The Acadiana Advocate 03-08-2026

‘SUCHA BLESSING’

Iranian families in La.cheer possible change

They watch, wait afterdeath of leader

BY JENNA ROSS Staff writer

Foryears, Zohreh Khaleghi painted colorful landscapes andnude figures. ButinJanuary,asnewsfrom Iranfilled withblood,the New Orleans artist’s sketches turned dark.

Aprotester,dead in the street. Aman, his mouth bound shut. Amother,grasping her son’shand as an unknown force pulls him into the sky Khaleghi,60, didn’t decide to make art aboutIran, her home untilshe was 16 years old, when she fled with hersister to Germany But the imageskept coming.

BY JOEL THOMPSON Staff writer

LaVera Georgelives alone on Avenue CinCrowley in the same house her grandparents built decades ago. Like many older homes across rural Acadiana,ithas fallen into disrepair after weathering hurricane season after hurricane season. George, aretiredhealth care workerand Marine widow, watched as storm damage slowly accumulated

Then, Hurricane Laura and Hurricane Delta dealt another blow to theCrowley area in 2020.

“Delta hitushard.Quite a few homes weredamaged from that storm. Ihad a screen porch gettorn down on top of all theissues the home already had,” George said.

While Laura took head-

BY SAM KARLIN Staff writer

When MetaofficialscametoLouisiana in 2024 to negotiateapotential data center project, theytold state officials that they would need significant tax breaks in order to close the deal.

“It was ‘If you don’thave this, we will not consider your state,’ Louisiana EconomicDevelopment Secretary Susan Bourgeois said in an interview

lines, Delta, which came the following month, wrought damage mostly on small townsinrural Acadiana. Five years later, hurricane relief funds have mostly evaporated,but the struc-

tural toll remains in many homesacross rural Acadiana.Until very recently, George’shome wasone of them. Across Acadiana —and in disaster-stricken com-

Twoyears later,Meta hasbroken ground on a$27 billion data center campusinnorthLouisiana. Amazon is not far behind with plans for a$12 billion data center near Shreveport. Andthe state andlocal governments are poised to give potentially billions in taxbreaksto the techgiants,based on projectionsofLouisiana’sgenerous tax exemptions and the expected expenditures of thecompanies. The tax breaks arepart of a complexpuzzlethatstatesare grappling withtoland so-called “hyperscale” data centers, which aremassive warehouses filledwith serversthat powerartificial intel-

munitiesnationwide —volunteersoften pour in after hurricanes and floods. But once the headlines fade and recovery programs wind down, manyhomeowners, especially elderly residents with limited incomes, are left livingindamaged homes withfew options for repairs. Groups like Harvest Call andCatholic Charities have steppedintofill that gap. In 2024, George applied for assistance with Recovery Acadiana, which referred hertoCatholicCharities. Theorganization, in conjunction withthe Apostolic Christian Church’soutreach group Harvest Call, has helped repair dozensof homes in Acadia, St. Landry and Lafayette parishes over the past several months, including George’s.

ligenceproducts offered by tech giants including Amazon, Meta and OpenAI. In some states, backlash to data centers hasswelledwhere residents andelected officials say they areworried about them raising electriccosts, draining taxrevenue and straining water systems —aswell as job losses theirAIoutputsmay cause. Louisiana’s data centershave faced some pushback for theirelectricity plans, though so farmost elected officials have welcomed them with open arms.

“Mypainting, my drawing, my writing, everything, it all changed,” Khaleghi said. It changed again last weekend, when theUnitedStates andIsrael launched airstrikes against Iran, killing the country’ssupremeleader,Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, knownfor his repressive rule. Khaleghi writes now of joy.Ofhope. Butshe’s unsurewhather artwork will look like in aweek, amonth,a year Like manyIranian-Americans living in Louisiana, she is optimistic. Like many Iranian-Americans living across the world, she is clear-eyed. While surveysshowthatmostIranianshavesupportedaregime change asegmentofIran’spopulationstill supported Khamenei, mourning the cleric’spassing. But those in the diaspora, manyofwhom fled after the 1979 IslamicRevolution, largelycheeredhis death.

Over the course of the week since the war began, hundreds of Iranians have died, six U.S. soldiers have been killed and morecountries have been dragged into the conflict.

Nightclub bombing in Peru injures 33

LIMA, Peru A bombing at a nightclub in Peru has injured 33 people, including minors, authorities said Saturday

The explosion happened in the pre-dawn hours at the Dali nightclub in the province of Trujillo along Peru’s northern coast, according to a statement from the local Emergency Operations Center It’s a region that has recently been plagued by violence and crime.

It wasn’t immediately clear who was responsible and a motive wasn’t immediately known.

At least five of the injured were in serious condition, according to the executive director of the Trujillo Health Network, Gerardo Florián Gómez. Some of the victims suffered amputations and shrapnel wounds and were undergoing surgery, he told reporters. Among the injured are three minors: one 16-year-old and two 17-year-olds, Florián said Fiorella Mantilla, who was at the nightclub when the blast took place, told reporters that she had glass embedded in her legs and recalled that “it sounded as if the sound system had suddenly been turned off.”

The explosion took place less than a month after another blast in the same city that damaged 25 homes but caused no injuries or fatalities.

$2M bail for woman accused of killing girls

CLEVELAND A Cleveland judge set bail at $2 million Friday for a woman accused of killing her two young daughters and burying them in suitcases in shallow graves.

Aliyah Henderson, 28, faces two counts of aggravated murder in the deaths of Mila Chatman and Amor Wilson, whose bodies were recovered after a dog walker alerted police to one of the suitcases on Monday Hend er son said little during the brief court appear ance. Prosec utor s said they found no criminal record for her and Henderson’s public defender said she has a place to live and had been looking for a job. Mila’s father, DeShaun Chatman described her as happygo-lucky — a “kid’s kid” who was always smiling. He said he hadn’t seen Mila for five years and had unsuccessfully sought emergency custody He said he felt “useless — I couldn’t save my baby.”

The county Medical Examiner’s Office has said Mila would have been 8 years old, her halfsister Amor 10, and that DNA relationship testing helped identify them Authorities said a third child, apparently healthy, was in the hands of child welfare authorities after being found in a home that investigators searched.

Calif. Rep. Issa to retire after district is redrawn LOS ANGELES Just three months after declaring “I’m not quitting,” California Republican Rep. Darrell Issa announced Friday he is retiring instead of facing a difficult reelection campaign in a redrawn district

“It’s the right time for a new chapter and new challenges,” Issa, who represents a district anchored in San Diego County, said in a statement. “Serving in Congress has been the honor of my life.”

Issa, a car alarm magnate considered one of the wealthiest members of Congress, had been a chief antagonist for President Barack Obama and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton while he served as chair of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, from 2011 to early 2015. Issa’s abrupt reversal injects more uncertainty in the race for Southern California’s 48th District, which was drastically reshaped in November after voters approved a new U.S. House map for California to favor Democrats.

Trump joins soldiers’ families

Officials attend dignified transfer of 6 soldiers killed in Kuwait

BY SEUNG MIN KIM and JULIA

DEMAREE NIKHINSON

Associated Press

DOVER AIR FORCE BASE, Del. — President Donald Trump on Saturday joined grieving families at Dover Air Force Base at the dignified transfer for the six U.S. soldiers killed in the war in the Middle East.

The dignified transfer, a ritual that returns the remains of U.S service members killed in action, is considered one of the most somber duties of any commander in chief. During his first term, Trump said bearing witness to the transfer was “the toughest thing I have to do” as president Trump, speaking at a summit of Latin American leaders in Miami before his trip to Delaware, said the fallen service members were heroes “coming home in a different manner than they thought they’d be coming home.” He said it was “a very sad situation” and he pledged to keep American war deaths “to a minimum.”

Both Trump and Vice President JD Vance were present for the transfer, as were their spouses. A host of top administration officials were in attendance including Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, who wrote in a social media post Friday of “an unbreakable spirit to honor their memory and the resolve they embodied”; Attorney General Pam Bondi, White House chief of staff Susie Wiles, special envoy Steve Witkoff and Tulsi Gabbard, the director of national intelligence. Also present for the sol-

An Army carry team moves a flag-draped transfer case with the remains of U.S Army Reserve soldier Sgt. 1st Class Nicole Amor, of White Bear Lake, Minn., who was killed in a drone strike at a command center in Kuwait after the U.S and Israel launched its military campaign against Iran, past President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump during a casualty return Saturday at Dover Air Force Base, Del.

emn event were governors and senators from Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska and Florida.

Those killed in action were Maj. Jeffrey O’Brien, 45, of Indianola, Iowa; Capt. Cody Khork, 35, of Winter Haven, Florida; Chief Warrant Officer 3 Robert Marzan, 54, of Sacramento, California; Sgt. 1st Class Nicole Amor, 39, of White Bear Lake, Minnesota; Sgt. 1st Class Noah Tietjens, 42, of Bellevue, Nebraska; and Sgt. Declan Coady, 20, of West Des Moines, Iowa, who was posthumously promoted from specialist.

As is protocol, Trump — wearing a blue suit, red tie and a white USA hat did not speak during the transfer The president saluted as each flag-draped transfer case was carried from the military aircraft to awaiting transfer vehicles, which would take them to a mortuary facility to pre-

pare them for their final resting place. The families were largely silent as they observed the ritual, which lasted about a half-hour

The six members of the Army Reserve, who were killed by a drone strike at a command center in Kuwait, were all from the 103rd Sustainment Command based in Des Moines, Iowa, which provides food, fuel, water and ammunition, transport equipment and supplies. They died just one day after the U.S. and Israel launched its military campaign against Iran.

“These soldiers engaged in the most noble mission: protecting their fellow Americans and keeping our homeland secure,” Republican Sen. Joni Ernst of Iowa, a combat veteran, said earlier this week after the six were identified. “Our nation owes them an incredible debt of gratitude that can never be re-

paid.”

During the ritual, transfer cases draped with the American flag and holding the remains of the fallen soldiers are carried from the military aircraft that transported them to an awaiting vehicle to take them to the mortuary facility at the base. There, the service members are prepared for their final resting place.

Amor’s husband, Joey Amor, said earlier this week that she had been scheduled to return home to him and their two children within days.

“You don’t go to Kuwait thinking something’s going to happen, and for her to be one of the first — it hurts,” Joey Amor said.

O’Brien had served in the Army Reserve for nearly 15 years, according to his LinkedIn account, and his aunt said in a post on Facebook that O’Brien “was the

sweetest blue-eyed, blonde farm kid you’d ever know He is so missed already.” Marzan’s sister described him in a Facebook post as a “strong leader” and loving husband, father and brother

“My baby brother, you are loved and I will hold onto all our memories and cherish them always in my heart,” Elizabeth Marzan wrote.

Coady was among the youngest people in his class, trained to troubleshoot military computer systems, but he impressed his instructors, his father, Andrew Coady, told The Associated Press.

“He trained hard, he worked hard, his physical fitness was important to him. He loved being a soldier,” Coady said. “He was also one of the most kindest people you would ever meet, and he would do anything and everything for anyone.”

Khork’s family described him as “the life of the party” who was known for his “infectious spirit” and “generous heart” and who had wanted to serve in the military since childhood.

“That commitment helped shape the course of his life and reflected the deep sense of duty that was always at the core of who he was,” according to a statement from his mother, Donna Burhans, his father, James Khork, and his stepmother, Stacey Khork.

Tietjens, who came from a military family, previously served alongside his father in Kuwait. When he returned home in February 2010, he reunited with his overjoyed wife in a local church’s gym.

Tietjens’ cousin Kaylyn Golike asked for prayers, especially for Tietjens’ 12-year-old son, wife and parents, as they navigate “unimaginable loss.”

Strikes light up Tehran as Israel vows ‘many surprises’

BY JON GAMBRELL, SAM MEDNICK and SAMY MAGDY Associated Press

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates

The Iran war exploded further late Saturday as pillars of flame rose above an oil storage facility in Tehran and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu promised “many surprises” for the next phase of the week-old conflict.

Israel’s military confirmed that it hit the fuel storage facilities in Tehran. Associated Press video showed the horizon glowing against the night sky above Tehran.

It appeared to be the first time a civil industrial facility has been targeted in the war State media blamed an attack from the U.S. and the Zionist regime” at the facility that supplies the capital and neighboring provinces in the north. Earlier in the day, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian apologized for attacks on “neighboring countries,” even as its missiles and drones flew toward Gulf Arab states and hard-liners asserted that Tehran’s war strategy wouldn’t budge.

A rift between more pragmatic politicians looking to de-escalate the war and others committed to battling the United States and Israel could complicate any diplomatic efforts. Conflicting statements involved two of the three members of the leadership council overseeing Iran since Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed in the war’s opening airstrikes

Pezeshkian also dismissed U.S. President Donald Trump’s call for Tehran to surrender unconditionally, saying: “That’s a dream that they should take to their

grave.”

Trump threatened that Iran would be “hit very hard” and more “areas and groups of people” would become targets, without elaborating. Already, the conflict has rattled global markets and left Iran’s leadership weakened by hundreds of Israeli and American airstrikes.

Iran’s varying statements

Pezeshkian’s message, seemingly filmed in a hurry, underlined the limited powers exercised by the theocracy’s leaders over the paramilitary Revolutionary Guard, which controls the hundreds of ballistic missiles targeting Israel and other countries. It answered only to Khamenei and appears to be picking its own targets.

Pezeshkian’s statement said Iran’s leadership council had been in touch with the armed forces and “from now on, they should not attack neighboring countries or fire missiles at them, unless we are attacked by those countries. I think we should solve this through diplomacy.”

The U.S. strikes have not come from the Gulf Arab governments under attack, but from U.S. bases and vessels in the region.

But hard-line judiciary chief Gholam Hossein Mohseni-Ejei, another member of the three-man leadership council, suggested that war strategy will not change.

“The geography of some countries in the region both overtly and covertly is in the hands of the enemy, and those points are used against our country in acts of aggression. Intense attacks on these targets will continue,” he posted on X.

“As long as the presence of U.S. bases in the region continue, the coun-

tries will not enjoy peace,” Iran’s Parliament speaker and a former Revolutionary Guard general, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, said on X. He called defense policies in line with the late supreme leader’s guidance.

Iran’s U.N. mission later suggested, without offering evidence, that strikes on nonmilitary sites “may have resulted from interception by U.S. electronic defense systems.”

Late Saturday, top Iranian security official Ali Larijani asserted in an address carried by state media that “our leaders are united on this issue and have no disagreements with one another.” He also said the leadership council has requested that “arrangements be made” to convene the Assembly of Experts to choose the next supreme leader, but did not say when.

Kurds won’t be involved

Trump said he has ruled out having Kurds join the war, even though Kurdish fighters in the region are willing to assist in efforts to topple the Iranian government.

“The war is complicated enough without getting the Kurds involved,” Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One.

Days ago, Kurdish officials told the AP that Kurdish-Iranian dissident groups based in northern Iraq were preparing for a potential cross-border military operation in Iran and that the U.S. had asked Iraqi Kurds to support them.

“Tehran is under severe bombardment” and even people far from military and government targets are living in fear, said a university student in western Tehran, speaking on condition of anonymity be-

cause of security concerns. Israel earlier Saturday said it struck a Tehran airport it said was used to transfer weapons and cash to militant groups.

The U.S. and Israel have targeted Iran’s military ca-

pabilities, leadership and nuclear program The war’s stated goals and timelines have repeatedly shifted as the U.S has at times suggested it seeks to topple Iran’s government or elevate new leadership.

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Trumpencourages military action to fightcartels

He says U.S., LatinAmerican countriesare banding together

BY AAMER MADHANI, JOSHUAGOODMAN and ALANNA DURKIN RICHER Associated Press

DORAL, Fla. President Donald Trump said Saturday that the United States and Latin American countries are banding together to combat violent cartels as his administration looks to demonstrate it remains committed to sharpening U.S. foreign policy focus on the Western Hemisphere even while dealing with five-alarm crises around the globe.

Trump encouraged regional leaders gathered at his Miami-area golf club to take military action against drug trafficking cartelsand transnational gangs that he saysposean“unacceptable threat” to the hemisphere’s national security

“The only way to defeat theseenemies is by unleashing the powerofour militaries,” Trump said. “Wehave to use our military.You have to useyourmilitary.”Citing the U.S.-led coalition that confronted the Islamic State group in the Middle East, the Republican president said that ”we must now do the same thing to eradicate the cartels at home.”

The gathering, which the White House called the “Shield of the Americas” summit,came two months after Trump ordered an audacious U.S. military operation to capture Venezuela’sthenpresident, Nicolás Maduro, and whisk him and his wife to the United States to face drug conspiracy charges.

Looming even largeris Trump’sdecisiontolaunch awar on Iran with Israel one week ago, aconflict that has left hundreds dead, convulsed global markets and unsettled thebroader Mid-

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By

President DonaldTrump signs aproclamationcommitting to countering cartel criminal activityatthe Shield of theAmericasSummit at TrumpNational Doral

on Saturday.

dleEast.

Trump’stime with the Latin American leaders was limited: Afterward, he setout for Dover Air Force Base, Delaware, to be on hand for the dignified transfer of the six U.S. troops killedina drone strikeona commandcenter in Kuwait.

Trump called the American deaths a“very sad situation”and praised the fallen troopsas“greatheroes.”

With the summit, Trump aimed to turnattention to the Western Hemisphere, at least for amoment. He haspledged to reassert U.S. dominanceinthe region and push back on what he sees as years of Chinese economic encroachment.

Trump also said theU.S. will turnits attention to Cuba afterthe warwithIranand suggested hisadministration would cut adealwith Havana, underscoringWashington’sincreasingly aggressive stance against the island’scommunist leadership. “Great change will soon be coming to Cuba,” he said, adding that “they’revery much at the end of the line.” Cuban officialshave said on several occasionsthat

they were open to dialogue with the U.S. as long as it was based on respect for Cuban sovereignty,but they have neverconfirmedthat such talkswere taking place.

Whowas there

The leaders of Argentina, Bolivia, Chile,Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador,ElSalvador,Guyana, Honduras, Panama, Paraguay,and Trinidad and Tobago joined theRepublican president at TrumpNational Doral Miami,agolfresort whereheisalsoset to host theGroup of 20 summitlater this year

The idea for asummit of like-minded conservatives from across thehemisphere emerged from the ashes of what was to be the10th edition of the Summit of the Americas, which was scrapped during the U.S. military buildup off the coast of Venezuela last year

Host DominicanRepublic,pressured by the White House, had barred Cuba, Nicaragua andVenezuela from attending the regional gathering. But after leftist leaders in Colombia and Mexico threatened topull out in pro-

test —and with no commitment from Trumptoattend —the Dominican Republic’s president, LuisAbinader, decided at the last minute to postpone theevent,citing “deep differences”inthe region.

TheShield of the Americas moniker was meant to speaktoTrump’s vision for an “America First” foreign policy towardthe region that leveragesU.S. military and intelligence assets unseen across theareasince theend of the Cold War.

To thatend, Ecuador and the United States conducted militaryoperations this week against organized crimegroups in the South American country.Ecuador-

ianand U.S. security forces attacked arefuge belongingtothe Colombianillegal armed group Comandos de la Fronterainthe Ecuadorian Amazon on Friday,authorities reported.

This joint fight against drug traffickers “is only the beginning,” said Ecuador’s president, Daniel Noboa.

Notably missing at the summit were the region’s two dominant powers Brazil and Mexico —aswell as Colombia, long the linchpin of U.S. anti-narcotics strategy in the region.

Trump grumbledthat Mexico is the “epicenter of cartelviolence”with drug kingpins “orchestrating much of thebloodshed and chaos in this hemisphere.”

“The cartels are running Mexico,” Trump said. “We can’thave that. Tooclose to us. Tooclose to you.”

Thechallenge from China

Trumpmadenomention of his administration’sinsistence that countering Chinese influence in the hemisphere is atop priority for his second term

His nationalsecurity strategypromotes the“Trump Corollary” to the 19th century Monroe Doctrine, which had sought to banEuropean incursionsinthe Americas, by targeting Chinese infrastructure projects, military cooperation and investment in theregion’sresource industries.

Thefirst demonstration of the moremuscular approach wasTrump’sstrongarming of Panama to with-

draw from China’sBeltand Road Initiative and review long-term port contracts held by aHongKong-based company amid U.S. threats to retake the PanamaCanal. More recently,the U.S. capture of Maduro and Trump’spledge to “run” Venezuela threatens to disrupt oil shipments to China —the biggest buyer of Venezuelan crude before the raid —and bring into Washington’sorbit one of Beijing’s closest allies in the region. Trump is scheduledtotravel to Beijing later this monthto meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping.

For manycountries, China’strade-focused diplomacy fills acritical financial void in aregionwith major development challenges ranging from poverty reduction to infrastructure bottlenecks. In contrast, Trump has been slashing foreign assistance to the regionwhile rewarding countries lined up behind his crackdown on immigration —apolicy widely unpopular across the hemisphere.

SecretaryofState Marco Rubio hostedthe leaders for aworking lunch after Trump left forthe eventinDelaware. The lunchgaveKristi Noem, whomTrump fired as homelandsecurity secretary on Thursday,the chance to make her debut in her new roleasaspecial envoy for the “Shieldofthe Americas.” “Wewant our hemisphere to be safer,tobemore sovereign, and to be moreprosperous,” Noemtold the leaders.

TheHiddenCostof Outdated PhoneSystems, AndWhatSmart Businesses AreDoing Instead

BY AUDREY McAVOY

Associated Press

HONOLULU The U.S. military plans to exhume the remains of 88 sailors and Marines killed when the USS Arizona was bombed during the Japanese attack on Pearl Harborand who were buried as unknownsin aHonolulu cemetery

It’spart of an effort to use advances in DNAtechnology to attach names to those themilitary was unableto identify after the aerial assault 85 years ago

The disinterments from the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific are due to begin in NovemberorDecember, Kelly McKeague, the director of the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency,said Thursday in a statement.

About eight sets of remains will be removed every two to three weeks, and the DNA will be compared with samples collected from family members of missing troops.

Dozens of ships sank, capsized or were damaged in the Dec. 7, 1941, bombing of the Hawaii naval base, which catapulted the U.S. into World WarII.

The identification effort follows earlierprojects dating back adecade to use DNA for Pearl Harbor unknowns. The agency identified hundreds of crew members from the USS Oklahoma, USS West Virginia and other ships using similar methods.

The Arizona sank just nine minutes after being bombed, andits 1,177 deadaccountfor nearly half the servicemen killed in the attack. Today the battleship still lies where it hit bottom, with more than 900 sailors and Marines are entombedinside.

Remains in that underwater grave will stay where they are.Onlythose in the cemetery willbeexhumed.

Robert Edwin Kline was a22-year-old gunner’smate second class when he was

killed on the Arizona. Kevin Kline,a real estate agent in northern Virginia, said he was always told that his great-uncle’sremains were on the ship. It was only a few years ago that he heard some crew members were buried as unknowns in a cemetery

Kline does not have high expectations that his greatunclewill among those identified. But he believes that familiesthat do get aDNA match, some of whom continue to grapplewith “generational grief,” willget some closure.

He shared the storyofone woman who was mystified why she was alwayssosad aroundChristmas. She later notedthat her grandmother, wholostason on theArizona,and hermother,who lost her brother,never celebrated theholiday as it camejust

weeks after the anniversary of his death.

“Asshe got older,she realizedthather grandmother andher mom werestill grieving aboutthis loss,” Kline said. “Anditfell on her as well.

TheDefensePOW/MIA Accounting Agency, which is partofthe Department of Defense, resisted exhuming the Arizona remains for years, sayingitwould not be pragmatic because it had medical and dental records and relatives’ DNA samples for only asmall share of the men —just 1% of the families as of 2021.

Kline and an organization he founded, Operation 85, has spent thepast three yearslocatingfamilies and arranging for them to share their DNA. Only about 15 of the 1,500 people he contacted declined to participate.

learningmodels, andensurethatimportant informationreaches theright people quickly. Healthcare organizations, meanwhile, are navigatingaworldwherepatientcommunication is increasingly digital. Cloud-basedsystems help practicesmanageappointment reminders, telehealth interactions,and internal coordination with greater efficiency whilemaintaining compliance andreliability Across allindustries, thecommonthreadis clear: businesses need communicationtools that adaptasquickly as they do.Cox Business ConnectwithRingCentral offersascalable, cloud-basedsolutionthatgrows with your organization,reduces downtime,and supports themodernworkforce

In today’srapidly shifting business landscape, communicationhas become more than abasic operationalneed, it’s astrategic advantage. Whether you’re runningasmall business, managing ahealthcarepractice, supporting students in an educationalsetting,orkeeping ahospitality operationrunning smoothly,the abilitytoconnect quicklyand reliably hasnever mattered more Yetmanyorganizations arestill relyingon outdated phonesystemsthatweren’t builtfor thewayweworktoday.Hybridschedules,remote teams, customer expectations,and theneedfor real-timecollaboration have pushed traditional systemstotheir limits.Weall have instant communicationatour fingertipsand expect that same connectivity with thebusinesseswe work with andfor.That’swhere cloud-based communication solutionsare stepping in to transformthe waybusinessesoperate CoxBusinessConnect with RingCentralis helping organizationsmodernize theircommunicationswithtools designed forflexibility mobility,and growth.Instead of beingtiedtoa physical phonelineorlocation, teamscan call message, meet,and collaboratefromanywhere, allthrough asingle, unified platform.

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As technology continuestoevolve, theorganizationsthatinvestinsmarter communication toolstoday will be theonesbestpositionedto thrive tomorrow.Cloud communications aren’t just atrend,they’re becoming thenew standard foroperational excellence To explorehow CoxBusinessConnect with RingCentralcan supportyourorganization’s communicationneeds,visit ourwebsite:www cox.com/business/collaboration/ringcentral.html

Forthe most part, tech companies have only built the centers in states that give them preferential tax treatment, with all but14 states offering tax incentives for data centers.Virginia, the pioneer for the U.S. data center wave, is currently debating whether to pull backonthe tax exemption it has offered tech companies for years, which costs Virginia state and local governments $1.9 billion in 2024 alone.

In Louisiana, state and local officials who negotiated data center deals say the trade-off is worth it. Tech companies have made it clear that they won’tbuild here withoutsignificanttax breaks. So every dollar in taxes and salaries the companies eventually do pay is lagniappe, they argue, even if Louisiana and its local communities have to give them preferential treatment.

“At the end of the day, we’renot giving away a tax benefit; we’re creating acompetitive environment for projects that are going to go somewhere,” Bourgeois said. “With them come jobs and derivative benefits.

.Workers buying stuff at the cafe nearby,hotel taxes, small businesses that are openingand couldn’t open two years ago.”

Still, the bargain means tech companies worth trillions of dollars will getsignificant tax benefits from Louisiana,one of America’s poorest states. The historically oil-dependent state government has long struggled to pay for services, going through periods of budget cuts and tax hikes to plug holes.

Louisiana’ssales tax exemption alone could abate $3.3billion to $3.6 billion for the construction of the data centers by three companies that have signed dealswith the state, according to Dimitrios Nikolopoulos, an engineering professoratVirginia Tech University who evaluatedLouisiana’sincentive. Nikolopoulos, whose home state is the data center capital of America, studies computing systems and estimated that about 75% of the cost of adata center is spending that falls under Louisiana’sexemption.

The tax break is a100% exemption on state and local sales taxes for awide range of spendingthat covers most data center costs,including servers, chillers, electricinfrastructure and construction costs.

Louisiana is “middle of the pack” in terms of itsjob andspending requirements for incentives, he said. Unlike some states, Louisiana exempts construction costs but doesn’texempt electricity taxes, which some do. But the massive scale of the projects —tens of billions in spending —combined with Louisiana’s highest-in-the-nation sales tax of 10%, means the tax breaks could be worth huge amounts.

“What makes it notable is the combination of the high

combinedtax rate —which actually makesthe exemption more valuable per dollar spent than in lower-tax states —and the sheer scale of the projects it’sattracted,” Nikolopoulos said TheLouisiana Department of Revenue declined to offer anypreliminary numberson how much has been exempted so far.The first figures will be reported in the annual tax expenditure budget this spring, though itwillbe years before the scope of the exemption is fully known.

Nikolopoulos said such tax breaksare “probably acompetitivenecessity,” considering so manystates offer them.But he noted that Virginiaauditors have found thatits taxbreak for data centers only created 48 centsinnew staterevenue for every dollar it gave up, which they classifiedasa “moderate” benefit.And the companiesare sourcing much of theserverhardwarefrom suppliers inother states, he said.

High salestax aconcern

AfterMetaofficials told Bourgeoisand other state leaders that the company neededa tax incentive to build its massive Richland Parish data center,Gov.Jeff Landry’sadministration quicklycreated one. Bourgeois, theheadof LED,asked Richard Nelson, then Louisiana’sDepartment of Revenue secretary, to work on getting the tax break into law,Nelsonsaid in an interview

Nelson used an existing bill to create the new tax exemptioninthe 2024 legislativesession. The original version, by Rep. Chris Turner,R-Ruston, sought to rebate taxes paid on fiber optic cables. It passed through theLegislature with large bipartisan majorities. Nelson,who said he opposes most tax incentives, still thinks this one is worthit.

“It was pretty straightforward,” Nelsonsaid.“They were sittingatthe table tellingusthey wouldn’tcome if we didn’thave this. …Because Louisiana’ssalestax is the highest in the country, it’s basicallya dealbreaker if youdon’thavethattype of exemption.”

Theprojects here come as concernsover datacenters have prompted some elected officials around the country to push back.Lawmakers in at least 11 states have filed bills to issuemoratoriums on data centers,according to the advocacy group Good JobsFirst, which opposes incentives for data centers.

Entergy last week touted what it calls $5billion in benefits to ratepayers because of language in electricity deals with datacenters across several states, includingLouisiana. And President DonaldTrump announced a pledge last week that tech companies are making to shoulder their own electric costs.

Greg LeRoy,head of Good Jobs First, said many data center tax breakswereinitially set up when data centers were much smaller,and state budgets wouldn’ttake that big of ahit. Now, three states —Virginia, Texas and Georgia —have crossed the threshold of giving atleast

$1 billionannually in tax breaks for datacenters.

“Datacenters used to be a floor of abuilding,” he said. “No one thought that would be that big of adeal. Now it’s an enormous liability.”

LeRoy saidstates should repeal their tax breaks for tech companies, which are racing to build data centers becausetheyneedthem to power energy-intensive AI products. He also noted that access to cheap energyis akey component of where they build.

Meta spokesperson Stacey Yipsaid in astatement that tax incentives area “standard part of competitive site selection efforts.”

“Deciding where to locate our datacentersisanincredibly complicated process that involves balancing dozens of differentcriteria,” she said. “A business-oriented environment is important, but it’sonly one part of the kind of broader partnership we need withthe local community to make the project successful.”

She declined to answer further questions.

Roger Wehner, vicepresident of economicdevelopment for Amazon WebServices, said in astatement that tax incentives are an “important part” of deciding where to build datacenters.

“Incentive agreements that Amazon enters into reflect thecommunity’sdesire to attract investment, economic vitality, tax revenue, andjobsand recruit worldclassbusiness partners,” Wehner said. “These agreements are performancebased partnerships —we only receive benefits when we deliver on ourcommitments for job creation and investment.”

‘Looking to exempt’

Bourgeois,ofLED,defended thetax break, saying the projects are still bringing “dramatic” upsides.

She pointed topotential increases in theamount of money Louisiana could collect from its2%tax on electricity use.Metaand Amazon have bothpromised severalhundred jobs, more than what’srequired to take full advantage of thetax breaks.Hut 8, another data center developer,has signed apreliminary agreement to takeadvantage of the incentive as well, but that deal is still being negotiated, Bourgeois said.

“They’re looking to ex-

empt as much of it as absolutely possible,”said Mike Busada, aShreveport attorney who helpednegotiate the deals with Meta and Amazon. “Theybothwanted numbersthat are alot more favorable. We looked around and said, ‘What is reasonable across the country?’

Senate President Cameron Henry,aMetairie Republican who has raised concerns about state spending, said lawmakerswill monitor how much the state is giving away through the exemption. He noted that lawmakers spent years refining —and ultimately pulling back on —atax break for movie developers. At its height,Louisiana’smovie tax credit covered between 30% and 35% of in-state film production costs, costing thestatemorethan$1billion over several years.

“I don’tknowhow many more (data centers) we’re going to get,” he said. “Every year that goesby, we’ll improve, maybe not be as generous andbemore strategic in what we’re able to do.” Thesales taxbreak is not theonlytax benefit thecompaniesare getting.

Officials in north Louisiana have struck deals with both Meta and Amazon to give the companies “PILOTs,” or “paymentsin lieu of taxes.” Those could exempt 60% of local property taxes if thecompanies reach hiring goalsof300 jobsfor Meta and150 jobs for Amazon.

Busada said data center developers have drawn a“line in the sand” when negotiating, asking forfull abatementsonthe servers and other hardware. Meta and Amazon will not pay

property taxes on them for their Louisiana projects. The companies must createjobstoget thetax break, andthe amount of benefit scales up basedonthe numberofjobscreated,Busada said. The jobs will have to pay 150% of the state average salary.The deal with Amazon requires it to pay 1% sales tax on constructionmaterials, andthe companieswould face penalties if they don’tholduptheir endofthe deals.

He also noted that state andlocal officials negotiated the dealsinanattempt to notgive away morethan needed

“The reason we’re giving this is not to be niceand welcoming,”headded.“We’re only giving this to getthem here. We don’twant to give thema dollarmore than we have to. That’sanart to try to figure thatout.”

As school districtsacrossthe countryworkto modernizetheir fleets,manyare discoveringthat propanebuses canserve as apractical alternative.

More than 1,000 districtsinthe United States are nowusingpropanebuses

“Louisiana hasbeena little slow to reap allthe benefits of propane-poweredbussesbut that is changing,”saysRandyHayden,ExecutiveDirector oftheLouisianaPropaneGasAssociation.

“Wehavealwayssupportedthephilosophyof‘All oftheAbove’whenitcomestosupportingtransportationfuels.Webelievethefreemarketshouldmake thesedecisions,notgovernmentmandates.Andwhen freeenterprisedecisionsaremadeforschoolbusses propane-poweredvehiclesareverycompetitiveboth environmentallyandeconomically,”Haydenadds AccordingtothePropaneEducationandResearch Council(PERC),propaneisalow-carbon,near-zero alternativeenergysourcethatdeliversenvironmental and financialbenefits.PERCsaidits studiesshow thatpropaneschoolbusesproduceupto96percent fewertoxicemissionsthandieselbuses,dramatically reducingnitrogenoxides(NOx)andvirtuallyeliminatingparticulatematter–pollutantsthathavebeen linkedtoasthmaandotherrespiratoryproblems.

“There’snosmell,nofumes –nothing forthe children to smell,”bus driver Dawn Tiemannof HenricoCountyPublicSchoolsinVirginiatoldPERC Students anddrivers on propanebuses aren’t theonlyoneswhoexperiencehealthierairquality. PERC noted that theuse of propanebuses means feweremissionsinneighborhoods,schoolparking lots andbus stops– areaswhere parents, teachers andthegeneralpubliclive,workandtravel.

In addition to environmentalbenefits,proponentssaypropanebusesoffercostsavingstoschool districtswithoutsacrificingdrivingrange,reliability orperformance.AccordingtoPERC,thefuelcosts forpropanebusesisupto50percentlessthandiesel buses.Theyalsoeliminatetheneedforcostlyfilters and fluids needed on newdieselbuses.Plus, new propanebuses cost aboutone-third theprice of newelectricbuses

AJune2025report from MinnesotaClean Citiesfoundthattheaveragefuelcostsavingswere approximately$134per monthper bus, basedon cost andmaintenance differences. In addition,the reportshowedthatpropanebusmaintenancecosts were about32percent lowercomparedtodiesel buses, andthe averagetotal cost of ownershipwas approximately$43,500lessthandieselalternatives overthevehiclelifetime “Iwasexcitedaboutbuyingbusesforlessmoney andrealizingthattheoverallcostofownershipwas

goingtobesignificantly lower,”Amy Rosa,directorofschoolsafetyand transportation at Wa-Nee CommunitySchoolCorporation in Indiana, told PERC.Rosa’sdistrictoperatesamixed fleetthat includes25propanebuses “Weofferallofourextracurricularsatnocostto students,sotheydon’thavetopayfortravel,”Rosa added.“Everyyear,wesavemoneysothatourkids cancontinueinsportsandmusicprogramswithno fees That’sourgoal–tocontinuetosavemoneyfor ourstudentsandourtaxpayers.”

Around thecountry,drivers have also reported noticeable operationalimprovements when using propanebuses Theseincludequietengines,smooth accelerationandreliableperformanceacrossvarious climates.Thebenefitsincludebetterperformancein stop-and-gotrafficandabetterabilityfordriversto hear what’s happeninginsidethe bus. Proponents areoptimisticthatthiswillleadtolong-termdriver satisfactionand,inturn,strongerstaffretentionand moreconsistentbusoperations. Thepropanebussesaredefinitelyquieter. Infact, oneofthe fewcomplaintswehearfromparents is that they cannolongerwaittohearthe diesel bus chugging down theroadtosendtheir kids outin time,”saysHayden Asschoolsystemsaroundthenationcontinueto evaluatecleanertransportationoptions,propaneis provingtobeaviable,provensolutionthatisalready deliveringmeasurablebenefits “Thefueling infrastructure forpropane is relativelystraightforwardtoinstallandmaintain,with widespread availabilityofpropane suppliersand servicetechnicians,” theMinnesota CleanCities reportnoted.(Propanebuses)effectivelybridgethe gaptowards acleaner transportation futurewhile districtsalsoconsiderthe evolving landscapeof propanevehicletechnology.”

‘Where Ishouldbe’

For weeks leading up to the airstrikes, agroup of Iranian-born Louisiana State University students,professors and alumni gathered in Free Speech Alley on campus. They stood in silence. Some held Iranian flags. Others cradled photosofthose who had died.

Theywere protesting Iranian security forcesimprisoning and killing unarmed protesters. Iranian health officials said as many as 30,000 people could have been killed on Jan. 8and 9alone, national outlets reported

But after news of Khamenei’skilling, the group returned to the same spot Monday,wavingflags and cheering.

As Roza Homafar walked over to join them, her mother called from Iran.

Homafar,a Ph.D. student in kinesiology,told hermom where she was headed, and that there would be two protests happening simultaneously —one criticizingthe U.S. and Israel’sattacks on Iran, one celebrating them.

“What do you think?” Homafar,30, asked her mother “Where should Istand?”

“Weneed thisregime gone,” her mother told her, “no matter how.”

During an internet blackout earlier this year,Homafar couldn’tcall her mother friends or family,couldn’t know if they were safe. She sunk into adeep depression and struggled to get out of bed.

“All Iranians, outside and inside, were experiencing ahuge trauma,” Homafar said. When, at last, she could talk with her loved ones again, shelearned that afew friends had been shot, but all were alive. Several said the same: “They said, ‘Weare alive, but just physically,’” she said, quietly.“Alive, but just physically.”

Growing up in Iran, Homafar had always struggled

with the restrictions for women, including laws requiringthemtocover their hair and bodies. Uponmoving to the United Statesfor school,she felt akindof comfort. “It wasn’tsomethingnew,like‘thisisso different,’ ”she said. The freedom here “was what I was always imagining and alwaysfighting for “OK, now I’mexactly where Ishouldbe.”

The past few months have brought ajumbleofemotions —fear andanger,joy and hope. On topofall that, Homafar feels judgment. Thejudgment of students, of pundits, of “people who don’tknow where Iran is on amap.” Given the death toll in January alone, “Of course we are celebrating, of course we arethankful.”

Thesituation in Iran is complicated, sheknows,and even after growing up there, she checks in with family andfriendsbeforespeaking up. So she asks that people trust the knowledge and experienceofIranians, as well. Her mother calledagain Wednesday. There was bombing in the background. Homafar asked if she was

worried.

Buther mom’sfearwas not for her individual safety It was that the United States andIsrael would, after startinga war, leave without finishing off the regime.

‘Itcould getreallybloody’

Homafar was among those on the LSU campus holding signs thanking President DonaldTrump and the U.S. Army.The group chanted “U.S.A!” and“God bless Israel.” On aboom box, one man blasted the Village People’s“Y.M.C.A.” They danced.

“Itisreally probably not understandable for many people, particularly those in theyoungergeneration, why they’re celebrating their country being bombed,”one LSUprofessor said. “But we don’tsee it as awar “Wesee it as arescue mission.”

Though the Iranian-born professor attendedthe celebration, he later asked that his namenot be printed, fearingreprisal against family membersstill living in Iran.

He had been among those calling for RezaPahlavi, the exiled son of the shahousted

Iranian-bornstudents and Baton Rougeresidents

campus to supportthe United States’attack of Iran.

in 1979, to lead the transition to amore moderate, more secular government.By midweek, reports out of Iran indicated that Khamenei’s son, Mojtaba Khamenei,was the front-runner to succeed his father,suggesting that hard-linerscould remainin charge.

“The system is notdesignedtoproducemoderates,” said Christopher Fettweis, apolitical science professor at Tulane University and author of books about U.S. foreign policy Khamenei’sregimeis “terrible,” Fettweissaid, and half to three-quarters of Iranians were eager to see him go.

