Joe Horn took unconventional route to Saints, La. Sports Hall of Fame 1C
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Senate race could be closer than expected Polls show gap narrowing between Letlow, Fleming
BY TYLER BRIDGES
ELECTION 2026
Staff writer
U.S. Rep. Julia Letlow appeared to hold an insurmountable advantage coming out of the Republican Senate primary on May 16 when she led state Treasurer John Fleming by 17 points and nearly won the election outright. But signs have emerged before the Saturday Republican Sen-
supporters who are more committed to him, especially among Republicans who back him because of his vigorous opposition to carbon ate runoff that the outcome will capture and sequestration. That’s a be much closer, and a victory by new technology where companies Fleming is possible, even though want to build pipelines to transport Letlow’s side is badly outspending carbon dioxide from industrial him, and she has President Donald plants to locations where it would be injected deep underground. Trump’s endorsement. A sign of Fleming’s support In what will be a low-turnout election, Fleming appears to have among the Republican base oc-
curred last Saturday when Gov. Jeff Landry had to personally intervene to keep 150 members of the state central committee from endorsing Letlow Fleming over Letlow. One Fleming supporter said she was threatened by a surrogate of Landry’s with punishment by the governor if she voted to back Fleming. The committee voted to issue
Structural issues and safety a concern after hundreds of crashes on the Lake Charles I-10 bridge
A SPAN T OO SSTEEP T EEP TOO
no endorsement. But it was striking to observers that, even though Letlow has the endorsement of Landry and Trump, the only quesFleming tion that day was whether Fleming would get the endorsement. Letlow had no shot at it. To be sure, most political analysts expect Letlow to defeat Fleming,
ä See SENATE, page 4A
LSU, Hyundai to partner in new steel mill University to share resources, train workers for high-tech facility
BY HALEY MILLER Staff writer
It’s rated a 3 out of 9 by the Federal Highway Administration and considered to be in “poor condition,” based on annual inspections dating back to 2011. The rating, which the feds used to describe as “structurally deficient” before a 2017 classification change, means that structural components have started to deteriorate. Engineers base the ratings on inspections of a bridge’s deck where vehicles drive, along with its other structures and supports. Still, bridge engineers say the low rating does not mean it’s unsafe for drivers. “We at DOTD want to stress that the bridge is regularly inspected and it remains safe for travel,” said John Guidroz, a spokesperson for the
The $5.8 billion Hyundai steel mill in Ascension Parish will be, by all accounts, colossal. It will import 3.6 million tons of iron ore and produce 2.7 million tons of steel, according to a news release from Louisiana Economic Development. It will create 1,300 jobs on the site. It will rely on a state-of-the-art electric arc furnace to melt steel with electrical currents at thousands of degrees Fahrenheit — a far cry from traditional steelmaking. And now, under a new research agreement announced last week, LSU is throwing its weight behind the mega project. The university will share scientific expertise and resources with the plant that promises to be one of the first in the U.S. to integrate a high-tech furnace with a lower carbon footprint into all stages of steel production. And it will help train workers for the jobs the plant needs to run. “This does represent, I think, a new beginning for us in the research office to sign a master research agreement of this magnitude, of this importance, of this significance,” said Robert Twilley, LSU vice president for research and economic development. “It matches our research enterprise, the entire research enterprise of LSU, with one of the largest industrial investments that’s been made in Louisiana.” LSU and Hyundai Steel signed an
ä See BRIDGE, page 3A
ä See PARTNER, page 4A
STAFF FILE PHOTO By LESLIE WESTBROOK
The Interstate 10 Calcasieu River Bridge is seen May 21 in Lake Charles. More than 100 people have been injured on the bridge in recent years. While it is rated structurally deficient, officials assure it remains safe due to regular inspections and timely repairs. BY MEGAN WYATT
“There’s a few other people that’ve went over the side of that bridge since then,” said Comeaux, who was born the same year the bridge finished construcThis story is the first in a series. tion. “I know what they went through.” Lolly Comeaux Sr. rarely wore a It was the kind of nightmarish wreck seat belt 20 years ago when that those who frequently drive he worked as a truck driver in the bridge say they fear most Westlake. on the imposing structure with But he buckled up on the a steep incline, narrow lanes morning of May 23, 2006, while and no shoulders. More than hauling sand in an 18-wheeler 100 people have been injured from Kinder. He was driving up in crashes on the bridge since the steep incline of Interstate 2018, The Advocate found in an 10’s Calcasieu River Bridge Comeaux analysis of state data that tracks when he and another 18-wheeler bridge crashes, injuries and facollided to avoid a stalled taxi. talities. Both tumbled 40 feet off the bridge’s Several factors make the bridge a conpistol-lined guardrail. cern — both for drivers and for those in Now 73, Comeaux lived to tell the tale. charge of maintaining it.
Staff writer
Trump lobs threats as Vance meets Iranian officials BY AAMER MADHANI, SEUNG MIN KIM and JAMEY KEATEN Associated Press
OBBUERGEN, Switzerland — Highlevel U.S.-Iran talks on their interim deal to end the war had a tense start Sunday in Switzerland as Tehran took offense at
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comments by President Donald Trump, who threatened to attack and told Iran’s president to watch what he says. The comments from afar — on social media and to news outlets — complicated efforts by Vice President JD Vance and mediators Pakistan and Qatar to keep Iran engaged in discussions
meant to address thorny issues like Tehran’s nuclear program, the Strait of Hormuz and the unfreezing of billions of dollars in Iranian assets. Before anything, however, Iran wants to discuss Lebanon, where Israel’s military has been fighting the Iranian-backed Hezbollah militant group, since the
deal halts conflict on all fronts. “Iran must immediately stop their highly paid PROXIES in Lebanon from causing trouble,” Trump said on social media. “If they don’t, we’ll hit Iran very hard again, just like we did last week, only harder!!!”
ä See VANCE, page 4A
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STAFF PHOTO By JAVIER GALLEGOS
LSU Chancellor Jim Dalton, left, is gifted a stuffed animal Hyundai Steel mascot donning an LSU scarf by Soon-Jae Tae, of Hyundai Steel, after a news conference Wednesday at LSU.
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