Constitution is clear that only Congress can decide matters of war “It’s up to us.”

While views in Congress are largely falling along party lines, there are crossover coalitions. The war powers resolution, if signed into law, would have immediately halted Trump’s ability to conduct the war unless Congress approved the military action. The president would likely veto it.

Shifting rationale for war

the situation under control. Six U.S. military members were killed over the weekend in a drone strike in Kuwait, and Trump has said more Americans could die. Thousands of Americans abroad have scrambled for flights to flee the Middle East.

Trump said Thursday he must be involved in choosing Iran’s new leader Yet Johnson said this week that America has enough problems at home and is not about to be in the “nationbuilding business.”

ballistic missiles that it believes are shielding its nuclear program. It has also said Israel was ready to act, and American bases would face retaliation if the U.S. did not strike Iran first.

“dangerous” to limit the president’s authority while the U.S. military is already in conflict.

“We are not at war,” said Johnson, R-Benton, a close ally of Trump. He said the operation is limited in scope and duration, and the “mission is nearly accomplished.”

Sticking with Trump

Trump’s Republican Party which narrowly controls the House and Senate, largely sees the conflict with Iran not as the start of a new war, but the end of a government that has long menaced the West. The operation has killed Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, which some view as an opportunity for regime change, though others warn of a chaotic power vacuum.

Republican Rep. Brian Mast of Florida, chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, publicly thanked Trump for taking action against Iran, saying the president is using his own constitutional authority to defend the U.S. against the “imminent threat” the country posed.

Mast, an Army veteran who worked as a bomb disposal expert in Afghanistan, said the war powers resolution was effectively asking “that the president do nothing.”

For Democrats, Trump’s attack on Iran, influenced by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, is a war of choice that is testing the balance of powers in the Constitution.

“The framers weren’t fooling around,” said Rep. Jamie

DOJ publishes Epstein files involving uncorroborated claim about Trump

BY ALANNA DURKIN RICHER Associated Press

WASHINGTON The Justice Department on Thursday released additional Jeffrey Epstein files involving uncorroborated accusations made by a woman against President Donald Trump that the department said had been mistakenly withheld during an earlier review

The department said last week that it was working to determine if any records were improperly withheld after several news organizations reported that the massive tranche of records that had been made public didn’t include some files documenting a series of interviews conducted in 2019 with a woman who made an allegation against Trump.

The accuser was interviewed by the FBI four times as it sought to assess her account but a summary of only one of those interviews had been included in the publicly released files.

On Thursday the department said those files had been “incorrectly coded as duplicative,” and therefore were inadvertently not published along with other investigative documents related to the disgraced financier, who killed himself while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges in 2019. Trump has consistently denied any wrongdoing in connection with Epstein. The department noted in January that some of the documents contain “untrue and sensationalist claims against President Trump that were submitted to the FBI right before the 2020 election.”

The Trump administration has faced constant political headaches since the rollout of the files began in December, with critics accusing the department of hiding certain documents or over-redacting files, or in some cases, not redacting enough Department officials have defended their handling of the files, saying they took pains

to release the files as quickly as possible under the law while also protecting victims. Department officials have said errors were inevitable given the volume of the materials, the number of lawyers viewing the files and the speed at which the department had to release them. The department has said it’s entitled to withhold records that exposed potential abuse victims, were duplicates or protected by legal privileges, or related to an ongoing criminal investigation.

Some of the new records published Thursday pertained to a woman who contacted the FBI shortly after Epstein’s 2019 arrest and claimed that a man named “Jeff” living in Hilton Head, South Carolina, had raped her there in the 1980s when she was around 13 years old. The woman told the agents she didn’t know the man’s identity at the time but decades later concluded he was Jeffrey Epstein when a friend texted her his photo from a news story

In a follow-up interview a month later, the woman added a host of other claims, including that Epstein had schemed to have her mother sent to prison, beaten her, arranged sexual encounters with other men and once flew her to either New Jersey or New York, where she claimed to have bitten Donald Trump after he tried to sexually assault her Agents spoke with the woman two more times at one point asking her to provide more detail on her supposed interactions with Trump, but reported that she declined to answer additional questions and broke off contact. There’s no indication that Epstein ever lived in South Carolina and it was unclear whether Trump and Epstein knew each other during the time period involved.

The woman’s report was one of a number of uncorroborated, sometimes fantastical, reports that federal agents received from members of the public alleging misconduct by Trump and other famous people in the months and years after Epstein’s arrest

After launching a surprise attack against Iran on Saturday, Trump has scrambled to win support for a conflict that Americans of all political persuasions were already wary of entering. Trump administration officials spent hours behind closed doors on Capitol Hill this week trying to reassure lawmakers that they have

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said that the war could extend to eight weeks, twice as long as the president first estimated. Trump has left open the possibility of sending U.S. troops into what has largely been a bombing campaign by air More than 1,230 people in Iran have died.

The administration said the goal is to destroy Iran’s

“This administration can’t even give us a straight answer of as to why we launched this preemptive war,” said Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., an outlier in his party Massie and Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., pushed the war powers resolution to the floor, past objections from Johnson’s GOP leadership. Johnson has warned that it would be “dangerous” to limit the president’s authority while the U.S. military is already in conflict.

“Congress must stand with the president to finally close, once and for all, this dark chapter of history,” said Rep. Michael McCaul, R-Texas.

Homeland Security funding bill falters again in Senate

BY KEVIN FREKING Associated Press

WASHINGTON Republicans invoked the war in Iran and the prospect of retaliatory terrorist attacks as they made another unsuccessful effort Thursday to pass a bill funding the Department of Homeland Security Democrats are insisting on changes to immigration enforcement operations as part of the measure and blocked it from advancing. The procedural vote was 51-45, falling well short of the 60 that Republicans needed to proceed with the measure.

The House also took up the bill on Thursday, passing it 221-209, but in the end, a bipartisan compromise will have to be reached to end a DHS shutdown that began Feb. 14.

The funding bill first passed the House back in January, but it has gone nowhere in the Senate as Democrats seek new restraints on immigration enforcement tactics following the killing of ICU nurse Alex Pretti by Border Patrol officers in Minneapolis.

Republicans have called on Democrats to reconsider their vote in the wake of the conflict in Iran.

Sen. John Barrasso, the No 2 Republican in the Senate, said Democrats would bear responsibility for the next cyberattack that is missed or the next “lone wolf terrorist” who attacks in the U.S.

“Blood will be on their hands,” Barrasso said on the Senate floor

It did not appear the GOP’s strategy had changed the position of Democratic lawmakers, though. They said they are prepared to fund most of the agencies in the department, just not Immigration and Customs Enforcement or Customs and Border Protection.

“It’s the same lousy rotten bill that does not put any guardrails or constraints on ICE or CBP after federal agents shot American citizens in the street,” said Rep. Jim McGovern, D-Mass.

Moments before the vote, senators were getting word that President Donald Trump had just fired DHS Secretary Kristi Noem. The news did not change Democrats’ resolve to force operational changes within the department through the spending bill.

“Good riddance,” said Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y. “But the problems at ICE transcend any one individual.”

Following the longest federal shutdown in the country’s history last year, Congress has completed work on 11 of this year’s 12 appropriations bills. Only the bill for Homeland Security remains outstanding.

Republicans said the timing couldn’t be worse for a Homeland Security shutdown. While a large

majority of the department’s employees are considered essential and continue to work, many will not receive a full paycheck this week.

“Like Democrats’ first shutdown a few months ago, this shutdown is causing a lot of financial stress, uncertainty, and pain for hardworking Americans,” Senate Majority Leader John Thune said. “It’s also making it harder for those working to keep America safe.”

Republicans said the prospect of an increase in unscheduled absences by the Transportation Security Administration’s agents could lead to longer wait times at the nation’s airports. Meanwhile, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency has canceled various assessments to determine vulnerabilities to critical infrastructure. And training for first responders conducted through the Federal Emergency Management Agency was canceled.

Democrats are seeking several

changes at the department that include prohibiting ICE enforcement operations at sensitive locations like schools and churches, allowing independent investigations into alleged wrongdoing, requiring warrants to be signed by judges before federal agents can forcibly enter private homes or other nonpublic spaces without consent, and requiring agents to wear identification and remove their masks.

Republicans note that the bill does include a bipartisan provision directing more resources for deescalation training and $20 million to outfit immigration enforcement agents with body-worn cameras.

The White House and congressional Democrats don’t appear to have made significant progress in recent weeks in resolving their differences after trading offers.

“Look, we’re still far apart, but we’re negotiating and exchanging paper back and forth,” Schumer said.

her ouster there. She read from prepared remarks and was not asked by attendees about the development.

Later, in a social media post, she thanked Trump for the new appointment and touted her accomplishments as secretary

“We have made historic accomplishments at the Department of Homeland Security to make America safe again,” she wrote. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said the administration will work with the GOP-led Senate to get Mullin, whom she called “extraordinarily qualified,” confirmed to lead DHS “as soon as possible.”

Noem is the first Cabinet secretary to leave during Trump’s second term. Her tenure looked increasingly short-lived after hearings in Congress this week where she faced rare but blistering criticism from Republican lawmakers. One particular point of scrutiny was a $220 million ad campaign featuring Noem that encouraged people in the country illegally to leave voluntarily.

Noem told lawmakers that Trump was aware of the campaign in advance, but Trump disputed that in an interview Thursday with Reuters, saying he did not sign off on the ad campaign Noem has faced waves of criticism as she’s overseen Trump’s immigration crackdown, especially since the shooting deaths of the two protesters in Minneapolis at the hands of immigration enforcement officers In the immediate aftermath of the deaths of Renee Good and Alex Pretti, Noem portrayed both of them as aggressors, contradicting widely viewed videos and descriptions of their deaths from bystanders. She declined to apologize for her description over two days of Congressional testimony The former South Dakota governor was also criticized over the way her depart-

ment has spent billions of dollars allocated to it by Congress. Her department, DHS, has been at the center of a funding battle in Congress over immigration enforcement tactics and has been shut down for 20 days, although many of the employees are continuing to work, often without pay Even before Noem’s appearance before key congressional committees this week, Republican lawmakers had been anticipating the secretary’s eventual ouster, particularly after her handling of the immigration enforcement crackdown in Minneapolis.

As they tried to end the ongoing Homeland Security shutdown, Senate Republicans had noted privately to Democratic senators that Noem was likely on her way out and that that should prompt Democrats to move forward with agreeing to fund the department again, according to two people familiar with the discussions Democrats did not see that as an actual concession by Republicans, considering

Noem was becoming a political liability for the GOP, said the people, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss private negotiations Aside from immigration, Noem also faced criticism — including from Republicans over the pace of emergency funding approved through the Federal Emergency Management Agency and for the Trump administration’s response to disasters.

Critics welcomed Noem’s departure Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey wrote “good riddance” on social media, a sentiment echoed by Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer Some immigration activists questioned whether her departure would change the execution of an immigration agenda that they fundamentally disagree with.

“This is not accountability just a reshuffling of the enablers of the agenda of President Trump,” said Vanessa Cárdenas, executive director of America’s Voice, an advocacy group. She said Noem’s tenure was “marked by cruelty.” Gregory Bovino, a Border

Patrol official who was elevated under Noem’s watch

to lead immigration crackdowns in cities including Los Angeles, Chicago and Minneapolis, was one of the few who applauded Noem’s tenure.

“She is the best secretary I ever worked for, period. The others weren’t even close. Noem is the ultimate patriot,” Bovino told The Associated Press.

Mullin would need to be confirmed by the Senate, but under a federal law governing executive branch vacancies, he would be allowed to serve as an acting Homeland Security secretary as long as his nomination is formally pending.

Voting in the Senate just after Trump’s announcement, Mullin said he has “no idea” how quickly his nomination will move.

“The president and I are good friends. So we look forward to working closer with the White House, and obviously I’m gonna be over there a lot more,” he said.

Mullin would take over the third-largest department in

government that has responsibility for carrying out Trump’s hardline immigration agenda. And he would assume the role at a pivotal time for that agenda.

Immigration enforcement during the first year of Trump’s administration was largely defined by highprofile, made-for-social-media operations with flashy names, often led by Bovino, who reported directly to Noem. Noem herself often went out on those operations, riding along with officers when they went out to make arrests. But those high-profile operations in places like Los Angeles, Chicago and Minneapolis often led to clashes with activists and protesters that were captured on video and drove opposition to the president’s immigration agenda. That culminated with the shooting deaths in Minneapolis after which Trump shuffled leadership of the operation. The number of officers there was drawn down shortly after

longstandingcoastal litigation claims against them,” he said. The siteofhis announcement was significant: Lafourche Parish has not joined any of the coastal lawsuits, which have been filed in Plaquemines, Jefferson, Cameron and other coastal parishes. Terrebonne Parish also has not sued oil companies.

Landry said that the settlement would involve the company giving the state access to 150,000 acres of land it owns and “unlock hundreds of millionsofdollars in coastal investment.”

“What does this mean for Louisiana? It means access to these lands, it clears the way for major restoration efforts, and helps secure nearly $480 million in federal funding,” Landry said It was not immediately clear where thatfederal funding would come from.

Dennis Nuss, adirector of media relations at ConocoPhillips, said that the company is “pleased to have reached alignment with the state of Louisianaonaresolution that supports the protection and restoration of the Louisiana coastal zone.”

The settlement will allow thestate to break ground on a94-mile coastal land bridge project across Plaquemines and Terrebonne parishes,a barrierthat the governor said would protect Houma, Thibodaux and other communities. Landry added the settlement will facilitate the expansion of Port Fourchon, amajor oil and gas hub in Lafourche Parish.

“Another major (oil and gas company) has come to the table,” Carmouche said Thursday.“The governor and theattorneygeneral took the lead. Iwant to thank them for their hard work and dedication, which will help protect Louisiana and its future citizens.”

Carmouche said that he and his firm, Talbot, Carmouche &Marcello, had been negotiating with ConocoPhillipsfor years, trying to resolve the litigation through asettlement. He feltthat the talks had

LIBRARY

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additional requests for comment Thursday at the time of publication.

The search for the most recent library director was at times contentious dueto discussions about removing the parish library system’s requirement that candidates for the positionhaveaMaster of Library and Information Science degree.

The Livingston Parish Library Alliance, acommunity groupthatsupportsthe libraries, wrote Thursday that it was“deeply concerned” about the recent resignation and said the termination of Parrish in July worsened the situation.

“Weurgethe parishcoun-

stalled,and he was preparedtotake acase against thecompanytotrial. At that point, Carmouche said, representatives fromthe company approached members of Landry’sadministration. Carmouche said thatAttorney General Liz Murrill and Landry “did an excellent job getting this to the finish line.”

The Coalition to Restore Coastal Louisiana, acoastal advocacy group, praisedthe anticipated settlement and said it would benefit the state andits coastalprograms

“It shows theimportance of partnershipsand resolving differences and underscores the idea that safeguardingour future in south Louisiana is best accomplished by working together,” said CRCL spokesperson JamesKarst.

Tommy Faucheux, the president of the Louisiana Mid-ContinentOil andGas Association, whichhas long opposed thelawsuits, said that thestate’s“energy industry is already thelargest private investor in restoring our state’scoastline.”

“These lawsuits are a short-sightedstrategythat create long-term conflict between our state and Louisiana’senergy communities,” Faucheux said

“It’s asad day when the state of Louisiana celebrates another ‘sue and settle’ deal against oneofthe largest energyproducers in the world,” said Marc Ehrhardt, the executive directorofthe Grow Louisiana Coalition, which advocates forLouisiana’senergy industry Thursday’sannouncement comes after years of legal and political wranglingover the cases.

The coastal cases have been apolitical flashpoint since thefirstofthe 40-plus lawsuits were filed in 2013. Landry,asattorney general, sought to take overthe cases from Carmouche’sfirm in 2016. After Landry was elected governor in 2023, the state instead joined the cases alongside theparishes. Murrill has since been outspoken in her support of the cases, in spite of the Trump administration’s opposition to them —one offew areas where Louisiana leaders have openlyclashed with the president.

cil to address these challenges and ensure thelibrary’s future success by engaging aprofessional consulting firmtoconduct adirector search that actively recruits aqualifiedand experienced candidate suited for asystemof our size witha Master ofLibrary Science,” the alliance said in astatement. Thelatest directorshakeup is aculminationofyears of commotion between Livingston Parish andits library system, which has been rooted in residents’ concern over possible sexually explicit books beingin children’s sections of parish libraries.

Dustin Cotton and Julia Falcon, bothcurrent assistant directors, will serveas actingco-directorsuntilthe board ofcontrol appointsan interim director,according

Last year,the firstofthe coastal lawsuits went to trial in PlaqueminesParish, where ajury orderedChevrontopay $745 million in damages.

But that verdict is now in limbo, as theoil companiesinvolvedinthatcase have appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court, asking it to move the case out of state court and into federal court. Thecompanies arguethat thecases involve oil and gas production during World WarII, andsoshouldbe heard in federal court If the Supreme Court orders thecases removed to federalcourt,afederal judge couldtossthe $745 million jury verdict and order the case retried.The justices heard oral arguments in the case in January anda ruling is expected by thesummer Chevron and ExxonMobil Corp. arethe two oil and gasmajorsthathavenot yetsettled in the coastal lawsuits, Carmouche said. Any resolution with either companycould rank among thelargest in thedecadelong litigation.

Email Alex Lubben at alex.lubben@theadvocate. com.

to libraryleadership. Both assistant directors were acting directors during the mostrecent hiring process. The next Library Boardof Control meetingwill be on March17, where theboard will discuss thesearch for a new director

CONFLICT IN THE MIDDLE EAST

Trumpwants role in pickingIran’sleader

BY JON GAMBRELL, DAVID RISING, ELENA BECATOROS and SAMY MAGDY Associated Press

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates U.S.

President Donald Trump said Thursday he should be involved in choosing Iran’s next supreme leaderasthe U.S. and Israel hammered the country for asixth day. Iran kept up retaliatory attacks on Israel,Americanbasesand countries around the region.

Trump ruled out Mojtaba Khamenei, afront-runnertoreplace hisfather,Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was killedinthe opening strikes of the war. Trump’s comments to the American news website Axios were likely to renew questions about whether the U.S. and Israel seek the overthrow of the Islamic Republic or just a change in its policies,asthe conflicthas appeared increasingly open-ended.

The war has escalated each day, affecting an additional14countries across the Middle East and beyond. On Thursday,Azerbaijan accused Iran of drone attacks, which Tehran denied. Iran said the U.S. would “bitterlyregret” torpedoing an Iranian warship.

Israel issued amass evacuation warning for Beirut’ssouthern suburbs as the fighting escalated with Iran-allied Hezbollah militants.

All the while, the U.S. andIsrael have batteredIran with nationwide strikes, targeting their military capabilities, leadership and nuclear program.

Iran’sattacks have targeted their Arab neighbors, disrupted oil supplies and snarled global air travel.The warhas killed at least 1,230 peopleinIran, more than120 in Lebanon and around adozen in Israel, according to officialsin those countries. Six U.S. troops have been killed.

ComparisontoVenezuela

In the Axios interview,Trump derided the 56-year-oldMojtaba Khamenei, who has never been

elected or appointed to agovernment position, as “a lightweight.”

“Wewant someone that will bring harmonyand peace to Iran,”

Trumpsaid

“I have to be involved in the appointment,like withDelcy in Venezuela,”said Trump, referring to theactingpresident in the South American country.Delcy Rodríguez took power in Januaryafter aU.S. military operation captured Nicolás Maduro andwhisked him to the U.S. to facefederal drug conspiracy charges.

Israel’sdefense minister,Israel Katz, said this week that Iran’s next supreme leader—ifhecontinuestothreatenIsrael,the U. and others —“will be atarget for elimination.”

Iran remains defiant Iranian Foreign MinisterA bas Araghchi onThursday denied

reports that Tehran has been in contact with the U.S. to push for a ceasefire.

“Wedon’t see anyreasonwhy we should negotiate withthe U.S.,” Araghchi toldNBC News. “When we negotiatedwiththemtwice, and every time they attacked us in themiddle of negotiations.”

Araghchi also accused the U.S. Navy of committing “anatrocity at sea” forsinkingthe Iranianfrigate IRIS Dena in the Indian Ocean, killing at least 87 people.

“The U.S. will come tobitterly regret(the)precedent it has set,” he said on social media.

TheIranian ship was return-

state television for the shedding of both Israeli and “Trump’sblood.”

The statementfrom Ayatollah Abdollah JavadiAmolirepresented ararecallfor violence by an ayatollah, one of ShiiteIslam’s highest clericalranks. There are dozens in Iran.

Sri Lanka said another Iranian warship wasanchored near its coastonThursday and morethan 200 sailors werebeing escorted to anaval base on the outskirts of the capital, Colombo. The ship will be taken to aSri Lankan port, said Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake.

Still, Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir said: “The threat has not yet been removed.”

Israel said holy sites in Jerusalem’sOld City would be closed Fridayafter airsirens warned of missile attacks Thursday in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem.

Closures include Christianity’s Church of the Holy Sepulchre and Judaism’s Western Wall. They will also affect tensofthousands of Muslimswho pray at the compound on Fridays during Ramadan.

The U.S. State Department announced it wasclosing the U.S. Embassy in Kuwait, which activated air defense systems after missiles were shot toward it. Iran has fired waves of missiles and drones at the American-allied Gulf country since the start of the war.AnIranian dronestrike Sunday killedsix American soldiers in Kuwait.

In theUnited Arab Emirates, a drone wasshot down near the Al Dhafra Air Base, which hosts U.S. forces. Shrapnel fell to the ground, authoritiessaid, andsix people were wounded.