Still,hecalledthe weekend’sattacks by the U.S. and Israel “totally bizarre andham-fisted andshortsighted.”Bestcase, the two countries have aplan for an alternative leader of Iran set to go, Fettweis said. But he said theirpublicstatements seem tocontradict one another,indicating a lack of foresight and followthrough.

If citizens fight for anew regime, “itcould getreally

bloody,” he warned.

‘Languageofhope’

Like other Iranians who fled, Khaleghi has never returned to Iran, even to visit.

As akid, she’d planned to go to college in Iran and raise afamily there. But she ended up in Germany forced to learn anew language andmakeanew life. She earned aMaster of Science degree at Mannheim University,then aMaster of Arts at Loyola.Atone point, after moving to New Orleansin1990, herlatehusband asked if she washomesick, and she found that she wasn’t.

NewOrleans, with its European charm, hadbecome her home.

But she dreamsofvisiting Iran. Her son Paymon, 30, is ahistory buff who is fascinated by the country’spast. Her other son, Ali, 35, talks regularly on WhatsApp with their18first cousins living there.

AfterKhamenei’sdeath, their tone shifted. They sounded lighter,brighter

“It wasatone of hope,” Ali Khaleghi said this week,

smiling, sitting acrossfrom hismother.“It’s anew history for the Iranian people. They’re the authors of anew history writtenina language of hope.”

And while visiting would be nice, Iranians are the ones whowill benefit from a political shift, should it happen, Zohreh said. “Whatever happened right now,it’sfor them.” Later in the week, the poet and artist flew to Washington, D.C.,for agathering of the Iranian Writers’ Association. She wasset to recite apoemand give aspeech in Farsi.Ina draft of that speech, translated to English, she planned to mention the decades of protests, the tens of thousands killed. Thenshe spoke of thefuture.

“Thefreedom of Iran will not come from bombs or political deals,” she said. “It willcomefromthe courage of its people who, for decades,havenever stopped fighting fortheir freedom.”

Contact reporter Jenna Ross at jenna.ross@ theadvocate.com.

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LOUISIANAPOLITICS

Stranded Louisianansscrambletoget outofMideast

WASHINGTON —About halfway into their 13-day religious and archaeological tour of Israel, Michael Sprague and the 44 faithful he hosted, mostly from Louisiana, were about to spend afew daysin the Old City of Jerusalem. Then the air raid sirenswentoff Their tourguide hustled thegroup into abomb shelter

Mark Ballard

“Weshifted into atotal different mode for the next three days as 20 times we gotthe messages to get to safety,” said Sprague, of Mandeville and the Louisiana State Chaplain with the Capitol Commission, anonprofit that places chaplains in statecapitols.

“Right in front of my eyes, there’stwo missiles that shot through the air and then theIron Dome took them out. Andyou know,itwas boom, boom, boom,” Sprague recalled.

That was Saturday,Feb.28. By Monday,the State Department told Americans to immediately leave 14 Middle East countries that were targeted for retaliation by Iran “using available commercial transportation.” Unfortunately,airports were closed, as were some U.S.embassies, leaving an unknown number of stranded Americans frustrated. Many blasted the Trump administration for not havingan evacuation plan in place.

Others contacted family and friendsathome, who called their representatives in Congress.

House Speaker Mike Johnson’s office is referring constituents to the State Department.

“We’re helping as needed. Also, staff has been available24/7 to help,” said Griffin Neal,aspokes-

Congressional race wide open, poll finds

manfor theBenton Republican.

House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-Jefferson, said: “I encourageresidents who have questions or have family or friends there to contact my office right away so we can assist in liaising with theState Department.”

Rep. Cleo Fields, D-Baton Rouge, and Rep. Julia Letlow, R-Baton Rouge, said they too are helping constituents get home. Secretary of StateMarco Rubio told reporters at theCapitol that the U.S.has an evacuation plan for citizens, butran into challenges from closed airspaces.He asked themarooned Americans to signupfor theSmart Traveler

600 likely Republican voters in thedistrict.

Enrollment Program,orSTEP, so theState Department could coordinate thelatest information directly withthe travelers.

About 3,000 have signed up so far.The StateDepartment also estimated that about 9,000 have returned.

Nobody knows how many Americansare stranded in the Middle East.The BBC estimates 500,000 to 1million Americans are in theaffected countries, including teachers, engineers, and oil industry workers in addition to tourists.

“I know that we have gotten alot of phone calls from people who have grave concerns, which

prompted my involvement to write the letter and to push on theSecretary of State to do somethingproactively to address these concerns,” said Rep. Troy Carter, D-New Orleans. Carter wrote Rubio, “Constituents have also informed my office that the State Department’semergency contact line simply repeats online security updates, offering little substantive guidance or theopportunity to speak with knowledgeable personnel who can assist them in real time.” He asked for explicit guidance and chartered evacuation flights.

Belgium, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy,Spain and the United

Kingdom started evacuating their citizens on charter flights. President Donald Trumpposted on Truth Social that the U.S. would do so as well.

By Thursday evening, the first such evacuation landed at Dulles International Airport in the Virginia suburbs of Washington. Somecommercial airlines also began to resumeflights.

Luckily forthe Sprague party, the tour company he contracted arranged the paperwork forall of its tour groups and on Monday headed forEgypt in acaravan of five buses flanked by armed security vehicles.

Avoiding war-torn Gaza, the mostdirect route, the tour group took acircuitous 19-hour bus ride to Cairo.

Some of his party returned to the U.S. via Istanbul, others through Frankfurt. Sprague camehome via London and Newark, arriving at his Mandeville home around 3a.m.Wednesday morning.

Sprague said Sen. Bill Cassidy,R-Baton Rouge, reached out during their evacuation after learning of the tour’ssituation via Facebook posts. His staffthen wasintouch regularly

“Anything Ineeded, they were available to help,” Sprague said. Cassidy said he has also been explaining to constituents how to get information through the State Department.

“Itisincredible in the midst of chaos and disaster,war,knowing that people stand by each other,” Sprague said. “It’sagreat feeling that people come together in that way, not just forme, but caring forhundreds and thousands of people that are still trying to maketheir way home.”

Email Mark Ballardat mballard@theadvocate.com.

No one has the advantage among Republican voterstobe the next representative for the 5th Congressional District, which includes East Baton Rouge and Livingston parishes, as well as the Florida Parishes and the parishes in northeast Louisiana, according to arecentpoll. AFeb. 20-21 survey by pollster Greg Rigamer found that state Sen. Rick Edmonds of Baton Rouge, state Rep Michael Echols of Monroe and state Sen. Blake Miguez of Erath are all virtually tied in single digits.

When undecided voters were pushed to identify who they supported,Edmonds developed asmall lead. Butmost voters remained unsurewho to choose. Edmonds, Echols, Miguez and former Board of Regents chair Misti Cordell of Monroe are vying to replace U.S. Rep. Julia Letlow,who is giving up the seat to try to unseat U.S.Sen.Bill Cassidy

pointed John Condos, aformer member of theUniversityof LouisianaSystem Board of Supervisors, to theLSU Boardof Supervisors.

Capitol Buzz STAFF REPORTS

Other Republican candidates are Sammy Wyatt, Austin Magee andMichael Mebruer

“The defining characteristic of the survey is the near-total lack of familiaritywith the candidates, leading to roughly three-quarters of theelectorate remaining undecided on the initial ballot,” Rigamer,who is based in New Orleans,wroteinan analysis of the results. He polled

The Democrats are Jessee Fleenor,Larry Foy,Lindsay Garcia, Dan McKay and Tania Nyman. Rigamer’spoll showed that President Donald Trumphad a79% favorable rating among Republicansinthe 5th Congressional District, while Gov.Jeff Landry hada66% favorable rating.

Letlow, less well known, had a 48%favorable rating in her district.

Rigamer conducted thesurvey formajor business lobbyist Alton Ashy, whohas dozens of federal andstate clients.

Condostoreplace

Armentor on LSU board

Gov.Jeff Landry this week ap-

“John is aproven leader with the experience and vision to help takeLSU to thenext level,” Landry wrote on X.

Condos replaces Glenn Armentor,who stepped down Tuesday.Landry said Armentor wanted to dedicatehimself full-time to his law practice.

Condos, an alumnus and former associate professor at McNeese StateUniversity,has adoctorate in business administration.

He has been acommissioner of theLouisiana Stadium and Exposition District, which oversees theSuperdome and Smoothie King Center in New Orleans, and is an entrepreneur in the medical-legal industry,according to his biography on the district website. According to Shane Guidry,atop adviser to the governor in New Orleans, Courtney Guastella, who is afundraiser for Landry,U.S. Rep.Julia Letlow and other Republicans,will be replacing Condos on thestadium district.

Condos joining theboard marks Landry’sninth appointment, including three reappointments, to theLSU governing body.The board includes 15 members at-

large and one student representative.

Longtime AFL-CIO lobbyist Reineretires

Louis Reine has been at the Capitol for 69 regular and special legislative sessions over thepast 29 years.

He won’tbeat theCapitol on Monday,when this year’sregular session convenes.

Reine, 70, retired in September as the president of the Louisiana AFL-CIO. He had been the group’spresident since 2006 andhad served in senior roles before that.

“It’s time fornew young folks with enthusiasm and energy to takeover,” Reine said.

MattWood has replaced Reine as the state president.

During his long career,Reine pushed for what he described as “economicsecurity forworkers through afair wage, the opportunityfor their children to get an education, available and affordable health care and the opportunity to retire with secure pensions.”

Reinefought yearly battles with the Louisiana Association of Businessand Industry,the most powerful business lobby in Baton

TheVincentismorethan

Rouge.

“The majority of my personal dealings with LABI have been with (lobbyist) Jim Patterson,” Reine said. “He has aconstituency that pushes forcertain things. Ihave aconstituency that pushes forother things. He wasalways truthful and aman of honor.”

While Reine appreciated his oldschool relationship with Patterson, he didn’tappreciate what he saw as the biggest change over 29 years, the increased partisanship.

“It’sbecome moreabout the party than the issues,” Reine said. “It’snot agood change. It focuses on what’sbest forthe party and not what’sbest forthe people.”

Reine also believes that term limits —12years in each chamber —rob the Legislature of institutional knowledge.

“As members begin to learn the issues —that takes time—they becomemore effective,” Reine said. “Then they are termed out, and someone has to start from the beginning.”

Reine worked with five governors.

He used to laugh when Bobby Jindal wasgovernor because Jindal always mispronounced his last name. (It sounds like the pronunciation forthe bird “wren.”) John Bel Edwards never had trouble with Reine’sname because Reine helped secure the union’sendorsement forEdwards early in the 2015 governor’srace.

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Another one is the home of Carlie Ames, a retired public servant who served in the state of Louisiana’s Medicaid division for more than two decades. Ames is one of many Acadiana residents who sought FEMA assistance following destruction caused by the hurricane season of 2020. The relief never came.

“We applied for FEMA assistance, but FEMA turned us down because we had homeowners insurance,” Ames said “I had a $10,000 deductible for hurricane damage through Allstate that I couldn’t meet. I eventually tried to switch to a different insurer, but was told nobody would take me due to the extensive damage to our house.”

The extensive damage included a roof that had lost all of its shingles following Delta and consistently leaked water into the home. Even buying tarps became an unfeasible solution, with the only affordable brand needing to be replaced every month. The persistent leaking eventually caused further damage to the aging structure.

“There was rotted wood on the floors, and the front porch had completely caved in to the point where I couldn’t use it anymore,” Ames said. “The damage got worse and worse until water was just pouring into the house. We scoured recovery programs and nothing came through until Catholic Charities put us in touch with Harvest Call.” Ames was accepted to have her home renovated by Harvest Call in the summer of 2025, only two weeks before the death of her husband following a protracted battle with Alzheimer’s disease.

“I felt so blessed that he never forgot who his family was or who I was,” Ames said. “If you could just see the relieved look on his face when I told him we were getting the roof

replaced. He was worried about leaving me having to handle that situation alone, and I’m so grateful he got to leave knowing it was worked out.”

George and Ames’ houses are only two of the dozens of homes renovated by Harvest Call in Acadiana between January and March this year. Everything from building new ramp entrances to replacing floors, countertops, ceilings and light fixtures is being provided to in-need homeowners by Harvest Call volunteers. Leading those volunteers are Tim and Barb Slagel of Washington, Illinois. For the past decade they’ve led Harvest Call’s yearly outreach efforts. They praised the local community’s response and support for Harvest Call’s volunteer assistance.

We’ve received so much support from the community Local businesses have offered a lot of assistance, whether it’s the grocery store or the tire shop down the road. We don’t ask for any of that; people do it out of the kindness of their heart,” Tim Slagel said. While serving the Acadi-

ana area, Harvest Call has been operating out of the Acadian Baptist Center near Eunice with around 20 fulltime volunteers. Each week, members from one of the more than 90 congregations associated with the Apostolic Christian Church fly down to assist with the ongoing projects. Members of the Harvest Call team also engage in a weekly fellowship with the homeowners they are helping, including George and Ames.

Ben Broussard who represents Catholic Charities, summed up Harvest Call by saying, “These are not people in it for themselves and looking for the spotlight. It’s very selfless what they do.”

The need for that kind of volunteer help often persists long after disaster recovery programs end.

In many cases, homeowners either do not qualify for federal assistance or cannot afford the insurance deductibles required to access it. As a result, some storm-damaged houses sit unrepaired for years after the initial disaster response fades from public view Both George and Ames

Organizations like Harvest Call and Catholic Charities view their work as a means to fill the gap for individuals who can’t receive assistance through other means.

“We have to take the people who either didn’t have insurance or were passed over for help,” Tim Slagel said. “They have homes in bad shape and no relief in sight.

Some people with financial backing can take care of themselves, but for those that don’t, they’re often falling through the cracks.”

For the many homes across Acadiana that have fallen through those cracks, the hope for revitalization continues and the fight for assistance persists.

“These people are such a blessing. I just feel like God sent angels to my doorstep,” Ames said.

“It’s amazing how they can pick up and leave their home, come down to another state for such a long period of time. They’re awesome. They are blessed,” George said.

List of jurors randomly drawn and to serve for the term beginning on March 16, 2026:

ADAMS, CHARLIE RENEE

ALALOUSI, HEATHER HUMAN ALEX, TORI MARLANA

ALFRED, LIONEL JAMES ALFRED, VENICE CHARLES ALLEMAN, DUSTIN DALE ALLMON, ROSEANN MARIE

AMADOR-RIVERA, JESUS IGNACIO

ANDERSON, ALLAN SCOTT ANGELLE, CAMRYN E ARCENEAUX, ANTHONY ATKINS, JEREMIAH CHARLES

BARDEN, MARYELLEN

BEGNAUD, COBY DEAN BELL, NICOLE CARMEN

BELL, JOSEPHINE VALLIERE

BENOIT,MELISSA SMITH

BERGERON, LINDA A

BERNARD, DAVALACIADAVALAY

BERTUCCI, RONALD JOSEPH

BESSARD, DONITHA CAL

BESTER, JESSICA TANYA

BIENVENU, TYLER EDWARDS

BILLEAUDEAU, NATHAN TROY

BLACKBURN, JOHN LEONARD

BLAHA, SCOTT KENNETH

BLASINGAME, DONAVANJAMES

BOLAR, BERTHA RICHARD

BOUDREAUX, DAVID LANE

BOUDREAUX, DEWEY R

BOUDREAUX, JENNA BOURQUE

BOULET,MARCUS ANDREW

BOULIGNY,JULIE BRENTS

BOURQUE, THOMAS RAS

BOUSTANY,DANIEL JAMES BRICE, PATSY G

BRITT,TERRI SUSAN

BROUSSARD, KEVIN WADE

BROUSSARD, SKYLER MACHELLE

BROUSSARD, LIBERTIE LARAE

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EDUCATION

Navigating conversationswithkidsabout war

Expertssay to validate feelings, limit exposure to info

BY CHEYANNEMUMPHREY Associated Press

The latest conflict in the Middle East is developing quickly and deeply complex,which canmakeit difficult for childrentomake sense of events they see unfoldingonsocial media, hear adults anxiously discussing or are experiencing in real life. Experts say exposure to war,even if it is indirect, can affect how kidsthink, feel and behave.

Child psychologists anddevelopment experts say talking about it may help.

“Sometimes adults think if they don’ttalk about something thatis difficult, than it doesn’texist. But we know that’snot the reality in children’slives,”saidRebecca Smith, the global head ofchild protection at Save the Children, an internationalaid and advocacy organization. “Ignoring or avoidingthe topic of conflict canlead to children feeling lost, alone and scared. …Itisessential to have open and honest conversations with children to help them process what is happening.”

Below are suggestionsfor having conversations with children about war and its impacts.

Create asafespace

Experts recommend starting with whatachild might know about what is happening in Ukraine, Gaza, Iran, Israel,Sudan or other parts of the world before attempting to address any feelingsoffear,sadness,anger or anxiety

Some childrenmay notknow that fighting has escalated between the United States and Israel on one side and Iran and its proxies on the other. Other kids may be more aware than theirfamilies

realize and suppress their emotions. Children visiting or living in Middle Easterncountries directly impacted will haveseen weapons lightup the skyand may know peoplekilled or have to leave their homes.

“For some children where missiles are now visibleinthe skies, this might beanentirely new and terrifying experience,” Smith said.

“When events like this happen, theydisrupt achild and family’s sense of safety.What once felt stable and secure may suddenly feel uncertain.

To helpchildrenworkthrough their emotions, the trusted adults in their lives also need to take care of themselves, accordingtoexperts. Guidance from theNational Child Traumatic Stress Network says adults sharingtheir own feelings with children canbeanopportunity to convey personal be-

liefs and values about how to treat others. The key is to not assume what children might be thinking or feeling.

If childrendonot wanttotalk or arenot ready,experts suggest adults remain patient and tell children they are there for them.

“It is necessary to respect child’s abilitytorefuse communication their ability nottotalkornot to tell about something. Because they can have their own feelings,their own states, which they might not wanttoshare,” child psychologist Nataliia Sosnovenko said, speaking in Ukrainian. Sosnovenko works with VoicesofChildren, aUkrainianorganization thatprovides psychological support anddocumentschildren’sexperiences in the countryduring the yearslong war with Russia. Somechildren might share what they have seen or heard, how they

feel or ask questions when given an opportunity.Experts say this is when adults should validate their feelings and address what’shappening honestly while taking their ages and maturitylevelsintoaccount.

Letage guide theconversation

The American Psychological Association recommends giving kids basic, age-appropriate information about warand conflict, and addressingany upsetting images, headlines or conversations they were exposed to without going into details that might makethem unnecessarily anxious. But ultimately,parents know theirchildren best,experts say

Families whohave loved ones in the region may need to take the extra time to discuss the safety of theirrelatives and friends, and the difficultyofuncertainty

Featherweight Scooter

Families in the region themselves may need to have aplanin place for what to do if they become separated.

Experts with Save the Children say to keep it simple and to practice the plan calmly

Depending on how young, some childrencan understand the idea that two countries are fighting. But young children living abroad may not be able to distinguish between what they see on screens and what is happening nearby.For children in the U.S., the Iran war can seem much closerthanitisiftheyare frequently seeing imagesonTV or social media, meaning they may need additionalreassurance they are safefrom danger

Older children are likely to understand war and its consequences,which meanstheymight be moreconcerned and have more questions, the American Psychological Association says. Adults may want to considerfocusing on what is within their control and giving children someagency, such as supporting humanitarian efforts, staying informed andaddressing misinformation.

UNICEF,the United Nations agency that provides humanitarian aid and long-term support to children worldwide, says it is OK to not have all the answers.

In Lebanon, some familieshave sought refuge sinceSaturdayina brick school building. Nora Ingdal, Save the Children’sLebanon Country Director,says children there are asking several questions about the reason for conflict and when things might return to normal.

“This one daughter was clinging to her mother and looking up to her momand asking, ‘Mom,why are they fighting? Why are they attacking us?’ The mother looks at me, but has no answer.Then she’s asking, ‘Whenare we gonna go home?’ Again, the mom looked at me,” Ingdal said. “I said to her,‘It’s all right to say that you don’tknow youcannotguaranteeanything, but I’mhere with you.’”

THE GULF COAST

Two Gulf Coast destinations get ranked as ‘most desirable’

BY POET WOLFE Staff writer

Two counties along the Gulf Coast were among the nation’s “most desirable” counties to move to in 2025 in a recent ranking by U.S. News & World Report, reflecting continued growth as more newcomers settle in the region.

The publication evaluated the top 50 states, counties and city destinations by their move-in-to-move-out ratios using public data and population trends Baldwin County in Alabama ranked No. 15, while Okaloosa County in Florida ranked No 25.

U.S News & Report noted the U.S South dominated the list of sought-after relocation destinations, attributing the trend to “mild temperatures, coastal living and year-round outdoor activities,” as well as lower costs of living and more affordable housing.

The ranking is the second this year in which Gulf Coast communities in Alabama and Florida have appeared. The recognition reflects how both areas — long known as beach destinations for neighboring states ha i expanded beyond

Beach, while Destin is in Okaloosa County.

In January, U.S News & Report released its annual list of the nation’s best places to live, scoring cities on a scale of one through 10 based on factors including housing affordability, job markets and overall quality of life, such as crime rates, weather and cultural amenities.

The ranking evaluated 250 cities nationwide. Daphne, in Baldwin County, placed 182nd with a score of six, while Pensacola ranked 166th with the same score.

Recent census data also shows the coastal communities continuing to grow According to a 2023-2024 report from the U.S Census Bureau, Baldwin County’s population grew by more than 7,000 people, making it the sixth fastest-growing county in the country Okaloosa County grew by more than 4,000 people.

Tourism has also surged across the Alabama and Florida coasts as the region sees more residents.

Alabama Tourism reported that more than 28 million people visited in 2024, a record high. Meanwhile, more than 34 million people visited Florida between July and

Hartz Chicken Buffet is low

BY POET WOLFE Staff writer

A curtain of fog fell over Ocean Springs, Mississippi, on a February afternoon, draping over live oaks, railroads, telephone poles and roadside advertisements. Yet, one sign butterscotch-yellow accompanied by a shabby metal chicken — stood out along Bienville Boulevard.

The sign is planted next to a one-story building capped with a flat red roof and another slender placard that reads: Hartz Chicken Buffet.

Inside, it’s nothing fancy

Fluorescent lighting glows from a grid ceiling, the kind that hovers over corporate offices, casting light onto faux-brick floors.

In one corner of the room, walls are covered in framed sketches of cartoon chickens and hens, as well as shelves filled with knickknacks grandmothers tend to collect: display plates, potted polyester flowers, dolls Bubblegum pop plays quietly overhead the only reminder that you’re not in the 1970s.

In a visuals-obsessed age, more restaurants are leaning into hyper-curated aesthetics, hoping to seduce patrons with sultry, low-dim lights, neon signs and velvet booths.

If you’re looking to eat somewhere with a vibey interior worthy enough to pull out your phone, snap a picture and share it with your followers on social media, this roadside joint isn’t the place for you.

Hartz opened in 1975 at the height of a fried chicken boom, when chains like Popeyes and Church’s were turning cuisine long anchored in the South into national franchises.

The Mississippi Coast was riding that wave with both Hartz and Cajun’s Fabulous Fried Chicken, which later opened in Gulfport in 1979. Today, as more restaurants along the Coast embrace modern techniques and global flavors, both buffets continue celebrating the region’s staples at home.

The swivel chairs and wooden booths fill quickly welc ed by the

fet, lifting fried chicken and fish with metal tongs, then carrying to-go plates to the counter to be weighed and rung up at the register for a modest price before taking their seats. The movements came naturally to most of them, as if they’d been coming to Hartz for lunch since they were little kids.

One of the workers carried on a comfortable conversation with a couple at a booth as she swept the floors, joking, “I’m an expert with this broom.”

It’s not trendy decor and flattering lighting that’s drawn people into the restaurant for more than five decades — it’s the fried chicken, piled into perfect gold mountains high beneath the heat lamps. Both Popeyes and Cajun’s build heat into each bite, layering Cajun-inspired spice into their crust. Hartz goes in the opposite direction: a crispy delicately seasoned crust over tender meat.

Authoritiessearchdebrisafter tornadoeskill6in2 states

BY DAVE COLLINS, STEVE KARNOWSKI and MIKE HOUSEHOLDER Associated Press

UNIONCITY,Mich Authorities searched through rubble and debris in southern Michigan on Saturday after suspected tornadoes tore through the region and killed four people, including a12-year-old boy,during powerful storms also blamed for two deaths in eastern Oklahoma.

Firstrespondersfrommultiple agencies in the Union Lake area near Union City looked for more possible victims and worked to clear roads, authorities said. Photos and videos posted on social media showed flattened homes and downed trees in a lakeside neighborhood.

TheNational Weather Service said an initial assessment confirmed that an EF3 tornado with winds of at least 150 mph struck the Union Lake areaFriday

The weather service also reported seven preliminary tornado tracks in eastern Oklahoma that same day,according to the state’semergency operations center

The threat of severe weather continued Satur-

Volunteersworktoclearbranches Saturday after asuspected tornado

earlier in Union City,Mich.

dayinthe nation’smidsection, with tornado watches posted in theafternoon for eastern Ohio, northern West Virginia andwestern Pennsylvania andNew York Severe thunderstorms that began in northernIndiana appeared to spawn multiple tornadoes in southern Michigan the previous day, said

meteorologist Lonnie Fisher of the National Weather Service, whichsentteams to the region to evaluate the damage and confirm tornadoes.

“Mostly likely therewere three distincttornadoes, but we won’t know100% for sure until they finish thesurvey,” Fisher said, adding that the storms intensified rapidlyin

southern Michigan after hitting northern Indiana.

Threepeople were killed and12were injuredinthe Union Lakearea, according to the Branch County Sheriff’s Office. It was the second tornado to hit UnionCity in two years. An EF1 tornado with 95 mphwinds touched down briefly in May2024 and

destroyed amachine shed.

Lisa Piperstood on her back deck andtook video of aterrifying scene that played out on the other side of frozen Union Lake as a funnel cloud formedand then dropped toward the ground Friday. Trees were torn from their roots, and debris flew into the air

“It’slifting houses!” she said. As the devastation continued,she exclaimed: “Oh my heart is pounding. Oh, I hope they’re OK.”

DanTaylor raced home to Union City from his cleaning job at anearby hospital that daytofind his brother and twodogs safe. But atree fell on his homeof20years, and portions of the roof of a house across the street blew into his yard.

“I didn’tknow what to say Iwas lost forwords,” he said Saturday.“I’mjust thankful that my brother’sall right, my dogs, because it could have turned bad. We’re not guaranteed of anything.”

About50miles southwest of Union Lake, a12-year-old boy died and several other people wereinjured during apossible tornado, the Cass County Sheriff’sOffice said. Sheriff Clint Roach said in

aFacebook post that Silas Anderson’sparents found himinjured andprovided first aid, but he laterdiedat ahospital.

Disasterreliefworkers wentdoor to door in the Union City andThreeRivers areas to offer meals andcleanup supplies. Gov. Gretchen Whitmer saidshe would declare astate of emergency in Branch,Cass and St. Joseph counties. In Beggs, about 30 miles south of Tulsa, Oklahoma, atornado was blamed for the deaths of two people in a house on Friday,the Okmulgee County Sheriff’s Office said. Twoothers weretaken to ahospital. Thetornado cutaroughly 4-mile path of damage in Okmulgee County including Beggs, said JeffMoore, the county’s emergencymanager.Large trees toppled andpower outages were reported.

Suspectedtornadoes also were reported in northern parts of Tulsa, where abuilding at theTulsa Tech Peoria campus wasdamaged. Oklahoma Gov.Kevin Stitt declared astate of emergency in severalcountiestofree up support and resources.

Jan. 6plaquehonoringpoliceofficersdisplayed at theCapitol after3-yeardelay

BY MARYCLARE JALONICK and LISA MASCARO Associated Press

WASHINGTON Visitors to the U.S. Capitol will now have a visible marker of the siege there on Jan. 6, 2021,and a reminder of theofficers who fought and were injured that day Steps from the Capitol’s West Frontand where the worst of the fighting occurred, workers quietly have installed aplaque honoring the officers, three years after it wasrequired by law to be erected. The plaquewas placed on the Senate side of thehallway becausethat chamber voted

unanimouslyinJanuary to install it after House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-Benton, haddelayed putting it up.

“Onbehalfofa grateful Congress, this plaque honors the extraordinary individuals whobravely protected and defended this symbol of democracyonJanuary 6, 2021,” the plaque says. “Their heroism will never be forgotten.”

The Washington Postfirst reported theinstallationof theplaque,which was witnessed by areporter about 4a.m.ETSaturday.It is the first official markerofthe violent dayinthe Capitol. Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., led the recent effort to in-

stall it as he commemorated the fifth anniversary of the attack on the Senate floor in January anddescribed his memories of hearing people break intothe building. “We owe them eternal gratitude, and this nation is stronger because of them,” he said of theofficers who were overwhelmed by thousands of President Donald Trump’s supporters andeventually pushed them outofthe building.

The mob of rioterswho violently forced their way past police and brokein were echoing Trump’sfalse claimsofastolen election after theRepublican was defeated by Democrat Joe

Biden. The crowd stopped the congressional certificationofBiden’svictory for several hours, sent lawmakers running and vandalized the building beforepolice regained control. More than

140 officers fromthe U.S. Capitol Police, the Metropolitan PoliceDepartmentand otheragencieswereinjured.

The fight to have the plaque installed came as Trumpreturned to office and the Republican Congress has remained loyal to him Trump, who hascalledJan.6 a“day of love,” has tried to deflect blameonDemocrats andpolicefor instigating the attack.

WhenLouisianacompaniesfaceworkforceshortages,manyturnto theLouisianaCommunityandTechnicalCollegeSystem(LCTCS)for solutions.Fromhospitalsystemsseekingmorenursestomanufacturers inneedofskilledtechnicians,employerssaycollaborationwithLCTCS institutionsisessentialtokeepingtheirbusinessesrunningsmoothly. InNewOrleans,OchsnerHealthhasdeepeneditspartnershipwith DelgadoCommunity Collegetostrengthenthe region’s healthcare talentpipeline.Forexample,Delgado’sLPNtoRNtransitionprogram allowslicensedpracticalnursestocompleteacurriculumtobecome aregisterednurse,therebyadvancingtheirskillsandmakingthem qualitycandidatesforlucrative,in-demandroles

This initiative allows experienced LPNs to grow into expanded scopes of practice whilecontinuing to serveour community, which directlysupportsaccesstohigh-qualitycareacrossLouisiana,”said MissyHopson,Ph.D OchsnerHealthSystemVicePresidentandChief LearningandWorkforceDevelopmentOfficer.

“Delgado’s LPNtoRNpathway represents exactlythe kind of bold,employer-educationpartnershipourregionneeds,”Dr.Hopson continued. “Bycreatingseamlessadvancement opportunitiesfor workingnurses,wearenotonlystrengtheningthetalentpipeline–weareinvestingincareermobility,clinicalexcellenceandlong-term workforcestability.”

Jennifer Fernandez, DelgadoDeanofNursing,saidthatwhile adultlearnersstill make up themajorityofthe studentpopulation, therehasbeenanincreaseinrecenthighschoolgraduatesinterested inenteringhealthcare.Delgadooffers28alliedhealthprogramsand four nursingprograms, allofwhich have been expanded to accept themaximumnumberofstudentspossibleduetorisingdemand.

“Whenwegraduatea class, we’renot just awarding degrees. We’restabilizingtheworkforceandstabilizingfamilies,”Fernandez said.“WeseealotoffamiliescomingtoDelgadotogether–siblings cousins,evenparentsandchildren.Healthcarerunsonpeople,and wehelptobuildthosepeopleup.”

(CLTCC). RoyO.Martinisamajor forestry,landmanagementand woodproductsmanufacturingcompany,headquarteredinAlexandria “WehaveaverylongstandingrelationshipwithCLTCC.Any timewehaveanideaforaprogram,theyworkwithustohelpcreate it,”saidConnieBaker,seniordirectorofhumanresourcesatRoyO Martin.“Weareoftenlookingforproductionteammembers,skilled craftlaborersandmaintenancetechnicians.Whatstandsoutabout CLTCCistheirwillingnesstohelpcreateaprogramwherewehavea need Theyareverywillingtoadapt. BakersaidCLTCCfrequentlyprovideseducationandtrainingfor newhiresatRoyO.Martin,usuallyinasix-toeight-weekprogram In addition,the entities have workedtogetherwithinthe last two yearstocreateanew industrial maintenanceprogram,inwhich CLTCCstudentsworkpart-timeforRoyO.Martin,givingthemthe chancetogainreal-worldproductionexperiencetosupplementtheir classroomlearning.

“Companiesinourregionneedemployeesnow,butthoseemployees need skillsand readiness,”saidCLTCC Chancellor HeatherPoole Ed.D.“We have come up with ways to keep them in programs here whilegivingthema foot in thedoorwithindustrypartners. That hasbeenawin.

InadditiontoworkingcloselywithRoyO.Martin,Dr.Poolesaid otherkeyCLTCCpartnersincludeLouisianaCentral,whichservesas acatalysttofosteraneconomydrivenbyknowledgeandinnovation, aswellasHayesManufacturing,aPineville-basedcompanyfocused oncutting-edgefabrication,machiningandotherindustrialwork Overall,Dr.Poolesaidsomeofthemostin-demandjobsinclude industrialelectricians,instrumentationtechnicians,millwrights,CDL drivers,maintenancetechnicians,weldersandfabricators

“We’ve hadsuccess with work-based learning becausealot of companiesthatneed people in those rolesoperate 24 hoursaday sevendaysaweek. Students canbeinclass here Mondaysthrough Fridaysandworkontheweekendsorevenings,”Dr.Poolesaid. That givesthemachancetoearnawageandlearnmoreaboutworkingat anindustrypartnercompany.”

Fernandeznoted that Delgadohas partnerships with allmajor healthcaresystemswithindrivingdistanceofNewOrleans,making it akey institutiontoconnect qualifiedgraduates with career opportunities, whetherthose areinnursing or other fields,suchas imagingtechnology.

Thatsameemployer-drivenresponsivenessisguidingDelgado’s broaderworkforce development efforts,particularlythrough the GreaterNew OrleansInfrastructurePartnership.Thankstothat partnershipandaU.S.DepartmentofLaborStrengtheningCommunities grant,DelgadoisdevelopingLouisiana’sfirstElectricVehicle Technologyprogram.

“Weare also enhancingtraininginworkforce developmentand developingtop-of-the-line coursesfor high demand jobs in diesel technology,commercialvehicle operatorand heavyequipment operator,”saidDr. SusanneG.Dietzel,Program Director forthe StrengtheningCommunityCollegesTrainingGrantatDelgado.“The partnershipallowsustomeetwithindustrypartnersandGNOInc regularlytodiscusseconomicdatathatforecaststhetypesoftraining andindustry-basedcredentialsthatstudentswillneedtosucceed.

That type of collaborationisamodel that RoyO.Martinrelies on heavilywithCentral LouisianaTechnical CommunityCollege

Dr.PooleaddedthatCLTCChasdoubledthesizeofitselectrical andHVACprogramsduringthe past 18 monthstomeet employer demand,andplanstoexpandanelectricalprogramtotheAvoyelles campuslaterthisyear.Overall,mostCLTCCprogramsaredesigned forcompleterstoearnanassociate’s degree,and many also include industry-basedcredentialsthatcanbeappliedtomultiplejobs. “WefeelthatthejobneedswillcontinuetogrowinLouisianaas moredatacentersandlargecorporationsestablishapresencehere, Dr.Poole said.“We’reexcited aboutthe opportunitiesthatpresents forCLTCC.Wewanttostrengthenourpartnershipswithourregional energyprovidersandothercompanies,andwe’relookingtogrowour curriculum around automationand programmingtosupport

Bill wouldallow transfer of site

Decaying property long caught in DOTD limbo

BY STEPHENMARCANTEL Staff writer

Arecently introduced bill would allow the state to transfer adowntown property that has long been caughtinbureaucratic red tape.

Thebill, introduced by Sen. Gerald Boudreaux, would hand over the old Coburn’sSupply Company Inc. building to theLafayette Public Trust and Financ-

Former Abbeville resident sentenced to 25 years

Aformer Abbeville residenthas

BLOTTER

Advocate staff reports

been sentenced to 25 yearsinfederal prison for transporting andpossessing child sexual abuse materials. David Fail, 43, formerly of Abbeville, was sentenced on Feb. 26 in federal court in Lafayette. Acybertipprovided by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children revealed Fail maintained an online, cloud-based storageaccount where he had uploaded more than 100 files containing child sexual abuse materials.

Investigators were abletoidentify Fail through his use of unique Internet Protocol addresses and information known to law enforcement through Louisiana’sSex Offender and Child Predator Registry Fail hadbeen convicted of possessing and receiving childpornography in 2006, according to the U.S. Attorney’sOffice in Lafayette, and for sexually exploiting aminor in 2013 Three BR men arrested in theft of appliances

Three Baton Rouge men, all allegedly in the U.S. illegally,were arrested forthe theftofappliances from new-construction homesinLafayette

Detectives with the LafayetteParish Sheriff’s Officeconducted amultiweek investigationafter receiving reports that nearly 10 new appliances were stolen from new home construction sites near the300 block of Ridge Road, according to anews release Carlos Pena, 44; Victor Villeda, 30; and JuanCastellanos, 34, were arrested and booked intothe Lafayette Parish Correctional Center on charges of simple burglary,the release states.

Additionalchargesare possible as the investigation continues.

Deputies with the Sheriff’s Department are coordinating with Immigration and Customs Enforcement because it was determined none of the three men has alawful presencein the United States.

ing Authority.InOctober,the LouisianaDepartment of Transportation and Development signaled that it had renewed efforts to relinquish the property, which the LPTFAcurrently leases but the DOTD owns.

LPTFAExecutive Director Alex Lazard did notrespond to interview requestsbut said the transfer presents “an opportunity for the continuedredevelopment of a

historicbuilding in the oldest part of town.“

The state transfer and the redevelopment of thehistoric property have been floated foryears, withthe LPTFAbeginningto lease theproperty in 2019. Since then,the dilapidatedbrick and metal buildings have become a spot for amateur graffiti artists and thesiteofa2022 fire.

Thepropertywas once intended

to be thesite of on-and offramps forthe proposed Interstate 49 connector, but subsequent designs have relocated theconnection. Despite the change in plans the decaying property has been caught in alimbo because DOTD had purchased it forthat purpose. In 2023, the LPTFA,under the leadership of Kevin Blanchard, intended to purchase theproperty for redevelopment but was ultimatelyunable to do so.Thatsale wascomplicated by thefactthat federal dollars were used when

the state purchased the property, requiring the Federal Highway Administration to OK any plans to relinquishthe property. At the time, the LPTFAhired an Atlanta-based architecture firm to assess potential uses for the property.DOTDhas also indicated it does not want the property, having asked to dispose of it less than twoyears ago, acritical project manager told Evangeline Thruway Redevelopment Committee members in October

FUN& GAMES

ABOVE: Openingband MikeLarson and the Ones That Got Away play during the first spring Downtown AliveatParc Sans SoucionFriday in Lafayette RIGHT: AvaValsin, 8, makes abig bubble supplied by theChildren’sMuseum of Acadiana.

Spirit of Spaincomes to Lafayette

Dancecompany brings flamenco to community

BY JA’KORIMADISON Staff writer

Flamenco Vivo CarlotaSantana,the mostrenownedflamenco dance company in the United States, is bringing traditionsofSpanish danceand music to Lafayette withperformancesand severalcommunity events. Presented by PerformingArts Serving Acadiana, the company

will perform at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday at the Heymann Performing Arts Center Theperformance,Flamenco Vivo, is described as acelebration of Spain’s spirit, lighting the stage with vibrant energy,intricatefootwork and colorful costuming. The company will also spend much of the week in Lafayette performing and leading workshops. Theresidency includes the performances, aflamenco workshop fordancers anda Spanish-themed dinner event. Kickingthingsoff at 2 p.m. Sunday,Flamenco Vivo will lead a freepublic workshop, open to in-

termediate and advanced dancers. The workshop takes place at 126 S. Buchanan St. in downtown Lafayette. The masterclasswill focus on the fundamentals of flamenco, such as rhythmic clapping, posture and footwork, giving participantsahands-on introduction to thispassionateand expressive dance form. Registration forthis event and more information about this event can be made found at pasaonline.org. That same evening, thedancerswill be featured at La Noche

See SPAIN, page 2B

Panel refuses to reinstate SLU professor

Committee cites pattern of poor management

BY DAVID J MITCHELL Staff writer

An internal committee has refused to back a bid by a Southeastern Louisiana University professor to be reinstated to her role investigating environmental conditions on Lake Maurepas after her removal last summer

The panel cited a pattern of poor management practices by chemist Fereshteh Emamion on that job. It also rejected her calls for an independent investigation into the matter Emamion contends her removal violated First Amendment and academic freedom principles.

She alleged the university removed her because she publicized findings that

heavy metals and other contaminants were in the lake, possibly from industrial sources, in a peer-reviewed journal and later spoke about them to news organizations last summer while on the industry-financed project.

Air Products has paid SLU to document the lake’s health before the company builds a large and controversial carbon capture and storage network there.

Both Emami’s published study and the initial news story about it caught university officials by surprise and, Emami alleged, endangered new opportunities for the university to get environmental work for similar industrial projects in other locations.

But in their recommendation to SLU President William Wainwright, a sevenmember grievance committee rejected Emami’s claim Wainwright has the final decision on her future with the

Lake Maurepas work.

The committee found that materials provided by professor Kyle Piller, the director of the project and two other university officials involved showed removing Emami had been discussed for at least eight months before she lost her post.

The documents “established a multiyear pattern of ineffective administrative oversight in planning, organizing, staffing and controlling the Lake Maurepas Project,” the committee wrote In addition to recommending her removal be upheld, the panel declined to recommend restoring her teaching schedule or supplemental pay She remains an assistant professor.

The panel also rejected Emami’s request to amend its media policy to conform with the First Amendment, saying it was outside the scope of their work. They

recommended she take it to the Faculty Senate.

Emami contends the alleged administrative problems were an after-the-fact justification for her removal.

In a statement, William Most, Emami’s lawyer, pointed out that the committee relied partially on evidence she was not allowed to see in advance or during the hearing.

“That evidence was never disclosed to Dr Emami. That is directly contrary to the university policy, which requires the committee to deliberate based on the evidence presented ‘at the hearing’ — not based on secret evidence submitted in advance,” Most said.

In a statement Thursday, SLU officials pointed out the committee is one piece of an “overall process” for grievances that “remains ongoing.”

“Commenting on or making statements about these recommendations at this

stage would be unfair to those involved and could undermine the integrity of the process,” SLU officials said.

Most also has asked Wainwright to recuse himself from the matter, saying Piller during the hearing acknowledged the decision to remove Emami involved SLU higher-ups, including the president.

Most said the Faculty Senate should make the final decision or have the Senate name “a neutral, unconflicted decision-maker on the matter.”

Wainwright has declined, saying that would deviate from university policy

The grievance committee process, he wrote in response, “is simply the mechanism by which SLU’s president is provided formal input from the faculty” in reviewing a decision.

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

New Orleans sobering center closes after budget cuts

BY SOPHIE KASAKOVE Staff writer

A facility hailed as an alternative to jail and hospital stays for intoxicated people — the vast majority of whom were homeless — has shuttered its doors as city officials cut costs to claw out of a budget crisis.

The Sobering Center, a 25bed facility on St. Ann Street and North Claiborne Avenue run by Odyssey House Louisiana, closed on Jan 15 after its $1.45 million budget was axed in Mayor Helena Moreno’s 2026 spending plan.

Supporters of the facility say that it helped get people safely off the streets and often served as a first stop to longer-term treatment. A Moreno spokesperson did not respond to a request for comment, but has said that the city needs to trim costs to avoid a projected $222 million budget deficit this year inherited from Mayor LaToya Cantrell’s administration.

The 25-bed facility was visited thousands of times by nonviolent intoxicated people in need of a place to sober up since it opened in 2019. Visitors to the center typically wound up there after being picked up by police, emergency responders, or a “sober patrol” operated by the center, once those responders determined that higher-level medical care at a hospital wasn’t needed.

The facility was also open to walk-ins. About 90% of the people it served were homeless, said Robert Chandler, an Odyssey House Louisiana program director

The closure of the facility comes as the city has also reduced other homeless services. The city’s Office of Homeless Services saw major cuts this year one of several city departments to see staff slashed under Moreno’s fiscal plan It is get-

Intake specialist Scott Weiss, center, talks to Louisiana State Troopers during an of

opening ceremony of a Sobering Center operated by Odyssey House Louisiana at

N. Claiborne Ave. in New Orleans on Nov. 7, 2019 Mayor LaToya Cantrell celebrated the center’s opening as a place where intoxicated people can be taken to sober up as an alternative to putting

ting just $700,000 this year from the city’s general fund, down from $3.6 million in 2025. Funding the city used to ramp up placements into permanent housing in recent years has dried up. In an interview at Washington Mardi Gras, nearly two weeks after the center’s closure, Moreno said she was interested in San Francisco’s approach to cracking down on public drug use. Beginning this spring, San Francisco police will give people arrested for public drug use the option to go to a sobering center, instead of to jail.

Under that plan, people are free to leave after they sober up, the public radio station KQED reported, but can be arrested and brought to jail if they leave sooner than that, prompting questions about the site’s legality Moreno did not mention the New Orleans center’s closure or say if the

city had identified funding to reopen such any kind of sobering facility locally, and her team did not return requests for further comment In a statement announcing the center’s closure in December, Ed Carlson, director of Odyssey House said that the organization was “deeply saddened to see this program forced to close.” The center “generated tremendous value for our city strengthening public safety, reducing strain on emergency systems and serving as a lifeline for people struggling with addiction,” Carlson said.

The idea of a sobering center was promoted by criminal justice reform and addiction treatment advocates in the city for years as an alternative to sending people to more expensive jail or hospital beds, and to avoid landing them with a criminal record or a hospital bill.

It is unclear what the im-

pact of the center’s closure has been so far A NOPD spokesperson did not respond to requests for comment or for data on arrests for intoxication before and after the center’s closure. A spokesperson for University Medical Center New Orleans didn’t respond to a request for hospital admissions of intoxicated people before and after the center’s closure.

But Bill Salmeron, the city’s head of Emergency Medical Services, said that the center was successful in diverting patients away from hospitals who don’t need that level of care.

“At the emergency room, you’re taking up a bed from someone who really needs the bed,” said Salmeron.

“There is a place in the community for (a sobering center),” Salmeron said. “We just need the funding to support that.”

The center, which on aver-

age served around 350 people per month, was also an entry point into other treatment programs like detox and residential facilities operated by Odyssey House.

Since the center reopened in 2022 after being closed during the pandemic, it served more than 2,000 individuals, according to Odyssey House. Of those, 610 were discharged to detox programs and 64 were referred into residential treatment.

In the French Quarter, where neighborhood advocates and residents have long complained about public drinking and drug use, neighborhood leaders said this week that the impact of the closure is unclear Erin Holmes, executive director of Vieux Carre Property Owners Residents & Associates, said that while she has seen significant drug activity in the neighborhood recently, she “couldn’t say that the individuals we see on the streets would go to the sobering center if it was an option.”

But Holmes said that she had heard positive feedback from 8th District officers about the center as a “diversion from overnight lock up” and that “it is definitely a loss that it shut down.”

Glade Bilby a commissioner for the French Quarter Management District, said that the facility never had enough beds to make a major dent in the issue of public alcohol and drug use in the French Quarter

“I don’t think there were any great results by it being open,” Bilby said. Bilby said his bigger concern are the cuts to the city’s Office of Homeless Services and the lack of available funding generally to get people off the street.

“There’s a lot of budget cutting going on,” Bilby said. Staff writer Blake Paterson contributed to this report.

Flamenca, a fourcourse Spanish dinner with wine pairings at the City Club at River Ranch. The gala dinner tickets are also available on pasaonline.org.

At 4:15 p.m. Monday, Flamenco Vivo will appear at Baranco Elementary in PASA’s On Stage Afternoons series in a performance for Baranco students, their families and the school’s faculty Tuesday will be a full day for the company, beginning with a daytime performance for eighth grade students from Lafayette Parish Schools. The company’s founder and director Carlota Santana, has been hailed as “The Keeper of Flamenco” by Dance Magazine and honored by the king and government of Spain with La Cruz de la Orden al Mérito Civil for “all the years of passion, excellence and dedication to the flamenco art.” She is also an internationally renowned flamenco and Spanish dance artist and educator In 1983, she co-founded Flamenco Vivo with Roberto Lorca; following his death from AIDS in 1987, she was determined to continue their work.

The company includes choreographer Patricia Guerrero, who won Spain’s 2021 National Dance Award, and its Grammy-nominated composers. The nine performers — dancers, musicians and singers — hail from Spain, South America and the United States, and are led by founder and artistic director Carlota Santana and Emilio Ochando, a dancer who is also the company’s associate artistic director For more information about PASA, the Flamenco Vivo Carlota Santana activities, tickets or to learn more about how to volunteer and support PASA, contact PASA at 337-769-3231, pasaonline.org email info@ pasaonline.org.

Email Ja’kori Madison at jakori.madison@ theadvocate.com.

LOTTERY FRIDAY, MARCH 6, 2026

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Unofficial notification, keep your tickets.

Martin, O. Carm., Sister Mary

Obituaries CongressStreet,Lafayette, LA. Visitationbegins at 9:00 a.m. in St. Edmond CatholicChurch, witha prayer at 9:45 and Mass at 10:00a.m. Sister Mary will be interred on Thursday, March 12, 2026,inSt. Louis No. 3Cemetery, 3421 Esplanade Avenue, New Orleans,LA. Rev. Fr. Hampton Davis willpreside Viewthe obituary and guestbook online at www.mourning.com

Sister Mary Martin, O. Carm., aSister of Mount Carmel, returned to God on March 3, 2026, at Eastridge Nursing Home in Abbeville LA. She was 85 years old and in her 65th year of religious profession. Sister Mary, born Mary Alice Therese Martin on March 10, 1940, formerly Sister M. Joachim, is the fourth of five children born to the late Charles James Martin of Reynoldsville, PA, and Marcella Anne Erhart of Erie, Pennsylvania. She entered Carmel in 1958 and professed first vows in 1961. Sister Mary attended St. Raphael Elementary and Bishop Conaty Memorial High School, Los Angeles, CA. She received aB.S. degree in Elementary Education from Dominican College, New Orleans; M.Ed. degree from Loyola University, New Orleans,in Guidance and Counseling, with certification in Elementary Administration and Supervision;and an M.A. degree in Theology from St. Michael's College, Colchester, VT. Sister celebrated her 60th Jubilee in 2021.

Sister taught at St. Dominic, where she was principal from 1971-1981, St. Louis King of France and St. James Major, New Orleans, and Mount Carmel Junior High, New Iberia. She was principal and teacher at St. Euphrasia, Granada Hills, CA, and Rayne Catholic Elementary, Rayne, LA. She was coordinator of retired sisters at the Motherhouse in 2002and began working at the Lay Carmelite Office in Darien, Illinois, in 2003 as Assistant to the Director of Lay Carmelites and Provincial Coordinator to the Lay Carmelites Most Pure Heart of Mary Province. After her retirement in 2017, Sister served as avolunteer and archives clerk in Darien, IL, until her move to Lafayette in 2022. Sister was preceded in death by her parents, one sister, Eileen Lane, and three brothers, James C. Martin, Terry Martin, and Daniel Martin. She is survived by her sister-in-law, Patricia Martin of Chatsworth, CA, and nephews and nieces.

AMass of Christian Burial willbecelebrated on Wednesday, March 11, 2026, at St. Edmond Catholic Church, 4131 W.

Martin &Castille Funeral HomeDOWNTOWN, 330 St LandryStreet,Lafayette, Louisiana 70506,337-2342311

Mouton, Linda GailCarré

Linda GailCarré Mouton passed awaypeacefully on the afternoon of February 8, 2026,surroundedbyher lovingfamily. Shewas 85 yearsold.

Born Linda GailCarré in Beaumont, Texas, Linda spent her early years growing up in Lake Charles, Louisiana, as well as Egan, beforemoving to Crowley,Louisiana,during her junior year of high school.She attended Catholicschoolsthroughout her childhood and graduated from St. Michael's CatholicSchool in Crowley.She later went on to attend the University of SouthwesternLouisiana (now UL Lafayette), where she met the love of her life, Paul JulianMouton. They met duringher freshman year at acrawfishboil,became engagedon ChristmasEve,and were married at St. Michael's CatholicChurchin Crowley,Louisiana,in1960. Together, they raisedtheir family in New Orleans, Dallas, and eventually Los Angeles, California. Linda worked as a Montessori teacher and laterspent many yearsat Saks Fifth Avenue in Dallas, Texas. She was a brilliant decorator with a true eyefor beauty,loved fashion, and was devoted to her faith, attending church every Sunday. In her younger years, she was honoredasa Rice Festivalprincessin Crowley,Louisiana,a memorythat reflected her grace and charm. Shewas precededin death by herparents, Refie Carréand EllisCarré,and her husband, Paul J. Mouton, adistinguished architect who passed awayin2006. Linda is survived by her children, StephenMouton, Timothy Mouton, and

Michelle Mouton Shackelford; her grandchildren,Bradley Sage, Cooper Shackelford, Nicholas Mouton, Sabrina Mouton, Adrianna Fernandez, Jessica Fernandez, and Roberta Fernandez; and her great-grandchildren, Jaxand Maddox. She is also survivedby her sisters,Suzanne Cox and PamGreenman, both of Lafayette, Louisiana, and her brother, Michael Carré of Longview, Texas. Services willbeheldon Saturday, March 14, 2026, at 10:00 a.m. at the Cathedral of SaintJohnthe Evangelist in Lafayette, Louisiana. She willbelaid to rest besideher beloved husband, Paul J. Mouton, at Calvary Cemetery.

ARosary willberecited at St.John theCathedral at 9:40 A.Mled by her son, Stephen Mouton. Allflowerarrangements are to be sent to Martin& Castille Funeral Home at 330 St.LandryStreet in Lafayette, LA View theobituary and guestbookonline at www.mourning.com.

Martin& Castille Funeral HomeDOWNTOWN, 330 St Landry Street, Lafayette, Louisiana 70506, 337-2342311

Bobby 'Ponytail' Prejean, 69. Visitation will be observed at Fountain Memorial Funeral Home in Lafayette,LAonMonday, March 9, 2026, from9:00 am until theTime of Remembrance at 11:00 am. Online obituary and guest book may be viewed at www.fountainmemorialfun eralhome.com. Fountain Memorial Funeral Home and Cemetery,1010 Pandora St. 337-981-7098 is in charge of arrangements.

Wilks, DebraBreaux

Debra Breaux Wilks, 70. Visitation willbeobserved at FountainMemorial Funeral Home in Lafayette, LA on Tuesday, March 10, 2026, from9:00 am until the Mass of ChristianBurial at 1:30 pm at St.Edmond

Roman Catholic Church in Lafayette, LA.Online obituary and guest book may be viewedatwww.fountainm emorialfuneralhome.com. Fountain Memorial Funeral Home and Cemetery, 1010 Pandora St.337-981-7098 is in charge of arrangements.

cation from 12:00 PM to 2:00 PM for Edward "Boogie" Wynne,Jr., age 81, whopassed away on March3,2026, in Lafayette, Louisiana. View theobituaryand guestbook online at www.mourning.com

Martin& CastilleSOUTHSIDE, 600 E. Farrel Road,Lafayette, Louisiana 70508, 337-984-2811

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OPINION

As lawmakers return to stateCapitol, it’s a good time to go slow

We’ve been keeping a close eye on theLouisiana Legislature over the past couple ofyears. We’ve had to.

Gov.Jeff Landry andlawmakers have moved fast to adopt sweepingchanges to everything from taxation to elections, from criminal justice to insurance to education and more. As the 2026 legislative session begins this week, Landry’sagenda appears lighterand allows legislators to take abroader role.Wethink that’s agood thing. State finances are stable,but challenges loom on the horizon,and theeffects of the many big changes alreadyadopted are still becoming clear,sonow seems likea good time to slow down, take stock andact with prudence

Landry has proposed alargely standstill $46.9 billion budget. Thisyear,unlike many in the recent past, the state is on track to seeabit of asurplus, but that extra money canquickly be used up in addressing the pressing needs we have.

Landry’sbudget seeks an additional $82 million for corrections, after theLegislature walkedback reforms aimed at reducingLouisiana’sprisonpopulation.

There’salso more money proposed forthe juvenile justice system, which badly needsupgrades to its facilities and additionalstaffing. We urge lawmakers,though,topairany additional spending with programs to helpthe young people in thesystem rehabilitateand setthem up for productive adulthoods.

Another areathat could seemore spending is the state’sfortified roof grantlottery.Two yearsago, lawmakers passed asweeping packagethatreduced regulations and restrictions on property insurers, with thehope that more would offer policiesand thecompetitionwould bring exorbitant policyprices down, or at least stabilize them. But many homeowners arestill struggling with high costs, andhelpingmoreof them put on stronger roofs is oneapproach that promises real, widespread relief. We support theexpansion of this popular programtobetter meet thehighdemand.

Asecond program that has generatedstrong interest among Louisianaresidents is theLA GATOR scholarship, which allows public dollars to go to private schools andother education expenses.The program’sgoal of allowingstudents to move from underperformingpublic schools is onewehave supported.While Landry’srequest to double the amount spentonthe voucher programfrom$43.5 million to $88 millionhas been met with some skepticism for budgetary reasons, we hope that lawmakers, as they consider what to do, look at what will help the state’schildren most as well aswhatwe can afford.Likewise, in higher education, we support amove to take adeep diveinto the budgets of Louisiana’shigher education institutions and boards.Yet, we think savings shouldn’tcome at theexpense of improving opportunitiesfor students who rely on these schools and theprofessors and administrators whohavespenttheir lives making them what they are.

After years of much activity andbig changes, the Legislature has aluxury thisyear. There are no fiscalcliffs to avoid or gaping holestofill. It can craft abudget for Louisiana’sfuture Akey reason we urge ago-slow approach this year is that major policy revisionshavealso been happening in Washington. The One Big Beautiful Bill Act made significantcutstoMedicaid andSNAP,the federal food aidprogram, thatare already starting to impact state budgets and will likelyshift more costs in the coming years. The full impact remains to be seen, but lawmakers would be wise to set Louisiana up to be prepared. That’swhy this year,wethink slow and steady is the way to go.

La.water crisis notchesanother city

Stop meifyou’ve heard this before: ALouisiana city’swater infrastructure failed, leaving residents, businesses and public services with low pressure and unflushable toilets

This wasn’tinone of the state’smany struggling rural water systems, like Monterey Tallulah or Killian. It wasn’tinNew Orleans, where Sewerage &Water Boardstruggles are as much apart of the background noise as the sound of the streetcar This was in Shreveport,the state’sthirdlargest city where, last weekend, a 42-inch water main busted. Water pressure throughout thecity was affected. Officials scrambled to bring in bottled water and get an emergency fix in place. This sort of news has become so commonplace that, outside of the affected area, most people greet it with aho-hum.

For Shreveport’s nearly 200,000 residents, however,itwas more than that Fireofficials warned that hydrants could be affected. Caddo school officials shut schools. Hospitals and dialysis centers went totheir backup plans. The break in thewater main should not have been asurprise. Shreveport’s water system has long been in disrepair.Even arecently passed bond package that will raise $80 million to fix someofit— including the pipe that

momentum by focusing acampaign on repairing pipes, pumps and towers. That’swhere politics and governing differ. One is about persuasion; the other is moreimportant.

Drinking water systemsaren’tthe focus of political urgency …until they demand it.

That’shappening in Shreveport right now.Challengers to Mayor TomArceneaux have repeatedly raised the water system problemsasakey issue in their campaigns. And during his term Arceneaux did persuade voters to approve abond issue forwater system repairs.

What we spend money on shows what we value. So in avery real sense, abudget is simply alist of priorities. As legislators gather at the Capitol for this year’s legislative session, they’ll find a number of competing interests seeking funding for projects. That’swhy we would like to hear from you as the session moves forward. What do you thinkshould be at the head of the list for state funding? Or conversely,what do you think should be on the chopping block? Send us your thoughts to letters@theadvocate.com, and we’ll publish thebest letters during the session.

broke —isstill not nearly enough. Thankfully,the situation improved within just afew days. But it is still a clear signal of asystem that is struggling. If this had happened only in Shreveport,itwould be one thing. But similar scenes have played outall over the stateinsystemslarge and small.

Shreveport alone needs maybe a half-billion dollars worth of repairs to its drinking water system to get it right

It’simportanttonote here that water systemsare separate from sewerage systems, which handle wastewater Those are also in bad shape.

Shreveport is similar to alot of local water systems, which wereneglected for decades as they decayed. Leaders and officials just kicked the water bottle down the road. After all, it’s normally hard to generate political

At the state level, there are someefforts underway: Annual water grades provide apublic window into the financial sustainability of local water systems, and the water sector program helps find funds to makeneeded repairs and upgrades.

But it’snot enough. Last year,Louisiana officials estimated that the state’s water systemswill need roughly $9 billion in repairs and upgrades over the next 20 years. That’smoney the state just doesn’thave.

In astate already dealing with a population problem,none of this is good. We love to say how our great food, music and culture attract people to our state. But without clean water,they won’t be coming to stay

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

Ourpolitics team is prepared to bring you gavel-to-gavel coverage of

theissues that matter.And though there are many places to get your news nowadays, Iwould venture to say that no one has the breadthand depth of coverage of the Louisiana Legislature as this news organization. Andweknow lawmakers are following our pages as well, so if you want to get your views before peoplewho are making thedecisions, drop us aline. We generally see aspike in letters during alegislative session as bills get debated on the floor.Wetry our best to publish them as that debate is occurring, but please understandthat sometimes, with fast-moving legislation, we may notbeabletopublish all of the letters we receive before avote.

Turning to our letters inbox forthe weekofFeb. 26-March 5, we received 66 letters. The maintopic that you wanted to talk about wasthe Letters page itself,and we received 13 letters about the viewswepublish. Next in interest wasthe warinIran, which prompted eight letters. Lastly,wereceived three letters on immigration, three on Mardi Gras and three on the TenCommandments issues. Afew letters have begun to trickle in on various bills up forconsideration at the Capitol. We expect that trickle to becomearushing river in the coming weeks.

Arnessa Garrett is Deputy Editor | OpinionPage Editor.Emailher at arnessa.garrett@theadvocate.com.

COMMENTARY

Elderlybeing kept from thenursing homestheyneed

If you have an elderlyparent with health needs requiringnursing home care, but you liveina parish with no nursing home beds available, well tough luck

That, essentially,isthe reality of acruelly wrongheaded state law in Louisiana, which doesn’tjust ban new nursing facilities statewide but evenbans additional beds in current facilities until July 1, 2027. Looked at one way,the law creates asort of protection racket for existing facilities by keeping competitors and innovators away Amazingly, bills introduced in both thestate House and Senate this year would extend that moratorium —that quasi-racket —for five more years, until mid-2032. Such arestraint not justoftrade but of patient services would be unconscionable.

Frankly,it would makesense to go much farther: Removeall restrictionsonthe number or capacity of nursing homes, subject only to stringent health andsafety requirements and to thedemands of the free market. Numerous public policy groupsfrom across thepolitical spectrumadvocate approaches close to that.

Berault’sbill, though, recognizes the political realities at the stateCapitol, so its reach is far narrower and should be seenbythe nursing homelobby more as afriendly amendment to currentlaw than as afrontal assault.

by eliminating excess, underused capacity,the costsofwhich they say are passed on to consumers or to the government entity subsidizing thecare. In extreme circumstances,such as when agovernor could confer health care operator’slicenses willy-nilly to thehighest bidder (think of what Louisiana’sown, late Gov Edwin Edwards was accused of doing), it might make senseto have stringent reviews and limits

Such is hardly thecase in Louisiana now,though, or at least in six parishes:Orleans, Jefferson, St.Tammany,Livingston, St. Bernard and Ascension.

single bed available.

“My billkeeps restrictions in place so that we don’thave overbuilding, but in areas where there’sgrowth or need, there is apressure valve so we can add beds where needed,” Berault said.

“Currently,there is no mechanism to add new beds even when they are needed.”

Fortunately,Rep. Stephanie Berault, R-Slidell, has introduced House Bill 654 to move, ever-socarefully,inthe other direction, to provide relief for the six Louisiana parishes with obvious shortages of nursing home beds.

To understand current law, one must understand that its proponentsargue, in effect, that theordinary rules of supply and demand do not apply in the nursinghomeindustry.They say that having more competition would actually raise costs, not reduce them. They arguethat requiringacertificate of need —or, as Louisiana calls its slightly differentarrangement, aFacility Need Review —actually controls costs

“I have been told by multiple local hospitals in St. Tammany parish that we do not have enough capacity to discharge patients from thehospital who need to go to anursing homefacility,” Berault said.

In fact, as she noted, theofficial LouisianaDepartment of Health statistics on the occupancy rate of nursing homes counts only Medicaid patients, not self-paying ones —so, for example, one facility listed as being filled only to 74% capacity actually has not a

Specifically,Berault’sbill would do two things. First, eliminate the moratorium. Period. Second, replace it with asystem,still quite restrictivebut with someleeway based on objective data, fornew homes or beds to be allowed. The bill would compare each parish’snumber of nursing facility beds withthe per capita average of such beds nationwide. If the parish is below that quota by 30-120 beds, then existing facilities would be allowed to expand capacity.Ifthe shortage is more than 120 beds, the state would “accept applications to grant a license to operate anew nursing facility.”

The new facilities would be required to meet exacting standards for space-per-patient and for various health and safety

measures. Right now the state’s actual enforcement of standards at existing facilities is arguably rather lax, which could mean that under Berault’sbill, any new facilities (or expansions of existing ones) may wellbeofhigher quality than what exists now There’smore, but that’sthe gist of it. To repeat, only the six parishes mentioned above would be likely to qualifysoon fornew beds or facilities. And the termsofBerault’sbill mean the barriers to entry for new nursing homes in other parishes would remain high, based on the objective numerical formula mentioned above, and with high standards.

It is well knownthat a“silver tsunami” —aninflux of retiring Baby Boomers —isunderway Berault’sbill would allow Louisiana to meet those expanded needs fornursing homes, without upsetting the existing apple cart. The bill is measured and wise. It merits passage.

Email Quin Hillyer at quin hillyer@theadvocate.com

Kennedy’stakedownofNoemablast from hispast

When Louisiana’sjunior senator methodically but brutally grilled now-ousted Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, Ithought: That guy reminds me of someone.

to playthe rube, always casting about for more demeaning ways to mock whoever’sinhis crosshairs on agivenday

Iquickly realized who.The U.S. Sen. John Kennedy Iwatched last week reminded me of Louisiana Treasurer John Kennedy,who served in Baton Rougefrom 2000 until hewent to Washington nearly adecade ago. But wait, you might be thinking, aren’tthey the same person?

Well, yes and no. Treasurer Kennedy wasanavid watchdog eager to call out waste and mismanagement, no matter theoffender’spolitical persuasion. Indeed, one frequenttarget wasafellow Republican, Gov Bobby Jindal.

Sen. Kennedy,with very few exceptions, has traded his onceproud independence for predictability,both on his votes (Republican party line) and his on targets(nearly always Democrats) While he occasionally shows his stuff in hearings, he’slargely abandoned incisivequestioning for the sort of easy showmanship that wins clicks but rarely changes minds. And although he’sahighly educated attorney and wasn’tafraid to show it in Baton Rouge, these days he opts

You’ve got to admit theschtick worksfor him. Kennedy’sa popular guestonFox News,and he’s even written abestseller,“How to Test Negativefor Stupid: And WhyWashington Never Will.”

But for many who knew him when,the transformation has been disappointing, if not downright depressing.

Until last week, that is, when the old Kennedy suddenly reappeared in ahearing before theJudiciary Committee featuring the deeplyembattled soon-to-be-ex homeland security chief, part of an administration to which Kennedy hasshown nothingbut the most fawning loyalty

Likethe skilled lawyer he is, Kennedy first lulled Noem into comfort, congratulating her on success in sealing the border

Then,without really changing his solicitoustone, hemoved in for the kill by cornering her on two of Noem’smany,many controversies.

Onethreadinvolved theglitzy ad campaignfeaturing Noem on horseback atMount Rushmore, warning people in this country illegally to leave. The contract, whichcost areported $220 million in taxpayermoney,was awarded on an “emergency” basis, thus bypassing normal

public bid laws. DespiteNoem’s insistence that the contract was let competitively by nonpolitical appointees, Kennedy noted that it had gone to anewly formed company with no footprint, which then hired Noem’sown former ad man who just happened to be married to her spokesperson.

“How do you square (your) concern for waste, which Ishare, with the fact that you have spent $220 million running television advertisements that feature you

prominently?” Kennedy asked.

The senator also zeroed her characterization of two American citizens killed by immigration officers in Minneapolis as domestic terroristsand got her to say that it was her description, not White House adviser Stephen Miller’s, as she’d been quoted as having said.

The whole show wasrefreshing, not just because Kennedy put his skill to good use but because he zeroed in on obvious bad behav-

ior,nomatter whoconducted it. Just like in the old days. Of course, none of it happened in avacuum.

While it’spossible Kennedy really had enough and was ready to show it, it’salso perfectly likely that he madeastrategic choice to either help Trumporpush him to fire Noem.

Maybe that’swhy,instead of saying the buck stops with the president, he claimed that the poor guy has been ill-served by an ad campaign that, it so happened, featured Trumpprominently too.

“I mean to me, it puts the president in aterribly awkward spot,” Kennedy said.

“It’sjust hard formetobelieve, knowing the president as Ido, that you said, ‘Mr.President, here’ssome ads I’ve cut, and I’m going to spend $220 million running them,’ that he would have agreed to that.”

What’sclear is that Trumpwas “mad as amurder hornet,” in Kennedy’stelling, and that the questioning helped put an end to a short tenure chock full of abuses and embarrassing failures on multiple fronts. No matter why Kennedy did it, it’sgood to see Noemgo.

As forKennedy 1.0, it wasnice to see him again. Maybe he’ll stick around forawhile.

Email StephanieGrace at sgrace@theadvocate.com.

Theseadvocates arepreparing forCallais decision

It seems every week since the U.S. Supreme Court heard oneof the court’smost consequential cases in the fall that court watchers have expected adecision that most likelywill change howwe vote in Louisiana and theUnited States. Former U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder and Janai Nelson aren’tholding their breaths. They’re getting ready for whatever comes. Holder chairs the National Democratic Redistricting Committee. Nelson is president and director-counselofthe Legal Defense Fund. Holder argued cases on behalf of the United Statesduring PresidentBarackObama’sadministration, and he’snow fighting to hold onto more democratic, fair districts. Nelson argued theCallais case on behalf of plaintiffs, and those of us who have benefited from the protectionsofthe 1965 Voting Rights Act for 60-plus years

The Louisiana v. Callais case, formerly known as Callais v. Landry,stems from thesuccessful Robinson v. Ardoin case, avoting rights lawsuit that resulted in adecision to mandate that Louisianacreate asecond majorityBlack U.S.congressional district. U.S. Rep.Troy Carter,D-New Orleans, holdsthe Second Congressional District seat in what was theonlymajority-Black district until asecond majority-Black district was created in 2024, leading to U.S. Rep. Cleo Fields, D-Baton Rouge, winning the Sixth Congressional District seat and returning to Congress in 2025. The nation’shighest court heard theCallais case in March last year.Many were awaitingthe court’s consequential decisionwhen, on June 27, the last day ofthe court’sterm, the court announced that it wanted to rehear the case, puttingitonthe fall calendar The disappointment by propo-

nentsand opponentsofLouisiana having two majority-Black congressional districtswas almost audible.

Back to thehard work of preparing for another Supreme Court appearance thetop case lawyers went. Months of work for astandard, 60-minuteargument, 30 minutes for each side, with questions from thejustices in March. Each side had less time to prepare for 30-minutearguments before thecourt in October.Only in rare circumstances does the court give moretime.

Obviously,this is acritical decision in theeyes of the justices.

The rehearing went well beyond theone-hour limit

It took nearly 2.5hours as justices honed in and explored specific, narrow,constitutional issues involving how race should and should not be used to makeredistrictingdecisions. The general thinking was that adecision would be madein 2025, no later than the end of the year,sothere was timefor the

LouisianaState Legislature, and legislatures across the country,to have time to create new congressional districts before this fall’s congressional midterm elections. Depending on what the court does, it could eliminate 25% or moreCongressional Black Caucus members whohold majorityBlack seats. December came and went. So did January.And February Still, no decision.

That’snot abad thing.

“Weinitially expected adecision in 2025, given the electoral calendar here in Louisiana,” Nelson toldmeinaninterview after aBaton Rouge church program afew weeks ago. “But what we care most about is that justice is delivered. As long as it takes for thejustices to deliberate to decide theright thing to do in this case, we will take it.”

Nelson looks at the U.S. DepartmentofJustice and sees an uninterested, weak approach to voting rights—and she doesn’tlike it.

“They aretechnically respon-

sible,” she said of the DOJ. “They have abdicated that duty.They have fallen off on the job. They have rejected that responsibility, and, frankly,I believe they are in dereliction of their constitutional duty to enforce the constitution and the federal statutes of this country.”

When Holder headed the DOJ, his team fought terrorism,financial fraud and enforced voting rights. That last part is not happening under President Donald Trump.

No matter when the court rules, Holder wants to see the justices “minimize the damage that they’ll do” so “wedon’tcontinue to engage in what Ihave called the resegregation of America.” Nowthat so much time has gone by without aCallais decision, Holder said “the timing is relatively unimportant.” What’s important, he said, is “what it is that they say.”

Email Will Sutton at wsutton@ theadvocate.com

ON A LOOP

South Carolina runs dominance of LSU to 19 games in a row

BY REED DARCEY Staff writer

GREENVILLE, S.C.

— The LSU women’s basketball team went toe-to-toe with South Carolina on Saturday, just like it usually does.

But the Tigers fell short once again, this time losing 83-77 to the Gamecocks in the SEC Tournament semifinals.

LSU (27-5) led at halftime and trailed by only five points with 1:56 left in the fourth quarter Then it gave up a layup to South Carolina forward Madina Okot, and MiLaysia Fulwiley tossed an errant pass on the ensuing possession, giving away the No. 4-seeded-Tigers’ last chance to steal what would’ve been a monumental win.

South Carolina (31-2) now has won 19 straight matchups with LSU, including all seven it’s played since LSU coach Kim Mulkey’s tenure began.

LSU’s interminable losing streak to South Carolina now includes three SEC Tournament defeats The two rivals last met in Bon Secours Wellness Arena two seasons ago, when an on-court scuffle marred the end of an otherwise compel-

ling championship game. The Gamecocks won that matchup 79-72 to take home one of the eight conference tournament titles they’ve picked up in the last 10 years.

South Carolina hardly ever loses in the SEC Tournament. Greenville had hosted the event seven times before this season, and the Gamecocks cut down the net at the end of six of those tournaments.

Overall, South Carolina is 20-1 in Bon Secours Wellness Arena Its 17-game winning streak in that building dates back to 2020.

That’s what LSU was up against on Saturday, when it kept attacking the rim and chasing missed shots — on both the offensive and defensive ends of the floor

The Tigers tried to be the aggressors. In the first half, they outscored South Carolina in the paint 24-16, won the rebounding battle 24-15 and played disruptive defense around the rim.

But the Gamecocks figured out how to score in the second half. Across the third and fourth quarters, they shot 48% from the field and 3 of 9 from 3-point range.

LSU couldn’t keep up.

Fulwiley scored 24 points on 10-of-

UL softball handles Abilene Christian

BY KEVIN FOOTE Staff writer

by

21 shooting in her sixth straight game with at least 15 points Point guard Jada Richard tallied 17 points, five rebounds and four assists, and forward Amiya Joyner scored nine points and grabbed 11 boards.

LSU didn’t receive enough offensive production from stars Flau’jae Johnson and Mikaylah Williams, though. They combined to score 20 points on 6-of-20 shooting.

South Carolina guard Raven Johnson finished with a career-high 22 points, while Ta’Niya Latson chipped in 19 Star sophomore forward Joyce Edwards scored 18 points, corralled 11 boards and assisted three shots.

Fulwiley drove most of LSU’s success in the first half. The Tigers entered the halftime break with a 17-0 edge in bench points, with the star junior guard accounting for all but two of them. They weren’t hitting 3-pointers, but they were forcing misses, scoring in transition and crashing the offensive glass. LSU controlled both the paint and the boards

BY MATTHEW PARAS Staff writer

The New Orleans Saints have an opportunity to do something this offseason they’ve avoided recently — spend money The Saints’ salary-cap troubles are far less complicated this year than what had become the norm. While they still entered the offseason over the cap, the work New Orleans has to do to become cap compliant is relatively light work for cap guru Khai Harley And if they want to, the Saints can restructure enough contracts to open considerable cap room in free agency General manager Mickey Loomis and coach Kellen Moore have cautioned the Saints still need to build their roster the right way even while quarterback Tyler Shough’s rookiescale contract opens a window for the team. The end product may not result in the Saints going on a full-on shopping spree, but there’s enough out there to update the wardrobe, so to speak. Let’s take a look at some plausible targets for the Saints when free agency opens Monday Travis Etienne, Jacksonville Jaguars RB Kenneth Walker is lined up to be the most pursued running back in free agency, but Etienne wouldn’t be a bad consolation prize for those not willing to dip into Walker’s price range, projected to be as high as $15 million per year Etienne has been hit or miss as a pro, but he’s topped 1,000 yards rushing in three of his four seasons The Saints were mentioned as a possible suitor for the former first-rounder by NBC Sports analyst Matthew Berry Zion Johnson, Los Angeles Chargers G

The consensus is that this free-agent guard class is loaded, but the Saints don’t necessarily see it that way Still, Johnson is worth keeping an eye on because of his connections to Moore, who coached Johnson in 2023 when he was the Chargers offensive coordinator and the 26-year-old has improved since then. While Johnson hasn’t been the steadiest in pass protection, he was the Chargers’ most dependable lineman last year — especially since he played all 17 games. His health

BY KOKI RILEY Staff writer

If Friday was a massive step forward, Saturday was a leap backward for the LSU baseball lineup. The Tigers had just one hit through seven innings They got underneath the ball too often to start the game and struck out far too many times after that. After smacking the ball around the park to the tune of six home runs and 10 extra-base hits the night before, Saturday’s contest at Alex Box Stadium was the opposite of what LSU coach Jay Johnson envisioned, as LSU trailed 1-0 for most of the day

The disappearance of the offense is a mystery that Benoit Blanc from the “Knives Out” films would have trouble solving. The Tigers’ inability to get anything going at the plate placed too much pressure on their

Noot allowed a grand slam with two outs in the eighth

Noon

1:15

1:30

2 p.m. SEC: TBD

3 p.m. Summit: SDSU vs. NDSU CBSSN

3 p.m. A-10: Geo. Mason vs. Rh. Island ESPN2

4 p.m Big 12: TBD ESPN

4 p.m. Big East: TBD NBCSN

5 p.m. Big South: TBD ESPN2

WOMEN’S COLLEGE GYMNASTICS

3 p.m. 2026 Elevate the Stage ACCN

5 p.m. LSU at Florida SECN COLLEGE SOFTBALL

11 a.m Texas at South Carolina SECN

1 p.m. LSU at Tennessee SECN

3 p.m. Missouri at Florida SECN

5 p.m. Georgia Tech at Clemson ACCN MEN’S COLLEGE WRESTLING

3 p.m. Ivy League Tourn. Champs. ESPNEWS

3:30 p.m. Big Ten Tourn. Championships BTN

7 p.m. ACC Tourn. Championships ACCN GOLF

11:30 a.m PGA: Arnold Palmer Invitational Golf 1:30 p.m. PGA: Puerto Rico Open Golf

p.m. PGA: Arnold Palmer Invitational NBC

LSU softball can’t hold early lead vs. Tennessee

The No. 1 Tennessee softball team remained undefeated on Saturday after an 11-6 victory against No. 17 LSU in Knoxville, Tennessee.

LSU (17-6, 0-2 SEC) jumped ahead 4-0 in the top of the first inning, with catcher Maci Bergeron providing the big shot on a threerun homer

After scoring a run in the second inning, the Volunteers (22-0, 2-0) took control with six runs in the bottom of the third inning. LSU starting pitcher Tatum Clopton was responsible for the first two runs, and reliever Cece Cellura absorbed the rest.

Jalia Lassiter was the only LSU player with multiple hits, and she also scored two runs for the Tigers.

The two teams will conclude the weekend series at 1 p.m. Sunday

McIlroy withdraws from Bay Hill with back spasms

Northside knocks off St. Michael

Vikings reach state semifinals for first time since 2014

BY ERIC NARCISSE Staff writer

The drought is over For the first time since 2014, the Northside Vikings boys basketball team is headed to the state tournament. Behind stifling defense that forced 18 turnovers and an outstanding performance by junior guard Jaydon Francis, the Vikings defeated St. Michael the Archangel 66-55 in the Division II select quarterfinals Friday

“This is big,” Vikings coach Troy Jones said. “We haven’t been to the Top 28 in 12 or 13 years. It’s a dream come true for me to lead this program as a first-time head coach.” Francis, who is one of the best guards in the state, was instrumental in helping the Vikings punch their ticket to the state tournament. He established himself as an unstoppable force from the opening tip.

“It feels good to be part of history,” Francis said.

The 6-foot-1 Francis scored 13 first-quarter points en route to fin-

St

ishing with a game-high 31 points, seven rebounds, three assists and a block to lead the Vikings, who extended their winning streak to four games It’s the Vikings’ longest winning streak since they won 10 in a row from Nov 24 through Dec. 19. “I just tried to get my teammates involved early,” Francis said.

Jones was more than pleased and far from surprised by Francis’ showing

Northwest boys relish return to state tourney

BY NEAL MCCLELLAND

Contributing writer

The last time Northwest High reached the state tournament was 22 years ago when Mark Cassimere was a junior on a team that lost to Lake Charles-Boston in the semifinals.

A generation later, Cassimere is now head coach and finally headed back to the big dance after No. 2-seeded Northwest beat No. 7-seeded Plaquemine 71-61 in the Division II nonselect quarterfinals Friday night.

“It’s such an unbelievable feeling to be going back,” Cassimere said “It’s been a long time for me, for the school, for the community. I’m proud of what these kids were able to do tonight.”