Qatarevacuated residents near the U.S. Embassy in Doha as a temporary precautionand later reported amissile attack. Saudi Arabia said it destroyed adrone in aprovince bordering Jordan. Bahrain said an Iranian missile hit astate-run oilrefinery Thursday,sparking afire that was extinguished. The refinery wasstill working, it said, and there wereno reports of casualties.

Azerbaijan’sPresident Ilham Aliyev accusedIranofcarrying out “a groundless act of terror and aggression” after adrone crashed Thursday near the airport in Nakhchivan, aregion bordering Iran. Another drone fell near aschool. Aliyev said the military had been instructed “to prepare andimple-

BY COLLEEN SLEVIN, HANNAH SCHOENBAUM,SARAH BRUMFIELD and GEORGEFREY Associated Press

TORREY,Utah An Iowa man faces three counts of aggravated murder in southern Utah where authorities said Thursday that he killed awoman, stole her vehicle and drove it to anearby trailhead wherehekilled two more women before fleeing in one of their vehicles.

The series of eventshappened late Wednesday afternoon in small ranchingand farmingcommunities that bustle with touristsinthe summer because of the proximity to national parks.

Ivan Miller,22, confessed to killing the threewomen after he was arrested in Colorado, saying he did it to steal their cars and credit cards because he needed moneyto get back to Iowa, charging documents show.Hehad hitanelk a few days earlier in Utahand was without avehicle after selling his truck to the tow company.

After staying in hotels for afew days, he said he eventually spent thenight in ashed on the property of the firstwoman he’saccused of killing and stole her Buick af-

ter shootingher inside her home, Wayne County prosecutors said in court documents.

Miller toldauthorities that he quicklyrealized hedid not like the Buickand wanted adifferentvehicle, according tothe documents. He parked it at anearby trailhead, saw two women get out of aSubaru andkilledthembeforetaking the car,the documentsstate.

He attempted to conceal their bodies in adry creek bed, prosecutorsallege.

Officialshavenot released the names of the victims.

Authoritieswere alerted to the killings by the husbands of the hikers whowenttothe trail near CapitolReef National Park looking

for them, said Lt. Cameron Roden of the Utah HighwayPatrol.The husbands told authorities avehicle was missing from the trailhead.

Investigators were combing the site Thursday that is partially shieldedfrom apaved road by piñon and juniper trees, and other vegetation. Rodensaid authorities discovered thefirst womanwho was killed after identifying the owner of theBuick.Police cordoned off thebrick home in Lymanand an outbuilding with yellow tape while investigators gathered evidence Thursday.Down the road nearby, theauthorities were combing through atree-covered area.

The body of the first woman, who officials said was in her 80s, was found in acellarunder ashedon her property,according to court documents

Authorities used license plate readers and vehicle tracking services to followMiller’spath, from Utah through northern Arizona and into the mountaintown of Pagosa Springs in southwestern Colorado, where he abandoned the stolen vehicle, Roden said. He was found after ashort search.

According to online jail records,

Miller was being held on suspicion of carrying aconcealed weapon, a misdemeanor.Hewas arrested in Colorado with aknife and a.45-caliber pistol, according to court documents, and was scheduled to makehis first court appearance in the state Friday afternoon.

Millerisbeingrepresented by the Colorado Public Defender’soffice, said Justin Bogan, whoheads the office in the judicial district that covers Pagosa Springs. Bogan declined to comment further

The Associated Pressleft amessage for the public defender’soffice in Utah late Thursday afternoon.

Investigators have not yet found amotive forthe killings and do not believe thesuspect targetedthe women forany other reason other than just “convenience,” Roden said. He said there is no indication that Miller had any connection to thevictims. Investigatorswere stilllooking into when Miller arrived in Utah and what he wasdoing prior to the killings.

Officials said the hikers were friendsintheir30s and 60sand had no connection to the otherwoman who lived in ahomeinWayne County about 10 milesfrom the trail.

Wis. manwho killed parentstofundTrump assassinationattempt gets life

BY TODD RICHMOND Associated Press

WAUKESHA,Wis. AWisconsin teenager who killed his parents and stole their money to fund his plan to kill PresidentDonaldTrump with abomb dropped from adrone was sentenced to life in prison on Thursday Nikita Casap,18, pleadedguilty in January to two counts of firstdegree intentional homicide in Waukesha CountyCircuit Court in connectionwith the shooting deaths of his mother,Tatiana Casap, and stepfather,Donald Mayer,in2025. Prosecutors dropped seven other chargesina plea deal,including twocountsof hiding acorpse and theft

First-degree intentional homicide carries amandatory life sentence. The only question as Judge Ralph Ramirez began the sentencing hearing Thursday afternoon

was whether he wouldmakeCasap eligible for parole at some point. Calling Casap’soffenses “horrific” and “inexplicable,” Ramirez ultimately handed down two life sentences with no chance at extended supervision, the term the Wisconsin criminal justice system uses for parole. The judgesaid he didn’thavea“crystalball” that would tellhim when Casap would change, if ever “I choose to find he’snot eligible forextended release because I do not know …whenand if and whethera profoundand significant changecan occur,”Ramirez said. According to acriminal complaint, investigators believe Casap shot hisstepfather and mother at their home in the village of Waukesha on or around Feb. 11, 2025. He lived with the decomposing bodies for two weeks beforefleeing across the country in his stepfather’sSUV with $14,000incash,

jewelry,passports, hisstepfather’s gun and the family dog, according to thecomplaint. He was eventually arrested during atraffic stop in KansasonFeb.28after four days on the run.

Federal authorities have accused Casap of planning his parents’ murders, buying adrone andexplosives and sharing his plans with others, including aRussianspeaker.They saidina federal search warrant that he wroteamanifesto calling for Trump’sassassination andwas in touch with others about his plot to overthrowthe U.S. government

“The killing of his parents appeared to be an effort to obtain the financialmeans and autonomy necessarytocarrying out his plan,” thatwarrant said.

Detectives found severalmessages on Casap’scellphone from January 2025 in which Casap asks how long he will have to hide before he is relocated to Ukraine. An

unknown individual responded in Russian, the complaint said, but the document doesn’tsay what that person toldCasap. In another message Casap asks: “So while in Ukraine, I’ll be able to livea normal life? Even if it’sfound out Idid it?”

District Attorney Lesli Boese told thejudge Thursday that Casap wastoo dangerous to ever be released from prison.

PullingfromaninterviewCasap gave to the FBI,Boese said that Casap and his mother moved to the United States from the Republic of Moldova when Casapwas agradeschooler buthebecameincreasingly addicted to what she called “disturbing websites” as he grew older She didn’telaborate, but at one point said he had been researching serialkillers and school shootings.

BoesesaidCasapdeveloped a planinlate2024 to targetTrump with an AK-47 rifle attached to adrone. The teen later decided

he wantedtodropexplosiveson Trumpfrom adrone and then fleebyship to Ukraine, where he planned to hide for adecade, according to the district attorney Casap started talking with two people online whooffered to sell him thedroneand theexplosives. He sent one of them $8,700 in bitcoinfromhis stepfatherMayer’s account without realizing they were scamming him and there was never adrone or any explosives, Boese said.

Casap gave atearful speech, saying that he loved his mother and he was worried about herall thetime, even when she was reaching for something on ahigh shelf.Hesaid he wasn’tasclose with Mayer,but Mayer still treated him like ason. Buthebecame obsessedwith hateful thoughts. “I thought Iwas part of arevolution,” he said. “I thoughtI waspartofa war. Itold myself bad things had to happen.”

La.crawfish farmerssee worker shortage

Changestotemporary visa programleadtomigrant worker decline

BY ALYSE PFEIL Staff writer

Louisiana crawfish farmersare facing ashortage of workersdue to changes to atemporaryguestworker visa program for migrants, Louisiana Agriculture and Forestry Commissioner Mike Strain said this week. Strain said he has reached out to federal officialsabout the problem but hasgotten little indicationthatthings will change.

“They simply cannot get their workers. Andso some of the plants that normally get 100, 135workers have gotten zero,” Strain told apanel of state legislators who were meeting this week for budgetdiscussions. The staffing problems come in

the middle of crawfish harvesting season,which typically runs from December to June.

part of the Department of Homeland Security

Strain said the federal government’squota hasalreadybeen reached for H-2B visas, temporary work visaswhich allow businesses to hire migrants for seasonal, nonagricultural jobs.

Temporary visa programsare overseen by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, whichisa

“Without those workers, the crawfish don’tget peeled,” Strainsaid. “The plants willshut down,and either,one,those crawfish are not consumed, or two, as has happened in thepast, they will filluptractor-trailerloads of these crawfish, send ’em down to Mexico, get’em peeled and bring ’em back.”

TREESPREE

BALLANCE

Baton Rouge Green is planting 81 trees in the medianonStaringLanethanks to state funding secured by Sen. Franklin Foil.

Tsunami seeks Chapter11 protection

Restaurant owners file forbankruptcy

BYADAMDAIGLE

The owners of Tsunami Sushi restaurants have filed for federal bankruptcy protection, justover four years after buying the business from Lafayette owners

Theownership group, which operates theLafayettelocation along with two in BatonRouge and another in New Orleans, filed for Chapter 11 protection earlier this week in theMiddleDistrictofLouisiana. The company is pledging to keep its locations open through the process. The four operating companies under the Tsunami brand, now under ownership of Baton Rougerestaurateur Chad Hughes, Connie Hargrave and Sarwat Gad, arefacingbetween $2.5 million and $3.5 million indebt across the four restaurants, the group’sattorney told WAFB. Thelistofthe biggest creditors forthe Lafayettelocationtotaled more than $300,000, including over $26,000 to FortuneFish &Gourmet of New Orleans, $7,000 to Loop Linen Service of Westwego and over $7,000toSouthside ProduceofBaton Rouge.

ä See TSUNAMI, page 2B

Construction begins on SpanishTowncondos

Plansinclude 45 housingunits, multiplebuildings

BY IANNE SALVOSA Staff writer

More housingiscoming to Spanish Town Construction is ongoing for the firstphase of the Spanish Town Condominiums, aseries of buildings near the upper half of the neighborhood along the Capitol Lakes.The three-story building, at 733 Lakeland Drive, will include eight units, totaling about 14,000 square feet once complete. ST Commercial Real Estate LLCpurchased the 1.75-acre tract forthe developmentin2018withthe intentionofbuilding multifamily units. Ram Construction is thedeveloper for the project, according topermits issued for the condos.

“Thisproject represents asignificant milestone for Spanish Town as the largest housing investment in our neighborhood in more than 50 years,” LaurenLeist, chairman of theHistoric Spanish Town Civic Association, said in astatement.

Spanish Town, Baton Rouge’s oldest neighborhood, saw its most recent

“I’ve sent aletter andfollow-up phone calls directly to the director of Homeland Security,Ms. Kristi Noem, also to the Department of Labor,also to the (U.S. Department of Agriculture) and to the Office of Intergovernmental Affairsatthe White House,” Strain said. President Donald Trump removed Noem fromthat role on Thursday

Newtech startup incubator in BR announced

ProofWorks taking over former Tin Roof Brewing site

BY IANNE SALVOSA Staff writer

Agroupthatincludesthe state plans to turn the former TinRoof Brewing location into an incubator forcarbon management startups. Proof Works will provide labspace andprogramming for early-stage tech startups to develop their ideas into market-ready products. The newstartup hub is part of East Baton Rouge Parish’sportion of FastSites, 19 industrial and business sites around Louisianathatwillreceive statefunding fordevelopmentin hopes of attracting investment. Louisiana EconomicDevelopment manages the $150 million revolving capital fund that fuels FastSites. Gov.Jeff Landry announced the first round of sites, whichwill collectively receive$140 million, at a news conference Tuesday

The development of Proof Works is acollaboration between The GreaterBaton RougeEconomic Partnership, LED, FUEL and Baton Rouge Area Foundation. The incubator will be privately operated once up andrunning.

Lori Melancon,president and CEO of the economic partnership, said the incubatorisastep forward in diversifying the Baton Rouge area economy andempowering local entrepreneurs to build afuture industry

“For generations, our industrial base haspowered opportunity here, andnow we arebuilding the infrastructurethatensuresthe next wave of innovationiscreated and scaled in our backyard,” Melancon said in astatement. “By supporting entrepreneurs in hard-tech and advanced prototyping, we areexpanding whatispossible in the 225, retaining top talent, and creating new pathways for high-wage,highimpact careers.”

multifamily housing development in 2023 with the $21.5 million Valencia Parkapartment complex, which has 122 units of affordable andveteran housing. Theneighborhood is largely made up of

multifamily housing in the formofduplexes and multiplexes,thoughtherearesome single-family homes. Leistsaid the organization has workedwith the developersince2021 to ensure the project matches the neighborhood’scharacter The East Baton Rouge Parish Historic Preservation Committee unanimously approved the development in November 2022. When complete, the development will include 45 units acrossmultiplebuildings,acommunity center and public promenade along theCapitol Lakes, according to planning documents filed with the committee.

The facilitywill have labs, programming andworkspace forstartups working on carbon capture, utilization and monitoring and industrialtechnology.The goal of Proof Works is to help startups successfully develop theirproducts and bringittothe marketplace, apart of the startup timeline whenmany falter,typically due to funding gaps, commonly referred to as the“valley of death.”

Afew companieshavealready committed to using Proof Works for prototyping, product development andtesting,according to arelease from The Partnership.

Theincubator will be led by Paul Barrial, who wasmostrecently director of memberengagement at the business incubator Nexus Louisiana

“This is an exciting chapter for entrepreneurship in the Baton Rouge area andLouisiana,” Barrial said in arelease.“Ourgrowingecosystem

A former major at Elayn Hunt Correctional Center who was arrested Wednesday had children with an inmate while she worked there, Iberville Parish Sheriff Brett Stassi said. Francis Smith, 38, voluntarily turned herself in to the Sheriff’s Office on Wednesday morning because she had a warrant for her arrest. She was accompanied by her attorney, Stassi said. She was booked with malfeasance in office and sexual contact with a person in the institution, which is a felony Smith resigned from the prison on Sept. 12.

Rouge magnet school inadvertently brought her mother’s pink handgun to school Thursday after the woman said she mistakenly put the weapon in the child’s book sack, authorities said.

CRIME BLOTTER staff reports

Mother arrested after gun found in child’s backpack

A kindergartner at a Baton

INCUBATOR

Continued from page 1B

will benefit not just from this new physical space, but also the cross-collaboration that it will enable. We look forward to welcoming founders to Proof Works soon.”

Strategically placed

Proof Works will be housed at 1624 Wyoming

CRAWFISH

Continued from page 1B

Strain added: “I’m a bit frustrated with the answers I’m getting from Washington because they’re basically saying, ‘Well, they’ve met the cap and you know what, there’s nothing else we can do.’”

Strain also said Louisiana’s congressional delegation is “very aware” of the problem and that he’s been “in consistent conversation” with the office of Gov Jeff Landry on the issue

Asked about Strain’s concerns during a news conference Tuesday, Landry acknowledged that changes

TSUNAMI

Continued from page 1B

In a statement released Wednesday, the group indicated the filing is to reorganize its subsidiaries to “continue to serve their customers in Baton Rouge, Lafayette and New Orleans.” The reorganization is expected to be complete in the coming months, the statement read.

The group bought the chain from a Lafayette group led by Michele Ezell, who first opened the Lafayette location along with her husband and siblings in the old Abdalla’s building downtown in December 2000. In 2004, a Baton Rouge location opened in the Shaw Center for the Arts, a mixed-use

Vannicea McCray, 36, was booked in Parish Prison on a count of contributing to the delinquency of a juvenile.

“McCray stated that while preparing to leave her residence, she placed the firearm on the side of the child’s backpack and mistakenly failed to remove it before the child left for school,” said Casey Rayborn Hicks, a spokesperson for the East Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff’s Office.

The gun was discovered after the girl showed it to a fellow student at BR FLAIM, who reported it to a teacher Deputies were dispatched

to the school at 9:13 a.m., Hicks said.

The weapon was identified as a pink Glock 9 mm handgun containing 10 rounds of ammunition; no injuries or threats were reported, Hicks said

The Louisiana Department of Children and Family Services was contacted and came to the school Thursday to check on the welfare of the child, Hicks said.

BR FLAIM is short for Baton Rouge Foreign Language Academic Immersion Magnet school. It is located at 4510 Bawell Street.

A total of three guns have been found this school year on the campus of an East Baton Rouge Parish public school. That’s down from 16 found last year on a district campus.

The most concerning incident was a student at Istrouma High who, on Feb. 25, brought a loaded gun to school, which discharged in

class, resulting in no injuries.

Public elementary schools like BR FLAIM have less security than middle and high schools, which all have walk-through metal detectors and, in a few cases, artificial intelligence-powered weapons detection systems.

Four teenagers plead not guilty to murder charges

Four teenagers pleaded not guilty Thursday after being formally charged with first-degree murder in the shooting death of 17-year-old Northdale Academy student E’Myrei Walker. Jemile Causey 19, Kayden Grayer, 18, and two 17-year-old boys each face a charge of firstdegree murder and two charges of attempted first-degree murder.

Walker was found suffering

from gunshot wounds on Jan. 10 while sitting in a car parked in a driveway on Wood Street. She died on the scene, Baton Rouge police said.

Another victim inside the car received injuries that were not life-threatening and was taken to a hospital.

Each of the four also pleaded not guilty to the attempted murder charges.

“The loss of a young life to violence is devastating and deeply felt across our school community,” schools Superintendent LaMont Cole said in a statement following Walker’s death. “There are no words that can fully ease this pain, but we stand together in mourning and in support of one another.”

The four defendants are set to return to court on May 12.

St., the former Tin Roof Brewery. The brewing company closed its doors in 2024 to allow the owners to focus on other ventures and has been vacant since. The location positions the incubator between LSU campus and downtown, putting startups in close proximity to other innovation players in the area like the university, IBM and Louisiana Innovation. LED Chief Innovation Officer Josh

related to the timing of guest worker visa applications have “caused some wrinkles especially (with) crawfish processors.”

Landry said the decision of Homeland Security not to issue as many visas as they have in the past is within that agency’s purview. He added that Congress decides immigration policy

“That is their lane to drive. And so we’re just trying to make sure that we meet the needs of our businesses while they decide what our immigration policy looks like,” Landry said.

U.S. Sen. John Kennedy, R-Madisonville, in response to a request for comment on Strain’s concerns, said, “I’ve been working hard

development that played a key role in revitalizing downtown. A New Orleans location in the Pan American Life Center on Poydras Street opened in March 2017 and a second Baton Rouge restaurant at Highland and Bluebonnet followed in 2024 Land records show the group led by Hughes bought the building at 412 Jefferson St. and the parking lot at the corner of Garfield and Buchanan streets in December 2021 for $2 million

“Tsunami was such a big part of our communities for so long,” Ezell said Thursday. “We put our hearts into it for 22 years. I hope that the current owners are able to restructure it to a place where they can continue the operation. That’s my wish for their employees and

Fleig said Proof Works’ proximity to LSU is paramount since the university is the “wellspring” of energy research in the state.

LSU FUEL’s Regional Innovation Engine, a National Science Foundation-funded program that donates money to groups to research and develop energy and technology solutions, will supply Proof Work’s first tenants. FUEL, or Future Use of Energy in Louisiana, is made

up of more than 50 business and education partners led by LSU to find solutions for energy use, particularly in carbon management.

FUEL offers a proof-ofconcept fund program that provides money to startups to help them commercialize.

While Baton Rouge is home to several business incubators and accelerator programs, Proof Works will specialize in startups

developing technology that involves tangible, complex hardware, with an emphasis on carbon management and industrial technology

FUEL received $15 million from the NSF for each of its first two years in its Regional Innovation Engine program, with potential to reach up to $160 million, based on performance

“There’s so many ways you can use carbon to create a product that makes

money and drives wealth and creates jobs in Louisiana,” Fleig said.

Looking ahead

Plans are still in the works for construction to convert the brewery into Proof Works’ office and a timeline is to be determined, according to The Partnership. But a few startups are interested in using the space and the organization is looking into opening the space up soon.

in the Senate to make sure Louisiana’s crawfish producers are treated fairly.”

“That includes fighting the import of unsafe food products from overseas, backing bills like the Save Our Seafood Act to help our industry deal with worker shortages that have plagued them for years, and leading the CRAWDAD Act to get crawfish farmers emergency support after droughts and severe weather,” Kennedy said in a statement.

A big industry In large-scale crawfish operations, rice farmers typically raise crawfish, and they also operate peeling plants, Strain said. The farmers sell what they can

to the retail market for crawfish boils and the rest of the crawfish goes to peeling plants, where they are peeled, frozen and sold to buyers, including in other parts of the country, he said.

“It is a significant economic driver,” Strain said of the industry He added that crawfish operations are also vital for cash flow for rice farming.

Louisiana’s combined annual crawfish yield ranges from 120 million to 150 million pounds, according to the Louisiana Crawfish Promotion and Research Board website, and it contributes over $300 million to the state’s economy every year

Bar

their customers.”

The filing comes about 15 months after Hughes filed suit against Hargrave and Gad after accusing them of conspiring with Hargrave’s son, Brandon, to terminate Hughes’ interest in the business. The bankruptcy documents were filed a day before the case was to go to trial, according to records.

Hughes, who said he did “considerably more business” for Tsunami than his partners, claimed he received a letter from an attorney in March 2024 instructing that he no longer participate in meetings or contact management, the suit indicated.

Hargrave, who managed the Lafayette location, stopped paying rent to the

entity Hausu 412 LLC, that owns the building, Hughes claimed. He also alleged Gar emptied the bank account connected to Lit Parking, which operates the parking lot at Garfield and Buchanan streets.