Led by junior guard Markez Davis, who finished with 20 points, Northwest took a halftime lead and held off a Plaquemine rally in the third quarter The Raiders built a small lead in the fourth quarter and coasted to the 10-point win and their first Top 28 appearance in two decades.

“It feels so good to make it after falling short the past couple of years,” Davis said. “We knew we had the talent to get there this year And this win shows that we have the talent to win it all.”

Cassimere praised Davis’ performance.

“He really stepped up tonight when we needed him to,” the Northwest coach said. “His steal and subsequent dunk on the play really changed the nature of the game for us.”

On that particular play, Davis thought he had a good chance for success.

“When I got the ball, I just took it to the hoop,” Davis said.

Cassimere feels his team is ready for its moment in the spotlight.

“They’ve worked all season to get to this point,” he said. “Now they know what they have to do in order to win, and we’re going to work on that to make sure that we have that chance to win it.”

Northwest will face No 3 seed Brusly in the semifinals at 6:15 p.m Tuesday in Lake Charles

“Jaydon is one of those kids that puts in the work,” Jones said. “He belongs on the big stage because he has worked for it.”

The Vikings (23-13) led by as many as 17 points at 59-42 with 4:17 remaining in the fourth quarter However St. Michael made things interesting, going on an 11-0 run over the next three minutes to cut the deficit to six at 5953 with 1:38 left in the game.

St. Michael would get as close as five points at 60-55 with 1:20

left, but the Vikings thwarted any potential comeback with a layup from Treylon Angelle, two free throws by Tashawn Coleman and a dunk as time expired by Khilon Woods.

Woods had an exceptional game as well for the Vikings, impacting the game both offensively and defensively for four quarters.

Woods finished as the Vikings’ second leading scorer with 15 points, eight rebounds, five steals and five assists in the win.

“We had a game plan, and those guys executed the game plan,” Jones said. “They followed every direction we gave them.”

In the losing effort, St. Michael’s top performers were C.J. Levingston and Boogie Levingston. C.J. finished with a team-high 17 points, eight rebounds and three steals, while Boogie contributed with 14 points, four steals, three rebounds and a blocked shot.

With the win, the Vikings will face top-seeded Madison Prep in the state semifinals at 1 p.m Wednesday at Burton Coliseum in Lake Charles. Madison Prep (292) is on a 20-game winning streak with its last loss coming two months ago against St. Augustine on Jan. 5.

Email Eric Narcisse at enarcisse@theadvocate.com.

Catholic High ousts St. Thomas More

BY MIKE COPPAGE Contributing writer

After surrendering the lead to start the second quarter, St Thomas More got the ball with the chance to tie its Division I select quarterfinal game against No. 12-seeded Catholic-Baton Rouge with 26 seconds left.

Unfortunately, the visiting Bears got a steal and were able to close the game at the freethrow line in a 54-51 win over No. 4-seeded STM, which was making its 33rd quarterfinal appearance on Friday

“What fight we had in us,” Cougars coach Danny Broussard said. “I think everybody in the gym thought it was over when we were trailing by eight (with three minutes left). That’s the thing about us. We always have fight and think we have a chance to win. We made some plays to try and win it.”

The Cougars (27-9), who sank 17 of 19 free throws, cut the deficit to 52-49 on two free throws from senior Kyle Guillot (eight points). LG Carbo who came off the bench like Guillot, converted a 3-point play with less than three minutes to go and finished with nine points.

“LG has been key for us off the bench,” Broussard said.

“Since the Sunkist Shootout, he has really blossomed. I’m really looking forward to next year with that kid. He’s a good player He and Kyle gave us some great minutes.”

The Bears (20-12) were led by Charlie Mosley’s 22 points. Luke Briggs and Mosley hit consecutive 3-pointers for a 45-38 lead in the fourth quarter Mosley made 7 of 10 field goals, while Tyler Brazier (10 points) and

Jude Chamberlain (12) were in double figures.

“Chamberlain was a load tonight,” Broussard said of the 6-foot-5, 235-pound junior, who is ranked by 247Sports as the No 25 football prospect in Louisiana. “Our game plan was to double-team him, but one time they kicked it right back out to a shooter. Give him credit. He made some big baskets.”

Ryan Robertson, a 6-foot-5 junior scored 10 of his 12 points in the second half for the Cougars. Senior point guard John Michael Charbonnet added 10 points, while junior shooting guard Matthew Cook had eight.

Charbonnet was 8 of 10 from the line, including two free throws with 14.3 seconds left that cut it to 53-51. The Bears made one on the other end, and a long 3-pointer from Robertson at the buzzer just missed.

“I can’t say enough about these guys,” said Broussard, whose team had a 14-game winning streak to end the season. “We go from a No. 16 seed to a No. 4 and get homecourt advantage. These guys pulled together and gave us some great games and memories.”

The Cougars took an early 5-2 lead before the Bears moved ahead 10-5. STM scored the final six points of the first quarter and drew a charge at the buzzer that wiped out a Catholic bucket. Trailing 11-10, the Bears had an 8-0 run to start the second quarter, highlighted by Mosley’s six-point play

“(Catholic) hit some big shots,” Broussard said. “They had more scorers than us. We knew that going in The game would have to be in the 40s for us to win.”

ORLANDO, Fla. — Rory McIlroy withdrew from the third round of the Arnold Palmer Invitational on Saturday when he felt muscle spasms in his back that were not going away

The spasms were not thought to be serious enough to keep him out of The Players Championship next week where McIlroy is the reigning champion. He was headed to his home in south Florida.

“Unfortunately I’m not able to continue and have to withdraw,” he said in a statement to the PGA Tour “I was excited to compete this weekend. I wish the Arnold Palmer Invitational a great finish and look forward to being back next year.”

It was his first significant issue with his back since the Tour Championship in 2023, which he played with discomfort and tied for fourth in the FedEx Cup finale.

Ravens pick up DE Crosby for two first-round picks

Five-time Pro Bowl edge rusher Maxx Crosby is heading to the Baltimore Ravens, two people with knowledge of the trade told The Associated Press late Friday night.

The Las Vegas Raiders will receive two first-round picks from the Ravens, including the No. 14 overall pick in next month’s NFL draft, one of the people said.

The 28-year-old Crosby had 10 sacks and a career-high 28 tackles for loss last season, and he has reached double-digit sacks four times in his seven seasons.

Baltimore is in a win-now mode with three-time All-Pro quarterback Lamar Jackson. Crosby is a significant boost for a defense that finished tied for 28th in the league in sacks with only 30 last season.

American Masters earns 20th Paralympic medal

CORTINA D’AMPEZZO Italy Oksana Masters, the most decorated American winter paralympian, surprised even herself by adding a 20th Paralympic medal to her overall tally at Milan Cortina on Saturday After overcoming a series of adversities that hindered her preparations in the leadup to the Games, Masters came through with victory in the women’s sprint sitting discipline in para biathlon, finishing ahead of fellow American Kendall Gretsch.

“Oh my gosh, my emotions are just pure shock. I did not expect this. All I was hoping was just to have a good time in the shooting range,” she said.

It was her sixth Winter Paralympic gold medal to go along with her four victories at the Summer Paralympics.

Lee in position for first LPGA win in eight years

HAINAN ISLAND, China Mi Hyang Lee made only five pars Saturday in a wild and windy round at the Blue Bay LPGA that ended with a 1-under 71, good enough to seize control with a three-shot lead as the South Korean goes after her first LPGA win in more than eight years.

Lee put together seven birdies at Jian Lake Blue Bay, offset by enough mistakes — six bogeys — to keep her from an even larger lead. She was at 12-under 204, three shots ahead of Hye-Jin Choi (68) and Yu Liu of China (73). Reigning champion Rio Takeda played her final

Chio alreadystaking claimamong LSUgym greats

BY SCOTT RABALAIS Staff writer

There was atime last season when it seemed unlikelyLSU would produce another gymnast as great as Haleigh Bryant. In five seasons,Bryant won 105 events, including two NCAAindividual titles. In 2024, she helped lead LSU to its first teamnational championship. Her 18 career perfect 10s are twice as many as any other LSU gymnast ever

Then Kailin Chio came along. To say the LSU sophomoreisa rising star would be an understatement. She is on pace to be the greatest gymnast LSU has everhad.

Chio has 50 individual wins in 24 career meets, including the 2025 NCAA vault title, to rank 12th on LSU’scareer wins list.She already has seven perfect 10s, which is seventh on the program’scareer list. Going into Sunday’smeetatNo. 4Florida (5 p.m SEC Network), Chioisranked No. 1nationallyin the all-around, on vault and on balance beam. It’sinthe latter event where she has excelled the most, with four perfect 10s, including three straight, to make herthe first LSUgymnastsince 1995 with three straight 10.0 marks in the same event. What makesChiosogood,and how great can she be? We put that question to four legitimate all-time LSU gymnastics greats: Jennifer Wood, Susan Jackson, Rheagan Courville Brantonand Ashleigh Gnat. Gnat competed forLSU from 2014-17, winning62titles— includingthe 2017 NCAA floorchampionship andnine perfect 10s. Gnat returnedasanLSU assistant coach for five seasons from 2021-25, when she was involved inrecruiting Chio, then afive-star prospect, from her hometownofHenderson, Nevada.

“Weall knew the competitor shewas,”Gnatsaid from hernew home in Tampa, Florida, where she works as arepresentativefor GK Elite leotards. “She’d already shown that as aLevel 10 (gymnast) and an elite athletebeforethat

“You could see she was going to

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wouldappeal to the Saints given the team’sstrugglestostay healthy upfront in recent years. It is unknown whether New Orleans is willingtoshell outthe $17million to 20 million per year it could take to land him.

KennethGainwell, Pittsburgh Steelers RB

Here’sanother player with a connection to Moore. Gainwell was anice change-of-pace back for the Eagles when Moore served as the Philadelphia play-caller in 2024, and the 26-year-oldwent on to shine with the Steelerslast year.Named team MVP for Pittsburgh, Gainwell is an effective playmaker in the passing game, as he has almost as manycareer receiving yards (1,207) as rushing (1,722).

Asante Samuel Jr., Pittsburgh Steelers CB

After undergoing spine surgery in April, Samuel waslinked to the Saints all of last seasonuntilhesigned with Pittsburghin November. He is familiarwith defensive coordinator Brandon Staley,having begun his career with the Chargers. Samuel would make sense as acheaperreplacement for Alontae Taylor should the Saints cornerback depart in free agency

ChrisPaul, Washington Commanders G

If the Saints want to stay away from high-priced guards, such as Johnson and David Edwards of Buffalo, Paul could be an intriguing upside play.A former seventh-roundpick in 2022, Paul has developed nicely and unseated rookie Brandon Coleman in Washington last year forastarting spot. The27-year-old is big, strongand ranked eighthamong all guardsin pass-block win rate in 2025.

Quay Walker, GreenBay PackersLB

If the Saints want to get more athletic at linebacker,Walker could be an expensive option worth theswing. Walker can cover the middle of thefield, something the Saintslinebackers have struggled to do over the last few seasons. There arediffering opinions on the 25-year-old’simpact, as ESPN rankedhim as the

SEC

RESULTS,SCHEDULE

197.275, Kentucky 197.025

197.700, Arizona State 195.475, 194.325, Fisk, 189.250#

198.200, Alabama 197.650, NorthCarolina 195.950, Arizona 195.000@ Missouri 197.425, Arkansas 197.225

This week’sschedule

Friday’sschedule Missouri at Georgia, 6p.m. (SECNetwork+) Kentucky at Alabama, 6:30 p.m. (SECNet-

be the one.A hitter. Agame-time go-getter.Idon’tknowthat we knew it wouldbeexactlythe way it’sturning out to be,but we were all there hoping she would choose us.”

Branton, who won 95 events at LSU from 2012-15 —including the 2013 and 2014 NCAA vault titles, and five SEC individual titles —is still highly involved with the program. She designs theleotards for GK Elitethat theTigers wear in every competition

As aresult, Branton has gone to her fair share ofpractices and meets, figuring out up close what makesChio suchaspecial performer.Branton said it’sher consistency and ability to take her game from thepractice gym to the meetfloor that make herspecial.

“Everything lookssoeasy,” Branton said.“Effortless. She has her own style for everything. But mainly,she’ssoconsistent. That’s what makes her so great. Youcan relyonher,sothere’sacalmness with everyone around her “That’sjusthow she is in practice. Everything is finished. Everyone trusts her.You can tell she has alot of competitions underher belt.She’s just seasoned.”

10th-best availablefreeagent, while TheAthletic put him at No. 57. He’d beanice fallback option if Demario Davis leaves andthe Saints wanta moreveteran option than 2025 fourth-rounderDanny Stutsman.

Nick Westbrook-Ikhine, Miami Dolphins WR

Released onFeb. 16, WestbrookIkhine is eligible to sign at anytime. He’scoming off adown season with Miami, but at 6-foot2, he’sasteady run blocker and could contributeinspecial teams. TheSaintsmake this kind of signingevery year, and WestbrookIkhine would make sense as a low-cost flier

Dallas Goedert, Philadelphia Eagles TE

TheSaintsare bracing for their tight endroom to look dramatically different next season. With Jack Stoll and Foster Moreau free agents, and with Taysom Hill’s possible retirement, Juwan Johnson and Moliki Matavao are set to be the main holdovers. Goedert would add aveteran to themix, onewho can contribute to the passing attack and hold up as a blocker.Healso overlapped with Moore in 2024.

Ryan Wright, MinnesotaVikings P

Punter might be oneofthe Saints’ biggest needs. New Orleans might prefer to take ashot on another undrafted free agent, but if it turns to aveteran, Wright is comingoff aseason in which 38.5% of hispunts landedinside the 20. At the very least, incumbent Kai Kroeger needs competition.

Sean Tucker, Tampa BayBuccaneersRB

Signingthe playerwho historicallyhas tormentedyou might notalways be thesoundest strategy.But against New Orleans, Tucker has looked like alegitimate superstar,and it could be worth seeing whether that translates to the black and gold. More than athird —34.2% —of hiscareerrushing yards have come againstthe Saints, including his136-yard outing in Tampa Bay’s51-27 rout in 2024. Tucker hasbeenburied on Tampa Bay’s depth chart, so maybe he’sadiamond in the rough.

Email Matthew Paras at matt. paras@theadvocate.com

at Oklahoma, 1:45p.m. (SECNetwork+) Alabama at Illinois, 2p.m. Auburn/Georgia/Clemson/Pittsburgh, 3p.m.% *-Clinched shareofSEC regular-season championship @-At Podium Challenge, RaisingCane’s River Center #-at TexasWoman’s,Denton, Texas %-Elevate the Stage meet, Huntsville, Ala. All times Central

Jackson, an LSU gymnast from 2007-10, won 74 titles andisLSU’s only three-timeNCAA individual champion.She wasthe firstTigertowin the NCAA all-around back in 2010, andshe also won the 2008 NCAAvault title and the 2010 NCAA beamtrophy, allaccomplishments that landedher in the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame in 2022.

Jackson has marveled at what she calls Chio’s“pure precision.”

“Everything she does has this effortless, almost robotic quality,”Jackson said. “ButIassure you, nothing she does is easy.It comes from years of discipline andintentionaltraining andan unbelievable work ethic.What makesher standout is hermental toughness.”

LastSunday in thePodium Classic at theRaising Cane’sRiver Center,Chioachieved something not done by an LSU gymnast in 31 years. She recorded her third straight perfect 10 on beam,the first Tigertohavethree straight 10.0 scores on one event since Wood in 1995 on vault.

A10-time All-American and member of the1992 Canadian Olympic team, Wood excelledon

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UL faced No. 3Oklahoma later Saturday evening.

TheCajunsled 1-0after two innings after BrookeOtto’ssolo homer in the first, but UL gottwo more runs in the third. Kennedy Marceaux walkedto set thetable before back-to-back run-scoring doubles from Otto

LSUBASEBALL

vault, recording all nine of her 10.0 scores in that event. Today the Calgary,Alberta, native lives just outside of Columbus, Ohio. She marveled that one of her marks from three decades ago still stood, but she acknowledged that Chio has the entire LSU record book under assault.

“Some peopleare just good at beingoninthe moment,”Wood said. “You can’tteach that. She hasthat special ‘it’ factor youcan just see. It’s preparation, too. When you’re so confident and it looks like it’s so easy for her —that’sthe goal.

“She’sanamazing athlete She seems like she just lovesit. There’s more pressure on these girls with the TV and the fans and theinternet.I didn’t havethat She appears to take it in stride.”

Chio has excelled on beam, that most exacting of events where gymnastscompete on a4-inchwide apparatus perched 4feetoff of the ground.

Jackson said the amount of concentration needed to perform the wayChio has on beam is remarkable.

“You’ve got to make sure there are no distractions,” Jackson said. “You’re up there foraminute and30seconds, andinthat time you’ve got people cheering

and Cecilia Vasquez fora3-0 cushion.

UL exploded with seven runs in the fourth inning. Otto was in the middle of it with atwo-run double after Dayzja Williams came through with an RBI single. Vasquez followedwithasuccessful squeeze play,and Emily Smith followed witha sacrificefly. Otto finishedthe game 3for 3 with two doubles, ahomer and fourRBIs. Vasquez finished2 for3 witha

and yelling and pompoms waving. And someone mayhave just gotten a10onfloor,but you have to stayinyourzone. If youlet any distractions in,that’s when mistakes happen.

“The beam is 4inches wide, andina high-stakessituationit’s easy to forget the mental part of it and let the nerves creep in. That’swhatKailin is really good at —staying focused, especially under pressure.”

Both Chio andLSU coach Jay Clark have done their best to keep the focusoff herindividual achievements and focus on what she means to the team

But for these former LSU greats, thequestionmustbe asked: If Kailin Chio canstay healthy the rest of hercollegiate career,how good can she be?

“She is absolutely tracking to be up there in the ranks with Susan (Jackson), Haleigh (Bryant) and Sarah Finnegan,” said Gnat, modestly leaving herself offofthe LSUall-timegreats list. “What she can do from an allaround perspective is what sets herapart.Consistency.She’sone of the most consistent all-around athletes we’ve had. Her inability to be shaken and strive for success will put her at the top.”

double and twoRBIs. Miki Watts also contributed to the 13-hit effort with two hits.

UL starting pitcherBethaney Noble was very close to throwing afive-hit shutout, but CianaArguijo extendedthe game witha twoout, two-run double ahead of Ari Maxwell’stwo-run single to avoid the run-rule ending to the game. That rally cost Noble 60 extra pitches. She finished with three runs allowedoneight hits, one walk and only twostrikeouts.

Continuedfrom page1C Sacramento St. 5, LSU4 Sacramento St.LSU (4-10)(12-4) abrhbiabrh bi Harry lf 501 0Curiel cf 400 0 Dessens rf 501 0Brown rf 310 0 Poturnak2 10 0Milam ss 511 1 Pim-Guerr.1b3 11 0Yorke1b1 00 0 Jeremiah dh 411 0Braun lf 100 0 Ellis dh 200 0Simpsonph/lf 100 0 Mullin ph 10 00 Dardar ph/2b 200 0 Cobarrubias ph 010 0Arrambide dh 401 0 Sewell 2b 312 5Serna c3 00

requiresthe right kind of prep, focus, intent and, ultimately,execution to be really good, and so we have to see thecourse with that.”

Sophomore Cade Arrambide’s single in thesecond inning was LSU’sonly hit until Grand Canyon transfer Zach Yorke smashed a run-scoring doubleinthe eighth. That inning was when theTigers scored threeruns to cuttheir five-run deficit to two. Yorke’s double was LSU’slone knock in theinning, as the rally was aided by two walks, awild pitch and an error

But the comeback attempt fell short in the ninth, despite asolo homerun from pinch-hitter DanielHardenthatcut the deficit to 5-4, and apair of walks from juniorsJake Brownand Steven Milam that putthe game-tying and winning runs on base with one out.

Yorke struck out, and Kansas State transfer Seth Dardar flew outtocenter fieldtoend the game.

“I don’tthink we got three good at-batsina row in the entire game,” Johnson said, “and that’s just amust for us to score.”

SacramentoState (4-10) separatedfrom theTigers in thetop of the eighth by taking advantage of an uncharacteristically poor outing from redshirt sophomore right-hander Deven Sheerin.

Sheerin —who entered Satur-

LSUWOMEN

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acrossthe first and second quarters—two key reasons why it led 40-36 at halftime.

Thenthe third quarterrolled around, and South Carolina start-

E—Poturnak(2);Cortez (3). DP —LSU 1. LOBç SAC6;LSU 10. 2B -Sewell (3); Yorke (2). HR -Sewell (1); Harden (1). HBP Pimentel-Gue; Ott; Serna Jr.; Yamin IV.CS —Dessen s(1);Sewell (1). Sacramento St.IPHRERBBSO Marton 4.1 10 03 4 Carey,W(1-0)2.2 00 00 4 Entz 0.0 02 22 0 Winterhalder 1.1 22 10 2 Sorlie 0.0 00 02 0 Wilson, S(2) 0.2 00 00 1 LSUIPHRERBBSO Moore, L(3-1) 4.2 41 13 4

Saturday wasnot Kansas righthanded transfer Cooper Moore’s best start. The junior couldn’t escape the fifth inning and, uncharacteristically,walked three batters and hit twoothers. Moore had morewalks on Saturday than he had in his first threestarts combined.

But he surrendered only one run, allowing arun-scoring double with twoouts and two strikes in thesecondinning. Still, his inefficiency forced Johnson to turn to junior-college transfer Ethan Plog to finish the fifth.

“I don’tthink he had his best stuff or outing,” Johnson said of Moore, “but Ithought he competed like he does, and that’swhy I’mvery comfortable winning or losing with him.”

Plog was excellent in relief. With LSU (12-4) trailing by arun, he tossed 22/3 scoreless innings to drop his ERA on the season to 1.50. He walked just one batter and had twostrikeouts while consistently generating weak contact. He exitedfor Sheerin with one out in the eighth inning.

dayhaving notalloweda hit or a run in fiveappearances —walked two batters and surrendered a single that set up thebases-loaded jam with two outs. Then, in a two-strike count, Noot allowed a fastball over the plate thatsecond baseman Cameron Sewell sent into theright-field bleachers.

“He’d been good up until today,” Johnson said when askedabout Sheerin. “I’mproud of himfor that.”

ed pulling rebounds offofthe offensive glass. The Gamecocks grabbedsix of thoseboardsin that frame, then turned them into 10 second-chance points. They also hit three 3-pointers. LSU battled back. At the 5:02 mark of the fourth quarter,a 3-pointer from Richard cut South Carolina’slead to 69-66.

“Just getting ahead in the zone, finishing guys off quickly,” Plog said, “has been beneficialfor me the most.”

LSU finishes off its three-game series with Sacramento State on Sunday.First pitch from Alex Box Stadium is set for 6p.m and the gamewillbeavailable to stream on SEC Network+.The matchup was originally set to begin at 1p.m. but was moved back because of Sunday’sweather forecast.

The Tigers just couldn’tget the defensive stops they needed to regain thelead andend thelosing streak.

LSU next will begin its NCAA Tournament run. The Tigers areexpected to be giventheir first No.2seedsince2008 when thefullbracket is setonMarch 15.

LIVING

‘Sinners’

shines lighton blueslegends fromLouisiana

Hopefully Ryan Coogler has aU-Haul on standby.The 39-year-oldmovie director may need amoving van March 15 to bring the Oscars home for his horror film, “Sinners.”

The movie, which grossed $369 million in worldwide box office receipts, is up for a record 16Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Best Director,Best Actor and Best Original Song.

“Sinners” is already awinner for putting the spotlight on the blues and at least three Louisiana musicianswho shaped the sound. Much of the vampire thriller is set in Southern juke joints of the 1930s, makeshift dancehalls that shook with sounds that poured the foundation for rock ‘n’ roll, soul, R&B,rap, country and more.

Coogler illustrates that past and future in ascene with the original song, “I Lied to You.”

The 1930s scene drifts to visions of the coming decades of rock, rap, break dancing and funk.

Buddy Guy,an89-year-old native of Pointe Coupee Parish, appears briefly in the movie as an aging version of the character Sammie “Preacher Boy” Moore. Born in 1936 in Lettsworth, Guy was aproduct of this “Sinners” era withskills that heavily influenced Jimi Hendrix,Eric Clapton, Stevie Ray Vaughan and others considered guitar gods.

AGrammy Lifetime Achievement Award winner and Kennedy Center honoree, Guy is still going strong with a tour of Australia set for April.

BuddyGuy usesadrumstick to playaJimiHendrix tuneat the 2023 NewOrleans Jazz & HeritageFestival.

Fellow blues senior and Homer native Bobby Rush has also enjoyed “Sinners” notoriety,along with the late harmonica legend Little Walter of Marksville. Rush, 92, wasn’t seen in themovie, but his harmonica was used for the character “Delta Slim.” Guy and actor Miles Caton performed the Little Walter original, “Juke.” The songhas more than 2.2 million streams on Spotify and nearly750,000 plays on YouTube. Like Guy,Rush is not resting in his senior years. Between now and end of May,Rush has gigs stretching from the French QuarterFestival in New Orleans to the Ribs &Blues Festival in the Netherlands

Similar to Guy,Little Walter born Marion Walter Jacobs in 1930, left Louisiana for Chicago, where he recorded “Juke,” “My Babe” and more groundbreaking harmonica blues. Renowned as an alcoholic with a short fuse and numerous fight injuries, Walter only livedto the age of 37.

Yetthe blues of Walter,Rush and Guy live on, thanks to “Sinners,” introducing anew generation to the foundation of American music.

Herman Fuselierisexecutive directorofthe St. Landry Parish Tourist Commission. A longtime journalist covering Louisiana music and culture, he lives in Opelousas. His “Zydeco Stomp” show airs at noon Saturdays onKRVS Public Media.

Festival attendees second-line around the Shadows-on-the-Teche duringthe Jazz It Up openingreception.The Books Along the Teche LiteraryFestival washeld last year at various locations in the

ONEFOR THEBOOKS

With big-name authorsand small-town charm, whyreaders flocktoNew Iberia festival each spring

BY JOANNABROWN Staff writer

Bayou country’spremiere literaryfestival is setto return to the banks of theTeche next month

BooksAlong the Teche Literary Festival, originally founded in 2016 in supportofBooks Along theTeche bookstore on New Iberia’sMain Street, is more than acelebration of local authors like James Lee Burke, whousedNew Iberiaasinspiration for his Dave Robicheauxseries of detective novels. This festival is alove letter to theprolific arts and culture scene blooming in Iberia Parish and thepeople that bring it to life.

The festival will take place this year on April 10 to 12 at sites in downtown New Iberia, centered around theSliman Theatre and the Shadows-on-the-Teche historic home museum. Theprogramming offers anumber of gems for book lovers, such as atalk withcelebrated southernauthor and columnist, Rick Bragg, who said, “I look forward to seeing allthe readers and writers there —and the food.Especially thefood.”

Themajority of panel events at BooksAlong theTeche Literary Festival arefree but require registration, such as atalk exploring the

NASA engineers attach the OrbitingFrog Otolith spacecraft to launchtwo bullfrogs from Rayne intospace in November 1970.

LouisianaCreole lineage of Pope Leo XIV,and apanel on the “magic of romance” with Romantasy genre author Juliette Cross. Other events, like “A Novel Evening” festival celebrationatShadows-onthe-Teche, require thepurchase of aticket —but any way you attend, this festival is alovely way to experience NewIberiainspring.The weekend will close with Symphony Sunday in thePark, afree event in New Iberia City Park on Sunday, April 12.

This year’sfestival co-chairs, Deband Paul Lindsey,are new Louisiana residents after attending andvolunteering at their first Books Along the Teche Literary Festival in 2023. They’ve lived a life of adventure, working all over thecountry andretiring forover sevenyears in Guanajuato, Mexico, before ahealth scare drove them to search for anew hometown in the United States. Deborah grew

SashaBonét,‘TheWaterbearers: AMemoirofMothers and Daughters’

A memorableevent

Houston native Sasha Bonét’s Louisiana rootsrun deep, buther life was worlds removed from the cotton plantationthat raised her grandmother,Betty Jean, and the Texas bayous that shaped Bonét’smother, Connie. Each generation improved their finances, but the complex legacy of Black American motherhood and its origins in slavery persisted. When she had her owndaughter, Bonét brought her to New York to start anew familytradition. She also set out on an ancestral journeytounderstand both the love and pain Black mothers passedonto their children. Bonét will be apartoftwo discussions:

n “The Waterbearers: AMemoir of Mothers &Daughters” with Sasha Bonét and moderated by Stevona Elem-Rogers from noon to 12:45 p.m. on March 13 in the Burgundy Room on the Berger FamilyLawn.

n “Power,Memory&the Stories We Tell: Black Women Leading through Generations” withKeisha N. Blain and Sasha Bonét,moderated by Kim Boyle from 10 a.m. to 10:45 a.m. on March14atDiboll Gallery,Malkin Sacks Commons.

Jedidiah Jenkins, ‘Mother, Nature:A 5,000-MileJourney to Discover If aMotherand Son CanSurvive TheirDifferences’

In “Mother,Nature: A5,000-Mile Journey to Discover If aMother and SonCan Survive Their Differences,”Jedidiah Jenkins takes on aliteral and emotional journey by traveling across continents while reckoning with faith, identity and his relationship with his mother. He will participate in one session at the festival:

n “Mother,Nature: AJourney of Distance, Belief &Becoming” withJedidiahJenkins and moderated by Nicole Richie from 1p.m. to 1:45 p.m. on March 13 in the Burgundy Room on Berger Family Lawn.

MollyJong-Fast,‘HowtoLose Your Mother’

Molly Jong-Fast is the onlychild of the writerErica Jong, whose book

BY JOYHOLDEN |Staff writer

The literary extravaganza that is the New Orleans Book Festival, also knownas“Mardi Gras forthe Mind,” is scheduled for March 12-15 at Tulane University.The event is expanding from three days to four,withafamily day on Sunday.More than 250 authors, creators, business leaders and political figures will be participating in over 100 sessionsonTulane’scampus.

Personal stories arealways abig draw,and this year,avariety of authors will be there to share theirlives

Here are sixmemoir authors to look out for at the NewOrleansBook Festival.

Spizer” and moderated by Gayle Wald from 2p.m.to2:45 p.m. on March 13 in theROTCBuilding. SusanOrlean, ‘Joyride’ Susan Orlean hasbeen astaff writer at The NewYorkersince 1992. She is the NewYork Times bestsellingauthor of seven books, including “The Library Book,” “Rin TinTin,” “Saturday Night” and “The Orchid Thief,” which wasmadeintothe AcademyAward–winning film “Adaptation.” She liveswith herfamily andher animals in Los Angeles. Orlean’s memoirbegan as aguide forwriters but became aseries of stories about her books and her life. She will be participating in two sessions, but just one about her memoir: n “InstantClassics: New Memoirs from Molly Jong-Fast and Susan Orlean,” moderated by Thomas Beller from 1p.m. to 1:45 p.m on March 14 in Kendall Cram Lecture Hall.

Viet ThanhNguyen, ‘A Man of TwoFaces:AMemoir, A History, AMemorial’

“Fear of Flying” contributed to second-wave feminism. Jong-Fast’srelationship with her mother was complex, and when she wasdiagnosedwith dementia, JongFast confronted their relationship.

“How to Lose Your Mother” tells astory of loss alongside astory of aunique childhood. She willparticipate in fivesessions, butonlyone about hermemoir:

n “Instant Classics: New Memoirs from Molly Jong-Fastand Susan Or-

lean,”moderated by Thomas Beller from 1p.m. to 1:45 p.m. on March14 in the Kendall Cram Lecture Hall StephenRea,‘Ozzy &Me: Life Lessons, Wild Stories, andUnexpectedEpiphanies from FortyYears of Friendship with thePrinceofDarkness’

Originally from Northern Ireland, Reahas lived in New Orleans since2004. He has written amemoir,“Finn McCool’sFootball Club,” aboutthe community he found in a pub soccer team in New Orleans When he was 15, he met Ozzy Os-

RetiredLSU scholaroffersnew

Andrew Burstein recently retired as aprofessor of history at LSU, where he earned distinction as an author of numerous works about early America. Amonghis credits are awell-received biography of writer Washington Irving and alife of Andrew Jackson. Now,just in time for the country’s 250th birthday, Burstein’s“Being Thomas Jefferson” promises “an intimate history” of the primary author of the Declaration of Independence.

Many books have been written about The Sage of Monticello, and readers might reasonably wonder if we need another one. In his study,Burstein attempts to plumb the inner life of aFounding Father and American president whose public exploits are already well known. “What was it like to be Thomas

Jefferson?” Burstein asks in his openingsentence.

Copiously researched and spanning more than 400 pages, “Being Thomas Jefferson” offers plenty of clues.

Jefferson lives most vividly in national conversations today because heeloquently championed liberty buthad an enslaved work force at his Virginia plantation, includingSally Hemings, who bore himsix children.

“Within Jefferson resides an eerie duality that today’sAmerica still struggles to resolve,” Burstein tells readers. “As an embodiment ofthe American Enlightenment,hestated peerless proposi-

tionsfor humanity while living by adifferent set of rules at home.” Burstein unpacks akey insight into Jefferson’sthought while exploring his connection with the Marquis de Condorcet,aFrench reformer Jefferson befriended during his stint in Paris.Con-

borne and started alifelong friendship. “Ozzy and Me”shares behindthe-scenes stories, life lessons and insightsintoOsbourne’spersonality, exploringhow musichelped Rea escape “The Troubles” and chronicling their adventures, including touring together He will be participating in one session at thefestival: n “From theBeatles to Ozzyto JohnPrine: Music Legends with TomPiazza, Stephen Rea and Bruce

Viet Thanh Nguyen’snovel “The Sympathizer” won thePulitzer Prize for Fiction and numerous other awards. Hismost recent publication is “A Man of TwoFaces: A Memoir,A History, AMemorial,” which integrates his memoir with being arefugee, colonizationand ideas about Vietnam and America. Hisother books are the sequel to “The Sympathizer, The Committed; a short story collection, “The Refugees;” and“Nothing EverDies: Vietnamand the Memory of War.” He is participatingintwo sessions at the festival: n “Lives Lived, Stories Told with JohnT.Edge,NicholasLemann and Viet Thanh Nguyen,” and also moderated by Anna Adams from 2p.m.to2:45p.m.onMarch 14 in the ROTC Building.

n “Who We Are: Stories That Shape aNation withStacey Abrams, Eddie S. Glaude Jr.and Viet ThanhNguyen,” moderated by Charles M. Blow from 4to5 p.m.on March14inMcAlisterAuditorium. Authorswillbeavailable for book signings,and thebookswill be available forpurchase at the Book Tent.

dorcet,Burstein writes, was “a forceful antislavery thinker and protofeminist.” Jefferson was impressed by Condorcet’sintellect, though he didn’tultimately reject thepractice of slavery once he returned to Virginia.

“The point is that he came closer than mostthink to imagining adifferent path, and adifferent outcome,” Burstein writes of Jefferson.

The slavery question is just one of many contradictions in Jefferson’slife that Burstein attempts to puzzle out.

He was asuccessful politician who was deeply private —aselfstyled man of the people who often found people exhausting. As Burstein puts it, “Jefferson was essentially an introvert, abookish individual whose ‘alone time’ was precious to him.Heinternalized a great deal of what sat on his bookshelves, andordered his private world accordingly.”

As an inveterate reader,Jefferson was also, of course, the

American Revolution’smost celebrated writer

“He wrote constantly,lyrically affectingly,” Burstein notes. At atimewhen television, cinema and the internet had yet to arrive, Jefferson’sgifted pen perfectly aligned with his times.

“Theirs was an age of typography,” Burstein writes of those wholived in Jefferson’sworld. “The penned or printed word directed both reason and imagination.” Jefferson’simagination conceived acountry large enough to accommodate the Louisiana Purchase, and Burstein’schronicle of the role that NewOrleans played in driving that epic real estate deal is intriguing.

It’s astriking reminder that Jefferson’slegacy endures —all the morereason to read what might be Burstein’scrowning achievement.

Email Danny Heitman at danny@ dannyheitman.com

TRAVEL

Grab your boots! It’s rodeotimeinHouston

Alongweekend

BY MARGARET DELANEY Staff writer

The Houston FatStock Show was established in 1932 to promoteagriculture and celebrate western heritage. Now called The Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo, or the Houston Rodeo for short, it continues its mission with afocus on Texas youth and education. Since 1932, over $600 million has been dedicated to Texas youth and education.

While therodeo every day is a big part of theevent, there’smuch more to the Houston Rodeothan just the “rodeo.” With big-name performers, agricultural exhibits, free shows, carnival ridesand more, NRG Park (home of the rodeo) is full of things to do.

For aweekend away at the Houston Rodeo,arriving on Thursday evening is best. Settle into ahotel just south of downtown Houston —Medical Center Area hotels, an Airbnb in Rice Village or aspotin the Astrodome area —for agood spot to stay On Friday,take awalkthrough Herman Park after breakfast at Sunday Pressinthe park.Spend the day exploring the cityat the Houston Museum of FineArts, Houston’sNatural Science Museum, the Houston Zoo and Rice University —all of which are walkable from the hotel orbythe above-ground metro.

Have an early dinner at Tiny Boxwoods in River Oaks, a15-minute drive from the area, but it’s worth it. Patio diningis king in Houston.

Now,it’srodeo day.The rodeo is not just about the big stars although KellyClarkson, Riley Green and yes, in previous years, Hannah Montana, drewthe Texas crowds. At the heart, it’sasporting event home to many community and statewide competitions. After aquick breakfast either at the hotel or anearby coffee shop, take the metro rail red line that runs from downtown and through Midtown,which goes directly to the stadium In the evenings, there can be a long wait to get on themetrorail. It gets quite crowded, but it is full of rodeo goers and not theusual downtown crowd. Onceonthe train,visitors canget to Midtown in about 17 minutes and reach downtown in about 25 minutes. It’s reallynot thatmuch longerthan driving, andwithall thetraffic, it mayeven be faster

TRAVEL TROUBLESHOOTER

By ChristopherElliott

PROVIDED PHOTOS

ABOVE: The Houston Rodeo is not just about the big stars. It’s still a sporting event and home to manycommunity and statewide competitions FARLEFT, Riley Green kicked off the wide range of entertainers at the Houston Rodeo on March 1. LEFT, Everything is bigger in Texas —eventhe Houston Rodeo.

The rodeo gates open at 8a.m.

Take awalk through the agriculture areas to visit withstudents and volunteers and see animals, from longhorns to horses to sheep. Taste the award-winning wines fromthe RodeoUncorkedInternational Wine Competition, with winners from Texas and national competitors.

The wine garden, which features 13 top winners and450 additional wines for sale,isa favorite spot among visitors with live music each day

Thewine garden is outside the northeast corner of the stadium —right between the stadium and NRGCenter.Itwraps around the Astrodome, and there are acouple of stages, private tents available forrent and tables.

Pro-tip: Go early and get agroup together to save atable so people can get up to forfood or more wine. There areporta-pottieson opposite ends of the garden, which are well-maintained.

There’salso art to view from the high school student rodeocompetition and various other art competitions, like quilting.

Make sure to geta snack and somelunch at one of the manycarnival vendors outside the stadium before heading into NRGbefore themaineventsbegin on schedule: n Monday through Friday,the stadiumopensat6 p.m.,rodeos start at 6:45 p.m., and the concert takes thestageatapproximately 9:15 p.m n Saturday andSunday,the stadium opens at 2p.m., rodeos start at 2:45 p.m., andthe entertainer takes thestageatapproximately 5:15 p.m

Although the daily schedules are different, all of the rodeo sports are entertaining to watch, including bull riding, barrel racing, calf scrambling, mutton busting anda whole program of rodeo sports. Afterthe concert, theHideout is open until midnight, as well as manyadult-only,21+ booths in the carnivalareawithmore live music and dancing. The day after concert day,and a full day of rodeo fun, might drag you down abit, but Mo Brunch and Brews is the answerfor agood pick-me-up before thedrive back home.

Christopher Elliott

Ibooked aCondor Airlines flightfrom Portland to Frankfurtthrough Orbitz formy family. Orbitz’swebsite explicitly listed the fare as Economy Classic, which included one free 70-pound checked bag forboth legs.The confirmation itineraryconfirmed this. But Condor’semail showed something different: Our return flight wasbooked as Economy Zero —with nochecked bags included.Worse, the outbound flight’s baggageallowance was listed at50pounds, not the 70 pounds Orbitz stated.

Icontacted Orbitz repeatedly via chat. After days of delays,itdirected me to Con-

At NuNu Nunu Arts and CultureCollective, 1510 BayouCourtableau Highway, Arnaudville, will host an “Acadian Brown Cotton: Seed Distribution & RegenerativeAg” seminaron March 14. Formoreinformation, visit nunucollective.org.

‘MadamaButterfly’ Tickets areonsale for Opera Louisiane’s production of Giacomo Puccini’s grandopera “Madama Butterfly” at 7p.m. April 11 in the Raising Canes River Center Performing Arts Theater, 240 St. Louis St. Tickets are$20-$150. Visit operalouisiane.com/madamabutterfly

At theArchives

The Friends of the Louisiana State Archives and the Friends of the Old State Capitol will host “TheAfricans,” the next installment in its lectureseries, “Becoming Louisiana,” at 5:30 p.m. March 24, at the Louisiana State Archives, 3851 EssenLane. The lecturewill be given by John K. Pierre, chancellorof Southern University

dor,which confirmed nothing had changed post-booking.The faultlay with Orbitz’s inaccuratelisting Orbitz blamed TravelFusion, its booking platform,and stonewalledmewith cookiecutter replies to “contact the airline.”When Ithreatened to report it for fraud, Orbitz doubled downondeflection.

Ipaid$540 forthreereturn-flight bags I waspromised forfree. Orbitz must honor its advertised fare and reimburse me. Can you help? —Patrick Bruce,Troutdale, Oregon

Orbitz should have stood by its advertised fare —noexcuses When an onlinetravel agency displays specificamenities like baggage allowances, it’slegally obligated to honor them under

Admission is free. At theOld Capitol Louisiana’sOld State Capitol, 100 NorthBlvd., is showing “PresentDay Tracesof Segregation, Civil Rights, and CollectiveMemory in Louisiana” by the Louisiana Photographic Society through March 14. Also, the exhibit,“Japanese WarBrides: Across AWide Divide,” opens on March 24 and runs through June13, exploringthe story of more than 45,000 Japanese women who immigratedtothe United States after World WarIIand howtheir bold passagereshaped communitiesacross thecountry.And themuseum will host itsannual Easter Egg Roll from 1p.m. to 4p.m. on March 28. Admission is free toall events. Visit louisianaoldstatecapitol.org

Call forstudent artists

The Louisiana Art &Science Museum, 100S.River Road,in collaboration withEllemnop. Art, will hostits 2026 Student Art Exhibition,“Blueprints of Culture: Architecture and

theDepartment of Transportation regulations, which prohibit “deceptive or misleading” fare descriptions. Orbitz’sown itinerary listed Economy Classic with a free checked bag. Orbitz, and its parent company Expedia, can’t pass thebuck to Condor or TravelFusion.

Youhandled this by thebook. Youchecked airline policies before booking, preserved your correspondence, and escalated calmly.Ihave two recommendations First,when you makeabooking, always take screenshots in case theconfirmation doesn’tmatch up with the booking screen. Also, as asidenote, there’sno

such thing as a“free” bag. Whether it’sincluded in your fare or it’s abenefit of your credit card, you are paying forit. Youcould have also escalated this to Orbitz’sexecutive contacts.Ilist them on my consumer advocacy site, Elliott.org.

My advocacy team contacted Expedia Group on your behalf.A spokesperson admitted,“The baggage information provided by the airline may have been unclear.” Expedia says it’sworking with Condor to “clarify” the baggage details.

Orbitzsays your flight did not include achecked bag, but agreed to reimburse your $540 as acour-

tesy Online agencies like Orbitz profit by aggregating airfares. But when they misrepresent those airfares, they should own the fallout. As I’ve noted before, cases like yours rarely end well. When airlines and online agencies fingerpoint, you often pay the price. But not this time.

Christopher Elliott is the founder of Elliott Advocacy,anonprofit organization that helps consumers solve their problems. Email him at chris@elliott.org or get help by contacting him at elliottadvocacy org.

Design That Shapes Louisiana,” in the museum’s STEAM Gallery. The museuminvites Louisiana students in sixth through 12th grades to participate through an open call for art submissions. The exhibition will explorethe foundations of architectural design in Louisiana, encouraging students to create original artworks inspired by the past, present and futureofthe state’sbuilt environment. The showwill runfromApril 2026 through April 2027.

Deadline for submissions is March 31. Forspecific requirements and asubmission form, visit ellemnop.art/ steamgallery

At theManship

Tickets areonsale for Flamenco VivoCarlota Santana at 2p.m.March 22 at the Manship Theatreinthe Shaw Centerfor theArts, 100 Lafayette St.Tickets start at $30. Tickets arealso on salefor Houston BalletIIat2p.m.and 8p.m.March 28. Tickets start at $46. Visit manshiptheatre.org.

Reader shockedtolearn of mom’sfirstmarriage

Dear Harriette: Last week, my mom told me that she was married and divorced before she met my dad. Iam35years old, and she just shared this with me now.Iwas surprised because she has never mentioned thisbefore. I had no idea there had been another marriage, and it feels weird that something so big was hidden from me for my whole life. She mentioned it casually,almost like it wasn’tabig deal, but to me it is. Ikeep wondering why she never told me before. Iwonder if she was ashamed or if shejust didn’tthink it mattered because she didn’thave any kids from the marriage and hasn’ttalked to her

CURIOUS

Continued from page1D

Harriette Cole

SENSE AND SENSITIVITy

ex-husband in over40years Ifind myself questioning what else Imight not know about my parents’ lives. Idon’t necessarily feel angry,but Idofeel odd. At the same time, Ifeel guilty for caring this much. My momisallowed to have hadalife beforemydad —and before me. Should Iask her more questions about it or let it go since it happened long before Iwas born?How do Iprocess feelingleft outofsomething that technically wasn’tmybusiness to beginwith? —Life Before Me Dear Life Before Me: My mother usedtotell me that she shared information with my sisters and

me on aneed-to-know basis. For my whole life with my mother she lived to be 95 —Ilearned new thingsabout her.Don’tbegrudge your mother her timing. Assume that she told you when she did for areason. What is going on in your life that makes you believe such information would be helpful? Rather than worrying about what you don’tknow about your parents, continue toget to know them and learn about them. You have your whole life todiscover moretreasures about them. Don’t be upset;becurious.

Dear Harriette: Iam35years old, and recently Igot engaged after dating my fiancé for five months. Iknow that sounds fast, but I’m not 22 anymore. I’ve lived on my

own for years, built acareer,been in serious long-term relationships andhave done alot of personal growth. Iknow whoI am, what Iwant and what Iwill and won’t tolerate in apartner.When Imet my fiancé, it didn’tfeel impulsive; it felt intentional. We’ve had the hard conversations about finances, kids, faith, where we wantto live, how we handle conflict, etc. We’ve met each other’sfamilies and friends. Nothing about this feels rushed to me. Yetmyfamily and several close friends keep telling me it’s“too soon.” They say I’mbeing overtaken by excitement and that five months isn’tlong enough to know someone. My brother implied that I’m making amistake or acting out of

fear of getting older.Instead of feeling celebrated, Ifeel judged and second-guessed. It’s starting to makemedoubt myself even though Ifeel confident in my choice. How do Iknow if I’mmoving too fast? —Engaged Dear Engaged: Go to premarital counseling as you prepare to marry.Work with an officiant or spiritual adviser to talk through everything. Together you can discover if this is right. Drown out the other voices and focus on the twoofyou.

Sendquestions to askharriette@ harriettecole.com or c/o AndrewsMcMeel Syndication, 1130 Walnut St., Kansas City, MO 64106.

Jeffers’ question about Rayne’s space frogs.

“I rememberhearing astory about Louisiana giving NASAtwo frogs from Rayne when Iwas akid,” the Baton Rouge reader said. “Is this true? And if it is what was the purpose?

Frog capitaland ears

Yes, it’strue, and Louisiana used it as an opportunityto promote the City of Rayne as the Frog Capital of the World while helping NASAinvestigate the effects of microgravity on balance, specifically targeting the causes of space motion sickness, which had significantly affected Apollo astronauts.

As reported by NASA at the time, afrog’sinner ear structure is similar to that of humans. The frog’ssmaller size provided a simplified butaccurate model for the study

“Since 1965, NASA has flown more than 80 different organisms as biological payloads to space,” said NASA ChiefHistorianBrian C. Odom. “These space biology studies have explored fundamental questions related to fields such as cell and molecular biology,developmental biology andneuroscience, just to name a few.”

The 1970 mission, Odom said, was called the Orbiting Frog Otolith, or the OTO experiment. Otoliths are small, oval, calcareous bodies in the inner earof vertebrates involved in sensing gravity and movement. Humans have two otoliths inside each ear Frogs have three.

“One of the goals of NASA’s Office of Advanced Research and Technology at that time was to study vestibular organ function in space and on the Earth,” Odom said. “The OFO-A mission was designed to collect neurophysiological data on the response of theotolith, apart of theinnerear that is associated with equilibri-

FESTIVAL

Continued from page1D

upinWisconsin, andPaulinWest Tennessee and Minnesota —but a night out dancing in New Iberia three years ago showed them the power of community in Acadiana.

“Wesaid we wanted to live in a place that reminded us of Mexico, in that people wouldbewarmand kind and welcoming and friendly, where there was alot of culture, and thefood was spectacular.And so we started exploring Acadiana,” said Deb Lindsey,who had experienced acardiac arrest while visiting their son in Canada acouple of years prior On their first triptothe area the Lindseys met CathyIndest, president of theIberiaCultural Resources Association. Indest invitedthem to return in April2023 for the literary festival, where

Lindsey started experiencing the symptoms of aheart attack after anightofwhirlingonthe dance

floor

“Wewere just there volunteering, meeting people, andall of a sudden we’re shutting the door on her in theback of an ambulance,” said PaulLindsey.“Allofthese people were offering to follow us to the hospital, and put us up for the night ifIdidn’t feel comfortable going backtothe hotel, and it turned outtobefine —theylet her out after afew minutes —but it was still atoughincident. That sealed the deal for me. Theseare thekind of people Iwant around if something happens.

The Lindseys have since become thoroughly enmeshed in New Iberia’sconstellation of cultural events, from the “Beneath the Balconies” event thathighlights the region’stheatrical and musicalartistry,toNew Iberia’sSpanishFestival, which will take over

um control,toprolongedperiods of weightlessness.”

Acasefor Louisianafrogs

According to aSept. 27, 1970, article in The Advocate, the City of Rayne made a“strong bid to have itsfamous bullfrogs or ‘wah-wah-rons,’ as they are called in the best Acadian circles, included in the ‘OFO’ spacecraft projects to be launched by NASA from Wallops Island, Va.”

Rayne earned its moniker of “Frog Capital of theWorld” when entrepreneur Louis Baer teamed up with brothers Lionel, Desire andPete Babineaux in 1933 to establish theLouisianaFrogCo. The business operated outof Rayne andbecame theworld’s largest shipperofedible frogs. However,Rayne’s road to frog fame began in the 1880s with chef andbarkeep Donat Pucheu, whoharvested and sold local

downtownthe weekendfollowing the literary festival. Paul Lindsey says that theliterary festival regularly brings in volunteers andparticipants from New York, Pennsylvania, Scotland and other places around the world —just like it attracted himand hiswife to thecommunity AccordingtoDeb Lindsey,the reason is simple. “It’sthatsense of community.It’sthatcommitment to high quality cultural programming. People feel connected because of howwelcoming the community is. Youcould go to abook festival in Chicago, andcome andgotosessionsand notfeelconnected at all. Nobody would talk with you. It’svery different here —people talk to you. People engage you. Theyinvite you over.You don’t get that feeling everywhere.”

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

bullfrogs to New Orleansrestaurants.

Thencame French immigrant JacquesWeil, who,along withhis brothers Edmond andGontran, foundedthe JacquesWeilCo. in 1899, whichexpandedRayne’s frogindustry globally,shipping froglegstorestaurantsinNew York andParis.

This markedthe beginning of Rayne’sreign as Frog Capital of the World. The Louisiana Frog Co.was Rayne’s globalsupplier of frogs when NASA initiated its OFO program.

The finest frogs

“Effort to have only thefinest frogs fromRayne includedinthe pending NASAprogramhave been aided by Rep.Edwin Edwards,” The Advocate’sSept. 27, 1970, article continued.

Yes, this wasthe same Edwin Edwardswho would later serve four termsasLouisiana’s gover-

nor. He was representing Louisiana’s7th CongressionalDistrict at thetime,whichincluded Rayne “Edwards, knowing thesuperior qualityofRayne frogs, contacted theNational Aeronautics andSpace Administration as soon as he learned of theexperimental launchtosee if therewas apossibilitythatthe twomalebullfrogs to be usedonthe OFO might be suppliedbyRayne,” thearticle stated

The frogsweretobemonitored in theirweightless environment while orbiting theearth forat least five days

On Oct. 6, 1970, The Advocate reported that 20 bullfrogswere to be jetted to NASA’s Wallops Flight FacilityinVirginia “Brief ceremonieswere staged at Louisiana Frog Co.Friday afternoon as a‘send-off’for the bullfrogs,” thearticlestated “Participating were Congressman (Edwin) Edwards;Mayor W.J. (Bill) Cossen;Mayor Pro TemRalph Stutes; MissSue Guidry, who is Rayne’s Frog Queen and(David ‘Pete’) Babineaux(of Louisiana Frog Co.), who personally caught thefrogs andwho will be responsible for placing them on theplane for Salisbury, Md.,where they will be met by NASA personneland taken to Wallops Station.”

Pierre andTee-Nom

Once at theNASAstation,two frogswerechosen:Pierre and Tee-Nom, who were launched intospace on the292-pound craft on Nov.9,1970. Both weresealed in water-filledcapsulescontaining artificiallungs andheaters to keep them stable.Their limb nerves hadbeen cuttoprevent them from dislodging electrodes while also lowering theirmetabolic rates so they could survive without food foruptoamonth Pierre andTee-Nomdiedfrom heart failureonNov.15, their sixthday in orbit.But they didn’t die in vain.

“The Rayne residentswho staged adiligent effort to have thespace agency usetheir frogs may takecomfort in knowing all experimentswere completed before death came,” The Advocate reported on Nov.16, 1970. “The National Aeronautics andSpace Administration declared themission fully successful before death came.”

As forthe other 18 frogs who made thetripfrom Rayne to Wallops Island, Virginia,nothing is mentionedoftheir fate. But Pierre andTee-Nomwill forever be immortalized as Louisiana’s “FrogsinSpace.”

Do you have aquestion about something in Louisiana that’s got you curious? Email your question to curiouslouisiana@ theadvocate.com. Include your name, phonenumber andthe city where you live.

AT THE TABLE

Strawberries make

BY ABNEY HARPER Contributing writer

Meringue and strawberries are

amatch made in heaven

Meringues, made of egg whites, sugar and mostly air,soak upall the tangy,sweet juices of macerated strawberries. Addsome sweetened whipped creamand ice cream, and you have adessert that’sspecial enough for entertaining yet simple enough fora weeknight dessert.

Ifirst fell in love withFrench meringuewhenmyworktook me to Paris multiple times each year for over adecade. Ibecame obsessed with the huge French meringueclouds all over the city,which set me on apath of studying, developing recipes, producing and creating businesses around French meringue.

This is asimple recipe with some tips I’ve learned over the yearstomake what can bea tricky process (especially in south Louisiana humidity)alittle bit easier

Crushed

MeringueMess

Recipe by Abney Harper

Serves4people

4meringue cookies (or about 4cups of meringue crushed into various-sized pieces) (see below for meringue recipe)

1pint of strawberries, hulled and sliced 1/2 cup granulated sugar (a little less or more depending on the sweetness of your strawberries)

Sweetened whipped cream, recipe follows

2pints of your favorite ice cream,slightly softened (I prefer vanilla bean forthis recipe, but strawberry or pistachio wouldbe delicious as well) Mint leaves, for garnish (optional)

1. In amedium bowl, addsliced strawberries and sprinkle with sugar.Give astir to makesure each strawberry is tossedvery lightlyinsugar and set aside for at least 20 minutes. As thestrawberries macerate, asyrup will come together from the juice of

the strawberries and thesugar

2. Pull theice cream from the freezer to let soften slightly so that it’seasy to scoop.

3. Meanwhile, make the whipped cream. Iamnot above store-bought whipped cream here, so do whatmakes your life easier

4. Once yourstrawberries have maceratedand your remaining ingredients are prepared, it’s simplyamatter of assembling.

5. This dish can be assembled in individual bowls. For adramatic

presentation, pile all the ingredientsina large shallow serving bowl and let guestsserve themselves.

6. Start by scooping ice cream into thebottom of the serving dish. Addalittle whipped cream, then alayer of crumbled meringue and aspoonful of strawberries. Repeat layers of whipped cream, meringue and sliced strawberries, then drizzle thedessertswith any strawberry syrup left in the bowl of strawberries. Garnish with mint leaves.

Note: This dish is literally called amess, so there are no rules on how to assemble. The goal is to achieve amix of flavors and textures in eachbite.

French Meringue

1cup of eggwhites(about 6egg whites) at room temperature

1/4 teaspoon of cream of tartar

1cup of finely granulatedsugar

1. Preheat oven to 200 degrees.

2. Place egg whites and cream of tartar in the bowlofa standing mixer.Set atimer forthree minutes. Turn your mixer on medium-low

3. Slowly add sugar in asteady stream over thecourse of three minutes. Leavethe mixer running on medium-low foranother two minutes to allow the sugar to dissolve in the egg whites.

4. Crank the mixer up to high speed and whisk foranother three to five minutes until stiffpeaks form. The batter will be ready when you remove the whisk and themeringue stands up straight and tall.

5. Using alarge serving spoon,

place four to six large mounds of meringue on aparchment-lined baking sheet. Bake in the oven for6-12 hours. Meringues will be ready when you can easily removethem from the parchment paper.(Imake my meringues in the afternoon and leave them in the oven overnight at 200 degrees).

Fresh whipped cream

1cup heavywhipping cream

4tablespoonspowdered sugar

1. Place heavy whipping cream and powdered sugar in alarge bowl. Beat with an electric mixer on medium-high heat just until stiffpeaks begin to form

Note: Make sure not to overbeat or cream fresh whipped cream. It will keep in the fridge forthree days.

Abney Harper co-owns Prima Après, featured in the LSU Student Union, and Sucré Baton Rouge. She is achef and entrepreneur whopreviously owned a casual fine dining restaurant in Georgia.

Competitivekitchen hits TV in ‘America’s Culinary Cup’

PadmaLakshmi returnstohosting

BY MARK KENNEDY Associated Press

NEWYORK Padma Lakshmi is back in the kitchen witha knives-out cooking competition, and this time the stakes are higher —for the contestants and for her

The former host of Bravo’s“TopChef” landson network prime time hosting and judging the CBS show “America’sCulinary Cup,” which boasts the largest cash prizeinculinary television history —$1million

“This is about my love and appreciation and respect for chefs, especially after what the restaurant industry in this country and everywhere has gone through after COVID-19,” she says.

The network has given the show the coveted spot after “Survivor” on Wednesdays. It launched last week and episodes also streamon Paramount+.

Whereas “Top Chef” pitted up-and-comers against each other,the first season of “America’sCulinary Cup” has invited 16 men and women who areatthe peak of their culinary powers. Who’sonthe show?

The inaugural class includes six Michelin star chefs, two James Beard winners, 14 James Beard nominees,three Food +Wine best new chefs, two Bocuse d’Or medalists and multiple “Top Chef” winner Buddha Lo.

“I’m not judging them on who they are,orwherethey come from, or where their pedigree is,”saysLakshmi

“All of that might have been what got them in the door Iamjudging them by the plate of food they put in front of me.” Lakshmi is joined on the judge’stablebythree-Michelin star and fish specialist Michael Cimarusti and molecular gastronomy pioneer Wylie Dufresne.

“These guys are lookingat it as professional chefs, hav-

Cimarusti, Padma

CBS cooking competition series ‘America’s

ing so many decades under theirbeltofdoing thisata very,very high, high level,” she says. “I am theaudience’srepresentative.”

Fittingly for ashow that makes its debut after “Survivor,” there’sabit of that show’s DNA in the new one, with the chefs making strategic decisions about who competes against theothers and theneed to makeallies.

“It’sa show thatI think will really appeal to people wholike‘Survivor’ or ‘The Amazing Race,’”says Lakshmi.“We were definitely conscious, obviously,ofwho we’re going on after and also what worksonCBS. I’d be a fool not to be.”

High production values

Oneearly tip that “America’sCulinary Cup” is an upscalecookingcompetition show is ashot of Lakshmi sauntering outofa helicopter in an asymmetrical yellow gown. Thesprawling workstations in the communal kitchen have plenty of marble and all kinds of topnotchkitchen toysare available —likewood-firedovens and smokingguns. The initial chefs invited

hail from 10 states—California, NorthCarolina, Arizona, Illinois, Colorado, New York, Virginia, Texas, Wyoming andConnecticut. One postponed her wedding tocompete, one is pregnant and one was formerly incarcerated.

“The accolades and the talentand theawards and everything elsethat all of these people walkthrough the door with,ina way they hadtohangthemupwhen they entered the kitchen because it was allabout what theywereable to do that day, in thatmoment,inthat challenge,” says Cimarusti. The first episode was particularly brutal,with four contestants eliminated. The

16 chefs’ first challenge is to cook theirdefining dish and then they go head-to-head, judged on taste, creativity, presentation and technique.

“You’reinthe big leagues now,” Lakshmitells them.

The dishes thatcome out include SingaporeChili Crab andThaiCurry,SousVide Hamachi with Scallop and Turnip, and Ras El Hanout Duck Breast with aMisoHarissa Glazed Cabbage.

‘The finest detail’

Eight wholost thefirst round go head-to-head making classic American dishes —fried chicken, clam chowder, shrimp andgrits and beef stroganoff —todeter-

mine the four going home, prompting the weekly slogan, “You served your final dish.”

In later episodes, thecontestants must prove their mastery of 10 Culinary Commandments— meat preparation, innovation,culinary science and tech,flavors, sustainability,vegetables, sauces, world cuisine,consistency and dessert.

The level of excellence in the kitchen is very high and the judges have their work cut out forthem separating the better dishes. Apinch of salt or asplash of citrus makes thedifferencebetween staying andgoing home.

“It’slike any good competition at the very highest level, whether it’sfootball or professional golf or tennis or whatever,atthe endofthe day,itjust comes down to the finestdetail,” says Cimarusti.

The judges say that while they may know someofthe

contestants, their mentors or know the restaurants they worked in, they will notlet any of that sway their decisions.

“I take my judging very seriously,” Lakshmisays. “There’s alot of moneyon the line. It’s $1 million. And so,asthe creator of the show, as an executive producer,there’snothing more important to me than the fairness of this competition because my name’sonit.” Dufresne says the judges are looking to the ultimate taste and whether the chef nailedthe weekly assignment. After all, good knife skills can’tcamouflage a poor dish.

“We’re splitting such afine hair that we are sometimes on either side of that hair,” he says, jokinglyadding: “That,again,isa testament to the caliber of the contestants andthe fact that I’m usually right andMichael’s wrong.”

Vintagefilmformatrevived in ‘One Battle AfterAnother’

Once-dormant VistaVisionback on thebig screens

BY JAKE COYLE AP film writer

NEWYORK— When Paul Thomas Anderson told his cinematographer Michael Bauman that he wanted to shoot “One Battle After Another” on VistaVision —a large-scale film format born in the 1950s —hehad some questions.

“Question one was: Is this even going to be reliable?” Bauman recalls. For much of the past60 years, the few remaining VistaVision cameras have been mostly collecting dust on shelves. Though the format was widely used in the 1950s, when Alfred Hitchcock shot “Vertigo” on it and Cecil B. DeMille used it for “The TenCommandments,” VistaVision went dormant by the early 1960s.

Yetatthe March 15 Academy Awards,a moviemade largely with decades-old antique cameras is poised to win best picture. Evenin 2026, when most films are shot digitally and AI has begun filtering into moviemaking,“OneBattleAfter Another” has —with film equipment borrowed from collectors and museums —showed that avintage, analog film system can still astonish moviegoers.

“One Battle After Another” presented amajor newtestfor an oldformat Asprawling American epic filmed largely in dusty,rural locations, Bauman estimates it meant running 1.5 million feet of film through antique cameras.

“VistaVision is great if you’re sitting on atripod and filming anice,beautiful waterfall or something,” says Bauman. “But when you’re putting it on aSteadicam, using it as ahandheld strapping it to cars, or doing any of the myriad things we were doing —because ulti-

mately Paul wantedittofeel like ‘TheFrench Connection’ —itwas aquestion if the camera could hold upto it.”

But it turns outthat VistaVision isn’tjust holding up, it’senjoying abig-screen revival. At last year’sOscars, LolCrawley won best cinematography for Brady Corbet’s“The Brutalist,” much of which was shoton VistaVision. This year,Baumanisnominated forthe same award after shooting an even greater amount of “One Battle After Another” (heestimates 80%) on VistaVision.

Bigger is better VistaVision is all aboutthe size of the negative. First introduced by Paramount with 1954’s“White Christmas,” it hasdoublethe resolution of standard 35mm. Normal film stock is four perforationswide,but VistaVision is eight.Tomake ahigherresolution image, the film runs horizontally through the camera, instead of vertically Before “OneBattleAfter Another,”the last film shot andprojectedon VistaVision was 1961’s“One-Eyed Jacks,” Marlon Brando’s soledirectorial effort. But, with some notable excep-

TODAYINHISTORY

Today is Sunday,March 8, the67thday of 2026.There are 298 days left inthe year.Daylight saving time returns at 2a.m. local time. Todayinhistory: On March 8, 1965, the United Stateslanded itsfirstcombat troops in South Vietnam as 3,500 Marines arrived to defendthe U.S. air base at Da Nang.

Also on this date:

In 1817, aconstitution was adoptedformally creating the New York Stock &Exchange Board, forerunner of the New York Stock Exchange.The constitution laid outrules for transactions and brokers initially gathered twicedaily in arented room on Wall Street to trade 30 stocks and bonds.

In 1917, protests against food rationing broke out in Petrograd (now St. Petersburg), triggering eight days of rioting that resulted in the abdication of Tsar Nicholas II and theend of the Russian monarchy

In 1948, the Supreme Court, in McCollum v. Board of Education, struck down religious education classes during school hours in Champaign, Illinois, publicschools, sayingthe program violated separation of church andstate In 1971, in the first of three fights between Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier,Frazierdefeated Ali by unanimous decision in what was billed as “The Fight of the Century”atMadison Square Garden in New York

In 1983, in aspeech to the National Association of Evangelicals convention in Orlando, Florida, President Ronald Reagan referredto theSovietUnion as an “evil empire.”

In 1988, 17 soldiers were killed when two Army helicopters from Fort Campbell,Kentucky,collidedduring anight trainingmission.

In 2008,President George W. Bushvetoed a bill that would have banned theCIA fromusing simulated drowning, or waterboarding, and other coercive interrogation methodstogain information fromsuspected terrorists.

In 2014, Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370, a Boeing 777 with 239 people on board, vanished during aflight from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing, settingoff amassive andultimatelyunsuccessful search. The aircraft’sdisappearance remains one of airtravel’smajor unsolved mysteries.

In 2023, the U.S. Justice Departmentfound that police in Louisville, Kentucky,had engagedinapattern of violating constitutional rightsand discriminationagainst theBlack community following an investigationprompted by the fatalpolice shootingofanAfrican American woman, BreonnaTaylor Today’sbirthdays: Author JohnMcPhee is 95. Songwriter Carole Bayer Sager is 82. Actormusician MickyDolenz(The Monkees)is81. BaseballHallofFamer Jim Rice is 73. Singer Gary Numan is 68. TV journalist LesterHolt is 67.Actor Aidan Quinn is 67. Actor Camryn Manheim is 65. Actor Freddie Prinze Jr.is50. Songwriter-producer Benny Blanco is38. Actor Montana Jordan is 23. Actor KitConnoris 22. Actor Samara Lee is 18.

tions(George Lucas shotthe visual effectsto1977’s“Star Wars” in VistaVision), Hollywood moved on Butnow,VistaVision is back in abig way.After being impressed withit for partsof2023’s“Poor Things” YorgosLanthimos and his cinematographer Robbie Ryan shot the best picture-nominated “Bugonia”onVistaVision. EmeraldFennell’sjust-released “Wuthering Heights” was also made with VistaVision. “It’sarevitalizationofa level of thecraft of cinematography,” Bauman says. “Photochemical has got a strong voiceinthe room, still.”

The 1950s-set “The Brutalist” helpedspark therevival “Wewere excited by the colorsand the feeling and theweight of the camera,” Mona Fastvold, co-writer and producer of “The Brutalist,” said in an interview last year.“It limitshow you move it anddictates the shots, which Ithink is somethingthatalsohelps to transport you back to theperiod.”

Aformatthatchallenges

VistaVision hasits drawbacks. The camera (which looks sideways) is awkward and noisy. Youcan film takes

only for about five minutes.

For her 2025 Shaker drama “The TestamentofAnn Lee,” Fastvold considered VistaVision but ultimatelydecided itscameras were too loud for the quiet intimacy she wanted.

But formanyfilmmakers, theextra hassleisworth it for thebeauty and clarity of theimage it creates.Anderson has been pondering it for awhile. He andBauman first met when thedirectorwas experimenting with VistaVision for 2012’s“The Master.” Anderson decided not to use it then,but he trieditout in a short film for ThomYorke’s “Anima.”

Just trackingdown the equipmentfor “OneBattle After Another” wasa challenge, though. Much of “One Battle After Another” was shotona cameraowned by the actor Giovanni Ribisi. He’slong been enamored by the capabilitiesofthe format and the tactile, vinyllike nature of the camera. Years ago, Ribisi acquired a Beaumont VistaVisioncamera, amore mobile camera than traditional VistaVision cameras. “It’snot something that youcan just press abutton and you just let it roll for twohoursItfightsback a

little bit, maybe toomuch,” Ribisi says, chuckling. “You kind of have to earn it, and I like that.”

For Ribisi, the VistaVision image speaks foritself: multidimensional, inviting, immersive. He thinks formats like VistaVision are more than analog novelty, buta richfuturefor increasingly image-savvy audiences.

“I don’tthink it’sjust a flash in the pan,” says Ribisi. “I think alot of people —especially with the phone calls I’m getting —are wanting to not just explore this but consider it their new sword in the battle forfilmmaking.”

The “One Battle” filmmakers added two other VistaVision cameras, rented from Geo Film Group, andaugmented the production with Super35mm.Theycontinued testing the Vista cameras evenonceshooting began. To lessen the noise forsome scenes, they built ablimp, or abox, around it. Historically,VistaVision has been used for formally composedvistas. But Anderson wanted to approach “One Battle AfterAnother” with amore’70s-style feel —essentially combining separate Hollywood eras, not unlike how the movie’s revolutionary saga blends generations in political resistance. So they leaned into the organic process, intentionally underexposing the film and then leaving it longer in development to add grain and texture.

VistaVision and CinemaScopewerebothfirst introduced as waytocombat the rise of television. VistaVision’ssecond life corresponds with anew age of anxiety formovies, where streaming and mega-sized flat-screen TVs have pushed filmsonto bigger and bigger screens.

Increasingly,film format is aselling point. Christopher Nolan and others have emphasized and promoted theuse of IMAX cameras Ryan Coogler’s “Sinners” was shoton70mm. In the case of “One Battle After

Another,” the movie was also projected in VistaVision, a first forawide release movie in morethan 60 years. Only four theaters were able to do it, including Quentin Tarantino’sVista Theatre in Los Angeles. Before the movie’srelease, Anderson urged moviegoers that “seeingfilmonfilmisthe way Nature intended.”

To project in VistaVision, theCoolidge CornerTheatre in Brookline, Massachusetts, went to unusuallengths, borrowingprojectors that had been on display from the George Eastman Museum At the Coolidge,audiences came in droves to see it on Vista, and “One Battle After Another”became thetheater’s highest-grossing feature ever

“People wereincrediblyinterested to come out and see whatthe fuss was about,” says Mark Anastasio, artistic director at the Coolidge. “Everyone was asking to peak into thebooth because we weretruly using museum pieces.”

To fit the VistaVision projectors into the projection booth, the Coolidge had to remove every other piece of equipment. Electricians worked overnight to get the projectors ready in time.

“There were multiple spools carrying filmall around theroom,”saysAnastasio. “Film was running up the wall, across the ceiling, across the projector horizontally.Itjustlooks so wild and alien to everything we’ve seen before. It made the booth come alive.” Bauman, meanwhile, has found himself swapping stories with other cinematographers on the campaign trail. Adolpho Veloso, also nominatedfor best cinematography,shot the period Pacific Northwest drama “Train Dreams” withAlexa 35, a highly sensitive digital camera thatallowed himtoshoot almost entirely with natural light. But Veloso has since shot much of M. Night Shyamalan’supcoming thriller “Remain” on VistaVision.

Rule-following guestendsupfeeling rude

Dear Miss Manners: After asking my dinner guestsnot to bring any dishes, some still do. My question is what do Idowhen

Person Ashows up withadish, andPerson B— lovely,lovely

Person B, who was polite and kind enough to take me at my word sees the exchange.

Person Binvariably getsembarrassed and asks if they should have brought something. Iusually say,“Oh,no! This is not apotluck.

correct to take you at your wordistogo about your evening. When you speak to Person Balone, add that you are most grateful for thecourtesy of being listened to.

Person Ajust had adish she really wanted to share.” But inside, Iamscreaming, “No, Person B, you have manners —unlike this completely overbearing person!

The problem is that Bisnever comfortable with my answer,even if Italk to them later and explain what happened. It’savery awkward situation.

I’m not worried about getting through to Person A; they’re alost cause. But how do Imake things right for B, who is absolutely adream dinner guest?

Gentle Reader: Short of dropping Person A’sdish on Person A’sfoot, theway to demonstrate to Person Bthat they were

Miss Manners is sure that that, coupled with your evident passion on the subject, will leave Person Binnodoubt as to how you truly feel.

Dear Miss Manners: We wereinformed of afriend’sdaughter’s wedding plans recently,and were surprised when the formal invitation stated “black tie optional.”

The black tie notation wasadouble whammy for us, as we are agay male couple. We have no intention of purchasing or renting tuxedos for this event, so theissue is whether to attend it at all.

My partner says that he would be comfortable wearing ablack suit, and that thehosts and the bridal couple would also be fine with that, as black tie is merely optional. He also notes that what passes for “black tie” these days looks very much like an ordinary black suit with afew shiny bits and ablack necktie,

Cleaning hard-to-reachplaces

so we wouldn’tstand out much. Imaintain that “optional” means“requested,” and that the real instruction is, “Black tie is expected so that you can contribute to the atmosphere we are attempting to create. If you attend less formally attired, we will be disappointed and perhaps miffed, but you won’tbe barred at the door.”

Iaminclined to decline the invitation forfear of irking the hosts, whotend to be rather formal anyway,and so as not to disrespect the bridal couple, whoclearly want the guests to help them create an effect on their special day Am Iinterpreting things correctly,or should Iaccept “optional” at face value?

Gentle Reader: Your partner is right about what passes forblack tie these days. And while you each perfectly define acompeting meaning of “black tie optional” in current use, Miss Manners does not know the happy couple, and therefore cannot say which applies. She would take “optional” seriously

Sendquestions to Miss Manners at dearmissmanners@gmail.com.

Dear Heloise: In response to thequestion about how to open fruit cups without spilling: Beforeopening it,tilt the cup back away from you so that the juice is away from one side. When opening it, tilt it back toward you while continuing to peel off the top. Works like acharm! —Terri M., in Youngstown, Ohio Extendingthe life of shoes

Dear Heloise: Ilove shoes, and Ilike to buy good-quality shoes that will last.I don’tsplurge for designer shoes, but Ido have away to make my shoes last for a long time in pristine condition: Idon’tdrive in them or walk in them at my big parking lot at work. Instead, Icarry theshoes or bootsthat I’ve planned to wear for the day in abag. I also have shoes that are just for walking and driving. When Iget to work, then Iput on the shoes that Ibrought to go withmyoutfit for theday Ihave very good luck at extending the life of my shoes, and it’snot ahassle at all. Ialso employ acobbler when necessary! —Linda L., in San Antonio

Dear Heloise: Ihave found asolution to thepesky job of cleaning under appliances. Itake ayardstick and wrap the end with acleaning pad; then Irun it under thestoveand fridge, getting most or all of the dirt hiding there. —Judy B.,in Vancouver,Washington Judy,Idothe samething. It’salmost impossible to clean under somepieces of furniture or appliances. If arepairman comes in and needs to movethe item,itcan get alittle embarrassing if he finds athick layer of dirt, pet hair,and maybe abug or alost earring. Ayardstick with adust cloth on the end works well. —Heloise Pollyanna letters

Dear Heloise: Iknow Christmas is over, but Iwish people would stop sending annual Christmas letters. Yes, somefolkslike them, but Idon’t know why.Every boring detail (from every new appliance they bought to a 3-year old losing his first tooth) thrills theauthors,but what makes them think that people find their lives so interesting? Igot such aletter from my sister-inlaw this year.She forgot to mention her pregnant 16-year-old whodropped out of

school. There wasnomention of her youngest kid climbing atree in asnowstorm and getting stuck there. They had to call the fire department to get him down. Sadly,their dog ran away from home, but there was no mention of him either Please think before you send aPollyanna letter.Just pick up the phone and call whomever you wish to update instead. Gloria W.,inPonca City,Oklahoma Peskyportals

Dear Heloise: Ihave adifficult time keeping track of my different doctors’ patient portals whenI want to contact them via email or check an appointment or atest result. How do you and your readers know where to go? —K.B., in UniversalCity, Texas K.B., Idon’tseem to have this problem, but maybe one of my readers would like to send ahint on how they retrieve their information. One idea might be to call the doctors’ offices and ask them to send you avirtual tutorial on how to use the portal for their respective office or hospital. —Heloise Sendahinttoheloise@heloise.com.

THE NEXT BATCH

BY RICH COLLINS Staff writer

New OrleansEntrepreneur Week, the annual celebrationof startup businesses, turns 16 this year And, like many teenagers, the event is trying out anew identity. NOEW debuted in 2010, when business leadersin post-Hurricane Katrina New Orleans were looking forwaystocreateand keep jobs in the city.Inthe years that followed, its non-

profit producer experimentedwith different formats, teamed up with variouspartners and piggybacked on other events to boostawarenessand attendance.

IDEAS

INNOVATION & IDEA

Now, forthe first time, Loyola University New Orleans has taken over productionofthe event, shifting thefocus away from high-growth ventures and toward supporting budding entrepreneurs of all types and increasing the school’s role as agathering place for the region’s business community

Highlights of the five-day event include aconversation between NewOrleans Mayor Helena Moreno and national political podcasterTim Miller; akeynote address from former Tesla and Lyft executive Jon McNeill; and a talk fromNicolaCorzine,ofthe Nas-

daqEntrepreneurialCenter, whichrecently released areport praising New Orleans’ startup growth. In all, morethan70speakers have been curated to support the next batch of “tech founders in hoodies” alongwithentrepreneurs of alltypes that reflect the diversity and reality of the south Louisiana economy,according to Lisa LaCour,part of the NOEW programming team

“Entrepreneurship in NewOrleans has always looked different, whether it’smusicians building hospitality

ä See NOEW, page 2E

Covingtonfirm renews Navy contract for$291M

BY IANNE SALVOSA Staff writer

ACovington-based offshore transport service company was awarded acontract to continue work on Navy-owned vessels.

Hornbeck Offshore Services will operate and maintain four Navy-ownedships in a$291million contract that extends aprevious contract with the military to work on the vessels. Hornbeck began work on the vessels in Kings Bay, Georgia, and Bangor,Washington, earlier this month.

The ships are owned by the Navy’sMilitary Sealift Command the Department of Defense’ssea transportation provider comprised of 125 civilian-crewed vessels that assistthe Navy by transporting supplies, conducting surveillance and data missions and maintaining combat cargo near ships for quick deployment.

The contractcovers four Navy vessels: USNS BlackPowder, USNS Westwind, USNSEagleview and USNS Arrowhead, whichare Transportation AuxiliaryGeneral Submarine Escort ships, allpart of the Military Sealift Command’s Submarine and SpecialWarfare Support. The four ships help move

NOEW

Continued from page1E

empires, restaurant owners becoming tech founders, or community organizersturning social impact into sustainable business models,” said LaCour, founderof the marketing firm The Vault Collective.“We haven’tcelebrated that as loudly as we should.”

‘Don’t have to play ringleader’ NOEW gets underway Mondayat various satellite locations around the city and continues throughout the week, moving to Loyola’s campus for atwo-day summiton Thursday and Friday

Several panels will examine business models basedon music, art and community.Another will spotlight Louisiana’splans for tech innovation. There will be fundraising advice, alook at multigenerationalfamily businessesand a talk about historically Black colleges or universities as engines of Black innovation. A“crazy ideas” challenge will offer up to$5,000 in scholarships and other prizes.

New wellness programming includes a“networkingwalk” around Audubon Park, breathing exercises and ademonstration of a10-minute meditation. Event organizers say the moments of mindfulness aredesigned to improve clarity,decision-making and composure —all critical to running a successful business.

“Our school’smission and the goal of the event is to bringas much of the communitytogether as possible,” said Sam McCabe, director of Loyola’sCenter for Entrepreneurship and Community Development, which is responsible for NOEW programming. “Whether you’re startingan icecream shop or anew tech venture, this community wants to buildyou up.” Organizerssay theholisticapproachreflects Loyola’sJesuit values— and NOEW’schanging role in the evolving New Orleans startup scene. Sixteen years ago, The Idea Village, the nonprofitbusiness acceleratorthatstarted NOEW,was one of the few institutionsintown servingthatcommunity,sothe event was away to create momentum. Now,the scene has grownand spreadout.

Tulane University and Ochsner Health have both launched innovation-focusedentities to support new ventures. The Nieux on St. Charles Avenue hosts asteady stream of innovation-themed events. Economic development groups like Greater New Orleans Inc. and Louisiana Economic Development have made innovation key priorities. New venture capital firms, like Boot64,Corridor Ventures and 1834 Ventures, have cropped up to search for promising young companies.And at least one new private equity fund is planning bigger bets on moremature enterprises. As aresult of that growth, organizerssay,NOEW’smission is less about kickstarting ascene as it is getting everyone together andon the same page for afew dayseach year “Originally,they had to manifestsomething out of nothing,” said Matt Wolfe, chief marketing officer at GNO Inc., the nonprofit economic development organization that provides NOEW withfinancial and programming support. “Now we have legitimate startups, capital on the table and successful

Hornbeck Offshore Services wasawarded

ships.

military equipment and personnel on submarines andspecial operations.