He claimed they contacted police after he tried to access a bank account connected to Tsunami. He is asking for an unspecified amount of damages.

Brandon Hargrave is listed in documents as the manager of the four locations. Hargrave was a franchisee with Baton Rouge-based Walk-On’s before the company terminated the deal in 2019 after Hargrave made a racist post on Facebook. Brandon Hargrave is not listed as a defendant in Hughes’ lawsuit.

Hughes, who also co-owns Ivar’s Sports Bar and Grill in Baton Rouge, was arrested in December on counts of theft and issuing bad checks for his alleged role in the fraudulent purchase of a trailer

Hughes allegedly failed to pay the $20,000 price for a trailer and dumpsters and later couldn’t be reached for months by the seller

The check Hughes wrote bounced due to insufficient funds and he later stopped responding to the seller, according to reports.

Hughes was sued in civil court last year over allegations of not paying loans to Baton Rouge real estate developer Hank Saurage, who sued for ownership of Boudreaux & Thibodeaux’s as well as the now-closed City

BUSINESS

BRIEFS FROM STAFF AND WIRE REPORTS

MrBeast editor accused of insider trading, fired NEW YORK Beast Industries

fired a MrBeast video editor this week following accusations of insider trading by the prediction market operator Kalshi Kalshi announced last month that a user who traded about $4,000 on streaming markets related to MrBeast videos with “near-perfect” success turned out to be an employee of Beast Industries who “likely had access to material nonpublic information.” Kalshi suspended the editor from its platform for two years, fined him $20,000 and alerted federal regulators

A spokesperson for Beast Industries, founded by Jimmy Donaldson, said the roughly 500-person company has “no tolerance for this behavior” and has initiated an independent investigation. Jeff Housenbold, the company’s president and CEO, told CNBC that he’d taken action several months ago to bar trading by MrBeast employees and contestants for Beast Games, Donaldson’s popular Amazon Prime reality-competition show Kalshi is one of several popular platforms that allow participants to wager on the probable outcome of events. Bets can be placed on everything from the Super Bowl halftime show to the downfall of former Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro Morgan Stanley to lay off about 3% of workers

NEW YORK Morgan Stanley is laying off roughly 2,500 employees as job cuts continue this year in the financial sector

The layoffs at Morgan Stanley which account for roughly 3% of its workforce, are taking place across the entirety of investment bank, a person with knowledge familiar with the matter told The Associated Press on the condition of anonymity as the firm is not making a public statement about the layoffs.

Like other firms, Morgan Stanley aggressively hired during the pandemic, going from 60,000 employees in 2019 to 82,000 employees by year end 2022. The company had 83,000 employees at the end of 2025.

Capital One laying off more employees

Capital One is laying off another 1,139 employees at the former Discover headquarters in Riverwoods, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago, a second wave of downsizing following the credit card giants’ megamerger last year.

The employees, whose roles span a variety of job titles at Discover Financial Services, were given notice Feb. 23 that their positions were being eliminated. The last day for most of the employees being laid off is May 4, the company said.

In February 2024, Virginiabased Capital One announced it was buying Discover for $35 billion, merging two of the largest credit card companies. Capital One completed the acquisition in May At the time the deal was announced, there were about 4,000 Discover employees connected to the Riverwoods headquarters.

Average U.S. mortgage rate ticks up to 6%

The average long-term U.S mortgage rate came off its lowest level in 3½ years this week, as bond yields marched higher following a spike in oil prices due to the war with Iran. The benchmark 30-year fixed rate mortgage rate ticked up to 6% from 5.98% last week, mortgage buyer Freddie Mac said Thursday One year ago, the rate averaged 6.63%.

Meanwhile, borrowing costs on 15-year fixed-rate mortgages, popular with homeowners refinancing their home loans, fell this week. That average rate slipped to 5.43% from 5.44% last week A year ago, it was at 5.79%, Freddie Mac said.

“For rates to continue their descent in 2026, we will need clear signals in the months to come that this conflict is not driving up prices for consumers at home,” said Joel Berner senior economist at Realtor.com.

Stocks drop after oil prices spike

BY STAN CHOE Associated Press

NEW YORK Stocks sank on Wall Street Thursday after the price of oil spiked to its highest level since the summer of 2024 because of the war with Iran. The losses came as financial markets around the world keep following the cue of oil prices. Sharp increases there are raising worries that a long-term surge could grind down the global economy exhaust households’ ability to spend and push interest rates higher

The price for a barrel of benchmark U.S. crude shot up 8.5% Thursday to settle at $81.01 per barrel. Brent crude, the international standard, climbed 4.9% to $85.41 per barrel and is likewise near its highest price since 2024.

Oil prices gave back some of those gains later in the day, which helped stocks in the U.S. moderate their losses at the end of trading. But worries nevertheless remain high about how long disruptions will last for oil production because of the escalating war with Iran. Prices at U.S. gasoline pumps have already leaped because of them. The average price for a gallon is $3.25, up 9% from $2.98 a week ago, according to auto club AAA.

If oil prices spike further, like to $100 per barrel, and stay there, some analysts and investors say it could be too much for the global economy to withstand. Uncertainty about what will happen has caused frenetic swings across financial markets this week, sometimes hour by hour

Much will depend on what happens with the Strait of Hormuz Roughly a fifth of the world’s oil typically sails through the narrow waterway off Iran’s coast.

“While further escalation remains a risk, we think the more likely outcome is an increase in market risk aversion that likely lasts only a short time until investors can see a winding down of hostilities,” according to Scott Wren, senior global market strategist at Wells Fargo Investment Institute.

Stocks of airlines fell to some of the U.S. market’s worst losses again on Thursday Higher oil prices are increasing their already big fuel bills, while the war has left hundreds of thousands of passengers stranded across the Middle East. American Airlines lost 5.4%, United Airlines fell 5% and Delta Air Lines

of smaller companies, meanwhile, took heavy hits. That’s typical when worries are growing about the strength of the economy and about interest rates rising.

States sue over new global tariffs

Trump imposed levies after Supreme Court loss

BY LINDSAY WHITEHURST and PAUL WISEMAN Associated Press

WASHINGTON Some two dozen states challenged President Donald Trump’s new global tariffs on Thursday filing a lawsuit over import taxes he imposed after a stinging loss at the Supreme Court.

The Democratic attorneys general and governors in the lawsuit argue that Trump is overstepping his power with planned 15% tariffs on much of the world.

Trump has said the tariffs are essential to reduce America’s longstanding trade deficits. He imposed duties under Section 122 of the Trade Act of 1974 after the Supreme Court struck down tariffs he imposed last year under an emergency powers law

Section 122, which has never been invoked, allows the president to impose tariffs of up to 15% They are limited to five months unless extended by Congress.

The lawsuit is led by attorneys general from Oregon, Arizona, California and New York.

“The focus right now should be on paying people back, not doubling down on illegal tariffs,” said Oregon Attorney General Dan Rayfield. The suit comes a day after a judge ruled that companies who paid tariffs under Trump’s old framework should get refunds.

The White House said Trump is acting within his power “The President is using his authority granted by Congress to address fundamental international payments problems and to deal with our country’s large and serious balance-of-payments deficits,” said spokesman Kush Desai. “The Administration will vigorously defend the President’s action in court.”

The new suit argues that Trump can’t pivot to Section 122 because it was intended to be used only in specific, limited circumstances — not for sweeping import taxes.

It also contends the tariffs will drive up costs for states, businesses and consumers.

Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes pointed to a New York Federal Reserve Bank study that found Americans largely bear the cost of the tariffs, which has been estimated at $1,200 a year per household. “That is money out of the pockets of American families trying to buy groceries, pay rent and keep their small businesses afloat,” Mayes said. Many of the plaintiff states also successfully sued over Trump’s tariffs imposed under a different law: the International Emergency Economic Powers Act

Four days after the Supreme Court struck down his sweeping IEEPA tariffs Feb 20, Trump invoked Section 122 to slap 10% tariffs on foreign goods. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told CNBC on Wednesday that the administration would raise the levies to the 15% limit this week.

The Democratic states and other critics say the president can’t use Section 122 as a replacement for the defunct tariffs to combat the trade deficit The Section 122 provision is

aimed at what it calls “fundamental international payments problems.” At issue is whether that wording covers trade deficits, the gap between what the U.S. sells other countries and what it buys from them.

Section 122 arose from the financial crises that emerged in the 1960s and 1970s when the U.S. dollar was tied to gold. Other countries were dumping dollars in exchange for gold at a set rate, risking a collapse of the U.S. currency and chaos in financial markets. But the dollar is no longer linked to gold, so critics say Section 122 is obsolete.

Awkwardly for Trump, his own Justice Department argued in a court filing last year that the president needed to invoke the emergency powers act because Section 122 did “not have any obvious application” in fighting trade deficits, which it called “conceptually distinct” from balance-of-payment issues.

Still, some legal analysts say the Trump administration has a stronger case this time.

“The legal reality is that courts will likely provide President Trump substantially more defer-

ence regarding Section 122 than they did to his previous tariffs under IEEPA,” Peter Harrell, visiting scholar at Georgetown University’s Institute of International Economic Law wrote in a commentary Wednesday

The specialized Court of International Trade in New York, which will hear the states’ lawsuit, wrote last year in its own decision striking down the emergency-powers tariffs that Trump didn’t need them because Section 122 was available to combat trade deficits.

Trump does have other legal authorities he can use to impose tariffs, and some have already survived court tests. Duties that Trump imposed on Chinese imports during his first term under Section 301 of the same 1974 trade act are still in place. Also joining the lawsuit are the attorneys general of Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia Washington, Wisconsin, and the governors of Kentucky and Pennsylvania.

Berkshire Hathaway resumes stock buybacks

CEO supports Kraft’s decision to pause its split

BY JOSH FUNK Associated Press

that it had begun repurchasing its shares Wednesday for the first time since May 2024. When Kraft first announced its plan to split the company in two last fall Abel and Buffett expressed concerns about that because of the costs involved and the current struggles for some of the brands. So

biggest shareholder with 325 million shares ever since Buffett and the Brazilian investment firm 3G Capital orchestrated the merger of Kraft and Heinz in 2015 because they already owned Heinz and believed in the power of their brands. Over the years since Buffett had made comments about how Kraft’s competitive moat around its brands wasn’t as strong as he thought and Berkshire likely overpaid for the investment. Berkshire

business back on track and then he’ll evaluate things. We thought that was absolutely the right approach,” Abel said. Berkshire has long been Kraft’s

Swindler,Marie

St.IsidoreCatholic Church in Baker at 11 a.m.

Tate,Glenda

Greenoaks FuneralHomeat1pm

Obituaries

Arango, E. Ramon

E. Ramon Arango, Ph.D., died February 23, 2026. For manyyears, Dr. Arango was on the facultyofthe Department of PoliticalScience, LSU, Baton Rouge. He was preceded in death by his parents, Ergasto Arango and Caroline Fernandez Arango, and by his partner, Jimmy Taylor Rooks.

Shelley Turner Bonanno, 82, of Baton Rouge, passed away peacefully on February 22, 2026. She was born October6,1943, in Goose Creek, TX, to Ben Bynum Turner, Sr., and Jeanne Leberman Turner. Shelley grew up between Baton Rougeand New York City, embracing adventure from an early age. Sheshowed horsesin her younger years and had alifelong love for animals, especially her beloved Chief. She attended Lausanne School for Girls in Memphis,TN, andthe University of Oklahoma, where she majored in foreign languages. She worked for many years at Our Lady of Lake Regional Medical Centerinseveral roles, including the Tau Center, Children's Miracle Network, and the Blood Bank, but her true gift was teaching swimming lessons.For nearly fifty years, she taught generations of children lifesaving skills, "perfect strokes", and confidence in the water. Shelley devoted herself to raising her four daughters and was activeinnumerous civic and socialorganizations,including Delta Gamma Sorority, The Junior League of Baton Rouge, La Fiesta Dance Club, and she and Pat's beloved 50's group. She was preceded in death by her husband of 40 years, Patrick Vincent Bonanno; her parents, Bynum and Jeanne Turner; her brother, Ben Bynum Turner, Jr.; and her grandsons, Taylor Randall Dean and Connor Patrick Dean. She is survived by her daughters: Leigh Bonanno; Blake Bonanno Black and her husband, Brandon; Brandin Bonanno Brewer and her husband, Kevin; and Bryan Bonanno Provenzano and her husband, behind grandchil

Clayton, Kirby, and Stewart Black; Hudson Brewer;and Brennan and McNeil Provenzano; as well as her great-granddaughter, Kaydence Dean. Her brothersand sisters-in-law, Carmen and Don Scully and Gary and Laura Bonanno, along with many special nieces and nephews, also survive her The family willreceive relatives and friends at St Luke's Episcopal Church on Saturday, March7th, at 10 a.m., followed by afuneral service at 11 a.m. Honorary pallbearers are Brandon Black,Patrick Black,Stewart Black, Kevin Brewer Hudson Brewer, Matthew Provenzano, Brennan Provenzano, and Mark Smith. In lieu of flowers, donationsmay be made to St. Luke'sEpiscopal Church Fire Fund or Hospice of Baton Rouge.

Bourque Sr., Victor Paul 'Vicky'

Victor Paul "Vicky" Bourque Sr., 79, of Dutchtown, Louisiana, passed awayonWednesday, March 4, 2026,inBaton Rouge,Louisiana. Born on August26, 1946,inGonzales, Louisiana, Vicky was theson ofLeslie Paul "L.P. Bourque Jr.and Shirley Rita Mire Bourque, both of whom precededhim in death. He was also preceded in death by his grandparents, Sheriff VicMire and Lena Mire,and Town MarshalRed Bourque and Eugenie Bourque. Vicky was adevoted husband, father,grandfather,and great-grandfather known for his strong workethic and quiet wisdom. At just 12 yearsold, he began workingbyshining shoes at his father's barber shop. By age15, he owned and operated the Jungle House, alocalteenhangout. He later builta successful careerinreal estate with Bourque Real Estate and contributed to several projects throughoutthe area,including Mid City Plaza, the Cajun Inn, Lake Martin, and many others. Throughout his careerand life, Vicky was knownasa hardworking and dedicated man who took great pride in providing forhis family. He also faithfully served his communityas commanderofthe American Legion and received multiple real estate awards over theyears. Later inlife, he worked with the AscensionParish Sheriff's Office, Louisiana State Penitentiary at Angola, Hunt CorrectionalCenter and Praxair Security before retiring on August 1, 2011.Vicky proudlyserved his country in the United States Armyand lived by the valuesofduty,honor, and country. He never missed an opportunity to thankfellow veterans in public, especially the older veterans. Family was the center of Vicky's life. His proudest moments were the time he spent with his children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren.

theporch with his dog, Peanut, whilewatching the birdsand squirrels. Vicky is survivedbyhis loving wife of morethan60years, Dianne MarieBraud Bourque of Dutchtown; his children Penny and Darren Amedee, Peggyand Eric Villavaso,Paula andChris Robert, and Victor P. BourqueJr. and Sheryl Bourque.Heisalso survivedbyhis grandchildren JacieBondy, Jordan Amedee,JoleeFontenot, BrittaVillavaso, Tyler Villavaso,Burke Villavaso, Angelle Seeger, Danielle Thompson, Christopher Robert, Gabrielle Robert, BrittanyRouyea, and BraleyBourque,aswellas26 great-grandchildren. Vicky is also survivedbyhis siblings LeslieBourque III, Neal Bourque, Dawn Soileau, and Stacy Stephens. Vicky will be remembered as alovinghusband, devoted father, proud "Pawpaw,"loyal brother, faithful friend and aman of thecalmest spirit and greatwisdom. Those who knew him well often described himthisway: "Don't underestimateme. I knowmorethanI say, think morethanI speak, and notice morethanyou realize."Pallbearers will be Jordan Amedee, Christopher Robert,Robin Rouyea, Tyler Villavaso, AndrewSeeger, Trent Bondy, TJ Fontenot, and Terry Thompson. Honorary pallbearerwillbeBurke Villavaso.Religious services willbeheldatSt. John theEvangelist CatholicChurch. Visitation willbeheldonSaturday, March 7th, 2026 from 9:30 AM -10:30 AM and service willbegin at 10:30 AM. He willbelaid to rest in the Mausoleum at HopeHaven Cemetery in Prairieville, LA

Chapman, Laura Savoy

Laura Gayle Savoy Chapman, 69, passed away on March 3, 2026. She was born on December 16, 1956 and alifelong resident of Saint Amant, Louisiana. Known to many as Laura Gayle, LG, Aunt Buddie, and Nanny, her favorite name of allwas "Maw Maw."She willberemembered forher kindness, strength,quick wit, and theability to bring laughterevenindifficultmoments.

Aproud Military Mother, Laura deeply supported theUnited States Armed Forces. She honored combatveterans throughher serviceand participatedin fundraising efforts benefitingveteran causes—reflecting her patriotismand generous spirit Laura dedicated36 years to theLouisianaDepartment of Transportation in theMaterials Lab, where she was known for her commitment, reliability, and pride in her work. Her greatest joy came from time spent with family.She lovedtodance and brought asense of comfort and home to allwho knew

children: Raini Chapman; Courtney Mitchell andher spouse, Justin; James Chapman and his spouse, Lisette;and John Chapman and his spouse, Kelsi.She was thelovinggrandmother of Collins Danehower, John Chapman, Gabriel Mitchell,Meghan Mitchell, SamuelMitchell, and Micah Mitchell

She is also survivedby her siblings: John Savoy; and sisters Rebecca Tambling (Dwayne), Susan Feazel, Barbara Dean(Ronnie), and Diane Mitchell (Andy).

Laura was preceded in death by her parents, John and Laura Savoy; her sister, Sharon"Sister" Savoy; herbrother in law, Bill Feazel; andher nephew, JaredFeazel.She also leavesbehind numerous nieces, nephews, godchildren,and lifelong friends. Visitation willbeheldat Holy RosaryCatholic Church on Friday from9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.,followed by aMass of Christian Burial at 11:30 a.m. The family extends sincere thanks to Audubon Home Hospice &Palliative Care and to Laura'sdevoted caregivers fortheir compassionand kindness. Laura Savoy Chapman willbedeeplymissedand foreverremembered by all who were blessed to know her In lieu of flowers,donations may be madeto Wounded Warriors or Tunnel to Towers in honorof her love and support for veterans

Cook, Yvonne H. Yvonne proceedsin death by her husband Ronald CookSr.her grandsonAndrewRobertson,parents Matthew Hayes and mother Piccola Louis threebrothers Darren Louis, Burrell Hayes, CarvellHayes twosisters GlendaHayes, Clever Carminer, brother in law Melvin Kaufman.Yvonne leavesher four children StephanieRobertson, Jason Hayes Sr,Monique Andrews, Roger Cook sr.grandchildren and great grandchildren sisters and brothers.which she loves dearly .Yvonne truly willbe missed and lovedbyso many.

Rita diedpeacefullyat her home in BatonRouge La on Tuesday, February 24, 2026 surrounded by her loving family There willbevisitation on Saturday, March 7, 2026 at Mt.Calvery Baptist Church, 8969 Hwy 18, St. James, La.,from 9:00 am to 11:00 am withfuneral service starting at 11:00 am. Interment at Mt.Calvery Baptist Church Cemetery, St.James, La

"I havefought agood fight. Ihave finished my course. Ihave kept the faith. In thefuture, thereis laidupfor me acrownof righteousness, whichthe Lord, therighteousjudge, will award to me on that day, andnot only to me, butalso to all those who have lovedHis appearing."

2Timothy4:7-8 GradyKillian Hungate, 79, anative of Ponchatoula, Louisiana, anda residentofDenhamSprings, Louisiana, passed away at 1:41 p.m. on Tuesday, March3,2026, surrounded by hislovingfamilyand friends. Gradydedicated 41 years to the practice of pharmacyatEckerdDrugs, whichlater became CVS, wherehefaithfully served and caredfor countless customers over theyears.

Gradyattendedthe University of Tennessee and later earnedhis Bachelor of Pharmacydegree from Northeast Louisiana University. He wasactive in hisprofession andproudly served as presidentofthe Capital Area Pharmacists Association,reflectinghis dedication to thefield of pharmacyand thecommunity he served.

Whileattendingpharmacyschool, he met the love of hislife, Ellen Drew Ellis, andthe twowere marriedfor 53 years. Pharmacybecame ashared calling for thefamily, as Grady, Ellen Drew,and theirdaughterJulie have all devotedtheir lives to theprofession,caringfor others andserving them through theirwork.

Gradywas known for hisdetermination, steady presence, andwillingness to help anyone in need.He wasanavidfisherman,a master at crosswordpuzzles,and alifelonghistory buff whoenjoyed sharing hisstories and knowledge with familyand friends. He also lovedtotraveland journeyed across the world, visitingsix of the seven continentsand takingseveral cruisesthatcircled theglobe.Above all, he wasa devotedhusband, father,and grandfather whose life wasmarked by hislove for his familyand hiscommitmenttoserving those around him.

mell,Jonathan Trammell

Brandon Genre, Mark Genre,and Trevor Taylor

Thefamilywould like to thank all of those whotook such amazing care of Grady, the ICU Unitsand Palliative CareGroup at OurLady of theLake, Dr Brian Gouri,Dr. Madeline Dills, Dr.Kelly Boussert,Dr. TerryZellmer, Dr.Henry Patrick, andthe staff at Louisiana Cardiology. Grady'skindness, wisdom, andlove for hisfamily will live on in themany lives he touched throughouthis life.