They’re apart of theMilitary Sealift Command’sSpecialMissionprogram, agroup of 20 vesselsthat performmissile tracking, oceanographicand hydrographic surveys, acoustic surveys, underwater surveillance, submarine

support andspecial warfaresupport.Theyserve various military and government players, including the Environmental Protection Agency,the Air Force and the U.S. Fleet Forces Command. Jennings-based Leevac Industries built thefourvessels in 2008 and 2009 for Hornbeck, which chartered them to the Navy.Con-

Attendees ofthe 2025New Orleans EntrepreneurWeek network on thecampus of Loyola University NewOrleans. Loyola is shifting the event’sfocus this year toward supporting budding entrepreneurs of all typesand increasingthe school’srole as agathering place for the region’s business community

company‘exits,’sothey don’thave to playringleaderinthe sameway anymore.

For Bobby Savoie,dean of Loyola’sJoseph A. Butt, S.J. College of Business and founder of several successful software companies, NOEW also is a chancetoconnect promising students with potential employers while bringing energy to the business programhe’s led for the last two years.

Savoie said last year’s event, which attractedroughly 3,000 people citywide and 1,200 to Loyola, waswell-received by students, faculty and participants.

“Mixingentrepreneurs, investors and speakers with the campus really gelled,” he said. “Wesaw that this could work.”

‘Like rock stars’

The seedsofNOEW date back to 2006, when The Idea Village partnered withTulanetoconnect MBA students with entrepreneurs lookingfor help after Katrina. Over the next couple of years, out-of-town studentsfrom StanfordUniversity and other schools jumped intothe fray,along withemployees of corporationslikeGoogleand Salesforce.

In 2009, organizers brought all theteamstogether for aone-week challengeatTulane’s business school. In 2010, they changed the event’sname to NOEW and added apitch competition for outside entrepreneurs.

That year,West Coastinvestor Jim Coulter,who hastiestoNew Orleans, joined as afinancial backer andprogramming partner. For several years after,hewas instrumentalto NOEW’sgrowth.

By 2012, the annual gathering was attracting hundreds of attendees toraucous “fan vote” pitch competitions that hadMardiGras parade energy

“The peopleonstage were like rock stars or Saints players,”said TimWilliamson, co-founderand former CEO of The Idea Village. “Entrepreneurship had become part of ourculture.”

NOEW continuedtogrow throughout the 2010s with help from partner organizations. After apandemicbreak, organizers experimented with different formats, adding alivemusic festival one year,and launching the “NOEW in Your Neighborhood” series of events across the metro area.

But the biggestchangecame with thehandoff of production to Loyola, which co-produced theevent lastyear with The Idea Village and took it over completely this year

The Idea Village CEO Jon Atkinsonsaidthe move helps his organization focus on the needs of venture-funded, high-growth startups anditallows NOEW to return to its roots andbe the“place whereNew Orleans comes togethertoenvision the future.”

Fillingagap on themap

The change has freed up The IdeaVillage to producea related event, the 3rdCoastVenture Summit. Theinvitationonly gathering scheduled for thesame week is designed to connect promising Gulf South companieswithdeep-pocketed national investors

Andrew Albert, programs director at The Idea Village, said the goal of the 3-year-old summit is to leveragethe region’s expertise in industrieslike maritime, energy and manufacturing while getting investors accustomed to coming to New Orleans to look foropportunities,filling in thegap on the map between Houston and Atlanta.

“Wewanttoserveanyone who’s‘Gulf South curious,’”he said. “JPMorgan Chase alone is investing $4 trillion in the region, and that’s asignal that investors seevalue in what we create here.”

The summitwill take place Tuesday andWednesday at the Common HouseNew Orleans, then movetoLoyola’scampus foraninvestorbreakfast that will tie the two events together

Savoie said theone-two punch will show thepotential of the city’sbusiness community “Wehave agreat ecosystem that’sbeen built here,” he said. “Ifyou give these companies permissiontosucceed andgive themsupport, they’re going to kick ass.”

Email Rich Collinsatrich. collins@theadvocate.com.

gress required themilitary branch to acquirethe vesselsinorder to keep using them,and Hornbeck sold thefourships to the Navy for $152 million in 2015.

The Navy awarded Hornbeck a10-year operations and maintenancecontract with theacquisitionthatexpired lastyear.The company waspreviously awarded

LEGISLATURE

Continuedfrom page1E

civil lawsuits and lower insurance payoutstouninsured motorists injured in accidents.

They’ll also be playing defense on theissue of carbon sequestration,a key element of the “all-ofthe-above-energy” policy promoted by Gov. Jeff Landry and his predecessor,formerGov.JohnBel Edwards.

“There have been aton of bills filed that are anti-carbon capture and sequestration,” saidJim Patterson,executive vice president of the Louisiana Association of Business and Industry.“There is alot of fear,alot of thatisill-informed. We need to make sure companies know that they can comehere and operate.”

Consolidatingmoney, authority

The session comes more than two years intoLandry’sterm.During thattime, his pro-business administration has simplified the state’s tax code to make it more friendly to companies, rolled back regulations opposed by big industry,created new incentives to attract data centers andother manufacturers, and reorganized the state’seconomic development agency

Thegovernorand Louisiana EconomicDevelopment officials say those changes have paid offin billions of dollars in new projects planned or under construction, including Meta and Amazon artificial intelligence data centersinnorth Louisiana, aHyundai steel mill in Ascension Parish and new liquified naturalgas facilitiesalong the Gulf Coast.

Thosebig-ticketindustrial projects have created additional demand for newconstruction workers, who were alreadyinshort supply.The health care, hospitality andmanufacturing sectorsalsoare stretchedthin, according to data from theGreater Baton Rouge Industry Alliance, which projects that Louisiana will need about 70,000 more skilledtradespeople over the next five years.

Amongthe measures business groups are pushing is abill by Rep. John Wyble,R-Franklinton, that would consolidate power and millions of federal workforce training dollars under Louisiana Works, the former Louisiana Workforce Commission, whichwas restructured during the 2025 legislative session.

Thosefederal dollars, whichtotaled$115 million thisyear,currently flowto15different regional councils charged with devising and overseeing workforce training in their respectivegeographicareas Wyble’sbillwould effectivelyfunnel themoney andcontrol to the state,which advocates saywould allow for greater coordination, oversight and efficiency

“A lotoftimes, the funding is just notascoordinatedasitcould be,” Pattersonsaid. “All these regional boards are operating in their own

a$48 millioncontract in February2025 to operate andmaintain the four vessels that expired last month.

Hornbeck operates afleet of offshore supply vessels to support the oil and gas industry,the U.S military and offshore construction, mainly in the Gulf. They’re headquartered in Covington and have offices in Houston,Braziland Mexico.

The continuation of the contract builds on Louisiana’sroleinthe Navy,being hometothe Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Baseand Naval Support Activity base, both in NewOrleans. The state is also home to other defense contractorsincludingThoma-Sea Marine Constructors, amarineconstruction company based in Houma, and Swiftships, ashipbuilding and engineering company with three offices in south Louisiana.

Hornbeck was founded in 1997 andoperatesa fleet of nearly75 offshore supply vessels and multipurpose support vessels that operate primarily the Gulf of Mexico, the East Coast and West Coast, Brazil and the Caribbean.

Email Ianne Salvosaatianne. salvosa@theadvocate.com.

little theater,and there’s no ability to make sure we have all been rowing in the same direction.”

Arelatedbill by Rep. Stephanie Berault, R-Slidell, would create the funding mechanism for the new workforce training initiative, establishing the Bayou Growth Opportunity Fund, whichalso would be administered by Louisiana Works.

“It’sgreatweare on themap as aplace where folks can comeand situate their business,” Patterson said.“Butwehaveanumberof folks whoare not in the workforce because they lack the skill set. That is something we aretrying to address.”

Trying again

As in the past, business lobbyistswill be pushing bills that would lower the duration and cost of workers’ compensationclaims, whichare among the costliest in the U.S. even thoughthe state has someofthe lowest incident rates of workplace injuries in the nation. That’saccording to statisticsfrom the national Workers Compensation Research Institute, anonprofit research organization.

Abill by Rep. Gabe Firment, RPollock, wouldimpose new rules on workers’ compensation claims.Another measure by Rep. Raymond Crews, R-Shreveport, would abolish the Workers Compensation Advisory Council, as part of abroader restructuring of the system.

Business groups will also try again to tackle tort reform, an area where they have had only limited success because of the state’spowerful trial bar.This session, abill by Sen. Jay Morris, R-Monroe, would make it harder to get money for mental anguish or emotional distress absent physical injury,requiring theplaintiff to prove “outrageous conduct” by adefendant. In auto insurance, abill by Rep. Dennis Bamburg, another Monroe Republican, would extend the law,which denies recovery for the first $100,000 of bodily injury or property damage for an uninsured motorist, to those whose insurance coverage has lapsed for more than 30 days.

Playingdefense

Newonthe agenda forthis session are aseries of bills that would ensure carbon capture and sequestration is allowed to go forward. Environmental groups and residents of areas near proposed injection wells areincreasingly opposedto the projects, which have already received federal permits and represent billions in new investment for the state. Several bills would ban or restrict new carbon wells. LABI and groups that lobby forthe petrochemical industry are supporting measures that prevent such limits.

“The Legislatureneeds to say there is no reason for these projects not to go forward,” Patterson said. “There arejobsand opportunities and everyone needs to calm down and relax.”

EmailStephanie Riegel at stephanie.riegel@theadvocate. com.

TALKING BUSINESS

ASK THE EXPERTS

CEO launched nonprofit to meet training demands

BY RICH COLLINS Staff writer

In 2018, educator Claire Jecklin

led a team that launched the New Orleans Career Center with a mission to create pathways into “midskilled” careers in health care, construction and other sectors that don’t always require the traditional higher education route.

The nonprofit moved from one location to another for five years while contractors completed a $27 million renovation of the former McDonogh 35 High School building in Treme. Now, the career center operates out of the building, which reopened in 2023 offering training to Orleans Parish high school students and adults in the building trades, health care, hospitality and engineering, among other tracks.

The center’s enrollment has grown from 100 to 800 students, fueled in large part by the move into its 143,000-square-foot facility

Jecklin, who spent a decade at New Orleans Charter Science & Mathematics High School before launching the career center, explains why demand for workers in the building trades, health care and other industries is strong and how her 50-person team navigates a complicated web of funding sources to keep the center growing.

This conversation has been edited for brevity and clarity

NOCC offers training in several fields.Where are you seeing the most demand?

Health care continues to be big, but the building trades make up the biggest area of enrollment growth, grant and investment growth, and demand from employer partners. Our new facility is what has allowed that to happen. We teach carpentry, electrical, HVAC and welding. We’re about to add plumbing. We train just over 200 people every day, and right now, the largest specific enrollment area is electrical, which I think is great because it’s also the area where we’re seeing the largest growth in the state, whether it’s for big projects like the Meta center or others.

city that needs a lot of repairs and historic renovation work, but we also have new projects on the horizon like the Shell headquarters in the River District.

We’re also training for Ochsner Health and Providence Housing. We have created customized training for Sheraton. We also had program participants last year who were hired after doing facilities maintenance internships at the LSU Health Sciences Center

And what’s the focus in health care?

The No. 1 high-demand job in the U.S. is a nurse.

medical sonographer, lab tech.

There’s need for those allied health jobs that require a two-year degree and licensing board.

We provide a pipeline to the licensed practical nursing programs

We tee people up to make that choice and know why they’re making it and know what the jobs are.

What other training do you offer?

We train about 50 high school students in culinary arts but you can only really train 20 at a time safely We don’t train adults in this field because there are other strong providers in the community

The building is beautiful How did it get funded?

It was paid for through a combination of the last of the FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency) recovery dollars from Hurricane Katrina, Community Development Block Grants and tax credits related to our function in job training. Unlike many projects, where one person puts the stake in the ground that makes everything possible, in this case, it was many folks.

The career center came to be at a time when the Recovery School District and Orleans Parish School Board were merging into one, and both entities had to agree on the plan. The Louisiana Department of Education approved the project.

The most significant investor is the city We received $2 million in American Rescue Plan funding that was approved by the City Council, and the state provided capital outlay dollars.

The facility is owned by Orleans Parish School Board, but we are the operators and we have a contract to provide the services. Every openenrollment public high school has students here this year Who comes to NOCC?

Why is there demand now for building trades in particular?

One reason is the silver tsunami of baby boomers reaching retirement age. Statewide infrastructure projects also create demand. Power generation and transmission projects, whether traditional or sustainable and green variations, are all actually construction jobs, as is a potential road to connect new port facilities to the highway system and water management infrastructure. So much of the investment in Louisiana requires skills in the building trades to fill those jobs, and the city of New Orleans is always going to have different needs. We are an old

Health care is an example of where you have both a retiring workforce and that retiring workforce needs care, so the pre-nursing pipeline is huge. To respond to that, we do certified nursing assistant training. We also do some patient-care tech training. We also do medical assistant training, and licensed practical nursing training in partnership with Delgado and Ochsner

We don’t do two-year and fouryear degree paths, but we are providing exposure and education around what those jobs are and other high-demand jobs: X-ray tech,

Beyond Boundaries.

Thehealthcareindustryhas asingle constant:change.

As thefastest-growing sector of theAmerican economy, thehealthcareindustryisalwaysinastate of change in response to macroeconomic forces, thepublic’sdemand forhigh-quality andaccessible healthcare,and fiscal constraints. We help ourclients successfullynavigateachallenging andconstantly evolving business andregulatory landscape as they create andrespond to newdeliverymodelstomeet thesenew challenges.

William H. Hines

Managing Partner bhines@joneswalker.com 504.582.8000

201St. CharlesAvenue NewOrleans,LA70170-5100 joneswalker.com

We also have an introduction to all of the types of engineering, which is in demand and usually requires a college path afterward.

How did NOCC come to be?

I loved my job as principal at Sci High (a New Orleans charter school), which has spaces for makers, trades and health care. It was wonderful for the 400 students that we serve, but I wanted it for everybody, so we created a nonprofit.

I never would have gotten there on my own, but I credit founding board member Dana Peterson, who runs New Schools for New Orleans, for her guidance.

The largest number of seats are available for students who enroll through their New Orleans public high school. We also offer a bridge year, which is a fifth year of public education, and adult training. If you receive SNAP benefits, you can access the training. We also train for employers through private agreements.

What are challenges?

There’s a shrinking student population, and education funding is tricky

I’ve never met anyone who thought that the career center was a bad idea. Everyone wants people to have jobs and wants communities to be prosperous and people to have connections. It’s just a question of what resources exist to make that possible.

Email Rich Collins at rich. collins@theadvocate.com

Although pandemic-eraflexibilities have largely expired, telemedicine anddigitalhealthremain integral to thecountry’s healthcare delivery. Regulatory uncertainty, fundingcuts, and fragmentedstate laws create compliance pressure,while artificialintelligence(AI) integrationaccelerates diagnosticsand workflowoptimizationbut raises apprehension around bias,liability,and cybersecurity. However, global initiativesreinforce digital health’s importanceworldwideand venture capitalremainsstrong forclinicallyvalidated solutions,signaling resilience despiteeconomic volatility.Ultimately, success hingesonrobust complianceframeworksand balanced regulation to sustain access,efficiency,and qualityinanevolvingtelemedicine and digitalhealthcarelandscape

Ourfirm is proudtohelpleadthe wayforwardfor Louisiana healthcare providersand supportcompanies as they undergo digitaltransformationand adapttoa dynamicand intricatelegal andregulatoryenvironment.

FROM DABBLERS TO DAY TRADERS

Individual investors’ impact on Wall Street growing

BY ALEX VEIGA AP business writer

LOS ANGELES For years, individual investors were dismissed by some on Wall Street as “dumb money.”

That typically referred to those prone to trading on hype, or chasing trends rather than company or industry fundamentals, or responding late to big market moves.

That’s no longer the case.

An analysis of where individual investors put their money last year shows they outperformed two of the most popular, professionally managed index funds, SPY and QQQ, whose goal is to mirror the performance of the S&P 500 and Nasdaq 100, respectively

These investors, also known as retail investors, accounted for $5.4 trillion in trading activity in 2025 across stocks and exchangetraded funds, according to Vanda, an independent data and research firm. That’s a nearly 47% increase from the previous year and the most going back to at least 2014.

“I personally want to dispel the myth of retail being dumb money, because it’s not dumb money anymore,” Joe Mazzola, head trading and derivatives strategist at Charles Schwab, said in November at an investor education event in Anaheim, California, that drew around 800 of the financial services company’s clients.

or attending investing seminars like Schwab’s.

“I learned a lot more about options strategies and charting and everything from there,” he said in an interview in November “Now I’m independent. I just look for my own trades. I have my own strategy I hunt on my own.”

Sabia, a high school registrar, said he trades in cryptocurrencies and other assets but that his “bread and butter” is options trading.

That involves trading contracts to buy or sell a stock at a specific price before a specified date. This can be less costly upfront than buying stocks, but can also be riskier, because options expire and a small move in a stock’s price can translate into a big swing in the value of options contracts.

Many Americans have long invested in the stock market, although largely hands-off through managed funds in retirement plans, such as a 401(k). But over the last decade, the advent of mobile trading apps, zerocommission trading, stock market-focused communities on social media and online tools for education and research has helped usher in a new era of do-it-yourself trading in stocks, crypto and other investments. The COVID-19 lockdowns were an inflection point. A new crop of investors, many young newcomers using investing apps like Robinhood, helped drive the “meme stock” frenzy that catapulted the price of GameStop, AMC Entertainment and other stocks. Meme stocks aside, years of mostly uninterrupted,

strong stock market gains provided an attractive backdrop for more people to take up investing. The benchmark S&P 500 has posted an annual loss only three times going back to 2015.

By early last year, the number of people moving money from checking accounts to investment accounts reached its highest levels since 2021, according to a report by JPMorgan Chase. Some may have been younger Americans who couldn’t afford to buy a house and instead put the money in stocks, the report suggests.

All told, money coming into the market from indi-

vidual investors jumped about 50% from 2023 to early 2025, according to the report.

“I would say they are considerably more important as a force in markets right now,” said Steve Sosnick, chief strategist at Interactive Brokers. “Markets used to be really dominated by institutional investors, but if you put enough ants together they can move a very big log.”

Frank Sabia, of Encino, California, started dabbling in investing in 2018. Over the years, he’s leveled up his market and trading knowledge by joining private investor chat groups online

Last April, Sabia opened a Roth IRA account and bought into the market as stocks tanked after President Donald Trump announced a sweeping set of tariffs that were more severe than investors expected. The announcement sent the S&P 500 into a two-day tailspin of more than 10%, the type of plunge not seen since the 2020 COVID crash.

“I just bought the dip,” Sabia said. He wasn’t alone. Retail investors seized on the market skid, buying more than $5 billion in stocks over the two days, according to Vanda.

“In April, it was retail (investors) that bought the dip,” Mazzola said. “They were the ones that were willing to step in front They saw the opportunity.”

Retail investors also had one of their biggest buythe-dip days of the year on Oct. 10, when the market dropped 2.7% after Trump threatened a “massive increase on tariffs” on China Many retail investors have gone beyond stocks or ETFs and into other investment vehicles. Options trading, which can expose them to higher risk, accounted for about $650 billion of retail investors’ trading last year and has been mostly rising steadily going back to at least 2019, according to Vanda.

It’s not uncommon for retail investors to strike a balance between higher-risk moves and making trades to build out a long-term investment portfolio. Andy Hu, a financial analyst in Los Angeles who attended the Schwab event in November, said he had 50% of his investment portfolio in the SPDR S&P 500 ETF

ANewLouisianaFundTurnsSite PreparationIntoaRevolvingInvestment

Forthe firsttime, Louisianais deploying statedollarstoprepare industrial sitesfor development throughadisciplined investment framework—not grants or giveaways.

LouisianaFastSites targetssites with real market demandbut aremissing critical infrastructure: water, sewer, utilities,railorroadaccess. As sites aresold or leased,the Staterecoversits investment andredeploys thosefunds into future site and infrastructureprojects, creating aself-sustaining revolving fund

Louisianahas already seen thebenefitsof proactiveinvestmentinreadiness.State-supported infrastructureand site preparation have helped enable majorprojects, including more than 5,000 jobs associatedwithHyundaiSteel andover $875 millionincontracts awardedtoLouisianabasedbusinessesthrough Meta’s investment

This month, 19 sites across 16 Louisianaparishes move forwardinthe program’sfirst competitive round.Morethan $330 million in competitive requests were submittedstatewide,withpublic andprivate landownersproposing partnerships that return statecapital,quickly fueling thenext wave of development.

This isn’teconomicdevelopment as usual. It’s adisciplined capitalstrategydesignedtokeep reinvestinginLouisiana’sgrowth.

Issued Feb. 25 to March 3

Commercial alterations

OTHER: 306 Monroe St.; description

renovations to Belle’s Tower; applicant and contractor, Williams Bros. Holdings; $50,000

OTHER: 1301 Surrey St.; description improvements to Juvenile Detention Center; applicant, Prouet Architectureand Engineering; contractor, Hill Construction; $1.75 million.

RECREATION: 411 W. BluebirdDrive; description, improvements to Comeaux Recreation Center; applicant, Ziler Architects; contractor, Manuel Commercial;$519,711.

OTHER: 150 Banks Ave.; description,new offices; applicant and contractor, SLCConstruction, $45,000.

HOSPITAL: 1105 Kaliste Saloom Road; description, central energy plantupgrades at Our Lady of LourdesHeartHospital; applicant, ADG Engineering; contractor, Kent Design Build; $5,000.

Newcommercial

CHURCH: 1803 Duhon Road, Duson;description, improvements to St. Basil Cemetery; applicant and contractor, Cemetery Services Group; $374,200

Commercial demolition

OTHER: 1340 Richfield Road,Duson; description, none listed; applicant, Rudick Construction Group; contractor, Rudick Company; $10,000.

Newresidential

107 ARAGO COURT: Brian S. Guidry

$1,099,500.

917 POPEDRIVE, CARENCRO: Heath Homes, $424,125.

101 HILL CREEK DRIVE: DR Horton, $326,125. 200 CHAMBERLAIN ROAD,RAYNE: Platinum Homes, $581,500.

113 LAKE OAKDRIVE: DR Horton, $271,625. 112 LAKE OAKDRIVE: DR Horton, $248,625.

132 LANTERN LANE: Nicholas Roberie, $635,000.

308 MONARCH DRIVE 2: RJacob Custom Homes, $216,125.

120 TOPRIDGE ROAD,DUSON: DR Horton, $353,375

121 TOPRIDGEROAD, DUSON: DR Horton, $349,250.

111 EDEN RIDGE ST., DUSON: DR Horton, $266,875.

121 EQUIPMENT LANE, CARENCRO: Kimberly and Marcus Johnson, $619,375.

101 KIMBALLDRIVE: Prestigious Home Builders, $521,250.

307 BELLEWOOD DRIVE: DR Horton, $260,875.

200 EAGLEHEIGHTS DRIVE,DUSON: DR Horton, $248,625.

113 WHITCOMB ROAD: Streamline Construction, $716,750

728 KILCHRIST ROAD,CARENCRO: Five Bs Development, $343,000

103 REFUGE DRIVE, YOUNGSVILLE: McLain Homes, $165,250. 107 GRIMMON ROAD,YOUNGSVILLE: DSLD, $163,200.

Youngsville shopping center sells for$1.9M

Asmall shopping center in the old part of Youngsville sold recently for justover $1.9 million.

TheYoungsville Midtown Square, 327 Iberia St., was sold recently to an LLC represented by local investor SushruthGangam, Elifin Realty officials announced.

Youngsville Medical Plaza LLC wasthe seller

The shopping center,which opened in 2008, is anchored by The Acadiana Bar&Grill and also housesCypress Medical and McBade Engineering &Consultants. Twospaces, each 3,200 square feet,are vacant.

Ryan Politoand Clinton Shepard, Lee &Associates, represented the buyer.Sal Crifasi,ofCapstone Investment Partners, represented the seller

KLFY cuts 6jobs as part of companywidemoves

KLFY has fired ahalf-dozen employees as partofacompany-

Fool’sTake:

Dividend communication

wide round of cuts

Asource closetothe situation indicated theLafayette CBS affiliate cut itscreative services department, which handles the commercialproductionand the station’spromotions,onWednesday

Thestation’sparentcompany, Nexstar Media Group, made cuts at several otherstations across the country.Similar cuts were made at the company’sother Louisianaproperties, the source indicated.

The cuts are part of an effort to reduce costs as Nexstar prepares for its$6.2 billion merger with Tegna that was announcedin August, reportsindicate.

Otherstationshad bigger cuts, including Los Angeles’ KTLA, whichlost two meteorologists and twomidday anchors.

It’s the latest change in Acadiana’s television landscape. Deals for Gray Media to acquire KADN and KATC are still awaiting Federal Communications Commission approval in amove that experts saycould lead the two stations to merge.

FCC officials have also yet to rule on the Nexstar-Tegna merger Scott shopping center sells for $4.5M

Ashopping center in Scott that is anchored by aPiggly Wiggly supermarket hasbeen sold for $4.5 million. TheScott OaksPlaza, 5500-5545 CameronSt.,soldtoanLLC registered to aMemphis, Tennesseebased commercial real estate group, land records show

Thesellerwas an LLC registered to Houston-based 5Rivers CRE. It bought the shopping center from an LLC registered to longtime Lafayette businessman Mike Maraist 10 years ago for nearly$5.5 million,records show. The deal includes the main shopping center and the outparcel to the west.Other tenants include ScottEye Care,Super Taters restaurant andAcadiana Jiu Jitsu.

The shopping center opened in 1985 with70,000 square feet of leasable space that was anchored

by aWinn-Dixie supermarket and included an Eckerd Drug store, reports indicate.

Ambassador Target to open baby boutique

Target will launchababyboutique inside several of its stores, including theLafayette store on Ambassador Caffery Parkway, later this year,storeofficials announced.

The boutique will be ashop-inshopexperience,whichwill be rolledout in 200 stores andonline this month. Similar boutiques will open in Target stores in Metairie and Covington. It will offer anew space in the storeand online forbabyproducts that will include new brands, including UPPAbaby,Bugaboo, Stokke and Doona. The boutique will also include afreeappointment-based baby concierge service for personalized guidance. Target will launchits first Baby Boutique at aBoston store at the endofthe month, withother stores to follow throughout the year

Verizon Communications (NYSE: VZ), which had arecent market value northof$200 billion, provides telecommunicationsservices to millionsof consumers and businesses worldwide. Its recent dividend yield of 5.8% should be enticingtoincome-seeking investors,along with thefact that the telecom leader has increased its dividend for 19 consecutive years. Management appearstobecommitted to extending that impressive streak of dividend hikes. Notably,Verizon’sfinancial strength is improving. It just had one of its best quarters in years, with nearly 1million net additions (added accounts minus dropped accounts)to its mobile and broadband ser-

vices —the mostsince 2019. For 2026, it expects to double or triple its postpaid phone net additions, increase its earnings per share by 4% to 5% and boost its free cash flow by 7%.

Verizon is also at an inflection point.Inits fourth-quarter update, CEO Dan Shulman noted that the recent close of its Frontier Communications acquisition was asignificant milestoneinVerizon’splan to deliver stronger growth. The stock may not be afast grower,but anyone buying at recent levels is likely toenjoy significant dividend income —along with thestock’s price appreciation over time. (The Motley Fool recommends Verizon Communications.)

Fool’sSchool: Required minimum distributions

Youmay not realizeit, but certain kinds of retirement accounts feature mandatory “required minimum distri-

butions” —and the penalty for not following the rules is severe. You’ll find thatRMDs generally apply to tax-deferred retirement accounts suchas traditional, rollover,inherited, SEP andSIMPLE IRAs, as well as to traditional 401(k)s. Note, though, thatRothIRAs do nothaveRMDs, nordo Roth 401(k) accounts, during theaccount owner’slifetime. RMDs must be withdrawn by Dec.31ofeachyear,once you turn 73. There’s an exception for your first RMD, though. Forthe year in which you turn 73, youhave until April1 of the following year to take your first RMD. So, if you turn 73 in 2026, you’ll have until April 1, 2027, to do so.

Note thatifyou do delay your first RMD until the following year,yoursecond RMDwill be due thenaswell, and withdrawing amuch larger sumfor thatyear might pushyou into ahighertax

bracket andplump up your taxbill.

Above all, don’tbelate taking your RMDs because if youfailtotakeanRMD on time,the IRS canpenalize you25% of the amount youshould have taken. So if youneeded to withdraw,say, $8,000, youmight have to fork over $2,000! (There’s abit of a grace periodhere; if you spot your mistake soon after the due date andtakeyour RMD, the penalty mayfall to 10%, costing youjust $800.)

If you’re wondering, RMDs arecalculated based on factors suchasthe fair market value of your account as of the endofthe previous year, alongwith your ageand life expectancy.The IRS offers tablestohelpyou determine your RMD. Many companies thatmanageretirement accounts will automatically calculate RMDs for account holders, andsome also letyou setupautomatedannualwithdrawals.

Rooted in PlaqueminesParish: ALifeinLouisiana’s Menhaden Industry

AlongLouisiana’s coast, themenhaden industry hasquietly poweredlocal economies for generations–providing industrial jobs,rebuilding communitiesafter disasters, andallowingfamiliestostayrooted in ruralcoastal parishes.The small, silvery fishharvested in theGulfare processedinto high-proteinfish meal andnutrient-rich oil used in aquaculture, petfood, agriculture, andother essentialproducts. In Plaquemines Parish,thatworksupportsfamilies, schools, andsmall businesses

ForTravisHarvey, it hassupported an entire life

“Thiswillbemy29thfishingseason,” Harvey says.“Istarted when Iwas 20 years old. This is allI’veeverdone, andall Iever wanted to do.” Harvey is PlantManager at Daybrook FisheriesinEmpire, LA, theprocessingpartner to Westbank Fishing. Buthis storyislessabout job titles andmoreabout roots.

Growing Up SevenMiles Away

Harvey wasbornand raised in Home Place, just seven milesfromthe plant.

“I’venever reallyleft,”hesays. “After Katrinaweevacuated fora fewmonths, but we came back andrebuilt.I’vealwayswanted to stay righthere.”

In arural parish wheremanyyoung people feel pressure to move away to findopportunity Harvey considersthatagift.

“Tobeabletostayinthe ruralarea yougrew

up in andmakeagoodlivingisa blessing,” he says.“Most people have to leaveand maybe come back oneday.I neverhad to.”

Outsideofwork, Harvey embraces the outdoors. He is an avid rabbit hunter and competitivebeagleenthusiast.

“Mygrandfather startedmeonrabbit hunting,”hesays. “Now it’s my biggesthobby outsideofwork. I’mrunningdogsyear-round.

Theconnectionbetween work andhomelife runs deep.The menhaden meal produced at theplant is akey ingredient in many premium dogfoods

“All my dogfeedhas menhaden fishmealin it,” Harvey says.“That tellsyou thequality.”

LearningtheBusinessfromtheGroundUp

Harvey didnot startinmanagement. His first job wasrunning thecookers, thefirst stageofprocessingafter fishare offloaded from theboats

“After thefish come in,theygointovats andintothe cookers,”heexplains. “That’s whereI started.

From there, he worked throughoil separation,refining, andother partsofthe operation.Hewas promoted to shiftsupervisorjust months before Hurricane Katrinahit in 2005

“The plantwas devastated,” he recalls. “But by thefollowing April, we were processing again. When yourebuild from that,every other problem feelssmaller.”

That experience shaped howheleads today. Each morninghearrives around 6:30 a.m.,

reviewsthe night’sproduction, checks safety reports, andwalks theplant floor to make sure everythingisoperating as it should

When theplant is runningatfullcapacity, he finds satisfaction in therhythmofitall

“You hear thepresses running, seethe meal moving throughthe warehouse, smell fresh fishcomingin,”Harveysays. “When everything’sclicking, youknowyou’redoing it right.”

More Than aJob

In lowerPlaquemines Parish,commercial fishingisnot an abstract concept. It is personal “WhenIwas growingup, theoilfield was king,”Harveysays. “Those jobsare mostly gone now. This plantisone of thebiggest employers on this endofthe parish.”

He estimatesthatmostofhis workforce liveslocally,withmanysecond- and third-generation employees

“I’vegot guys whosefathers andgrandfathersworkedhere,”hesays. “Thiscommunity revolvesaroundthisindustry.Our employees live here.Their kids go to school here.They shop at thelocal stores.EverythingI have –my home,raising my kids,takingcareofmy family –comes from this plant. It supports thewhole area.”

He even methis wife at theplant.She worked in thelab “Soyes,” he says with asmile.“Everything aboutmylifetiesbacktothisplace.”

Investing in theNextGeneration

Harvey hopesmoreyoung people in PlaqueminesParishconsidercareers in theindustry

“Not everykid wantstosit behinda desk,” he says.“Some want to work with theirhands be mechanics, electricians,operators.There’s nothingwrong with that.”

He wouldliketosee stronger partnerships with localschools to introducestudents to industrial career pathsthatallow them to stay closetohome.

“Let’s findthose young, hungry kids and give them good jobswithbenefits,” he says “That’show youkeepacommunity strong.” When askedwhatworking in themenhaden industry hastaughthim,Harveyanswers withouthesitation.

“Hardwork. Values.Family,”hesays. “You spend long hourstogether.The people here become family.”

Nearly threedecadesin, Harvey stillwalks thesameplant floor each morning, just miles from wherehegrewup. Theindustrythat gave himhis start hassurvivedhurricanes, downturns, andshiftingpolitical tides– and continuestoprovide good industrial jobs wherefew alternatives remain.For Travis Harvey,the menhaden industry isn’t just a business.It’swhatallowsfamilieslikehis to stay,work, andbuild theirlives in PlaqueminesParish.

SMALL BUSINESS SPOTLIGHT

Abry Brothers keeping it on the level for 7 generations

BY JONAH MEADOWS Staff writer

For more than 180 years, one family has been lifting, leveling and relocating buildings around the New Orleans area.

Abry Brothers completes about 150 projects every year, almost entirely in the Greater New Orleans area. They range from $1,500 repairs completed in a single day to six-figure commercial shoring jobs that can take months or more

In a place where the ground keeps sinking and the water keeps rising, there’s a steady demand for companies with expertise at raising houses, repairing foundations and shoring up collapsing structures, which has helped keep Abry Brothers in business for generations.

“It’s kind of like the undertaker and the corner bar,” said President and CEO Greg Abry, whose great-greatgreat-great-grandfather founded the company he now runs with his sons Patrick and Thomas. “There’s always a need for us.”

At any given time, Abry Brothers has 25 to 30 workers spread across six or seven active work sites, with another eight employees in its offices.

In addition to those sites, it’ll have up to 20 other projects in progress — generally awaiting other contractors to finish work or secure permits.

Having worked on such notable structures as Warren Easton Charter High School on Canal Street, Central Grocery on Decatur Street and the Dew Drop Inn on Lasalle Street, Abry Brothers is no stranger to historic preservation, even when its worksites don’t have landmark protections.

“The vast majority of what we work on, I would consider

historic,” said Patrick Abry “Because they’ve been here long enough for the foundation to fail.”

Changing gears

Abry Brothers dates back to 1832, when John Abry brought along his house-moving expertise when he immigrated to New Orleans from Frankfurt, Germany

In the nearly two centuries since, the Bayou St. Johnbased business has evolved alongside the city whose foundations it’s helped form.

In New Orleans’ early days, the materials it took to build houses were expensive, but labor was cheap, so physically moving houses was easier and more common than one might think, Greg Abry said. That situation reversed in the post-World War II years, when materials were cheap and labor got a lot more expensive.

And as relocating houses became more challenging, hindered by modern innova-

tions like fiber-optic wires and protections for oak trees, Abry Brothers pivoted toward repairing foundations, leveling houses and shoring up collapsing structures.

Today, about 80% of its job sites are private homes, though commercial and residential projects comprise roughly equal parts of Abry Brothers’ more than $5 million in annual revenue.

Lego bricks

Over the decades, the company’s methods have evolved alongside changing building techniques.

In older areas of the city developed before the flood protection system, like the French Quarter and Garden District, houses were originally raised off the ground. Shoring in such cases involves leveling the structure on top of the vertical supports, called piers, and replacing rotted horizontal supports, which are called sills. Homes in neighborhoods

built out in the mid-20th century, such as Metairie and Lakeview were built on concrete slabs, which couldn’t be lifted using the same jacks.

“When you try to lift the slab house, all your jack and stuff goes in the ground and the house doesn’t come up,” Greg Abry said. “You’ve got to develop something that’s big enough that can pick up the load to actually cause the the house to lift and level. And that’s what my father did.”

Instead of using a traditional pile driver to hammer beams into the ground, Abry Brothers uses hydraulic jacks, relying on the weight of the building to push down the piling.

The company uses precast concrete pile sections, which are stacked one on top of the other and pushed into the ground until they reach a layer of soil stable enough to support sometimes as far as 80 feet underground.

“It’s like Lego bricks,” Thomas Abry said. “You put

a Lego brick on the dirt, you put a jack on top, you push it down until the top is still poking up, and you put another Lego brick on, you push that down.”

Disruptions and pressures

While the New Orleans terrain provides an endless supply of potential customers for Abry Brothers’ services, market pressures are making it increasingly difficult to do business.

Homeowners insurance excludes foundation repairs and leveling — unless they result from a covered event like a car crash or fallen tree — meaning that most Abry Brothers tabs are not picked up by insurers. At the same time, the company’s own insurance has skyrocketed rising by at least 300% over the past five years.

“That’s our biggest hurdle, crazily enough,” Thomas Abry said

Disruptions to federal flood mitigation grants associated with President Donald Trump’s efforts to shift disaster response away from the Federal Emergency Management Agency to state governments and multiple government shutdowns — have led to more complications.

As of early March, Abry Brothers had at least 20 contracts worth about $2.5 million tied up due to uncertainty involving FEMA grants. That has led the Abrys to postpone or hesitate taking on new projects, cutting into the pipeline for the grant-supported work that usually provides up to 25% of its company’s business.

Changes to the way flood insurance rates are calculated — the Risk Rating 2.0 system have also thrown a wrench into the company’s business. Under the old flood map system, taking part in a grant

program to raise up a New Orleans house could make financial sense for homeowners because they could reasonably expect to recoup that investment through savings on flood insurance premiums.

“But when I’m working with these programs and elevating people’s houses, sometimes the (flood) insurance that they get is more expensive after the home is elevated than before it’s elevated,” Thomas Abry said. “How does this even make sense? There’s no rhyme or reason.”

Looking to the future

In recent years, private equity firms have approached the Abry Brothers on a regular basis about selling the company The Abrys say it would take an astronomical bid to convince them to part ways with their company after nearly 200 years.

“The way we run this business today, somebody would come in and say, ‘Man, y’all are crazy Y’all get out of here, I’m going to set this thing up to maximize what we do and efficiency,’” Greg Abry said. “That’s not that important to us.”

Instead, he intends to pass the business to his sons as the family has done for generations.

Long-term, the biggest threat to the company’s survival, Abry said, is not drought, storms, or subsidence. Rather, it’s a declining population and economic stagnation.

“If New Orleans does well, we do well, because people fix their houses up,” he said. “But if the city of New Orleans continues to lose population, it creates a vacuum.”

Email Jonah Meadows at Jonah.Meadows@ theadvocate.com.

HowtoImprove Your Organization’sRiskProfile

Your risk profile pinpoints the threats that matter most revealing potential exposures and helping youprioritize improvementstoyour riskmanagementand insurance programs.Strengthening your risk profile boosts your market competitivenessand helps youstandout to insurers.

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LetGallagher help youoptimize your risk profile and unlock insurance options. Speak to our team today.

AJG.com/louisiana |The Gallagher Way. Since1927.

Connectwith a local expert. Helpingyou face the future with confidence.

Your Risk Profile

1 Historical Analysis: Using data andanalytics, we identifywhatfactors arehaving the greatest impact on your profile

2 Discovery: Then we talk to youabout what’smostimportantto your business.

4

3 Assessmentand Prioritization: We assessand prioritizeyour currentand potential risks Action Plan: Develop your action plan and create a go-to-market strategy

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LEGISLATURE 20 26

Governor’s agenda forsession lookslighter this year

BY TYLER BRIDGES Staff writer

Gov.Jeff Landry rode herd on fellow Republicans in the state Legislature during two regular sessions and four specialsessions in 2024 and 2025

The results, to name afew: Harsher prison terms. Lower income taxrates but higher sales taxes. Weaker antipollution regulations for chemical plantsasa means to boost investment. Tighter controls on lawsuits filed by people claiminginjuries in auto accidents. Acopy of the TenCommandments in each classroom

In the three-month regular session that begins Monday,however, allevidenceindicates that Landry has limited ambitionsfor the legislature this year.

INSIDE

ä Likely top issues of this legislativesession, Page 4

ä Our opinions team breaks down what theyexpect to see, Page 5

ä Forcomplete gavel-to-gavel coverageand more, follow us at the advocate.com |nola.com

One sign:Landry has said little abouthis agenda andonly recently sat down with the legislative leadership to outlinehis plans.

Another sign: Landry has not followed thetraditional practice of governors, Democratsand Republicans alike, of building support for his agendabymeetingwith civic leaders andreporters duringthe preceding weeks in each of the state’smedia markets.

Landry’soffice declinedtocomment, saying the governor would lay out his agenda during his speech on the first day the legislature meets.

“It will be amild session,”said Bernie Pinsonat, aveteran pollsterand political consultant. “It will be alot of ho-hum stuff, like fixing local problems. They have stuff they don’twant to do —like carbon capture They’ll kill those bills. The governor feels like he’sdone enough on insurance. Idon’t expect any big policy fights.”

One reason, Republican legislators said, is that they have done so much toshift Louisiana to the right after eight yearsofbeing stymied by aDemocratic governor,John BelEdwards

“We’vedonesomany things in thelast24 months,” saidHouse Speaker Phillip DeVillier, R-Eunice. “It’sgood to take astepback

ä See SESSION, page 3R

Continued from page 1R

and see which policies are working.”

Another reason why Landry has a lighter agenda, lawmakers and political analysts added, is that the governor wants to stay out of political fights that would further sap his popularity.

He is already facing criticism for being very vocal late last year about who ought to coach LSU football and run the university’s athletic department, and more recently for serving as President Donald Trump’s special envoy in his efforts to seize Greenland. Some lawmakers say constituents are asking whether the governor is focused on their needs.

Expect the unexpected

To be sure, an unexpected issue could always flare up, particularly on race.

Last year far-right conservatives pushed an antiDEI bill through the House that Black Democrats called “offensive, “divisive” and “racially charged.”

The Senate Republican leadership, acting at the behest of their Democratic colleagues, killed the bill by not giving it a hearing.

Lawmakers are also awaiting a ruling from the U.S. Supreme Court on whether the current six congressional districts are legal.

Senate President Cameron Henry, R-Metairie, noted that several legislators have filed redistricting bills in case the high court invalidates the current map before the legislative session ends on June 1.

The issue could be “contentious,” Henry said.

Republican legislators have said they would want to draw a new map to flip a Democratic congressional seat to Republicans.

Last year, the hottest topic was the push by business interests and insurance companies to make changes, over the objections of Democrats and trial lawyers, that sought to reduce lawsuits and payouts to people injured in car accidents. Landry predicted the various bills approved by lawmakers would reduce insurance rates by as much as 10%.

DeVillier and Henry predicted only minor modifications this year to give them time to determine how last year’s changes will affect people.

DeVillier said he expected that lawmakers would double the funding available for the popular fortified roof program to $30 million.

One sign of the lower temperature on insurance issues: Insurance Commissioner Tim Temple said he and Landry recently met to discuss the measures passed during the past two years and the impact on premiums.

Just before last year’s session, Temple complained that he hadn’t been able to get Landry to talk with him for 11 months. Legislators said they welcome the lighter agenda this year, describing themselves as worn out by the governor’s forceful style and from the constant need to be in Baton Rouge. They note privately that serving as a legislator is supposed to be a part-time job, and the pay hasn’t been raised since 1980

Local issues

One issue that will generate plenty of fire is the push by local residents against injecting carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases deep underground in a process known as carbon capture sequestration. Residents near many sites of proposed carbon capture wells are increasingly concerned that the activity will pollute water and rural lands. “There’s a lot of pressure from the public, more so than last year,” said Rep

cal year 2029-30.

Meanwhile, Landry, DeVillier and Henry have all expressed interest in a special session late this year to further reduce the state income tax rate.

Moller questions if this is possible, especially since a half-cent sales tax increase approved by legislators in 2024 is scheduled to expire in 2030.

‘Affordability’ agenda

Because Republicans hold a two-thirds majority in both the House and the Senate, Democrats have limited influence.

ing House Bill 5, which would allow parish governments or the voters in that parish to block the authorization of permits for carbon capture there.

Brett Geymann R-Lake Charles. “Each time a project potentially locates in an area, that area gets activated There’s also pressure from the other side not to do anything It will be very interesting to see how things play out in the committee.”

Geymann chairs the House Natural Resources Committee, which will hear the anti-carbon capture bills.

State Rep Mike Johnson, R-Pineville, who is the speaker pro tempore, is expected to take the lead in giving voice to those local concerns, which are especially prevalent in such parishes as Beauregard, Livingston, Allen and Rapides.

House Bill 7 by Johnson would prohibit companies from using eminent domain laws to take private property for carbon capture projects.

“Our constitution says you can only expropriate private property for a public necessity, such as schools, highways, drainage, electricity lines,” Johnson said. “Carbon capture is solely for a private profit.”

Under his bill, Johnson added, “You have to negotiate if someone is willing to sell it. It’s not anti-industry.”

Johnson is also sponsor-

“If the population of a parish doesn’t want the carbon capture industry, it’s not good for the parish or the industry to operate there,” Johnson said.

Will Green, president and chief executive officer of the Louisiana Association of Business and Industry, said his organization, which has long wielded power in Baton Rouge, will oppose the efforts of Johnson and others to stop carbon capture projects

“If we fumble that ball, Texas will pick it up,” Green said. “Mississippi will pick it up. Florida will pick it up.”

Budget questions

Henry seems to have settled the biggest educational issue by saying senators won’t support Landry’s request to double the cost of LA GATOR, the program that allows children to attend private schools with taxpayers’ money It’s too expensive, Henry said. He said his focus will be on keeping spending down, given the budget challenges ahead. Lawmakers will be approving the budget for fiscal year 2026-27, which begins on July 1.

Jan Moller, director of Invest in Louisiana, a progressive-leaning budget advocacy group noted that state budget officials are forecasting a $329 million shortfall in fiscal year 202728, a $614 million shortfall in fiscal year 2028-29 and a $977 million shortfall in fis-

Rep. Kyle Green of Marrero, who heads the Democratic House Caucus, said their top priorities will be an “affordability” agenda that aims to raise the $ 7.25-per-hour minimum wage and reduce the pay equity gap faced by women. Republicans have shown little appetite for these measures. Louisiana Progress is

pushing to make small but significant changes for cash-strapped people, including lower fines for those who let their car insurance lapse, tighter controls on businesses that impose hidden fees on purchases and easier ways for people to cancel online subscriptions.

“The costs for almost every aspect of daily life — food, health care, consumer goods, housing, insurance — are going up, and wages are largely failing to keep pace,” said Peter Brown, the executive director of Louisiana Progress.

HOTTOPICS

When theLouisiana LegislatureconvenesonMonday,itwillconsider hundreds of billscoveringall sortsofissuesthataffectthe state.

Basedoninterviewswithlegislative leadersand areviewofpre-filedlegislation,these issues arelikelytosee themostattention —and potentiallythe most intensedebates

COMPILED BY MATTHEW ALBRIGHT,ALYSE PFEIL, MEGHAN FRIEDMANN and DAVIDMITCHELL| Staff writers

or their local elected officials

CARBON CAPTURE

After the legislature last year putsomenew limits on carbon capture and sequestration, some lawmakers want to tryagain this year to limit the controversial technologyand give local governments or voters the righttorejectit.

Industryopposed similar bills last year over fears that patchwork regulations would hinder the burgeoning technologyand endanger billions of dollars in capital investmenttothe state.

But Rep. MikeJohnson, R-Pineville,and Sen Bill Wheat Jr R-Ponchatoula, are back with new attempts at bringing the questiontothe people

SCHOOL VOUCHER FUNDING

Gov. Jeff Landryisasking the legislature to almost double funding forLAGATOR, the state program that gives parents taxpayermoney to payfor private school tuition or homeschooling.Landry’sbudget request would grow the program from $43.5 million this year to atotal of $88 million.That could payfor another4,000 to 5,000 students to participate; just under 5,600 received themoneythis school year

Last year,the state Senate rejected Landry’sbid to boost funding for LA GATOR, his signature education program. And Senate President Cameron Henry, whohas said he is concerned about the program’scost growing unsustainably,has again voiced skepticism this year

Henry

The governor and other supporters sayLAGATOR gives parents more control overtheir students education andhelps getkids out of failing schools.The program had nearly 40,000 applicants for the current year But skeptics worrythe program will givemoneytoparents whoweregoing to send their children to private schools anyway.And others point out that, in the state’sprevious voucher program, participating students had lowertest scores than public school students.

HOMELESSNESS

Gov. Jeff Landryisbacking abill aimed at reducing homelessness across the state. Under the proposal, unauthorized camping on public property —sleeping in public spaces —would be acrime.The legislation would also set up ways to assist people whoare homeless with addiction treatment, mental health treatment,and finding shelter,among others.

Other bills are seekingtobar pipeline companies’ ability to expropriate landfor new carbondioxide deliverypipelines.And some legislators want to block carbon capture in Lakes Maurepasand Pontchartrainand threestate wildlife management areas near them

Carboncapture and sequestration is the process of permanentlyinjectingclimate change-inducing gases underground. Industry supporterssay the technologyissafe, with five decades of analogous use in oildrilling,and providesa keytocontinuing Louisiana’sfossil

REDISTRICTING?

Loomingoverthe session is the U.S. Supreme Courtcase Louisiana v. Callais. Louisianahas asked the U.S. Supreme Courtto overturnpartofthe Voting Rights Act that allows race tobeusedasafactor in drawing voting districtstoremedyhistorical discrimination in the votingprocess.

Anytimebetween nowand July,the Supreme

BUDGET QUESTIONS

As akey partofthe legislativesession, lawmakers will need to balance various state needstodrawupLouisiana’sbudget for the next fiscalyear,which beginsJuly1

With the state prison population on the rise after thestate passed aslewof‘tough-on-crime’ laws in 2024,legislators will face pressure to increase the corrections budget. Corrections officials have asked for another $82 millionnext year to accommodate risingcosts Meanwhile,the state is expected to have to payanother $42 milliontoadminister SNAP , thefederal food stamp program,due to a provisionofPresidentDonaldTrump’sOne

BigBeautifulBill Act.And in May, just before thesessionends, Louisianans will head to the polls to vote on whether to make ateacher payraise permanent. If theyvote against it, the Legislaturemay have to find anotherway to comeupwith the funds, or teachers couldlose thetemporarystipends theyhavereceived over the past several years.

ButSenatePresident Cameron Henrythinks one of the biggest budget issues this year will be in higher education: the state will have what to do aboutuniversities that are perennially in the red, he said.

fuel-based industries while mitigating climate change.

Onceseen as arelatively low-key environmental issue that drewbroad legislative supportina state traditionally friendly to oil and gas, the technologyhas riledconservative rural Louisiana as billions of dollarsinstorage andpipelineprojects have begun to roll out in Louisiana’sheartland.

Last fall, Gov. Jeff Landrydeclared a moratorium on newproject applications as the state considers more than 30 already in the queueand has fast-tracked six of them.

Courtcouldissue adecisioninthat case Should an opinion come down during the legislative session, there’sachance it will prompt the Legislature to redrawLouisiana’s congressional map —a process that would almost certainly be deeply contentious and take center stage.

In anticipation of apossible ruling,some state lawmakers have already filed bills that wouldallowthem to redrawLouisiana’ssix

PHARMACY BENEFITMANAGERS, DRUG COSTS ANDMORE

Rising prescription drug costs and the convolutedprescription drug supplychainare likely to again spark debate this year

Gov. Jeff Landryand some of hisalliesinthe Legislature have lambastedpharmacy benefit managers, companies that act as “middlemen that negotiate drug prices.

Landryhas accused the pharmacy benefit managers of artificially drivingupprescription

UNIVERSITYFUNDING AND PROGRAMS

Somelegislators want to takea hardlook at the structure and funding of Louisiana’suniversity systems, as several state schools face declining enrollment and structural budget deficits.

Some lawmakers argue the state’ssmaller institutions that are losing students and money needtoscrutinize their operational costsand the kinds of programs theyoffer —particularly before askingthe state formore money.

Theyalsowant to takeaclose look at the Board of Regents, which sets statewide goals and policies for higher education.

Rep. John Wyble, R-Franklinton, has sponsored abill that wouldprohibit university boards fromspending state moneyondegrees that the federalgovernment considers “lowearning outcome programs.

Leaders of some higher education institutions have arguedtheyare underfunded, making it difficult forthemtocompete.The scrutinyfollows themerger of the University of NewOrleans into the LSU System after years of budget woes.And it comesasthe flagshipLSU campus, where enrollment is booming,restructures in pursuit of atop-50 rankingfor university research.

congressional districts this year

Anew voting mapcould impact thenumber of Republicans Louisiana sends to Congress. Currently there are four Republican U.S. House members; that number could increase to either five or even six underadifferentmap and would come at the expense of one or twoseats now held by twoBlack Democrats. That mathwould also factor into which party controls Congress.

drug costs to pad profits and of pushing smaller local pharmacists out of themarketbygiving better business termstomajor drug retailers,like CVS.

This year,one of Landry’slegislativeallies, state Rep. MikeEchols, R-Monroe,a fierce critic of pharmacy benefitmanagers and staunch ally of independent pharmacists, said he plans to back legislation that would prohibit benefitmanagers from owning their ownretail pharmaciesand do away withacap on punitivedamages for managersthat manipulatethe market

WORKFORCE TRAINING

Gov. Jeff Landryand Louisiana’sworkforce agency want to put the state’sworkforce training program —and federal funding forthose efforts—underone state board, ratherthan the current setupof15different regional boards. Louisiana Works SecretarySusie Schowen has said that, currently,federalworkforce training dollars getfunneledtothe various boards, causing Louisiana’semployers to navigate the policies of 15 different programs.The goal is to make workforce training servicesconsistent across the state and to have more flexibilityinallocating the federal workforce training money. The effort comesafter the U.S. DepartmentofLabor underPresident Donald Trumpencouraged states to seek waiversoffederal laws that block “innovation” in worker training programs

COMMENTARY

BEHIND THE HEADLINES LEGISLATIVE SESSION

What to expect when theLegislature gavels in

As Louisiana lawmakers prepare to head back to the state Capitol March 9, columnists Stephanie Grace, Will Sutton,QuinHillyer and Faimon Roberts sat down to talk about this year’sregular legislativesession andwhat are likely to be some of the biggest agenda items,aswell asthe obstacles to getting thingsdone.

Grace: Let’sstart by talking about some issues we’reall watchinginthe coming legislative session.

Roberts: I’m particularly interested in the fight over carbon capture, which pits some very Republican legislators in rural areas against the state’sindustrial establishment and pro-business legislators. This year,we have anumber of bills that have beenfiled, probably the biggest one comingfrom SpeakerPro TemMike Johnson, aRepublican from Pineville, who hasfiled abill trying to give local governments control over whether carbon capture wellsorpipelines are permitted within their parishes. This is similar toa bill from last year that did not make it outofcommittee, but that bill came from arank-and-file legislator from VernonParish,Chuck Owen. So here comethese bills again. They may not have great prospects in theLegislature, but the debate over carbon capture is simply not going away

Grace: On the other side, these projects areimportant to the state’seconomic development efforts to attract some of these big businesses that we’vebeen getting. Roberts:Yes, industrial processes specifically.Acouple of years ago, when thefederal government gave Louisianaexpedited permitting authority over carbon capture, stategovernmentwas elated.But with the insurgency against carboncapture coming as it does from very Republican districts, there has been just areal pushback in some of these rural parishes where the carbon would be sequestered

Grace: In an unusual alliance with environmentalists…

Roberts: Imean, the environmentalists must be just pinching themselves with delight to see theirRepublican neighbors now pushing back over things like property rights and potential foraccidents, and what happens if the carbon seepsupward into water supplies or pollutes land and stufflikethat.

Hillyer: I’m watchingwhether Gov.Jeff Landry,who has been known to really play hardball on other issues,isgoingtoplay hardball on his requestfor $88 millionfor theLAGATOR scholarship program, when state Senate President Cameron Henry is dead set againstgiving anymore than $43.5 million.

It boggles my mind thatyou have a program that is similar to ones that have worked in other states, where it is generally seen as conservativepolicy,and you have aputatively conservativestate Senate president who has 40,000 families wanting in and he is only willing to let 7,000 of them get the scholarships. To me, Henry’s opposition makes no sense. It also makes no sense to me that Landry would request the money to doublethe numberofscholarships without actually fightingfor it

Grace: We know mostofthe peoplewho are nowgettingthese scholarships came from the old voucher program that was discontinued. So it’s morekeeping kids in these private schools, as opposed to allowingnew kids to join

Hillyer: The bad thingabout opposing it is he’s opposing the ability of lessaffluent children to start taking advantage of some of theoptions that current recipientsare getting. And remember,thisisnot just a regular voucher program.You can use this to getall sortsoftutoring help, to get computers, to get lots of different things, so this could benefit people who are not in privateschools right now who want to explore different options.

reach the legislative session,but the faculty is up in arms about the letting go of [LSU HealthSciences Center Chancellor] Steve Nelson, whowas very popular and had alot of accomplishments. Ithink that might be the tip of theiceberg, because between thegovernor intervening in the LSU football coach thingand being heavyhanded withregard to UNO, this is just somethingtowatch

Grace: Andthe LSUpresident search.

Roberts: This has been politically toxic, but we do need to reconsider ourhigher education system.What’sapproaching forcolleges and universities, and they’re all aware of this, is the upcoming demographiccliff. The fact is, there are just going to be fewer high school seniors for theforeseeable future. That meanseach college is in greater competition for each applicant. And it’s true, thestate just can’tkeep funding them to thesame level if they’re not serving the public like they once did.

expanding that program

Moneymatters

Grace: Let’stalk about the other big thing the Louisiana Legislature has to do every year,which is pass abudget. It seemslike there’salot of money now,but there are someconcerns going forward. One is coming out of the federal government, cuts in Medicaid that will trickle downtothe states.

Another is, frankly,tax cuts; we have gone to aflat 3% incometax and there is a desire to bring that lower.Inorder to make that work, the Legislature passed another temporary sales tax, but that will expire in acouple years. And there are new demands formoney to incarcerate the extra people whoare locked up because of the criminal justice legislation that waspassed two years ago, things like that. So what do you think we’re looking at with the budget?

Roberts:Henry’sobjection seemstobe basedontwo points. One, that once you expandit, it just keeps expanding. And the second is that he said he had not talked to other legislators for whom this is an importantissue. AndI’m wondering about the dynamic between the governor andthe Legislature here.Can thegovernor make this an important enoughissue for enough legislators that they’ll back himonit?

Grace: One thingthat’s really interesting about watching Henry is that it’sclear he has got his finger on the pulse of his members. We’ve seen that when he has opposed things Landry has wanted before

Sutton: The conservative advocacy groups have been pushing really,really hard for this. It seems they have had an audience of one: Landry

Hillyer: Iwould think the parents of 33,000 children who otherwise qualify,who are deniedthe opportunity, would speak up. I certainly think that they should speak up. Colleges,universitiesfacescrutiny

Sutton: Ifind it interesting that it seems like there’sinterest on behalf of some legislators to take alook at arevamp of highereducation, and in particular looking at theUniversity of New Orleans’ troubles and saying “This can’thappen again,” and telling other universities that are statefunded —not at the levels that they think they should be —that something’sgot to change. This is abig warning flag, Ithink, for theinstitutions and their leaders, and also for the various boards of higher education that we have, because they’re part of systems. Do we needall of those leaders, all of the board members and large staffs, if we’re nothaving enoughcash on hand, and we’re not seeingthe results? AndIwould think that would be an easy case to makewith voters.

Hillyer: I’m curious to see if there is abacklash against some of the fiefdom-building that thegovernor and his agents have been doing with thesystem.Right now,there’s clearly abacklash among theLSU medical faculty.Idon’tknow if that backlashwill

Grace: You’re right,this has come up over theyears, but not to where change happens. It’s because it goes through the Legislature, and these institutions are in members’ districts, and it’s often the biggest thinginadistrict, thebiggest employer.So legislators really fight to protect the college or university in their district. Another issue Iamalways looking at is propertyinsurance. We’ve had somereally big legislation in recent years. We saw alot of reformsthat Insurance Commissioner TimTemple wanted that were kind of free market,with theidea being that if you reduce someregulations and burdens on insurers, more of them will come.

Butnot alot of people really are seeing much relief. So this year,aswe’re waiting to see if some of these “reforms” start working, what people seem really focused on is the one change that has had an effect so far,which is helping people get fortified roofs on their homes. It can have areal effect on the cost of their insurance, and also on homeowners’ ability to stay in their homes after adisaster

People are really bought in. Even Temple, who was maybe alittle bit skeptical of helping people fund it,isnow on board. So thequestion is, is theLegislature going to look at putting moremoney into the grant program that helps people get fortified roofs? Because they’re still very expensive.

It seems that lawmakers understand that this is athing they can do that might actually get thephones in their offices to stop ringing from constituents whoare upset about their insurance.

So Ithink probably there will be an effort to get moremoney into the state lottery program to serve moreofthe people who have applied.

Roberts: AndifIcould borrow Quin’sargument on the LA GATOR scholarships, Ithink theevidence of the need is the demand. We had astoryinour paper that said there have been 34,000 applications since thestate went to alottery system in 2024, and there have been about7,000 grantsawarded, and the upfront costs are too high for even someofthe people who get thegrants. So Ithink there is an imperative there to go back and take alook at

Hillyer: We have, Ithink, very legitimate needs, which are LA GATOR and fortified roofs. Youtake those as recurring expenses, even if you only go up alittle on each of them, and that takes away asignificant part of the surplus from the last two years. Right now,other than forjustice and imprisonment, Ithink the governor’sbudget is fairly flat, and Iwould expect this Legislature to be cautious.

Grace: They are aconservative Legislature; they would like to lower taxes more. And so, when universities are looking at funding, forexample, Ithink lawmakers are looking at it through that lens, of being able to pay forwhat you have, not have programsthat are not sustainable.

Hillyer: Let me just say that if they actually want to cut taxes, it would be close to abominable to cut incometaxes more without cutting the sales tax. Right now, Louisiana has the single highest average sales tax, combined state and local, in the country When you have the highest tax rate, whether it’sproperty,incomeorsales, you are losing competitive advantage. And in the case of sales taxes, you are burning the poor morethan the rich.

Grace: Iagree with that. They actually raised the sales tax last year in order to pay forthe lower incometax. What they often do with sales taxes is they makethem temporary.Sowewill be having another conversation about this ahead of 2030, when the rate is now set to drop somewhat. Sutton: And congressional redistricting is also out there. There have already been bills filed to change districts in the state. Icertainly have been of the thought that nothing significant would be happening in timefor midterms, but apparently,some folks think that there may be an opening whenever the U.S. SupremeCourt weighs in on the Callais case, which is achallenge to Louisiana’scurrent map featuring two Black majority districts, and apparently they might be prepared to makesome moves.

Grace: If we’re talking about that toward the end of the session, people will have already voted.

Sutton: So would people get their votes back?

Grace: Idon’tsee how they can makea change at that point, but apparently there are people whothink so. There are some ills ready to movejust in case, so we will see.

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HOME BASES

New La. program shifts pregnancy appointments from the waiting room to the living room

BY EMILY WOODRUFF Staff writer

Over the course of a typical pregnancy, a woman is supposed to see her care team roughly 14 times. But for some moms, checkups requiring time off from work, transportation to appointments and help with child care can get pushed to the bottom of the priority list

As a result, blood pressure trends might go unnoticed. A screening test for diabetes might get put off. Issues that could be treated early on snowball into conditions that can influence the health of a newborn and mother

In Louisiana, that pattern is not uncommon. One in four women in the state don’t receive any care in the first trimester. Roughly 1 in 13 babies are born to a mother who is seen for the first time when she arrives at the hospital in labor

A New Orleans health company is trying to intervene much earlier by moving prenatal care from a doctor’s office to their living rooms.

Nest Health, an in-home primary care service founded by former Health Secretary Dr Rebekah Gee in 2021, launched Nest Origin this month, which will deliver in-home and virtual prenatal care by certified nurse midwives in the New Orleans metro area for Medicaid patients.

The goal is to help women get to their recommended prenatal visits by eliminating some of the barriers that derail care.

“Pregnancy is a stress test for women’s health, not the starting line,” said Gee. “If we want healthy babies, we have to support healthy women long before pregnancy and long after birth.”

A ‘maternity desert’

Louisiana is a difficult place to find maternal care to begin with.

Twenty-three of the state’s 64 parishes are considered “maternity deserts,” meaning there is no hospital or birth center offering obstetric care and no obstetric clinicians. Louisiana ranks among the highest states in maternal mortality, and state reviews have found that most pregnancy-connected deaths are

preventable. According to a 2025 Louisiana legislative auditor report, one-quarter of pregnant women in Louisiana did not receive prenatal care in the first trimester in 2023. Among Medicaid beneficiaries, three quarters did not have timely access to prenatal care, meaning care did not begin in the first trimester or follow recommended schedules. More than 6 out of 10 Louisiana births are through Medicaid.

For many Medicaid patients, keeping up with appointments can be difficult. Transportation barriers were often mentioned, according to the audit.

“Mom often doesn’t put herself first,” said Yanti Turang, senior director of clinical operations at Nest. “And how the system is structured, it’s really hard to get to all of those visits.”

Expertcancer

Ochsner uses new therapy to treat melanoma

Ochsner MD Anderson Cancer Center at The Gayle and Tom Benson Cancer Center in New Orleans is the first institution in Louisiana to provide an adult patient with tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes therapy, or TIL, for advanced melanoma. Advanced melanoma is classified as stage III or IV metastatic melanoma and is a form of skin cancer that has spread from where it originated in the body. TIL is a form of immunotherapy that uses a patient’s own immune cells to fight cancer

FranU celebrates new president in March

Franciscan Missionaries of Our Lady University will inaugurate Dr David Bellar as its fifth president March 23.

The university will host a weeklong celebration, “Inauguration Week,” with prayer services, community events and formal ceremonies.

Bellar joins FranU after a nationwide search with 40 candidates. He started July 14, 2025. New Orleans to host summit for lung cancer

The third annual African American Lung Cancer Patient & Caregiver Summit in New Orleans is set for April 23-25 at the Marriott Warehouse Arts District. The weekend-long event will focus on “survivorship, emerging treatments, clinical trials, environmental and clean-air justice, public policy, AI in care, mental wellness, financial navigation, caregiver support and patient advocacy.”

The event is free for lung cancer patients and caregivers and includes meals, hotel accommodations and travel and learning materials.

Tulane’s Chad Roy elected to microbiology fellowship

The American Academy of Microbiology has elected Dr Chad Roy, along with 62 peers, to the Fellowship Class of 2026.

See NOTES, page 2X

BEYOND THE SCALE

Join us on a health journey through 2026 with‘BEYONDTHE SCALE:Addressing Louisiana’s obesity epidemic’ Do you want to start a health journey? We want to hear from you — not about weight, but about health, stress, food and life. As we move through 2026, we are inviting readers to come along a health journey with us. Our next project will explore youth obesity We pose one question to our readers: What are some healthy school lunches your kids actually liked? Send us photos. Email your answers, comments or questions to Margaret DeLaney at margaret.delaney@ theadvocate.com.

HEALTH MAKER

Tulane graduate talks medical technology

New blood test can detect colorectal cancer

BY MARGARET DeLANEY Staff writer

Originally from Northern California, Dr Sam Asgarian came to love New Orleans while volunteering for cleanup post-Hurricane Katrina.

His goal was always to become a primary care provider wanting to practice medicine at a community level Asgarian was in the first medical school class at Tulane University after Katrina in 2007. Asgarian spent some time in Boston for his residency before recognizing his passion was for preventive care and early detection of diseases and risk factors. That shifted his medical career from clinical practice to new technologies.

But his love for New Orleans never left him.

“We’re in Nashville now. It’s as close as we could get to New Orleans,” Asgarian said. He is now the vice president of clinical development for screening for Guardant Health, a biotechnology company based in Palo Alto, California, working to get new health products “in the hands of providers across the country,” he said.

A colorectal screening blood test, Shield, developed by Guardant received approval in July 2024 from the Food and Drug Administration as a primary screening tool for colon cancer for adults 45 and older

The approval was based on findings from a study in 2016 that involved nearly 8,000 people, in which the test detected colorectal cancers in more than 83% of participants found to have colorectal cancer in colonoscopy exams

However, its sensitivity for detecting precancerous growths in the

colon was much lower than colonoscopy exams — only about 13%.

What are the early beginnings of a new blood test for colorectal cancer?

Over 10 years ago, Guardant Health was founded to try to help oncologists treat cancer better after someone had been diagnosed. They came up with the Shield blood test.

The idea was centered around using signals in the blood to learn more about a tumor across different types of cancers, then giving physicians results that give them the best idea on how to treat that cancer

Those tests (on tumors) have been in the market for a long time. Oncologists use them. They’re very helpful. They save so many patients’ lives.

About six years ago, the idea was, “Well, if we know so much about tumors and these tests are working, can we use this same technology to find cancer before it’s been diagnosed?”

The idea was to start with a cancer, like colorectal cancer, that really needs a blood-based test. It currently doesn’t have one — and that the technology could work and it could help save lives.

Colorectal cancer is one of the cancers where, if found early it has a 91% chance of survival for the patient. If you find it late, though, it’s a 13% chance of survival.

We enrolled over 20,000 individuals in a large study — a lot of them came from Louisiana. A lot of different clinics and sites from Louisiana enrolled these patients.

The test worked. It found cancer before it was diagnosed. The blood test worked as well as other colorectal cancer screening tests — colonoscopies and stool-based tests.

Do you expect the SHIELD blood test to replace the colonoscopies or stool-based tests?

We’ve seen colorectal cancer screening be important because of those survival changes between stage one and stage four

The goal has always been get 80% of Americans who are eligi-

and more emergency service members reunite with Dale Kruse, who suffered cardiac arrest in January.

NOTES

Continued from page 1X

Fellows of the American Academy of Microbiology, an honorific leadership group and scientific think tank within the American Society for Microbiology, are elected annually through a highly selective, peer-review process, based on their records of scientific achievement and original contributions that have advanced microbiology

The Academy received 145 nominations this year and elected 63 to the 2026 Fellowship Class.

Urologist joins Ochsner LSU Health team

Ochsner LSU Health – Regional Urology in Shreveport announced the addition of Dr Christopher Stage, a board-certified urologist with over 20 years of experience, in February Stage specializes in advanced, minimally invasive treatments for con-

ble screen for colorectal cancer

We, as a society, always hit like a ceiling, around 60% people don’t go. There are tens of millions of people that are due for screening that haven’t been screened. Even in Louisiana, the Department of Health notes that 40% of people in the state that are eligible for being screened have never been screened, meaning they haven’t gotten the colonoscopy They haven’t gotten the stool-based test

Our initial goal out of the gate, is to convince these people that previously had put this off to get tested. Maybe they put it off because it’s inconvenient. Maybe they put it off because of the anxiety that comes from a colonoscopy or some of these other tests that are not as convenient. Maybe we can get them screened, and maybe we bump the overall screening rates. In the future, we can give people more options and see which one they choose. And really, as long as people are getting screened, that’s the best possible outcome for us as a society Where is this blood test currently avail-

able?

We were very fortunate that right out of the gate, Medicare allowed for reimbursement.

After FDA approval, companies like ours need to work on insurance companies to get new technologies to be covered. As of right now, all Americans 65 and older have access to the test.

We started to see those elderly individuals, those seniors, start to lean in using the test.

The Guardant Shield blood test is now covered by Medicare, Veterans Administration Community Care Network, TRICARE for active-duty military, and the list is growing.

Louisiana Medicaid does not yet cover the test.

We do see colorectal cancer starting to become more of a younger disease. We want those potential patients to have access to our test as well.

The trickle effect is currently happening. We hope, this year, to get more employer plans and commercial insurers to start to cover this test as well.

What’s next for Guardant and its technologies?

We looked at other areas where people are not getting screened and a blood test could really be convenient for them. Lung cancer is one of those. Colorectal cancer today is the second-leading cause of cancer deaths in the country it’s actually number one for adults under 50. However, the number one leading cause of cancer death in the country is lung cancer, even though we’ve been working really hard to get people to stop smoking and be healthier

We’ve already enrolled over 10,000 people in a new study looking at a blood test for lung cancer

Again, Louisiana has been great, and we’ve used sites in that area. We hope to have something for the FDA to review soon for lung cancer

Then it really opens the world up beyond cancer for this test. Can we help primary care doctors find liver disease? Lung disease? Kidney disease? All before it turns into cancer

Email Margaret DeLaney at margaret.delaney@theadvocate. com.

Family navigates life with twins’ autism Push comes to make some conditions their own diagnosis

BY LAURA UNGAR Associated Press

AYER, Mass. — Connor Murphy walked in circles around his dad, then flopped down on the kitchen floor, got up and walked in circles again.

His dad turned the 9-year-old’s repetitive behavior into a chance to connect. “Want me to pick you up?” Matthew Murphy asked, lifting, tickling and spinning with his son.

ditions like kidney stones, prostate issues and urinary incontinence.

EMTs reunite with cardiac arrest survivor

In January Dale Kruse experienced a sudden cardiac arrest while at home with his wife. She quickly called 911. Dispatchers alerted Acadian Ambulance and the Natalbany Volunteer Fire Department, a town north of Hammond in Tangipahoa Parish. First responder EMTs found Kruse unresponsive, without a pulse, and not breathing. They began chest compressions and applied an AED. Acadian Ambulance EMT Jeffrey Bailey paramedic Jessica Crouse and paramedic Kiyah Heffker then arrived and began advanced life support measures. Kruse regained a heartbeat and began breathing on his own in less than 20 minutes. He was taken to the hospital for ongoing care and has since returned home. Everyone involved in Kruse’s care reunited with him in February

Health Notes is an occasional listing of health happenings around Louisiana. Have something you’d like to share? Contact us at margaret. delaney@theadvocate.com.

Such spontaneous moments are common in the Murphy household, which revolves around the needs of Connor and his twin brother Ronan, who both have profound autism.

“They’re going to need 24/7 care for the rest of their lives,” their father said. “Life will be a challenge for them, and we have to prepare them as best we can.” Autism rates have been rising for decades, and two of the main reasons for the increase have, in a strange twist, taken some of the focus off helping people with round-the-clock needs. The diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder, adopted in 2013, is now very broad, including many people with low support needs. Also, better awareness of the condition has helped many more children get diagnosed than in the past, and most of those cases are relatively mild.

At the same time President Donald Trump’s administration is promoting unproven and debunked claims about what causes autism, which experts say muddles efforts to understand the condition and fuels misinformation that threatens public health, even as officials funnel more money into research. There’s now a growing push to separate profound autism — in which people need constant care for life, have a certain level of intellectual disability and are nonspeaking or minimally verbal into its own diagnosis. The hope is that it would help ensure that people like Connor and Ronan get the support and services they need and that research includes them.

WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU

The Louisiana Health section is focused on providing in-depth, personal accounts of health in the state This section looks at medical innovations, health discoveries, state and national health statistics and reexamining tried and true methods on ways to live well.

In the United States, an estimated 1 in 31 children have autism spectrum disorder Researchers estimate around a quarter have “profound autism,” a term introduced in 2021 by a group of experts, the Lancet Commission, to describe people most disabled by the developmental condition. But some in the autism community worry that creating a separate diagnosis would reduce attention on the broader spectrum and the individual needs of everyone on it.

Andy Shih, chief science officer for Autism Speaks, said no matter where people fall on the debate, “there’s absolutely no doubt that we need to elevate awareness about the needs of this group.”

Health editions will also profile people who are advancing health for the state of Louisiana.

Do you have a health story? We want to hear from you.

Email margaret.delaney@theadvocate.com to submit health questions, stories and more.

IEatFit LiveFit

Luck ofthe char: Thecharred cabbage recipe youdidn’t knowyou needed

nNewOrleansandbeyond,cabbages

famouslyflyfromfloatsduringSt Patrick’sDayparades.Mostofusalready haveafewreliablewaystocookthem, andthey’regoodones.Buteverynowand then,it’sworthlettingcabbagestepout ofitsusualroleandintosomethingalittle moreunexpected.

ThisbolddishfromSabalayerssmoky, caramelizedcabbagewithnuttyhazelnut muhammaraandcreamytahinifora vibrant,flavor-packedplate.

CharredCabbagewithHazelnut MuhammaraandTahini

Makes4plates(8servings)

2quartswater

½cupplus3tablespoonsextravirgin oliveoil,divided 2tablespoonsplus1teaspoonkosher salt,divided ½cuporangejuice

½cupricewinevinegar preferablyseasoned

2tablespoonssugar

2clovesgarlic

1jalapeño,seedsandpith(membrane aroundtheseeds)removed,sliced 1staranisepod 1lemon,zested

1mediumheadgreencabbage

1cupMuhammara(recipefollows) ¼cuptahini

¼cupchoppedhazelnutsforgarnish Handfulofmicrogreensforgarnish Muhammara Makes3cups

1batchMatbucha(recipefollows) 1¼cupshazelnuts,toasted

3tablespoonsAleppopepper 1teaspoonpomegranatemolasses

3/4 cupextravirginoliveoil

Inafoodprocessor,blendMatbucha, hazelnuts,Aleppopepperand pomegranatemolassesuntilnutsarefinely chopped,pausingtoscrapeasneeded. Whilestillblending,streaminoliveoil andprocessuntilsmooth.Bringtoroom temperaturebeforeserving.Refrigerateup tofourdaysorfreezeinportions.

Matbucha Makes2cups

3redbellpeppers

5tablespoonsextravirginoliveoil,divided ½yellowonion,thinlysliced 1clovegarlic,thinlysliced ½teaspoonkoshersalt 1½teaspoonsAleppopepper ½teaspoonsmokedpaprika ½teaspoongroundcoriander ¼teaspoongroundcumin

3tablespoonswhitewinevinegar 115-ouncecanpeeledwholetomatoes 1½teaspoonssugar

Broilorgrillpeppersoverhighheat, turning,untilfullyblackened(10–15 minutesorlongerasneeded).Cool,peel awaycharredskin(avoidrinsing),remove stems,seedsandmembranes.Roughly chopandsetaside.

Heat2tablespoonsoliveoilinawide, high-sidedpanorDutchovenover medium-low.Cookonionandgarlicuntil translucent,5–6minutes.Stirinsaltand spices;toast

untilfragrant.Add vinegarandcook untilthickened. Reduce heat to low. Add tomatoes, sugar and peppers, using aspoon to roughly break apart the tomatoes.

Simmer gently, stirring occasionally. After 1to1½hours, when the Matbucha is thick, dry and deeplyconcentrated in flavor, remove from heatand stir in the remaining 3tablespoonsextra virgin oliveoil. Cool completely beforeblending into Muhammara.

BacktotheCabbage Inadeeppotjustlargeenoughto snuglyholdthecabbage,combinewater, ½cupoliveoil,2tablespoonssalt,orange juice,ricewinevinegar,sugar,garlic, jalapeño,staraniseandlemonzest.Bring toaboil,reducetomediumandsimmer 10–15minutestoinfuse.

Trimtoughoutercabbageleaves andhalvelengthwise.Tastebrothfor seasoning,thencarefullylowercabbage intopot.Reduceheattolow,coverand cook30minutes.Rotateandcontinue cookinguntilknife-tenderwithslight

MollyKimball,RD,CSSD,isaregistereddietitian withOchsnerHealthandfounderofOchsnersEatFit nonprofitinitiative.Formorewellnesscontent,tuneinto Molly’spodcast,FUELEDWellness+Nutrition,andfollow @MollykimballRDand@EatFitOchsneronsocialmedia. Emailnutrition@ochsner.orgtoconnectwithMollyor scheduleaconsultwithherteam.

BY THENUMBERS

resistance,1to1½hourstotal,checking every5–10minutesafterthefirsthour. Removecabbagewithaslottedspoon toarimmedbakingsheet;coolslightly. Strainandreservebrothifdesired.Heat broilerwithrackinupper-middleposition. Keepingstemsintact,halvecabbage againlengthwise(quarters).Drainexcess liquidandremoveanyleavesthatfall away.Arrangewedgescurvedsidedown. Drizzlewith2tablespoonsoliveoiland sprinklewithremainingsalt.Broil10–12 minutes,rotatinghalfway,untildeeply charredattheedges. Toserve,spreadabout¼cup Muhammaraoneachplate.Topwitha cabbagewedge,drizzlewitholiveoiland 1tablespoontahini.Garnishwithhazelnuts andmicrogreens.

PERSERVING:190calories,14gramsfat, 1.5gramssaturatedfat,110mgsodium,14 gramscarbohydrate(9gramsnetcarbs),5 gramsfiber,7gramssugar(0addedsugar), 4gramsprotein.GF,LowCARB,VEGAN, LOWSODIUM.

Findtheserecipesandmorein“TheEatFit Cookbook,”availableforpurchaseatlocal retailersoronlineatEatFitCookbook.com. BesuretousepromocodeADVOCATEat checkoutfor10%off

LOUISIANAHAS HIGHESTINCIDENCE OF PROSTATE CANCER IN NATION

Prostate cancer is the most common cancer in American men, with an estimated 333,830 new cases and 36,320 deaths projected for 2026for the disease, according to the American Cancer Society

In the U.S.,there are approximately 116new prostate cancer cases per 100,000 people annually.Louisiana has the highest prostatecancer incidence rate in the countryat 147.2 cases per 100,000 —arate that has been steadily rising since 2014, accordingtodata from the National Cancer Institute.