Perdue, Walter Webb

WalterWebb Perdue, Sr., alifelongresident of Prairieville,Louisiana, passed away peacefullyat hishomeonhis 96th birthday surrounded by his family. Born on March3,1930, in Prairieville to Lawrence Emerson Perdue andEva Webb Perdue,Walter was theyoungest of four children.Hegrewupdeeply lovedina household groundedinfamily, faith, andhard work. Throughout hislong life, he embodied thesevaluesand worked everyday to instillthemin hisfourchildren, as well as in hismanygrandchildren great-grandchildren,and great-great grandchildren. Adevoted husband and beloved father, Walter served hiscountry in the Louisiana NationalGuard. In addition to operating thefamilystore on Airline Highwayfor many years, Walterworkedfor CocaCola andlater served the communityasa school bus driverfor the Ascension Parish School Board. Faithplayeda central rolethroughout Walter's life. He was alifelong member of Oak Grove Baptist Church, acongregation significantly shapedbyhis grandparents, Hillard and Victoria Webb,who were among itsearly benefactors andco-founders.Walter wastheir last surviving grandchild He foundjoy in simple pleasures—fishing, raising strawberries, pickingfigs, goingtobluegrass festivals, andmost of all, spendingtimewith the familyhecherished. Walterispreceded in death by hisparents; hisgreat-

Awakewill be held at Seale Funeral Home in Denham Springs on Friday, March6,from5 p.m. until8 p.m. Visitation will resume on Saturday, March7,at First United Methodist ChurchinDenhamSprings from 10 a.m. untilservices at 11 a.m. Agravesideservice will follow at ResthavenGardensof Memory in Baton Rouge Gradyissurvived by his loving wife of 53 years, Ellen Drew Ellis Hungate; hisdaughter, JulieHungate Taylor andhusbandTrevor Taylor;his grandchildren, EllaTaylor andNicholas Taylor; andhis siblings, Harry Hungate,Emmy Trammell,and Mary Ellen Boelhower. He also leaves behind manyextended familymembersand friends whowillcherish hismemory He wasprecededin death by hisparents, Harry Hungateand Louise Haight, andhis brother,

grandchild, Isaac Bourque; his devoted wife of 60 years, Ruth Templet Perdue; her sisters and brothers-in-law; his sister, Pansy Perdue, his brother, Emerson Lawrence Perdue; his sister-in-law, Agnes Perdue; his sister, Hazel Perdue Jones; and his brother-in-law, Lester Jones. He is survived by his daughter, Pansy Perdue Bourque, and son-in-law, Daryl Bourque;his son, Walter Perdue Jr.; his son, Timothy Perdue, and daughter-in-law, Rhonda Savell Perdue; his daughter, AmandaPerdue Bourgeois, and son-in-law, Eric Bourgeois. He leaves behind numerous grandchildren, great grandchildren, and great great grandchildren spread across the parish, the state, and the country.

Family and friends will gather to honor Walter's life on Sunday, March 8, 2026 at Ourso Funeral Home, 13533 Airline Hwy Gonzales, LA 70737.Visitation will begin at 2:00 PM with aservice to follow at 4:00 PM.A Graveside Service will take place the following day, Monday, March 9, 2026, at 10:00 AM at Oak Grove Baptist Church, 17450 Old Jefferson Hwy, Prairieville, LA 70769.

Thomas D. Pittman, Jr., a cherished, father, grandfather, and friend, passed away on March 4, 2026,at the age of 78. Born on June 25, 1947, in Springhill, Louisiana, Thomas liveda life marked by dedication, service and adeep love for his family and community. Thomas had adistinguished career as avice president at Turner Industries, where he was known for his commitment to excellence and leadership. His professional journey was complemented by a solid academic foundation; he graduated with aBachelor'sdegree from Southeastern Louisiana University, atestament to his hard work and determination.

Thomas was aproud veteran and served his country honorably in the United States Army. His serviceto his country was further reflected in his active membership in the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW), where he connected with fellow veterans. He was an active member of Live Oak Church, where he contributed to the community and lived out his faith in practical,meaningful ways. His dedication to service extended beyond

the military;itwas evident in every part of his life.In addition to his professional and community endeavors,Thomashad apassion foractivitiesthatbrought himjoy and relaxation. He loved to playgolfand enjoyedspending time fishing,cherishing the peace and tranquility thatnature provided. Hisspirit willlive on in the heartsofall who knewhim, and he will be dearly missed. He leaves behind alovingfamily, including his wifeof56years,Susan WelbornPittman, his daughter,Karen Pesson (Jasen), his son, David Pittman (Lori). Hislegacy continues throughhis grandchildren,Tanner Pittman (Lauren) and Carson Pittman, as well as his great-grandchild, Holland Grace Pittman. Thomas is also survived by his sister, Theresa Zeller(Ernest).

Thomas was preceded in death by his devoted parents, Edna Pittman and Doyle Pittman. Services willtakeplace at SealeFuneral Home in Denham Springs on Saturday March 7, 2026. Visitation willbefrom 10:00 AM1:00 PM with funeral service starting at 1:00 PM and burial to immediately follow in Evergreen Memorial Park.

Stevens Francois, Audrey Joan

AudreyJoan Foreman Stevens Francois, affectionately known as Mama, Maw-maw, and Auntee Audrey to her family, transitionedpeacefully into the arms of herLord and Savior on the 2nd of March, 2026,atthe ageof85, at The Carpenter's House. Born in Baton Rouge, Louisiana,the 4th of 6children on the 2nd of January, 1941,Audrey touchedthe hearts of allwho knew her. Audrey flourished in her academic pursuits, graduatingfromMcKinley High School in 1959 before continuing her education at Grambling University and later at Southern University. Her passion forknowledge was matchedbyher dedicationtoher career, during which she servedas an Analystat Louisiana State University Accounting Servicesuntilher retirement. As adevout Catholic, Audrey'sfaith was the cornerstone of her life. It guided her through the trials and tribulations of life, and her relationship with God was evident in the lovingand generous spirit she shared with the world. Audrey wasa natural caretaker, not just of her family but of any soul in need of comfort or assistance. Herhomewas often ahaven forfriends and family,a place where laughter and warmth were plentiful. Audrey'screativi-

ty knew no bounds as she poured her heart intogardening,watching her plantsblossomand thrive under her tendercare. Sewing wasanother of her cherished pastimes, and she possessed aremarkable talent forcreating beautiful draperiesthat graced thehomesofmany. Her handswere rarely still always engaged in theact of making something beautiful or practical, or both.Throughout her life, Audreywas alovingmother, adoting grandmother, and acherished sister. She is survivedbyher daughters, Yvette R. Stevens and MiaStevens Fowler (Keith); her granddaughters Maya A. Kleinpeter and Rayven A. Jones; her brother,JamesM.Foreman, Jr. (Eloise), and numerous family and friends that she loveddearly. Her wisdom willliveoninthemand the many livesshe touched Audrey'slegacy will continue in thebeauty she leavesbehind, notonlyin her gardening and sewing butalso in the powerful impact she'shad on her community and family.Audrey is preceded in death by her husbands, Harvey Stevens and Kenneth Francois; her parents, JamesM Foreman, Sr., and Willie Rebecca Edmonston Foreman; and her siblings, Juanita, Yvonne,Henry, and Bobby.

Mack Henry"Chuck" Willis, Jr. entered into eternal rest at LegacyatSt. Christina Rehabilitation Center on February 27, 2026. He was a67-yearold nativeand resident of BatonRouge,Louisiana Viewing at NewHomeMinistry on Saturday, March 7, 2026 at 10:00 am until CelebrationofLife Service 11:00 am; interment at Southern Memorial Gardens. Survivorsincludehis wife, LindaWillis; son, Jarmall D. Willis; threegrandchildren; aniece; cousins and friends; preceded in death by his son, Mack Wills, III; parents, Mary and Mack Willis, Sr, Arrangementsentrusted to Miller& Daughter Mortuary.

Park, LA to ChristineJackson and Eddie Harris. She is agraduateofSt. Francisville High School.Marie was an employee of the EBR Public School System for35years. She wasthe office clerk at Audubon Elementary at thetime of her retirement in 2013. Marie was afaithful member of ACTS Outreach Ministries forover40 years. While at ACTS she served as Sunday School teacher for thenursery class, president of theusher board, and was ordainedasanevangelist. Marie was adevoted prayer intercessor, who constantly sought God on behalf of others. Marie enjoyed gardening and spending timewithher

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grandchildrenand her dogs. Shewas well known for herdelicious pralines andhomemadecakes. Sheissurvivedbyher daughter, Dr.SandraHarris andson,Kirston Young; daughter-in-law, Rachel HonoréYoung;sisters, GloriaCoates andMartha Coates; brothers, David Harrisand Bruce Harris; sister-in-law,Carolyn Harris; beloved grandchildren, Kirstenand Cayden Young; cherished godchildren, David andTraceyCoates, Christina "Gabby" Honoré, andMia Mims; ex-husband, Willie Young Jr.; and ahostoffamilyand friends. Celebration of Life will be held on Sat,March7, 2026 at Saintsville COGICtheWKGordon Prayer Center(8930

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Thenewspaper of record for BatonRouge subscribe today subscribe.nola.com

Risksof intimate partnerviolencegrow

Louisiana has seen some encouraging signs of decliningviolence in recent years

Crime data and 2026 statewide survey data on violence from our team show reductions in physical violence among men and in sexual violence among both men and women. These are trends worth recognizing.

Louisiana —58% —have experienced IPV,and about 1in4women —24% —has experienced potentially lethal forms of IPV,defined in LaVEX as chokingorsuffocation, burning or theuse of a knife or gunbyapartner

Anita Raj GUEST COLUMNIST

But acloser look at the data reveals acritical exception —intimate partner violence against women.

New data from the Louisiana Violence Experiences Survey 2025, or LaVEX, astatewide, population-based study of adults conducted by NORC at the University of Chicago and led by Newcomb Institute at Tulane University,show that IPV —inclusive of emotional, physical andsexual violence from acurrentorformal partner —remains widespread among Louisiana women More than half of women in

Most of this potentially lethal IPV takes the form of chokingorsuffocation.Thisbehavior is still widely underrecognized as aseriousdanger,yet research is clear: strangulation is oneofthe strongest predictors ofIPV homicide. Choking is notjust aminor assault —itisa warningsign.

More troubling is thedatain ourreport that show reductions in physical violence against men and sexual harassment against womenand men, behaviors morelikely to be perpetrated by strangers than partners, are not paralleled by reductions in past year IPV in Louisiana.

Among women who experienced physical violence in the past year, nearly60% expe-

rienced this violence from a partner.This indicates that the violence declines are benefiting men andnot women, because the declines are not being seen for IPV

Potential lethality is also amajor concern for women. LaVEX 2025 data do showanotable numerical increase in potentially lethal IPV among women, rising from 1.8% in 2023 to 3.5% in 2025. When behaviors linked to homicide risk begin to rise, even modestly,they warrant close attention

The broader context helps explain why this moment matters. Louisianaisexperiencing substantial economic shocks, such as food insecurity,eviction and housing instability —welldocumented risk factors for IPV, particularly severe formsof abuse that disproportionately affect women. In LaVEX, women facing unmet basic needs had dramatically higher risk of IPV, and those experiencing eviction or homelessness faced someofthe highest

Good food doesn’t come from nowhere

As the chef and owner of Mister Mao in New Orleans, Icook loud food with bold flavors, big ideas and no apologies. But behind every dish is somethingquieter and more important: relationships with the farmers, fishersand growers who make our food possible. Isource locally because local food is better, the supply chain is more honest andthe money stays whereitbelongs, here at home.

That’swhy Icare deeply about federal and state programs that prioritize purchasing food from local producers for schools, child care centers and food banks. When public dollars support locally grown food, everybody wins. The money is more likely to stay in the community Farmers gain stability.Kids eat better.Communities get healthier.And we stop pretending the cheapest possible food, grown far away by someone we’ll never meet,doesn’t come withhidden environmentaland economic costs.

locally for schools and food programs, they helpfarmers move from scrapingbytoplanning for thefuture. Local purchasing allows farms to plant more, diversify crops, hire workers and invest in infrastructure. It strengthens supply chainsacross agriculture, processing, hospitality andtransportation. This is howyou build aresilient food system. Not with buzzwords, but with purchase orders.

risks observed. While economic shocks may not directly cause violence, they may intensify control, dependency and danger in relationships that are already unsafe.

What can we do?

First,weneed to recognize that there may be an increase in potential lethal formsofviolence, in particularly in the form of choking and suffocation, such as strangulation. These are medical emergencies and critical warning signs.

Second, we must strengthen support for womenatthe highest risk, including housing stability, economic assistance and survivor-centered intervention.

Third, we must invest in prevention early,especially for girls and young women, givenhow often IPV beginsbefore adulthood. OurLaVEX 2025 data indicate that almost 1in10experience IPV before the ageof18, and more than 1in5 womenhave witnessed IPV against their mothers, normalizing the behavior. Andfinally,prevention requires

engaging men and boys, because reducing IPVultimately means addressing behaviors that cause harm and with recognition that men and boys are morelikely to be the ones implementing these harms, again, potentially due to norms.

The findings in LaVEX 2025 underscore the need forpolicymakers, practitioners and advocates to use population-based data to prioritize intimate partner violence —particularly its mostdangerous forms—inprevention and response efforts.

If you or someone you know needs help, confidential support is available through the Louisiana Coalition Against Domestic Violence at (888) 411-1333, which connects callers to local programsacross the state. Online resources —and options to connect by chat —are available at www lcadv.org.

AnitaRaj is executive director of theNewcomb Institute at Tulane Universityand a professorofpublic health

Carbon storageishow Louisianacompetes in theglobalarena

trusted technology and knowledge to deliver the promise of safeand reliable carbon capture.

Uong GUEST COLUMNIST

Right now,the USDA spends billions of dollars every year on food for schools and nutrition programs. Toomuch of that moneygoes to massive processors and corporations, some of them not even American-owned. Meanwhile, states and school districts that want to serve fresh, local food are boxed out by rules andfunding structures that make it harder to do theright thing.

Louisiana’seconomy is built on energy and manufacturing —from refining to chemicals and LNG to steel, fertilizer and rubber.Although Louisiana and the U.S. aspire to diversify industries, we must protect our current jobs, investment and economic growthcreated by energyas outlined in the Louisiana Economic Development 2025 Strategic Plan.

U.S. policies that promote carbon capture and storage will position Louisiana manufacturing to compete globally with the full arsenal of technologies available, growing competitive family wage jobs here at home.

This is abrutal time for the food and farm economy.Groceryprices are up. Restaurant margins are thinner than ever.Farmers are being crushed by rising costs for seed, fertilizer,fuel, equipment and labor.In2025 alone, farm bankruptcies jumped by more than 46%. Those aren’tabstract numbers. Those are families. Those are people Ipurchase from. When afarm folds, it doesn’tjust disappear.It takesjobs skills and food security withit.

At Mister Mao, we buy from producers like Paradigm Gardens, Liuzza Farms,Fekete Farms,Cassell Family Farms, WestdomeNursery,Resurrection Gardens and Cajun Growers. Some are urban. Some are rural. All of them work their tails off. Thequality of what they grow isn’teven inthe same universeaswhat comes off atruck from anational distributor.I trust these producers because Iknow them. Ican callthem. Ican adaptwith them when the weather goes sidewaysoraseason comes in weird, which these days is all the time.

But restaurants alone are not enough to keep farms afloat. We’reimportant customers, but we don’tprovidestable demand at the scale needed to keep them running. That’swhere government purchasing matters. When theU.S. Department of Agriculture, states and citiesuse theirbuying power to source

We alreadyknow what works. When schools serve fresh, locally grown food, kids eatmore of it. Participation goes up. Food waste goes down. Andchildren, especially those who rely on school meals themost,get better nutrition that supports learning and long-term health. Funding states to purchase local food isn’tcharity; it’s smart policy.It strengthensrural and urban economies at thesame time. It supports small and mid-sized farms instead of concentrating power even further into the hands of afew corporations. It keeps taxpayer dollars circulating locally,where they do moregood.

I’ve spentyears raising money and cookingfor hospitality workers and small businesses hit by hurricanes, floods and other disastersbecause I believe food is apublic good and feedingpeopleisserious work. If we’re willingtoshow up after acatastrophe, we should also be willing to invest upstream in the farmers and producers whofeed usevery day This is abipartisan issue. Everyone eats. Everyone benefits from astrong local food system. Supporting local purchasing forschools and food banks is oneofthe most practical, fiscally responsible ways to invest in our communities, our farmers and our kids. Good food doesn’tjust appear.It comes from hardworking people. And it’stime our policies reflected that.

Sophina Uong is thechef and owner of MisterMao in New Orleans

The Trumpadministration has recognized this realityaspart of its push for American energy and manufacturing dominance. An April 2025 White House release declares that “supporting cutting-edgetechnologies like carbon capture and storage, nuclear energy,and nextgeneration geothermal,” will ensure that “America leads in both energy production and environmental innovation —producing thecleanest energy in the world.”

The administration and Congress reinforced this commitment by preserving the 45Q tax credit in the OneBig Beautiful Bill. The 45Q credit incentivizes companies to capture, utilize and store carbon dioxide, avital step to help currentLouisiana’s multitude of industrial operations reduce carbon emissions. This critical incentive has spurred dozens of carbon capture projects and billions of dollars of investment in Louisiana.

The Trumpadministration’s backing of carbon capture and storage technology aligns with other business-friendly states, such as North Dakota, where U.S. Secretaryofthe Interior Doug Burgum championed the technology

As governor,Burgum chaired astate commission that approved North Dakota’s first injection well for geologic storage of carbon dioxide.

After joining theTrumpadministration, Burgum commended the Environmental Protection Agency’s decisiontogrant West Virginia Class VI primacy,which allows theMountaineer State to permit and regulate carbon capture and storage operations.

As noted above, Louisiana is an early adopter and arecognized leader in carbon capture, which is expected to help ensure U.S. energy dominance. The Pelican State is uniquely positioned to lead with natural geological conditions ideal forcarbon capture storage.

Combined with expansive energy infrastructure and an abundant, accessible skilled energy workforce, Louisiana is ready todeliver thelong-established and

Europe and Asia are increasingly demanding lower-carbon products; this technology allows local producers to meet that demand and preserve domestic production. Louisiana’scompetition forenergy and manufacturing investment is not only global, but increasingly domestic.

Companies evaluating where to deploy billions of dollars in capital compare states just as they compare countries. Texas’ recent success in securing Class VI primacy forcarbon capture and storage presents aclear competitive challenge. Texas now will attract carbon capture projects tied to the sameindustries that anchor Louisiana’s economy Notonly is carbon capture an effective strategy,it’salso asafe one forour state’s workers and residents. The process has record levels of safety,with no fatalities, spanning morethan ahalf century.Consumer Energy Alliance has applauded Louisiana’sefforts to be apioneer in carbon capture projects. The state must continue to commit to being aleader to not risk losing out on massive investments to its western neighbor By embracing an “all-of-the-above” investment in energy technology,including long-proven carbon capture and storage processes, our state can lead in energy production, job creation and economic growth while fostering abusiness climate that attracts top-tier companies from across the globe.

All-of-the-above will sustain Louisiana’s future as Gov.Jeff Landry envisions connecting moreLouisianans with highwage jobs and providing aquality lifestyle right here at home. Carbon capture is yet another tool to further American innovation, proving once again that we can achieve affordable, reliable and ever-cleaner energy and industrial growth.

Meghan Thackerisasenioradviserfor Consumer Energy Alliance.

WHITCHER

ISSUE OF THE WEEK WARINIRAN

President Donald Trump’sdecision to join Israel in striking Iran, killing its Supreme Leader AyatollahAli Khamenei, hasled to awaveofreactionaround the globe —somejubilant,others wary.Asthe war continues, debate over theproperuse of U.S. militarypower has come to the forefront. Here are twoperspectives.

PresidentTrump,forever wars andIraqSyndrome

For many years in the 1970s, 1980s and into the 1990s,discussions of the use of U.S. military force suffered from an effect known as Vietnam Syndrome Many Americans simply could not consider anyproposedU.S. military action without seeing visionsofa Vietnam-style quagmireinwhich American troops would bestuck for decades in acostly war without victory Vietnam Syndrome finally went away afterAmerican success in the first Gulf War. But not too many years later,Vietnam Syndrome wasreplaced by Iraq Syndrome, which is afear that usingU.S. military power will lead to an Iraq-style quagmire in which Americantroopswould be stuck for decades in acostly war withoutvictory

CredibilityofUnitedStates’ deterrence is beingrestored

is unthinkable.

At this moment, PresidentDonald Trump is putting Iraq Syndrome tothe test with the joint U.S.-Israeli military campaign against Iran. Trump’spresidency,American prestige abroad and Republican electoralhopes in thisyear’s midterms and beyond —theyall depend on the success of the American mission

If,after initial military success, decapitating the Iranian leadership andtaking out many of its weapons,the U.S. goes on to set Iran on astable pathinwhich it lives in peace and does not threaten its neighbors —ifTrump succeedsindoing that, Iraq Syndrome will bebanished forever

If, on the other hand, after initial U.S military success, Iran descends into Iraq-style chaos with aweak andunstable government and rogue militias around the country —ifthat happens, Iraq Syndrome will be alive and well. The keyphrases of Iraq Syndrome are “forever wars,” “endless wars” and their variants —references not only to Iraq but to the decade-plusU.S.war in Afghanistan, which lapsed intonation building and ended with adisastrous withdrawal under President JoeBiden. Throughout his firstterm in office, and also in the 2024 campaign,Trumppromised to put an end to endless wars and not to repeat the mistakes of previous presidents.

Describing his Iraq drawdown in 2019, Trump said, “We’re down to avery few soldiers. Isaid we’re getting outofthese endless wars —these ridiculous, endless wars. We shouldhave never been there in the first place.” At times, Trump seemed to expand

theidea of staying out of “endless” wars into apledge to stay out of all wars altogether.“I’m not going to start awar,I’m goingtostop wars,” Trumppromised on thenight of his great comeback victory in 2024. Trump’srhetoric has led to astrange new creature: the MAGA peacenik. It’s one thing to pledge to stay out of forever wars —the U.S.should never repeat the disasters in Vietnam andIraq. Butstay out of all military conflict?That’s an unrealistic pledge for apresident andnation living in adangerous world. Deciphering Trump’sstatements,it’s probably accurate to say he believes in staying out of endless wars but was exaggerating for effect when he talked about avoiding all wars ever In any event,byattackingIran, and alsowith military action in Venezuela, Trumphas angered and disappointed those in his MAGA base who took his antiwar pledges both seriously and literally

He has also shaken someofhis supporters wholived through the George W. Bush years. They have seen awar with arighteous cause —Afghanistan —descendinto meaninglessness. They have seen awar started by mistake—Iraq —tear apart the country.It’snosurprise that they are madenervous by another U.S.president starting another war in that part of theworld. The way to calm those nerves is to succeed quickly.Inboth his terms,Trump hasfavored limited, sharp, decisive military action. Think of the U.S. drone strike that took out Qasem Soleimani, headofIran’sIslamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. Think of the destruction of ISIS.Think of the lightning assault on Maduro’s Venezuela. For Trump, theopposite of an endless war is not no war.It is aquick warwith aclear purpose and a decisiveending Now,Trump and the nation will find outwhether that can be accomplished in Iran. There are plenty of doomsayers out there, includingthe Democratic politicianswho want to run for president in 2028. If Trump fails,they win. Butif Trumpsucceeds, they will look like a bunchofpartisan nitpickers. AndIraq Syndromewill be athing of the past.

EmailByron York at byork@washingtonexaminer.com.

The Hamas paragliders, who were tentacles of Iran, began today’swar on Oct. 7, 2023, igniting one of history’smost spectacular backfires.

Iran’sregime and its terrorism multipliers, Hamas andHezbollah, have unintentionally magnified Israel’s security. AndIran’sregime, whose mantrasince its inception in 1979 has been “DeathtoAmerica,” is near deathbythe clasped handsof Israel and America.

The U.S. action forregime change in Iran is not sufficient to produce regional tranquility.Itis, however,anecessity for beginning to reestablish aprecondition for amore peaceable world: the credibility of U.S. deterrence.

The wielders of Iran’sregime, which is founded on fear,surely experienced asudden, terrifying epiphany when the aerial attacks, unlike previous ones, began in daylight: The attackers knew when and where the regime’s senior officials would be meeting in Tehran that day.Precision munitions, directed by spectacular intelligence, enabled adecapitation strategy.

The at least 30,000 protesters whoperished in Iran’sstreets in early January did not die in vain.

The 1956 Hungarian Revolution failed to topple atyranny,but refuted the thencommon pessimism that tyrants can assure their permanence by controlling the consciousness of their publics. (George Orwell in “1984:” “If you want apicture of thefuture, imagine aboot stamping on a human face —for ever.”) Iran’sprotesters dramatically underscored the regime’s barbarism, so those who today regret the regime’sdemise reveal their barbarism Somesay that U.S. involvementinIran constitutes a“war of choice.” That too casually bandied phrase rarely fits untidy reality. America’sCivil Warwas achoice: Lincoln chosenot to heed those —they were not few —who agreed with the prominent publisher Horace Greeley.He said of the seceding Southern states, “Let theerring sisters go in peace.” Lincoln chose against suchnational suicide. Donald Trump’sadministration has chosen not to wager U.S. safety on Iran’sabandoning its multi-decade pursuit of nuclear weapons, or on Iran’sacquiring them but not really meaning “Death to America.”

For Israel, the deathofIran’s self-proclaimed genocidal regime was achoice only in the sense that Israel chose to believe the regime when it called Israel a “one-bombcountry.”

Tyrantslie promiscuously,but occasionally are candid. In 1939, AdolfHitler said aworld war would mean “the annihilation of the Jewish race in Europe.” Israel exists because Hitler meantthat.Israel’ssurvival depends on forever thinking that nothing

Anadir of post-1945 U.S. power —and its precondition, confidence —was the 1975 departure of the last helicopter from the U.S. Embassy roof in Saigon. Asecond low point wasreached when Barack Obama drew,in2012, and then ignored a red line (concerning Syrian chemical weapons). Athird wasin2021 when Joe Biden produced achaotic exit from Afghanistan. Today,Vladimir Putin is watching Venezuela, Iran (a source of someofPutin’s drones) and soon, perhaps, Cuba, join Syria as vanished clients. The swiftness of their downfall illustrates the hollowness of Russia’sclaim to be aformidable global actor Today’sworld, where the velocity of information and the capability of weaponry annihilate distances and compress time, resembles an Alexander Calder mobile: adisturbance here translates into disturbance over there.

In one of history’sstranger caroms, Oct. 7led to regimechange at Harvard and other universities, and forced aU.S. reckoning with antisemitism’sinfection of both extremities of the political spectrum Unlike in Venezuela, meredecapitation —regime modification —isinsufficient forIran. The ayatollahs’ regimeloathed not just modernity,which America exemplifies, but humanity,whose dignity is in imagining betterment through reason banishing superstition.

Let there be no moreincomprehension akin to Obama’sfirst inaugural, in which he said, with Iran likely in mind, “Wewill extend ahand if you are willing to unclench your fist.” Or George H.W.Bush’sinaugural, in which he said to belligerent nations, “Good will begets good will.” Nationalism,sooften derided, wasnever captured by Iran’sregime. Instead, nationalism simmered against the state, which warred unceasingly against the nation. As America prepares to help, from adistance, Iran’spolitical rebirth, we should heed an American poet’sadvice of bold thoroughness. Robert Frost: “The best wayout is always through.”

Email George Will at georgewill@ washpost.com.

LSUassociate head coachStarkey plannedtoberetired by now—thenhefound arolehejustcan’t seem to quit

OF THE GAME FOR THE LOVE

Saints DE Jordanto enterfree agency

Negotiations with all-time sack leader have hitasnag

BY MATTHEW PARAS Staff writer

Negotiations between theNew Orleans Saints andCam Jordan appear to have hit asnag.

The two sides have reportedly not been able to reach an agreementona newcontract, and as aresult, Jordan will test free agency when the league’snegotiating window opens Monday.According to ESPN,the longtimeSaints defensive end is now “open to leaving NewOrleans” ahead of his 16th NFLseason.

This marksthe first timeinJordan’scareer that he’sset to test free agency

TheSaintsand Jordan havehistorically been able to reach new deals to keep him in NewOrleans, even last year when the team asked him to take apay cut. But much has changed forJordan and the

Five years ago, Bob Starkey had it all mapped out. By 2026, he’d have histoes buried in the white sands on Perdido Key,Florida. When he’d close his eyes, he’d listen to the wavesand the seagulls harmonize withthe Kenny Chesney songs he’d floatthrough aspeaker Starkey’sfifth-floor condo would perch behind him. That’swhere he’d retire once he called it quits on along career as an assistant college basketball coach. Someday soon, he’d have no more film to grind. No more practices to run. No more instructions to shout from the bench. Just cigars to puff on abeach chairinthe sunshine.

LSU associate coachBob Starkeywalkstocenter courttoberecognized for 25 years of coaching at LSU on Dec. 21 at thePete Maravich Assembly Center STAFF FILE PHOTO By MICHAEL JOHNSON Johnson confident he hasanswers to LSU’sstruggles

ForbestshotatNCAAtourney, LSUneeds to winSEC tourney

Drippy,dreary weather

Wednesday forced the LSU women’sbasketball sendoff for the Southeastern Conference tournament indoors at the Pete Maravich Assembly Center.The next time the Tigers are in the PMAC it will be by choice: Sunday, March 15 for their NCAA tournament selection watch party

What number will flash up nextto LSU’sname on thegiant videoboards overthe PMAC’scourt? Will the Tigers be aNo. 1seed? A2ora3?

Alot of that depends on how LSU fares in Greenville, South Carolina, this weekend.

In thehighly stratified world of women’scollege basketball

—one small group of teamsis on the top plateau, then another small group on the next and so on —much of the race for the four No. 1regional seeds has been run. UConn, UCLAand SEC regular-season champion SouthCarolina surely have three of thefour No. 1s written in Sharpie next to their names on the selection committee’sworksheets.

Only one No. 1regional seed is still up for grabs, withabig group of teams

See RABALAIS, page

BY KOKI RILEY Staff writer

ä Sacramento State at LSU 6:30 P.M. FRIDAy

Jay Johnson walked up to the horde of media members standing by the right field foul line with asurprising sense of clarity LSU’s play over the past six games has been amystery.There’snoeasy explanation for the3-3 recorditposted after a dominant 8-0 start. But Johnson,after a7-2 defeat on WednesdaytoUL, was confident that he could find the answers to the Tigers’ problems. “The pitching,the offense, the defense, Icare about it all,” LSU’s coach said. “And Ithink that’swhat the head coach does, is they lean in.” Almost every aspect of the gamehas becomeanissue for LSU.The offense has

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Return of spring football games?

Disappearanceof thespring transfer portal window offers an opportunity

BY STEVE MEGAREE AP sportswriter

The disappearance of thespring transfer portal window creates theopportunityfor areappearance of spring football games in campuses acrossthe country

Playing agame in front of fans to end spring practice hadbecome afadingtraditioninthe ageofconference networks and the transfer portal. Coaches feared the possibility that rival staffs could watch televisedspring gamesand turn them into scouting opportunities.

“Itjust didn’tincentivize us to be out there playing when people couldwatch that tape on national TV and call akid,” said Nebraska coach Matt Rhule, who did away with the spring game last year That’snot as much of aconcern nowthat college football no longer has asecond transfer portalwindow in April. Nebraska responded to the change by bringing back its spring game.

“Wemissed it,” Rhule said. “We wanted to do it. …It’sagreat thing forthe fans. It’sagreat thing for people who want to come watch us play. Once they kind of changed thecalendar,wewent back to a more traditional setting.”

Nebraska is holdingspringpractice earlierthan mostschools,as it held its first workoutFeb. 21 and will conduct its spring game March 28. Most schools won’tfinish spring practice until April.

At least ahandful of Football Bowl Subdivision programs that responded to asurvey from The Associated Press havedecided to hold traditional spring games this year after not having them in 2025. That list also includes Auburn, UConn, North Texasand San DiegoState,among others.

Auburn, UConn and NorthTexas made their decisions following coaching changes. Newstaffsdecided to go with new approaches that included going backtocollege

SAINTS

Continued from page1C

Saints since last year.For one, the 36-year-old defensiveend had aresurgent season, leadingthe Saints with 101/2 sacks —his best output since 2021. In the process, Jordanearned him $2 millionin contract incentives, money that thepass rusher considered “services rendered”for what he was originally owed.

At the end of the season, Jordan strongly indicated he wouldn’t take as much of adiscount to play for the Saints as he did in 2025.

“The Saints havedonenothing butshow that they want me to be here,” Jordan said. “Now,atwhat price? Somewould sayhalfoff this last year.Can’tdothat again.”

The Saints would like Jordan back, but also want to add another pass rusher to the fold this offseason. Doing so would potentially reduce Jordan’srole even further.Despite starting all 17 games, Jordan was effectively the team’sthird passrusher this season. He played 53.6% of the defense’ssnaps, though that was with Chase Young missing the first five games of the year.After Young’sreturn, Jordan’splaying time dipped to 45.7%.

There are also questions about whether Jordan can maintain his rediscovered pass-rush productivity.According to ESPN’sBill

after Nebraska made asafety against Iowa during agame on Nov. 28 in Lincoln, Neb

football’spast.

Spring football gamesoncewere an offseason staple.Teams would closespring practices by playing agame in front of thousands of their fans, either by matching theoffense against the defense or conducting apregame draft that divided the team into two separate rosters.

But less than half the Bowl Subdivision schools that responded to the AP’ssurvey indicated they had atraditional spring game last year

The change happened in part becauseofthe arrivalofamidApril transferportal window that opened as most teams were closing springpractice.Teams nowadays still hold some sortofevent to mark the end of spring practice, butitusually doesn’thave atypical game format.

For instance, Nebraskahad a skills competition last year that included a7-on-7 game. Other schools staged open practices with some scrimmaging San Diego State also had askills event similartothe Pro Bowl Games format that the NFL has adopted. This year,San Diego

State instead plans to have an Offense vs. Defense spring game on May2 “Wewill block and we will tackle,” San Diego State coach Sean Lewissaid. “It’snot going to be fan fest.It’snot going to be dodgeball, right? Hearing some feedback from the fans year to year,obviously things are alittle bit different, but with no spring portal,wecan do things alittlebit differently.”

The NCAA removed the second window lastfall and made Jan. 2-11 the loneopportunity forplayers to enter the portal. Coaching staffs don’thavetoworry anymore about players transferring after spring practice.

Butthisshift in thecollegefootball calendar also could cause teamstobecautiousabout how they handlespring workouts

Forinstance, Wisconsinlostprojected starting left tackle Kevin Heywood to atornanterior cruciateligament at spring practice lastyear.The Badgers responded by signing offensivelineman Davis Heinzen, who had entered the portal after starting 36 consecutive gamesatCentralMichigan.

Barnwell,fiveofJordan’s101/2 sackswere the result of either coverage sacks or bringingthe quarterback down based on another pressure.His time to pressure of 3.47 seconds,according to NextGen Stats, was the longest of the15players who finished with double-digit sacks. Only three of his 30 quarterbacks cameunder three seconds.

But2025 was areminder to count out the Saints’all-timesack leader at your own risk.

After recording two sacks in 2023 and four sacks in 2024, Jor-

dan looked better than he had in yearsinpart becausehewas no longerasked tooccasionally play inside at defensive tackle. The 36-year-old was often frustrated by former defensive line coach Todd Grantham. Underdefensive coordinator Brandon Staley, Jordanstuck to theedgeand chased the quarterback. Along the way,Jordan continuedtoclimbupthe league’salltime sack leaderboardand now ranks 17th with132. He is two sacks from passing JohnAbrahamatNo. 14.

Teams won’thave nearly as many options this year to find replacements if akey player suffers aseason-ending injuryinpractice. “For the most part, there’snot going to be awhole lot of people available afterspring football,” Wisconsin coach Luke Fickell said. “Weall know what canhappenin spring ball. There’sstill abunch of peoplewho won’thave homes, so Istill think if people around the country need something in April, there will be some opportunities with guys out there, but Idon’t think that’ssomething you can bank on.”

Fickell acknowledged the balancing act coaches face as they try to get their teamsasprepared as possible while avoiding injuries.

“We’re trying to find what that balance looks like and how do we practice physical, how do we do thedemanding things that you have to do to get betteratthe game of footballwhile also beingsmart and making sureour highest-end guys, we’reinaposition to make sure they’regetting better but that we’re going to get them through the summer and get them intothe start of the fall,” Fickell said.

“Did we expect 101/2 sacksfrom him?” general manager Mickey Loomis said afterthe season.“No, Iwouldn’tsay that we expected that, but I’mexcited forhim.”

If Jordan leaves, it wouldlikely be hard for many to envision the former first-rounder playing elsewhere. Jordan has played a franchise-high 243 games across 15 seasons since taken 24th overall in 2011. He has also become a pillarinthe community, founding his charityand visiting schools around New Orleansonhis off dayeachweek Jordan testing free agency, however, doesn’tautomatically spell the end of his tenureinNew Orleans. Thetwo sides, in theory, could still reach an agreement after Jordan sees what else is out there

But for now,Jordanhitting the market meansthatthe Saints would absorb nearly $18.8 milliontoward theirsalarycap based on thedead money remaining on Jordan’scontract, which is set to void next Wednesdaybarring a newdeal

“The moment Igot drafted black and gold, I’d figure I’d die in gold and black,” Jordansaid after theseason. “However you putit, CamJordan and black and gold have been synonymous. And I’vealwaysworked for it to stay that way.”

Email MatthewParas at matt. paras@theadvocate.com

IN BRIEF FROM

Astros’ Pena to miss WBC with finger injury

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla.— Houston

Astros All-Star shortstop Jeremy Peña will miss the World Baseball Classic with abroken right ring finger, the team announced on Thursday

Astros manager Joe Espada told reporters at the team’sspring training complex that Peña was being sent to ahand specialist for assessment of some damage to the nail area on the finger after fielding ahard groundball for the DominicanRepublic national team during an exhibition game on Wednesday

The Astrossaidlater that Peña was diagnosedwitha fracture in the tip of the finger and will be re-evaluatedintwo weeks. The Dominican Republic plays its first gameofthe WBC on Friday in Miami against Nicaragua.

McCutchen, Rangersagree to minor league contract

The Texas Rangers and veteran outfielder AndrewMcCutchen agreed to aminor league contract on Thursday,aperson withknowledge of thedeal told The Associated Press.

Thepersonconfirmedthe agreement to theAPoncondition of anonymitybecause thecontract had not been finalized and aphysical exam stillneeded to be completed. The 39-year-old McCutchen would make $1.5 million this season while playing in the major leagues if he’s added to the 40-man roster,the person said.

McCutchen has three weeksof spring training to show the Rangers he’sworth aspot.They’re wellpositioned in the outfield with rising standouts WyattLangfordinleft field and Evan Carter in center field.

U.S. adds Billings, Burrell for FIBA WorldCup Qualifier Monique Billings and Rae Burrell were addedThursdayto the U.S. women’sbasketball roster for the FIBA WorldCup qualifier next week in Puerto Rico.

Thepair willreplace Aliyah Bostonand Sonia Citron, who are no longer able to competeinthe tournament that will take place in San Juan. Boston missed the Unrivaled playoffs with what was described as aright lower extremityinjury. Citron missed the end of the regular season of Unrivaled with the same injurydesignation as Boston.

Billings was partofthe 2017 USAunder-23 national team that was undefeated at the Four Nations Tournament. Burrell will be making her U.S. competitive debut.

Celtics’ Tatum poised to returnafter Achillesinjury

BOSTON Boston Celtics star Jayson Tatum is on the vergeofmaking areturn to NBA action nine months after rupturing his right Achilles tendon injury during last season’splayoffs.

Tatum was listedasquestionable on the Celtics’ injury report on Thursdayahead of the team’shome matchup with the Dallas Mavericks on Friday night.

It is thefirst time this season he hasn’t been listedassidelinedand undergoing rehabilitationfor the injuryhesuffered during Game 4ofBoston’sEastern Conference semifinal loss to the NewYork Knicks last May

Celtics presidentofbasketball operations Brad Stevens hassaid thatTatum wouldn’tbecleared to return until he wasreadytoplay

Zhang chips in twiceto sharethe lead in China

HAINAN ISLAND,China Zhang Weiwei chippedinonher last twoholes, one foreagleand theother forbirdie, giving her a6-under 66 and athreeway tie for the lead in theBlue Bay LPGA on Thursday

Zhang, one of 20 players in the field from the ChinaGolf Association, wastiedwithMary Liuof China and Youmin HwangofSouth Korea. All threeofthem were solid on aday of strong wind at Jian Lake BlueBay Auston Kim,the American who tiedfor third last week in the HSBC Women’sWorld Championship in Singapore, shot a67.

Zhang took advantage of ashorter tee boxonthe par-5 17th that allowed her to get close enough to the green in twotochipinfor eagle. She finished with achip just off the18th green about 30 feet from thecup.

Ray leads Madison Prep back to final

Chargers look for breakthrough win against U-High

BY JACKSON REYES Staff writer

Once Madison Prep senior

Auri Ray got into a rhythm, she knew it would be a good day

The guard had six steals and scored 14 of top-seeded Madison Prep’s 16 first-half points in a 44-38 win over No. 5 Buckeye in a Division II select semifinal game on Thursday at the University Center in Hammond.

“It just became constant,” said Ray, who scored 21 points. “I just wanted to win for my team.”

Madison Prep (26-7) will play district rival University (25-4) in the championship game at 2 p.m. Saturday The second-seeded Cubs topped No 3 Parkview Baptist on Wednesday night.

The Chargers are back in the state title game for a third straight season, but came up short to Vandebilt Catholic last season and Lafayette Christian in 2024.

“We’re happy to make a third trip,” coach Dwayne Hayes said. “This time, we don’t just want to be there.

It’s time for us to finish

The Chargers started slow, going 0 for 8 from the floor before Ray knocked down a left-wing 3-pointer for Madison Prep’s first field goal. Madison Prep, which shot 1 of 16 from the field, led 7-4 after the first quarter — all the Chargers’ points were by Ray Buckeye (22-7) was 0 of 8 from the field in the period.

Buckeye junior Sadie St. Pe’ buried a 3-pointer to make it a one-point game early in the second quarter

Ray then had a pair of steals that led to fast-break layups that sparked an 8-0 run to help Madison Prep take a 16-9 lead at halftime. Ray scored 14 of the Chargers’ 16 first-half points. She was 4 of 6 from the field, while the rest of the team was 1 of 20.

St. Pe’ knocked down a 3-pointer to cut the deficit to five early in the third Senior guard Natalie Graves cut to the basket and scored a layup to make it a three-point game.

Ray answered with another layup to push the ad-

vantage back to fives. After Buckeye scored, Chargers guard Gabrielle Dotson connected with a 3-pointer to make it 22-16.

Madison Prep led 26-19 after three quarters after Ray banked in a layup in the closing seconds.