Theseparishes had the highest rates, in cases per 100,000, of prostate cancer from2018 to 2022, in descending order:

n West Feliciana Parish with 218.6 cases per 100,000;

n Iberville Parish with 182.3;

n Bienville Parish with 179.7;

n West BatonRougeParish with 179.4;

n Vermillion Parish with 176.5;

n Iberia Parish with 173.8;

n East Baton RougeParish with 173.6;

n East Carroll Parish with 172.9;

n East Feliciana Parish with 166.3;

n Tangipahoa Parish with 166.2;

n St. Martin Parish with 166;

n Jackson Parish with 165.3;

n and Lincoln Parish with 165.1

These parishes had the lowest rates, in cases per 100,000, of prostate cancer from 2018 to 2022, in ascendingorder:

n CameronParishwith 101 cases per100,000;

n Evangeline Parishwith 102.7;

n Union Parish with 106.9;

n Winn Parish with 108.2;

n Vernon Parish with 109.4;

n Grant Parish with 109.7;

n Franklin and La Salle parishes with 111;

n St. Bernard Parish with 113 9;

n Tensas Parish with 115.2;

n Terrebonne Parish with 117.5;

n Washington Parish with 121.1;

n Livingston Parish with 122.8;

n Sabine Parish with 122.9;

n Bossier Parish with 123.7;

n and La Fourche Parish with 124.8

Data represents an annual average forall stagesofprostate cancer.

Up to 34 weeks

Under Nest Origin, most routine prenatalcare up to 34 weeks happens at the patient’shome. Between six and 10 weeks of pregnancy,acertified nursemidwife conducts an initial assessment lasting about 45 minutes. Patients receive ablood pressure cuff, scale and ahandheld device to monitor fetal hearttones. Lab work, gestational diabetes

screening, sexually transmitted infection testingand genetic screeningcan be performed in the home. Theprogram partners with LSU Health for anatomy ultrasounds at 20 weeksand for obstetric consultations if higher-risk conditions develop. Around 34 weeks, care transitions to ahospital-based team for delivery planning. After delivery, mother and baby getanother visit within afew days. Theprogram includes postpartum visitsfrom amidwifefor the first sixweeks. The program is just getting started, with the first appointment

scheduledfor early March. The group expects about100 patients in the first year, andiscurrently only working withAmeriHealth Caritas as the Medicaid managed care partner,with hopes to expand to Aetna.

In-homevisitinggains steam

There is evidencesuchprogramscould be impactful in New Orleans.Another in-home visiting program, Family Connects, has conducted1,600 visits after birth to families in Orleans Parish. In surveys, the program is universally praised by participants, said

Dr.Jennifer Avegno, director of the New OrleansHealth Department.

“Theyfeelsupportedand like the resources they’re getting are supervaluable,” said Avegno “Many of themstayintouch with their nurses even after the formal time of the visit is done.”

Thecost for Medicaid patients who used the program went down about28% compared to thosenot enrolled, asavings of about $1,500 per patient, said Avegno.

Thereisalso legislative support for house calls. Lawmakers voted to require mandatory commercial

insurance coverage forthe visits starting in January 2027, and Avegno saidtheyare close to getting Medicaid coverage statewide. Nest will be tracking outcomes over thelongterminpartnership with auniversity.Early goals are lowering the high number of C-sections and babies whoneed NICUcare.

“We’re hoping that whenmom does go to deliver at oneofthe hospitals thatshe’s just in ahealthier state,” said Turang.

Email Emily Woodruff at ewoodruff@theadvocate.com.

Awareness Colon Cancer

Colorectalcanceristhesecondleadingcauseofcancerdeath intheUnitedStates.Buthere’sthegoodnews:Coloncancer isoftenpreventable.

WithMarchbeingColorectalCancerAwarenessMonth,nowis agoodtimetopromotethekeystoprevention,whichinclude adoptinghealthylifestylehabitsandregularscreenings.

Tolearnmoreaboutriskfactorsforcolorectalcancer, talktoyourdoctor.Formoreinformation,visit ochsner.org/cancerscreeningsorscantheQRcode.

Coloncancerandcolorectalcancerareclosely relatedtermsthatrefertocancerofthelarge intestine.Theyareoftenusedinterchangeably.Colorectalcancer startsinthecolonortherectum.Thesecancerscanalsobecalled coloncancerorrectalcancer,dependingonwheretheystart.

Thesecancersarenormallyseeninolderadults,thoughitcanhappen atanyageandhasbeenontheriseamongyoungerpeople.

Mostcolorectalcancersstartasagrowth,knownasapolyp,onthe innerliningofthecolon.Somepolypscandevelopintocancerover time,whileothersdonot.

Ifcancerformsinapolyp,itcangrowintothewallofthecolonor rectumovertime.Oncecancercellsareinthewall,theygrowinto bloodvesselsorlymphvessels.Fromthere,theycantraveltonearby lymphnodesortodistantpartsofthebody.

Eachyear,anestimated150,000Americansarediagnosedwithcolon cancer.Earlydetectionisthekeytoreducingthenumberofcases.

Ascreeningprocedurecalledacolonoscopyisthegoldstandardfor detectingcoloncancer.Itisrecommendedtostartscreeningatage45for peopleataveragerisk.

Youngeradultswhohaveafamilyhistoryofthediseaseorsymptoms suchasrectalbleedingandabnormalstoolsmayalsobeadvisedto haveacolonoscopy.

Acolonoscopyisatesttoexaminethecolon.Itallowsadoctortoseethe insideofthecolonusingaflexibletubewithlenses,atinycameraandalight attheend.

Thedoctorwillbeonthelookoutforabnormalitiessuchaspolyps,whichare smallclumpsofcellsthatformontheliningofthecolon.Mostareharmless butcandevelopintocancerovertime.

Onegreatbenefitofhavingregularcolonoscopiesisthatpolypscanbe identifiedandremovedduringthescreening,removingtheriskofcancerin thatlocation.

Somepeoplemightdismisscolorectalcancersymptomsbecausetheyoftenmimicthose ofotherhealthconditions.Sometimessymptomsdonotoccuruntilcolorectalcancerhas advanced,whichiswhyscreeningissoimportant.

Symptoms to be aware of include:

Changesinbowelhabits.Diarrheaand/orconstipation,whetheroccasionalor constant,maybeasignofcolorectalcancer.

Abdominaldiscomfort.Beonthelookoutforsymptomsincludingpersistent cramps,gas,pain,feelingunusuallyfullorbloated,orfeelinglikeyourbowelsaren’t totallyemptyafteryougotothebathroom.

Rectalbleeding.Callyourdoctorifthereisbloodinyourstool.Thiscanrangefrom brightred,brickredtoblackandtarry

Weaknessorfatigue.Anemiaoralowredbloodcellcountcanalsobeindicators.

Unexplainedweightloss.Thisunintentionalweightlossmaybeaccompaniedby nauseaorvomiting

Unusualstools.Lookforanydifferencesinyourstool,suchascolororshape.Be especiallyawareofthinpencil-likestools,whichcouldindicatethatsomethingmay beblockingyourbowelmovements.

Thebestwaytopreventcolorectalcanceristogetregularscreeningsandtoknowyour riskfactors.

Lifestylemeasures and changescan also lower your risk fordeveloping thedisease.Theyinclude:

Maintainingahealthyweight

Startinganexerciseprogram

Eatingahealthydiet

Limitingalcohol

Risk factorsyou cannot controlinclude:

Apersonalhistoryofcolorectalpolypsorcolorectalcancer

Apersonalhistoryofinflammatoryboweldisease,orIBD

Afamilyhistoryofcolorectalcancer

Coloncancerstatisticsandsymptomsaresimilar formenandwomen.However,womencanhavea hardertimereadingthesignsofthediseasebecause theycanmimicothersometimescommonissues womenexperience.

Thosecanincludecramping,whichpremenopausal womenmightbetemptedtodismiss,orrectal bleeding,whichmanywomenofchildbearing ageattributetohemorrhoidsthatcandevelop duringchildbirth

Butiftheseissuesnormallyassociatedwiththe menstrualperiodlastlongerthanusual,orifthey’re accompaniedbyrectalbleeding,unexplainedweight loss,orothersymptoms,it’stimetoseeadoctor Whilemenandwomenfacesimilarriskswhenit comestocoloncancer,womenmustdistinguish earlysignsofthediseasefromcommon gynecologicalsymptoms.

Consultwithyourprimarycarephysicianif youexperienceanyofthesesymptoms.

Museum whirlwind

LafayetteScience Museum’s partnership with UL keepsenergyalive

BY JOYHOLDEN Staff writer

On aFebruary morning in Lafayette, middle schoolers from Math, Science andArts Academy West in Plaquemine wandered pastfossils of mastodons and saber-toothed tigers at the UniversityofLouisiana at Lafayette Science Museum. Agroup of seventh grade girls chattedbesidethe massive remainsofanimals that once walked through theAcadianamarshes.

Theexhibit,“Prehistoric Louisiana: AJourney through IceAge Acadiana,” was designed byULpaleontologystudents andfeatures mastodon bones, jaguar fossils, asaber-toothed tiger and an American lion skull.

JenniferHargrave, the current director of the museum anda paleontology professor at UL, proudly shows off her students’ work,which explains facts about the discoveries.

“I’ve involved the different student groups so they get their volunteer hours, gettodooutreach,talktothe community,share their research and their passions,”Hargrave said. “That’s been agreat thing to do, becauseeverybody thinksdifferently.”

As achild, Hargrave wanted to be a paleontologist. She has since been on digs on all seven continents. Although shelived in Natchitoches and graduated from UL, she said she didn’texpect to end up digging in themud in south Louisiana, butshe’sglad tohelp provide opportunitiestoher students —experiences that she didn’thave when she was in college.

Kevin Krantz, the current facilities manager at the museum and former director,says the museum getsfield trips from surrounding area schools frequently—one dayMSA West and the next Sacred Heart.

Krantz has worked withthe museum in some capacity for18years,and he has seen it grow from an empty space that hostedtravelingexhibitstothis full-scale, 10,000-square-foot science museum.

From city to university leadership

In 2020, Krantz’sstaff waslaid off when theLafayette Consolidated Governmentunder former mayor Josh Guillory closed themuseum during theCOVID-19 pandemic. Due to the large cost of running the museum, the city was considering not reopening it

That’swhen UL stepped in.

“Wehad to beginagain andkindof start over,” Krantz said, “and that’s where the partnership with theuniversity came in.Wealreadyhad acooperative endeavor agreement with the School of Sciences, in particular the

Geoscience department.”

That relationship allowed UL’s geosciences departmenttoassume operational control of the museum.

In 2021, the agreement between the two entities started,and by 2022, the transition was complete. The Lafayette Consolidated Government owns thebuilding while the university runs the museum. Both parties agreed to a five-year contract Hargrave becameinvolved in the museum in 2016 through the School of Geosciences at UL. The partnership withthe city thatstarted in 2013 resulted in an exhibit space, apaleontology lab and arepository space (where fossils are kept).

“The School of Geoscience was changing the exhibits every two to three years, bringing in different dinosaurs or different giant mammals from theCenozoic. That really drew a lotofattention to themuseum,”Hargrave said. “Everybody likestogosee dinosaurs.”

Hargrave moved into aleadership role when the university/city museum partnership began on alarger scale.

Aplace of learning anddiscovery

“The Prehistoric Louisiana:AJourney through IceAge Acadiana” exhibit focuses on Louisiana fossils, and thediscovery and lab work is ongoing. The exhibit focuses on Louisiana fossils, with ongoingdiscoveriesand lab work continuing on-site.

Volunteersand UL students are there daily in the laboratory,studying fossils,cleaningbones andpreparing specimens for display MaryLandry, aretired volunteer whohas helped at themuseum since 2017, is known as the“Tooth Fairy” in the lab because of her meticulous cleaning of ancient animal teeth Landrypicks and cleans atooth until it shines. On this particularWednesday,she was working hard on ajaguar tooth that was found in aChurch Point

JanRisher

LONG STORy SHORT

Ising in the shower

As in loud.

And proud.

My morning routine is to hit play on my “liked songs” playlist —an ever-evolving list that runs the gamut. Iwent through and counted them —231 songs.

They range from the first songs Iloved (think Elton John, James Taylor,Dan Fogelberg) to oddballs that Ihappened upon in strange ways. Like “Vuma,” asong Idiscovered last summer as Iwas preparing music before alittle dinner party Ihosted for some students visiting LSU from Africa.

My mother made homemade chicken and dumplings, my ultimate comfort food, for dinner.I wantedour guests to have some comfort too. So, Icreated aplaylist of contemporary and traditional songs from their countries —in doing so, Idiscovered “Vuma,” whichI’ve kept in rotation since. Idon’tknow every word, but Iunderstand it anyway

And every timeI hear that song, Ithink of those young women from Africa. When Ipress play,the list shuffles. Irecognize the song by its opening notes —and the version of myself it holds.

The music moves like astrange road map.

There’sSimon and Garfunkel, who my older cousins introduced me to when Iwas 11.

There’sCarole King. When Iwas 12, my friend Keith Long wonher “Tapestry” album on WJDX in Jackson. His family already had the album,sohecalled and asked if Iwanted it for $5. Idid.

Ayear later,Iwon aGlen Campbell Live at Carnegie Hall on WQST

There’sDonna Summer and Olivia Newton-John —Iloved them both in the eighth grade when I stayed home from school for two weeks with the chickenpox.

There’s“Les Mis,” who Isaw with Mary EllenHoran in Los Angeles. Iwalked out of the theater different than Iwalked in.

There’sJimmy Buffett, who makes me think of Michelle Weaver Jones and the summer of 1991. VanMorrison reminds me of my old friend, John Gabel.

There’sthe Gypsy Kings, who Michelle Foster used to play at her dinner parties in D.C.

My husband introduced me to The Nylons in his red Mustang convertible on our first date.

There’sClay Parker and Jodi James’ “Nothing at All” from right here in Baton Rouge. When Iheard them sing that song at The Red DragonListening Room, Iknew it would be with me fora long time.

There’sMon LaFerte, who I heard in arestaurant in Mexico City.Awaitress wrote down the name for me

Each song on that playlist carries aperson —oraplace or a season.

Ican’tseparate the music from who handedittome, or who Iwas whenIfirst heard it and knew immediately —that Iloved it.

“Someone Saved My Life Tonight” by Elton John wasthe first record that was mine.Mymom bought it for me because Ihad been brave when Dr.Lee gave me ashot. Afterward, Mom took me to Dan’sRexall Drugs to pick out arecord.

Iremember the sales clerk, a cool teenager,did her best to get me to buy an album of his music but the album didn’thave the song Iwanted. So, instead, Iwent home with the 45 of “Someone Saved My Life Tonight.”

ASK THEEXPERTS

Meet thenun at thehelmofHotel Hope

Placeanemergency shelterfor womenand children in NewOrleans

BY BLAKE PATERSON Staff writer

From the street, HotelHope looks like any other mid-century modern motel, with its clean lines and vibrant neon sign. But through its front gate lies an oasis for unhoused families.

Since opening in the former motel on Martin Luther King Jr.Boulevard in 2018, Hotel Hope in New Orleans has served as asafe haven for hundreds of mothers and children in need of emergencyshelter.The nonprofit provides food, clothing and case management services, with the goal of getting families back on their feet and into permanent housing.

With the rising cost of rent and shortage of affordable housing, that mission has grown more difficult in recent years, SisterMary Lou Specha, Hotel Hope’sexecutive director,said in arecent interview

It costs around $1 million per year to run HotelHope, and while the organizationreceives some state and federal funding, it relies on generosity of volunteers and donors to keep its doors open.

To that end, on April 9, the organization will hostits fourth annual Hope Fest fundraiser at the Audubon Clubhouse by Dickie Brennan & Co. with asilent auction, live music and food. Information on tickets and sponsorships are available online at hotelhope.org/hopefest/.

Sister Specha tells us more about Hotel Hope and how volunteers can get involved to support its mission.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity

Tell us more about Hotel Hope.

We’re ashelter for unhoused women and their children. It’sa place where moms can come, mitigate the crisis they’re in, and then we assist them into getting into permanent housing. We provide food, clothing, shelter,transportation and have social workers that can connect them with mentalhealth, behavior health or drug treatment resources.

What we’re doing is reallyproviding akind of ashort stop stay to re-

MUSEUM

Continued from page1y

ally get some assistance provided, so that they’re abletothen become self-sufficient.

What is thedynamicofsome of thefamilies

Hotel Hope serves?

Alot of our moms were children during Katrina. The majority of what we see are people with some undiagnosed trauma or post-traumaticstress that are suffering with not alot of resources

Mostofthe time, you’re not going to see amom with children underneath the bridge. They’re usually in places where they’re hiding. Alot are intheircars.

Howhas this work changedinrecent years?

Since Hurricane Ida,rentshave increased astronomically.It’shard to raise afamilyonthe minimum wage of $7.25 an hour. That’s $30,000 ayear,and most of your income is going to rent.

We provide rent assistance for three to sixmonths, and then they’re on theirown. When we first opened in2018, we were able to putpeopleinto ahouse in 34 days Now,that takes around 75 days because the availability of housing is limited

Howcan thepublicsupportHotel Hope’s mission?

We have information on our website —athotelhope.org/getinvolved/ —onhow the public can get involved. Volunteers can sign up to cook ahot meal for dinner or sitatour front desk to buzz people into the courtyard. Theycan also donate online.

Tell us about your path to New Orleans.

Iwas born and raised in Chicago and entered the Sistersofthe Presentation from Dubuque, Iowa, in 1986. Iworked at auniversity for about 10 years.

One of my student leaders said we needed to go to NewOrleans to helpafter Katrina. So in December of 2005, Ibrought 20 students down, andweworked with Catholic Charities to rebuildhouses.Itinspired me, when Iwas changing ministries, to look here. Icame down in 2008. Iwas the executive director of Café Reconcile.

One of thethings that was really

her studentsfind fossils buried in the mud.When bodies of watershiftorare drained, fossils long buried in mud are revealed

Q&A WITH SISTER MARy LOUSPECHA

lacking were shelters for families, especially moms with children. In 2009, afaith-based coalition got together and came up with the idea of Hotel Hope.

After leaving Reconcile, Igot involved and became the board chair.And in 2013, Isaid, “Ifwe’re really going to do this, someone has to drive the bus.” They asked me to become executive director,and my religious community agreed, so I took the role.

I’mnot the founder,but Ireally work to try to get the founding spirit enacted.

How has your faithinformedyour work?

My grandmawas really poor but when Iwas growing up, people would come to her door when they were hungry and she would give them food or she would help them with clothes. Thatlaid the foundation of faith in action.

Ihad aprofound conversion when Iwas in my 20s, in the sense that

ingexposure for the museum through billboards, word of mouth,promotional materialsand involvement from schools.

Iunderstood God’s unconditional love for me. If you understandthat, you can’tkeep that for yourself Youhave to give back andshare that love.

thought it would be great to bring them to the science museum,” said Megan Edwards, the Jr.Beta Club sponsor at MSA West

RISHER

We don’tdoalot of proselytizing, but showing somebody loveand compassion gives them theopportunity to takethat into their lifeand pay it forward.

Continued from page1y bayou.

“All of this is just for fun,” Landry says as she gently brushes the tooth, “but theopportunity to be able to do it is the whole thing.” Hargrave says that the prehistoric Louisiana exhibit is her favorite in the museum because it featuresfossils found in Church Point, Jefferson Island and Avery Island. Although Louisiana doesn’t have dinosaur fossils, the state was home to giant mastodons, jaguars, American lions, saber-toothed tigers and other massive creatures that once prowled the marshes. While many paleontologists perform their digs in dry, arid places, Hargrave and

At UL, Hargrave teaches a “Museum Techniques” course, and the finalprojectresults in students creatinganexhibit.

“I am ascientist, andI’m going to presentthe facts, which doesn’talways make for a good exhibit,”Hargrave said. “But havingstudents in there, they thinkdifferently than I do. It’s areally great collaboration.”

Moving forward

Thecontract betweenthe university and city government is in its last year.What happens next has yet to be decided.

Krantzsays beingunder the umbrella of the university provides more advertis-

“There are resources that we have available to us that really benefit us in the way of exhibits,” he said. “Webenefit by virtue of the teamwork from within the university, notjust beingunderthe universityumbrella.”

As the contract’sfuture is decided, Hargrave says the mission remains the same: puttingscience in front of thenext generation.

On that February morning, the seventh graders from Plaqueminelingered beside the mastodon bones, pointing and whispering about creatures that once roamed Louisiana.

“Since thisisamath, science and arts academy,I

Thestudents were visiting Lafayette for thestatewide Jr.Beta Convention.

Afterworking withmiddle schoolers, Edwards has enough experience to know better than to set her expectationstoo high.

“I didn’texpect that they would like it,” she said, “but they really did. They talked about how much they enjoyed it after thetrip. Afew of the eighthgraders even want to return with their science teacher.”

For many of them, it was theclosestthey’d ever come to Ice Agehistory —and perhaps thefirsttime they imagined uncoveringsomething themselves.

Ididn’tfully understand the lyrics. Ijust knew the song made me feel something big and important. I took it home and played it over and over I’m still not tired of that song. Friends call many of my favorites “sad songs.” Idon’t. They let me feel sadness without getting stuck there. Music gives shape to whatIcan’talways name So, whenI press play each morning and step into the shower,I’m not just listening to music I’m hearing my cousins in their living room. Keith Long on the phone offer-

ing me “Tapestry” for $5. Aradio DJ announcing my name on WQST.My husband in ared Mustang telling me to “listen to the words of this next song.” Isee awaitress in Mexico City scribbling down a title. My mother handing me a45atDan’sRexall. Ididn’tdiscover most of these songs alone. Someone somewhere handed them to me Maybe that’swhat the playlist really is —231 reminders that we don’t become ourselves by ourselves. The music still moves forward, even when it reaches back. And so do I.

EmailJan Risher at jan. risher@theadvocate. com.

BY CLAIRE GRUNEWALD Staff writer

Around Baton Rouge, a number of mailbox-sized free libraries can be found in neighborhoods and around businesses, but in recent months, some of those boxes are now being assembled to fill empty stomachs.

Instead of free books, the Whole Heart Pantry provides residents with free recipes and ingredients to make healthy, hearty meals like chicken pot pie or Creole white bean soup. Whole Heart Health founder Whitney Andrus, who is a nutrition coach and personal trainer hopes that the free pantries will allow her to address food insecurity while also teaching food education.

“It’s to combine the education with access, because education without access is a barrier,” she said.

Andrus, of Denham Springs, launched Whole Heart Health in 2025 after working in local classrooms to teach students about ageappropriate nutrition. Over the past year, the nonprofit has grown to provide nutrition education, community events and access to meals to build healthy habits in children and families.

The “Manna Meals” are what make Andrus’ mission unique. Each bag contains a full meal with protein, fiber, vegetables and a recipe card a $10 donation fills two bags or stocks 15 items.

“I felt like I can’t go talking about how to eat healthy when most people can’t even access food, or they don’t have access to

fresh vegetables, fresh meats,” Andrus said

The meal bags were a solution

Every week the recipes change, but Andrus says the chicken pot pie recipe is one of the most popular offerings. The pantries also contain single food items like applesauce, cereal and canned goods

“Who wants to eat a can of flavorless mixed vegetables? So how do we take that food that may be donated, or people don’t know what to do with, and create

something kind of magical with it?” she said.

The mission behind the Whole Heart Health’s meals is to create a culture of access with education — not one without the other Whole Heart Health recently built customized pantries in Central, Gonzales and the town of Livingston, but it also stocks a pantry in Denham Springs and at the Red Shoes community fridge in Baton Rouge.

But the number of Whole Heart Pantries is increas-

ing across the city as the outdoor grab-and-go pantries have become more popular

There’s currently a wait list with over 15 people requesting pantries in Point Coupee, St. Helena and Lincoln parishes. Andrus is also in the midst of planning “around the world” fundraising dinners with menus that pull food inspiration from different countries Andrus hopes these dinners will help to expand Whole Heart Health’s mission and encourage people

to experience meals they may not normally cook or order themselves.

Launching Whole Heart Health and its pantries is a culmination of Andrus’ different professional and personal experiences.

Prior to starting the nonprofit, Andrus founded Half Belly Health, which provides coaching and nutrition help for those who have undergone weightloss surgery — or for anyone looking to cultivate a healthy relationship with food.

But her experience hasn’t always involved food and nutrition. Andrus graduated from Louisiana Tech University with a bachelor’s degree in interior design. She also has sold advertisements for a phone book, worked with marketing for small businesses, worked in fitness centers and for a meal prep company

“I feel like every point on my journey has prepared me for this,” Andrus said. Along with applying professional experiences to creating Whole Hearth Health, Andrus herself has gone on a health journey with changes in weight, surgery and having to fix her relationship with food. For as long as she can remember, Andrus has seen how diet culture can be toxic among all ages The World Health Organization reported that, in 2021, 16 million people experienced eating disorders, including almost 3.4 million children and adolescents And a 2022 study from Current Opinion in Psychiatry found that between 5.5% and 17.9% of young women and 0.6% to 2.4% of young men will have been diagnosed with a clinically-significant eating disorder by early adulthood.

Andrus wants to flip that narrative and do her part to create a safe space with her work.

“That’s how this all started,” she said. “If we’re going to be a safe space on the internet, it’s going to be safe space for everyone no matter what kind of access to food or information they have.” Find more information on how to support Whole Heart Health at www.wholeheart. health/partners.

Email Claire Grunewald at claire.grunewald@ theadvocate.com.

Child care models energizing Main Street

BY ANNE VILEN Contributing writer

When LeyAn n GehlenWampler, of Medicine Lodge, Kansas, gave birth to her son last year, she faced a common dilemma in rural communities: She needed to work to pay her living expenses, but the cost of child care — if she could find it would be more than she could earn in most jobs. The ideal solution, she thought, would be to take care of baby Kaysyn herself and get paid to take care of other children too, but the child care center where she once worked had closed. She thought about applying for a state license as a family child care home, but, “My house is too small, and there’s no way we could afford the startup costs on our own,” she said.

Then, opportunity knocked

Recruited by Julie Warner, an early childhood consultant for the city who had once been a family child care provider herself, Gehlen-Wampler opened her Shining Stars family child care home in Medicine Lodge Daycare, a model that could reshape child care in rural communities.

The Medicine Lodge Daycare flex-plex is a cluster of small, fully equipped child care businesses in a mainstreet building. Crucially, although Medicine Lodge Daycare occupies a commercial space in the heart of downtown, the building was renovated into five separate rooms with separate entrances and outside playgrounds ideal for five independent family child care providers, each caring for a small group of mixed-age infants and toddlers.

“That’s where the innovation is,” said City Administrator Brian Withrow The space, owned by a nonprofit, complies with state regulations for child care centers, but is occupied by licensed family child care providers who don’t need to meet the more rigorous standards for child care center administrators.

Through a mix of local, state and federal grants, the town also paid for furniture, curriculum materials, licensing support and even the first year of liability in-

surance. “It’s the only way I could have opened,” Gehlen-Wampler said. “Here I also have a supportive community of other providers to turn to. This opportunity has truly been life-changing for my family.”

It’s also been life-changing for the town’s businesses and families said City Council member Matt Forsyth. “What it means for downtown is huge It keeps Main Street alive in a small town where most main streets are dying I’m a business owner myself.

I’ve had trouble finding spots for my own kids, and this is going to allow everybody to have a spot for their children and know that they’re well taken care of in this great facility.”

Housing model for child care

The “plex” concept seems simple: Build or convert small homes — typically one- or two-bedroom units — and lease them at belowmarket rates to licensed family child care providers. In reality, implementing the concept is more complicated. States have different regulations for and even definitions of family child care; many explicitly or implicitly require that family child care providers live in the residence where they care for children.

Kansas is one of just seven states (the others are Alaska, Missouri, Idaho, Mississippi, Nevada and Wisconsin) that allow family child care providers to operate in nonresidential settings such as schools, businesses, or hospitals, according to Opportunities Exchange, a nonprofit

working to transform early education programs so that they can be sustainable and also high quality This allowance paved the way for the state to allow the Medicine Lodge businesses to operate under family child care licenses with fewer restrictions than those regulating larger child care centers.

A center has to have a director who doesn’t care for kids, multiple teachers, commercial insurance and expensive building upgrades like sprinkler systems, according to Julie Lyon, a consultant who helped shepherd the development of a child care triplex in nearby Greensburg, Kansas.

“It’s cost-prohibitive for a small town,” Lyon said.

By contrast, Greensburg’s three single-family units cost $417,028 in total to build. The city of Greensburg and its partners used American Rescue Plan Act dollars, grants from regional foundations and the child care coalition, and local development funds to cover construction, sidewalks, playgrounds, furnishings and materials.

An added bonus: If the community someday needs more housing instead of child care, each unit could be converted to a rental home, increasing the town’s affordable housing stock.

Work-life balance

For Kasha Unruh, a mother of three and longtime caregiver, the flex-plex model was the only viable path to opening a licensed family child care home.

Her mortgage agreement pre-

vents running a business in her own home. But in October, with support from Lyon and the city, she opened her family child care program in the Greensburg triplex. She now cares for seven children — including two of her own — and because the program isn’t in her actual home, enjoys a work-life balance that is rare for home-based child care providers.

After a city rent subsidy, Unruh pays just $300 a month for the space. She covers her own insurance, utilities and licensing fees, while the nonprofit owner handles building maintenance and ensures the facility meets licensing requirements. The lower overhead lets her keep child care affordable: less than $150 per week per child — far below the U.S. average.

Shared community, solutions

One of the biggest advantages of placing multiple providers together is the built-in community

In both Medicine Lodge and Greensburg, providers can collaborate on vacation schedules, hire a shared substitute teacher for the day and use the same research-based, multiage curriculum designed by a retired local educator

The towns also offer backend administrative support — something typically available only in larger commercial centers. Consultants help providers write business plans, file taxes and develop sustainable operating strategies.

Lyon manages a provider substitute pool that serves the whole county and has become a recruitment tool to bolster the child care supply Two of the three substitutes she hired later opened their own home-based child care businesses.

To encourage long-term stability, the local economic development commission also created a $5,000 retention bonus for providers who keep their businesses open beyond the first year. Ninety percent of recipients spent the money on critical business needs like insurance, transportation and building repairs, according to Lyon.

Micro-centers

While the flex-plex model is

FAITH & VALUES

working well in Kansas, another small-scale child care model allows greater flexibility and possibility, said Louise Stoney the co-founder of Opportunities Exchange. “If you want child care supply in rural areas, we have to think differently, and we have to think small, and we have to make small possible,” she said.

Micro-centers, like flex-plexes, are operated by family child care providers caring for small groups of up to 30 children in mixed-age classrooms. But, they operate in commercial spaces, often spaces that are provided freeof-charge by an employer, city, or housing development. The model is based on Chambliss Center for Children in Chattanooga, Tennessee, which operates 24-hour care serving infants through 12-yearolds in microcenters located in local schools.

“The most essential thing for sustainability for a child care program is full enrollment every day every seat,” according to Stoney To achieve that in small towns, it needs to be regulated the way family child care programs are — allowing for mixed ages of children and not requiring a supervising teacher with an advanced degree. Stoney has worked with policy makers in places like North Dakota and Indiana to “rightsize” their licensing, zoning regulations, even building and fire codes to allow family child care providers to expand into microcenters that operate outside their own homes and closer to where people work.

In Indiana, the Office of Early Childhood and Out-of-School Learning streamlined its licensing categories to support a Micro-Facility Pilot program that launched in early 2025. Six existing child care centers applied to open smaller satellites in rural or small town libraries, schools and shopping centers.

The new regulations are tailored to smaller settings; they allow children to bring their own lunches and snacks, support mixed-age groups and draw on the resources of the larger micro-facility hub for staffing and administrative support.

Quarries that built ancient Rome to be used again

Distinctive travertine to be used for churches, temples and mosques

BY NICOLE WINFIELD and FRANCESCA PRIMAVILLA Associated Press

TIVOLI, Italy Long ago, when Romans wanted to build a new temple, they would head to the nearby quarries of Tivoli, chisel out blocks of porous rock called lapis tiburtinus — now known as travertine — and float the cargo downstream on rafts to craftsmen in town

That’s how they made the Colosseum 2,000 years ago. That’s how they made St Peter’s Basilica and Bernini’s great colonnade hundreds of years later

Today, the same quarries that built Rome with their distinctive pock-marked travertine are still being dug out to build a new generation of churches, temples and mosques around the world — as well as banks, museums, government buildings and private homes. While other countries have versions of the sedimentary limestone, Roman travertine is unique because it is quarried underground in the sulfuric springs and basins around Tivoli. Made up mostly of calcium carbonate minerals, Roman travertine was formed hundreds of thousands of years ago by deposits of calcium, sulfur and other minerals, and shows the region’s history of volcanic eruptions, forests and fossils in its striated layers It is prized by architects for a number of reasons: It’s strong, plentiful and can withstand any number of climactic and environmental assaults. Depending on how and where it’s cut, it has a variety of looks: rough or sleek, from a warm white with irregular black holes to sandy beige with gray, brown or even greenish

veins.

A new temple in travertine

For four generations, the Mariotti Carlo SpA stonecutting firm has been carving travertine to order, fulfilling some of the world’s most distinctive architectural commissions: the Getty Center in Los Angeles, the Bank of China headquarters in Beijing, the Great Mosque in Algiers, Algeria, to name a few

On a recent workday, pieces of a temple being rebuilt by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latterday Saints widely known as the Mormon church, are lying neatly on the floor of Mariotti’s Tivoli warehouse — hunks of travertine carved from the nearby quarries and cut in made-to-measure puzzle pieces that will be assembled

on-site in New York City

After providing the travertine for the Latter-day Saint temple in Rome, Mariotti was chosen by the church’s architects to restore the temple on Manhattan’s Upper West Side. The temple sits across Broadway from Lincoln Center and the Julliard School, both built with Mariotti-cut travertine decades ago when the rock first reached the U.S. market.

“Travertine is a classic stone known all over the world. It’s a bit like carrying the light of Rome everywhere, because the way travertine reflects light is very special,” said Fabrizio Mariotti, head of the family business.

A quarry that Bernini loved All around the Tivoli quarries, the air is heavy with the stench

of sulfur and the constant pounding, clinking and cracking of giant jackhammers blasting ancient rock into pieces. At the Degemar quarries, drilled down to 30 yards under sea level, bright blue ponds of sulfur springs pool the travertine residue as flat-bed trucks haul stone slabs weighing 33 tons up to street level. It was here that Gian Lorenzo Bernini, the great Baroque sculptor and architect, sourced the brilliant white travertine for the 284 columns and 88 pillars of the colonnade embracing St. Peter’s Square, as well as his other Catholic and Roman marvels.

Bernini spent so much time here selecting his rock that he had a home overlooking the quarry which still stands today

The quarry’s current head, Vincenzo De Gennaro, reminds visitors that Bernini’s tower still features the coop for the homing pigeons that would transport the orders to the quarry from Rome for the measurements of rocks that were needed.

Nowadays, the quarry is filling orders much farther afield: the new airport in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, the new headquarters of China’s governing party in Shenzhen, among others.

“It is special, a special stone because it is a living stone, a stone that is born in a cocktail of mineral waters,” De Gennaro said as he dodged earth movers and walked among the sulfur pools.

A 2,000-year guarantee

Lest anyone question travertine’s durability, they need only look to Rome, he said.

“There is the concrete experience of a civilization dating back thousands of years that stands in the light of day and has been shining undisturbed for 2,000 years,” he said. “That is the guarantee.”

Marco Ferrero, professor of civil engineering at Rome’s La Sapienza University, said part of travertine’s appeal is that it harks back to ancient Rome “and therefore also to the magic of the classical world.”

He said it embodies Rome’s spirit in many ways: Travertine is solid, resistant and noble but not showy like its cousin marble, which doesn’t fare as well over time when exposed to the elements.

“We can make this comparison: Marble speaks to us in beautiful Italian, in literary Italian, while travertine speaks to us in Roman dialect,” he said. “It is truly the stone of the Romans. And like Roman cuisine, which is made up of simple dishes, often using discarded ingredients, travertine is a genuine and traditional stone.”

SUNDAY, MArch 8, 2026

directions: Make a 2- to 7-letter word from the letters in each row Add points of each word, using scoring directions at right. Finally, 7-letter words get 50-point bonus. “Blanks” used as any letter have no point value All the words are in the Official SCRABBLE® Players Dictionary, 5th Edition.

word game

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

ken ken

instructions: 1 -Each rowand each column must contain thenumbers 1through4 (easy) or 1through6 (challenging) without repeating 2 -The numbers within the heavily outlinedboxes, called cages, must combine using thegiven operation (inany order)toproduce the target numbersinthe top-left corners. 3 -Freebies: Fillinthe single-boxcages withthe numberinthe top-left corner

instructions: Sudoku is anumber-placing puzzle based on a 9x9 gridwith several given numbers. The object is to placethe numbers 1to 9in theempty squares so that each row,each column and each 3x3 boxcontains the same number only once. The difficultylevel of the Conceptis Sudoku increases from Monday to Sunday

directions: Complete thegridso that numbers 1–132 connect horizontally, vertically or diagonally

Edited by Rich Norris and Joyce Nichols Lewis

wuzzLes

English treachery

Today’s deal is from a match between a team from England and a team from Turkey It is not clear to bid game on the NorthSouth cards, but aggressive game bidding is an important aspect of team play. The Turkish North-South did well to stay out of three no-trump, which should fail on the lead of either red suit. Five clubs has excellent chances. Declarer wins the opening heart lead, crosses to the ace of clubs, and leads a spade to the king and ace. The defense cashes one heart trick and shifts to diamonds. Declarer takes his ace and draws trump. The queen of spades and another spade will see the jack appear and declarer can claim his contract.

super Quiz

Take this Super Quiz to a Ph.D. Score 1 point for each correct answer on the Freshman

The most

of the Hawaiian Islands.

Answer________

2. This, the world’s second-largest island, is sometimes also referred to as Papua.

Answer________

3. This large island is located off the east coast of Southern Africa.

Answer________ 4. The largest European island.

Answer________ 5. The largest of the

Tannah Hirsch welcomes readers’ responses sent in care of this newspaper or to Tribune Content Agency inc., 2225 Kenmore Ave., Suite 114, Buffalo, Ny 14207. E-mail responses may be sent to gorenbridge@ aol.com. © 2026 Tribune Content Agency

At the table, declarer tried to play the contract just that way When he led a spade to his king, however, English expert Justin Hackett ducked his ace! South led a spade to dummy’s 10 and East’s jack. East cashed a high heart and shifted to a diamond. Declarer won, drew trumps ending in dummy and led the queen of spades. He “knew” that East held the ace of spades, so he discarded a diamond when East played low To declarer’s horror, Hackett won with the ace and led a diamond for down two. Great play!

PISCES (Feb. 20-March 20) Socialize, communicate and express your feelings and intentions. Sharing with potential contributors will help turn your aspirations into something tangible.

ARIES (March 21-April 19) Update documents, tidy up your finances and take care of your private affairs. Getting together with old friends will ease the burden of doing your part to make a difference.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20) Share your feelings with someone special A change of routine or rearranging your schedule to spend more time

with someone you love will be like a lifestyle upgrade. GEMINI (May 21-June 20) Take care of matters personally. If you rely on someone else to do things for you, you will be disappointed. It’s up to you to bring about positive change.

CANCER (June 21-July 22) Relay facts; if you imply something that isn’t exact, you will face negative feedback. Don’t take unnecessary risks with your health or physical well-being LEO (July 23-Aug. 22) Put your emotions aside and your best ver-

sion of yourself on display Let your charm and generosity shine through, offering positive suggestions and insight. VIRGO (Aug 23-Sept. 22) You’re sitting in a good position. Communication is key to getting what you want. Partnerships look promising, and a change of scenery will offer a unique perspective regarding the possibilities.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23) You’ll excel if you put in the time and effort. You have plenty to gain if you research, budget and pursue what makes you feel and look your

best. A commitment seems inviting.

SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 22) Spend time at home, relax and enjoy the company of loved ones. Expressing your feelings will help you find out where you stand and who’s likely to help you reach your goal.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 23-Dec. 21) Be careful what you say and to whom. Personal and physical improvements will encourage better health, a fresh start or a new look.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) Look for opportunities in your field of expertise, and something inter-

esting will surface. Don’t expect everyone close to you to be on board with the changes you want to make.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) Preparation is the key to making the right choice and following the path that offers the best return. A lifestyle change that raises your income may not be worth the emotional stress attached.

The horoscope, an entertainment feature, is not based on scientific fact.

© 2026 by NEA, inc., dist. By Andrews McMeel Syndication

1. Oahu. 2. New Guinea.3.Madagascar. 4. Great Britain. 5. SouthIsland. 6. Manhattan Island. 7. Newfoundland. 8. Hispaniola.9.Ireland 10. Java. 11. Borneo. 12.Ellesmere Island 13. Sumatra. 14.Honshu. 15. Iceland

SCORING: 24 to 30 points —congratulations, doctor; 18 to 23 points—honorsgraduate; 13 to 17 points —you’replenty smart, but no grind; 5to12points —you really shouldhit the booksharder;1point to 4points —enroll in remedial courses immediately; 0points who reads thequestions to you?

Saturday's Cryptoquote: Youlook ridiculousif you dance;You look ridiculous if youdon't dance. So you might as well dance. —Gertrude Stein

word GAme Answer

Crossword Answers