Buckeye’s Graves stole the ball early in the fourth and found senior center Libby Cross on a fast break to cut the deficit to five Midway through the fourth, Dotson caught an inbound and scored a layup through contact. She drew a foul and hit the ensuing free throw to put the Chargers up 33-24.

The lead reached 10 after senior guard Neariah Garnette stole the ball and broke away for a layup with 2:22 left and Madison Prep held on.

After two straight years of falling short in the championship, Ray said this year feels different.

“We have young people, but these young people have heart,” Ray said. “They’re determined to win, and they always hustle. It’s never a dull moment.”

Huge fourth quarter propels Redstickers to title game

SJA to play John Curtis for shot at first state championship

BY JACKSON REYES Staff writer

St. Joseph’s Academy trailed Teurlings Catholic by seven points heading into the fourth quarter of their Division I select semifinal game on Thursday

With a title spot on the line, Redstickers coach Tim Waller kept his message simple.

“I told them that we had eight minutes left in our season,” Waller said. “This team has always been a fighting team.”

Third-seeded St. Joseph’s became more aggressive defensively and shot 50% from the floor to outscore the No 7 Rebels 17-5 in the final quarter and claw back for a 51-46 win at the University Center in Hammond.

St. Joseph’s (21-5) will play No. 1 John Curtis (24-1) in the title game at 4 p.m. Saturday looking for its basketball state title.

Thursday’s game included 11 lead changes and seven ties.

“No lead was insurmountable for us if we put our minds and our hearts and our souls into it,” Waller said The Redstickers trailed most of the first quarter

Sophomore guard Ella Gisclair got the team within one point with a long jumper Freshman guard Evelyn Osborne scored two free throws to give St Joseph’s its first lead of the game with three minutes left in the first, up 10-9. The lead changed hands four times in the opening period. The Rebels led 15-12.

St. Joseph’s guard Adelaide Sanches caught a pass and hoisted a corner 3-pointer to tie the game early in the second quarter.

Senior guard Kendall Dailey followed that score with consecutive 3-pointers to spark a 9-0 run. Teurlilngs’ Ashtyn Stein hit a fadeaway layup to end the run. The Redstickers’ 3-point barrage picked back up after Sanches found Osborne for a 3 to put her side up 24-17

Teurlings Catholic (23-9) ripped off a 9-0 run of its own to tie the game 26-26 at halftime

The two sides traded baskets to begin the third and were deadlocked at 32 midway through the quarter

The Rebels used a mix of fast-break points and forced turnovers to close the third on a 9-2 run.

Teurlings Catholic led 41-

34 — its largest lead of the game — after three periods. That’s when St. Joseph’s went to work.

Sanches opened the fourth with a corner 3-pointer to get her team back within four points. On the next possession, Dailey found sophomore Brynne Chapoton on a backdoor cut for an open layup.

The Rebels scored a jumper, but Gisclair hit a 3-pointer to cut the deficit to one.

Gisclair led the team in scoring with 13 points. Dailey finished with eight points and 10 rebounds.

Dailey brought her team all the way back after she caught an inbounds pass and drained a fadeaway jumper in the paint. After a quick stop, Chapoton caught a pass and buried a 3-pointer to put St. Joseph’s in front by four with three minutes left Chapoton pushed the run to 10-0 after she raced down the full length of the court and hit a layup. St. Joseph’s iced the game away at the freethrow line to advance.

“I can’t find the words,” Dailey said on closing out her high school career in the state title game. “I’m just very blessed and thankful to my teammates.”

Zachary girls return to championship game with after blowout over Neville

BY JACKSON REYES Staff writer

Zachary senior guard Ava Raymond drove to the basket and scored a layup for the first points of the game.

Neville scored nine seconds later, but once Zachary went back in front two minutes later, the Broncos never trailed again. Raymond scored 26 points and grabbed eight rebounds to put the Broncos back in the state title game for a second-straight year

“This team’s amazing,” Zachary coach Tami McClure said. “They just go out there and they play They’re going to compete every single day.” No. 1 Zachary (28-3) defeated No. 4 Neville 64-46 in the Division I nonselect semifinals on Thursday in the University Center in Hammond on Thursday The Broncos look to become repeat state champions. Zachary led 15-8 against the Tigers of Monroe after

the first quarter as Raymond scored seven points and nabbed five rebounds

The Broncos defense held Neville to 23.5% shooting from the floor in the opening period.

“Defense always wins championships,” Raymond said. “We always lock in on defense, and it turns into offense.” Raymond hit a reverse layup to push the lead to nine midway through the second quarter The lead swelled to 11 after she hit another close jumper Raymond scored 15 points in the first half and grabbed seven rebounds.

Neville (21-5) made just one field goal in the second quarter The Broncos capitalized on missed shots to push tempo and scored 12 fast-break points in the first half. Zachary led 26-15 at halftime.

Broncos sophomore Asia Bell scored six of the team’s

first eight points in the third quarter She scored two layups and hit a pair of free throws. Bell finished with 16 points and 14 rebounds.

“They complement each other,” McClure said about Bell and Raymond. “When they work well together, great things will happen. It’s shown this year.”

Freshman Marcia Robinson then drove along the baseline and scored a layup through contact midway through the third. She drew a foul and hit a free throw to make it a 15-point game Raymond then scored a three-point play after drawing contact on a fadeaway jumper She had 20 points after three quarters.

Zachary led 47-30 heading into the fourth quarter

“It’s just a great mix,” McClure said about her team.

“They love just love each other and love playing for each other It’s just been a fun year.”

1 French Settlement, 8 p.m. Saturday’s finals Div. IV select: No. 1 Southern Lab vs. No. 2 J.S. Clark, noon Div. II select: No. 2 University vs. No. 1 Madison Prep, 2 p.m.

Div. I select: No. 1 John Curtis vs. St. Joseph’s, 4 p.m. Div. II nonselect: No. 2 LaGrange vs. No. 4 Wossman, 6 p.m. Div. I nonselect: No. 1 Zachary vs. Slidell, 8 p.m.

Zachary 64, Neville 46 Neville 8 7 15 16 — 46 Zachary 15 11 21 17 64

SCORING: ZACHARY: Ava Raymond 26, Asia Bell 16, Marcia Robinson 10, Kennedi Whitfield 8, Ayja Walker 3, Sarhya Smith 1. NEVILLE: Joy Fisher 9, Lyric Gay 8, Ma’Kayla Williams 8, Erynn Felton 8, Kameya WestRobinson 6, Jayla Taylor 4, Marleigh Boykins 3.

3-POINT GOALS: Neville 2 (Gay 2)

RECORDS: Zachary 28-3, Neville 21-6

St. Joseph’s Academy 51, Teurlings Catholic 46 Teurlings Catholic 15 11 15 5— 46

St. Joseph’s Acad. 12 14 8 17— 51

SCORING: ST. JOSEPH’S: Ella Gisclair 13, Brynne Chapoton 11, Kendall Dailey 8, Adelaide Sanches 8, Evelyn Osborne 7, Emma Wilson 2, Julia Haslauer 2. TEURLINGS CATHOLIC: Justyse George 14, Ja’Nia Senegal 13, Jayda Senegal 10, Ashtyn Stein 6, Marlie Juneau

3-POINT GOALS: St. Joseph’s 7 (Sanches 2, Dailey 2, Chapoton 1, Gisclair 1, Osborne 1) Teurlings Catholic 2 (Juneau 1, Senegal 1) RECORDS: St. Joseph’s 21-5, Teurlings 23-9

SEC WOMEN’S TOURNAMENT

Strack leads Kentucky over Georgia

By The Associated Pres

GREENVILLE

S.C. Clara Strack

made a career-high five 3-pointers in matching her career best of 33 points and No. 17 Kentucky defeated No. 22 Georgia 76-61 in the second round of the SEC Tournament on Thursday Strack, a 6-foot-5 center, was 5 of 7 from the arc, 12 of 22 overall and grabbed eight rebounds for the ninth-seeded Wildcats (23-9), who will play top seed and thirdranked South Carolina in a Friday quarterfinal.

Teonni Key added 14 points and 12 rebounds and Tonie Morgan also scored 14 points and had seven assists for the Wildcats, who shot 50% and were 14 of 20 at the line to 6 of 8 for the Bulldogs.

RABALAIS

Continued from page 1C

(by the current NET rankings)

grasping for it: No. 4 Texas, No 5 LSU, No. 6 Michigan and No. 7 Vanderbilt.

If LSU can win the SEC tournament, likely having to knock off South Carolina in the semifinals and Texas or Vandy in the final, at 29-4 and with a trophy in hand, the Tigers would have a serious case for that No. 1 seed. No less an expert than ESPN women’s bracketologist Charlie Crème considers it a real possibility

“The SEC will provide the an-

STARKEY

Continued from page 1C

Earlier in his career Starkey was the kind of coach who’d sleep in his office and work on Christmas. Eight years would come and go, and he’d realize he hadn’t taken a single vacation.Howcouldhe?Timerunsquicklyonthecoachinggrind,andStarkey hadbeentryingtokeepupforalmost four decades. It was about time to hit the beach and slow things down.

So why is Starkey still at it?

“I just absolutely love working for Kim,” he said from his office one Friday morning in late January, his eyes heavy from a night without much sleep.

The LSU women’s basketball team had just beaten Arkansas. Once that game wrapped around 9 p.m., Starkey made his way out of the Pete Maravich Assembly Center and across the street to his office, where he worked until 2 a.m. He then drove home, caught some shuteye, woke up, climbed into his car, drove back to campus and plopped down in his desk chair again. The clock on his desktop computer said it was 6:45 a.m.

That’s how Starkey sometimes has to manage his time now, four years into his second stint at LSU. During the season, it’s his job to break down the film — on both the Tigers and their opponents — and present his findings to coach Kim Mulkey, helping her craft gameplans and pinpoint the areas they need to emphasize to their players.

Mulkey hired Starkey to her staff in 2022 — a move she thinks has extended her career. Preparing for games, such as the one LSU will play against Oklahoma at 1:30 p.m. Friday in the quarterfinals of the SEC Tournament in Greenville, South Carolina (ESPN), is much easier with him on board Starkey, 66, is one of the most experienced coaches in the country Five years ago, he thought he’d spend three or four seasons at Auburn, then retire. But now he’s in his 25th year at LSU, and his contract is set to expire in June.

In January, Starkey was asked if he had thought about how much longer he wants to coach, and he said he hadn’t. Given his age, he knows he’s in the twilight of his career Something just keeps holding the sunset at bay

“When you’re learning,” Starkey said, “it keeps you fresh. Keeps you wanting to come back. I just feel like we’re in the middle of something really special here that’s going to be remembered for a long time, if not forever.

‘Never wanted the headlines’ One day in 1989, Craig Carse told Dale Brown he should talk to this young coach who might have some potential. Brown was trying to fill an opening on his LSU staff. Carse, his

ROUNDUP

Dani Carnegie scored 18 points, Trinity Turner 14 and Mia Woolfolk 11 for Georgia (22-9), which was just 5 of 26 on 3-pointers.

Strack and Amelia Hassett scored all the points in 13-2 run that left Kentucky ahead by 15 with under three minutes to go.

A Strack 3-pointer early in the third quarter gave Kentucky the lead for good. The Wildcats hit six straight shots in the period and Strack scored nine points for a 54-49 lead.

After Georgia scored the opening basket, Kentucky took and held the lead the remainder of the first quarter with Strack hitting a pair of 3-pointers and scoring 13 points.

Carnegie hit a pair of 3s and scored the Bulldogs’ first eight points of the second quarter to tie the game with

swer on the final 1-seed as Texas tries to hold off Vanderbilt and LSU,” Crème wrote in Monday’s bracket prediction One that still has the Tigers as the No. 2 seed in the Fort Worth 1 regional behind top-overall seed UConn. LSU would like to avoid playing the Huskies before the Final Four An IRS audit would be more fun than playing UConn in the Elite Eight. Pretty much the same goes for UCLA. From her bench seat, LSU coach Kim Mulkey remains steadfast. She mainly wants to see her Tigers be a top four regional seed — something that’s a cinch even if LSU goes one-and-done in Greenville with a loss in Friday’s

lead assistant, told him he had dipped into the high school ranks to find a pretty good one five years earlier, when he was the head coach at West Virginia State. The coach’s name was Bob Starkey, and when Brown sat down with him, he thought he was humble, knowledgeable and passionate.

So Brown hired Starkey, and the two coaches wound up working together for seven seasons — the stretch in which players such as Shaquille O’Neal, Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf and Stanley Roberts starred for the Tigers.

“He did a really good job for us,” Brown said, “and he never wanted the headlines, never wanted to be in the spotlight. The kids liked him, and he was very good at bringing the kids in privately and working with them.”

One of those kids was Randy Livingston. Before he was an NBA player and a successful coach himself, he was a freshman who once missed a rehab session during the 1994-95 season. Starkey told him that his irresponsibility could cost the LSU coaches their jobs, which started a “war of words” that has stuck with him ever since.

“I really wasn’t fond of the comment,” Livingston said. “It didn’t really resonate with me. In fact, it pissed me off because I didn’t realize that I controlled that much of a program, where that was the responsibility of a 19-year-old.

“But then, becoming a coach, you understand what that means now, right? He was really trying to push me and trying to make me responsible.”

Starkey can push, but he’s always done so with care, whether he was coaching the LSU men under Brown or the women under Sue Gunter, Pokey Chatman or Van Chancellor Livingston still remembers the film he watched and the conversations he had with Starkey in his office. Katrina Hibbert — one of LSU women’s 10 all-time leading scorers — can still hear him teaching her the fundamentals of post play in the PMAC and playfully trying to mimic her Australian accent.

In 2007, Starkey took over LSU’s women’s program for Chatman after she was fired that March amid allegations she had an inappropriate relationship with a player Two weeks later, the Tigers had earned their fourth trip to the Final Four

The five NCAA Tournament games LSU played that year still represent Starkey’s only run as a head coach He’s always preferred to work behind the scenes and assist his boss, whether it’s Brown, Gunter, Mulkey or Gary Blair the Naismith Hall-of-Famer who added Starkey to his Texas A&M staff in 2012.

“He has no hobbies except smoking cigars,” Blair said. “He doesn’t play no pickleball. He doesn’t play no golf. He doesn’t have hobbies besides taking care of his wife and going to the beach and lightin’ one up.”

Georgia leading 36-35 at the break.

NO.7 OKLAHOMA 82, FLORIDA 64: Raegan Beers had 18 points and seven rebounds, Aaliyah Chavez added 17 points and No. 7 Oklahoma used a dominant third quarter to rout Florida 82-64 on Thursday and advance to the Southeastern Conference Tournament quarterfinals.

Zya Vann scored 14 points and Brooklyn Stewart chipped in with 12 for the Sooners (24-6), who have won seven straight.

Liv McGill had 28 points on 13-of17 shooting from the foul line to lead Florida (18-15), which defeated Mississippi State 86-68 in the first round.

Oklahoma will face No. 6 LSU in the quarterfinals on Friday at the Bon Secours Wellness Arena

Despite their top-10 ranking, the Sooners need to win four games in four days to capture their first

quarterfinals to Oklahoma — so they can host first and secondround NCAA games at the PMAC.

“No,” Mulkey said when asked recently if being a regional 1, 2 or 3 seed matters to her “I just want to host first- and second-round games here. The fans and the team deserve it.”

Mulkey has a reason for her point of view Her 2023 Tigers won the NCAA championship as a regional No. 3 seed, benefiting from regional No. 1 seed Indiana getting bumped off in the second round by Miami (which LSU beat in the regional final) and Iowa taking out unbeaten South Carolina in the national semis before Angel Reese and the Tigers topped Cait-

SEC title after finishing fifth in the conference and failing to claim a double bye in a loaded conference that features five teams ranked in the top seven in the country

But the Sooners, who forced 24 turnovers and held Florida to 36% shooting from the field, are off to a good start.

Oklahoma was clinging to a 40-38 lead at halftime after Beers sat out the entire second quarter with foul trouble. She returned in the third quarter and the Sooners immediately began to pull away, opening the half with a 14-2 run. Oklahoma outscored Florida 27-7 in the pivotal third with Vann providing a spark with eight points.

Oklahoma pushed the lead to 25 in the fourth with Beers drawing wide smiles and cheers from her

lin Clark and the Hawkeyes in the national championship game. But let’s be frank, here. I think LSU’s chances of even reaching this year’s Final Four are slim if they have a team like UConn or UCLA (which beat the Tigers in the Elite Eight last year) in their path. LSU is a very good, very talented team and has had a very good season, 26-4 to this point and top 10 all year long. They have uncommon versatility and depth that even the national championship squad couldn’t boast of having. But the Tigers’ propensity to turn the ball over in bunches, and the half-court offense that high-quality teams LSU will meet as the Tigers fast-break deeper

‘He talks my language’

When he was working under Brown and Gunter, Starkey used to hand-type stats and watch film on VHS tapes. Staff across the sport were much smaller then, so he had to handle most of the grunt work himself. Sometimes he stayed in the office until 5 or 6 a.m.

Then 2007 rolled around, and Starkey’s wife, Sherie, was diagnosed with breast cancer

“It was a slap in the face,” Starkey said. “It was God telling me, ‘Your priorities are screwed up.’” Starkey had straightened them out by 2021, when Blair retired and he accepted a job on coach Johnnie Harris’ Auburn staff, committing to her and the Tigers for three or four years.

After Starkey fulfilled the first season of that pledge, longtime LSU staffer Reneé Braud called to tell him that Mulkey wanted to hire him. He thanked her for the offer but politely declined. He had already given his word to Harris.

Then Starkey started to feel uneasy He and Sherie are each from West Virginia, but they consider Baton Rouge home. Even when the couple was living in College Station, Texas, Sherie flew down to Louisiana three or four times a year so she could see friends she made when her husband was coaching at LSU and she was battling cancer Was this their last chance to move back home?

Starkey was in a Kay Yow Cancer Fund board meeting at the 2022 Final Four in Minneapolis, Minnesota, when one of his friends, board member Felicia Allen, noticed something was bothering him. Starkey told her he had turned down Mulkey’s overture.

“Are you stupid?” she asked him.

“You gotta do this.”

“I can’t do that to (Harris),” Starkey said.

“What about Sherie?” Allen said.

“Are you being loyal to her?”

Starkey paused.

“That was a load of bricks on my

teammates when the center, who typically does her damage in the paint, stepped out and drained a 3-pointer from the top of the key Beers surpassed 2,000 points for her career in the win. NO 24 OLE MISS 73 AUBURN 57: Christeen Iwuala scored 18 points for No. 7 seed Mississippi in a 7357 win over No. 15 seed Auburn in the second round of the SEC Tournament on Thursday Ole Miss (22-10) led the entire game, jumping out with a 12-1 run to open the game and had a double-digit lead heading into halftime, 48-20 Iwuala shot a perfect 5 of 5 from the field in the first half for 10 points, and finished the day 8 of 8. She added nine rebounds, including the 250th of her career Latasha Lattimore and Cotie McMahon both scored 13 for the Lady Rebels.

into March can grind to a halt at times.

Upsets can happen. March, as we all know, can be quite mad. The Tigers could benefit from some whopper upsets to knock potential roadblocks out of their way

But for LSU’s best chance at making it all the way to Phoenix for the Women’s Final Four, the Tigers need their best seeding. They need to cut down nets in Greenville — though still no guarantee of a No. 1 NCAA seed — to have their best chance to be cutting down nets with a Final Four trophy in hand.

Email Scott Rabalais at srabalais@theadvocate.com

paused the Kenny Chesney song that was playing. It was that one morning in late January, and he was still kicking around LSU’s win over Arkansas He sifted through the film of it in the wee hours of the morning.

“Which was pretty damn painful to do,” Starkey said. The Tigers won 92-70, but they had a sloppy first half. Starkey couldn’t dwell on it, though. He had to pick out a few extra clips from Alabama’s game against Georgia and shoot them over to Kaylin Rice the assistant coach who helps him scout other teams.

shoulder right there,” he said.

So Starkey called Braud back and asked her if Mulkey had moved on to other candidates. She laughed and said she hadn’t. She was already putting a call in to Harris.

Now Mulkey and Starkey form a bit of an odd couple. Mulkey’s loud and flashy Starkey’s more buttoned up. The two may not have the same sense of style, but they do share a basketball ethos. Starkey considers Blair one of his mentors, and he forged his hoops philosophy in the same place Mulkey shaped hers at Louisiana Tech under the tutelage of legendary coaches Leon Barmore and Sonja Hogg.

“He talks my language,” Mulkey said. “We teach the same way.”

Starkey frequently fills in for Mulkey in her news conferences and weekly radio shows. In December he addressed reporters after LSU announced it had parted ways with athletic director Scott Woodward during one of the Tigers’ exhibition games. Mulkey was “heartbroken,” he said. In the past two seasons, Starkey has also run two different weeks of practice after personal family matters pulled Mulkey away from her team. One was for LSU’s 2025 SEC Tournament opener against Florida, and the other was for its road game against Texas A&M this past January

The Tigers didn’t miss a beat either time. They scored 101 points in the first matchup and won by 44 in the second. Mulkey used both chances to stump for Starkey’s induction into the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame — something she’s done repeatedly since she brought him back to LSU.

“He can do all that,” Blair said, “but he doesn’t need it. His satisfaction is the kids, the relationships with them for years after they’ve played ball, not just while they’re playing ball.”

‘Not neglecting priorities’ Starkey grabbed his mouse and

That process is much smoother than it was 20 or 30 years ago, which Starkey is grateful for He’s working smarter in his second stint at LSU than he did in his first. His days of pulling all-nighters are done, replaced with a healthier mix of life and basketball. He’ll take his laptop home now, and he’ll pull it out only after he eats dinner with Sherie, turns on a movie or a TV show and watches her fall asleep.

Starkey also takes not one, but two vacations every year He doesn’t work on Christmas anymore either

“I still feel like I’m getting my job done,” Starkey said. “I’m just not neglecting priorities the way I used to.”

The balance allows Starkey to coach with a nice blend of old and new-school techniques.

Before the Tigers took on Miami in the Elite Eight in 2023, he pulled out a Sharpie and drew rings on all their fingers. It was an idea he borrowed from Blair and it helped LSU players and coaches remember that they were chasing something.

It was also Starkey’s idea to order a rebounding bubble in January when the Tigers needed to straighten out some midseason issues on the glass. They haven’t lost a battle on the boards since. Starkey said he plans to keep coaching as long as he has the energy for it, as long as he feels like he’s contributing something and as long as Mulkey is happy with the work he’s providing. He still works hard, but because he’s found more balance and a like-minded coach to work for he still enjoys it even though he’s a couple of seasons past the retirement date he initially set five years ago.

And about that condo on Perdido Key: the Starkeys decided to put it up for sale in November They’ll still vacation on those beaches once Starkey retires. They just won’t make it their permanent residence.

Baton Rouge is home — both now and for the foreseeable future.

“I just love being here,” Starkey said, smiling. “I’m not sure my wife’s ready for me to be at home all day.”

Email Reed Darcey at reed. darcey@theadvocate.com.

LSUopens SECsoftball play at No.1 Tennessee

BY JIM KLEINPETER

Contributing writer

The LSU softball begins SEC play this weekend and the No. 17 Tigers aren’teasing theirway in against the nation’sstrongest conference.

But the visit to Knoxville, Tennessee, to play unbeaten and No. 1ranked Tennessee maycome against aVolunteers team at less than full strength.

Star senior pitching ace KarlynPickensisday to dayafter a strainedright pitching arm sidelined her Tuesday after 18 pitches in a1-0 victory over Belmont.

Tennessee coach Karen Weekly said Pickens, atwo-time All American and twice SEC Pitcher of the Year,experienced “a little bit of discomfort” and, after apractice pitch, she was removed fromthe game.

Pickens has fashioneda 6-0record with a0.60 earned run average and 68 strikeouts in 462/3 innings. Opponents are batting.103 against her but the Tigers will still have their workcut out forthem. TheVols are 20-0 with victories over No. 8UCLA, No. 9Florida

LSU

Continued from page1C

failed to string together qualityatbats or consistently generate hard contact. The defense has committed errors and made mental mistakes. The weekend starting pitching has excelled, but the bullpen and the pitching depth overall have faltered, particularly in midweek games. Alot has gonewrong.And yet, Johnson believed he’d be able to start implementing solutions on Thursday,when theTigers returned to practice before their three-game series against Sacramento State beginning on Friday (6:30 p.m., SEC Network+).

“I got it all laid out, readyto go, Johnson said. “I wanted to win tonight. (But) Whether we won or lost tonight, we need to getback togethertomytraditional practice format.”

One practice likely won’t solve all of LSU’sproblems, but amore normalschedule may help

The Tigers were forced to take aday off on Tuesday because of their five-game slate this week. The NCAA mandates that teams have at least one day off per week, which means Johnson had to decide whether that would be Tuesday or Thursday.Johnson chose the latter in preparation for this weekend, the start of amore stable schedule for his team.

LSU willonly play four games a week for the rest of the season,allowing for more practice time and less wear and tear on the players. Additionally,the Tigers only have one Thursday-Saturdayseries until the final week of the regular

Stateand No. 10 Nebraska. “They’re the No. 1team in the country for areason,” LSU coach

Beth Torina said. “They have an incredible pitching staff; they have done alot of nice things this year

We’ve had anice week to prepare, which is awesome. No midweek game, so we can have four good practices before we go there.

“We’llgive themour best shot. Ourteam does areally nice job when they are able to take some time and prepare, really do the homework. They’ll do the work andwe’ll be ready.”

TheVolshaveeight shutouts and allowed more than one run only once this season,a 6-2 win against Appalachian State There’splentyofabilityafter Pickens

Sophomore Erin Nuweris9-0 with an 0.19 ERA and 47 strikeouts in 372/3 innings with hitters batting .067 against her.Junior Sage Mardjetko is 4-0 with a0.67 ERA.

Tennessee is aplayoff-hardened team which reached the Women’s College WorldSeries semifinals last season.Leadoff hitter andcenter fielder SophiaKnight is hitting .556 with11stolenbases in 12 tries.

season. Thatshould help the team find amore consistent routine as their schedule becomes increasingly difficult.

Alack of routine isn’tprimarily why LSU has struggled,but Johnson still takes the blame for how frontloaded theschedule has been during non-conferenceplay, which included two five-game weeks and apair of four-game series.

“I don’tthink Iset the teamup for success with this schedule, howIhad it laid out,” Johnsonsaid

“I do believe we have enough tobe successful in it. But,I’m going to own thatpart of it, learn from it (and)adjust it in future years.”

Whatcan Johnsonaccomplish with more time on thepractice field? For one, he can try to straighten out alineup that has suddenly gone ice-cold.

Offense wasJohnson’scalling card when he arrived in Baton Rouge,and carried the Tigers as they accumulatedmore depthand talentonthe mound. Butafter scoring six or fewer runs in five of theirpast sixcontests, Johnson anticipated that he’d spend more time in ahands-on capacity with LSU’shitters on Thursday

“I’mgoingtoget them in small groups tomorrow,”Johnson said.

“I’mreally going to go hands-on on the hitting thing more than Ihave probablyinmytime at LSU, even though it’s my baby.But (it’ll be) next level to help some of these guys out,because Ibelieve we have good players that can play better offensivebaseball than they are.”

Johnson hopes an improved offensethathitsthe ball harder, takes more free basesand can string together quality at-bats will put less pressure on astruggling pitching staff.

SouthKorea, Australiawin

By The Associated Press

Australia opened the World Baseball Classic by beating Taiwan 3-0onTravis Bazzana’s homer in theseventh inning and atwo-run homerun in the fifth by Robbie Perkins at the Tokyo Dome on Thursday

Bazzana was the first pick in the2024 MLB amateur draftand is expected to be in Triple Athis season in the Cleveland Guardians organization.

“If you think of the twothings Ithoughtabout mostgrowing up it was, like,playing in theWBC andbeinginthe TokyoDome causewe’d alwayscome here and playing the World Series and MLB.It’sspecial,” Bazzana said. Of course,his World Series dream is yet to come.

He also credited Perkins for gettingAustralia in front, removing some pressure.

“It makes slowing downthe environment atouch easierwhen you havetwo runs already,” Bazzana said. “I was feeling good in thebox and got agood pitch to hit.”

The two big swings were enough in atight game dominated by pitching. Taiwanmanaged only three hits and Australia had seven.

score. The second to reach base was Chieh-hsien Chen who was hit by apitch on thehis right hand and leftthe game. Australia loaded the bases in the bottomofthe sixth and failed to score when Chris Burke popped out on the second pitch fromrelieverYiChang. Taiwan put tworunners on in thetop of the ninth and almost tied the game on adeep flyout by Lyle Lin.

SouthKorea beatsCzechs SouthKorea hit four home runs and overpowered the Czech Republic 11-4 in Pool C in theday’s second gameatthe Tokyo Dome.

Shay Whitcombofthe Houston Astros hit twohome runs in backto-back plate appearances, teammate Bo Gyeong Moon pounded agrandslamand Jahmai Jones of the Detroit Tigers added asolo shot in the eighth inning.

Moon’sgrand slam camein the first inning with one out that chased starter Daniel Padysak, who picked up the loss. Hyeong Jun So got the victory Whitcomb hit asolo home run in the third and added atwo-run homer in the fifth.

Second baseman Ella Dodge is the top power hitter withsix homers, 30 RBIs and a.367 average.

LSU (17-4) hasstruggled on offenseinpreconference play,sittingatNo. 15 of 16 SEC teams with a.274 team batting average.

LSUhas struggled to get the big hit, but showed some signs of life last weekend. Char Lorenz’ basesloaded double and atwo-run homer by catcher Maci Bergeron keyed victories in itspast two games.

Second baseman Sierra Daniel is batting.414and center fielder Jalia Lassiter .377 while first baseman Tori Edwards has four homers and 10 RBIs

Staff ace Jayden Heavener is 6-2 with a2.30 ERA and48strikeouts in 462/3 innings. TatumClopton has compiled a5-1 record and Patyn Monticelli threw her first shutout against Memphis last time out.

“We’retrying to understand our personnelaswellaswecan, get everybody prepared as we enter SEC play this week,” Torina said. “Make sure everybody has some gametime under their belt so they are as prepared as they can be because it’sgoing to continue to get harder as we move forward.

LSU coach JayJohnson speaks withhis players on the field before first pitch against McNeese on Feb 24 at Alex Box Stadium

“Offensively,wejust need to help make some of those pitching decisions (intight games) alittle easier by helping them out,” Johnson said.

LSU’sstarting pitching could handle the lack of help it wasgetting from theoffenselast weekend, low-scoringcontests against Northeastern andDartmouth that theTigerswon. Butonce Monday’s rematch with the Huskies came around and LSU couldn’tturnto sophomoreright-handersCasan Evans andWilliamSchmidt or right-handed Kansas transfer Cooper Moore, the pitching cracked under pressure. Not all of the group’sissues can be pinned on the offense’s lack of production. Sophomore left-hander Cooper Williams and seniorright-hander Zac Cowan’s

It wasa critical victory forAustralia,which also wonits first game in 2023, defeating South Koreaen route to reachingthe quarterfinals and anarrow 4-3loss to Cuba Australian starterAlexWells pitched three no-hit innings and Jack O’Loughlin negotiated the next threeand allowed only two hits, setting the stage for the bullpen.

O’Loughlin got the victory with asavefor Jon Kennedy.Po-Yu Chen was the losing pitcher Following Perkins’ homer,Taiwanput tworunners on in the sixthwith twoout but failed to

The Czech Republic’s Terrin Vavra connected on athreerun homer in the fifth off Woo Joo Jeong to narrow the lead to 6-3, only to be overshadowed by Whitcomb’s second homer in the bottom of the inning.

Vavra playedahandful of games forthe Baltimore Orioles, the only Czech player with MLB experience.

South Korea is deep in major league talent led by the Los AngelesDodgers infielderHyeseong Kim and the San Francisco Giants outfielder Jung Hoo Lee.

SouthKorea is trying to advance from the pool stage in the WBC after threestraight failures.

ON DECK

WHO: LSU(11-3) vs.Sacramento State (3-9) WHEN: 6:30 p.m. Friday WHERE: Alex Box Stadium ONLINE/TV: SECNetwork+ RADIO: WDGL-FM, 98.1 (Baton Rouge); WWL-AM, 870 (NewOrleans)

RANKINGS: LSUisNo. 2byD1Baseball; Sacramento St.isnot ranked PROBABLE STARTERS: LSU— TBA; Sacramento State —TBA PREGAME UPDATES: theadvocate. com/lsu ON X(FORMERLY TWITTER): @KokiRiley

WHATTOWATCH FOR: Nothing is official, but LSUwill almostcertainly startsophomore right-hander Casan Evans on Friday.After arocky outing on opening day, Evans has bounced back by allowingjust four earned runs overhis last twostarts. Sacramento State is on a five-gamelosingstreak. Its most recent defeat came on Tuesdayatthe handsof FresnoState.

—Koki Riley

struggles on Mondayput LSU in the sort of hole that no attack could reasonablyclimb out of. The three runs junior right-hander Gavin Guidry allowed in the first inning on Wednesday hadthe Tigers behind early again.

“Wehave to stay out of the big inning,” Johnson said as he discussed the improvement his pitching staff needstomake. “That is going to be the biggest predictor of winning and losing.”

OnceSoutheastern Conference play rolls around, Johnson knows which seven or eightpitchers he can trust. Evans, Schmidt and

Moore are firmly in that group.

Redshirt sophomore right-hander Deven Sheerin hasn’tallowed ahit in fiveappearances andwill be a top option out of the bullpen along with Guidry,who was basically untouchable before Wednesday Aleft-hander,likely junior college transferEthan Plog, will join that group. Rizy will also likely be apart of themix.He’sstruggled with hiscommand,but hitters have hardly put the ball in play against him,let alone hit anything hard. Whoever else joins thatmix is abit of amystery,but Johnson feels good about his top group nevertheless.

“A little bit of an old Skip (Bertman style of managing) where you have eight (guys),”Johnsonsaid. “It doesn’tmean we only have seven or eight, but Iknow where we’re headed, and Ifeel really good about that piece of it.”

But even if Johnson is positive abouthis weekend pitching, he still has an offense that needs a restart and adefense that has to play cleaner baseball. The Tigers have a.961 fieldingpercentage on the season and have committed 12 errors over their past six games. Johnson knows he has multiple fires to put out before thestart of SEC play. The competitiononly grows stiffer after this weekend, andhe’srunning outoftime to fix it all.

But he isn’tpanicking. Instead, Johnson is clear-minded and confident that his team will get through it.

“It’salittle bit of aspeed bump,” Johnsonsaid, “and I’ll use thatto makethis team better.”

Email Koki Rileyat koki.riley@theadvocate.com.

AN ARTSY EVENIN

The fundraiser/celebrationfor the Council of Greater Baton Rouge called MPAC,and it combines m performing arts and community high-energyevent at the Cary Sau Community Arts Center on Friday. T also dancing,food,libations and a auction. From$135.23.artsbr.org/

BRAVO BROADWAY!

Broadwayhitswill be brought to life by the full Baton RougeSymphonyOrchestra in apopsconcert7:30 p.m. Saturdayatthe RaisingCane’sRiver Center Performing Arts Theatre. Broadway’sScarlett Strallen and Hugh Panaro will sing selections from “Wicked,”“Phantom of the Opera” and more. $25-$80. brso.org

TIME FOR ARESET

Louisiana’s

Jonathon ‘Boogie’ Long takes hisshot with ‘Courage’ anda little help from afriend

BY JOHN WIRT Contributing writer

Acrowd-pleasingperformer whose natural habitat is the stage, Jonathon “Boogie” Long nonetheless wants to put somethingfor everyone in his recordings.

There’sstill time. Imight not be the prettiest to look at, but, if you closeyour eyes and listen, you’ll connect.It’smylife and Iammost comfortable in my own skin when I’m onstage entertaining people.”

JONATHON ‘BOOGIE’ LONG

‘Aguidinglight’

“That’salways my goal,” said theblues-based but thoroughly contemporary singer-songwriter-guitarist from Baton Rouge.

Long’sfifthalbum, “Courageinthe Chaos,” available Friday via Jim Odom’s newlylaunched Myrical Records, containsmighty blues-rock songs, killerguitar riffs and solos, funk and gospelflavor and alush ballad

Tracks one though10onthe album are polished studio productionsrecorded by all-star session players. Track 11 finds Long on stage, performing the blistering“Catfish Blues” foraBlues Tent audience of thousands at the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival

“It’s my best work to date, for sure,” Long said of his new album.“And it’sthe first time thata producer toldanengineer to mixthe guitarlikemyvocal track.Jim Odom is one of thesmartest peopleI’ve ever met.Hetold the mixing engineer,‘Mix the guitar like avocal track, because theguitar is an extension of Jon’svoice.’ Odom, aguitarist in LeRoux, songwriter and founder of theextremelysuccessful PreSonus Audio Electronics, Inc.,isthe in-studio producer for“Courage in the Chaos” as well as the project’sexecu-

tive producer “Jon is so naturally talented,” Odom said of Long. “He’sthe real deal. Every bone in his bodywas built to play music.That’s whoheis. Such agood songwriter and singer andplayer.The whole package. At this time in his life,everything is lined up for him.”

Prior to this week’sreleaseof“Courage in the Chaos,” advanceorders forthe album’sCDand vinyl editions sold out twice. Long has also increased his TikTok audience from 800 to

ä See LONG, page 2D

BY JUDYBERGERON

Staff writer

Longstanding Christianmusic tour “Winter Jam” swings through BatonRouge for a 7p.m.concert Thursday at the Raising Cane’sRiver Center Arena. The show will feature performances by Chris Tomlin, Matthew West, Katy Nichole, Hulvey,Disciple, Emerson Day and Newsong. Zane Black is the speaker Fanscan also arrive early fora6 p.m. pre-jam party with performances byJeremy Rosado, HeathBrothers and Cliff Preston. The groupNewsongfounded andproduces the tour,whichis promoted in partnership with TPR. The40-city tour launched in Columbia,SouthCarolina, on Jan. 9, and wraps March 29 in Ypsilanti, Michigan Admission is a$15 donation at thedoor.Jam

the waveofLouisi-

“Sinners’” record 16 Oscar nominations, an area alliancehas threefilm industry-related happenings plannedfor Marchinthe River Parishes. TheRyan Coogler-directed “Sinners” was filmed in part in downtownDonaldsonville The community events, presented by The Rolling on the River Alliance,are designed “to connect River ParishesresidentswithopportunitiesinLouisiana’s film industry,” anews release states. Includedwill be

Thefashion police have thoughts on funeralattire

Dear Miss Manners: Ibelieved that wearing all black was proper dress for anyone at afuneral, or any such service. In recent years, though, this seems to have changed. “Church dress,” or subdued outfits in muted colors, seem to be acceptable. Afriend told me that it is pretentious to dress in all black when the deceased is not aclose friend or family member It seeks to claim astatus as amourner that the wearer does not deserve.

FRIDAY

MATT HOLT: Agile Brewing, 5:30 p.m.

PHILCHANDLER: Tallulah at the Renaissance,6 p.m.

Judith Martin

MISS MANNERS

Then ahigh-profile lady was criticized for wearing agorgeous, very dignified coat-dress in ablack-andwhite tweed —which seemed perfectly appropriate to me —because it was not all black. The deceased wasnot aclose friendor family member of the lady in question. What is correct?

Gentle reader: Mourning is hard enough without having to think about what degree of intimacy to the deceased your clothing color relays

By The Associated Press

Today is Friday,March 6, the 65th day of 2026. There are300 days left in the year

Todayinhistory: On March 6, 1857, the U.S. Supreme Court, in the Dred Scott v. Sandford decision, ruled 7-2 that Scott, an enslaved person, was not a U.S. citizen and therefore could not sue for his freedom in federal court; it also ruled that slavery could not be banned from any federal territory.The decision deepened the national divide over slavery in the years leading up to the Civil War. Also on this date: In 1836, the Alamo in San Antonio, Texas,fell as Mexican forces led by General Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna stormed the fortress aftera13-day

TOUR

Continued from page1D

to connect directly with artistsduring Q-and-A sessions. For full tour information, city-specific details and Jam Nation registration, visit jamtour.com. Winter Jam consistently ranks amongPollstar’sTop 100 Tours and draws hundreds of thousands of fans each year,according to a news release Newsong vocalist Russ Lee, 64 and anative of Cleveland, Tennessee, answered six quick questions from the road last week. Forsomeone who’snever been to oneofyourshows, whatcan they expect?

Agreat message; enter-

This is not asporting event. There is nowinning team for which to show your loyalty Furthermore, if youcannot wear blacktoa funeral without appearing pretentious, where are you properly to wear it? Never mind.Miss Mannerscan guess To awedding,where any bit of color could probably be criticized for displaying too much joy and supportfor the couple.

Dear Miss Manners: Many of my friendshave small children,and Iamalways invited to their birthday parties. Igenuinely enjoyinggoing and seeing them and their children.

Theproblem is that my spouse and Iare on one income, andsometimes we just don’thave anyextra moneytospare, even on minimal gifts.However, we usually dohavethe ingredientsonhand to make cookies or cupcakes and frosting from scratch

TODAYINHISTORY

siege; the battle claimed thelives of all the Texian defenders, includingWilliam Travis, James Bowie andDavy Crockett. In 1869, chemist Dmitri Mendeleev introduced his conceptofaperiodic table of elements at ameeting of the Russian Chemical Society in St. Petersburg. In 1951, thetrial of Julius andEthel Rosenberg on federal espionagecharges began in New York.(Both were subsequently found guilty,sentenced to death and then executed in 1953). In 1964, heavyweight boxing championCassius Clay took anew name given to himbyNation of Islam leader Elijah Muhammed: MuhammadAli. In 2009, NASA’sKepler Space Telescope was rocketed into space from Cape

taining, excellentmusical sets from all of the artists; more fun thanyou’reexpecting— agreat nightof community andworship

How long does oneofyour typical shows run?

Most nights are five hours long, top to bottom. Awhole lotofmusic for a$15 donation!

What aresome of yourmostwellknownsongs?

“Arise My Love,” “Can’t Keep aGood Man Down,”

“The Christmas Shoes” and “When God Made You.”

Do youwrite or co-write your songs? If so, walk us throughyour writing process. Yes, Idoco-write most of the songs. …Each song starts with amusical or lyrical idea or “hook” and thendevelops around that. The song tries to reinforce

Would inquiring about thechild’sdietary restrictionsand bringing sweets instead of atoy be rude? If it were an adult, I’d give a handwritten noteand card, but Idoubt children would find those very fun.

Gentlereader: No, they would not —atleast, not without cash or gift cards to shake out of them, in this day and age.

Ahomemade present is lovely and fine. But unsolicited baked goods may cause too many problems at achildren’sparty.Most parentswill have already put thought into what birthday treat they serve. Providing an alternative will cause confusion —as well as too much sugar stimulation for the young guests.

Miss Manners suggests instead alow-budget craft or aregifted item that can be framed as “something special you thought they might enjoy.”

Send questions to Miss Manners at her website, www.missmanners.com.

Canaveral, Florida, to hunt for Earth-sized planets orbiting distant stars. The spacecraft discovered 2,681 exoplanets outside thesolar system before it ran low on fuel and was retired in 2018 after 91/2 years of scouring space for alien worlds.

Today’sbirthdays: Former Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan is 100. Former Soviet cosmonaut Valentina Tereshkova is 89. Opera singer Kiri Te Kanawa is 82. Rock musician David Gilmour (Pink Floyd) is 80. Actor-comedian TomArnold is 67. Actorcomedian D.L. Hughley is 63. Actor Connie Britton is 59. Basketball Hall of Famer Shaquille O’Neal is 54. Rapper-producer Tyler theCreator is 35. Actor Millicent Simmonds is 23.

the main ideaormessage withsupporting lyrics that expand the story andhopefully keep the listeners engaged.

Do you thinkpeopleare seeking out Christianmusic more during this turbulent time in America?

Ithink people are looking for truth,peace andassurance, and the Christian music and message gives them that. Anything to add?

“Winter Jam” is unlike anyotherevent youwill ever experience. Many attendees have been coming for years andenjoythe night. It is an uplifting and enjoyable, inspiring experience.

Email Judy Bergeron at jbergeron@theadvocate. com.

COZY LEN: Drago’s Seafood, 6p.m

THE LEE SERIO BAND: T’Quilas, Denham Springs, 6:30 p.m.

MATT TORTORICH: 18 Steak at L’Auberge, 7p.m

BRIAN JAMES: CourtToTable, 7p.m

KYLEKINANE (COMEDY): Hartley/Vey Theatre, Manship Theatre, 7:30 p.m.

SOUTH OF CENTRAL: Charlie’s Lounge, Addis, 8p.m

HENRY TURNER JR. &ALLSTARS: Henry Turner Jr.’s Listening Room, 8p.m

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

RHETT GUILLOT: The Vineyard,9 p.m.

ORPHAN ANNIE: The Edge Bar at L’Auberge, 9p.m

ASHOTOFBRANDYDUO: Small Town Daiquiris, Clinton 9p.m

BRIAN RITTENHOUSE: Moonlight Inn, French Settlement, 9p.m N’TUNE: The Showroom, 9p.m.

SATURDAY

ROCKIN’ ROUGE: El Paso, Denham Springs, 6:30 p.m.

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

BLUE CRAB REDEMPTION: CourtToTable, 7p.m

BLACK MARKET HALOS/VOICE OF THE ENEMY/9SLUG: The Varsity Theatre, 7p.m

2DOMESTIC 1IMPORT: O’Haras Irish Pub, 8p.m

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

ACOUSTIC SATURDAYSW/ HENRY TURNER: Henry Turner Jr.’s Listening Room, 8p.m

CHRIS CAGLE/BEN RAGSDALE: The TexasClub, 9p.m

SOUTH OF CENTRAL: Moonlight Inn, French Settlement, 9p.m

BRIAN &THE BANDITS: The Vineyard,9p.m

SUNDAY

DIXIE ECHOES: Little Prairie

LONG

Continuedfrom page1D

23,000 followers

“The albumisgetting traction,” Long said.“Alot of newpeople are buying it. I’malways excited to reach newpeople.Itmakes me feel betterand morepositive as an artist, to seethat positive change.But it’snot about me or the success that Iget. It’sabout other people appreciating it, aboutit blessing them.”

Long gave hisnew album the timely title “Courage in theChaos.

“The world is so chaotic,” he mused. “It’snot even about politics, man.It’schaotic, period. So muchdesertion andpeople being sad and not knowing what direction to go. We’renot communicating face-to-face. We need alittle courage,so, I can’t think of abettername forthe album. It’snot about me being asavior.It’sabout being alittle bit of aguiding light of positivity through thechaos.”

Twogroups of all-star musicians accompany Long on the album: Drummer Terence Higgins, organistNelsonBlanchard and bassist

Baptist Church, Prairieville, 11 a.m.

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

ERICGAUTREAUX: RedStick Social, noon

OLD TIME MUSIC JAM: West Baton Rouge Museum, Port Allen, 3p.m.

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

OPEN MIC JAM: FatCat Saloon, Prairieville, 7p.m.

MONDAY

EDDIE SMITH BAND: Sammy’s Grill, Prairieville, 6p.m.

RHETT GUILLOT: Superior Grill-MidCity, 6p.m.

TUESDAY

KIRK HOLDER: Superior GrillMidCity, 6p.m.

EDDIE SMITH: On The Half Shell, Prairieville,6:30 p.m

WEDNESDAY 2DOMESTIC 1IMPORT: BLDG 5, 5:30 p.m

AMBER RAE DUO: Superior Grill-MidCity, 6p.m.

CLAYTONSHILLING: Tallulah at theRenaissance, 6p.m.

LSU JAZZ JAM: ClassicVinyls 6p.m.

KIRK HOLDER: Bin77, 6:30 p.m

SONGWRITERS OPEN MIC W/ HEATHRANSONNET: Coop’s on 621, Gonzales, 7p.m.

ANDERS OSBORNE: Manship Theatre, 7:30 p.m

ANDYPIZZOTRIO: Hayride Scandal,7:30 p.m

David Ellis joinedhim for the project’sRabadash Studiossessions in Mandeville; and bassist Allan Maxwell, drummer Doug Belote and organist JohnGros played for sessions at Jack Miele’s NewOrleans studio.

Recording engineers for “Courage in the Chaos” includedGrammy winners Jeff Glixman (Kansas, Georgia Satellites, Black Sabbath) and Miele, Owen Strain andOdom. Eleventime Grammy winner Darrell Thorp andOdommixed the tracks.

“Jim Odom is the force behind it, the man who’s made it all happen,” Long said. “It’sablessing to work with somebody whohas the track record and success he has, and an honor to work with him because he believesin me.”

“The album is step No. 1out of about 100,” Odom said.“Butit’sthe most important thing.” Over aperiodofmonths, Odom and Long worked closelytogether at crafting and selecting songs for “Courage in the Chaos.”

“A lot of tunes I’d been battlingwith,” Long said.“Jim helpedmefinish acouple of tunes andheinspired me to write moretunes. The expe-

OPEN MIC JAM: O’Hara’s Irish Pub, 8p.m.

THURSDAY “WINTER JAM”: Raising Cane’s RiverCenter Arena, 7p.m. DON POURCIAU&KONSPIRACY: La Carreta, Denham Springs,6 p.m

DENTON HATCHER: Tallulah at theRenaissance, 6p.m.

KYBALION: El Paso BR, 6p.m.

MICAH LIPSMEYER DUO: Superior Grill MidCity, 6p.m. WALT WHITAKER: Backstreet Lounge,6p.m.

STEVE JUDICE, RYAN HARRIS &JASON HARRINGTON: La Divina Italian Cafe,6p.m.

OUTLYING

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

rienceofputting the whole thing together was areal joy.”

Long composed every song on the album except “EmptyPromises,” originally recorded by one of his music heroes, Michael Burks, andthe Marshall Tucker Band Southern rock classic “Can’tYou See.”

“Jim was like,‘What’sa cover song that people connect with, that can pay homage to some Southern roots, pay homage to those that inspired you,’ ”Long recalled. “Welanded on ‘Can’tYou See.’ Alot of stuff is overdone, but Idon’tfeel like that one is overdone yet.” Longsayshe’spast feeling bitter about not being fartheralong in nationalrecognition. He also knowsthat many noted blues, bluesrock and country acts didn’t achieve major success until their late 30s and beyond. “There’s stilltime,” he said. “I might not be the prettiest to look at, but, if you close your eyes andlisten, you’ll connect.It’smy life and Iammost comfortable in my own skinwhen I’m onstage entertaining people.”

Email John Wirt at j_wirt@ msn.com.

FRIDAY-SATURDAY

EVENING SKY VIEWING:

8:30 p.m.-10 p.m., BRECHighland Road Park Observatory 13800 Highland Road. See the majesty of the night sky in these publicviewings for those 6and up.hrpo.lsu.edu/ events.

FRIDAY-SUNDAY

“SWEENEY TODD: THE DEMON BARBER OF FLEET STREET”:

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

SATURDAY

BATONROUGE ARTS MARKET:

8a.m.-noon, Fifth and Main streets, downtown. Vendors sell avariety of unique, original works of artincluding pottery,woodwork, textiles, glass, paintings, sculptures, photographs, handmade soaps, handmade toys,jewelry and more. artsbr.org.

RED STICK FARMERS MARKET:

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

FAMILY-HOUR STARGAZING:

10 a.m., Irene W. Pennington Planetarium at theLouisiana Art &Science Museum, 100 S. River Road. Learn about the stars and constellations in thelocal nighttime sky, followedbyanall-ages show. lasm.org.

MONTHLYCONTRA DANCE:

3p.m.-5:30 p.m., St. Alban’s Chapel, corner of Highland Road and Dalrymple Drive. Newcomer instruction at 2:45 p.m. Singles and couples welcome. $7 per person; free for first-timers.Louisianacontrasandsquares.com or (225) 803-9194.

SUNDAY

BILLYBLAGG’SFAMILYMAGIC:

2p.m., Manship Theatre, 100 Lafayette St.A blendofcomedy,audience participation and mind-bending magicfor all ages. $20 and up. manship-

FILM

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direct connections withfilm industry professionals.

“Wesee this series of eventsasanentry point— notjustfor careers in film, but forentrepreneurship rooted in preserving our history and heritage,” saidAshley Gaignard, CEO of Rural Roots Louisiana.“When our community members have the tools and connections they need, they can build businesses and livelihoods that honor where we come fromwhileshaping where we’re going.”

The events will be:

n “Roots &Reels:AFilm Industry Open House and Experience,” 2p.m. to 5p.m Saturday,J.E. Thompson Center,304 Memorial Drive, Donaldsonville, Ascension Parish.

A2 p.m. opening news conference, along with adropin gathering featuring wig installations, costuming and makeup stations, and conversations with local film industry professionals and casting agents. Attendeescan learn about career pathways while enjoying food, music and networking in arelaxedatmosphere. Organized by Rural Roots Louisiana.

Experience: Discovering the Soul of America,” “African American History,” “Music and Musicians” and “Mardi Gras,”permanent exhibits. (225) 342-5428 or louisianastatemuseum.org

CARY SAURAGE COMMUNITY ARTS CENTER SHELL GALLERY: 233 St.Ferdinand St.“Dennisparkercelloetc,” exhibit of cellist Dennis Parker’stransformationsof musical instruments into sculpturalworks, through April 17. Hours arefrom9a.m. to 4p.m.weekdays and from 10 a.m. to 2p.m.Saturday. artsbr.org.

Shaw Center for theArts, 100 Lafayette St. “The Middle: Paintings by Will Maxen & Bradley Kerl,” newLSU School of Art facultymembers, through March 14. Hours: noon-5 p.m

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

MANSHIP THEATRE JONES

theatre.org

BRAVER ANGELS BATON ROUGE: 2p.m.-4:30 p.m., South Branch Library,2210 GlasgowSt. Debate: “Should theU.S.assistBlack Americans with reparationsfor slaveryand for subsequent discriminatory practices?” Prosand cons

TUESDAY

“ANEVENING WITH THE AUTHORS”: 6p.m., firstfloor meeting room, Main Library at Goodwood, 7711 Goodwood Blvd. Book talk, signingand reception benefitingAdult Literacy Advocates. Featuring writersSusan Mustafa and CharlesJ.Ballay, authors of “Blood Moon Over Bohemia. $30, general public;$10, students; and$20, seniors.www adultliteracyadvocates.org.

BATONROUGE CHESS CLUB: 6p.m.-8 p.m., La DivinaItalian Cafe,3535 PerkinsRoad, Unit 360. Achance to playand learn; all levels welcome. Free.

“SINNERS”: 7:30 p.m Manship Theatre,100 Lafayette St Screening of Ryan Coogler’s 2025 Oscar-nominatedsupernatural horror film shotin Louisiana. $9.50. manshiptheatre.org.

THURSDAY RED STICK FARMERS MARKET: 8a.m.-noon, Pennington Biomedical Research Center,

n “River Road Juke Joint,” 2p.m. to 5p.m. Saturday, March 14, The Hub, 8111 RomevilleSt.,Convent,St. James Parish An afternoon honoring the juke joint tradition and including afish fry,history of juke joints in the River Parishes, music and a5 p.m.screening of “Sinners.” The event celebrates Black Southernculture and the connection between heritage preservationand economicopportunity.OrganizedbyInclusive Louisiana.

n “Lights, Camera, Opportunity: Free Film Industry Training Fair for the River Parishes,” 9a.m.to4 p.m. Friday,March 27, River Parishes Community College, 181 RegalaParkRoad, Reserve, St. Johnthe Baptist Parish.

International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees union-approved trainers will lead hourlong sessionsin costumes, scenic practices, construction,cinema lightingand hair and makeupfor thecamera. Attendees can also participatein panels on film industry community impact, diversifying income for tradesmen in thefilm industry, and entrepreneurshipinindependent filmmaking. All skills taught are transferable to multiple in-

6400 Perkins Road. Farm-fresh produce, goods and more. facebook.com/redstickfarmersmarket.

“NATCHEZ”: 7p.m Manship Theatre, 100 Lafayette St Screening of film capturing an unsettling clash between history and memory in a smallMississippi town. FollowedbyQ-and-A. $12.50. manshiptheatre.org

WEEKLY SOCIAL BIKERIDE: 7p.m., GeauxRide, 521 N. ThirdSt.,Suite A. Free. fareharbor.com.

ONGOING

ARTGUILD OF LOUISIANA: Independence Park Theatre, 7800 Independence Blvd. Classis“Dana Mosby: Interpreting the Landscape in Pastel: Infusing Your Work with Passion,”March 14, 9:30 a.m.-4 p.m. at Studio in the Park,2490 Silverest Ave. (225) 773-8020 or artguildlouisiana.org.

BATONROUGE GALLERYCENTER FOR CONTEMPORARYART: 1515

Dalrymple Drive. Member artists’ show by Jacqueline Dee Parker, Eleanor Owen Kerr andHerb Roe, through March22. Hours: noon6p.m. Tuesday-Sunday. batonrougegallery.org.

CAPITOLPARK MUSEUM: 660 N. Fourth St.“Grounds for Greatness: Louisiana and the Nation,” “The Louisiana

dustries. AprogramofThe COOL Cooperative,IATSE 478 and The Descendants Project.Freepre-registrationisavailable at eventbrite.com

“We’re excited to connect theRiver Parishes to awide range of careers, trades in the film industry and transferable skills,”said Joy Banner,co-founderofThe DescendantsProject.“We already have great talent and talent creators to enhance a rich cultural economy.”

All events are freeand open to the public.

TheRollingonthe River Alliance“is agrowing partnership of communityorganizations andresidents across Louisiana’sRiver Parishes and Cameron Parish in southwest Louisiana working togethertoshape an economicfuture rooted in the preservation of local heritage and the growth of thriving, locally owned businesses,”according to the news release.

The alliance’swork focuses on thefilm industry, tourism,business training anddata collection.Partner organizations include Rural RootsLouisiana, Inclusive Louisiana, The Descendants Project, Fishermen Involved in Saving Our Heritage (F.I.S.H.),and theLouisiana Bucket Brigade.

LOUISIANA ART&SCIENCE MUSEUM: 100 S. River Road. “Pinpointing the Stars,” through Aug. 1; “Crossroads &Connections: ACenturyof the Railway in Baton Rouge, through Oct. 1; “Landscapes Along the Railway:The Art of JohnCleaveland,” through March 15;“Going Places: Transportation Toys of the Past,”through July6,and “Shelf Queens: Model Train Masterpieces,”also through July 6. (225) 344-5272 or lasm. org. LSU’SGLASSELL GALLERY:

WALKERFOYER: 100 Lafayette St. “Look up:APhilosophy for Birding and Life” by Gail Suberbielle.Freeand open during regular Shaw Center building hours unless thereis aprivate event. LSU TEXTILE &COSTUME MUSEUM: Human Ecology Building, TowerDrive, LSU campus. “Dressing Louisiana Histories de la modedelaLouisiane,” through Friday.(225) 578-5992 or email textile@lsu.edu

OLD STATECAPITOL: 100 NorthBlvd. “A MorePerfect Union: Reconstruction’s

Legacy in Louisiana,” permanent exhibit;and “Louisiana Photographic Society Presents: Present DayTraces of Segregation, Civil Rights, and Collective Memory in Louisiana, through March 14. Free. louisianaoldstatecapitol.org.

USS KIDD VETERANS MUSEUM: 305 S. River Road. Displaysofavariety of artifacts that celebrate veteran and navalmilitary history.Note: Vessel is in Houma for dry dock repairs.usskidd.com. WEST BATONROUGE

MUSEUM: 845 N. Jefferson Ave., Port Allen. “Gone ButNot Forgotten:Black CemeteriesofWest Baton Rouge,” through Sunday.(225) 336-2422 or westbatonrougemuseum.org. CompiledbyJudy Bergeron. Have an open-to-the-public eventyou’dlike to promote? Email details to red@theadvocate.com. Deadline

PISCES (Feb. 20-March 20) Take the blinders off andlook at life through amagnifying glass. Leave nothing to chance or up to someoneelse's discretion. Avoid excessiveactions or emotional outbursts.

ARIES (March 21-April 19) Lend ahelping hand, volunteerordonatetoacause, and the returns will be greater thanyou expect.Listen withanopenmind, but make choices with facts, figures and your reputation in mind.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20) Look at every possibility beforeyou make amove. Refuse to let your emotions lead the way when common sense is vital. Keep your eye on the possibilities andyour overhead under budget, and success will follow.

GEMINI (May21-June 20) Say no to pressure tactics and emotional manipulation. Put your time and effort into learning, doing your part to helpthose less fortunate and using your skills to make the world abetter place.

CANCER (June 21-July 22) Share your thoughts. Let your words impact those you encounter, and it will help you gain insight intowhat others want. Don't go out of your way to impress.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22) Change your routine; make room for whatever brings meaningful results. It's up to you to take responsibility for your happiness. Refuse to letotherstakechargeordictate howyou use your timeormoney.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) Partnerships will requireyourattention,discretion

and hard choices. Whenindoubt, go directly to the source, ask questions and make decisions forthe right reasons.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23) Let your creative imagination lead the way.Dazzlethose youencounterwith your insight and unique alternatives. Keep lifeand your plans affordable and straightforward.

SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov.22) Take the plunge andtry something new.Social events will lead to interestingtalks, friendships and pastimes that bring you satisfaction, confidence and drive.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov.23-Dec. 21) Concentrate on getting positiveresults by doing what's right and bestfor you. A changeinhow you apply your skills and expertise to your work responsibilities will pay off.

CAPRICORN(Dec. 22-Jan.19) Go over your expenses and put aplaninplace to pay downdebt. Don't believe what others tellyou; verify facts before you make amove. Focusonmaking money, not on spending it.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) Engage in eventsthat lead to information, connections and people who can help you transform your life. Leavenothing to chance andprotect your interests. Engage in fitnessand sticktoahealthy diet.

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

Celebrity Cipher cryptograms are created from quotationsbyfamouspeople, past and present. Each letter in thecipherstands for another

Sudoku

InstructIons: Sudokuis anumber-placing puzzle basedona9x9 grid with several given numbers. The object is to place the numbers 1to9inthe empty squares so that each row,eachcolumn and each 3x3 boxcontains the same number only once. The difficulty level of theSudoku increases from Monday to Sunday

Yesterday’s Puzzle Answer

Yesterday’s Puzzle Answer

BY PHILLIP ALDER Bridge

MaeWestsaid,“Itisbettertobelooked over than overlooked.”

She wasnodoubt talking about the female of the species, but she could also have had in mind cardsplayed at the bridge table. Experienced defenders transmit information withalmost allof thecards they play, especially early in thedeal.

In this deal, South is in three no-trump. Westleadshisfourth-highestspade.How should the play proceed?

DeclarertookEast’sspade queen with his ace, cashed the diamond king, andcontinued with thediamond queen He was hoping thejack wouldappear, allowing him to run for home. However, when West discardedthe heart four at trick three, South had to regroup.

Declarer needed adummy entry, so hadtofind West with the heartking. At trick four, South led alow heart.

West wonwith his king and cashed the spade king: club, spade three,nine. Westcontinuedwiththespadejack:club, spade five,10. Suitablydeceived, West led another spade. South wonwithhis eight, played aheart to dummy’s queen andran the diamonds to collect an overtrick.

“How could Ihave known?”asked West East pointed out that on the second round of spades, he gave “remaining count.”Here,becausehehadthreecards left,hedroppedthelowestone.Ifinstead he hadstill held 8-6-5-3, he would have playedthe six underWest’sking and the three underthe jack West,aftercashing the spade jack, should, in desperation, have shifted to his clubtwo, which would have resulted in down two.

©2026 by NEA, Inc.,dist. By Andrews McMeel Syndication

wuzzles

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

Previous answers:

word game

InstRuctIons: 1. Words must be of four or more letters.2.Words that acquire four letters by the addition of “s,” such as “bats”or“dies,” are not allowed. 3. Additional words made by adding a“d” or an “s” maynot be used. 4. Proper nouns, slang words, or vulgar or sexually explicit words are not allowed. toDAY’sWoRD tHEoREM: THEE-uh-rem:Aproposition or accepted idea.

Average mark 24 words

Time limit 40 minutes

Can youfind 34 or more words in THEOREM?

YEstERDAY’s WoRD —EncoREs

today’s thought “What shall Irender to the Lord for all hisbenefits toward me?” Psalms116:12